Monday, January 30, 2006

Snowboarding

They say one of the ways to keep happy and content is to learn a new skill every year. It can be a new spoken language, a new IT skill, joggling... Learning anything new can give you that feeling of contentment. This year I set out to learn snowboarding and the day of reckoning was today.

I was glad when they told me the ski resort has an instructor who speaks English, although I quickly realised the English was very little. He took me half the way up the hill and showed me how to strap the shoes on the snowboard, while we knelt down on the snow. Then he showed how to do a half turn on the hips to end up with the snowboard in front and the back pointing to the bottom of the hill. So far so good. Then he stood up and leaned slightly forward. I tried to stand up too, but before I knew it and he had finished saying "like this", I had involuntarily departed from him, sliding all the way down. I had done skateboarding when I was younger and actually managed to keep my balance on the snowboard while going down the hill. I was gathering up more and more speed, in fact I was going down quite fast. I still struggled to keep my balance, but how do I stop the damn thing?

I didnt wait long enough for the instructor to show me and he was half the way up the hill. At the same time I was approaching the bottom where people were queuing to get up with cable. Any second I would smash into the women and children. What do I do? Only one thing came to mind, fall! I leaned forward and crashed hard on my hands and knees. Ok I avoided running up to the people and I am now on the icy snow. What do I do now? I had to wait for the instructor to come down. Fortunately his English wasnt good enough to say what he thought. Other than "Wait, I tell you to go, then go". Yeah right as if I meant to go down.

We went up the hill again. I tried several times to get up without sliding off. The instructions were limited to "Not like this but like this". I gave up with him. As I was down on my knees again, the pist jockey started playing "Eye of the tiger", a song which has inspired for many years, every time I hear it. "Come on, Eye of the tiger Potkin" I said to myself. I also decided to ignore the instructor and learn things as I always have. Just think about what I have to do. Gin control of this damn wild board with the mind of its own.
"Have to learn this forward leaning balance", I said to myself. Few more tries and I was there. It all came together, I started going down the hill backwards, from side to side but with full control. Then as the control became second nature, I turned and aimed forward, leaning on my front leg, and then the most difficult part of the trick, using the shoulders to turn around the snowboard, then leaning slightly forward to stop in time.

Fantastic! I done it and it was so much fun. What a great day! Only one thing could top it. Bathing in the natural thermal waters at night in the open. Running like a maniac in the freezing cold with just swimming shorts and then jumping in this hot pool, soothing the earlier bumps and grazes, and then coming out and running back in again while still wet in sub zero temperatures. Fantastic :))

I will be trying the snowjets tomorrow.

Sunday, January 29, 2006

Mountains

I have always had a reverence for the mountains, and 2200 m above the sea level in middle of the High Tatras, my reverence for the mountains has increased even more. There is something about the mountains that fascinates me. They are huge, steadfast and resolute. They look down with pity on the lesser beings down below that change direction with the wind while they themselves remain solid and eternal. Nothing can move them. They are there for as long as we have this planet.

All the white snow gives you a feeling of purity which goes hand in hand with the pure fresh air, and at night the skies reveal so many more stars that the false city lights hide.

I remember when I flew over the Iranian airspace two years ago. I had a seat by the window and as soon as the pilot said "we are now entering the Iranian airspace", I looked down. Thousands of thoughts and memories went through my head, and in particular the question of how strange it is that I can fly over this land I love but not land on it. Yet it was when I saw the mountains that I was overcome with emotions. Something about them stirred my passions beyond control and from then on I could not stop the flow of tears.

The people of the mountains are fascinating too. They are strong, fierce and resilient people. They defend their mountains with tooth and nail and yet they are so hospitable towards the guests that visit them. They are honourable people with strong family and friendship ties. The men are men and the women are women, the way nature intended it.

Saturday, January 28, 2006

Snow, food, drink and happiness

Finally got away from all the stress in London. No congestion charging, no overcrowded tubes, no exuberant parking charges, no stress.

When I arrived last night, it was minus 13 degrees but it felt ok. It was a lovely day today. No clouds at all, just sunshine and snow all around. Tomorrow will be off to the mountains.

There is definitely less money here, but people seem to be happier. Now that the drab repressive years of Communism are over, people have hope. They eat, they drink, they talk and they celebrate just about everything.

