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Stormy solitude / BABAK PARHAM

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:30 CST

Stormy solitude / BABAK PARHAM

1/27/2012

BABAK PARHAM
(B.ISHRAGH)

Stormy solitude

When snowy solitude
Waterborne and sunlit
Landward and sky-high
Bears and warms,
We Unload fear and distill bravery.
When snowy solitude
Moves like bear,
Jumps like dear,
Howls like wolf,
We promote spontaneity and begin journey.
When snowy solitude
Changes muscular,
Muses musical,
We cruise philosophical.

Sunday, January twenty two of 2012 / Highway 88, west band.

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=721&mi=2

U.S. Ties Iran to Assassination Plot Against Saudi Diplomat on U.S. Soil

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:29 CST

U.S. Ties Iran to Assassination Plot Against Saudi Diplomat on U.S. Soil

10/11/2011

Authorities foiled a plot that was directed by factions of the Iranian government to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States, Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday at a press conference.

A criminal complaint was unsealed in federal court in New York Tuesday naming Manssor Arbabsiar and Gholam Shakuri as the two alleged plotters, both with ties to Iran. Arbabsiar has been jailed in New York since September and Shakuri remains at large

The complaint alleges that Iran helped conceive, sponsor and direct the plot. Holder called the alleged plot a "flagrant violation of U.S. and international law" and said the U.S. will hold Iran accountable.

If the allegations in the 21-page complaint may further isolate Iran, which has a track record of supporting international terrorism.

A spokesman for the Iran mission to the U.N. categorically rejects the “baseless allegations” of the assassination plot, Reuters reported. Israel, meanwhile, referred inquiries to the FBI. And Saudi Arabia called the alleged plot a "despicable violation of international norms."

Last spring, Arbabsiar met a number of times with a DEA source in Mexico posing as a member of a sophisticated international drug-trafficking cartel, the complaint alleges. It was during these meetings that Arbabsiar allegedly offered the agent money to assassinate the ambassador. Arbabsiar allegedly wired $100,000 into a U.S. bank account in August as a down payment for the hit.

Shakuri, a member of Iran’s Qods Force, a special operations unit of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, allegedly approved the money transfer.

The two planned to use an explosive device to assassinate the ambassador outside a restaurant in Washington that the ambassador frequented, according to the criminal complaint. When the source warned that other people will be inside the restaurant, Arbabsiar allegedly said, "They want that guy (the ambassador) done, if the hundred go with him, f--- 'em."

The alleged plot would have maimed others and damaged nearby structures in the surrounding area.

Arbabsiar allegedly confessed to his participation in the alleged plot. Shakuri is believed to be in Iran.

Arbabsiar, a naturalized U.S. citizen who holds an Iranian passport, was arrested on Sept. 28 at New York's JFK Airport, after a flight from Mexico. He was read the Miranda rights, but allegedly waived his rights and spoke with law enforcement.

He allegedly admitted his connection with the plot and was recruited and funded by men he understood were senior officials in the Qods.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that the complaints are well-founded and the alleged plot "crosses a line."

She told The Associated Press that, "the idea that they would attempt to go to a Mexican drug cartel to solicit murder-for-hire to kill the Saudi ambassador, nobody could make that up, right?"

Before Tuesday's announcement, Interpol -- the international police organization -- issued an alert obtained exclusively by Fox News that warned of plans to assassinate an ambassador in the U.S.

Holder said the U.S. government would be taking unspecified action against the Iranian government as early as Tuesday afternoon. Asked whether the plot was blessed by the top echelons of the Iranian government, Holder said the Justice Department was not making that accusation.

The two are charged with conspiracy to kill a foreign official, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and conspiracy to commit an act of international terrorism and other charges.

"This is not a trip wire for military action in Iran," a senior defense official said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=720&mi=1

Paradox of Persian woman / BABAK PARHAM

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:28 CST

Paradox of Persian woman / BABAK PARHAM

9/11/2011

BABAK PARHAM
(B.ISHRAGH)

Je reconais ma belle visiteuse:
C’est Elle! noire et pourtant lumineuse.

Charles Baudelaire

Paradox of Persian woman

One by one
The beauties of earth are waking up
Steady and soft
All trees are rising up
Persian woman is nagging her face
Delightful, faithful and sinful
But with nonchalance.

Sunday September eleven of 2011/ El Dorado Hills

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=719&mi=2

Joy of Saadi on Jimmy’s Guitar / Babak Parham

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:27 CST

Joy of Saadi on Jimmy’s Guitar / Babak Parham

7/29/2011

Babak Parham
(B.Ishragh)

Joy of Saadi on Jimmy’s Guitar

Her song is trembling on him
And his dense is wondering.
If she renews his body
He could also sing
And more of new
Be his memory.
Love is making renewed
By trembling to wonder
It harmonizes Eastern lyric and Western music.
“Asia, Africa, Europe are to the east
America is provided for in the West”.
The plain joy of Ishragh on her visible hair
Discovers health and thoughtful test.

Tuesday July twenty six of 2011/ El Dorado Hills.

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=717&mi=2

Harmony / Babak Parham

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:26 CST

Harmony / Babak Parham

6/29/2011

بابک پرهام
(ب.اشراق)

فراقنامۀ جان ِ اشراق
همین یار ِ برونذات است
که از فراقت ِ دوست اش
اینبار خشنود آمده است
چون خطا یار کرده است
و همچنان دوست شرمسار.

Harmony

Do you know “beyond” can be every where?
Do you feel “toward” can not be every where?
There or here, before or after
You want to be true, and become real on me.
Subconscious or overslept
You attempt to act consciously and be.
Actual or further
You fight between will and spontaneity
But still hardly understood your tyranny,
Just wished, dreamed and imagined my pity.
But sorry, you won’t get my sympathy
Even on Moon, Venus or Jupiter.
Because today after all if I am God of creation
You will continue idea by idea
Before me to create the creation of God,
And I won’t presage your idealistic tyranny.
So to exit through the sea of your ominous mind
And to leave your spirit for entering its land like a light wind
Keep distance from my intelligible height and deepness,
Because between sunrise and sunset
I am unintelligibly God of meanness.

