Mcgill Tribune: "Bahá'ís in Iran have been the target of very widespread persecution and prosecution since the revolution," said Hadi Ghaemi, coordinator of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. "There's great sensitivity towards Bahá'ísm [in Iran], and there is much cultural bias and attempts [by the regime] to portray them in a wrong light for the general population."

The UN General Assembly’s plenary resolution has criticized Iran’s use of torture, the high incidence of executions, the violent repression of women, and increasing discrimination against Bahá’ís, Christians, Jews, Sufis, Sunni Muslims, and other minorities. Looking at the countries that have voted Yes or No tell us where these governments stand on the issue of Human Rights!

Hossein Derakhshan’s position regarding a number of prisoners of conscience in Iran has caused many to distance themselves from him. I have often wrote about his affiliation with the regime in Iran. This, however, doesn’t change the fact that the freedom of expression is sacred for all and not just the ones with whom we agree.

I received this document in a mass e-mail. It shows in the case of IRI’s revolutionary guards they didn’t receive blood transfusion from the blood bank. The political prisoners who were to be executed had to undergo the blood collection. A catheter would be inserted into their vein and their blood was collected for transfusion.

Two women have been sentenced to death in the past week in Iran. 14 more women currently face execution by stoning.

Logic says something is either true or false. Something is either a member of a set or not. Fuzzy logic says one can be member of a set with different degrees ranging from zero (not a member) to one (full member). Some people suggest that the probability theory provides the only proper framework to address the problems of uncertainty. Others claim that fuzzy logic provides the best framework to deal with perception-based processing of uncertainty. However we like to look at a problem there has been the news of a fellow blogger being arrested in Iran, a country where human rights crimes are committed on a daily basis. Human Rights is not selective. Knowing well Derakshan may come out mocking those who are concerned for his safety at the time of his arrest, activists will continue to defend his right to freedom of expression.

Iran: Human Rights Crimes


َThe Iranian regime has executed Ali Ashtari. He was convicted of spying for Israel. With the increasing crisis in Iran this is just another way for the regime to show its fearfulness of the economic hardship that is on the way.

Happy thirty-sixth birthday to me. My view this morning. Sun-ray plays in the crisp-autumn air and life remains a magnificent journey.

Women on the Front Line is a documentary on The Women's Movement in Iran. The Women's Movement in Iran is the most powerful movement of its kind in the Middle East. This documentary will examine the wide range of discriminatory laws and practices against women in Iran, and how women are responding to them. Watch the Demo here.

Another American Citizen Arrested!

Another American Citizen Arrested! This time it is in Iran and her name is Esha Momeni, a thirty year old woman who traveled to Iran to do a documentary. She was taken into custody on Oct. 15.

This morning while I work on my latest project, Memories of War, I hear “US Warplane forced to land in Iran,” as the breaking news. Is it bigger than fiction?

Guardian :"The publisher whose home was targeted in a firebomb attack on Saturday is understood to be going ahead with putting out a controversial novel about the child bride of Muhammad next month, despite this weekend's events."

No wonder Iranian regime hasn’t discussed this book. Despite her status as Prophet Muhammad's favorite wife Aisha is one of the least respected women among Shia Muslims. Rarely one can even find this name among the sect.

"CNN, The Most Trusted Name In News" After watching CNN’s interview with Iranian regime’s current president, I e-mailed them my comment saying: This comment is regarding the interview with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on 09/26/08. It is shameful to conduct such a softball interview with the representative of one of the most oppressive regimes of our time. Instead of giving this person a free pass, Mr King could have asked Ahmadinejad about the massacre of thousands of political prisoners in summer of 1988, stoning, public execution of teenagers, and many other crimes committed by the Iranian regime against humanity since its inception in 1979.

NPR 

This comment is regarding the 9:00 am news broadcast on 9/23/08. The broadcast quoted from "Iranian activists" that women rights have deteriorated in Iran but that people in Iran enjoy greater freedoms than other countries in the region such as Saudi Arabia and UAE. In the interest of full disclosure it will be nice to know who these "activists" are and what agenda they pursue by minimizing human rights abuses in Iran. These "activists" could have pointed out that in summer of 1988, thousands of political prisoners, many of whom were nearing the end of their jail term, were massacred based on summary interviews during which prisoner's wrong answer to any of the three interview questions would mean death sentence. This crime of the regime against humanity has been extensively documented and many of the current Iranian rulers were either involved or turned a blind eye.