The youth are respectful and the streets are safe to walk at any time. Nice time to be here.

Friday, January 27, 2006

Hamas Victory

I am actually quite happy about Hamas victory in the Palestinian elections. Lets face it, in all the Muslim Middle East countries, if there was a free election, the Islamists would win. Except that is, in Iran.

Almost 27 years ago, 98% of the Iranians endorsed the Islamic Republic. The process was slightly flawed because the voters had to cast either a green 'Yes' card or a red 'No' card in front of the intimidating eyes of the polling officials. Nevertheless, I am sure that even in a secret ballot, given the mass frenzy and hysteria at the time, the establishment of the Islamic Republic would have attained the majority of the Iranian votes. Now days if there was a free election in Iran, if Iranians were asked to vote again - Islamic Republic, 'Yes' or 'No'? - I doubt if even 10% would vote 'Yes'.

So why the difference with the rest of the region? The answer is simply this, Islamists in Iran came to power. The people gradually realised with their skin and flesh that the empty phrases and promises of "Free electrictiy, water, gas and buses" were just words. The disposessed in whose name so many atrocities were done, did not become any more posessed, they became more disposessed than ever. The corruption that the mullahs brought about, made the corruption in the previous regime seem negligible. The Iranian people saw the Islamists for what they were. Political Islam in Iran failed miserably.

Its easier to be in opposition. In government the realities hit you. Hamas will now have to deliver. What Palestinians must be careful about, is that unlike the Iranians, they be able to vote Hamas out. An option which the mullahs denied the Iranian people.

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Now its Simon Hughes' Turn

They asked Karl Marx what the worst human vice was in his opinion and he replied 'servility'. If I were asked the same question, servility would be high on the list but hypocrisy would be at the very top.

I loathe hypocrites. I can even respect religious fundamentalists, if they practice what they preach to the others, but I can not stand a person who falsely pretends piety in public and lives a morally decadent life behind the scenes. I can not for example stand Iranian women who wear tons of make up, tight revealing clothing, drink and gamble and at the same time promote the Islamic Republic for personal gains.

that's why I was so motivated to act against the Lib Dems for calling the Islamic Republic "an advanced form of democracy". It was so hypocritical. Thats why I found it so repulsive when Mark Oaten ran for the Lib Dem leadership on a platform of "Family Values" but was found out to use the services of a rent boy. Thats why I get so mad at the Labour government when they deny access to so many good fathers to see their children but happily approve of perverts teaching children in schools.

When the news came out that Simon Hughes, another candidate for the Lib Dem leadership, is gay, it wasn't so much his private affairs that bothered me. That has nothing to do with me. It was the fact that he had previously, on more than one occasion, publicly denied he was gay. This shows the man can lie to the public.

Worse still, I remember how he won his Bermondsey seat in the 1983 by-election.
The Lib Dems fought a very bitter and dirty campaign against the openly gay Labour candidate, Peter Thatchel. Simon Hughes was described as the "straight choice" in the Lib Dem leaflets. Millions of leaflets were also distributed by Lib Dem supporters asking the Bermondsey voters, "Do you want a poof to represent you?". Now 23 years later, we find out the "straight choice" was as bent as a corkscrew! What hypocrisy! Despicable!

These Lib Dems refer to the Islamic Republic as an "advanced form of democracy", don't they realise that gays are executed in the "advancd form of democracy"?

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

I am Ready to Go :)

When I was younger, I thought I was invincible and live forever. The cold never bothered me, except in two situations. One was playing rugby on a frozen frosty hard ground and the other was receiving cuts and bruises in a brawl. Somehow I remember cuts and bruises hurt more and took longer to heal in the cold.

Now days however, I can not even face going out of the door without first having a hot bowl of porridge to warm me up.

Where I will be from this weekend however, the temperatures are said to be minus 25 degrees below zero! I am told "its a different kind of cold". I am not taking any chances though. I got myself kitted up with all the gear, as you can see in the photo.

Just to give me a little bit more encouragement as well, all the gear I bought, aptly have the label "No Fear" on them. :))

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Collecting Signatures on the Internet

Some of the exiled Iranian opposition figures seem to know only one type of political activity, collecting signatures on the internet. To them the height of an effective political action is to write some long winded article and then email it to some website on the web, go back to their comfort zone and expect thousands to have signed it by the next day or two.

