Blogger discusses long reach of blogging in Iran

By Kelly Winslow: "Working in Iran as a journalist is like walking on a mine field," said Omid Memarian, Iranian journalist, blogger and civil society activist, Monday at the University of Southern California.

During "Inside Iran: A Journalist's Perspective," Memarian discussed his blog Iranian Perspective, which is one of many that have been emerging from Iran. [See related OJR story.]

Blogging is part of an underground movement that Memarian called the "blogger wars." He added that blogging has become an "influential tool to promote social change in [Iran]."

During a panel discussion, Dr. Douglas Becker, from USC's School of International Relations, raised the issue of how much of the information from Iranian blogs is "dissementated to the general population."

Of the 10 million people in Iran, 7 million have access to the Internet.

"Blogging is just a symbol of how Iranian society is eager to change," Memarian said.

Memarian advocates democracy in Iran but pointed out the complexities of bringing democracy to the region.

"If you want to establish a true democracy it takes a long time," Memarian said. "You have to empower the civil society."

He also added that blogging in Iran was a good opportunity for civil society to "express their ideas and for officials to hear the people."

Iranian journalists have been struggling for freedom for years. Memarian says that while free press flourished for a while in the beginning of the new millenium, there was a crackdown in 2000. Since then writers, editors, photographers and even cartoonists have been jailed, tortured and killed for any publication that verges on reformist.

"It's a big fight and many people are involved in it," Memarian said.

At the event, Memarian described how he and 20 other journalists and bloggers were arrested and detained in 2004.

"I was terrified. I couldn't believe it happened to me."

During his two months in jail, Memarian was kept in solitary confinment and tortured.

"They try and destroy the character and personality of journalists inside the jail," Memarian said. "They want to send a message to others."

Memarian said that he was forced to sign a confession of crimes he did not commit. Nevertheless, a month after his release he was back to blogging.

Memarian has also worked with Human Rights Watch, and in 2005 was honored as a Human Rights Watch Defender.

As for now, Memarian continues blogging while attending U.C. Berkeley's graduate program in journalism.

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