The real promoters of Iranian democracy, i.e. those who RESIDE IN IRAN and face threats and harassments, such as Emadedin Baghi, the founder of the Organization for Prisoner's Right, have strongly opposed such allocation of funds towards democracy in Iran.
In a letter to the International Human Rights Organization, in May 2007, Baghi wrote:
The allocation of yearly funds has led to the Iranian government's widespread concern and suspicion towards civil society organizations and human rights activists, clearly exacerbating in significant ways pressures on them and the number of arrests. Undoubtedly, not all these pressures and arrests are reflective of recently developed government concerns and suspicions. Forces that are against liberty also use the U.S. budget allocation as a pretext or excuse to legitimize their opposition to civil liberties and to discredit their critics.Please write to Congress and oppose allocation of such funds! Spend them on your soldiers and veterans! Iran doesn't want some exiled "liberator"! Our activists and democratic leaders live in Iran! These American funds SERIOUSLY DAMAGE the course of democracy in Iran, and put innocent scholars such as Haleh Esfandiari in jail.
In such an atmosphere, individuals and organizations that are more active and well-known are easier to spot and hence easier to threaten. In the past two years, we have been witness to numerous accusations hurled against civil society institutions such as the Society for Defending Prisoner's Rights. Such organizations have also faced investigation and even closure of their offices. In the past 14 months, for instance, I have been summoned by the Iranian judiciary or intelligence organizations 7 times but have not publicized the matter in order to avoid political tensions. I think it time to change course and act in different ways. I would like to state categorically that it is neither wise nor morally justifiable for the United States to continue its path, without due respect or concern for the specific harm and harassment the so-called democracy fund entails for human rights activists in Iran. It is not right for independent individuals and institutions inside Iran to pay the price for allocated funds that the United States government spends on broadcasting from the United States into Iran or for the activities of exiled Iranian groups that cooperate with various American organizations.
8 comments:
Cool! How do we get us some of that money? You being an exiled dissident and all.
Lieberman is such a pathetic putz.
Well, it would be easy!
I can write about my life, my family's life, those in my family who were tortured. I can start writing about the loss of my childhood, about the fear with which I grew up, about the discriminatory system I was subjected to. And I can beat the drum of how unjust and unfair the Iranian society is, how unemployment rate is high, how inflatin is horrible, how inefficient the bureaucrats are!
HOWEVER,
since I see my younger cousines have a FAR easier life right now than I had when I was in Iran
since I have experienced living in one of the most advanced (both socially and economically and scientifically and technologically) nations o fthe world (no that is not the US)
since I see the global corruption of these so called sophisticated nations against the rest of the humanity
I am not going to write anything against Iran, and I will not apply for any such funds!
Naj,
If you wrote about your childhood years before, where could I find them (as in maybe on your blog)?
Marclord,
If I did write, I would send you a copy ;)
But I will NOT right a tale of the past. And if I do, which I think I somehow owe it to my grandmothers to do so, I will contextualize my childhood with theirs, and that of my children.
To me, the past is of no value if not examined in relation to the future.
A lot of Iranian autobiographers are just milking the market. And beating a very old drum! Had any of these woman had a sense of literary, had hey any interest in introducing the "women of Iran", they would be starting with introducing Shahrnoosh Parsipour, Moniroo Ravanipour, Simin Daneshvar, Ghazaleh Alizadeh, Goli Taraghi, and others.
to my knowledge, the only work on them is done by Farzaneh Milani.
I am SICK and TIRED of these whining Iranians and their never ending complaints! Okey, I am whining about the whining Iranians now :)) You see, it's cultural, nothing personal! We have this in common with our Jewish neighbors ;)
Looserman manipulates the democratic process at home so that he can export democracy abroad...
And in other news our correspondent asks: "Is it a good idea to buy a bridge?"
Ah, what a tangled web we weave! Beware of Greeks bearing gifts and all American politicians, I reckon.
Cheers.
naj
I commented to this. I wonder what I did to it? I just stopped by to see if you wrote anything ne. I thought i had a unique phrase when this morning thinking of Bush's wars present and future and his nazi ties I was researching for my story today when I ran into this very telling video. You care! Please peruse it, it is very telling. Get involved if you want. Check this out it is important to you knowing what we discuss and feel free to spread Bush's Forever War
naj
I just wrote you saying I blew away another post I thought I made here and I guess I blew that away too. Anyway I wanted to see if you wrote anything new and have you check this oout. The video is very tellimmg in light of our conversations. Feel free to share it and get involved with Bush's Forever War
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