Monday, May 24, 2010

The Hanging Baluchs

Today, Abldulhamid Rigi was hanged. When researching his hanging, I came across this old photo of an execution event whose cause I do not know.

In this picture, three men hang dead. A large crowd is watching. If you pay attention to the faces of the frontliners in the crowd, it seems they are watching a bullfight of sorts. It seems like a circus, a parade, a freak show of sorts.

One may wonder if these public hangings are done to serve as an "example"!

I took this picture from a Balouchi weblog: Taftan.blogspot.com. The writer of the blog finds it provocative that the hanged men are in their Baluchi dress. He finds the fact that they are hanged in their ethnic attire a proof that the "Iranians" are out there to get them.

Today, more Balouchs have been hanged. One of them is the brother of Abdulmalek Rigi, the (in)famous leader of the terrorist organization Jundollah.

That Jundollah is a terrorist organization is attested by its members; they, like many other resistance movements (such as Palestinians, and Japanese) resort to suicide missions to take out their enemies. If you can read a comment left under this picture in the weblog I mentioned above, you will see a call for a suicide mission to get rid of the Zabolis (who are the shiite rivals of Balouchis in the Sistan & Balouchestan province.)

But, that these public hangings succeed as deterrents is highly objectionable.

Three men are hanging dead. Their dead bodies feel no pain, no gain, no shame, no pride. As sweet as life is, men who enter "action" are not afraid of death. But hanging bodies will fuel the hatred and the resolve of those who lose their fear of death for a cause: compared to the violent injustices experienced by the world (death by hunger, death due to denied AIDS medication, death in a war) these hanging bodies on a rope seem awefuly calm and peaceful. If anything, each of these ropes shall become the umbilical chord of many a new terrorist.

The Baluchis have been fighting for their rights for over two centuries. They are impoverished by the unforgiving forces of the nature, and by the paranoia of the rest of the nation that has implicitly decided a prosperous Balouchestan will feed the resolve of the secessionists. In addition, Baluchistan is plagued by much of the same drug-lord phenomena that plagues Afghanistan; and survives on the same warrior mentality that has kept Afghanistan alive. The Balouchi problem is not going anywhere by public hangings and jailing of their leaders.

Is it not ironic, that the IRI that sympathizes with the cause of Palestinian suicide bombers subjects the "terrorists" inside Iran (who have been seeking national independence even before inception of the IRI) in a manner that if Israel conducted it would guarantee a call for its "obliteration" by the good and zealous people of the middle east?!?!

In this picture, three men are hanging dead!

From the body language of the crowd, I feel a call for "closure" and "revenge" is addressed. If these desires for revenge and closure didn't exist, the IRI would not dare killing even killers in public. Remember, two weeks ago they killed the Kurds, the heroic teacher, and the innocent woman in hiding and even refused to return their corpses to their families! Then, there may be more to carrying these public executions.

But, what is revenge begetting the rulers, or the men who are cheering on the event of death?

I don't know who will persuade the IRI to do without the capital punishment anytime soon. Perhaps since they are after becoming a super-power, they are competing with China and the USA, the other two major killer-states?!

Khoramshahr: defiant on the anniversary of its liberation!



This shameless man thinks by wearing a green shawl he is divesting the opposition movement of its symbolic color!

The fool that he is!

The people of Khoramshahr (which was liberated from Iraqi occupation on this day) are shouting in unison:

Bi-Kari
Bi-Kari
Bi-Kari
[Unemployment]

overpowering his senseless propaganda about his grand national plans ...

Simply, the brave people of the "frontline", are defying "the enemy within" ...
Judging from the enthusiastic reception this video is receiving, perhaps this is the beginning of their end!

I just pray they won't open fire on labour protesters soon.

P.S. they are now executing from the Baluchestan; the other hot-zone on the eastern border with Pakistan.

Hijab Power-Play again; Another Desperate Act, again!

The desperate goons of Ahmadinejadist persuasion have promised a new round of persecution of the bi-Hijabs (i.e. people who do not observe the government imposed dress code: requiring women to cover their hair and skin--save hands, feet, face; and men to not wear t-shirts, tight pants and sport excessive/stylized hair/beard styles. The picture is an example provided by Fars News, Ahmadinejad's mouthpiece.

The women activists and the civic-society activists are tolling the warning bells; rightly so! "Hijab is an instrument of power in the hands of the authoritarian government." It is not only the instrument of their power, but also a manifestation of their grip/control on the society.

In modern Iran (i.e. after the constitutional revolution) the rulers have invariably used women for political intentions: whereas the Quajars killed the brightest of them on charges of scandalous blasphemy (she dropped her veil in public); Pahlavis legislated them out of veil, making Hijab illegal; Khomeini legislated them into veil; Khatami won their vote on the promise of freedom of dress and social rights; Ahmadinejad is struggling hard to look pro-women; albeit in his schizophrenic way: promoting idiot mindless women such as his minister of health (the first female member of cabinet since inception of IRI) who fit the patriarchy bill!

