''Rooz'' ( fa, روز, literally ''day'') was a
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
news website. It is mostly staffed by exiled Iranian journalists including
Masoud Behnoud
Masoud Behnoud ( fa, مسعود بهنود; born in Tehran) is an Iranian journalist, He began his career as a journalist in 1964. Since then he has worked as an investigating journalist for different newspapers.
Behnoud lives in the United Ki ...
,
Ebrahim Nabavi
Seyyed Ebrahim Nabavi ( fa, سید ابراهیم نبوی; born 1958 in Astara, Iran) is a prolific Iranian satirist, writer, diarist, and researcher. He currently writes in the news website ''Gooya'' and the online newspaper ''Rooz'', and has a ...
and
Nikahang Kowsar
Nikahang Kowsar ( fa, نیکآهنگ کوثر, born 1969), also known as Nik Kowsar is an Iranian-Canadian cartoonist, journalist, and blogger, currently living in Washington, D.C., US. Kowsar was also a reformist candidate for the second term ...
with occasional articles by activists and journalists inside Iran, including
Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi ( fa, شيرين عبادى, Širin Ebādi; born 21 June 1947) is an Iranian political activist, lawyer, a former judge and human rights activist and founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. On 10 October 2003, Ebadi wa ...
and
Ahmad Zeidabadi
Ahmad Zeidabadi fa, احمد زیدابادی (born 21 July 1965 in Zeidabad, Sirjan) is an Iranian journalist, academic, writer and political analyst and the secretary general of Office for Strengthening Unity. He is one of the notable figures ...
. Another contributor is
Hossein Derakhshan
Hossein Derakhshan ( fa, حسين درخشان; born January 7, 1975), also known as Hoder, is an Iranian-Canadian blogger, journalist, and researcher who was imprisoned in Tehran from November 2008 to November 2014. He is credited with starting ...
, who has been under arrest in Tehran since 1 November 2008.
It was first published on the web on May 10, 2005. It is published by "Iran
Gooya Gooya ( fa, گویا) is a Persian-language website started by Belgium-based journalist Farshad Bayan in 1998.
At that time, there were a few Iran-related websites and most Persian media did not have online editions. Manually prepared electronic c ...
" (registered in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
).
Controversy
Iranian critics of the website argue that it does not work in the interest of that nation, and does not represent factual accuracy of the events.
Their reasoning is based on the website's funding by
Hivos
Hivos ( nl, Humanistisch Instituut voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking, Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation) is an international cooperation organization, with its global office in The Hague, The Netherlands. Hivos provides support to civil ...
,
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:JjK9K-KdXTAJ:www.hivos.nl/nederlands/layout/set/print/partners/moretest%3Fid%3DIR007+site:http://www.hivos.nl+iran+gooya&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&client=firefox-a ] a Dutch organization which in turn is funded by the government of
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.
In November 2006,
Hossein Derakhshan
Hossein Derakhshan ( fa, حسين درخشان; born January 7, 1975), also known as Hoder, is an Iranian-Canadian blogger, journalist, and researcher who was imprisoned in Tehran from November 2008 to November 2014. He is credited with starting ...
who maintained the Rooz website claimed on his blog that he was accused of working for the
Islamic Republic
The term Islamic republic has been used in different ways. Some Muslim religious leaders have used it as the name for a theoretical form of Islamic theocratic government enforcing sharia, or laws compatible with sharia. The term has also been u ...
government and therefore not paid for a year by Rooz.
[Hossein Bastani, editor of Rooz, a Hivos-funded project, refuses to pay staff's rights, accusing them of working with Islamic Republic to stifle free speech](_blank)
Furthermore, he hoped that Hivos, a Dutch organization that helps to fund for Rooz, would pressure them to allow more freedom of speech to their staff.
In response,
Nikahang Kowsar
Nikahang Kowsar ( fa, نیکآهنگ کوثر, born 1969), also known as Nik Kowsar is an Iranian-Canadian cartoonist, journalist, and blogger, currently living in Washington, D.C., US. Kowsar was also a reformist candidate for the second term ...
claimed that Derakhshan has taken the website "hostage" and that he demands "ransom", and asked director
Hossein Bastani to confront Derakhshan.
[http://nikahang.blogspot.com/2006/11/blog-post_116326605491307166.html ]
See also
*
Radio Zamaneh
Radio Zamaneh ( fa, رادیو زمانه) is an Amsterdam-based Persian language exile news platform and former radio broadcaster. "Zamaneh" is the Persian literary term for "time".
Radio Zamaneh is an independent Persian-language exile media a ...
References
External links
*
Archive of English articles on RoozHivos website
Mass media in Iran
{{Iran-stub