Monday, March 28, 2005
Seymour Hersh Interview | David Barsamian | April 2005 issue of Progressive
"Q: With the military overextended, how can they even contemplate military action against Iran?Hersh: They're not contemplating an invasion; they are talking about a limited series of air strikes, which they hope triggers dissent that would overthrow the government. It would involve capabilities we have, missiles and airplanes and no troops. That's the thinking.
The whole purpose of my article 'The Coming Wars,' published in The New Yorker, was to get the debate about that out. Maybe a discussion about all of this will convince Washington to do something it hasn't been doing, which is joining in the European talks with the Iranians on finding ways to convince Iran to back off its nuclear ambition. Give them the goods, the carrots and sticks. But we won't join the talks, and without us, they're not going anywhere. How can you have a security guarantee? The Europeans can give their security guarantees to Iran all they want in return for their stopping their enrichment. But as long as America says we're going to stay out here and we're not going to drop the stick, we're going to pound you if we have to, it's not going to work."
Seymour Hersh Interview | David Barsamian | April 2005 Issue of Progressive:
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Friday, March 25, 2005
United Nations Association of USA adopts a resolution on Iran
Ensuring the Implementation of N.P.T. Safeguards in the Islamic Republic of IranSponsored by: UNA-USA/Metropolitan Seattle Chapter
Recalling the Charter of the United Nations, that "... All Members shall
settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner
that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.
Noting the report by the IAEA in which it acknowledged that Iranian
cooperation had resulted in Agency access to all requested locations, but
stressed that Iran's cooperation had not been as full, timely and proactive as it should have been; and
Noting that foreign ministers from France, Germany and the United Kingdom
met December 13, 2004 with the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security
Council, to open negotiations toward a long-term resolution of concerns
surrounding Tehran's nuclear programs; and the United States offered
cautious public support for the talks; and
Noting that Iran with a population of over 65 million and a dynamic young
society which would rally behind the Iranian regime in the event of an
attack; and
Observing reports in the media of a possible military attack on Iran by
the United States to eliminate the nuclear weapon production facilities, and
that covert intelligence actions are underway to identify underground,
hardened, dispersed production facilities; and
Recognizing the improved potential for Israeli/Palestinian peace talks,
which would be threatened by a military attack on Iran; and
Observing that Iran is a signatory of the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty
(N.P.T.) from which they would likely withdraw if attacked, and that such
an attack could result in the unraveling of the N.P.T.; and
Having determined:
(1) That this critical issue requires resolute negotiation to avoid
military action which is likely to cause extensive civilian casualties and
result in increased widespread terrorism upon the United States; and
(2) That destruction of the dispersed and hardened sites cannot be
certain of success;
Therefore the UNA-USA calls upon the Government of the United States of
America:
1. Pursue a diplomatic solution by joining the European Union
negotiations; and
2. Encourage the continued work of IAEA so that Iran's nuclear activities
can be monitored continually; and
3. Further, that the UNA-USA calls upon the IAEA to institute safeguards
on a continuing basis by IAEA to ensure Iran does not resume the enrich
uranium for the production of nuclear weapons.
Requests UNA-USA to provide copies of this resolution to appropriate
officials of the U.S. government , to the Permanent Representatives of UN
member States, and to the Secretary-General of the UN.
Adopted March 6, 2005 in New York City by the Biennial National Convention of United
Nations Association-USA
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Sunday, March 13, 2005
Bush appoints Goli Ameri to UN Human Rights Commission
Office of Goli Ameri, the Iranian-American who ran for Oregon's district one congressional seat last November, announces that she is being appointed as one of 3 U.S. delegates to the U.N. Huamn Rights Commission mtg in Geneva to start next week.She will be working under the U.S. ambassador to that commission former Senator Rudy Boschwitz who has been nominated by the White House for the position of Ambassador to the U.N. Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR). Senator Boschwitz served in the U.S. Senate from 1978-1991.
Goli Ameri ran on a republican ticket in an unsuccessful bid to us-congress with the financial support from Iranian communities in the U.S. .
Whether this is just an appointment of an ally that supported President Bush in his re-election, or was made on a political agenda to pressure Iran remain to be seen. Ameri in his campaign however portrayed herself as someone who had scaped the authoritarian regime and has found refuge in the U.S., (although she has moved to U.S. in 1973 and has been back to Iran several times since, including one in 1996). A solid supporter of Bush's war strategy in Iraq and democracy building in the Middle East, she appears to support a hawkish approach to Iran(at least based on her election campaigns).
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Saturday, March 12, 2005
Grundsätze für eine nationale Übereinkunft zur Gestaltung eines demokratischen Staates im Iran
Vorschlag:Abbas Amirentezam
1. Etablierung der Volkssouveränität
Das iranische Volk blickt zurück auf einen über ein Jahrhundert andauernden Kampf für Freiheit und Unabhängigkeit - wie die nationale Bewegung für die Verstaatlichung der Erdölindustrie unter der Führung von Dr. Mossadegh – sowie für Gerechtigkeit und gegen Diskriminierung.
Unser Volk verfügt über die Fähigkeit, Erfahrung und Kraft, um sein Schicksal selbst zu bestimmen und seine Souveränität in einer frei gewählten Demokratie auszuüben.
Die Errichtung einer Volksherrschaft, die auf dem freien Willen der Bürger beruht, ebnet den Weg für den Aufbau eines fortschrittlichen, unabhängigen und friedliebenden Iran.
Die Volksherrschaft ergibt sich aus der Teilnahme der Iraner - ohne jegliche Diskriminierung aufgrund von Rasse, Sprache, Religion, politischer Überzeugung und Geschlecht. Die demokratischen Rechte der Bürger sind unübertragbar, unteilbar und können nicht überlassen oder entzogen werden.
2. Etablierung des parlamentarischen Systems
Das iranische Volk hat im Laufe seiner politischen und gesellschaftlichen Auseinandersetzungen seinen entschiedenen Willen zur Errichtung eines demokratischen Systems gezeigt, das als geeignetste Form den allgemeinen Willen repräsentiert.
Die Erfahrung parlamentarischer Demokratien hat gezeigt, wie effektiv Kompetenzen und Leistungen der Bürger im Interesse aller eingesetzt werden können.
Dieses parlamentarische System ist auf der Grundlage der vollständigen und klaren Trennung zwischen Religion und Staat zu errichten.
3. Ausführende Organe mit Verantwortlichkeit und Kompetenz
Das iranische Volk beabsichtigte im Lauf seines Kampfes stets die Etablierung eines unabhängigen politischen Systems, in dem die Exekutive auf allen Ebenen dem Willen der Bevölkerung unterworfen und ihr gegenüber verantwortlich ist. Aus diesem Grund müssen die Befugnisse und Zuständigkeiten dieser in einem von den Bürgern gewollten und verabschiedeten Grundgesetz festgelegt werden.
Die Einbindung der Fähigkeiten aller Bevölkerungsgruppen, speziell der jungen Generation und der Frauen, in die künftige Führung des Staates, stellt das Vertrauen des iranischen Volkes in diese Führung und die Innovationskraft, die von ihr ausgeht, sicher.
4.Etablierung einer unabhängigen und unparteiischen Rechtsprechung
Das iranische Volk hat in seinem Kampf für eine gerechte Gesellschaft stets auf die Notwendigkeit einer unabhängigen und unparteiischen Justiz hingewiesen. Eine solche Justiz gilt als Garantin der Sicherheit. Die Korruptheit und Abhängigkeit der Justiz von den Herrschenden wird als eine der Hauptgründe für die Fehlentwicklungen in der iranischen Gesellschaft angesehen.
Das iranische Volk wird bei der Konzeption und dem Aufbau der künftigen Justiz, seine kulturellen, historischen und nationalen Werte, sowie die Errungenschaften demokratischer Gesellschaften und internationaler Menschenrechtsorganisationen berücksichtigen.
5. Notwendigkeit des Anschlusses an die Menschenrechtskonventionen
Wir wissen, dass die Werte, Normen und Ideale, die uns als "die Allgemeine Erklärung der Menschenrechte" bekannt sind, Ergebnisse eines langen und steten Kampfes der gesamten Menschheit sind und dass alle Kulturen an deren Entstehung, Entwicklung und Förderung teilnehmen. Deshalb erachtet das iranische Volk die Menschenrechtserklärung als einen wertvollen Schatz und als eine gemeinsame Errungenschaft der Menschheit. Sie stellt das geeignetste Mittel für einen Dialog zwischen Menschen auf nationaler und internationaler Ebene dar.
Wird sind der Überzeugung, dass ein demokratischer Staat im Iran alle Verträge und Zusatzprotokolle der Menschenrechte bestätigen und verwirklichen wird.