I often wonder, even if hundreds of thousands sign these appeals, how will those who called for the signatures actually use them to achieve their objective?
Perhaps thats why so many Iranians like me, have got fed up with this type of action. What do you do with these signatures after you collect them?

This frivolous act is being tried so many times on an almost daily basis on a variety of issues across so many Iranian websites that for me the whole notion of it, is becoming somewhat detestable.

Many traits of a typical exiled Iranian opposition figure can be seen by these appeals for signature on the web. Such as:

1- Narcissism : They think their article is so good and so well written and moving that millions will sign it.

2- Laziness : They either have no idea about effective campaigning or forgotten all about it.

3- Pomposity : You never see these figures in the community mixing with the ordinary plebs. Mixing with plebs is below these scholarly intellectuals. How often have you seen an Iranian opposition figure at an Iranian concert? At one of many Iranian youth clubs or events? At Iranian societies across the universities? Amongst the refugees? or even at a political picket or a demo?

4- Individualism : Exiled Iranian opposition figures do not usually like being part of a team and taking part in a group activity where they are blended in with the rest of the plebs.
If they do turn up at some congress, they must be placed in a distinguished position. Something like special advisor, political consultant, or at least member of the central committee. Thats why a lot of these gatherings have such large central committees, often larger than their entire membership or attendees :)

You often hear these "distinguished" exiles say with some haughtiness "I am not a member of any organisation, party or group, I am independent". As if being part of a group or an organisation is some sort of a vice :)

You even hear Iranian parents advise their children "don't join any group, organisation or party" in the same way they would tell them about avoiding drugs and alcohol.

Writing an article on the web and expecting everyone to sign it fits this trait well.

5- Future Self Justification : A lot of times these Iranian exile figures are not actually interested in whether their appeal achieves anything or even fails. Whats more important is that some time in the future they can say, I (and its a really big I) was the first to ask for this to happen but no one listened to me. Then they quietly expect the sighs and the whispers "If only the Iranian masses had seen the light when you showed it to them".

Young Iranians should pay no attention to these "distinguished opposition figures" or they will be put off Iran for ever. This old generation are the very ones who lost us our country to the mullahs. Both sides are just as guilty, whether they were part of the previous regime or in the opposition to the previous regime. Young Iranians should get together wherever they are and organise their own groups and pay no attention to these dinosaurs. Let them rot in their own condescending undeserved pride.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Lib Dems Exposed Again

It was mind boggling for us how the Lib Dem Baroness Emma Nicholson, described the Islamic Republic of Iran as an "advanced form of democracy". It was, however, even more mind boggling for us when we received some of the replies to our protests from the Lib Dem MPs, Lords and MEPs. People like Chris Davies, the leader of the Lib Dem MEPs, who seemed to have as much grasp of international politics as a nine year old, or like Baroness Ludford who would probably be shown up in a sixth form school debate for her lack of subject knowledge. There were also others who remained silent like Sir Ming Campbell, the Lib Dem shadow foreign secretary, or Charles Kennedy, the Lib Dem leader at the time, who simply did not dare to reply to any of our letters.

As more and more revelations were made about the Lib Dems, the clearer the picture became though. What sort of politicians would see the Islamic Republic as an "advanced form of democracy" and support the mullahs?

Well it turned out their leader, Charles Kennedy, was an alcoholic, and so was their leader in the house of Lords, Lord McNally. Had these two been caught drinking in the "advanced democracy", they would have been tied to a pole and flogged in public.

As if all this was not bad enough, it now turns out, Mark Oaten MP, their home affairs spokesman, a married man with two kids, and one of the Lib Dem candidates for the leadership contest on a platform of family values! has been hiring male rent boys!

These are the sort of people who think the Islamic Republic is an "advanced form of democracy".

These are the sort of people who have been legislating the break up of so many families, the legislations of kids being brought up without contact with their fathers in UK. The legislatives who deny children their fathers but approve of known paedophiles to teach in schools. The legislations that create money wasting agencies which fail everyone, like the CSA.

Following the revelations that Mark Oaten had been hiring rent boys, Sir Menzies Campbell told Sky News: "I don't think one should be angry about these things. "
What? Not angry about these things? Actually Sir Menzies, the people in this country should be bloody livid with your type of hypocrite politicians.

