The online publication of an interview with the U.S. State Department's Persian spokesman by a conservative Iranian website appears to have been pulled following official criticism and condemnation.

Iran's Culture Ministry said in a statement on April 4 that there was no justification for the Alef website to allow what it called a U.S. "intelligence officer" the opportunity to respond to questions from Iranians.

The ministry said it "condemns the extraordinary move" and "invites the media to avoid any cooperation with figures and media that are opposed to the Islamic system."

The furor began on April 3, when Alef -- which is said to have ties to conservative lawmaker Ali Tavakoli -- called on its readers to send in questions for its upcoming interview with the State Department's Persian-language spokesman, Alan Eyre.

The website also posted a short bio of Eyre, who is a fluent Persian speaker and who in recent months has been reaching out to Iranians via appearances on Persian-language media and social-networking sites. 

'A CIA Spy'

Alef's invitation to Eyre raised eyebrows and was criticized by other conservative websites -- some of which described the decision as "odd" and accused Eyre of being an agent for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The website of Rajanews, which is said to be close to the government, accused Alef of becoming a platform for the "evil U.S. government" at a time when Washington has imposed "the toughest pressure and sanctions" against Iran.

Rajanews said Alef failed to give its readers any background about "the enmity of the U.S. government toward the Iranian nation and the Islamic Revolution."

"An ordinary user might think that Eyre, the spokesman of the State Department of the evil U.S. government, is an American interested in Iran's history and civilization who intends to respond to questions...of Iranians with goodwill."

Another website, The Journalists Club, accused Eyre of being an agent for the CIA, who is using his spokesman position as cover to spy on Iranians. The site said Alef's decision to engage with Eyre had no political or national justification.

Several hours after it went up, Alef removed the webpage advertising the conversation with a "special guest" without explanation. Site editors did not respond to an e-mailed request for comment.

Talking About U.S. Talks Taboo

For his part, Eyre posted the story accusing him of being a CIA agent on his Facebook page and wrote that any U.S. official who speaks a bit of Persian and is fond of Iran is seen as a spy in the eyes of the Iranian government.

Eyre had earlier confirmed to RFE/RL by e-mail that he was set to be an online guest on Alef. A U.S. official told RFE/RL that government policy was to try and engage the Iranian people through Eyre and other avenues, and that the State Department hoped the interview with Alef would eventually be published in its entirety.

The very idea of direct talks with U.S. officials has been a sensitive matter in the Islamic republic since the 1979 revolution, when the United States severed ties with Tehran following the hostage taking of U.S. diplomats.

In recent months, President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has been criticized by his opponents  for talking about the possible resumption of ties with the United States. They say any decision about the future of relations with Washington is up to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who always has the last say in Iran. Ahmadinejad has been engaged in a power struggle with allies of Khamenei for some time.

Ironically, Alef's plan to have Eyre as an online guest appears to have provided an opportunity for Ahmadinejad's supporters to strike back at his critics.

Rajanews asked, "How come the most insignificant statement by a government official [Ahmadinejad] about the resumption of ties with the U.S. is met with such harsh reaction...but Alef can hold an exclusive conversation with a senior White House official?"

Afghans living in Isfahan were banned from a mountainous park in the city on April 1, the 13th day of Norouz festivities, which Iranian tradition says should be spent outdoors.

The decision was announced on March 30 by Isfahan’s Committee to Facilitate Travel, which said Afghans were banned from Sofeh Park in order "to ensure citizens' welfare."

Ahmad Reza Shafiei, an official with Travel Committee's police department, was quoted as saying that the reason for the move was "the extensive presence of Afghans" at the park in previous years and "the creation of insecurities for families." By that, he meant Iranian families.

But it was Iranians who quickly condemned the decision on Facebook and other social media.

"I am also an Afghan," some wrote as their Facebook status update. Others slammed the decision as "racist" and an "insult" to Afghans living in Iran.

There was also a report of a symbolic protest on April 1 at Sofeh Park.

A picture widely shared on Facebook shows three young men holding signs decrying racism, including one that says, "I am also an Afghan."

This isn't the first time Afghans in Iran have faced discrimination. There are reportedly more than 1 million Afghan refugees and thousands of illegal Afghan migrants in the Islamic republic.

Many of them moved to Iran following the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the civil war that followed the Soviet withdrawal. Others sought refuge in Iran after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan.

In recent years, reports of mistreatment of Afghans -- particularly against those who enter Iran illegally -- have increased.