Joe Biden's Foreign Policy Experience & Positions

Joe Biden advocated the most ridiculous plan for Iraq which was to break apart the country into three pieces. To my amazement no body has called him on that plan but Carl Rove tonight on Fox news.

لایحه!...

چند روز پیش با دختر شش ساله ام فیلم زندگی یکی از پر فروش ترین نویسنده های کتاب کودکان به نام خانم پاتر را می دیدم. دخترم پرسید: " چرا مردها اون موقع اجازه نمی دادن خانوما کتاب چاپ کنن؟ مگه خودشون با زنها ازدواج نمی کردن یا خواهر نداشتن؟ چرا خانومها رو اذیت می کردن؟" دخترم این سوالها را در باره‌ زنی پرسید که بیش از یکصد سال پیش در انگلستان زندگی می کرده است. امروز ولی در سده‌ بیست ویکم، لایحه ای درحال تصویب شدن است که شعور انسان را به ریشخند می گیرد وحقوق فردی زن و مرد ایرانی را به زیر سوال می برد. البته در کشوری که حقوق بشر به هیچ گرفته می‌شود و زنان مملکت سالیان سال است ازحق تابعیت، حق ارث، حق قیمومیت، حق نگاهداری فرزند، حق اشتغال، حق مسکن، حق طلاق، حق خروج از کشور و سایر حقوق اولیه انسانی محروم هستند مطرح شدن و تصویب چنین لایحه ای تعجب‌ برانگیز نیست.

Sign the Petition

Physicians for humanrights: "Doctor Arash Alaei and Doctor Kamiar Alaei are two Iranian physicians who have reportedly been detained in Iran by Iranian authorities. The physicians, who are brothers, were arrested at the end of June, 2008 and their current whereabouts are unknown. Physicians for Human Rights calls on the government of Iran to disclose their whereabouts, provide them access to lawyers and family, and either to charge them with an internationally recognized crime or release them immediately."

IRAN

Abdolnaser Taheri and civil society activist and journalist Yaqub Mehrnahad were executed in Sistan-Baluchestan province, Iran.

IRAN

Radio Farda reports 30 more people will be executed this weekend in Tehran.

American Intelligence Analysts Work Overtime as Israel Sends Signals

Eli Lake: "While Europe, America, and other allies increase economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran, Israel is privately making it clear that it seeks to prevent Iran from even testing a nuclear device, as North Korea did in 2006. Most Western intelligence agencies agree that Iran's enrichment tests at Natanz have increased the odds of Iran mastering the technology necessary to create a test explosion."

Has Israel prepared itself to be denounced by other countries for bombing the Iranian regime’s nuclear power reactors? But then some may argue if it wasn’t for Israel wouldn’t Sadam have Iranians as his testing grounds with a nuclear bomb as he did with his chemical weapons against his own people as well as Iranians in the eighties?

Iran: Human Rights Violations 

21 year old Hana Abedi, former student and a member of women's association of Azarmehr in Kurdistan is sentenced a 5 year prison and exile in a remote town. She is one of many who are seeking to end the legalized discrimination against women. The revolutionary court in Iran has charged her to be a threat against national security.

Women's Rights Activists Arrested

Eight women’s rights activists have been arrested on the Anniversary of the National Day of Solidarity of Iranian Women. Amongst those are Nasrin Sotoudeh, Zhila Bani Yaghoub, Nafiseh Azad, Ayda Sadat, Nahid Mirhaj, Jelveh Javaheri, Farideh Ghaeb, Sara Loghmani.

Iran: Crimes Against Humanity

Farzad Kamangar, an Iranian Kurdish teacher was arrested in 2006. He has been tortured severely and is sentenced to death. The execution proceeds in three weeks.