Wednesday, june twenty ninth of 2011/ El Dorado hills

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=716&mi=2

Al-Maliki Confirmed In 2009 That Syria, Iran Provided Weapons To Terrorist Groups

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:25 CST

Al-Maliki Confirmed In 2009 That Syria, Iran Provided Weapons To Terrorist Groups

2/4/2011

Secret telegrams released by WikiLeaks indicate that Iraqi Prime minister Nouri al-Maliki confirmed to U.S. diplomats in 2009 that Syria and Iran were supplying rebellious [terrorist] groups with weapons, including surface-to-air missiles. Al-Maliki passed this information to the former U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad Christopher Hill when the relations between Iraq and Syria were severed.

Al-Maliki told his American interlocutors that five persons from the Qods Brigade, which belongs to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), were arrested while trying to smuggle the missiles in a Toyota Land Cruiser.

Source: Alsumaria.tv, February 3, 2011

http://www.thememriblog.org

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=715&mi=1

Prince Alireza Pahlavi passing away

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:24 CST

Prince Alireza Pahlavi passing away

1/4/2011

With immense grief that we would like to inform our compatriots of the passing away of Prince Alireza Pahlavi
Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

It is with immense grief that we would like to inform our compatriots of the passing away of Prince Alireza Pahlavi.

Like millions of young Iranians, he too was deeply disturbed by all the ills fallen upon his beloved homeland, as well as carrying the burden of losing a father and a sister in his young life.

Although he struggled for years to overcome his sorrow, he finally succumbed, and during the night of the 4th of January 2011, in his Boston residence, took his own life, plunging his family and friends into great sorrow.

Once again, we are joined with mothers, father and relatives of so many victims of these dark times for our country.

Reza Pahlavi, Farah Pahlavi, Farahnaz Pahlavi, Yasmine Pahlavi, Noor Pahlavi, Iman Pahlavi and Farah Pahlavi

Ali-Reza Pahlavi:

Born: April 28 1966

Place of Birth: Tehran

Primary School: 1970 — 1974 Lycée Razi, Tehran

Primary School: 1974 — 1979 Niavaran Palace School, Tehran

Secondary School: 1979 — 1980 St. David’s School New York City

High School: 1980 — 1981 American College Cairo, Egypt

High School: 1981—1984 Mt. Greylock Regional High School, Williamstown Massachusetts

Under Graduate: 1984 — 1988 Princeton University B.A. (Music/Ethnomusicology)

Graduate School: 1988—1992, Columbia University M.A. (Ancient Iranian Studies)

Post Graduate: Harvard University (ancient Iranian Studies! Philology)

Hobbies: Sky Diving, Scuba Diving, Reading, Flying.

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=714&mi=1

The world is awaiting a new year while executions loom large over Iran: Habibollah Latifi to be executed within 2 days!

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:23 CST

The world is awaiting a new year while executions loom large over Iran: Habibollah Latifi to be executed within 2 days!

12/24/2010

Once more a human being is in imminent danger of execution in Iran. The chilling news is no more a surprise as the country is going through a phase when civilians may receive a death sentence over any charge, no matter how unfounded or trivial it is. Numbers are more telling of the human rights catastrophe that is happening in the country: the year 2010 is about to end with 200 recorded cases of execution1. It has been less than a week since 11 prisoners were executed at Zahedan, an action described by the international human rights organizations as “a hallmark of retaliation, not justice”2. It is even less surprising to be informed of an imminent execution in Kurdistan, where the Iranian government has a longstanding tradition of sever oppression and crackdown. The world still remembers the name of Ehsan Fatahian3, Farzad Kamangar, Shirin Alam hooli and three other Kurdish activists4 that were executed last year in Iran. Now the tragic memory of these executions is about to be revived not in our mind but right before our eyes as another Kurdish activist is on death row.
Habibollah Latifi, 28, university student and activist from Kurdistan, was arrested on 23 October 20074. For four months he was kept in solitary confinement and was severely tortured by the interrogators. On 3 July 2008, a short trial was held for him at the Revolutionary Court of Sanadaj where he was convicted of moharebeh (enmity against God) and was sentenced to death. His trial was held behind closed doors which neither his family, nor his lawyer, were allowed to attend. His convictions were based on verses of Quran, a book chapter of Ayatollah Khomeini as well as amendments 183, 186, 190 and 191 of the Islamic penal code.

The most recent news from Iran indicates that the judicial authorities have informed his lawyer, Mr. Saleh Nikbakht, that the death sentence is definitive and is scheduled to be carried out on Sunday 5 Dai/ 26 December.
Mr Nikbakht had previously announced his worries over the execution of Habib’s sentence to the media. According to him if the sentence becomes definitive, the only possibility to prevent its execution would be to request another trial, something that the lawyers had already tried without any success. Apart from that, he added, we can only request that pardon is granted to him.
The pending execution of Habib Latifi puts us in a rather familiar situation. A tragic situation repeated time and again in Iran. Undoubtedly its repetition does neither make it less horrendous nor more bearable but only increases our responsibility to fight against it. As long as there is hope to save the life of a human being, no effort will be in vain. Therefore we call upon all who care for the humanity to join us and we appeal to the international human rights organizations and judiciary bodies to urge and oblige the Iranian authorities to halt the execution of Habibollah Latifi immediately and to abolish the death penalty all together and for ever in this country.
1. http://www.rahana.org/archives/32610
2. http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/11-hanged-iran-following-suicide-bomb-attack-2010-12-21
3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2009/11/091111_he_fattahian_executed.shtml
4. http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2010/05/100509_l42_iran_executions.shtml
5. http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE13/009/2010/en/a6330b0b-92fc-411a-a091-60d99fe45332/mde130092010en.html
6. http://kurdishperspective.com/read.php?id=3056

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=713&mi=5

Habibollah Latifi, Kurdish political prisoner faces imminent execution

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:22 CST

Habibollah Latifi, Kurdish political prisoner faces imminent execution

12/24/2010

– pdki.org -

Amnesty International reported in a statement that the execution of Habibollah Latifi, a male member of the Kurdish minority in Iran, has been scheduled for 26 December, according to his lawyer. He was sentenced to death following an unfair trial.

