Friday, April 27, 2012

Mr Prosecutor, how did it make you feel?

Narges Mohammadi is not a threat to Iran's national security, she is not a Western agent and she is not an infidel. She is a mother of two and an Iranian human rights activist who has campaigned for the abolition of the death penalty for minors under 18 in Iran. She is also an executive committee member of the National Council of Peace in Iran, a broad coalition of Iranian writers, artists, trade unionists and social activists who campaign against military action and war.

On 21 April this year, security agents arrested her from her home in Zanjan, before the eyes of her elderly mother and two young children and took her to serve her six year prison sentence.

Narges Mohammadi has developed an unexplained disease, likely to be due to the stresses of her interrogations, where she suddenly loses the control of her muscles and becomes temporarily paralysed.

Her arrest and the manner in which she was taken away from her children, has prompted Dr. Mohammad Maleki, Tehran University’s first Post-Revolution chancellor, who himself has spent several prison sentences in the Islamic Republic, to write an open letter to the Chief Prosecutor, Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi.

In his damning letter to the Chief Prosecutor, titled "Be Afraid of People's Coming Fury", he says "It is clear how anyone with a grain of humanity would feel if he or she learned that your agents had entered the home of a sickly mother and had arrested her before the eyes of her elderly mother and two infants. Indeed, Mr Prosecutor, how did it make you feel? You must have felt you had achieved a huge victory!”

“What have the likes of Narges Mohammadi done to deserve the brutal behaviour of your agents? Was she an armed guerilla or a human rights activist?” Maleki adds. “You and your like-minded [associates] in the Judiciary, the Intelligence Ministry and other intelligence bodies have demonstrated that you are the enemies of freedom and tolerate no criticism in any shape or form from anyone.”

"Until when do you think you, your masters and other tyrants will be able to continue with your criminal acts?” the letter went on to add.

 Maleki, a former political prisoner himself, said the Judiciary was merely a tool at the hands of Iran’s hardliners and intelligence ministry. He called on Jafari-Dolatabadi to draw “lessons from the fate of other tyrants.”

 “Mr Prosecutor, we know that you, your judges and the Judiciary are powerless, and receive orders from above and carry them out. But be warned that tomorrow, it is you who will be held accountable. Take a look at history and learn lessons from the fate of others.”

 “Over the past 33 years, you’ve set our beloved Iran ablaze. Look around you, do you see anything other than corruption, theft, deceit, addiction and enmity? Rest assured that the Iranian people’s spring of freedom is near, and it will be too late for the oppressive rulers to be remorseful,” Maleki continued.

 Narges Mohammadi's case is yet another testimony to the insincerity of the peaceniks in the West. Surely if their true agenda was against military intervention and war only, they would have campaigned for the release a fellow peace activist in Iran like Narges Mohammadi. Instead they continue to remain silent on the human rights abuses by the tyrannical regimes and allow themselves to be used as a propaganda tool for the likes of regimes who imprison other fellow peace activists.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

When Political Retards Become US University Professors

What is it that makes an educated US woman with a PHD, so incredibly stupid and ignorant of the news about a country ruled by a religious tyranny which ultimately even threatens her own privileges and liberties?

Dr. Heather Gautney, seen in this video below, is at the centre of the latest batch of a US delegation of academic 'useful idiots' who accepted the invitation by the Islamic Republic to take part in a conference named 'Occupy Wall Street'  held in Tehran.

Heather Gautney has a PHD in sociology and the mind shudders to think what kind of sociologists will graduate from under her warped wisdom?

The rest of this gang of US tyranophile academics included her husband, Glen Kaplan, Alex Vitale from Brooklyn College and John Hammond from City University of New York.

If accepting this invitation from the Islamic Republic to take part in this farce of a conference was not bad enough, the sycophantic support of these retarded academics for the Islamic Republic is putting salt on the wounds of millions of victims of the repressive and corrupt regime in Iran.

In this interview by the Iranian state TV, Dr. Heather Gautney claims SHE DID NOT COME ACROSS EVEN ONE NEGATIVE point in her travel to Iran. Not even ONE negative point? Well piss off and live there you wretched moron and let one jailed Iranian academic come and live in US in your place.

