Focus on Human Rights & Political Prisoners in Iran

I will be away for the next week or two, and will not have much internet time during this period.  But, suggest the readers regularly check -  Shiro Khorshid Forever Blog  - regarding news and its translation from Persian to English about  Human Rights and Political Prisoners in Iran.

I am publishing a recent entry from the mentioned site:

Dr. Mostafa Alavi has been Sentenced to 15 Years of Imprisonment

According to news received from Section 6 of the Gohardasht Prison on Saturday August 22nd 2008, Dr. Mostafa Alavi was transferred to Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court to receive his sentence.

Dr. Alavi was transferred to court with handcuffs, his feet were also cuffed. Once at court he was informed that he had been sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment.

Dr. Alavi sufferes from numerous illnesses including diabetes, intestine and heart problems, as well he has lost most of his vision on his left eye.

Dr. Alavi was arrested under the order of Hassan Zareh Dahnavi on Esfand 1385 [March 2006] and after spending some time in Section 209 of the Evin Prison, he was transferred to Gohardasht Prison on Shahrivar of 1386 [September 2007].

In the past few months many political prisoners have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Some of these individuals are:

1. Ms. Shahnaz Keypour-5 years imprisonment
2. Ms. Azadeh Gerayi- 10 years imprisonment
3. Mr. Mohsen Gerayi-10 years imprisonment
4. Mr. Alijan Gerayi- 5 years imprisonment
5. Mr. Mahmoud sadigh Kaboudvand-11 years imprisonment
6. Ms. Hanna Abdi- 5 years imprisonment
7. Ms. Zeynab Bayzeydi- 4 years imprisonment.

Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran condemn the arrest and the lengthy sentences imposed on political prisoners and urge the international community to voice their concern and help put a stop to the inhumane treatment of political prisoners in Iran.

Published on Saturday August 23rd 2008

Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran

Source:
http://hrdai.blogspot.com  — (in Persian)
Contacts:
pejvak_zendanyan10@yahoo.com
pejvakzendanyan@gmail.com
Tel: 0031620720193

Translation By: Sayeh Hassan

Freedoms and Democracy in the Good Ol’ USA

Several days ago I was talking to an American friend about Freedoms and Democracy in the USA. This friend is not Iranian born, he is actually an American of Scots-Irish descent born and raised in Oregon - USA and is definitely Conservative (right wing), but not a Neo-Con.  He voted for GWB twice, and his younger brother served in Afghanistan.

He was telling me that, in his opinion, the U.S. has practically & largely lost its freedoms and democracy, though the “ideals” remain. How so I asked? He said: Look, we still vote, we still harp on about freedom of speech, assembly, press and we still revere the finest documents in the modern history of mankind i.e. the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, but I am not sure if we are still practicing much of what we as Americans have valued for generations. Many of us are not worldly, many are not well educated and insular, and most are often blindly patriotic at times to a “fault”.

So, in turn, I complained about censorship, and much more in Iran, and reminded him that Iran has never really had Democracy nor much social or political freedoms for centuries - the Americans should be thankful for whatever freedoms and democracy they have!

He smiled and said: Everything is relative is it not? Maybe it is best to not have had freedoms and democracy than to have had them only to later and gradually lose them. He added: Our men and women are put in the harms way because we are supposed to be fighting a “war on terror”, what and whose terror? How can we fight a war on “terror”?  We’ve been constantly terrorized at home and abroad, over the past 8 years at least, and for what? What exactly are we fighting for and what have we achieved?  Sure, it is good to have security, but not at the expense of giving up liberties and being constantly paranoid that we may be under some kind of unexpected attack.  Peoples’ psyche has limits for how much stress it can take before it overloads.

He continued to say that he had the “audacity” to articulate some of his views, in what he called “self-censored and mild terms”, on a somewhat prominent Conservative American Website, where a few of the authors are ex-US Military. In the following few days, he said his IP was blocked from accessing the Website because he had criticized GWB, not the US Military. One of the authors of this website, apparently, claims to “hunt liberals”.  He added: I was in a way anticipating this ban, but hoped the people could be more receptive to a different view….there goes freedom of speech - obviously nothing is free and everything has it consequences, so why not shut up altogether?  Anyway, it is disappointing, but the website isn’t hot so at the end it really doesn’t matter; they just show their true colors.