Habibollah Latifi, a law student at Azad University in the south western province of Ilam, western Iran, was transferred to solitary confinement on 16 January 2010, prompting fears that he was to be executed. It is not known how long he was held there. His lawyer has now been informed by the Iranian authorities, in accordance with Iranian law, that his execution is scheduled to take place on 26 December,at Sanandaj Prison, Kordestan, in western Iran on 26 December. Executions usually take place at daybreak. It is not known whether his family has been notified of his planned execution by the authorities.

Habibollah Latifi was arrested on 23 October 2007 in Sanandaj and sentenced to death on 3 July 2008 following an unfair trial by the Sanandaj Revolutionary Court. He was convicted of moharebeh (enmity against God), a vague but capital charge, in connection with his membership of and alleged activities on behalf of the Kurdish Independent Life Party (PJAK), a proscribed armed group. His trial was held behind closed doors and his lawyer was not allowed to be present to defend him. Nor was his family allowed to attend the trial. His death sentence was upheld by the Appeal Court in Sanandaj on 18 February 2009.

Source: Amnesty International

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=712&mi=5

Statement by Reza Pahlavi concerning Jafar Panahi

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:21 CST

Statement by Reza Pahlavi concerning Jafar Panahi

12/24/2010

Thursday, December 23th, 2010
The news of the sentence handed down by the courts of the theocratic regime to Mr. Jafar Panahi was indeed distressing: Six years of imprisonment in the regime's notorious prisons and a 20-year ban from practicing his art.

What was his crime? No one seems to be able to explain except that he is an outspoken opponent of the regime. This unjust sentence will undoubtedly be appealed.

I know prominent Iranian artists-in-exile have mobilized the world artistic community. I am grateful to these Iranian artists as well as the world artistic community for having brought Mr. Panahi's case to the limelight. We know from experience that your appeals and sharing your spotlight with Jafar Panahi makes all the difference. I trust you will continue your very effective public campaign on his behalf.

I say again to the regime in Tehran, you have done enough harm to our people and to our faith. Surrender this futile struggle with my brave compatriots. As for the case of Mr. Panahi, you will never be able to stop an artist. One of the duties of a responsible and caring government is to nurture and protect the artists of our times, for our times will be judged by their art.

You have failed at this, yet again. But we will not: Just as we cherish Hafez, Sa'adi, and Ferdowsi, our children and grandchildren will cherish our Jafar Panahis.

Let Jafar Panahi go.

Reza Pahlavi

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=711&mi=5

Nasrin Sotoudeh's courageous battle

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:20 CST

Nasrin Sotoudeh's courageous battle

12/24/2010

Tuesday, December 21th, 2010
Viewed 1456 times

The news of Nasrin Sotoudeh's courageous battle, from inside the walls of the notorious prison of the theocratic regime, against our oppressors reminds us that in the end no tyrant can stand in the way of a people yearning to be free.

Nasrin Sotoudeh is a human rights lawyer and now political prisoner in Iran. The regime today is so fearful of it's citizenry that no activist, no journalist, no student, no blogger, in short, no one is safe. And as they grow desperate, they grow even more vicious.

It is heartwarming to see the unity amongst my compatriots of different political perspectives in support of Ms Sotoudeh. To know and appreciate that there are causes which transcend our daily petty political differences is to appreciate our great historic opportunity. The cause of Nasrin Sotoudeh, indeed the cause of human rights and dignity in Iran, is just such a cause. One that transcends all of our differences.

I call upon the community of nations and concerned citizens of the world to speak out and call for the immediate release of Nasrin Sotoudeh.

I call upon my compatriots inside and outside Iran to continue relentless pressure on host governments in the countries they reside and to the UN.
I salute Nasrin Sotoudeh and all the prisoners of conscience in Iran. I demand the regime in Tehran cease and desist immediately this senseless, desperate strategy to hold on to power against the will of the people.

The despots of Tehran must know, the story of each Nasrin Sotoudeh inspires 10,000 more to stand up. The more they torment her, more will commit to fufilling her vision of an Iran respectful of the rights of all it's citizens.

It is our Nasrin Sotoudehs that will prove to be the reason for our ultimate success and the regime's ultimate failure.

Reza Pahlavi

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=710&mi=5

Four Years of Impenetrable Silence: Is This UNHCR Policy for Iranian Refugees? The Case of Mohammad Ghamari Tabasi

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:19 CST

Four Years of Impenetrable Silence: Is This UNHCR Policy for Iranian Refugees? The Case of Mohammad Ghamari Tabasi

12/18/2010

Posted on December 17, 2010 by missionfreeiran

By now, we all are aware of the objective facts on the ground in Iran when it comes to political dissidents. We have read about the screams of Nasrin Sotoudeh echoing through the women’s ward in Evin Prison as she was subjected to torture by the regime. We have wept over the battered and broken body of young Mohsen Beikvand, whose words and flesh testified to his unspeakable tortures in Rajaei Shahr prison in the months prior to his arranged murder in prison.

We all know what happens to political prisoners in the Islamic Republic’s torture houses. And so does UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, whose mandate it is to ensure that all of those fleeing persecution in their home countries are given asylum, international protection under the auspices of the United Nations, and help finding permanent solutions for their situation.

Which is why the UNHCR’s blatant violations of the rights of well-documented former Evin political prisoner Mohammad Ghamari Tabasi and his family are all the more outrageous.

Mohammad Ghamari Tabasi is a known former political prisoner from Iran. After his release, he fled Iran for Iraqi Kurdistan in 2006 with full documentation in hand about his imprisonment in Evin, and with numerous letters of support from various political and human rights organizations testifying to his extensive political activities against the criminal Islamic Republic regime, and thus his legitimate fears of further persecution. And after four years of waiting for refugee status in Iraq, UNHCR still has not granted even a first interview for Tabasi and his family, which includes his son Sena and his wife Farhat.

