Night letter

Night letter

A night letter is an unsigned leaflet distributed clandestinely, very much like the samizdat that were distributed clandestinely by the dissidents in the Soviet Union

In the late 1970s, Israeli peace activists belonging to the Shelly Party (Peace and Equality for Israel) (מפלגת שלי - שלום ושוויון לישראל), a small left-wing party then holding two seats in the Knesset, distributed numerous such night letters in the postboxes of Tel-Aviv houses. The leaflets contained eye-witness testimonies on severe human rights violations committed by IDF soldiers in the Occupied Territories, whose publication was forbidden by the military censorship. The leaflets were unsigned and at the time the party denied any connection with them. Only many years later did Uri Avnery, at the time Knesset member for Shelly, admit to having composed the leaflets and organised their distribution, stating that this act was justified since the censorship had abused its power to withhold information from the public.

Persian world

Main article: Shabnama

There is a tradition of shabnama ("night letters") in the Persian world as well. Shabnama were widely distributed in the 20th century in Iran over the course of several revolutionary movements.

More recently, night letters have been a tactic employed by the Taliban and other extremist groups in Afghanistan to intimidate supporters of secular government and education.[1]

References

  1. ^ Walsh, Declan (September 19, 2004). "'Night letters' from the Taliban threaten Afghan democracy". The Observer (Uruzgan, Afghanistan). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/sep/19/afghanistan.declanwalsh. 

See also



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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Night letter — Night letter, Night lettergram Night lettergram See {Letter}, above. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • night letter — ☆ night letter n. a telegram sent at night at a reduced rate, to be delivered the next morning …   English World dictionary

  • night letter — {n.} A telegram sent at night at a cheaper rate and delivered in the morning. * /I waited until after six o clock in the evening before sending the telegram home because I can say more for the same price in a night letter./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • night letter — {n.} A telegram sent at night at a cheaper rate and delivered in the morning. * /I waited until after six o clock in the evening before sending the telegram home because I can say more for the same price in a night letter./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • night\ letter — noun A telegram sent at night at a cheaper rate and delivered in the morning. I waited until after six o clock in the evening before sending the telegram home because I can say more for the same price in a night letter …   Словарь американских идиом

  • night letter — night′ let ter n. tgp a telegram sent at night for next day delivery …   From formal English to slang

  • night letter — noun Date: 1910 a telegram sent at night at a reduced rate for delivery the following morning …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • night letter — former name of overnight telegram. Abbr.: NL [1910 15] * * * …   Universalium

  • night letter — noun an unsigned leaflet distributed clandestinely …   Wiktionary

  • night letter — noun a cheaper form of telegram sent for delivery the next day • Hypernyms: ↑telegram, ↑wire …   Useful english dictionary

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