AANEWS for Friday, June 19, 2009

[Synnical]

A M E R I C A N A T H E I S T S
A A N E W S
#1258 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6/19/09
http://www.atheists.org
http://www.americanatheist.org
http://www.atheistviewpoint.tv

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Service of AMERICAN ATHEISTS, a nationwide movement that defends
civil rights for non-believers; works for the total separation of
Church and State; and addresses issues of First Amendment public
policy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"ATHEIST is really a thoroughly honest, unambiguous term, it admits
of no paltering and no evasion, and the need of the world, now as
ever, is for clear-cut issues and unambiguous speech."
-- Chapman Cohen
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In This Issue...
* No More (New) Preaching on PBS
* Following developments in Iran
* Isn't it time you joined American Atheists
* Dave's NoGodBlog the place to sound-off!
* SF Atheists Solstice picnic, weekend Atheist Film Festival
* Resources
* About this list...

PBS BANS NEW RELIGIOUS PROSELYTIZING, BUT BOARD
VOTES TO RETAIN EXISTING RELIGIOUS SHOWS

The board of the Public Broadcasting Service voted this week to
ban member stations from airing new religious proselytizing shows,
but allowed existing "sectarian" content to remain on the air.

According to the Washington Post, the move was a compromise on a
motion that would have ended all religious advocacy programming.
PBS guidelines require that its programs be nonsectarian and
noncommercial. Another resolution approved by the PBS directors
allows member stations to air religious content on digital outlets
and web sites not identified with the Public Broadcasting Network.
That could allow financially troubled PBS members to lease bandwidth
to churches and other proselytizing groups seeking a presence
on airwaves.

Actually, religious proselytizing has been against PBS regulations
for nearly a-quarter-century; many station executives have turned
a blind eye toward the practice, and as a result a number of
Public Broadcasting members do air clearly sectarian content.
Six of the 356 PBS member outlets carry such content, including
WHUT, operated by Howard University in Washington, DC that airs
"Mass for the Shut-Ins." Nor does the enforcement of the PBS
code affect KBYU owned by Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
It carries several religious programs including Mormon devotionals.

The compromise averted a "crisis" with several stations that
threatened to leave the PBS network if existing sectarian program
was banned. And while PBS rules bar such content, there is no
federal law prohibiting the airing of religious content on public
airwaves or through public broadcasting

**

DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAN

In AANEWS and on our web site, we have been urging readers to pay
close, critical attention to the fast-moving developments in Iran,
a nation which in 1979 moved from despotic rule under the Shah to an
equally despicable form of authoritarian governance by a coterie
of Islamic fundamentalist clerics. There is growing evidence
that the so-called "Islamic Revolution" is decomposing, however,
as a new generation of young people, intellectuals, merchants
and growing ranks from the working class take to the streets
in protest of recent elections. A considerable segment of the
country's population (where the average age is only 27) believes
that President Mahmnoud Ahmadinejade essentially "stole" that
electoral contest from Mir Hussein Moussavi. The country's Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promptly congratulated Ahmadinejade
on his stunning victory where he supposedly took 64% of the vote.
Since last week's contest, though, evidence of lost ballots and
tampering with votes has surfaced, and supporters of Mr. Moussavi
are demanding everything from a recount to new elections.

The fate of the election outcome will rest with a powerful group of
clergy known as the Guardian Council. Also in the Byzantine mix of
the Iranian power structure is a larger but less influential body,
the Council of Experts. Most are hard-line fundamentalists; but
there are significant, and perhaps growing cleavages in the Iranian
bureaucracy. Add to this what appears to be momentum behind Moussavi,
and the explosive growth of a newly-vitalized women's rights
movement, and you have a formula for potential social revolution.

One of the questions, of course, is whether the limited democracy
that is Iran can move boldly and definitively toward some kind of
enlightened secularism, and the construction of a new society based
on human rights, separation of mosque and state, and meaningful,
robust civil liberties and gender empowerment. The obstacles
are substantial, beginning with the existing regime that wants
none of this, or perhaps just enough limited reform to satiate the
appetitive for social change. Lurking in the background are other
conservative, reactionary forces including most of the military;
the 150,000-member Revolutionary Guards; religious police; and
semi-secret religious goon squads like the Basji.

