Iran: Who Will Be Sent into Space?

Softpedia reports that after successful launches of ‘Kavoshgar 2’ [Explorer] rocket in November 2008, the Iranian space experts plan to send animals on board of Kavoshgar 3 and Kavoshgar 4, into space prior to switching to manned missions.

Dan Talpalariu, the Science Editor of Softpedia, wonders what kind of animals Iranians are thinking about. Nevertheless, it is known that these will test the conditions provided by the spacecraft for the future human crews, according to Mohammed Ebrahimi, the 2nd person in command at the Aerospace Research Institute.

The Iranian state TV reported, via BBC, that "Kavoshgar 2 completed its mission and returned to Earth with a special parachute after 40 minutes," adding that the craft had been designed and developed by the country's aerospace specialists. It is known, though, that the large majority of the Iranian technological equipment comes from altered technology from the North Koreans and the Chinese.

The Kavoshgar-2 transported a laboratory, a restoration system, and a device that monitored and processed data, stated the national television channel. Two more launches and flights are scheduled before attempting to send a bigger rocket, dubbed Safir-e Omid [Ambassador of Hope] that is supposed to carry a fully-functional satellite into the orbit.

Iran Continues to Explore Cloning

Iran's Royan Institute may eventually produce a good candidate for the space mission.

Press TV, via Payvand news agency, reports that a cloned lamb was successfully born at 28 weeks of gestational age -7th month of pregnancy - in Iran. "The lamb lived for about 10 minutes after birth but died because of Polyhydramnios - a medical condition described by excess amniotic fluid in the amniotic sac during pregnancy."

Iran's 1st cloned lamb, Royana, was born on 30 September 2006 in the city of Isfahan and was able to survive the post-natal complications common in cloned animals.

Royan Institute researchers hope to produce several cloned calves in the near future.
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Picture via Payvand: Royana the 1st cloned lamb.
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Strange Parallel Between Iran & Israel

Edinburgh University, U.K., marked its "Right to Education Week," 9 – 16 November 2008, with a strange double focus: The Baha’i struggle for the right to education in Iran as well as Israeli oppression of Palestinian students.

According to the Edinburgh University Student Association, this annual event supports “the defense of every student worldwide whose access to education is denied or subject to restriction, for whatever reason.”

The week-long event includes debates and discussions, photographic exhibitions, and film projections.

Supporting the ‘Heretics’

As previously mentioned on this blog, the Islamic Republic has systematically deprived the Baha’i - the largest religious minority in the country - from higher education. Considered as heretic sect, the Baha’is have been subject to widespread persecution including limits on practicing religious beliefs, unjustified executions and imprisonment, land seizures and curtailments of civil freedoms.

Attempts by the Baha’i community to set up their own educational institutions have also been hindered by the government.

According to the Journal, a Scottish newspaper, since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the only source of protection and encouragement for the Iranian Baha’i community has been international concern, as expressed through the United Nations, by governments, and in the news media.

Through events like "Right to Education Week" Edinburgh University hoped that “students, university staff, and academic leaders can follow suit in protesting the blatantly unjust oppression that continues to confront the young Iranian Baha’is, as well as aiming towards the furtherance of the right to education in all contexts around the world.”

For organizing this event the University partnered with the local Baha’i Society. The Society hosted a lecture entitled ‘Closed Doors: Iran's Campaign to Deny Baha’i’s Education.’

Turning the Light to Red

Edinburgh's partner institution in Palestine, Birzeit University, was involved in organizing the events focused on the 2nd theme - Israeli oppression of Palestinian students. Various local associations and NGOs such as the Palestine Solidarity Society, Action Palestine and Islamic Society of Edinburgh University also contributed.

Mr. Anan Quzmar, a spokesperson for Action Palestine, told The Journal why events like Edinburgh's "Right to Education Week" were important: “The Israeli occupation specifically targets Palestinian education. The silence by the international community is seen by Israel as a green light to continue its attack on the means and development of Palestinian society as a whole. Palestinian students look to their fellow students around the world for support.”

Action Palestine prepared an interactive presentation called ‘Being a Student in Palestine: Studying under Occupation’ which hosted delegates from 5 Palestinian universities.
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