A YouTube video making the rounds shows a group of Afghans being mistreated, apparently by Iranian soldiers, who tell the Afghans to hit themselves on the head, perform sit-ups, and say aloud, “We will never come to Iran anymore.”

Iranian officials are quick to remind critics that the Islamic republic has been a generous host for more than 2 million Afghan refugees for two decades, with little help from the international community.

But in recent years, Afghans who have entered Iran illegally have been forcefully deported. Some who still live in Iran say they face legal discrimination and restrictions on their right to study and access public places.

Some Iranians blame Afghans for the spread of crime and drugs while others accuse them of stealing jobs at a time of soaring unemployment.

Despite the difficulties, there are still reports of many Afghans returning to Iran in search of menial jobs that usually hold little appeal to Iranians.

-- Golnaz Esfandiari

Amid the drumbeat of war between Iran and Israel, an Israeli couple has launched an online peace campaign in an effort to reach out to Iranians and say no to a military conflict.

Forty-one-year-old graphic designer Ronny Edry and his partner, 36-year-old Michal Tamir, launched the initiative last week by posting pictures of themselves with their children on a Facebook page with a simple message: "Iranians, we love you. We don't want to bomb your country."

Edry wrote, "To the Iranian people, to all the fathers, mothers, children, brothers, and sisters. For there to be a war between us, first we must be afraid of each other. We must hate. I'm not afraid of you. I don't hate you. I don't even know you. No Iranian ever did me harm."

When he sometimes sees "an Iranian" on television talking about war, he wrote, "I'm sure he does not represent all the people of Iran… If you see someone on your TV talking about bombing you… be sure he does not represent all of us. To all those who feel the same, share this message and help it reach the Iranian people."

Virtual 'Boxing Ring'

In an interview with RFE/RL, the couple said their idea was to create a virtual "boxing ring" where, instead of fighting, one opponent would reach out with both hands to "the other side."  

Tamir said it didn't take long for the other side to respond with "moving" messages that made her cry.

"In the last 24 hours, Iranians from inside Iran have been posting on the [Facebook page] pictures of their faces, sometimes half a face and sometimes their reflection through mirrors," Tamir says. "They don't want to be exposed. They...upload in the same format, which is: 'Israelis, we will never bomb your country. We love you.' "

​​Facebook users inside Iran are afraid that any open contact with the Jewish state could result in spying charges against them. Iran does not recognize Israel and Iranian citizens are banned from traveling to Israel.

Some of the pictures posted by Iranians appear to be from those living outside the country who are not afraid of reprisal.

The couple, who have since begun a new Facebook page called "Israel Loves Iran," have also launched a blog and say they have received many private messages from Iranians who have asked them not to make their names or profiles public.

'Reunion Of Brothers And Sisters'

One message from a person in Tehran that the couple posted anonymously reads, "Some people said this is start of a friendship between two countries but I say (based on the two countries' history) this is reunion of brothers and sisters who lost each other over time and finally find each other."

WATCH -- Ronny Edry makes his case via YouTube:



Another Iranian woman wrote that she wanted to ensure Israelis that Iranians just want "peace and beauty on the Earth."

"We hate war and slaughter. We all are the parts of one body and it hurts when you see a human suffering, since she or he is a part of your soul," she wrote.

'Say It Out Loud'

Tamil says the page has brought down "a wall" and now people from both sides can communicate directly and bypass politicians.

​​She says social media has empowered people like her and allowed her to raise her voice against "a war no one wants."

The couple plans to try and raise money to take the campaign beyond Facebook, possibly onto billboards so it can reach a wider audience.

Edry says he hopes it will eventually impact decisionmakers.

"It's our duty as the people to change the minds, to say out loud that we don't want it," Edry says. "For so many years, we are so afraid of just talking and they are saying the war is coming and the Iranians are going to bomb us and the Israelis are going to bomb back and everybody is afraid and waiting and no one says [anything].

"We just have to say it out loud: We don't want this war. Israelis and Iranians we have no beef one with each other."

The Iranian government body that sets the country's official cultural policy has reportedly removed World AIDS Day from the state calendar.

The move has prompted concern among those fighting the spread of AIDS in the Islamic republic, where the disease is highly stigmatized.

The reputable Iranian daily "Etemad" reported on March 14 that new regulations approved by the Supreme Council of the Revolution permit only occasions "of importance to different layers of the nation" and that strengthen "Iranian national identity" to be included in the official state calendar. Occasions that do not meet those standards are relegated to the calendar's appendix.