6. Achtung der Rede-, Meinungs- und Glaubensfreiheit
Die Achtung der Menschenwürde ist ohne Achtung der Meinungsfreiheit und ohne die Möglichkeit der freien politischen Betätigung der Bürger nicht denkbar. Die in der internationalen Erklärung der Menschenrechte, den internationalen Abkommen und den Verträgen und Resolutionen der internationalen Organisationen anerkannten Freiheiten gehören untrennbar zu den Verpflichtungen eines demokratischen Staates. Diese Verpflichtungen müssen sich im Grundgesetz widerspiegeln. Die in einem Grundgesetz festgehaltenen Rechte und Pflichten bilden die Grundlage für eine umfassende Entwicklung hin zu einer modernen Gesellschaft.
7. Freiheit der Presse
Die Freiheit der Presse ist eine der grundsätzlichen Rechte einer Demokratie und garantiert eine wirksame Kontrolle der Bürger über die Staatsorgane. Ohne eine Pressefreiheit gibt es keine politische Fortentwicklung. Pressefreiheit ist ein geeignetes Mittel, um gesellschaftlichen Raum für Meinungsaustausch unter der Bevölkerung entstehen zu lassen.
8. Gewaltverzicht, Friedfertigkeit und friedliche Koexistenz
Ein großer Teil der kulturellen Errungenschaften und des nationalen Erbes wurden in sinnlosen Kriegen vernichtet und viele Iraner verloren durch Krieg, sowie durch die Gewalt, die von Diktaturen ausging, ihr Leben. Deshalb gehört die Ächtung des Krieges und der Gewalt zu den wichtigsten Forderungen des iranischen Volkes und ihre Ächtung ist in dem künftigen Grundgesetz zu verankern. Das iranische Volk kann aufgrund seiner Erfahrungen und Möglichkeiten erheblichen Einfluss auf einen kommenden Frieden in der Region und auf internationaler Ebene nehmen. Die Ermutigung von Nationen und Regierungen zu friedlichen Lösungen der Konflikte und Propagierung einer Kultur des konstruktiven Dialogs zwischen den unterschiedlichen Kulturen gehört zu den fundamentalen Prinzipien einer demokratischen Politik. Alle nationalen Möglichkeiten zur Bekämpfung von Konflikten und Kriegen sind bei der Konzeption und dem Aufbau des gemeinsamen Sicherheitssystems im Rahmen der Vereinten Nationen einzusetzen.
9. Kampf gegen den Terrorismus und Zusammenarbeit mit der internationalen Gemeinschaft zu dessen Beseitigung
Das iranische Volk hat durch Terrorismus und Gewalt großen Schaden erlitten und tiefe Wunden davongetragen. Es ist ebenso über die Leiden, die andere Völker durch Terroranschläge erlitten haben und insbesondere über die Anschläge vom elften September 2001 bestürzt. Aus diesem Grund erklärt das iranische Volk seine Verachtung gegenüber Terroranschlägen, aus welchen Gründen und mit welchen Motiven, wie, gegen wen und wo auch immer, sie erfolgen. Unser Volk ist bereit, all seine Möglichkeiten im Rahmen der Vereinten Nationen im weltweiten Kampf gegen den internationalen Terrorismus zu mobilisieren. Zur Beseitigung des Terrorismus muss die internationale Gemeinschaft auch dessen Wurzeln und Ursachen, wie Ungerechtigkeit, Diskriminierung, Arbeitslosigkeit, organisierte Kriminalität, Drogenhandel, Geldwäsche und diktatorische Regime, bekämpfen. Die umfassende Zusammenarbeit des Iran mit der internationalen Gemeinschaft und den internationalen Organisationen sollte in einer kommenden Verfassung verankert werden.
10. Umweltschutz
Wir sind der Meinung, dass der Umweltschutz zu den Pflichten aller Völker und Länder gehört. Die Geschlossenheit aller Länder in diesem Punkt fördert den nachhaltigen Erhalt der Umwelt. Deswegen sollte sich ein demokratischer Staat im Iran zum Schutz der Umwelt verpflichten. Die Zusammenarbeit auf diesem Gebiet mit allen Ländern und internationalen Organisationen wird in der iranischen Politik eine hohe Priorität besitzen. Garantien für den Umweltschutz sollten in der Verfassung vorgesehen werden.
11. Herstellung der Strafgerichtsbarkeit und Verzicht auf Rache
Das iranische Volk hat tiefe Wunden durch Hinrichtungen, systematische Liquidierung Oppositioneller, willkürliche Verhaftungen, Rechtsbeugung und generell Menschenrechtsverletzungen durch das herrschende Regime davongetragen. Die künftige demokratische Regierung wird auf Basis der demokratisch legitimierten Gesetze und den Normen der internationalen Gemeinschaft Gerechtigkeit ausüben. Die Mitgliedschaft Irans bei dem internationalen Gerichtshof und die Beachtung der Normen der Strafgerichtsbarkeit bei Prozessen gegen Kriegsverbrechen und Verbrechen gegen die Menschlichkeit ebnen den Weg für eine der iranischen Kultur und Geschichte angemessene Stellung.
Das iranische Volk braucht in der jetzigen krisenhaften Zeit vor allem Einmütigkeit und Solidarität. Es ist angemessen, mit Großmut denjenigen zu verzeihen, die ihre unmenschlichen Taten gegenüber ihren Landsleuten ernsthaft bereuen.
12. Volksbefragung für Veränderungen und Reformen
Da eine Volksbefragung eine Form der Ausübung der direkten Demokratie ist, stellt sie für uns die beste Methode für den gewaltlosen Übergang zu einer Demokratie dar. Bei einem derartigen Referendum kann über zwei Hauptfragen abgestimmt werden:
• Stimmen Sie der Fortdauer des Systems der islamischen Republik zu?
• Stimmen Sie der Etablierung eines auf einem Volksentscheid gestützten demokratischen Systems zu?
Die erste Frage ist notwendig, da das jetzige politische System auf der Grundlage eines Referendums aus dem Jahr 1979 existiert, gleichzeitig jedoch über 75% der jetzigen iranischen Bevölkerung aufgrund ihres Alters an dem Referendum nicht teilhatte und so bis heute keine Gelegenheit besaß, von ihrem Selbstbestimmungsrecht Gebrauch zu machen.
Auf der anderen Seite soll das Regime seine Behauptung, über die Unterstützung der Mehrheit der Bevölkerung zu verfügen, mit demokratischen Mitteln und gemäß internationalen Normen unter Beweis stellen. Falls das Regime eine solche Vertrauensfrage übersteht, ist es unsere Pflicht, es anzuerkennen. Es muss uns jedoch erlaubt sein, unsere Vorstellungen weiterhin öffentlich vertreten zu können.
Falls aber das iranische Volk in einem freien, fairen und unter der Beobachtung der internationalen Aufsicht stattfindenden Referendum dem System der Islamischen Republik sein Vertrauen versagt, ist das Regime verpflichtet, dem Ergebnis der Abstimmung Folge zu leisten. Die internationale Gemeinschaft soll dann das Ergebnis des Referendums und die daraus resultierende neue Regierung anerkennen und mit ihr entsprechende diplomatische Beziehungen aufnehmen.
Die zweite Frage des Referendums betrifft die Errichtung eines demokratischen Staates im Iran. Die Vorgehensweise bezüglich der Durchführung eines solchen Referendums habe ich in dem Beitrag "Referendum, warum und wie?" im März 2003 erörtert. Meine Landsleute lade ich nun dazu ein, die dort vorgeschlagene Vorgehensweise zu überprüfen, zu korrigieren und zu ergänzen.
Der Übergang von der jetzigen Situation zu der, wie wir sie uns wünschen, ist ein historischer Prozeß, den das iranische Volk mit seiner Erfahrung und Fähigkeit Schritt für Schritt und ohne Gewalt zu Ende führen will. Dabei ist die Unterstützung und Aufmerksamkeit der Weltöffentlichkeit für uns von zentraler Bedeutung. Die Identifikation der Bevölkerung, allen voran der Jugend und der Frauen, mit diesen Zielen und Programmen garantiert uns den Erfolg bei der Errichtung des gewünschten demokratischen Staates. Ich habe in den letzten 26 Jahren viel Zeit damit verbracht, über einen friedlichen Übergangsprozeß nachzudenken und bin zu Resultaten gelangt, die ich aus nationalem Pflichtgefühl zum Zweck des Meinungsaustausches und der Entwicklung der besten Lösungen für einen friedlichen Übergang zu einer Volksherrschaft dem iranischen Volk zur Verfügung stelle. Wenn man die Entwicklung nach dem kalten Krieg betrachtet, dann glaube ich, daß wir es anstatt mit Wellen der blutigen Revolutionen der 50er bis 90er Jahre nun mit gewaltfreien Bewegungen zu tun haben.
