the reformists appear to be making something of a modest recovery. In recent weeks, two formerly banned newspapers—Etemad (Confidence) and Ruzegar (Times)—have reappeared on newsstands. Of course, they are back because the regime lifted the ban on them, which was probably done because the regime no longer feels threatened by reformist publications. A half-dozen reformist dailies, such as Sharq (East) and Arman (Ideals), continued publishing throughout the crackdown since the 2009 presidential elections. But they have survived through self-censorship and certainly cannot be considered feisty voices for he opposition.