Mohammad, Farhat, and Sena have been living in tents that are pitched in squalor outside of the UNHCR compound in Erbil, Iraq, for the past 89 days, along with another family of asylum-seekers. There is no running water and no sanitation in their camp. Four years of waiting for a response from UNHCR, and Tabasi and his family have nothing more than an asylum-seeker certificate that expires on 21 December 2010 – in just 4 days. And although this family has been living outside of the UNHCR offices for 89 days, they have yet to receive their first interview.

When Tabasi’s family first moved to this spot to demand recognition of their rights as asylum-seekers, they were allowed to use water and other facilities from the UNHCR office across the street, and the residential neighbors in the nearby community had offered them their use of toilet. However, after 3 days, they were asked not to enter the UNHCR office to get water or to use the facilities. UNHCR staff told the neighbors not to help Tabasi and his family so they would go away. The UN guards have gotten into several verbal fights with the family.

This is how UNHCR treats Iranian asylum seekers who are known opposition activists with full documentation of their political imprisonment in one of the world’s most notorious prisons. And it is a glaring red flag: we should all be concerned about the way that UNHCR is handling the cases of thousands of Iranians who have fled the abject brutality of the Islamic Republic with no documents, no letters of support from political organizations or human rights agencies, with nothing but the clothes on their back and their very legitimate fears of violent persecution by the Islamic Republic regime – fears that are sufficient basis for UNHCR to recognize their full complement of rights as refugees.

Four years is shamefully too long to wait without even an interview. We demand that UNHCR process the asylum application for Mohammad Ghamari Tabasi, Farhat Hussaini and Sena Ghamari Tabasi immediately and resettle them in a third country without delay.

We also draw attention to the other family living in the same camp with the Tabasi family, which includes a mother who is heavily pregnant and due to deliver any day now, and a 2-year-old boy with chronic diarrhea that has lasted for weeks. This mother has had no care for her pregnancy, and expects that she will be forced to deliver her baby without assistance in their tent in the coming days. UNHCR’s neglect of the 2-year-old, living right outside its doors, is likely to lead to his completely preventable death: diarrheal disease ranks just behind acute respiratory infections as the top killer of children under age 5. The mother has the right to trained delivery assistance for her impending birth, and the 2-year-old should receive immediate and appropriate care until his diarrheal disease is resolved. UNHCR is responsible for their survival and well-being.

The International Coalition for the Rights of Iranian Refugees (ICRIR) does not tolerate UNHCR’s violations of the human rights of asylum-seekers. We demand that UNHCR immediately recognize Iranians fleeing their country as prima facie refugees, and until our primary demand is implemented, we demand that UNHCR take immediate steps to ensure that the status determination procedures are efficient, fair, and transparent, and that UNHCR and its affiliated organizations are accountable to asylum-seekers.

Members of the ICRIR include the International Federation for Iranian Refugees, the Iranian Refugee Action Network, the Iranian Refugee Amnesty Network, Mission Free Iran and TDCAU.

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=709&mi=5

Open letter to President Obama about Persian Gulf

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:18 CST

Open letter to President Obama about Persian Gulf

12/16/2010

December 12, 2010

For the attention of President Barack H. Obama
The White House, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
CC: The U.S. Secretary of State