Halten wir diese epochale Wendung hoch und hoffen auf eine friedliche Zukunft unseres Landes und unserer jungen Generation.
Abbas Amir Entezam
Teheran, den 23. Januar 2005
www.iran-amirentezam.com
Email: eentezam@morva.net
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A Poet Who Pointed the Way to a New Iran
Washington PostSaturday, March 12, 2005; Page A19
By Farzaneh Milani
"This door is for men only," the man mumbled apologetically as he gently pointed to the other side of the theater.
It was a cold, rainy afternoon in December and three of my friends and I had stood in line for hours outside the Taatr-e Shahr Theater in Tehran. We desperately wanted tickets for an acclaimed play based on the life of the contemporary poet Forugh Farrokhzad, who was killed in a car accident at the height of her creativity in 1967.
Exhilarated with our success in getting tickets, we rushed toward the theater with a grand sense of entitlement -- only to be stopped and directed to the separate entrance for women -- a common feature in government buildings.
But the separation was a brief one. Inside, everyone mingled freely. The average age appeared to be under 30, with women, often in groups of three or four, greatly outnumbering men.
On stage, there was singing, dancing and the recital of poetry by men and women together. Most of the actors had long hair, and not a single actress wore a scarf or a chador. They were clothed in elegant dresses and wore hats that looked like a woman's flowing locks. Neither a wig nor a scarf, it was a creative way of complying with the mandatory dress code.
Was I dreaming? Was this real? After the 1979 revolution, Farrokhzad's poetry was banned for more than a decade. I sat in the theater in stunned silence, swept off my feet by its magic and by the transformation of a vilified poet into a cultural icon.
Farrokhzad was a rebel who challenged cultural and political absolutism in her all-too-brief, 15-year literary career. She was a daring explorer of a public language of intimacy and transgression. The epitome of what the Islamic Republic wanted to eradicate, Farrokhzad is now the Iranian equivalent of a rock star. Her five poetry collections, the books and movies on her life and art, her voice recordings, and her short documentary film on leprosy sell like hotcakes in Iran. An industry has developed around her name.
Her popularity is one of the many dizzying paradoxes any casual visitor encounters in Iran 25 years after the Islamic revolution. Iranian women can drive cars but cannot ride bicycles. They are on the world stage as Nobel Peace laureates, human rights activists, best-selling authors, prize-winning film directors and Oscar nominees -- yet they cannot leave the country without the written permission of their husbands. They are some of the most fashionable women in the world but must observe an obligatory dress code in Iran.
Two competing narratives of womanhood thus exist side by side in Iran. Women
are oppressed and restricted by discriminatory norms and male-centered interpretations of Islamic scriptures. But they are also a vibrant force for change, subverting restrictive laws with courage and conviction. It is this complex mixture of protest and accommodation, of resistance and acquiescence, of tradition and modernity that most accurately reflects the
political climate in Iran.
With its separate entrances for men and women, Taatr-e Shahr Theater was not only staging the life and poetry of a revolutionary woman; it also served as the stage of an ongoing drama that is revolutionizing Iranian society. This bloodless and nonviolent revolution is reorganizing Iran's cultural and political landscape.
Farrokhzad had predicted such a day.
The writer is director of studies in women and gender at the University of
Virginia.
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Friday, March 11, 2005
Rice: U.S. Backs Economic Incentives for Iran
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States, in a policy shift, will offer Iran (news - web sites) economic incentives to abandon its suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) told Reuters on Friday."We will make clear that we will lift our objections to an Iranian application to the WTO and that we are prepared to lift an objection to the licensing of spare parts for Iranian commercial aircraft," Rice said in an interview.
"The decision that the president has taken is that the United States will make an effort to actively support the EU3 negotiations with the Iranians," Rice added, referring to Britain, France and Germany, the three European nations negotiating with Iran.
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U.S., EU Launch Joint Strategy on Iran
By Paul Taylor3/11/05
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The United States and Europe launched a coordinated drive on Friday to press Iran (news - web sites) to abandon its most sensitive nuclear activity, which experts say could enable it to make the bomb.
Washington was set to announce it would offer Iran economic incentives -- a start to World Trade Organization (news - web sites) membership talks and access to civil aircraft and spare parts -- in a major policy shift requested by the Europeans.
In return, Britain, France and Germany said they would haul Tehran before the U.N. Security Council if it resumed uranium enrichment and nuclear reprocessing activities.
The joint strategy was a first fruit of President Bush (news - web sites)'s trip to Europe last month and appeared to bridge, at least for now, years of transatlantic argument over whether to engage or isolate the Islamic republic.
The three European heavyweights told EU partners in a letter that "progress is not as fast as we would wish" in talks they began last December to persuade Tehran to end its most sensitive nuclear work in return for economic and political benefits.
The United States accuses Iran of secretly trying to develop nuclear arms. Tehran says its program, long concealed from the U.N. nuclear watchdog, is purely for civilian energy purposes.
But chief Iranian negotiator Hassan Rohani insisted in an interview published on Friday that Iran would not give in to Western demands that it scrap efforts to complete the fuel cycle, which could help it make bombs.
"NO CHOICE"
The EU3 said that if Iran continued its suspension of all enrichment and reprocessing activities and cooperated fully with the U.N.'s Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, they believed the issue could be resolved at that level.
"If on the other hand, despite our efforts Iran does not do so, then as has been implicit in the agreements reached with Iran and well understood by all concerned, we shall have no choice but to support referring Iran's nuclear program to the U.N. Security Council," the letter obtained by Reuters said.
Iran threatened last week to resume uranium enrichment and scrap the talks if it was taken to the Security Council, an attitude which Western diplomats said appeared to be a bluff to assuage intense national pride on the nuclear issue.
The EU3 letter made no mention of the possibility of U.N. sanctions against Tehran. Diplomats said Washington had pressed for such a reference but the EU3 had replied that it would be up to the Security Council to decide what action to take.
"We are united in our determination that Iran should not acquire a nuclear weapons capability," the three countries said.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) was to announce the new policy approach in a statement from which diplomats said the Europeans had persuaded her to omit past American talk of demanding freedom for Iran or standing with the Iranian people.
"We talked through in great detail the Iran issue with the Europeans. They are very firm how to ensure Iran's compliance, so we're preparing to take some steps to support them," Rice told Reuters on Thursday.
DIALOGUE WAY FORWARD
The EU3 letter gave a broad outline of the talks in working groups on nuclear issues, political and security matters and technology and economic cooperation, but contained no surprises.
As expected, it said the nuclear part was the toughest, since "both sides have strongly held positions on this difficult issue, which remains at the core of the negotiations, and discussions continue."
The letter confirmed that the EU3 had offered to "back the modernization of Iranian civil aviation" -- an apparent reference to plans to sell Tehran Airbus planes and spare parts with U.S. blessing.
In addition, diplomats said the Bush administration would allow Boeing Corp. to sell spare parts for Iran's aging fleet much of which pre-dates the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Diplomats said tentative plans for EU3 foreign ministers to meet Rohani next week for an agreed three-month review of the talks was postponed but they could meet in Paris on March 22.
The letter referred to EU concerns about Iran's record on democracy, human rights and terrorism, and its support for groups engaged in violence and efforts to derail the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
"Despite all these difficult issues, we believe the best way forward is through dialogue and negotiation, building on respect for the agreements reached so far," it said.
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Sunday, March 06, 2005
565 Iranian scholars and activists demand: "Obey the People’s Vote and the Nation’s Will!"
Click here for this statement in Persian!
In the name of God;
Dear Compatriots;
Our country is in one of its most critical periods in history with regards to the political, social, cultural, and economical situation, while the un-elected rulers and forces related to them are trying to have the nation engaged with pre-election games. Due to tensions created by the Iranian government on the international level, our nation’s interests are in jeopardy from all around.
Our historical identity, interests and national borders are in danger nowadays by actions such as; a publication of a map of greater Armenia and the extended Azerbaijan to annex Aran and Iranian Azerbaijan to the former Soviet Republic, blockage of oil exports from the Central Asian Republics and the Caspian region through Iran, blocking the agreement for export of natural gas to India via Pakistan, extensive exploration of joint gas and oil fields in the Persian Gulf by Qatar and diminishing control of Iran over the resources in that body of water, encouragement of United Arab Emirates in claiming ownership of three Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf, rejection of Iranian legitimate requests to international organizations such as membership to WTO and chairmanship of OPEC, blockage of selling passenger aircrafts such as Airbus to Iran, and extensive sensitivity to Iran’s access to higher technologies such as Nuclear Energy. Whose interest is maintained by the state of foreign relations which have denied our nation the right to acquire essential technologies for economical development, and has prevented us from industrial, cultural and financial exchanges with the rest of the world? Who is benefiting from the un-development of our country?