It is up to the Iranian students studying in US colleges, to ensure these stooges of the Islamic Republic do not get away with their services to those who have murdered and imprisoned so many of our compatriots.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Open Letter by 86 Year Old Mother of Jailed Former MP to Iran's Supreme Leader

Open letters written to the officials and heads of Iran's ruling establishment have a long tradition in Iran's history. They are eyewitness accounts which record abuses of power and testimonies against the ruling despots by the meek and humble citizens and individuals in Iran. Letters which tickle the public conscience and stir the emotions.  There have been many such notable open letters in Iran's recent history but this moving letter by the 86 year old mother of Ghasem Shole Sadi will undoubtedly rank high amongst them. It is an equivalent of a David and Goliath story. A frail 86 year old woman versus the most powerful tyrant of our times, Iran's Supreme Leader.

Ghasem Shole Sadi, was the former MP for Shiraz in the third and fourth Majlis (Parliament) after the 1979 revolution. He was also Tehran university lecturer in International Law and Relations and the attorney for many political prisoners. In 2002 he publicly voiced his concerns about the legalities of the way in which the Supreme Leader was chosen and was subsequently jailed for 18 months for daring to criticise the Supreme Leader. Shole Sadi was arrested again after the post-election protests and sentenced to three years in prison and banned from lecturing in the university and from practicing law. He is said to have suffered injuries to his spinal cord as a result of the tortures he has had to injure and is facing paralysis in his left side.

I hope, I have done a worthy job in translating this moving letter by Sholeh Sadi's 86 year old mother"

"Your Imperial Majesti, Ali Khamenei,

"O tyrant, who oppressest thy subjects, 
How long wilt thou persevere in this?" - Iranian poet, Sa'adi

Your Majesty, you may be surprised why I am calling you this, but this letter will itself explain the reason, because this letter is written by a bereaved 86 year old mother, who is mourning her martyred son, Asghar (in the war against Saddam) and who is also grief stricken by what is happening to her  other jailed son, Ghassem, imprisoned illegally and unjustly by your agents in a country which you are the head of.

At a time, when your son Mojtaba was at school, my teenage son, Asghar who was one of the top students in Shiraz. Asghar left his studies and went to the fronts to defend his country. Perhaps you have a good memory, in which case you should remember, at the time when my Asghar was blown up by one of Saddam's rocket propelled guns, your respected sister had joined the enemy and her husband's voice could be heard from Saddam's radio.

Half of my Asghar's body was blown away and in my last farewell with my son, I could only bury half of his body, but I said to myself, I have more sons and all of Iran's youth are like my children. At the same time, my other son, Dr. Ghassem Shole Sadi was defending Iran's right in the diplomatic and legal fronts. After my Asghar was martyred in the front, I sent my other son to the front. Why? because I didn't want the trenches and the barricades to become unmanned and I am still committed to this and I will once again defend my country along with my children without worrying which side your relatives will choose to stand.

Your Majesty, the martyrdom of my son Asghar, did not cause me the grief I am suffering now for the imprisonment of my other son today, for Asghar was killed by the enemy but my other son who is imprisoned by you has been chained for defending the rights of his people and for his free-thinking.  Were you not the one who were advocating for 'free-thinking' yourself?

Ten years ago, my son Ghassem was jailed by your judge Haddad, for having posed some legal questions that criticised you. Judge Haddad is the same judiciary judge who has now been suspended for his part in the crimes of rape and torture committed against peaceful protesters in Kahrizak. Will the shame of Kahrizak ever be wiped away from the face of the Islamic Republic?

Such sentences and such courts do not describe that utopia that you portray in your speeches, do they? The sentence against my son was so baseless that even the former chief of your judiciary, who I understand was once your seminary master, called it against the rightful judgement and asked for the sentence to be reviewed and for article 18 to be applied to the sentence. I can tell you now that no such review has been carried out. I am a mother who has raised several lawyers and therefore I may be familiar with some basics of law. It is a mystery to me on what basis, your unjust judiciary, who should support the rights and freedoms of the people,  has refrained from releasing my son and insists on carrying out a sentence which has been dissolved?

