February27, 2007: Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently banned an Islamic conservative web site, because the site, called Baztab, posted criticism of him. Banning web sites for criticizing government officials is quite common in Iran. But, to date, nearly all the sites (and newspapers, magazines and radio stations) shut down have been moderate, or reform minded. In fact, the site Ahmadinejad banned, has largely aimed its criticism at the reform media that called for changes in the way Iran is ruled.

Now Ahmadinejad has been criticized by a group of members of parliament for shutting down Baztab. To be specific, 136 members of parliament have protested the banning of Baztab. Ahmadinejad can't touch members of parliament. In fact, the current parliament is composed of nothing but Islamic conservatives. The clerics who have veto power over anything that goes on in Iran, banned any moderate candidates from running for parliament during the last elections.

President Ahmadinejad, however, is not just an Islamic conservative, but also critical of the corruption that is so common among the clerics and secular Islamic conservatives who run the country. Ahmadinejad is also outspoken about things that most Iranian clerics and government officials agree with. Thinks like the destruction of Israel and the need to force everyone on the planet to become Moslem. Thus, while moderate Iranians object to many of Ahmadinejads ideas, his fellow Islamic conservatives object to his mouth, or his too frequent, and too righteous, use of said organ.