How much longer will the docile law abiding decent middle class in UK put up with such representatives?

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Where are the rest of the Iranian Opposition

I was doing my usual googlenews search on Iran, and came across the headline "Iranian-Americans rallied in front of the White House to urge regime change in Iran". My initial enthusiasm however was soon dampened when it turned out the Iranian-Americans were in fact the supporters of the NCR, the umbrella organisation for the Mojahedin Khalq. A well organised Islamic cult group who helped the mullahs come to power in 1979, but were denied a share of the power by the Ayatollahs and the cult leaders later aligned themselves with Saddam Hussein, our country's arch foe at the time.

But whatever criticisms the likes of me have of this particular Islamic cult, the main question that comes to mind is what is the rest of the Iranian opposition doing? Until the Iranian population see a viable alternative to the Islamic regime other than this Islamic cult who sided with Saddam Hussein, can anyone expect them to go all out against the mullahs?

Now Debt Collectors Take a Cut too

Removing driving licences from fathers was not enough, putting fathers into prison was not enough, putting electronic tags on fathers was not enough and the "Child!" Support Agency in UK still spends twice as much as it collects, 25% of the CSA assessments are incorrect, CSA computers have lost thousands of files.... But what does the Labour government do? Do they try to understand the unfairness of the system, do they try to sort out the contact problems? Do they move towards equal parenting? Do they recognise the damage to society by all these kids being brought up without fathers?
No, Labour brings in the debt collectors! The debt collectors will also take a cut and will join the rest of the parasites, the solicitors, the barristers, the judges etc. and less money still will go to the children. The family pot will be drained further so the parasites can get richer. More misery and stress will be piled on to divorced families.

You dont need to be a genius but if Labour politicians really wanted to help the children; they would save the money CSA mis-spends and give it to the children.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

The Root of All Evil?

What a marvellous series by Channel 4, the "Root of All Evil?". Some excellent questions were posed by the program maker, Richard Dawkins. Perhaps however the most poignant question was about religious schools. I have always abhorred the idea of sending young kids into a sectarian institue where the world is then engrained into their young minds as "them and us".

Richard Dawkins asks a very apt question "Would it be acceptable for parents to send their kids to schools based on their political leanings? Sort of Tory and Labour schools?" Clearly not, so why do we have religious schools?

I really wish Richard Dawkins' program would be translated into Persian and shown on the satellite TVs.

Saturday, January 14, 2006

Contradictory Statements of the Ayatollah

If I were to list all the contradictory remarks made by Iran's Ayatollahs, I would be writing for ever. The statements below however are the latest ones made by Isfahan's Friday prayers leader, Ayatollah Tabatabii-Nejad, and they are amusing.

The Ayatollah stated last week, that 75% of the Iranian newly wed brides are not virgins.

Today the Ayatollah criticised the women in government offices, saying a lot of them are not observing the compulsory veil and the Islamic dress code for women. He added that this is a major problem for the country and observance of Islamic duties are the top priority for 85% of the country's population.

So we have 85% of the Iranian population worried about the strict observance of the veil by women in government offices and 75% of the newly wed brides are not virgins! Either 75% of Iranian brides who are not virgins are marrying 15% of the population or 85% of the population are pre-occupied with the Islamic dress code in offices but marry non-virgins!

Thursday, January 12, 2006

AI Calls for the Release of Bus Drivers Leader

Amnesty International has called for the release of Mansour Osanloo, the Head of the Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed), yet sadly I am still unaware of any UK Left-wing groups showing the "international workers solidarity" they always claim. It seems the Left in UK has lost the plot completely.

Guantanamo terror suspects and other Muslim fundamentalists seem to receive more attention from the UK Left than the Iranian bus drivers who simply want to have their own independent union.

Text of AI statement on Osanloo:

PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/002/2006 09 January 2006
UA 08/06 Arbitrary arrest/possible prisoner of conscience/medical concern

IRAN Mansour Ossanlu (m), Head of the Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed)


Mansour Ossanlu, the Head of the Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed) has been detained since 22 December 2005 in Section 209 of Evin Prison in the capital, Tehran. He may be a prisoner of conscience, detained solely on account of his peaceful trade union activities. He is said to be suffering from a serious eye complaint, and could lose his sight if he does not receive immediate medical treatment.