Chris de Burgh: Shame on you!

In his recent interview Chris de Burgh has said: Tehran is safer than NY and London. Shame on him for saying this when Iranians don’t have political, religious, and social freedom, women activists are sentenced to lashing and prison, and people are executed or stoned to death in the streets. Let us hope his daughter Rosanna Davison will not visit Iran any time soon or the enforcers the regime uses might end up lynching her for showing her bare skin!

If Barack Obama is to be the Democrats nominee then his best running mate will be Jim Webb to win the working class white votes!

Tiny Iran

Barack Obama needs a reality check! In his latest statement he has talked about tiny Iran. Tiny Iran? Mister! Iran is on the verge of being a nuclear power, is one of the top five oil gas countries in the world, and 70,000,000 population is not even comparable to Cuba, and Venezuela.

Why are most dictators men of short stature?


Well! I don't know the answer to that question but I learned of an interesting issue related to NIAC. This organization’s latest act against freedom of expression has been to file a lawsuit against Hassan Daioleslam an Iranian-American commentator. In my opinion Daioleslam articles have not defamed anyone and have used facts available to public. Unfortunately like the Mullahs, Parsi dearly seems to admire, his approach is about silencing voices. Apparently where Parsi says: "Our community will never live up to its full potential in America unless these undemocratic practices are put aside," he means suing each other for talking! Perhaps Parsi needs to be reminded of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Iran: Human Rights Violations

A few days ago the entire Baha'i leadership were arrested in Iran and taken to the Evin Prison. Please sign the petition and protest the arrests.

Human Rights campaigns should be more than a fashion statement!

IRAN: Crimes Against Humanity



The twenty five year old Kaveh Azizpour was tortured and killed by the agents of the Islamic Republic.

IRAN


I dedicate this posting to the memory of T.C. who passed away at the age of 38 yesterday. Despite being born in the West and having the advantage of living a luxurious life as an attorney, he chose to live and work in Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.

Peace is a Dinosaur bone where democracy and human rights don’t exist, justice is not done, corruption is an everyday norm, the laws that treat women as second citizens, and people who are arrested and killed. For these reasons and more the regime must go.

IRAN

I had promised a reader and supporter of NIAC to write why I think an Iranian lobby is a must in the United States. My reasons are simple. With an impressive national history and being one of the power players in the Middle East, Iran must have a lobby in the U.S. but not in the hands of the current Iranian regime. What credentials of people like Trita Parsi are?! He and his organization are playing a dangerous game. Human rights are not to be bargain with.

The overseas extensions of Islamic Republic in the U.S. (Abbas Milani and Trita Parsi) should be very happy these days. With the next presidency nominee, and Khatami in the game to secure the U.S. and Iran talk, they should start blowing in their trumpets! Let us not forget it was Khatami's presidency which led to the deaths of many students and the arrest of many more.

SEVEN VALLEYS OF LOVE

I was born on a November day in 1972 in a room on the third floor of Hashtroudian hospital in Tehran, Iran. Not the kind of information you were looking for? Okay, here is a more detailed one:
I wake each morning to the lovely sound of my few-months-old baby and with a body not fully recovered from the shock of an emergency c-section, I get ready to feed the now-all-screaming-up apple-pie. Once I am finished feeding, I go to wake up my daughter who asks for more time to sleep to which I respond: No.
Of course, while all of the above is exciting I should stay with the original plan which was to announce the release of my recent publication, a bilingual anthology of women poets from Middle Ages Persia to present day Iran. I started working on this anthology after losing my mother to breast cancer. I chose to work through my grieving period. I also like to thank Ms. Pouran Farrokhzad for giving me the permission to use and translate a selection of Persian poems from Zanan-e Hamisheh, a contemporary anthology in Persian, for this anthology.

IRAN

Women's Rights Activists, Nasrin Afzali and Nahid Jafari, are sentenced to six months in prison and 10 lashes by whip.