The ruling was reportedly approved at a meeting of the council in August 2009 and signed by President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, who is also the council's chair.

The change, however, appears to have gone unnoticed until "Etemad" broke the news this week. The newspaper claims that the decision was made without the knowledge of or consultation with the Health Ministry. 

Hamid Hosseini, the ministry's public relations manager, was quoted as saying officials from his office would ask the Council of the Revolution for an explanation.

"The reason for the elimination is not clear to us," Hosseini said. "If the need for AIDS prevention is not well understood by the council's members, then we need to remind them about it so that the occasion is again included in the calendar."

Not Important In Iran?

In 1988, the United Nations General Assembly declared AIDS to be a global pandemic and established December 1 as a worldwide day of awareness for the disease.

According to official figures released by the Health Ministry, some 23,000 Iranians are infected with HIV/AIDS.

Reza Yaghoubi, a deputy at the Council of Public Culture, another body involved in decision-making about the state calendar, told "Etemad" that that the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the country was likely deemed not significant enough for World AIDS Day to be considered generally relevant.

​​Independent experts believe the real number of infected persons is much higher. 

Arash Alaei, a pioneering Iranian HIV/AIDS doctor, tells RFE/RL the official figure represents only the number of registered cases of HIV/AIDS. He says the real number of Iranians who are infected is likely about 100,000.

The majority of those infected are said to be drug addicts, and official figures say 70 percent of HIV-positive people contracted the virus through exchanging needles. In recent years, though, the spread of HIV through sexual intercourse has reportedly increased.

Alaei says the removal of the World AIDS Day from the calendar amounts to disregard for human rights. "World AIDS day is included in the national calendars of most countries not because of the number of infected people, but because of the importance of the rights of the people in that country," he adds.

'Not Enough Being Done'

Arash Alaei and his brother Kamiar, who is also an internationally recognized expert in HIV/AIDS prevention, were jailed in Iran in 2008 after being charged with having contacts with "hostile governments."

The two brothers, who were released last year and are now based in the United States, say they are concerned that the calendar change will mean even less public attention paid to an issue that is already a social taboo in Iran.

"This demonstrates that politicians believe AIDS is not an important issue, while 70 percent of Iranian society is younger than 35 years old and is very much at risk of AIDS infection and sexually transmitted diseases," Kamiar Alaei points out.

"No matter how much of an information campaign about this issue there is, it's not enough."

He says many Iranians might not pay attention to the events listed in the appendix of the state calendar, and that many calendars are printed without the appendix included.

AIDS activists within Iran are also said to be critical of the state's decision.

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has defended his leadership style in the first appearance by an Iranian president before parliament since the Islamic republic was founded in 1979.

Ahmadinejad was summoned on March 14 by lawmakers who are dissatisfied over his handling of the economy and political management.

Ahmadinejad, whose speech to the chamber was broadcast on state media, told legislators that if his government were judged to be "less than 100 percent, it would be unfair and cowardice."

The defiant Iranian president was asked 10 questions that were read out by one of his staunchest critics, lawmaker Ali Motahari. He responded dismissively and, at times, made jokes.

Some of the questions focused on his differences with Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- who has ultimate power in the Islamic republic. Ahmadinejad was asked about his refusal last year, for 11 days, to give in to a demand by Khamenei that he reinstate his fired intelligence minister.

He was also questioned about his 2010 dismissal of an ally of Khamenei, former Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki, who was dismissed during a trip to Senegal. Ahmadinejad denied challenging the supreme leader and said as the president he had the right to dismiss ministers.

Ridiculing Parliament

The president deflected other questions from lawmakers who challenged him about Iran's high inflation rate, suggesting it was a result of his policies to reduce Iran's subsidies.

In tongue-in-cheek responses, Ahmadinejad denied any wrongdoing and said that price hikes had nothing to do with slashing subsidies.

He told his questioners that he had responded to their "school exam" questions fully and that if they had consulted with him, they could have come up with better questions.

Some lawmakers said Ahmadinejad had not taken the session seriously and had been disrespectful.

"The president's language was insulting during his entire speech," lawmaker Mostafa Reza Hosseini said. "He escaped answering the questions. As predicted, we did not receive any logical answers from the president."

Did Ahmadinejad Win?

That the session was held at all was seen as a blow to Ahmadinejad's standing, which already has been weakened by a power struggle with Khamenei.

But some analysts have suggested the combative president had the upper hand in the session.

"Ahmadinejad managed to diminish the importance of the questions; some of them were from a few years ago, the public is not interested in them,"  London-based political analyst Asghar Ramezanpour told RFE/RL's Radio Farda.