I suggested in Mullahs’ Iran he’d be in prison, at least, getting a severe beating for any criticism of the government in Iran, and those US Military people I have come across in my part of the world have always been very polite. He said: Most are but you may also want to know that many of them who at home are church-going, family-loving people change personality as soon as they arrive on foreign shores. It isn’t really their fault, many are young kids, who go abroad for the first time as part of the military, have been trained by their superiors, and react to their environment.

So, I asked: Will you vote for Obama or McCain. He said: I don’t think I’ll vote this time around, I am really unsure.

His last words in this conversation were: If any nation or country claims to be the embodiment of democracy, justice, and freedom, that country or nation and its people largely and internally must practice what they preach, and set the example for others before they try to export their values and idealism. America and Americans must learn that they are moving away from being the beacon of light they once were say around WWII. It really is part of the process of maturity for America, we can no longer only rely on McDonalds, Hollywood, Elvis nor our Military Might. What’s more, people don’t always fit into these neat categories of “Democrats”, “Liberals” or “Conservatives” nor Right or Left wing. We should first fight to keep our Democracy and Freedoms at home, not 2000 miles or more away with a whole lot of strangers. Maybe this can be a lesson for the Iranian People too!

See a Comment about Iranian Women and the Olympic Games & how the Islamic Republic operates.

Will Turkey follow the Islamic Republic Path?

Photo: Ahmadinejad and his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul in Istanbul, 14 Aug 2008

You’ve probably heard about Ahmadinejad’s two day “working visit” to Turkey which ended on August 16, 2008 - his first since he became president in 2005. 

However, Ankara was off the agenda as Ahmadinejad had declined to follow protocol, which requires placing a wreath at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the secular founder of modern Turkey.

Over the past 18 months, I have repeatedly expressed my concerns regarding the situation with the Islamists in that country, and the close relationship between Turkey and the Islamic Republic. See Here - Here - and Here

A recent post by a fellow blogger in Turkey says:

“I am writing this down because I consider Mahmoud Ahmadinejad not only as a retard but also as a very dangerous idiot. His opinion about women, religion, science, knowledge, law etc. is disgusting. And his Holocaust denial is insane.

…… many people in Istanbul experienced it: traffic jams everywhere. I was sitting for 2 hrs. in in a standstill of a traffic jam in the heat of 34 degrees in my car since the main highway was closed to bring M.A. over to Palace Ciragan.”  - Read the post

Massive Oil Revenue & Power Cuts in Iran

First, there was petrol rationing, raising of gas (petrol) prices, and cutting subsidized fuel prices to curb usage of gas under the pretext of reducing pollution. Then we were told Iran will be freed from the grips of “zionist-imperialist” powers aka the Great Satan by importing from “anti-imperalist” countries such as Venezuela:

 “Ahmadinejad said the rationing made Iran “invincible”, giving it immunity from international pressure to halt the nuclear development programme.  He said he wants Iran to be less dependent on petrol imports, which cost the country five billion dollars in the last financial year to March. A lack of refining capacity has forced Iran to resort to imports to meet 40 percent of demand.”

Later still, the Mullahs’ regime embarked on one of it “charitable” acts, which for them do not begin in Iran but, in this case, by grants of $65 million loan to help Sri Lanka with rural electricity, and construction of an Iranian funded hydro-electricity project. 

Just this past winter some 64 people died in Iran because of the IRI’s inability and unwillingness to negotiate with Turkmenistan regarding Gas supplies, and the Mullahs and Ahmadinejad’s refusal, in minus 27C freezing winter, to supply Gas to various towns and villages in Iran.

Now Iranians are subjected to regular electricity cuts.  But the Mullahs’ regime is never short of excuses for its continuous and utter economic, social and otherwise failures.   Iranians in dark over power investment - August 10, 2008 - FT.com (excerpts)

For average Iranians, recent electricity cuts are a reminder of the severe energy shortages they endured for almost a decade after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The power cuts, which have lasted at least two hours a day this summer amid temperatures as hot as 50°C, have disrupted home and work life.  Long queues snake outside petrol stations and banks, and productivity in factories, private companies and state organisations has been hit.

In the 1980s, power cuts were accepted as part of daily life, but now Iranians question how record oil revenues, which amounted to $54bn (€36bn, £28bn) for the first half of this year, can have such little impact on their living standards.