On the 27th anniversary of its great revolution that promised independence, liberty, and social justice, the Iranian nation deals with numerous social, cultural, and economical maladies. More than a quarter century of official disrespect for the heritage, literature, culture and civilization of Iran has lead our youth to ignore the natural and human resources of the country and depression caused by their environment has pushed them towards moral disaster and addiction. The increase use of hallucinogens, violent interactions in the streets, more than five million civil and criminal cases in the court system,146 thousands victims of traffic crashes in the first six months of this year, attempted suicides of scores of high school students in Tehran, thousands of suicides among women specially in remote provinces, the filling of jails with more than hundred thousand of frequent prisoners, eleven million addicts, tens of thousands of patients with AIDS, an extensive number of street children from which dozens froze to death this winter, more than fifteen billion dollars worth of smuggled materials, brain drain in huge numbers, more than %20 unemployment that includes one third of the youth between the ages of 20 and 35 and a majority of young women, desertion of more than a quarter of all villages nationwide, and selling of young women for sexual abuse abroad are a few of the results of the imbalances in social justice and a mismanaged society that has ruined our family values and national pride.
Educators, university faculty and students, medical staff, private employees and entrepreneurs, merchants, agriculture businesses, farmers, fishermen, labors and industrial workers, public employees and other hardworking Iranians have done their best to serve their country while maintaining their family dignity and interests. Nature has been very supportive and exploration of tremendous national resources has been extensive during all these years. The revenue from oil exports and agricultural and industrial products have exceeded half a trillion dollars and cheap energy has been available to all sectors of industry. However, in contradiction to these opportunities, the final economic measures lag behind those in many similar countries and have marked only %1.5 growth during first 18 years after the revolution and showed less than %2.5 growth in the past 8 years. Considering the two fold population increase after the revolution, Iran’s GPD is announced to be $1677.00 in 2003 or %30 less than the GPD of 1977. The State’s inability to convert national monetary resources into productive investments and creating jobs for youth has caused decreases in standard of living for all. High levels of corruption in non-taxed foundations run by relatives of the high ranking rulers, have encouraged an atmosphere of distrust, chaos and mob mentality in society, which in turn resulted in negative growth and lack of hope for success in economic advancement.
The economic growth rate announced by authorities, which in many cases may be somewhat realistic, can be associated with the increase in oil market value and its export revenues, the two and a half fold increase in imports (14 billion dollars) compared to 1987, an increase in illegal revenue from smuggling, and in use and import of foreign vehicles by certain factions of the ruling families. These factors have created inflation while only%2 of the population have benefited from all the transactions. Meanwhile the rest of people have been disfranchised, %50 of the population finds itself below the poverty line. Mushrooming growth in government size and exploding bureaucracy, authoritarian treatment of the intellectuals, writers, journalists, political activists, and members of the progressive student movement – unfortunately with the neglect and the support of the Judiciary - are troublesome and dangerous. In addition, ignoring citizen’s equal rights and the rights of women and men of different ethnicities with discriminatory financial treatment of different parts of the country in development and economic aid, have jeopardized our national integrity and unity.
Dear Compatriots;
In these critical political, social, cultural, and economic situation, which has put our national unity and independence in danger, what is our responsibility? How can we help to find a way out of this situation and guarantee a prosperous future for the country and bring happiness and success to our nation?
The undersigned are not in any way trying to instigate riots or insecurity, nor do they have any means to attempt armed resistance. We are brave enough to know that any instability and chaos at this time would damage our nation, and have enough experience not to send the country into another never-land zone.
We believe that the ruling faction, in order to keep its authoritarian grip on power, is using un-elected bodies such as the Guardian Council, to deny people the right to participate in elections and their right to govern. On the other hand, instead of using real experts and educated citizens in high positions of the government and management of national projects, the rulers have given all the opportunities to their own relatives and followers, solely based on their ideological commitments, regardless of expertise in the job. The real consequence of this strategy is a societal gridlock, where no solution to problems can be found by the authorities.
We, the signatories of this letter, have reached the conclusion that the appointed and selected leadership is impotent and incapable of discerning and defending the nation’s interests and unable to solve domestic problems, furthermore it does not have the authority, credibility and competence of governing the country.
Considering all the aforementioned shortcomings and incompetence of the leadership on the one hand, and the people’s apathy and unwillingness to go to the polls, as seen from the last city council and the seventh Majlis elections, on the other, the tangible fact is that under such conditions and circumstances democracy, rule of law, citizen ownership of the government, free elections, and separation of the three branches of the government can not be achieved. The eight-year experience of the government after the elections of 1997 showed that the citizen’s ideal of reforms could not be established even when millions of votes were cast in support of the reformist president and its aligned legislators. Therefore eventually the presidency was demoted to a facilitator for the un-elected power factions.
We, the undersigned, declare that the only opportunity and possible solution will be to obey the people’s vote and the nation’s will. We demand that the power structure of the government and its internal and international affairs shall be designed similar to those in developed countries, with national interests in mind and in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations charter and other civil and political covenants. We hope that with democracy, a thriving economy based on social justice and sustainable development, quality-based appointments, equal opportunity for all, honorable and peaceful relations with the rest of the world, our nation can overcome this crisis and move toward the prosperity and dignity that it deserves.
We hope that all the believers and campaigners for freedom, democracy, and independence in this chaotic situation would focus their efforts in support of national unity, general stability, liberty, and justice in Iran.
1 Abbasi Reza, Political Activist
2 Abbaspour Reza, Activist Student University of Martyr Abbaspour
3 Abdi Erfan, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
4 Abdollahzadeh Ebrahim, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
5 Abdoulmaleki Payman, Activist Student razi university of kermanshah
6 Dr. Abedi Homa, Lawyer
7 Abedini Arezou, Central Committee of Daftar Tahkim
8 Abnavi Yousef, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
9 Abounasr Sahar, Activist Student University of Economics
10 Abrishami Reihaneh, Activist Student zabul University
11 Adab Bahaedin, Engineer MP of 6th Majlis
12 Adib boroumand, Abdoulali President of Central Committee of National Front
13 Afshari Alireza, Political Activist
14 Afshari Ali, Engineer Central Committee of Daftar Tahkeem
15 Aghai Massoud, Engineer Social Activist
16 Aghasi Fereydoun, Engineer Political Activist
17 Agheltar Mehdi, Activist Student Mashhad University
18 Ahmad Olfati Ali, Activist Student Teacher Training University
19 Ahmadi Ghorban, Activist Student Teacher Training University
20 Ahmadi Far Khoshnoud, Activist Student Ilam University
21 Ahmadi Mohsen, Social Activist
22 Ahmadi Reza, Activist Student Iran Medical Science University
23 Dr. Ahmadi Hassan, University Professor
24 Dr. Ahmadi Hamid, University Professor
25 Ahmadian Amin, Activist Student University of Economics
26 Ahrari Hamid, Engineer Political Activist
27 Ajoudani Mostafa, Political Activist
28 Akbarpour Kazem, Political Activist
29 Dr. Akhlaghi Mostafa, Physicians and Political Activist
30 Al Mohammad Reza, Political Activist Shiraz University
31 Dr. Al-Agha Saied, University Professor Political Activist
32 Alaii Javad, Engineer, Political Activist
33 Alaii Mohammad, Engineer, Bagher Central Committee of Daftar Tahkim
