After the reformist newspaper he worked for was closed by Iranian officials in 2000, writer Hossein Derakhshan moved to Canada to practice his craft in a country that respected his right to freedom of speech. He eventually become a Canadian citizen and a pioneer of Persian-language blogging. Although much of his writing was critical of Iran’s theocratic regime, including the country’s frosty relationship with Israel, he also disapproved of American military activity in the region and defended the regime’s right to take steps to prevent an attack by the United States. After Iran censored his blog, as well as other political websites, he became a fierce advocate of free speech.
Read Full Article »