Sitting on the world’s second largest oil and gas reserves, Iran may generate $120bn this year, if prices remain at the current level, which is almost double the figure for last year.

Reform-minded economists and politicians see the electricity crisis as a blatant example of the government’s failure to channel oil revenues into the development of infrastructure.

The government blames drought as the main reason for the power shortages, but experts reject this claim and argue that 90 per cent of about 38,000MW of electricity is generated in thermal power plants, not hydro-electric ones. Iran’s media claim current production is 15 per cent less than consumption.

They add that slow development and renovation of power plants and an average 10 per cent increase in annual consumption are the main reasons the electricity sector has lagged behind.

Mohammad Ahmadian, deputy energy minister, told an Iranian newspaper that the government spent IR100,000bn meeting last year’s subsidies. [Khomeini, among other ridiculous promises such as social justice, promised FREE electricity to Iranians before and at the onset of 1979 revolution!]

Analysts doubt there can be any breakthrough in the electricity sector in the near future. They also warn the current crisis could fan inflation, which currently stands at 26.4 per cent, as it pushes up final price of domestically made goods.

The Baha’i Faith

Photo: Baha’i house of worship - Lotus Temple - New Delhi, India

In 2007 I wrote a number of posts, which mention the Baha’is and their unrelenting persecution in Iran by the Islamic Republic regime, including the situation of the Baha’i students.

In this entry, I like to expand on the Baha’i Faith with a note that I do not consider myself an authority on this subject. What follows is my understanding of the topic based on some research as well as discussions with a few Baha’i friends.  This post is simply an overview, please refer to provided links for more indepth information.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND LEADERSHIP

The Baha’i Faith is the youngest of the world’s “independent” & monotheistic religions, which came into existence in the 19th century in Iran.  Its parent religion is Islam, as it originated from eschatological tensions within Islam. In some respects, this maybe similar to the connection between Christianity and Judaism. Though some early followers were of Jewish, Christian, or Zoroastrian background, the vast majority had been followers of Islam. Their religious ideas were drawn from the Quran (Koran), and they were primarily interested in those aspects of their new belief system that represented the fulfillment of Islamic prophecies and the interpretation of Muslim teaching. It is considered an Abrahamic religion. The Faith now has an estimated 5 to 6 million followers worldwide, and is said to be one of the fastest growing religions.

Photo: A nine-pointed star is generally used by Baha’ís as a symbol of their Faith. The writing says “Baha’u'llah” meaning “The Manifestation (Glory) of God” in Arabic.

The leadership of the Baha’i Faith since its birth and thus far has had 4 central figures.  1) Siyyid Alí-Muhammad, who later took on the title the Bab, was born on October 20, 1819, in Shiraz.  2) Baha’u'llah, who claimed to be the messianic figure expected by the Bab’s writings. Baha’is consider the Baha’i religion to start from Baha’u'llah’s statements in 1863. 3) Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’u'llah’s son, who was appointed by Baha’u'llah, and was accepted by almost all Baha’ís. Under the leadership of Abdu’l-Baha, the religion gained a footing in Europe and America, and was consolidated in Iran, where it still suffers intense persecution. 4) Shoghi Effendi, was the appointed head of the Baha’i Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957.  Shoghi Effendi was referred to as the Guardian, and held the explicit authority to interpret the writings of the three central figures of the religion and define the sphere of legislative authority.

Though, it must be noted that after the death of Abdu’l-Baha in 1921, the leadership of the Baha’i community entered a new phase, evolving from that of a single individual to an administrative order with executive and legislative branches, the head of each being the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice based in Haifa, Israel.

CORE BELIEFS OF THE BAHA’I FAITH

Photo: Baha’i gardens and shrine of the Bab in Haifa, Israel

Bahai’s believe that all people are the chosen people of God, that there is only one God, one religion of God, and one people of God, the entire human race. Baha’is believe that God has always sent his emissaries to educate humanity and shall do so in the future.  Baha’is assert that the series of interventions by God in human history has been progressive, each revelation from God more complete than those which preceded it, and each preparing the way for the next - In this view, Islam, as the most recent of the prior religions, constituted the immediate historical preparation for the Baha’í Faith. They believe that Baha’ullah is the latest in that line of prophets - this belief in particular is a main point of contention with the “Muslims”, particularly Shia muslim clergy in Iran, since “Mohammadans” view Mohammad as the absolute last “prophet” of God.  It is also said that the Baha’i Faith is the seventh revelation of Islam.