Dear President Obama,
There are two reasons that I, as an Iranian political activist, am writing to you today. One reason is the commemoration of the U.S. rescue of part of Iran from annexation by the Soviet Union in 1946, and the other is the current official action of the United States Navy under your command, in renaming the Persian Gulf for the sake of satisfying the egotistic preference of sheiks hosting the American fleet in the Persian Gulf. The Navy’s behavior goes against what America professes, namely truth and justice, and will not serve long-term American interests in the region. This surprising action has severely hurt the dignity and national pride of the Iranian people all over the world, and shaken their faith in the American values you aim to promote. The official Navy policy of using an artificial name, instead of the historical name Persian Gulf—declared by the United Nations long ago—may be signaling a dramatic shift of U.S. policy away from long-term interests with Iran, for the sake of immediate political or economic expediency.
We understand that the wealth of Arab sheiks is an important injection into the ailing American economy you are trying to cure; but these sheiks traditionally transfer their God-given wealth to the U.S. and other Western countries anyway. It is they who have to court you for giving them protection against accountability to their people, not the other way around. We also understand that the Administration is trying to become darling to the small Arab states of the Persian Gulf, as they are a potential bastion against the Islamic Republic; but this does not have to be at the expense of losing Iran as a future ally, or at the moral cost of participating in the disintegration of Iran. A long-term view of the peninsula tells me that all these states, Saudi Arabia included, will be experiencing extreme social instability and political turmoil within the next two decades. Oppressed people of these states will rise for their human and political rights, and America will be blamed. Do not burn bridges with the future Iran, for if we make it through our own challenging time, we will join you in promoting human rights and true democracy in the region.
While the rhetoric of your administration—after a year of unfruitful appeasement of the Islamic Republic—is now, though timidly, aimed against them, condoning this symbolic and profound name change by the Navy can only be construed as an undeclared war on the people of Iran, on our national sovereignty, and on our hopes for a return to a respectable role in the world community. The people of Iran, who have been frustrated by your courtship of the Islamic Republic during your first year in office, called upon you during demonstrations last year: “Obama, either with them or with us.” We understood your cautious response, but you are now facing a bigger challenge to the opinion of tens of millions of Iranians—the naked truth that is now revealing itself about White House policy on Iran.
These are sensitive times for the Iranian people, who are suffering from extreme conditions of oppressive dictatorship, official violence and government corruption. When you so respectfully and supportively spoke to the people of Iran, praising their rich culture and acknowledging their proud history, they believed you. The Iranian people wish to be able to believe in you for what you say, what you believe in, and what we might do together, someday soon. The signs from Washington, however, are not so promising. Some people now think they are being double-crossed. My own view is that there is simply instability and indecision in U.S. policy toward Iran, a lack of directional uniformity between the administration and other policy makers, and thus oscillation from one stance to another.
America and Iran have been friends and often allies since the 18th century, a love affair that you are educated enough to know ended in a series of policy mistakes during the advent of cold war.
In 1942, upon occupation of Iran by allied forces, the reigning Iranian monarch was ousted by the British. President Roosevelt insisted on the continuation of monarchy and we lost the chance of establishing a republic. On the positive side, President Roosevelt also insisted on and guaranteed Iranian sovereignty by requiring all invading armies to vacate the country after the war. He transformed his wish into a declaration signed by all parties concerned. He was a strong, prudent, and farsighted president and meant what he said.
Another positive point in U.S.-Iran relations was when President Truman forced the Soviet Union to leave the part of Iran they had occupied, by threatening the atom-bombing of Moscow. In 1952, he supported Iranian nationalization of the oil industry and later opposed the British plan of ousting the only democratic government Iran ever had. He was a man of strong convictions, and meant what he said.
Iranians remember these men.
The love affair between Iran and America continued until 1953, when President Eisenhower showed little resistance to persistent British interest in toppling our popular government. He was a weak president in this matter, and not farsighted at all. From there, I’m sure you know that everything went downhill. In 1979, once again the U.S. acted out a plan largely prepared by other powers, and created the situation we are in today. We have always suffered from weak presidency in the White House, and we remember our history, Mr. President.
The American assistance of Iraq during their war against Iran showed a short-sighted revenge-type policy. America again played into a British plan, that of “the two lions must be made to destroy each other.” This gave us the impression that the White House, despite its unmatched physical power, has only an illusion of grandeur about its world affairs management and strategic planning politics. The current and continuing debates and actions regarding Iran, by the U.S. policy-making bodies and the Administration show unusual disarray and indecision. While your policy makers are having ears bent to every lobby and advisor, other power players are writing the scenario and setting the stage for the U.S. to play out its role. What we see from afar is a situation that the U.S. should not fall into. Iraq and Afghanistan have been proof that American efforts would have been more effective if its friends played honest hands.
From a distance, it looks as though the White House, although it has good intentions, is unsure and asking to be led. It listens to too many advisors of questionable inclinations and loyalties. It is not able to observe and control its friends and allies with effective intelligence. It relies on multiple loyalty multiple purposed and sometimes self-serving intelligence for policy making.
This action by the U.S. Navy, which belligerently ignores historical truths and official U.S. and U.N. directives, just to serve the childish egos of some self-appointed tribal rulers in the Persian Gulf is a sign of weakness in the American administration (provided we assume the action was not approved by the Commander-in-Chief.) We ask ourselves if this is an undermining of official policy or if the American president speaks to the Iranian people with a forked tongue.
What is surprising to us is that you, President Obama, of all people, have developed a sympathetic ear to the radical political groups, domestic and foreign, advocating disintegration of Iran. Disintegration of Iran, just as wise presidents Roosevelt and Truman understood, would not serve American long-term interests. One immediate outcome would be decades of instability and bloodshed in the region. Undoubtedly, some new state or two will fall into the hands of radical religious groups, or they will provide sanctuary and bases for planning terrorist attacks on their neighbors and on the West. Unrest and domestic armed conflict worse than anything experienced in Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Central Asia will prevent any productive relationship with the West. The bloodshed in Yugoslavia will be dwarfed by what will happen here and you, Mr. President, will be responsible for all that suffering, and for crimes against humanity that can only be imagined. Ask yourself, do you want those many millions in Iran who want a stable and just democracy, and the many millions residing in exile, with their knowledge and expertise and deep passion for freedom, to be on your side and have faith and trust in America or have the worst imaginable human catastrophe on your conscience?
Also, think of the converging strategic situation in the region. Think of huge China with its economy soon larger than that of the U.S., and the military might to reckon with advancing on little countries in its path westward. Think of India thirty to fifty years from now, powerful and hungry for resources. They will leave no room for the U.S. and Europe and they will not have the strong, proud, and culturally influential Iran in their paths. Think of their forcing terrorists to move west. Think of Russia regaining self-confidence and joining interests with China, or China with India. No powerful country will exist to stand in the way as a buffer through economic and technological might. Turkey, Iraq, and Caucasus will witness increased tension and will be ripe for civil wars in a not so distant future. If fire starts here in Iran, Mr. President, the smoke will pollute the air all the way to Washington.
We acknowledge that you are a wise and very knowledgeable man, the brainiest president since John Kennedy; but we sometimes fall to our own intellectual sense in lieu of being diligent, and keep looking up instead of looking down to the earth. You received the Nobel Prize not for the peace you had brought on, but for the peace that is expected you will cause. Are you going to? The current policy path toward Iran and the region does not spell peace. Your problems in Afghanistan and Iraq will multiply if Iran is not kept united, and made strong and democratic. A nation in turmoil will be of no use to America, much less to its own people and to the region. Guess what such policy will do to your own legacy as the potentially historic leader who, brilliant as he was, dragged a region strategically vital to American interests and the stability of the world into more bloodshed, irreparable chaos, and deeper hatred of the U.S.
If you have spoken with honesty to my people, which I truly believe you have intended to, then it seems that you cannot control those under your command to respect official policies. If this is the case, then you will continue to lose the world’s faith that you can execute the promises and policies you announce. The people of Iran are aware of history, distrust rhetoric, and respect commitment. As a first step we expect you to renounce and reverse the U.S. Navy’s disrespectful action, as a sign that America respects those who yearn to breathe free, and can be trusted. Beautiful speeches have a short shelf life.
Respectfully,
Kourosh Zaim
Member, Central Council
Iran National front
kourosh_Zaim@yahoo.com

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=708&mi=1

Iranian dissident 'suspected target for London hit'

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:17 CST

Iranian dissident 'suspected target for London hit'

11/29/2010

Iranian intelligence was suspected of targeting a leading critic in London through an individual who had earlier been jailed for hiring a hitman to kill a US-based Iranian broadcaster.

A cable from the US embassy on Grosvenor Square reported that Ali Reza Nourizadeh, a prominent opponent of Iran's leadership and a regular commentator on Voice of America, the Washington-funded radio station, was targeted while in the British capital in 2009 by Mohammad Reza Sadeqinia, an Iranian national who introduced himself as a "big fan" of Nourizadeh.