34 Aliashrafi Toheed, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
35 Alipour Ahmad, Activist Student zabul University
36 Alipour Hossein, Political Activist
37 Amani Meissam, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
38 Ameli Mohammad, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
39 Amin zadeh Mehdi, Central Committee of Daftar Tahkeem
40 Amin Pouya, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
41 Amini Amir, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
42 Amiri Ali, Political Activist Teacher Training University
43 Ansari Hasan, Activist Student engineering university of esfahan
44 Ansari Keyvan, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
45 Arab Hassan, Engineer, Social Activist
46 Arabi Farhad, Political Activist
47 Dr. Arabi Hossien, Political Activist
48 Arabshahi Mehdi, Activist Student University of Zanjan
49 Aram nezhad Fatemeh, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
50 Arfazadeh Bamdad, Engineer Political Activist
51 Arsalan Hojat, Amir Political Activist
52 Asefi Hamid, Social Activist
53 Ashraf Zarghami Ali, Writer and poet
54 Assad Nezhad Leila, Activist Student Alzahra University
55 Assadi Morteza, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
56 Atri Akbar, Cental Committee of Daftar Tahkim
57 Azad Ebrahim, Political Activist
58 Azadi Saman, Activist Student engineering university of esfahan
59 Azar Peik, Arash Activist Student razi university of kermanshah
60 Azimi Bahram, Political Activist
61 Azimi Ruhollah, Activist Student Sistan University
62 Azimi Shassem Ataii, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
63 Azizi Ali, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
64 Azizi Samad, Activist Student Hamedan University
65 Babai Alireza, Political Activist
66 Babai Said, Activist Student Iran Medical Science University
67 Badii Morteza, Engineer Political Activist
68 Bagheri Mehdi, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
69 Bagherzadeh Ehsan, Activist Student Mashhad University
70 Bahrami Sajad, Activist Student Teacher Training University
71 Bakhshanden Mojtaba, Activist Student Teacher Training University
72 Bakhtiar Nezhad Parvin, Journalist & Political Activist
73 Balali Amirhossein, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
74 Banai Rahim, Political Activist
75 Baratian Iman, Activist Student University of Share Kord
76 Baratian Iman, Activist Student University of Martyer Abbaspour
77 Baratian Purya, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
78 Bariman Alireza, Activist Student Sistan University
79 Barimani Maghdad, Activist Student Sistan University
80 Bastehnegar Mohammad, Researcher and Religious-nationalist Activist
81 Bayani Aligholi, Engineer President of Committee of Iran Party
82 Dr. Bazargani Kamaledin, University Professor Political Activist
83 Beg Nazari Majid, Activist Student Ilam University
84 Behforouzi Mohammad, Retired Principal
85 Behmaneh Aliakbar, Lawyer
86 Dr. Behnia Ahmad, Physicians and Political Activist
87 Behzadi Mohammad, Engineer Political Activist
88 Behzadi Pegah, Activist Student University of Kermanshah
89 Dr Beyabani Bahram, Political Activist
90 Dr. Beyabani Afshin, Political Activist
91 Bigdelli Fatemeh, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
92 Bigdelli Sadigheh, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
93 Bisheii Bagher, Political Activist
94 Bisheii Farhad, Political Activist
95 Bonakdar Tirdad, Student and Political Activist
96 Dr. Borhaneed Rahmatollah, Chemist
97 Dr. Boroumand Behrouz, President of Nephrology Science of Iran University Professor Political Activist
98 Dr. Boroumand Jahanshah, Dentist University Professor Political Activist
99 Bozorgian Amin, Political Activist
100 Chaman Hamid, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
101 Cholaki Hamed, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
102 Dr. Dabiri Parviz, Professor and Political Activist University of Isfahan
103 Dadmehr Rasoul, Writer and Political Activist
104 Dadras Davoud, Political Activist
105 Dardkeshan Javad, Activist Student lorestan University
106 Davari Ehsan, Activist Student University of Martyr Abbaspour
107 Davari Hodi, Activist Student Mashhad University
108 Davoodi Mohajer Fariba, Political Activist
109 Dehghan Massoud, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
110 Dr. Del Assaii Mahmoud, Physicians and Social Activist
111 Delbari Ali, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
112 Delbari reza, Engineer Central Committee of Daftar Tahkeem
113 Derakhshandeh Kheirollah, Political Activist
114 Dokht Daftari Parvin, Social Activist
115 Doroudi Fariba, Political Activist
116 Doroudi Reza, Political Activist
117 Doroudi Saied, Researcher and Political Activist
118 Ebrahimi Hamed, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
119 Dr. Eftekhar Ardabili Hassan, Physicians and Political Activist
120 Eghtenai Amir, Activist Student Mashhad University
121 Eskandari Farzaneh, Political Activist
122 Eslahchi Morteza, Political Activist Alameh Tabatabaee University
123 Ezatzadeh Hossein, Engineer, Political Activist
124 Fa'al Ali, Political Activist
125 Fadavi Babak, Activist Student Zabul University
126 Fakhr Soltani Naser, Political Activist
127 Fanipour Asghar, Political Activist
128 Farahani Esmail, Political Activist
129 Farbod Nasser, Retired Major-General Army Chief of Staff and Political Activist
130 Farghdani Mohammad, Activist Student Khajeh Nassir Toosi University
131 Farokhi Ali, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
132 Farokhi Ali, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
133 Dr. Farshad Mohsen, Lawyer Researcher Political Activist
134 Fatemeh Rahmani, Sr. Physicians and Political Activist
135 Fatemi Reza, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
136 Fayazi Bahram, Activist Student Shiraz University
137 Fazeli Mostafa, Engineer, Political Activist
138 Fazeli Nima, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
139 Fazelpour Esmail, Former Assistant Secretary of Labor Political Activist
140 Fazli Payam, Activist Student Razi University of Kermanshah
141 Ferdowsi Khalil, Political Activist
142 Feyzpour Mahmoud, Political Activist
143 Forouhar Parviz, Principle Political Activist
144 Forouhar Simin, Activist Student University of Jondi Shapour
145 Forutan Mehrdad, Activist Student Mashhad University
146 Dr. Foruzan Abolghasem, Physicians and Political Activist
147 Dr. Ghadiri Asli Bagher, Former chancellor of Economics College of Tehran University
148 Ghadyani Hossein, Journalist Political Activist
149 Dr. Ghafari Massoud, University Professor
150 Dr. Ghahari Nezamedin, Physicians and Political Activist
151 Ghahremani Saied, Activist Student Shiraz University
152 Ghahvechian Meisam, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
153 Ghaisvandi Ashkan, Activist Student University of Zanjan
154 Ghajar Yashar, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
155 Ghalehii Amir, Activist Student University of Isfahan
156 Dr. Ghali Mahmoud, University Professor
157 Ghani Mehdi, Researcher political Activist
158 Ghassemzadeh Aziz, Political Activist
159 Ghavam Shahidi, Engineer Hossein Political Activist
160 Ghavami Nasser, Political Activist
161 Gherghi Sajad, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
162 Ghomizadeh Abdolhossein, businessman
163 Gillani Damoun, Political Activist
164 Goli Mojtaba, Activist Student razi university of kermanshah
165 Dr. Golnaraghi Reza, University Professor Political Activist
166 Golshani Esmail, Political Activist
167 Gorgin Mahmood, Political Activist
168 Gouraii Fatemeh, Researcher and Political Activist
169 Habibi Mehdi, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
170 Hadini Hamid, Political Activist
171 Hagh Panah Behzad, Engineer Political Activist
172 Hagh shenasi Vali, Political Activist
173 Haghani Ali, Political Activist
174 Haghani Mohsen, Activist Student Sistan University
175 Dr. Haghighat Jou Fatemeh, MP of 6th Majlis
176 Haghighi Payman, Activist Student razi university of kermanshah
177 Dr. haji Ghasemali Ali, Physicians and Political Activist
178 Haji Ghasemali Esmail, Engineer Political Activist
179 Haji Babai Majid, Central Committee of Daftar Tahkeem
180 Dr. Hakemzadeh Jafar, Physicians and Political Activist
181 Hamzeh Mahshid, Activist Student razi university of kermanshah
182 Dr. Hariri Mohammad, Professor Tabriz University
183 Hashemi Arash, Activist Student Sharif Industry University
184 Hashemi Ehsan, Activist Student zabul University
185 Hashemi Hamid, Activist Student Sharif Industry University
186 Hashemi Mohammad, Activist Student University of Economics
187 Hashemi Nasser, Social Activist
188 Hashemipour Sorush, Activist Student University of Jondi Shapour
189 Hassandoust Hamed, Activist Student Industrial University of Isfahan
190 Hassanpour Ghasem, Political Activist
191 Hatami Mohsen, Political Activist
192 Haydari Babak, Activist Student Iran Medical Science University
193 Hedayat Bahareh, Activist Student University of Economics
194 Hejazi Tehe, Poet and writer
195 Hekmat Massoud, Political Activist
196 Dr. Hermidas Bavand Davoud, University Professor and Lawyer
197 Hojati Jalalidin, Activist Student University of Martyr Abbaspour
198 Hokamian Elahe, Activist Student Alzahra University
199 Homanyouni Parviz, Lawyer
200 Homayouni Abbas, Political Activist