Mansour Ossanlu was among 12 officials from the Union who were reportedly arrested by police at their homes on 22 December 2005, apparently in connection with their peaceful trade union activities. Four of the 12 were released shortly afterwards. On 25 December, members of the Union were arrested while staging a bus strike in Tehran, demanding the release of their colleagues. On 26 December, all those who had been detained were released, with the exception of Mansour Ossanlu and six other members of the Union's Executive Board. These six were released two days later, leaving only Mansour Ossanlu in detention. Mansour Ossanlu has not been granted access to a lawyer, and reports suggest that he may be facing charges including contact with Iranian opposition groups abroad and instigating armed revolt against the authorities.

On 31 December, reports indicated that seven Union members including Mansour Hayat Ghaybi (or Ghaybati); Ebrahim Madadi; Reza Tarazi, Gholamreza Mirza’i; Abbas Najand Kouhi and Ali Zad Hossein had been summoned to appear before a Revolutionary Court in Tehran the following day on charges including public order offences. However, following protests by Union members outside the court on 1 January, the seven were reportedly told that their trial had been postponed.

On 7 January 2006, Bus Company workers staged another strike, during which five drivers were reportedly detained. All were later reportedly released.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company is said to have been founded in 1979 and resumed activities in 2004 after a 25-year ban. It is still not legally recognised.

Iran is a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 22 (1) of which states: Everyone shall have the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of his interests. Article 26 of Iran’s Constitution states: The formation of parties, societies, political or professional associations … is permitted provided they do not violate the principles of independence, freedom, national unity, the criteria of Islam, or the basis of the Islamic republic. No one may be prevented from participating in the aforementioned groups, or be compelled to participate in them

Monday, January 09, 2006

Greedy Mothers Support Agency

In England there is an organisation set up by politicians by the name of Child Support Agency. In fact this agency has nothing to do with the welfare of the child. It is an inefficient organisation with simple rigid guidelines without any flexibility. The guidelines are simple and rigid because the politicians who head the agency have never had any experience of large scale project management and need to keep their computer systems simple. Even so the CSA computers are always breaking down and files continuously go missing.

The best interest of a child after a divorce, if possible is equal parenting. If the parents live near each other and near the child's school, and are both of good character, there is absolutely nothing in the world that can justify to me anything other than equal parenting. Yet the CSA guidelines deliberately or otherwise encourage the greedy mothers to deny the child overnight access with their father. If they can deny the overnight access they can get more money.


John Hutton, in charge of the CSA, refuses to listen to any suggestions on how to make the system a fairer one, instead he is preoccupied with how to bring more draconian measures against the fathers. Until now the CSA has had the power to remove driving licenses and put people in jail, but that hasn't made the system any fairer or more efficient. So what does John Hutton think of next? He wants to put electronic tags on people.

Yet these PC politicians don't seem to want to do anything to protect the children from paedophiles.

The Observer revealed on Saturday that the Education Secretary, Ruth Kelly, had approved the appointment of a registered sex offender as a PE teacher.
Kelly's decision - in the full knowledge that the man had been placed on the register by police, for having accessed paedophile websites - has astonished children's charities and triggered calls for politicians to be prevented from deciding who should be barred from working in education.

So there you are, UK's elected representatives deny thousands of fathers from equal access to their children. So many British children are now brought up fatherless, but its ok to approve of a registered sex offender to be a PE teacher at school! Deny children their fathers and have paedophiles teach them, thats the Labour way of pretending to have the child's best interest at heart!

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Gunaz TV Twaddle

Have you ever had the feeling when you are so outraged by the twaddle you hear on a TV station, that you wish to put your boot through your own TV set? Well I had one of those rages yesterday when I was channel hopping the TV stations on my satellite.

An Azeri speaking television by the name of Gunaz TV has been operating for a while. I have no idea how their finances are provided, but there seems to be no commercials on this station, so someone or more likely some government is behind it. I have watched the bombastic presenters on this channel a few times not knowing whether I should laugh at their nonsense or cry. Yesterday however they really pushed the limits of absurdity to outright baloney balderdash.