A secret dispatch detailing the agent's activity in London says: "Nourizadeh met Sadeqinia on several occasions in London and Washington DC but became suspicious when Sadeqinia took large numbers of photos, including of Nourizadeh's vehicle.

"Sadeqinia was arrested in California on charges of soliciting murder after he attempted to hire a hitman to kill Iranian-American broadcaster Jamshid Sharmahd. Because his pattern of behaviour towards Nourizadeh was similar to his interactions with Sharmahd, FBI shared the threat information with UK authorities, who subsequently warned Nourizadeh."

The threat emerged after Nourizadeh became so concerned that he contacted the US embassy to alert it to his dealings with Sadeqinia.

http://www.guardian.co.uk

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=707&mi=1

Iran rejects AMIA attack trial proposal

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:16 CST

Iran rejects AMIA attack trial proposal

10/20/2010

October 20, 2010

BUENOS AIRES (JTA) -- Iran has rejected Argentina's proposal to put on trial in a neutral country those accused in the bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.

In a letter sent Tuesday to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Iran called the proposal "unsustainable."

"The Iranian government has ensured that no Iranian citizen was involved, directly or indirectly, in the bombing of the AMIA,” the letter said.

Argentine prosecutors have accused Iran of masterminding the July 1994 attack on the AMIA central Jewish umbrella building, which killed 85 and wounded hundreds. Prosecutors in Buenos Aires have issued warrants for the arrest of five Iranians, including Iranian Defense Minister Ahmed Vahidi, in the case.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner had made the proposal to hold a trial in a third country at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York on Sept. 24.

Argentina will issue a response to Iran's letter, Kirchner told journalists Tuesday.

http://www.jta.org

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=706&mi=12

Petition:Release Heshmatollah Tabarzadi and all Iranian political prisoners

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:15 CST

Petition:Release Heshmatollah Tabarzadi and all Iranian political prisoners

10/5/2010

to sign the Petition klik Here
To: The United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights, - Amnesty International - Hillary Clinton - All Human Rights Activists- All NGO"s
Heshmatollah Tabarzadi, a veteran activist for human rights in Iran. In February 2010 the detention order for imprisoned political activist Heshmatollah Tabarzadi was extended for an unknown length of time by Tehran’s court.
In September 2010 Heshmatollah Tabarzadi was sentenced to 9 years in prison with recieving 79 lashes as part of his punishment.
In October 2009 Heshmatollah Tabarzadi, leader of the banned Democratic Front of Iranian People (DFIP), was relased from prison after serving more than six months in solitary confinement. Heshmatollah Tabarzadi was arrested at April 17 2009 by special units of the Islamic Revolution’s Guards after he had criticised Iran’s regime and called for a revision of Iran’s constitution.

Heshmatollah Tabarzadi has been fighting the Iranian regime for over a decade. On 17 June 1999, Heshmatollah Tabarzadi was summoned to a tribunal at the office of the revolutionary prosecutor, in Evin prison, and arrested after questioning and was arrested after being questioned about publishing information contrary to “public order and the public interest”.
, the 26th branch of the Revolutionary Court presided by Judge Pirabbas, has sentenced political activist and Secretary- General of the Democratic Party of Iran to 9 years in prison and 74 lashes.

He has been convicted of conspiracy and assembly to commit a crime against national security and insulting the Supreme Leader.

Tabarzadi was detained on December 28th after the Ashura protests and transferred to solitary confinement in Ward 209 of the Evin Priosn. He was later transferred to the Rajaei Shahr prison for protesting the execution of the 5 Kurdish activists including Farzad Kamangar.

Heshmatollah Tabarzadi is momentarily detained in Evin prison and subjcted to isolation and torture.

We are concerned about the safety & life of Heshmatollah Tabarzadi, & other political prisoners in Iran ..we regret to see the repeat of the same destination of ” Valliyollah Feyz Mahdavi, Akbar Mohammadi, Dr. Zahra Bani Yghoob ” who have all died mysteriously in the Islamic regime & it’s prisons.
We would therefore urge the Secretary General of the United Nations to assign a special investigating committee to visit & release all political prisoners unconditionally

WE THE UNDER SIGN DEMAND AN INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION TO MR TABARZADI'S UNFAIR CONVICTION AND HIS CLEARANCE FROM ALL CHARGES WHICH ULTIMATELY FREE HIM FROM PRISON IMMEDIATELY

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

to sign the Petition klik Here

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=705&mi=5

Remembering the 1988 Massacre of Political Prisoners in Iran:Crime Against Humanity

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:14 CST

Remembering the 1988 Massacre of Political Prisoners in Iran:Crime Against Humanity

9/25/2010

September 26, 2010

Dear Friend of SCPIPW:

On behalf of the Solidarity Committee to Protect the Iranian People’s Will (SCPIPW), we cordially invite you to attend our upcoming event, Remembering the 1988 Massacre of Political Prisoners in Iran: Crime Against Humanity, as our guest. We would be honored if you would attend.

The event will be held on Sunday, September 26, 2010 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at:

Auditorium, Arlington Central Library

1015 N. Quincy Street

Arlington, VA 22201

Tel: 703-228-5990

Distinguished speakers will include Ms. Elise Auerbach, Ph. D., Country Specialist for Iran, Amnesty International U.S.A; Ms. Monireh Baradaran, Former Political Prisoners and author; Ms. Roya Boroumand, Ph. D., Executive Director, Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation and Mr. Iraj Mesdaghi, Former Political Prisoner and author. Interpretation facilities will be available.

In the contemporary history of Iran, August and September of 1988, is among the darkest chapter of Human Rights violation.

“Starting in August 1988, just after the end of the Iran/Iraq war, and continuing until shortly before the 10th anniversary of the Islamic revolution in February 1989, the Iranian authorities carried out massive wave of summary executions of political prisoners – the largest since those carried out in the first and second year after the Iranian revolution in 1979. In all between 4,500 and 5,000 prisoners are believed to have been killed, including women. It remains one of the worst human rights violations committed since the establishment of the Islamic Republic.” states Amnesty International in its report “From protest to prison: Iran one year after the election”, released June 9th, 2010.