201 Hosnvand Bahman, Activist Student Lorestan University
202 Hossein Rahmani, Mir Activist Student Iran Medical Science University
203 Hosseindoust Mahmoud, Political Activist
204 Hosseini Ehsan, Activist Student Teacher Training University
205 Hosseinzadeh Kazem, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
206 Houshamand Ehsan, Social Activist
207 Houshangi Hadi, Activist Student Khajeh Nassir Toosi University
208 Dr Imanian Akbar, Radiologist Political Activist
209 Iran manesh Alireza, Activist Student Shiraz University
210 Izadi Maedeh, Activist Student engineering university of esfahan
211 Jabari Alireza, Member of Writers Guild and Political Activist
212 Jafari Kurosh, Activist Student University of Martyer Beheshti
213 Jaldaran Elahe, Activist Student Ilam University
214 Jalilian Amin, Activist Student razi university of kermanshah
215 Jamaledin Doroudi Sayed, Political Activist
216 Jamali Ali, Activist Student University of Economics
217 Jamali Zaynab, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
218 Dr. Jamshidi Nastollah, Physicians and Political Activist
219 Jamshidi Hadi, Activist Student zabul University
220 jamshidian Sadegh, Political Activist University of Share Kord
221 Janipour Majid, Activist Student Science and Industry University
222 Javad Rajaian Mohammad, Professor
223 Javedan Mozhgan, Activist Student razi university of kermanshah
224 Javid Reza, Activist Student Shiraz University
225 Javidan Elahe, Political Activist
226 Jazayeri Shahab, Activist Student Shiraz University
227 Dr Jenal Kamal, Former chancellor of Science College of Tehran University
228 Jokar sajad, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
229 Kahzadi Parvin, Social Activist
230 Kakavand Ali, Activist Student Khajeh Nassir Toosi University
231 Kalteh Yaghoub, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
232 Kamalzadeh Hadi, Central Committee of Daftar Tahkim
233 Kamijani Ali, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
234 Kamilian Nasser, Businessman and Political Activist
235 Dr. Kargosha Rahman, Physicians and Political Activist
236 Karim George, Engineer, Political Activist
237 Karimi Kambiz, Activist Student zabul University
238 Karshenas Assadollah, Social Activist
239 Dr. Kashefi Reza, Lawyer
240 Kavian Amir, Journalist
241 Kazemi Reza, Political Activist
242 Kazemian Morteza, journalist and Political Activist
243 Keshavarz Nasrollah, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
244 Keshavarz Payam, Activist Student Iran Medical Science University
245 Ketabnevis Hossein, Political Activist
246 Khadam Aliakbar, Activist Student University of Hormozgan
247 Khairi Fam Hossein, Activist Student University of Zanjan
248 Khajavi Hossein, Political Activist
249 Khaledi Jaber, Activist Student Sistan University
250 khalilipour Khalil, Political Activist
251 Dr Khalilzadeh Manouchehr, Physicians and Political Activist
252 Khan Hatami Issa, Iranmehr Editor Political Activist
253 Khandel Arash, Activist Student lorestan University
254 Kharazi Akbar, Social Activist
255 Kheir Andish Houshang, Engineer Political Activist
256 Kheirolomoum Reza, Political Activist
257 Khodabandeh Amir, Activist Student Mashhad University
258 Khojasteh Reza, journalist
259 Khorshid Far Hassan, Political Activist
260 Khosh syrat Ebrahim, Political Activist
261 Khosravi Maysam, Activist Student Industrial University of Isfahan
262 Khosravi Mostafa, Activist Student Science and Industry University
263 Khosrow Khavar Ruzbeh, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
264 Kianlou Ali, Activist Student Teacher Training University
265 Kokharzadeh Mahin, Activist Student Ilam University
266 kolahdouz Mahdieh, Activist Student Alzahra University
267 Kousha Mehran, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
268 Kya Arin, Political Activist Isfahan
269 Ladani Massoud, Political Activist
270 Dr. Ardalan MahLagha, University Professor Political Activist
271 Latifi naveed, Activist Student Hamedan University
272 Legzian Majid, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
273 Lotfi Hadi, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
274 Lotfi Mostafa, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
275 Madani Hossein, Political Activist
276 Madani Saied, Researcher and Political Activist
277 Dr. Madihi Mashalah, Physicians
278 Dr. Mahdavi Abdoulreza Houshang, University Professor and translator
279 Mahestani Hamid, Activist Student Sistan University
280 Mahjouri Mehdi, Activist Student University of Sistan and Baluchestan
281 Mahjourian Amir, Activist Student University of Martyr Beheshti
282 Mahmoudi Oskoui Taghi, Political Activist
283 Mahmoudi Mohammad, Political Activist
284 Mahmoudian Pouya, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
285 Majodifar Mohsen, Activist Student Mashhad University
286 Makaroumi Mehdi, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
287 Malek Ghassemi Manouchehr, Lawyer and political activist
288 Dr. Maleki Mohammad, Former Chancellor on University and Political Activist
289 Maleki Abouzar, Political Activist
290 Maleki Amar, Political Activist
291 Maleki Samad, Political Activist
292 Mardani Hamid, Activist Student Teacher Training University
293 Maryam Kish Mahmoud, Engineer Political Activist
294 Masfa Massib, Activist Student Hormozegan University
295 Mashayekh Fazlolah, Political Activist
296 Mashayekhi Mehdi, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
297 Masserat Sadegh, University Professor
298 Massoudian Zahra, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
299 Massoumi Ahmad, Political Activist
300 Mastan Reza, Engineer, Political Activist
301 Matloubi Hossein, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
302 Dr Mavidzadeh Mehdi, University Professor and Political Activist
303 Mazaheri Ali, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
304 Mehyar Mohammad, University Professor
305 Melati Fahimeh, University Teacher and Political Activist
306 Mesbah Zia, Social Activist
307 Meshgin Matin, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
308 Meybayan Hamid, Activist Student razi university of kermanshah
309 Minaii Behzad Ali, Political Activist
310 Minaii Akam, Activist Student University of Economics
311 Dr. Minu Ali Asghar, University Professor
312 Mir azimi Nematollah, Retired Teacher
313 Mir Mahboub Pouya, Activist Student Mashhad University
314 Mir Moez Ghodsi, Political Activist
315 Mir Mohammad Sadeghi Hassan, Political Activist
316 Mirdamida Sayed Serajedin, Political Activist
317 Mirzadeh Vahid, Engineer, Political Activist
318 Mirzaii Alah Karam, Political Activist
319 Mirzayee Ahmad, Activist Student University of Isfahan
320 Dr. Moazami Abdulhossein, Physicians University Professor Political Activist
321 Mobasheri Parivash, Political Activist
322 Moftizadeh Esmail, Political Activist
323 Moghadam Morteza, Engineer, Social Activist
324 Moghadasian Iman, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
325 Moghadaszadeh Mohsen, Engineer, Political Activist
326 Moghimi Ali, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
327 Mogoui Amir Massoud, Artist
328 Mohamadi Ardahali Ahmad, Businessman
329 Mohamadi Ardahali Mohamad, Businessman and Political Activist
330 Mohammad Suzani Haj, Political Activist
331 Mohammad Sajadi Sayed, Political Activist
332 Mohammad ali Sayed Nejad Central Committee of Daftar Tahkeem
333 Mohammadi Mahdieh, Social Activist
334 Mohammadi Mirsadegh, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
335 Mohammadi narges, Social Activist
336 Mohammadian Maryam, Activist Student Alzahra University
337 Mohammadzadeh Asghar, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
338 Moinfar AliAkbar, Engineer, Former Minister of Oil
339 Mojahed Hossein, Political Activist
340 Mojahed mohamad Hossein, Secretary General of Civil Society Party of Hamedan
341 Mojreb Karim, Activist Student Shiraz University
342 Mokhber Farzin, Political Activist
343 Mokhber Simin, Lawyer Political Activist
344 Dr. Molayee Yousef, University Professor and Lawyer
345 Momayezi Hormoz, Former Assistant Governor and Political Activist
346 Momeni Abdullah, Central Committee of Daftar Tahkim
347 Momeni Shahab, Activist Student University of Jondi Shapour
348 Monazah Hamid, Engineer, Political Activist
349 Monazah Hamed, Activist Student University of Sistan and Baluchestan
350 Montaseri Mohammad Ebrahim, Engineer, Political Activist
351 Montazeri Saied, Political Activist and son of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri
352 Moradi Saied, Activist Student Iran Medical Science University
353 Mortazi Langaroudi Marzieh, Researcher and Political Activist
354 Moslemi Mehdi, Activist Student Sistan University
355 Mossadegh Mehdi, Activist Student Mashhad University
356 Mossibi Reza, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
357 Dr. Mostoufi Abdoulhossein, Physicians and Political Activist
358 Motaghed Massoud, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
359 Mousavi Ali, Engineer, Political Activist
360 Mousavi Khoiney Sayed Aliakbar, MP of 6th Majlis and Secretary of Daftar Tahkim
361 Dr Mousavian Sayed Hossein, Physicians and Political Activist
362 Movahed nezamedin, Engineer, Assistant Secretary of Ministry of Planning Political Activist
363 Mozafari Sardashti Rashid, Businessman and Political Activist
364 Mozhdehi Mahmoud, Political Activist