Baha’is believe that the human mind and the gift of reason should guide the person in making decisions about all matters. To this end, they place a premium on education and independent investigation of truth. Baha’is consider the education of women as important as that of men, since women are the early teachers of children and can play their valuable part by being themselves educated. Harmony of religion and science is promoted. Baha’is believe that truth transcends all boundaries. Other beliefs include [spiritual]  equality of men and women, participatory decision-making, and world-embracing outlook & eradication of prejudice. The Faith also forbids consumption of alcohol and homosexuality.

The number nine has significance in the Baha’í Revelation as reflected in the nine-pointed star. Nine years after the announcement of the Bab in Shiraz, Baha’u'llah received the intimation of His mission in the dungeon in Tehran. Nine, as the highest single-digit number, symbolizes completeness. Since the Baha’í Faith claims to be the fulfillment of the expectations of all prior religions, this symbol, as used for example in nine-sided Baha’í temples, reflects that sense of fulfillment and completeness. The Universal House of Justice also has 9 elected male only members - women are not permitted to be elected.
 
PERSECUTION OF THE BAHA’IS

Photo: House of the Bab in Shiraz was destroyed by Islamic Republic guards in 1979

The persecution of the Baha’is is not and has not been limited to Iran.  In 1925 Egypt became the first Islamic state to legally recognize the Baha’í Faith as an independent religion apart from Islam. Despite a historically active Egyptian Baha’í community during the early twentieth century, Baha’í institutions and community activities are currently banned by Law 263.

Similar to Iran, the Egyptian government requires that its citizens identify as either Jewish, Christian, or Muslim, [Zoroastrians are formally recognized] leaving others to either misrepresent their faith or forego valid identity documents, passports, birth and death certificates, and marriage licenses. On December 16, 2006, only after one hearing, the Supreme Administrative Council of Egypt ruled against the Baha’ís and stated that the government may not recognize the Baha’í Faith in official identification numbers. There are between several hundred to 2000 Baha’is estimated to be living in Egypt.

While the most significant persecution has happened in Iran and Egypt during the 19th, 20th and this century, other countries have restricted or persecuted Baha’ís. In several countries with majority Muslim populations, they have done so on the same basis as Iran and Egypt i.e. viewing the Baha’is as apostates from Islam.  These countries include: Republic of Azarbaijan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Morocco, and an ongoing situation in Turkmenistan. In Romania, in January 2007, a law was passed that had restrictive requirements for religious communities to be recognized, which Baha’ís and other religions could not meet. 

It must also be noted that despite Israel being a host to a number of significant Baha’i sites, including the Shrine of the Bab and The Universal House of Justice, the Jewish State prohibits the Baha’is from publicly educating others in the Faith, though the Baha’is state that they do not proselytize.

In Iran, the Baha’is are the largest  “independent” religious minority currently estimated at 350,000. Although, the Islamic Republic (IR) regime actively discriminates against all minority religious groups in terms of housing, employment and education, the tragic persecution of the Bahai’s since mid 1800’s when some 20,000 were killed in Iran, have continued, mostly, unabated, with only very brief respites during the early Pahlavi Dynasty era.

Since the rise of IR in 1979, the intensity of persecution has resumed - some 200 Baha’is have been executed. In November 2007 Haleh Rouhi, Sasan Taqva and Raha Sabet were taken into custody by the Iranian government. They are serving a four year sentence on charges connected entirely with their belief and practice in the Baha’i Faith -  See Baha’i.org article

I sincerely hope the discrimination, persecution, and senseless killings are stopped & look forward to the day when we have a secular, democratic constitution & government in Iran.  Peoples’ faith is a private matter, whatever it may be; people should be able to practice their faith freely.  One’s faith should not be used as an excuse for savagery.  Nor interwoven with a higher religiously orientated administrative and/or political entity.

Sanity of Iranians, Politicians and “The Others”!

Tired of serious stuff ?  Then take a look at some Iranian blogs. 

This one comment in The Miracle of Liberating Iran - read the entire post/comments - I thought was amusing and true:  “Any sane person’s help to free Iran is welcome.”

Take a good look at this pic, do they look sane? Now, that’s just for Ahmaghi-Nejad,  and his not quite ”there yet” people.  But, not limited to HIM - Ahmadinejad is Symbolic!