Your Majesty, because of my advanced age and my fatigued and exhausted body, I can not even travel the long distance to Evin prison and walk up its stairs to visit my son from behind the bars. For more than a year, like prophet Jacob, I have even been deprived of my Joseph's scent and yet despite the prison doctor's recommendation that as a result of the damage to Ghassem's spinal cord, he is unable to endure the rest of his sentence, I do not even ask you for a prison leave for Ghassem. It seems the judiciary officials rather ignore their own expert's recommendations and are intent to keep my son in prison until he is completely paralysed, even though his prison sentence passed by your judge Salavati has now expired.

Your Majesty, every Iranian New Year, I used to light only one candle for my martyred son, Asghar, but this year, I also lit a candle for my jailed son, Ghassem. How many candles did you light for the Iranian New Year? Do you even observe the Iranian customs and traditions? I feel there is a political motive in keeping my son in prison. If this is the case and there is a political motive to keep him in prison for longer than his original sentence, then I have to say earnestly that you are frightened of my son and if so, then I thank the Almighty who has given me a son who scares the leader of the Islamic world and it must be because of your fear of him that he is still held in prison. For my son's pen is more solid than Moses's stick and his tongue is like a strong arm and his knowledge is the undoing of your spells. If you had the ability to answer his questions with logic and reason, what need would there have been of chaining him?

That's why I am not asking you to grant him with prison leave, my son is a lawyer and a university lecturer, he is neither related to the high ranking clerics nor to the regime officials to receive such favours and I expect no such favours from you.

I have heard my son is incarcerated in section 350 of Evin prison amongst some of his university students. His crime is posing some legal questions about your authority, now if they ask you, who claim to advocate 'free thinking', what have you to say for yourself and your slogans?

Corruption is wreaking havoc across the country. If they ask you who is responsible for such unprecedented corruption during an administration which you have fully supported and backed, what do you have to say for yourself?

How is it, your Majesty, that you liken your critics to Talheh and Zubair's defections from the Prophet  and yet liken your own rule to that of Imam Ali's just and uncompromising rule, but when it comes to executing justice you stumble and when it comes to the $3Billion banking embezzlement case you ask  the media not to delve too much into the case?

Your Majesty, tell me what wrong my son has done other than having asked you some questions about your position as the Supreme Leader, that you have resorted to the iron blade instead of answering him with reason and logic?

Does the regime which claim to be Islamic and wants to be the centre of the world not need a blade of reason and clarity and accountability too? Millions in Iran today face abject poverty, dissidents are jailed, Iran's national wealth is either embezzled or handed on a plate to Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas, Bolivia and ....would all this money not be better spent here? Who is responsible for all this? the widespread poverty and the brain drain is the result of which administration and what is your responsibility? Why are the country's elite and academics treated in this way? Some are imprisoned, some are sacked, some are forced into retirement and some are assassinated. My son is one of those who is in jail now without even a pretence to observe the law of the land. Your judiciary is not worthy of our nation, they free the thieves and jail the victims and we have seen all this in previous embezzlement cases and in the case of Shahram Jazayeri too. Many who were the main perpetrators of the crime were let go. The cases of Palizdar and the savage attacks on universities in 1999 and in 2009 need no further reminding either. The students who were the victims were judged to be the guilty and the assailants enjoyed immunity. Let us not even go into the 2009 election fiasco.

Your Majesty, the more time passes by, this nation and I realise how justified my son was in asking you those questions ten years ago, but whether my son was right in questioning your qualifications to lead this country or not, I see you as the man responsible for what is happening today and you will have to bear the consequences.

Your Majesty, as I said before, I am not asking you to grant my son with prison leave but I want you to pay attention to these points below:

1- Either kill me, like they killed Parvaneh Forouhar and put the dagger through her heart, and send me to my grave so I can be with my martyred son, Asghar

They decapitate heads and say its the king's orders
It may be the king's edict but this is not the way of kings

2- Order your henchmen to arrest me too and imprison me next to my son, so I can once again smell his scent

God, Almighty, the King's tyranny has surpassed it all
When will the people be saved from under his shadow?