Signposts to Elsewhere is a succulent, stunning collection of images and thoughts more well-lit than the old swinging torches of the lamplighters. I find myself pausing everywhere among these wisdoms, wondering why the world stumbles and staggers through such a dark and greedy time when there are people alive with such keen, caring insight. If Yahia Lababidi were in charge of a country, I would want to live there.” – Naomi Shihab Nye

Iran: Crimes Against Humanity

Three Bahaies are prisoner of the oppressive regime in Shiraz, Iran and nine others have received death threats in addition to a failed attempt to put one of them on fire. These latest news are just a few example of a regime that Hooshang Amirahmadi, Trita Parsi and their pet projects try to sell us in the West as human rights friendly government!

Trita Parsi's web and Mullahs' economic Mafia

Hassan Daioleslam: "The unavoidable end result may be a catastrophic war between Iran and the US. To prevent that war, we must stop the Iranian lobby and their American cohort enterprises. This is not the case of a smuggler helping a mullah get an airplane ride. This is a matter of national security and the interest of the Iranian and American people."

And Now for Educational Purposes!

In response to someone who believes 9/11 is an inside job and Fitna is more than a piece of propaganda! Unlike you I don't believe 9/11 was an inside job. It was an event orchestrated by preachers of a hateful ideology. Unfortunately the dominant discourse of Islam today shows no or little tolerance and respect for individual rights and freedoms. Even the criticism of the so called moderate Muslims against acts of violence has more to do with a pragmatic concern for Islam and the Muslim community as opposed to a fundamental belief in human dignity and intrinsic value of human life. It will do the Muslim community no good if all they know is to get offended, make up conspiracy theories, and threaten people to death for speaking up.

Iran: The Mistreatment of Women


The Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey known for her stand on women's rights, covers up to meet with the Iranian regime’s representatives! When she was asked about it, she replied: "When you are a guest you respect local customs." Unfortunately people like her legitimize repression and mistreatment of women in countries ruled by oppressive regimes!
This reminds me of "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. Everyone should read that story to understand why it is important to stand firm against the devil. What if the local customs were cannibalism or stoning? Would she participate in those rituals as well?

Happy Birthday to my girl and happy fifth year of blogging on Iranian Woman.

Raheleh Asgarzadeh and another women's rights campaigner have been arrested and taken to Evin prison. They are accused of spreading propaganda against the regime in Iran.

Iran: Crimes against Humanity

In a letter, Behnam's attorney Mohammad Mostafei informed Stop Child Executions that the execution order of Behnam Zare was sent by Ayatollah Shahrudi to Shiraz Iran and the execution can be performed at anytime. In adition two Iranian sisters convicted of adultery face being stoned to death, and a twenty two year old Iranian man is sentenced to death for drinking alcoholic beverages at home.

از دید من شاعری مثل فروغ فرخزاد را چه مهم می کند؟

فروغ را دو چیز مهم می کند: شهامت و اصالتش. منظورم از اصالت، نظر داشتن به سنت نیست. منظورم بیان رگی و خونی تجربه است. یعنی اول زیستن تجربه و بعد نوشتن. فروغ با خودش راحت است و تعارفی ندارد و این در فرهنگ ایرانی نادر است. شما به شعر دنیا هم که نگاه کنید می بینید که شعرایی مهم هستند و دهه ها پس از مرگشان هنوز در موردشان می نویسند که اصیل هستند و شهامت داشتند: شهامت اصیل بودن، خود بودن! اهمیت او در این است که در فرهنگ "خواهی نشوی رسوا همرنگ جماعت شو" خودش بود. مسئله دیگری را هم بگویم. خود بودن او نتیجه تفحص و تلاش انتلکتوال نبود. مثل "خود بودن" آدم هایی که عرق می ریزند تا فردیت داشته باشند. فردیتی کتابی و حتی زوری! او خودش بود. با همه ضعف ها و قوت هایش، با همه آنچه که می دانست و نمی دانست، با همه آنچه که داشت و نداشت. تلاش نکرد چیزی غیر از آنکه هست باشد و در آنچه که بود رشد کرد و در آنچه که بود آری و نه گفت. و این هیچ کار کمی نیست، به ویژه در فرهنگ ما و به ویژه برای یک زن.