Being an Iranian Azeri myself, it was unfortunate that I could understand the words of these traitors. The presenter, a major league arsehole delinquent by the name of Ahmed Beig? was calling the father of us Iranians, Cyrus the Great, a blood thirsty savage!! He was saying Iranians falsely think Cyrus was the first founder of a human rights charter, where as actually Hammurabi of Babylon was the first lawmaker and Cyrus was a bloodthirsty savage who started a world war and even likened Cyrus to Hitler.

Can you believe the audaciousness of this illiterate apology for a man who does not understand the difference between a code of laws and a human rights charter?

Lets just compare a few items on Hammurabi's code of laws with the charter set by Cyrus the Great:

Hammurabi Code of Laws:

- If any one ensnare another, putting a ban upon him, but he can not prove it, then he that ensnared him shall be put to death.

- If any one bring an accusation against a man, and the accused go to the river and leap into the river, if he sink in the river his accuser shall take possession of his house. But if the river prove that the accused is not guilty, and he escape unhurt, then he who had brought the accusation shall be put to death, while he who leaped into the river shall take possession of the house that had belonged to his accuser.

- If any one bring an accusation of any crime before the elders, and does not prove what he has charged, he shall, if it be a capital offense charged, be put to death.

- If any one steal cattle or sheep, or an ass, or a pig or a goat, if it belong to a god or to the court, the thief shall pay thirtyfold therefor; if they belonged to a freed man of the king he shall pay tenfold; if the thief has nothing with which to pay he shall be put to death.

and if you read on Hammurabi's code of laws describes more ways in which men can be put to death and slavery.

This is however Cyrus' charter of Human Rights:

Now that I put the crown of kingdom of Iran, Babylon, and the nations of the four directions on the head with the help of (Ahura) Mazda, I announce that I will respect the traditions, customs and religions of the nations of my empire and never let any of my governors and subordinates look down on or insult them until I am alive. From now on, till (Ahura) Mazda grants me the kingdom favor, I will impose my monarchy on no nation. Each is free to accept it , and if any one of them rejects it , I never resolve on war to reign. Until I am the king of Iran, Babylon, and the nations of the four directions, I never let anyone oppress any others, and if it occurs , I will take his or her right back and penalize the oppressor.

And until I am the monarch, I will never let anyone take possession of movable and landed properties of the others by force or without compensation. Until I am alive, I prevent unpaid, forced labor. To day, I announce that everyone is free to choose a religion. People are free to live in all regions and take up a job provided that they never violate other's rights.

My numerous troops moved about undisturbed in the midst of Babylon. I did not allow anyone to terrorise the land of Sumer and Akkad. I kept in view the needs of Babylon and all its sanctuaries to promote their well being. The citizens of Babylon ................. I lifted their unbecoming yoke. Their dilapidated dwellings I restored. I put an end to their misfortunes.


So Ahmad-Beig or whatever your name is, You are an ASS, a traitor and an illiterate delinquent.

Funny thing is after his utterance a "viewer" from Baku rang and suggested how all "Azeris on both sides of the border" should unite against our common enemey, the Armenians!

First of all those on the other side of the border who call themselves Azeris are nothing to do with us, their land was always called Aran and they were not referred to as Azeris until they changed to Azerbijan on May 28, 1918. The people on the other side of the Araxes river were always referred to as Caucasian Tatars, Transcaucasian Muslims, or Caucasian Turks.

Just like when we were attacked by Iraq, those on the other side of the Araxes river did not see the conflict as anything to do with them, we too see their conflict with Armenians as nothing to do with us. Not only Armenians are not our enemy, they are our friends and esteemed compatriots with whom we share thousands years of history and traditions.

So finally to whoever is behind financing the Gunaz TV and pulls the strings of puppets like Ahmad Beig, you are barking up the wrong tree. Iranian Azeris are Iranian through and through. Just analyze the name of Azerabadegan, or in its very original name Aturpatekan and find out for yourselves. The land of fire temples has been and will always be Iranian.

12 Year Old Boy Becomes Local Lib Dem President

How on earth can anyone take this party seriously? On the one hand their MEPs refer to the Islamic Republic of Iran as an "advanced form of democracy" and on the other hand they elect a 12 year old boy to be their local party president:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/4581716.stm

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I read the opening paragraph:

"Oliver Smith joined Amber Valley Lib Dems in Derbyshire when he was eight. He became their president on New Year's Day after being elected in November.

He succeeds out-going president Keith Falconbridge, who being in his mid-50s, is more than four times his age."

