In a statement, the Iranian Veterinarians’ Association took an official stance on the round-up of household pets by the Police Force.

According to a Khabar online report, the text of the letter is as follows:

“In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
God’s Messenger (Peace Be upon Him) says: “Do not hit animals in the face for they praise and glorify God.”

Last week, the honorable acting Chief of Police announced the start of the Plan to Combat Social Ills, and declared walking a household pet in public passageways as an instance of such social problems. As of Tuesday, April 30, 2103, the police have started rounding up [and taking away] dogs that have owners, resorting to force, and without making any reports and/or presenting receipts [for the dogs].

After a few days of looking for their pets, the owners found out that the arrested pets were being kept at a place called Kahrizak, without consideration to their hygiene and feeding conditions.

Given the Veterinarians Association’s role in [animal health and] hygiene and the profession’s obligation to reduce [and appease] animal suffering, it is necessary that the following points be [made and] explained for the police personnel’s as well as the general public’s information:

1. Currently, there are no written laws in the country prohibiting [having and] keeping household pets.

2. Even assuming that such an act does constitute a crime, the honorable police force’s arrest of the animal instead of the owner has no precedence anywhere in the world.

3. If the police continue to insist on arresting these poor animals, what happens to the health and hygiene conditions and the right to life (given available information [concerning] the deaths that have occurred at the above-mentioned detention center) of the animals kept at the detention center?

4. The result of the aimless clash with all pet owners who transport [and appear or walk with] their pet in public is that such owners will refrain from going to veterinary centers to have their pets vaccinated, and consequently families, and subsequently society, might face serious environmental issues.

5. The improper keeping of animals in that detention center without consulting specialists causes the spread of various illnesses there, including those that can be transferred to human beings; this can jeopardize the detention center personnel’s health and eventually endanger the health [and well-being] of the rest of society.

6. The police force should be above belittling and persecuting certain of our compatriots – who, for whatever reason, like to have pets – by threatening and frightening them (in many cases pet owners have been told that their pets will be killed by the police.) [Such actions and behaviors] can overshadow the police force’s accomplishments in [the realms of] ensuring society’s [safety and] security, the fight against illegal drugs, etc.

7. Respect for animal rights has repeatedly been recommended [and prescribed] by all religions including the true religion of Islam. According to reports, however, unfortunately not the slightest attention has been paid to these recommendations.
Therefore, the Iran Veterinarians’ Association, the country’s oldest scientific-professional association, deems it necessary to warn against the serious health issues (psychological as well as physical) resulting from the continuation of the afore-mentioned plan, and to declare its readiness to cooperate with all relevant [governmental] organs for the purpose of analyzing this serious problem.

“God will damn the person who damns animals.” [First Shi’a Imam] Amir al-Mo’menin (Peace Be Upon Him)
Iran Veterinarians’ Association”

GENEVA (25 January 2013) – A group of United Nations independent experts on Iran, peaceful assembly and of association, extrajudicial executions, torture and minorities today urged the Iranian authorities to halt the execution of five Ahwazi activists, who are at imminent risk after their death sentences were recently upheld by the Supreme Court.
According to reports, Mr Mohammad Ali Amouri, Mr Sayed Jaber Alboshoka, Mr Sayed Mokhtar Alboshoka, Mr Hashem Shabain Amouri and Mr Hadi Rashidi, all founding members of Al-Hiwar, a scientific and cultural institute, were sentenced to death on charges including Moharebeh (“enmity against God”), Mufsid-fil-Arz (“corruption on earth”) and spreading propaganda against the system in 2012.

“It is absolutely unacceptable for individuals to be imprisoned and condemned to death for exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, association, opinion and expression, and affiliation to minority groups and to cultural institutions,” stressed the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ahmed Shaheed.

On his part, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, reminded the Iranian authorities of their international obligations, recalling that “Iran is party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights*, which guarantees the rights to free expression, free association and peaceful assembly.”

The five activists were arrested in their homes in Ahwaz in 2011, ahead of the sixth anniversary of widespread protests by the Ahwazi community, and were reportedly convicted following unfair trials.

“Under international law, the death penalty can only be employed when very strict conditions are met, for example only in respect of the most serious crimes and only after a trial and appeal proceedings that scrupulously respect all the principles of due process,” noted the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, expressing serious concerns about the way these trials were conducted.

“Also of grave concern, are allegations that the five individuals were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment in detention and were forced to sign confessions,” added the Special Rapporteur on torture, Juan E. Méndez. “This is not only in breach of Iran’s international obligations under the international covenant, which imposes an outright prohibition on torture, it is also in breach of Iran’s Constitution that explicitly forbids the use of all forms of torture for the purpose of extracting confessions or acquiring information.”