365 Nadali Siamak, Activist Student lorestan University
366 Naderi Afshar, Political Activist
367 Nadmi Ali Asghar, Political Activist
368 Dr Naghi pour Ali Physicians writer Political Activist
369 Dr. Najafi Ali, Akbar University Professor
370 Najafi Mojtaba, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
371 Nakhshab Reza, Engineer, Political Activist
372 Dr. Nakorouh Mahmoud, Socialogist and Political Activist
373 Namazi Bahram, Engineer, Political Activist
374 Naraghi Mohsen, Engineer, Political Activist
375 Nareki Shahamat, Activist Student Hormozegan University
376 Narimani Ali, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
377 Nasrolah Zadeh Zohreh, Activist Student Alzahra University
378 Navih Sayed, Engineer, Hamid Researcher and Social Activist
379 Dr. Nazeri Ali, Political Activist
380 Nedamat Khan Sara, Activist Student razi university of kermanshah
381 Nematian Vahid, Activist Student Mashhad University
382 Niknafas Asghar, Engineer, Political Activist
383 Dr. NikNezhad Mojtaba, Physicians Poitical Activist
384 Nimavary Aboulfazl, Political Activist
385 Nimavary Dariush, Political Activist
386 Noruzi Javad, Activist Student university of Lorestan
387 Dr. Nouhi Sayed Majid, Dentist
388 Nourbakhsh Massoud, Activist Student Industrial University of Isfahan
389 Nourbakhsh Mohammad, Political Activist
390 Nourhosseini Ahmad, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
391 Omid Siamak, Lawyer
392 Omidi Amir, Activist Student Shiraz University
393 Omrani Mahmood, Researcher and Political Activist
394 Otoufat Rooeen, Political Activist
395 Ozdougini Abdoulah, Principle Political Activist
396 Pahlevani Mostafa, Activist Student Hamedan University
397 Paii Mostafa, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
398 Parizad Jafar, Activist Student Ilam University
399 Dr. Payman Habibollah, Secretary of Muslim Activist Movement
400 Payman Majid, Engineer Political Activist
401 Dr. Pedram Mostafa, Researcher and Political Activist
402 Dr. Piran Mostafa, Political Activist
403 Piran Peyman, Political Activist
404 Pirzadnia Mahmoud, Political Activist
405 Dr. Pish Bin Mahmoud, Physicians and Social Activist
406 Pour Azhari Abbas, Political Activist
407 Pournoruz Ruholah, Activist Student University of Share Kord
408 Puladzadej\h Ahmad, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
409 Purang Ehsan, Activist Student Khajeh Nassir Toosi University
410 Dr. Rafii Hossien, University Professor and Political Activist
411 Rafii Ali, Political Activist
412 Rahim Gholamreza, Retired Judge
413 Rahmani Bahram, Activist Student Sistan University
414 Rahmani Arash, Engineer Political Activist same as 215
415 Rahmani Arash, Engineer Political Activist same as 204
416 Rahmani Mohammad, Activist Student Mashhad University
417 Rahmati Ebrahim, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
418 Rahmati Hossein, Activist Student Sharif Industry University
419 Rahmati Majod, Activist Student University of Zanjan
420 Dr. Rais Dana Faribourz, Econemist member of Writers Guild and Political Activist
421 Dr. Rais Tousi Reza, University Professor and Political Activist
422 Rajab pour Elham, Activist Student Teacher Training University
423 Rajai Alireza, Journalist
424 Raji Ali, National Director of Tous Daily
425 Ranji pour Ali, Activist Student University of Zanjan
426 Dr. Rashed Abass, Intern Professor and Political Activist
427 Dr. Rashidi Ali, University Professor and Political Activist
428 Rashidpour Younes, Activist Student University of Martyr Beheshti
429 Rasoul Mansour, Lawyer
430 Rasouli Jafar, Activist Student University of Economics
431 Razavi Ashkan, Engineer Political Activist Ghazvin Province
432 Razavi Jahangir, Political Activist
433 Razavian Sharif, Activist Student Mashhad University
434 Razi Hossein, Secretary General of Peoples Party of Iran
435 Reza Amir Amir, Political Activist
436 Rezakhani Bahman, Researcher and Political Activist
437 Rostami Mojtaba, Activist Student razi university of kermanshah
438 Rouhani Mostafa, Principle Political Activist
439 Riazi Ruzbeh, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
440 Safari Mohammad Reza, Activist Student University of Isfahan
441 Sayedzadeh Sayed Reza, Engineer Social Activist
442 Saber Firuzeh, Social Activist
443 Sabourian Saleh, Activist Student University of Kerman
444 Sadat Madarshahi Sayed Javad, Political Activist
445 Dr. Sadegh zabani Mohammad, Professor
446 Sadegh Javadi Mohammad, Political Activist
447 Sadri Samira, Activist Student Alzahra University
448 Dr. Safari Latif, University Professor and Political Activist
449 Safari Mozafar, Political Activist
450 Safarian Massoud, Political Activist
451 Safavieh Akbar, Political Activist
452 Safi Aryan Yahya, Activist Student Hamedan University
453 Dr. Sahabi Fereydoun, Retired Professor
454 Sahabi Ezatollah, Engineer member of Revolutionary council and former minister of Planning
455 sahabi Mansour, Engineer Social Activist
456 Sahabi Haleh, Social Activist
457 Sahafi Yousef, accountant Political Activist
458 Dr. Sahaghian AbbasAli, University Professor and Political Activist
459 Dr. Sahanta Shahin, Veterinarian and Political Activist
460 Saied Zadeh Mahmoud, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
461 Saied Pour Mehdi, Activist Student Mashhad University
462 Saiedi Javad, Political Activist
463 Saiedi Saiedeh, Social Activist
464 Saifzadeh Mohammad, Engineer Lawyer
465 Dr. Saii Ahmad, University Professor and Social Activist
466 Sakaki Hossein, Political Activist
467 Sakaki Kazem, Political Activist
468 Sakini Haleh, Activist Student Alzahra University
469 Salari Edris, Political Activist
470 Salehi Mahvash, Political Activist
471 Salmasi Armin, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
472 Saloki AldolAzim, Political Activist
473 Dr. Samak Manouchehr, Physicians and Political Activist
474 Samii Morteza, Political Activist
475 samimi Keyvan, Engineer journalist
476 Sanai Hassan, Political Activist
477 Saraf Mehdi, Political Activist
478 Sardar Nezhad Ruzbeh, Activist Student University of Economics
479 Sarikhani Alireza, Political Activist
480 Satar Azad, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
481 Saydin Mohsen, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
482 Sedaghat Jou Mostafa, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
483 Seif Khosrow, Secretary of Iran Party
484 Shabani Maryam, Political Activist
485 Shad Del Mahmoud, Social Activist
486 Shadpour Jamshid, Political Activist
487 Shaeikhi Maryam, Activist Student razi university of kermanshah
488 Shafii Ruzbeh, Activist Student Khajeh Nassir Toosi University
489 Shah Oveissi Hossein, Engineer Former governer of Kurdestan Political Activist
490 Shah Hosseini Hossein, Former Deputy Prime Minister And Director of Sport And Recreation Organization
491 Shah Mohamadi Mehdi, Activist Student University of Martyr Abbaspour
492 Shahcheraghi Davoud, Activist Student Khajeh Nassir Toosi University
493 Shahidi Hassan, Lawyer
494 Shahidi zadeh Hossein, Former Director General of Agriculture
495 Shahnasseri Ahmad, Former Governer
496 Shaikhlu Sadegh, Activist Student Hamedan University
497 Dr. Shajyee Adbolreza, Physicians and Political Activist
498 Shakeri Ebrahim, Social Activist
499 Shakour zadeh Farzaneh, Activist Student University of Economics
500 Dr. Shamekhi Taghi, University Professor
501 ShanehChi Mohammad, Businessman
502 Sharafkhani Jafar, Activist Student Ilam University
503 Dr. Sharif Mohammad, Lawyer
504 Sharifi Hojatollah, Engineer Central Committee of Daftar Tahkeem
505 Shaterzadeh Maedeh, Activist Student Alzahra University
506 Dr. Sheik Abdolhossein, Physicians
507 Shirazi Mohammad, Engineer Political Activist
508 Shoja Bazargan Ali, Political Activist
509 Shojayean Solat, Activist Student University of Isfahan
510 Siassi Mohammad, Political Activist
511 Soltani Abdolfatah, Lawyer
512 Soltani Fatemeh, Activist Student Teacher Training University
513 Soltani Hojatollah, Activist Student lorestan University
514 Soltani Reza, Activist Student University of Isfahan
515 Sorush Mansour, Political Activist
516 Sotudeh Nassrin, Social Activist
517 Tabaradi Saied, Activist Student Science and Industry University
518 Tabarzadi Heshmatollah, Engineer, Secretary of Democratic Front
519 Tabatabai Hamid, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
520 Tabbasi Sajad, Activist Student Kerman University
521 Taghdiri Mohammad, Activist Student University of Share Kord
522 Taghi Khorsandian Mohammad, Political Activist
523 Taheri Ali, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
524 Taheri Behruz, Activist Student zabul University
525 Taheri Hossein, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
526 Taheri Saied, Political Activist
527 Tahouni Behzad, Activist Student Teacher Training University
528 Dr. Tajdeini Abbas, Physicians and Social Activist
529 Talebi Hassan, Activist Student University of Isfahan
530 Dr. Talebzadeh Hossein, Professor Tabriz University
531 Taleghani Azam, Secretary of Islamic Society of Women
532 Taleghani Tahereh, Retired Teacher and Social Activist
533 Tanha Mostafa, Engineer Journalist
534 Tavancheh Abed, Activist Student Amir Kabir University
535 Tayrani Amir, Journalist Political Activist
536 Tofangchi Hadi, Lawyer
537 Toloui Mostafa, Activist Student Industrial University of Isfahan