If you care not for this country, we care passionately for Iran.    





Thursday, April 12, 2012

The Little Neda

The woman on the left holding the little girl, is Hajer Rostami Motlagh, mother of Neda Agha Soltan, the young girl who was killed in the post-election protests. Images of Neda Agha Soltan's last breaths after she was shot became viral around the globe and she became a symbol of Iran's Green Revolution.

The little girl on the right was born on the same day, Neda Agha Soltan was killed and her parents named her Neda. An amazing bond has developed between the two since the little Neda was introduced to Neda Agha Soltan's mother.

Hopefully the little Neda will grow up in a free Iran and she will not fear protesting peacefully against her government. Hopefully she will live life to the full and enjoy all her abilities and talents.


Thursday, April 05, 2012

Islamic Republic Hardline Daily, Kayhan, Delighted at Galloway's Victory

George Galloway's victory at Bradford West was welcomed by most Islamic Republic news websites, as a victory for the champion of Palestinians and Muslims in Britain, without a dickie bird mention of Galloway's past allegiance with Saddam and Uday Hussein or his pussy cat performance at the Big Brother.

The ultra hardline Kayhan run by the former Evin prison interrogator, Hossein Shariatmadari, went a step further however and expressed hope that Livingstone will also become the next London Mayor and Lauren Booth be the first veiled woman MP in UK's parliament.

Translation of the Kayhan article:
"Defeat of Labour Party by Press TV Presenter in 'Mid-election' special report

Press TV presenter wins the 'mid-election' parliamentary seat in one
of English constituencies

Press TV reports, that despite having been removed from Sky satellite
and viewers having been deprived from viewing it, George Galloway, one
of its presenters has won the Bradford West seat in the UK parliament

George Galloway the candidate for Respect Party won a landslide in
Bradford West. He won by 18000 votes, more than 10,000 than his
defeated Labour rival.

Some of Galloway's supporters have contacted Press TV and expressed
their hopes that Ken Livingstone will also win the next mayoral
elections. Livingstone was criticised by some of UK media for having
worked regularly with Press TV.

Some have also suggested that Lauren Booth another Press TV presenter
should also be encouraged to stand as a candidate in the UK
parliamentary elections and become
the first female veiled MP in UK's legislative body
.
OFCOM, in the beginning of the Western calendar annulled Press TV's
broadcast permit and in a questionable action without any credible
reply to the questions posed by the board of Press TV, removed Press
TV's broadcasts from Sky services"

Tuesday, April 03, 2012

No Singing and Dancing for Kindergarten Kids in Iran

Islamic Republic's reputation for being an anti-fun state is no secret. Except for the usual apologists who do not think people's pursuit of happiness is in any way as important as the anti-imperialist/anti-Zionist rhetorics, it doesn't take a genius to realise the incompatibility of a drab state ruling over a nation whose joyous culture has actually been its very reason for survival and continuity.

Islamic Republic news sites and papers today reported Valiollah Nasr, the head of the Welfare Organisation for the Tehran province, tell Fars News Agency that 'the authorities will deal severely with kindergartens which have an immoral syllabus and teach children to sing and dance'. He added that 'the kindergarten's programs should be in line with Islamic values.'

He didn't say what these 'Islamic values' were and whether they included public hangings and stoning.

'Pre-defined programs have been sent to the kindergartens and they have no excuse to teach children immoral stuff. In recent years, kindergartens have been teaching kids to sing and dance but they will be dealt with severely if they continue to do so this year' Nasr reiterated the stance against singing and dancing in kindergartens.

The rest of Nasr's interview with the Fars News Agency was about the special camps to cure drug addicts running out of space for female addicts!

One wonders if the head of the Tehran Welfare Organisation sees a connection between the bleak lacklustre life and the growing drug addiction problems in Iran.

The crackdown on happiness in Iranian kindergartens comes after Barbie dolls and Simpson toys were banned. Superman however escaped the ban because it was seen as a defender of the dispossessed and the downtrodden.

Which one of you was singing and dancing??