"Ahmadinejad and his government have pursued a policy of gradually weakening the parliament and it seems that it [the government] has also been supported by Khamenei, because it seems he wanted Ahmadinejad to be questioned at a time when it has the least impact."

In fact, lawmakers have been threatening for the past year to summon Ahmadinejad to the parliament for questioning. Only in February did enough sign the petition necessary to summon him.

Eleven lawmakers subsequently withdrew with their signatures, leading to speculation that the motion would be canceled. But the parliament's presiding board ruled on March 13 that the questioning should go ahead.

While Ahmadinejad was being questioned, clashes between his supporters and opponents were reported outside the parliament.

The semi-official ILNA news agency reported that the police intervened to stop the scuffle.

Written by Golnaz Esfandiari, with contribution by RFE/RL Radio Farda broadcaster Babak Ghafouri

For years now, the authorities in Iran have tried to crack down on the use of satellite dishes, which give Iranians access to foreign channels. The dishes are banned in the Islamic republic. Police officers spend a considerable amount of time searching for them, dismantling them, and confiscating them. (See a YouTube video here of one such "dismantling.")

But it appears that Iran's war on satellite dishes is a losing one. Neither police raids nor stiff fines have been able to stop Iranians from watching their favorite shows.

At a recent seminar about the "harming effects" of satellite dishes, held in the city of Qom, researcher Mohammad Reza Khoshrou said that, according to the latest figures, 65 percent of Tehran residents use satellite dishes.

Khoshrou said the figure in Qom – which is home to Iran's religious seminaries --  is between 30 and 40 percent, the same as in other Iranian cities. He didn't provide details about the source of the figures.

PHOTO GALLERY: Iran's (Losing) War Against Satellite Dishes
​​
Iranian officials have acknowledged the popularity of satellite channels on a number of occasions and warned against what they see as the negative impact of foreign channels.

In July 2011, hard-line Iranian cleric Ahmad Khatami called satellite programs part of the "soft war" that Iran's enemies have launched against the country.  

"Fighting against Islam, the Islamic Revolution, and the great Iranian nation" are among the major goals of satellite channels, Khatami said during an appearance at Tehran's Friday Prayers.  

For many Iranians, satellite channels are the only source of uncensored news, as well as quality entertainment, which is also a rare commodity on state television.

One woman in the Iranian capital, whose satellite dish was demolished by the police several months ago, told "Persian Letters" that the first thing she did the day after her apartment complex was raided was order a new dish and receiver.

"That's the only fun we have here. There's nothing worth watching on [state television]," she said. "They can come and take my dish away. I will get a new one."

-- Golnaz Esfandiari

Iranian authorities are refusing to allow a ceremony to honor the film director who won Iran's first-ever Oscar last month.

Iran's ILNA news agency reported that the planned ceremony -- for Asghar Farhadi and his film, "The Separation," which won Best Foreign Film at February's Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles -- was abruptly canceled on March 12 after organizers were denied the necessary permit.

The event was being planned by the Center for Directors of Iranian Cinema and the High Council of Producers of Iranian Cinema. In a statement, the director's group expressed regret:


Tehran had welcomed Asghar's Oscar as an Iranian triumph over Israel, since a film by an Israeli director (Joseph Cedar's "Footnote") was competing in the category.

The award was greeted with jubilation among Iranians as a bit of rare good news for their country on the world stage.

WATCH: The announcement of the award, Farhadi's acceptance speech, and Iranian reactions

It remains unclear why officials blocked the event.

But "A Separation" has reportedly upset some conservatives for the way it exposes troubles in Iranian society, including gender inequality and the desire of many to leave the country.

Farhadi, who returned over the weekend to a hero's welcome by fans and colleagues, has not commented on the ceremony's cancellation.

He has, however, said that he would never leave his homeland despite winning the film industry's top award. "I love my country and I will not change it for anywhere in the world," the 40-year-old filmmaker was quoted as saying by Iran's official IRNA news agency as he arrived in Tehran. "I will never emigrate from Iran."

But later he said, "I am at the point of filming a movie outside of the country."

Farhadi was also quoted as saying that true congratulations for his win from the Culture Ministry would be the reopening of the House of Cinema, the country's leading independent film association. "That would make me happy more than anything else," he said.

The ministry last month ordered the House of Cinema to cease its operations in a move that was seen as part of a broader crackdown on independent art.

-- Golnaz Esfandiari