538 Torab Ali, Activist Student Shiraz University
539 Torabi Jahromi Kamran, Activist Student Shiraz University
540 Torabi Nezhad Rahim, Political Activist
541 Torkan Mehdi, Activist Student Teacher Training University
542 Toulayee Majid, Engineer journalist and Political Activist
543 Vafadar Vahid, Activist Student Mashhad University
544 Vafaian Mostafa, Activist Student Iran Medical Science University
545 Vakilian Fatemeh, Activist Student Al zahra University
546 Dr Varjavand Parviz, Former Minister or Culture Poitical Activist
547 Yazdanipour Hanif, Activist Student
548 Yazi Davoud, Activist Student University of Shar Kord
549 Yebak Abadi Akram, Activist Student Alzahra University
550 Yekta Habib, Engineer, Political Activist University of Shar Kord
551 Yuseff Ghahari Lotfollah, Political Activist
552 Dr. Yuseffi Shokrollah, University Professor Political Activist
553 Yuseffi Cyrus, Activist Student zabul University
554 Yuseffi Majid, Political Activist
555 Yuseffi Mehran, Activist Student Sabzevar Teacher Taining university
556 Zaim Koroush, Engineer, Writer and Political Activist
557 Zamani Moslem, Activist Student Lorestan University
558 Zandian Mahmoud, Engineer, Political Activist
559 Dr. Zarafshan Nasser, Lawyer
560 Zare Hamed, Activist Student University of Economics
561 Zare Kohan Nafiseh, Activist Student Alameh Tabatabaee University
562 Zarghami Feraydoun, writer and poet
563 Zat-ali Fard Farhad, Activist Student Science and Industry University
564 Dr. Zeidabadi Ahmad, journalist and Political Activist
565 Ziai Mohammad, Engineer, Political Activist
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Saturday, March 05, 2005
Iran to sell off $1.1b state assets this month.
TEHERAN ? Iran yesterday offered more than $1.1 billion worth of industrial assets for sale in March, in a second push to privatise lumbering state companies in the current fiscal year, officials said.The shares belong to 51 state enterprises, mostly active in heavy industries such as aluminium, steel and shipbuilding.
?The shares on offer are worth 9,860 billion rials ($1.1 billion),? Mahdi Aghdaee, the deputy head of Iran?s Privatisation Organisation, told Reuters by telephone.
Some $2.5 billion of receipts were pencilled in to bolster the country?s budget in the fiscal year to March 20, but Iran?s drive to sell state assets ran into trouble, attracting too few buyers in a sale in October.
Officials blamed bad timing for the failure as the offering coincided with a heated international dispute over Iran?s nuclear programme.
As the nuclear issue still hangs in the air, it is not clear how Iran?s push for privatisation this month will be received by the market.
?I think 2005 is a buffer year for Iran. The market remains on hold to see what happens with the nuclear dispute and who will be Iran?s next president,? said an analyst who declined to be identified.
Iran holds presidential elections in June. Iran?s Privatisation Organisation said $711 million of state assets have been sold since March 2004.
"We now know that even if all assets on offer this month are sold, we won?t meet the budgeted target," Aghdaee said.
Shares of five state companies, including Arak Machinery Co., a major industrial complex in central Iran, will be offered on the stock market while other assets will be tendered in public.
Al-Mahdi Aluminium, Iran?s second-largest smelter in the Gulf port of Bandar Abbas with a capacity of 110,000 tonnes per year, is also due to be tendered.
Industry sources confirmed Britain?s Balli Group has shown interest in taking over the smelter, but estimated the Privatisation Organisation had overvalued it at $143 million.
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Thursday, March 03, 2005
Bush Seen Backing Europe on Iran in Major Policy Shift
"By Steve HollandWASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) was leaning on Thursday toward backing Europe in offering incentives to Iran (news - web sites) to persuade it to give up nuclear ambitions, U.S. officials said, in a significant shift in strategy toward an arch enemy.
Bush was to discuss Iran at an afternoon meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites), who met on Tuesday in London with foreign ministers of the three nations handling European negotiations with Iran -- Britain, France and Germany.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush had not made a final decision. He declined to discuss any details.
'We're continuing to look at how we can best support the European efforts, and make sure that those efforts are successful, to get Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions,' he said.
U.S. officials said under the new strategy, the United States would not block Iran as it seeks to start the process of joining the World Trade Organization (news - web sites), and would not stand in the way of European allies if they want to sell Tehran parts for civilian aircraft. "
Yahoo! News - Click here for complete story
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Wednesday, March 02, 2005
EJI statement in defense of Shirin Ebadi (2003 Nobel Laureate)
March 1, 2005Honorable Louise Arbour
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,
As you might be aware, in the past few months, Ms. Shirin Ebadi, Iranian Human Rights Campaigner, Lawyer and the Recipient of 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, has been harassed and intimidated on numerous occasions. Just in the past two months, she has been summoned twice to appear before the courts without any declared accusation. In a letter to President Khatami, she reminded him that her house was searched and ransacked and that her life was threatened by individuals who were arrested but later released. Meanwhile, the offices of the Society for Defense of Human Rights in Iran, an organization formed by Ms. Ebadi, has been constantly searched and its spokesperson attacked and beaten by apparently unknown assailants. In addition, Ms. Ebadi’s house which has been posted as bail for a closed case has not been released to be used as a pressure tool against her. Ms. Ebadi herself believes that all these intimidations are a plot to stop her activities.
We would like to bring to your attention that in our opinion Ms. Ebadi’s persistent activities for human rights such as accepting the cases of chain murders and political terrors are the major reasons behind these harassments. It is interesting to note that this obvious violation of human rights is aimed at a citizen who since winning the Nobel Peace Prize, is watched and monitored by the world community and even the President of the Islamic Republic himself has guaranteed her safety. With this in mind, it is safe to assume that a much wider scope of pressure is being administered upon women and children who are victims of the legal and constitutional discriminations and the political prisoners, writers, journalists, intellectuals and political activists who fight for freedom of expression and thought.
Honorable Commissioner,
The indications are that all these violations as well as the torture of the Web Loggers are the work of the powerful rulers of the Islamic Republic and its illegal security and judicial apparatus. We urge you to pressure the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran for Ms. Ebadi’s safety and well-being.
We urge you to follow through with this case as well as hundreds of other human right violations in Iran and to set the ground work for the re-appointment of a Special Representative to monitor the events in Iran in the upcoming March meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
Respectfully,
Mehdi Amini
For Political Council of EJI
International Committee
Unity for a Democratic and Secular Republic in Iran (EJI)
CC: Honorable Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations
President of International Federation of the League of Human Rights
President of the Society in Defense of Human Rights in Iran
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Tuesday, March 01, 2005
rooze jahanie zanan dar paltalk
ba salam kaste nabashid
jalase in hafte dar otaghe majazie Etehade
jomhourikhahane Iran
Be monasebate 8 marc Rooze jahanie zanan
Ba: mansoreh shojaee faale jonbeshe zanan dar Iran ,
Elaheh Masheof aozve sazemane zanan dar quebec va
Farzane Azimi az Etehade jomhouri khahane Iran
______________________________________________________________________
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New attitudes color Iranian society! A Pink Revolution?
By Barbara Slavin, USA TODAYIn a city that only a few years ago was almost monochromatic - full of women draped head to toe in black - women and girls this winter are sporting pink coats, pink sweaters, pink head scarves, shoes and bags.
Iran's Islamic rulers appear to have given up trying to make women observe more than the letter of the hijab, the Koran's admonition that Muslim women outside their homes should cover everything but their faces, hands and feet. The change has been gradual, but this year coats have gotten shorter, brighter and tighter, heels higher and scarves have slipped farther back to reveal most of women's hair.
Iran's "pink revolution" is a silent fashion statement that sends a powerful message.
Yahoo! News - click here for complete story!:
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