“The number of cases of individuals belonging to minorities being sentenced for their activities related to their minority rights is a cause for serious concern,” said the UN Independent Expert on minority issues, Rita Izsák. “I urge the Government of Iran to halt these executions and to review the decisions of the courts to ensure that all human rights, including minority rights, are fully upheld and respected in practice.”

(*) Check the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm

Thirty-two years ago, on 20 January 1981, American hostages in Iran were released. In Iran, however, a different anniversary is celebrated every year: November 4, the day the US embassy was overtaken by revolutionary students. Burning US and Israeli flags and shouting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” have been a common feature of these celebrations. What is often ignored in the political context of the occasion, however, is the impact that such events have on children.

For many school-age children, such celebrations provide a respite from classroom instruction. An extra half-hour added to recess for flag-burning, is almost always more fun than math class. So is the pro-government rally, which might involve being driven on a bus to another location. Bashing the US and burning an Uncle Sam effigy are merely ceremonial and devoid of real meaning for the children.

But that is precisely the problem.

When burning another country’s flag and wishing death upon that country become a rudimentary part of life, you have a problem. While the propaganda and hatred directed against the US might not shape the political views of school-age children, they can, through repeated exposure, make them indifferent to hate. Wishing death upon another human being, or another nation, is not a trivial matter. Furthermore, when children are inundated with messages of hate from an early age, wishing for the death of others becomes an ordinary thing. Now, that is no ordinary thing.

Violent themes have indeed been a ubiquitous feature of children’s education. The story of Hossein Fahmideh, who reportedly blew up an Iraqi tank by throwing himself under it, is taught in elementary school. Another example is a Fars News story from a few years ago, reporting that in an anti-smoking campaign in a school in Fars Province, a cigarette effigy was “hanged.” [1]

Take a look at this picture:

This is from a children’s alphabet book published in Iran, probably in the 1980’s: T as in Tank. Teaching the alphabet in this manner might seem funny, but it can have very serious consequences.

Now, watch this video. It’s a puppet show, from the early 1980’s. It features Iraj Tahmaseb, the famous children’s TV personality. If you don’t understand Farsi, this is the gist of it: Two school-age children want to go to the war front so that they can kill Saddam Hussein, poke his eyes out, pull every strand of his moustache and shred him to pieces. But the young man tells them that the best way for them to fight Saddam is to work hard at school. What he does not tell them, is that poking someone’s eyes out or shredding him to pieces is not something children should be thinking about.

The consequences of continuous hate-mongering and desensitization to violence are, unfortunately, evident in our society. There are frequent examples. The following picture is a telling one.

This picture was taken at a demonstration during the Green Movement. These young boys belong to the Bassij, the volunteer pro-government militia which is often used for the intimidation and suppression of demonstrators and political opponents. Baton in hand, these boys are enjoying ice-cream. Hitting people with batons has become an ordinary thing for them, so much so that they can enjoy an ice-cream during their break. Many people might see these young boys as the main obstacles to freedom in Iran. What we should not forget, however, is that these are children, and they too are victims of the violence that has permeated our political culture.

When reading about Iranian politics, pay attention to how often the phrase “elimination” comes up. Political rivals, drug traffickers, undesirable elements, apostates and numerous other groups should, depending on the circumstances, be “eliminated.” As long as this discourse persists, we are not likely to have a free society.

At best, these concepts bring memories of a movie scene or a news headline to mind for most of  us. They make us uncomfortable, nervous and desperate for a change of topic.  We, myself included, are scared to face the sad realities that we feel we cannot change.  We need palpable results with feel good benefits. The commercial with starving cats and dogs and the depressing Sarah McLachlan song makes us want to pick up the phone to donate and change the channel at the same time.  Unless personally affected, we need our heart strings pulled with easy to consume messages and even easier to participate campaigns to keep our attention.  Simplicity sometimes pushes its way through the oversaturation of messages we get on a daily basis. But what happens when the situation is not so simple?

I am not an expert. I don’t have endless degrees or years under my belt working tirelessly for the rights of others, unlike the incredible people I have encountered working for the Boroumand Foundation.  I haven’t been imprisoned or fled my home without choice. But despite that, I share the commonality of the humanity we all have, regardless of background or experience, which nurtures the basis of the compassion we have for one another.

Saying Iran is complicated is an understatement.  The perception of this country rich with culture and history, is summarized by most with a few obvious points.  A nuclear program, an oppressive and paranoid government and a president who doesn’t believe that the Holocaust happened and says there are no ‘homosexuals’ in his country.  A part of the Axis of Evil, we keep a ‘we don’t mess with them and they better not mess with us’ attitude.  It’s even easier to keep it out of sight and out of mind.  Who wants to help the people who run around yelling ‘Death to America’ all day? Why should it matter to me?