بقیه مصاحبه رادیویی در ویژه نامه فروغ

Iran: crimes against humanity

Three hundred jailed Turkmen have been threatened to death. In addition Zamel Bavi, a 29 year old prominent Iranian Arab human right activist and several others were hanged in Ahvaz. Four more by the names of Bavi, Saki, Mazraa and al-Mansouri are accused of armed insurrection and await execution.

New York Times: [Judiciary Spokesman Alireza Jamshidi] also announced punishments for 54 followers of the Bahai faith who were arrested early last year in Shiraz, in southern Iran. He said three had received prison terms of four years on charges of “propagating against the regime.” The other 51 received suspended prison terms and were released on the condition that they take courses taught by the state-run Islamic Propaganda Organization, Agence France-Presse reported. Iran’s theocracy does not recognize the legitimacy of Bahaism.

RAWA: "A young Afghan journalist, Parwiz Kambakhsh has been arrested and sentenced to death in Afghanistan. Kambakhsh is accused of printing, distributing an article from the Internet, which points out controversial verses of the Quran regarding women’s rights. The book “Religion in the History of Civilization” (by Will Durant) taken from his living room has been kept as an evidence against him in the court!"

Three Turkmen have been killed and 300 have been arrested in Iran. Their families are not notified of their whereabouts. 

Tim Wilson writes: “Divide and Conquer is an ancient, well-known and accurate military aphorism. Throughout its history, the United States has successfully applied this principle to win the War of Independence, the Mexican War, World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. This history of success has been marred recently when the enemy effectively applied it to us on our home front – to some extent in Korea and most notably in Vietnam. The same tactic has been applied with some success by the Islamists, led most notably by al Qaeda, with regard to Iraq." I personally think if nations ruled by terror-sponsoring regimes are divided into smaller states; a geopolitical security or the safety of democratic nations is not guaranteed. It multiplies the problem and increases the difficulty of dealing with them.

Iran: Human Rights Crimes

An Iranian university student, Ebrahim Lotf Allahi was severely tortured and killed in Kurdistan. In addition Hasan Hikmet Demir, a Turkish national, who had frost damage to both his legs as a result of exposure to severe cold after his prison escape before his arrest by the Iranian Intelligence Ministry, was denied a lawyer and hanged in Iran. Despite the continues crimes committed by the Iranian regime, Trita Parsi and in Hassan Daioleslam's words the Iranian regime’s lobby in the United states continue to play Grand bargain card and buy time for the regime. Justin Elliott at Mother Jones writes: "Parsi has been arguing for a while that Iran is a rational, pragmatic actor in the Middle East, not an uncontainable rogue state on an unswerving path to nuclear holocaust, as the country is so often portrayed." One wonders why the president of the National Iranian American Council and a so called Iran expert and scholar finds the Iranian regime a rational and pragmatic one!

Recently I wrote a short (Persian) review of SIN, selected Poems of Forugh Farrokhzad translated by Sholeh Wolpé. After decades of censorship, and women fighting for their rights we still face the same obstacles as women before us did.

Crimes Against Humanity

Human Rights First: "China claims that it cannot control what the government of Sudan does in Darfur. But China’s direct investment in Sudan exceeded $300 million in 2005. That buys a lot of leverage. And the lives of innocent Darfuris continue to hang in the balance."

Iraq to Restore Former Baath Party Followers

According to NPR news Iraq's parliament passed a long awaited measure on Saturday to ease restrictions on former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party. It is an essential step for the future of Iraq and peace in the country to have the Baath party return to public life.

IRAN: Breaking World News

The Iranian regime has found a new way to execute Iranians. Pushing people off the cliffs! In addition they have amputated the hands and legs of five Iranian Baloch. Do we really need more amputation punishments? And only recently Iran has been paid twelve million dollars to help the Afghan refugees but the same refugees are forced to leave the country in the freezing cold weather.

The Democratic Nominee

The United States needs a problem solver. It is losing its edge in economical terms, innovation, energy, etc. It needs substance, experience, and not a fluff like Barack Obama. Despite him being a great speaker he has been copying Hillary Clinton’s plans and has not attended important senate voting.