During these months, thousands of political prisoners, many of them already serving their prison sentence and many already completed theirs, were savagely hanged or executed and their voices silenced. This unprecedented organized crime is tantamount to crime against humanity by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Highlighting the truth, identifying and honoring the victims and punishing those responsible, the perpetrators and those involved in this terrible tragedy is among the most important campaign for those fighting to improve human rights in Iran and to end these fascistic and inhumane acts forever.

Regardless of the victim’s political affiliations and membership and solely from Human Rights aspect, the “Solidarity Committee to Protect the Iranian People’s Will” is holding a conference in this regard to highlight the importance of this event in Iranian history. SCPIPW is honored to host all the freedom loving people pursuing the truth and justice.

SCPIPW is a committee of local Iranian-Americans with a plurality of political viewpoints, all dedicated to the struggle for Human Rights and democracy in Iran. We welcome the thoughts, comments and suggestions, and hope to satisfy the desire to express solidarity with a unified voice.

We sincerely appreciate your participation in our event. We at SCPIPW believe that your presence will add markedly to the stature and substance of our event, and we hope that you will be able to join us. Please RSVP to scpipwdc@gmail.com by Friday, September 24th.

Should you require any additional information, please feel free to contact Mr. Mehdi Amini at scpipwdc@gmail.com or 703-850-7311. We look forward to hearing from you to confirm your participation in this important event.

Sincerely yours,

Executive Committee

Solidarity Committee to Protect the Iranian People’s Will

--
Ali Afshari
001 7038601303

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=704&mi=5

Global campaign to stop Iranian stoning

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:13 CST

Global campaign to stop Iranian stoning

9/25/2010

The Source
Written by Michael Lee

Vancouver’s Iranian-Canadian community has joined in the international chorus calling for Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s immediate release from Tabriz Prison in Iran. Condemned to be executed by stoning in 2006 for engaging in adultery, the 41-year-old Iranian Azeri mother of two had her original sentence commuted earlier this month due to intense international pressure.

Ashtiani, however, remains on death row where she and hundreds of fellow inmates await their fate at the hands of the Iranian government.

Vancouver resident and Iranian-born political activist Zari Asli believes that Ashtiani’s treatment by Tehran represents a far greater problem that the global community needs to address.

“Sakineh [Ashtiani] has become a symbol of the role that is forced on women under [Iran’s] political Islamic regime,” said Asli. “It’s a reflection of a woman’s legal status in this type of society. Women in Iran have no right to make personal choices and are governed entirely by the men in their lives.”

Local Iranian-Canadian community leader Behshad Hastibakhsh also acknowledged that the social position of women in Iran innately caters to abuse and neglect.

“Iranian laws are incredibly paternalistic and the legal system is extraordinarily haphazard,” said Hastibakhsh. “Women are arbitrarily arrested on a regular basis and do not have equal standing under the law.”

Rallies like the recent event that took place in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery on August 28 have been staged in cities around the world to protest Ashtiani’s continued incarceration. Asli was eager to state that the campaign to liberate Ashtiani has become a global enterprise.

Both Asli and Hastibakhsh claim overwhelming support for Ashtiani’s cause from Vancouver’s expatriate Iranian community, notwithstanding the apparent dearth of detailed coverage in the community’s local cultural newspapers.

“There’s interest and participation among Iranian-Canadians,” said Asli, “but many still fear government repercussions against friends and family back home in Iran that open support for Sakineh would bring.”

There is no shortage of support from other Vancouverites, however. According to Asli, the August 28 rally was a tremendous success with attendees coming from all walks of life. Many supporters reportedly queued to sign petitions calling for Ashtiani’s release.

“I’m very pleased that the issue has crossed party and cultural lines,” said Hastibakhsh. “The world must unite behind Sakineh and the Iranian people.”

Hastibakhsh, a member of the pro-democracy Iranian Constitutionalist Party, recently addressed Prime Minister Stephen Harper in an open letter calling for greater Canadian diplomatic involvement in the ongoing global campaign to free Ashtiani.

Ashtiani’s story has indeed captivated the world’s imagination. Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and grassroots activists like Asli and Hastibakhsh feel driven to take a stand against what many perceive to be a gross affront to justice. The veritable tidal wave of support from friends and advocates abroad has so far convinced Tehran to delay announcing the final outcome of Ashtiani’s case.

“Sakineh is a force of unity among all human rights activists,” said Asli. “At the end of the day, it’s not just about her. It’s a global human rights issue.”

http://www.thelasource.com

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=703&mi=5

Washington Post imperils Delft's Iranians

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:12 CST

Washington Post imperils Delft's Iranians

9/23/2010

Many Iranian students at TU Delft are concerned about the consequences of an article published recently in the Washington Post about Iranian students in Delft. The article claimed that TU Delft is the centre of new Iranian activism.

“This isn't true at all. The article is full of incorrect information and highly exaggerates the facts”, said members of the Iranian Students Society of TU Delft (Isstud). “But nevertheless, for the Iranian government, this article might raise unnecessary sensitivities about the social and non-political activities of Iranian students in Delft.”

“When I read the Washington Post article I had to laugh”, says Ardavan Khorsand, an architecture student and Isstud member. “I was baffled about the writer of this article's knowledge and intentions.” The other Isstud board members nod in agreement. “That article is such a big exaggeration of reality”, says Rad Haghi, an MSc student. The article in question, written by Thomas Erdbrink, claimed that over 1,000 Iranian students and scholars study here in Delft. “But according to the student affairs database there are 350 Iranian students registered here.”

But apart from such miscalculations, Isstud members are even more baffled by the article's claim that TU Delft is the centre of Iranian activism. The Washington Post quotes an anonymous TU Delft student named Sohrab, who says Delft is a think-tank on Iran's future, and through Facebook, telephone and email, he and other Iranian students maintain contact with their homeland and as such are trying to reform Iran.