Looking a little deeper all is not as it seems.  The few but powerful people in Iran with the most control have their thoughts and attitudes but this does not mean they reflect the views of the Iranian people as a whole. This is a government that blocks Google, arrests people for opposing its views and is still known to stone people as a means of execution for adultery.  With the suppression and power of the Iranian government, the opinions and feelings of the Iranian people are intimidated into silence.  This is the scariest part of all.

Without a sexy, marketable video a la KONY 2012 or a celebrity endorsed commercial during your favorite show, finding a need to care for the nameless seems like far too much effort. The 22 year old Baha’i student, beaten repeatedly while in the hospital receiving treatment.  The 10 alleged drug dealers executed early in the morning without a fair trial or anyone paying attention.  The imprisoned Christians, Baha’is, Kurds, Balochis, teachers, women, students, political activists, lawyers.  From the experiences of those scarred from the past to those sitting in Evin prison now with no fair trial, no hope and no glossy commercial, the time to pay attention NOW.

The freedoms we take for granted every day have the ability to change the world.  We are constantly sharing information to the network of people in our lives, from our opinions to our lunch.  Acknowledging the plight of those whose freedoms have been stolen give you the power to make noise to a government that unjustly oppresses its people.  You have that power to remember the forgotten, fight for the overlooked and shout for the silenced with the click of your mouse.  You can help create the revolution that had the whole world watching in 2009. You can be a part of changing the troubles that haunt the Iranian people every day.

Embodying the thought that knowledge is power gives us the ability to pass it on to others.  And that is where the changes take place.  By sharing a news article on your Facebook, taking two minutes to sign a petition or simply just informing someone about what’s going on in Iran helps begin to turn up a noise the Iranian government will have to be able to hear.  This noise creates, if nothing else, a moral support for those unfairly suppressed by the Iranian government and lets them know they are not alone. It’s not about your politics, or your religion or what everyone else is thinking or doing. It’s about the justice of humanity that all people deserve, in Iran and around the world.  The same way it’s been given to you as you read and consider this.

What are you waiting for?

For more information on how to get involved and learn more about human rights in Iran visit www.iranrights.org or www.facebook.com/iranrights.

By: Tara Mohtadi, ABF Communications Consultant

o   Torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including flogging and amputations;

o   The continuing alarming high frequency in the carrying out of the death penalty in the absence of internationally recognized safeguards, including an increase in public executions, notwithstanding a circular from the former head of the judiciary prohibiting public executions, and secret group executions, as well as reports of executions undertaken without the notification of the prisoner’s family members or legal counsel;

o   Ongoing, systematic, widespread and serious restrictions of freedom of peaceful assembly and association and freedom of opinion and expression, including through efforts to block or filter Internet content; restrict access to foreign e-mail services and a variety of websites; jam international satellite transmission into the Islamic Republic of Iran; censor or close newspapers, magazines and other publications; and cut access to communications and information;’

To view the U.N. Resolution Document in full, click here.

To view the letter from NGO’s that work for human rights in Iran, click here.

For more information on human rights in Iran visit www.iranrights.org

…A newly-wed man who  was walking a dog in one of the posh neighborhoods in the west of Mashhad, and was thus endangering the physical and mental health of citizens, was arrested by law enforcement  personnel and presented to judicial authorities for legal processing.

The accused objected to the court’s verdict and asking for [the court’s] forgiveness, requested leniency.  Following the newly-wed’s objection, the case was reviewed in Branch 6 of Khorasan Razavi Provinces’s Appeals Court. Even though in the preliminary review of the case, the lower court’s verdict had been approved by the Court of Appeals, the experienced judges of this branch, upon further consultation, suspended the sentence for 2 years, based on the specific circumstances of the accused and the fact that he had no criminal record.

The verdict of the Branch 6 of the appeal court specifies that:

“The named accused has been sentenced to 6 months in prison for owning and living with a dog in his house, on the streets, and in parks. Even though the Appeals Court approves of the sentence that it finds correct, because of the defendant’s special circumstances and the fact that this newly-wed young man has expressed his regret, [the Court] suspends the enforcement of the sentence for 2 years.”

In reference to the issued sentence, Judge Shams Guilani warned individuals who consider possessing and having fun with a dog as normal:

“First, from the standpoint of Islamic religious (“Shari’a”) legal principles, dogs are filthy and impure (Najes ole in). Second, by law, based on Article 688 of the Islamic Penal Code, possessing a dog or being accompanied by it on the streets and in public places is a crime and carries a prison sentence.

Further, walking a dog on the streets and in parks is not only a threat to people’s health, it also causes mental and psychological illnesses for children or other individuals….”

