Monday, March 01, 2010

Letter to Anna Contadini by the Founder of Artists Without Frontiers

Letter by Sirus Malakooty, founder and director of Artists Without Frontiers, to Anna Contadini, the SOAS lecturer who accepted an award from Ahmadinejad on 10th February, this year.

Dear Dr. Anna Contadini,

You have received an award from the Islamic Republic and specifically from Ahmadienjad himself. Apparently this award has been presented to you in appreciation of your efforts for promoting a culture of human values.

Are you aware that the hands which gave you this award are stained in the blood of writers and researchers of Iran?

Are you aware that the Islamic Republic is a place of torture and execution for Iranian dissidents?

Are you aware that the Writers Association has not been able to hold one public conference in the last thirty years as an independent writers association?

Are you aware that many members of the Writers Association are currently in jails and under torture merely for expressing their opinions?


Are you aware that Dr. Maleki, Iranian researcher and former dean of the Tehran University is currently in jail and in grave conditions despite his old age by the same administration that presented you with the award?

Are you aware that those who rewarded you are the same people who approve of stoning, amputations and execution of minors?

Dear Dr. Contadini, accept that your acceptance of the award is an insult to all those who value humanity. Accept that by accepting the award you have legitimised the anti-human militaristic and Fascist face of Ahmadinejad's administration with some false pseudo-academic make up.

Accept that you have made a grave error and by giving back this award, show those who are committing crimes against humanity and the millions of Iranian people and your colleagues in jails and those awaiting execution in Iran that humanity and human solidarity has not been forgotten and those who respect the human culture have no need to be admired and rewarded by the criminal despots.

Respectfully

Sirus Malakooty
Iranian Composer in Exile
Founder and Director of Artists Without Frontiers

3 comments:

Waybec said...

This letter is polite, factual, articulate, intelligent and very consciously and morally based. Therefore it'll just fall on deaf ears when it comes to pomp, arrogance, deliberate ignorance and a massaged ego giving back an award! Just remember Anna Contadini, that purgatory might be your ultimate soul's reward!

SZ said...

Potkin,

give it a rest. You make everyone who doesn't agree with you in the UK out to be a demon! seriously, give it a rest.

Your actions have not changed ONE thing in Iran. Seriously, doesn't it bother you that you make no impact at all on people in Iran? Your followers are all idiots in te UK and canada who think Iran is the second coming of Nazi Germany!

Get a life, give it a rest. you would be better suited in putting your efforts toward something more useful.

Sohrab said...

Nicely done, Sirus! Let's see if Prof. Contadini's conscience will be awakened.