Perhaps however, this 12 year old boy will have more sense than his elder party members. Perhaps he will be more sympathetic towards all the minors who have been executed by the "advanced form of democracy". Perhaps he will be more sympathetic towards the pregnant women and their unborn babies who were executed in the Islamic Republic or the "advanced form of democracy".

One thing is for certain, this 12 year old boy can't do any worse than the Lib Dem leadership right now.

Monday, January 02, 2006

Expansion of Havana-Tehran Ties

Its one day before going back to the daily grind of work. From tomorrow its back to commuting on the over crowded, dirty and often late London underground trains. Trying to forget the stressful day ahead, I occupy myself with reading the news about the old country on the internet. The bus drivers leader, Mansour Osanlou is still in prison, two more publications have been banned, and then I come across Rafsanjani's meeting with the Cuban ambassador to Tehran, Fernando N. Garcia. Rafsanjani stresses the expansion of ties between the two countries. Suddenly my thoughts wonder towards thousands of Iranian Marxists killed and imprisoned by the Islamic regime.

Many of my friends and class mates from the teenage years were amongst the victims. Ordinary fun loving kids who were suddenly swept by the hysteria of the mass frenzy in 1979.

Friends whom I played football with in the back streets, friends who had suddenly become active sympathisers of the revolutionary Marxists groups of that period in Iran. Many of them had little knowledge of Marxism-Leninsm, they had read a handful of pamphlets, but in the unnatural zeal of those days where everyone had to belong to some revolutionary trend, they were the unlucky ones who had drawn the short straw to help lead the Iranian proletariat, or so they thought.

Many of them had swapped pictures of their favourite footballers with posters of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro in their bedrooms. They regarded the Cuban revolution as the ultimate ideal. They regarded Cuba as the utopia they were after. The Cuban leaders in their eyes were the uncompromising figures whose examples they wanted to follow.

When the brief post-revolutionary honeymoon of freedom in Iran was over and the clerics quickly took control of all power and the crackdown started, the Iranian revolutionary Marxists who had helped the mullahs to power were amongst the first victims. It was not however only the leadership of the Marxist groups who were arrested, imprisoned, tortured and executed. The Islamic justice recognised no discrimination in age and size. Ordinary teenage kids, boys and girls, who may have only been involved in handing out some leaflets or sold publications of the Iranian Left-wing groups on street corners were rounded up and taken away. Ayatollah Khalkhali, the mad mullah, would visit prisons and round up prisoners just to satisfy his daily quotas for executions. For Khalkhali those in prison were not kids or human beings, he treated them like lottery numbers. He even killed one innocent teenager who had unknowingly approached his car to sell a Left-wing newspaper. Khalkhali took a simple attitude, "If they are innocent they will go to heaven after execution, so whats the big deal?". Those who were rounded up in the early eighties and survived the sadistic desires of Khalkhali, were mostly killed later in the 1988 massacre of Iranian political prisoners. Even if the survived they had lost the best years of their lives in prison.

During all these arrests and killings, no Cuban official ever raised an eyebrow, no Cuban ambassador lodged a protest against the mullahs, no Left-wing group marched in the streets of Europe to protest. Fidel Castro never mentioned the imprisoned innocent Iranian kids who idolised him in any of his long fiery speeches.

Political thinking of the masses is very much like fashion trends. Ideas become fashionable at certain times and then fade away. Just like you may look at some old photographs and cringe at seeing the old jumpers and flare trousers you wore many years ago, you can look back and think, how on earth did I believe in all that nonsense?! In the West you have the luxury of adopting controversial views during your student years, go on marches, heckle officials, and as you grow older and wiser you can simply write it all off by saying that you have seen the errors of your judgement. Such luxuries do not exist in an Islamic regime led by those who think they represent God on earth.

I think back and think of those friends, had they lived, how would they have reacted seeing all these friendly ties between the Islamic Republic and their utopian state, Cuba? How would they react reading about the Cuban ambassador meeting someone like Rafsanjani? or Fidel Castro walking hand in hand with Hassan Khomeini?

I feel so sad for those innocent kids who were duped by all that Marxist propaganda. They died for nothing. They died for wrongly idolising hypocrites disguised in guerrilla fatigues with fancy slogans who like all other dictators are only interested in one thing, remaining in power.