Some 18 years after the event, the Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, in New York for the 2012 Annual United Nations General Assembly, stated that Iran had “proposed to conduct a dialogue on the matter” with Argentina. She further stated that preliminary negotiations would take place in the next few days between the foreign ministers of the two countries, on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

The ongoing investigation of the AMIA explosion has become one of the longest-running judicial proceedings in Argentine history. Authorities have questioned over 1200 people so far, as witness, person with knowledge, or as accused. The result of this investigation was the issuance of indictments by the Argentine judge against of nine Iranian high-level officials, including former President Hashemi Rafsanjani and former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, former commander of the Revolutionary Guards Mohsen Rezai, former Information Minister Ali Fallahian, and former head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Qods Force and current Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi, asking INTERPOL[1] to take action. In March 2007, INTERPOL finally issued international arrest warrants for all those named with the exception of former President Rafsanjani and Ali Akbar Velayati. Although the Islamic Republic authorities have denied involvement in the AMIA bombing, in September 2009, the Secretary General of INTERPOL travelled to Iran and held discussions on the matter with a number of Iranian authorities.

In her address at the United Nations on September 25, 2012, President Kirchner further stated that any proposals by Iran would have to be approved by the Argentine Congress, which is the ultimate decision-making body on the matter, and that she would not take any action without consulting the families of the victims.  A similar offer had been made in 2011, which Argentina welcomed and to which it responded by asking Iran to surrender those for whom indictments had been issued.

Based on the understanding that Iran’s civil society has a duty to acknowledge and bring visibility to the violations of human rights and attacks on civilians by the Iranian government regardless of the victims’ nationality, ethnicity, or religion, the Boroumand Foundation took it upon itself to investigate the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The result of this investigation was an in-depth report that was published in English and Farsi a few years ago. For the full story please click on the following link:

http://www.iranrights.org/english/document-636.php

Interrupted Lives (1) Flyer

The exhibit at NEIU was a success. Students passing by between classes stopped, drawn by the portraits of Iranian students that were killed or are in prison in Iran because of their religious or political beliefs or social status. It was a powerful moment to see many students actively reading victims’ stories and asking what they could do to help their fellow students in Iran. The NEIU students and professors wrote over 50 letters to the imprisoned Iranian students. The letters, featured on our Facebook, will be shortly mailed to the Iranian prisons hoping to find their ways to the students to remind them that they will never be forgotten and that students from America demand their unconditional release.

Roya Boroumand, the Executive Director of the Boroumand Foundation, spoke about the exhibit, the human rights violations of the Iranian students, and the challenges that the human rights community faces worldwide. The Asian American Human Rights Community awarded to Roya Boroumand a Certificate of Recognition for Human Rights work. Upon receiving the award, Roya, expressing  her appreciation, stated that this award is in fact for the men and women of Iran who risk their lives by reporting the human rights violations. Hamid Akbari, a distinguished professor at NEIU, stated that “the work of ABF is fundamental to the human rights community –they provide the documentation essential to spreading awareness of what is actually happening in the Islamic Republic.”

Persepolitan Networks Images by: Amir Normandi

Persepolitan Networks Images by: Amir Normandi

Other events for the week included lectures on Burma and Syria as well as a book reading from Amir, author of the graphic novel, Zahra’s Paradise.  The novel has brought much needed attention to the human rights situation in Iran and the plight of victims’ families and is a moving tribute to the victims of the 2009 protests in Iran. Amir spoke candidly about the Islamic Republic in his presentation, “I feel that Roya and I have a deep content for the judiciary system; if there was one part of the government that I despise more than anything, it would be that.” The gist of Amir’s novel is close to the heart of the Omid Memorial, created by the Boroumand Foundation, paying tribute to all those who were killed by the Iranian regime since the 1979 revolution. Omid contains names of thousands of men, women, and children, who were killed summarily by the Iranian regime, and has been translated in 12 languages.

Persepolitan Networks Images by: Amir Normandi

Following Amir’s discussion on Zahra’s Paradise, Elise Auerbach, the Iran Specialist for Amnesty International USA, gave a presentation on Amnesty’s work and a documentary entitled “Education Under Fire.” The documentary, which was screened after Ms. Auerbach’s speech, highlighted the Baha’i’s struggle in Iran to continue their education in spite of the government’s systematic and decades-long ban of Baha’is from higher education. The event ended with questions from the audience and powerful testimonials from two young NEIU students who are of Baha’i faith and have recently left Iran.

ABF was honored to work with this group of committed individuals and the NEIU students, professors, and staff.

Persepolitan Networks Images by: Amir Normandi

Persepolitan Networks Images by: Amir Normandi

 

One of the ABF’s researchers will be speaking today on human rights issues at Southern Methodist University (SMU). Our researcher will be commenting on a range of issues that deal particularly on the status of women in the Islamic Republic of Iran.