There is also the question of who exactly is Mir Hussein
Moussavi? Western media has cast him as everything from a reformer to
a potential revolutionary. Iranian commentator Baqer Moin disagrees,
though, and told CBS news, "He's not a secular intellectual in
the molds of Western intellectuals. No, he's coming from within
the revolution." Others describe Moussavi as being "very much an
establishment figure." He may have mellowed from his days as an
outspoken supporter of the late Ayatollah Khomeini when he served
as a government minister; Moussavi represents more in tone than in
practice the mantle of reformism. At present, he may be acting the
role of a "pragmatic moderate" according to some sources keeping
a close eye on the developments in Tehran.

What about the hundreds of thousands now pouring into the streets in
daily demonstrations which seem to be gathering momentum? Here, too,
is a mix of opinions and expectations. Some protest the draconian
policies of the government on issues like civil liberties; others,
including working class elements, may place more emphasis on the
inability of Ahmadinejade to solve Iran's deep economic problems,
including unemployment and runaway inflation. Not everyone in
Freedom Square is a supporter of enlightenment secularism; but
they do want their votes counted, and they support the expansion of
civil society. How far this green (the color adopted by Moussavi's
supporters) revolution can or will go remains to be seen.

In the meantime, President Barak Obama seems to be taking a
temperate approach to the developments in Iran, refusing to goad
the demonstrators on and mustering judicious criticism for the
regime. It is definitely in the U.S. interest to not interfere
-- or seem to meddle -- in the internal affairs of Iran or any
other Middle East nation. We did that nearly 60 years ago when
Kermit Roosevelt and his CIA Cold Warriors were turned loose, and
overthrew a democratically elected government. America installed
the Pavli dynasty and Peacock Throne, helped set up the notorious
SAVAK secret police, and crushed expectations that a free society
could emerge in that ancient of lands. In 1979, the blow back from
that blunder led to Khomeini, the siege of the American embassy,
and decades of tension in the region. Need we repeat that?

The Iranians must find the way to a better society on their
own. America needs to lead -- but by example, not bullying. With our
own coterie of religious fundamentalists still greedy for power,
and doing all they can to target President Obama, well, we should
put our own house in order.

-- Conrad Goeringer
AANEWS

Useful links for this story:
<http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/18/eveningnews/main5096390.shtml?tag=stack>
Who is Mir Hossein Mousavi? His supporters may have taken to the
streets - even died for his cause. But Mir Hossein Mousavi is neither
a champion of democracy as we know it, nor an advocate of great
change within Iran's Mullah-dominated government. "He's not a secular
intellectual in the molds of Western intellectuals," said Baqer Moin,
an Iranian commentator. "No, he's coming from within the revolution."

www.huffingtonpost.com
Excellent source of blogged commentary and news coming out of Iran.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090706/editors
"Turmoil in Tehran" -- insightful commentary from The Nation.

<http://www.alternet.org/world/140727/iran%27s_balance_of_power_has_been_upended_--_is_the_country_teetering_toward_civil_war/Iran>s Balance of Power Has Been Upended -- Is the Country Teetering
Toward Civil War? by Robert Dreyfuss. Also recommended is his book
"Devil's Game: How the United States Helped Unleash Fundamentalist
Islam" (Henry Holt/Metropolitan Books). Dreyfuss musters considerable
evidence that western powers, including the United States, backed
right-wing Islamic fundamentalists in the Cold War against "godless
communism," and rejected progressive, democratic movements.

**

ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME YOU JOINED AMERICAN ATHEISTS?

Get on the team and lend your support to promote Atheism and defend
the absolute separation of church and state!

For over 40 years, American Atheists has been dedicated to this
important mission through everything from lawsuits to education
and activism. We promote the important value of Atheists and
nonbelievers "working together on the basis of mutual respect"
in moving toward our common goals.

Your membership support helps The American Atheist Center with its
web sites, publications, activist outreaches, educational forums and
many other programs. Get more information about joining American
Atheists through:
<http://www.atheists.org/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=26>

**

SILVERMAN BLOG SHAKING UP CYBERSPACE!