Iran, in practice, has longed moved away from Kourosh or Cyrus the Great.  Cyrus the Great deeds and intentions later and in reality only set the scene for Western Democracies including the basis for the Bill of Rights in the USA, never mind Magna Carta of the British.  Most Americans do not know it though!

Photo right: Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi aka “Professor Crocodile” - Ahmadinejad’s “spiritual mentor”.

UPDATED:  August 2, 2008 - Ahmadinejad’s New World Order (JPost) - and - The War on Secular Education (Rooz)

China - Iran “Deal of Century”

This report  - dated July 28, 2008 - was published by FARS News Agency. FNA is a semi official IRI news outlet. I think it is a very important piece, even if we may consider it in parts exaggerated.  Below are excerpts only. Click on link for full article.

Iran, China to Cement Cooperation - TEHRAN (FNA) - The attachments of the contract between Iran’s Pars Oil and Gas Company and China’s CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corp.) to exploit the North Pars gas field were finalized, Pars Oil and Gas Company’s managing director said.

China imports half of its oil from the Middle East and is interested in promoting political stability in the region. Beijing rejects Washington’s policies that exacerbate insecurity.

At the end of 2004, China became Iran’s top oil export market. Iran exports about 300,000 barrels of oil to China, which makes it Beijing’s third-largest oil supplier, behind only Angola and Saudi Arabia, a press tv commentary said.

China’s oil giant Sinopec Group has signed a big gas deal worth 100 billion dollars with Iran. Known as the “deal of century” by energy experts, Sinopec is going to buy 250 million tons of natural gas in 30 years from Iran, and will help Iran to develop its giant Yadavaran oilfield in exchange for Tehran’s commitment of exporting 150,000 oil barrels per day to China for 25 years at market prices.

China’s economic initiatives in Iran go far beyond the energy field and include a wide spectrum of areas, ranging from infrastructure construction to trade and tourism. Beijing is helping Tehran to build dams, shipyards and many other projects. More than 100 Chinese state companies are operating in Iran to develop ports and airports in the major Iranian cities, mine-development projects and oil and gas infrastructures.

Moreover, Beijing wants to increase the presence of its companies in the Iranian market, which may be a good outlet for Chinese products. Trade between the two nations is expected to hit a new record of 11 billion dollars in 2008, compared with 9.5 billion in 2007.

Moreover, Beijing wants to reinforce its relationship with Tehran in order to deepen its presence in Central Asia with the goal of reaching the important energy resources of the Caspian Sea region.  This would help China lessen its dependence on maritime oil imports from the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, thus better securing an uninterrupted flow of oil.

Therefore, Chinese and other Asian companies are increasing their investment in Iran, a country that is a natural bridge between the Middle East and Central and South Asia. As some European countries have decreased their economic trade with Tehran in response to US pressure, China and other Asian countries have stepped in to fill the void. China has already overtaken Germany as Iran’s second largest trading partner (the first being the UAE).

Warren Strobel [American Journalist] believes sanctions against Iran have produced a self-defeating outcome for Western countries that will have negative far-reaching political and economic consequences for them.

Iran is an integral partner to the group, where Russia and China cooperate to counter US threats to their sovereignty. Iran has also joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as an observer. This organization is largely a Sino-Russian tool seeking to contain the US presence in Central Asia.

Moreover, China, Iran and Russia maintain identical foreign policy positions regarding Taiwan and Chechnya. Moscow and Tehran support Beijing’s one-China policy.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was invited to the last summit of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) held in Doha. The PGCC, a key instrument of US regional strategy for three decades, had never before invited Iran to its meetings.

Furthermore, in a period in which energy markets highlight the increasing dependence of industrial powers on oil prices, Iran has an important instrument of geopolitical pressure thanks to its status as a major oil producer and its control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Some Chinese companies have been sanctioned by the US for selling Iran dual-use chemicals that can have military use. Meanwhile, the US continues to export military systems worth billions of dollars to Israel and is currently the main exporter of weapons to the Middle East.

Beijing has condemned this US move and has rejected American attempts to interfere in its relations with Tehran. Although Beijing and Washington are not currently engaged in an open confrontation in the region, China’s increased presence in the region’s energy certainly has the potential to create Sino-US rivalry in the future. In the US, there is considerable concern over a possible US-China collision over energy.