“The article gives a wrong image about the activities of TU Delft students, which might evolve into wrong judgments for the Iranian government, which is experiencing a critical time after the last year's post-election development of a civil movement”, Haghi says. “It's absurd to publish an article based on wrong information. The writer did not fully understand the difference between political activities in the context of Iran, compared to the Netherlands. In Iran it's very unclear what is political and what isn't. So, if an article in the Washington Post specifically talks about political activists in a small city like Delft, the margin of political, social and cultural issues becomes very vague”, Khorsand adds. “Any misjudgement, based on this incorrect, false article, might result in unexpected conclusions, specifically in a chaotic administration like the one in Iran.”

Activists
“When entering Iran, you can be questioned just for being in Delft as a student”, says Mehdi Vosooghi, an MSc student (EEMCS) who is not an Isstud member. “It all depends on the political circumstances back home what will happen. TU Delft students could be in trouble because of this false article: just for studying in Delft, because the Washington Post claims it's a hotbed for activism. Or nothing happens. You never know for sure, until students return to Iran.”

“The article is based on an interview with an unknown person who could never be an Isstud representative”, says Hamed Abolhadi, a pre-MSc student and Isstud board member. Abolhadi stresses this, because in the Washington Post article the author states there's an active Iranian students club that organises meetings with exiled dissidents and politicians. “It's unclear which organisation or community the author is referring to.” But if the author is referring to Isstud, its members don't recognise themselves in the activities mentioned in the article.

“We don't do stuff like that. If people think it's our student society, it might even attract temporary and fake attention”, Abolhadi says. “Delft isn't an Iranian centre of anti-government activism; it's the centre of Iranian culture. At Isstud we organise all sorts of cultural, social and academic activities.”
So, what's the reality of Iranian students in Delft? Isstud is a platform and network for Iranian students. “When I arrived in Delft six years ago, there were hardly any Iranian students and it was hard to find my way around. So it's nice to have an organization to go to for help", Abolhadi says. Isstud helps Iranian students find information about renting rooms and organises sporting events and film evenings, as well having literature, art and scientific committees.

“Sometimes we even advise students about buying bikes and how to repair them. We most certainly aren't activists. We come to Delft to study”, Khorsand adds. “There simply aren't many activist-students at TU Delft.”

Hotbed
But one such activist-student is Mehdi Vosooghi, an MSc student (EEMCS) who also says the Washington Post article is wrong in stating that Delft is a hotbed of Iranian activism. Last year he, another TU Delft student and a few other students from other universities started the Iranian Progressive Youth organisation, which strives to get media attention for human rights breaches inside Iran, such as the woman recently facing stoning for allegedly committing adultery.

Although Vosooghi isn't as active as he was in the beginning, he still believes it's vital to be active in some sort of opposition against the Iranian government. “Right after the elections I used Facebook to pass around all the stories. Facebook is banned in Iran and the internet is very slow, but people always manage via links to post their stories and videos on Facebook and email. I shared all this information with friends. It was very important that news of the demonstrations came out, because otherwise no one outside Iran would know what was going on inside our country.”
After the elections, Iranian students held a demonstration on the TU Delft campus. Vosooghi was there, too, but he reports that there were no more than 100 Iranian students demonstrating. “But after that most of them became passive again, unfortunately. There are now more than ten, but certainly no more than 50, Iranian students active in demonstrations or other opposition activities.”

Vosooghi wishes the Washington Post article was true: “But it's not. Most Iranian students are passive. They come from rich families and are only here for better academic opportunities. They only study here. Or they're too afraid to participate in demonstrations.” He regrets this. “People in Iran are having such a hard time. It's getting worse every day. If they're demonstrating, they could end up in prison or be killed, because the police use their guns during demonstrations. We owe it to our people back home to make their stories heard. They can't tell it themselves, but we can. We students shouldn't be so scared to take that risk.”

To read the Washington Post article headlined 'Dutch town of Delft is center of a new Iranian activism', go to washingtonpost.com and search under the author, Thomas Erdbrink.

http://www.delta.tudelft.nl/

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=702&mi=4

Criminals Are Not Welcomed in Netherlands: An Open Letter to "Clingendael"

Cyrusnews.com — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:11 CST

Criminals Are Not Welcomed in Netherlands: An Open Letter to "Clingendael"

9/2/2010

The Netherlands Institute of International Relations “Clingendael” and the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran are organizing an event in The Hague on the “Latest developments in the relation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Europe”. Below is the open letter of Persian Dutch Network to "Clingendael" about its 17th September event.

Dear Prof. Jaap W. de Zwaan,

Director of "The Netherlands Institute of International Relations” (Clingendael)

Two important values in The Netherlands are "human rights" and "freedom of speech".

It's quite surprising and disappointing that The Netherlands is going to give one of the most ruthless governments in the world an opportunity to promote itself. It's really insulting for thousands of Persian born Dutch citizens who have escaped to the Netherlands because of the terrible situation in their homeland, which is in the grips of a fundamentalist government and is known as one of biggest human rights abusers in the international community.

It was just one year ago that because of peaceful demonstrations in Iran, the security forces arrested, tortured and killed many people:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009%E2%80%932010_Ira...

As the director of an international relations institute you are of course aware of these facts but because of unclear reasons you have closed your eyes.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has not accepted any responsibility for any of the crimes which have been committed since 1979 until now. They have shown that "debate" and "dialogue" with them are not effective ways to improve the situation of the Persian people.

For Iranian authorities it's just the matter of "buying time" and changing their International "Image". The Islamic Republic of Iran has shown they do not care about their people's civil rights. Victims' families still mourn their young children who were killed by the government's agents in recent demonstrations.

Mr de Zwaan, your event which has been organized with coopration of Islamic Republic Embassy in The Hague, will be a big shame for the city of The Hague; city of peace and justice; a city that in the near future will feature the trials of Iran's leaders for crimes against their own nation.

As the president of the "Persian Dutch Network", as a proud resident of the Netherlands, and finally as a human, I would like to recommend that you cancel your 17th September event.

Please show that Dutch national values have not been expired yet and announce that human rights abusers and criminals are not welcomed in The Netherlands.

Regards,

Pejman Akbarzadeh

Persian Dutch Network, director

www.PersianDutch.net - www.PejmanAkbarzadeh.com

persiandutch.com@gmail.com

http://www.iranian.com

http://www.cyrusnews.com/news/en/?ni=700&mi=1