It is one of the fastest growing blogs in the
Atheist/Freethought/Secular Humanist community, and you can get in
on the discussion!

Dave Silverman, Communications Director for American Atheists is in
the Blogosphere at http://nogodblog.com. It's filled with insight,
wit, hot news, controversial opinion -- and polite, thoughtful
commentary. So join the conversation! Sign up (it's free) by
visiting http://www.atheists.org and click on the blog navigation
button, or go directly to http://nogodblog.com .

**

SAN FRANCISCO ATHEISTS HOSTS
ALL-ATHEIST WEEKEND --
Saturday, June 27, 11 AM - 4 PM
Pine Lake Park, San Francisco

Join us for our annual Summer Solstice Picnic! We have again
secured last year's nice space at Pine Lake Park. Pine Lake Park
is located in the southwest quadrant of San Francisco, just north
of Sloat Boulevard between 19th Avenue and 34th Avenue. The park
is a beautiful eucalyptus-lined meadow next to Stern Grove, site
of the famous outdoor summer concerts. We'll get started about
11 AM and stay until about 4 PM. Please bring a potluck dish to
share and $5 per person to cover reservation and food/drink costs.
Grilled burgers and hot dogs with all the fixin's will be provided,
as well as water, soft drinks, beer and wine.

Make your plans to celebrate the longest day of the year with your
fellow Atheists on June 27. Dress in layers just in case fog rolls
in. You may want to bring something extra for the grill, frisbee,
football, ball and glove, blanket, Scrabble, and even your dog
(a popular dog run is between the parking lot and the picnic site).

Getting There

Car: Parking is easy at the park's 100-car parking lot. Turn north
on Vale Avenue to enter the park. Park then walk the trail west
to the picnic area. Click here for a Google map with interactive
driving directions.

Public Transportation: MUNI lines 23, 28 and the K and M streetcars
will get you to the park. Walk north on Vale Avenue to enter
the park. At the parking lot, walk the trail west to the picnic
area. Click here for a Google map. Click here for a MUNI system map
(PDF) or plan your trip at 511.org.

11 am - 4 pm Saturday, June 27, 2009 ... Don't Miss It!

ATHEIST FILM FESTIVAL

Welcome Schedule Call for Entries Bios Sunday June 28th, 2009 from
12 noon - 12 midnight at the Roxie Theater -- 3117 16th Street,
San Francisco FREE admission! (donations will be accepted) constant
cinema on two screens --the 240 seat BIG theater and the 49 seat
screening room next door

For further information on the picnic and teh Atheist Film Festival,
visit http://www.sfatheists.com

**

RESOURCES FROM AMERICAN ATHEISTS

* For membership information about American Atheists, send
mail to [e-mail]. Kindly include your name and postal
mailing address. Ask for a free membership info packet. You may
also visit http://www.atheists.org and click on the "Membership"
navigation button.

* For a free catalogue of American Atheist Press books, videos and
other products, send mail to [e-mail]. Kindly include
your name and postal mailing address, and request a copy of the
AAP catalogue. You may also shop directly at http://www.atheists.org
--click on the "Shopping" navigation button.

* Current members in good standing of American Atheists may sign up
for our free E-mail Discussion Group list, aachat. We have over 150
participants who discuss topics such as Atheism, religion, First
Amendment issues, creationism and much, much more. Contact the
Moderator, Ed Gauci through [e-mail] .

**

ABOUT THIS LIST...

AANEWS is a free service from American Atheists, a nationwide
movement founded by Madalyn Murray O'Hair that defends the civil
rights of nonbelievers; works for the total separation of church
and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.

You may forward, post or quote from this dispatch provided
that appropriate credit is given to both AANEWS and American
Atheists. Please do not post complete editions of this
newsletter indiscriminately to news groups, boards or other
outlets. Edited by Conrad F. Goeringer ([e-mail]). The
Internet Representative for American Atheists is Larry Mundinger
([e-mail]). The President of American Atheists is
Ed Buckner ([e-mail]).