I remember the first round of Hijab-fascism well. I remember it because my mother was an official feminist before revolution; not one of those who thought women's right were inversely proportional to the length of their skirt--rather one who believed women should not be objectified, should not be reduced to pretty sexual eye candies. She believed in women having equal (if not more) capabilities than men had. I remember this common narrative about how she took assignments in such frightening rural areas in Iran that her male counterparts didn't dare to.

When revolution came, all those who worked under mother's department ran to black veils; suddenly the most flirtatious and sexually exhibitionist of them adopted chador; the most drunk and morally decadent men of her department began wearing a beard and stopped shaving. Soon, those people reached the top; became the bosses; and who was the first to fire? My mother!

I remember when revolution and Hijab came! For the first few months, mother wore a little Dior scarf over her coiffured short brown hair. My father too, refused to not wear a tie, to not wear crisp pants. Revolution had come, but my parents did not change their dress code. This, together with their refusal to allow their departments being robbed (literally, with trucks) out of items that belonged to the tax-payers, by young revolutionaries, accelerated the appearance of their names in media as "anti-revolutionaries" to be "cleansed" out of the government.

My own encounter with forced Hijab came later. I was 8.5 at that time. I went to a semi-private elementary school. It was a small school with enlightened staff. When mother wore her little scarf for the first time; I too wore a large pink georgette scarf over my beautifully made gray uniform (with a white dantel collar and a pleated skirt, buttoned nicely in front, tight around the waist--mother never let us wear pret-a-porter; our clothes were carefully designed and made by herself.) I remember I also wore a pair of dotted pink trousers under my uniform. I wanted my hijab to be complete; and in my young mind, I also wanted to be fashionable--hence the matching scarf/pant color!

I walked to the school with my mother; and we were greeted by the principal who always stood in front of the door when students arrived. She too was wearing a scarf; but as soon as she saw me she burst into laughter: "what's that you are wearing?" I don't remember what I said, I remember she and mother talking and nagging at the current situation a bit and then I took the pink georgette off and went to my class. It was only in the last year of elementary school that I was FORCED to wear a bucket for uniform, and a hair covering scarf over that--and that's because we moved to a different city; a conservative one!

Again, my Hijab zeal made for a funny story that my friends and I still laugh at! My mother bought me a really hair-covering scarf made in some Muslim country. I wore the "complete" Hijab, went to school, and my teacher introduced me to a student who was from the same city I had just arrived from! The student happened to be Bahai, and seeing my complete Hijab, she feared I was a fundamentalist muslim being forced on her! I gave up that fashion statement too; and resorted to a white scarf!

And then, I grew up in 10 years of being harassed over my hijab; in school, in streets, in university. There was always something I was picked on:
Your winter coat is pink!
Your shoes are white!
Your pants are too tight!
Your pants are too loose!
Your overcoat's opening in the back is too high!
Your scarf in the back is not low (I had long hair that I braided, and it always stuck out of the back of my hejab! So I put it in my manteau, which made it look as if I had a hunch!)
Your shawl is red!
Don't sit behind "brothers"
Don't sit in front of "brothers"
Is that eye liner?
Is that nail polish?
etc
etc
I was even picked on for wearing a Jean jacket--it was a western symbol! And this one really sucked because I was raised under my mother's strict "no-logo" "anti-western" doctrine. Mother did not allow VCR machines in the house--because she thought imported films from abroad were trash. I was perhaps the only teenager of my days who didn't own a madonna/ michael jackson/george michael poster in her room! Mother wanted us to be original and creative; and somehow the creativity, which was fully home-grown made me more of an odd ball--I managed to be called to the principal's office and punished more often than others with real western tendencies.

But, what did this Hijab do to me?

Truth is; it only helped to crystallize my rebellion, and my awareness of this inverted objectification of my sexuality. Perhaps, if I were not forced to scarf, if I were not harassed because of my choice of colours, I would not have fully grasped the desperation of those who ruled me in the name of religion. Perhaps, my disdain for Islam and Hijab should be credited to IRI! I am happy that all measures the IRI took made me question religion, while making me aware of the power of my sexuality.

The Hijab fascism, however, made it impossible for people like my mother to remain in the society. She refused to go back to work--although she was invited back some years later. She refused to wear a bucket; it suffocated her. And she wasn't the only one who decided to stay off. Although many were not as stubborn as she and my aunt were, and they camouflaged into Hijab, while being the soldier of the women's camp.
Mother also decided to send me away--she thought I was a misfit for that society (and she was right). She also relaxed her anti-western policies on my younger siblings--but somehow even they never acquired a Madonna poster.

Mother did some thing else too: when the vigilantes harassed my youngest sister or mother, who can not still wear a scarf quite properly, she pulls them aside and recites to them Koranic verses, with interpretations, thus either shaming the vigilantes with their ignorance, or annoying the hell out of them to have to listen to a granny. After all, mother's still charismatic and calm, and fascism in Iran is not THAT bad to raise a baton over a respectful, aloof, soft-spoken grand mother.

P.S. if you have noticed, Iran is run by really ugly men! I assure you that the average population of Iranians is not this grim/gross looking. But being ugly guarantees you success in the IRI :) The ugly men of IRI cannot help their arousal seeing inaccessibly beautiful and fashionable women and men parading the streets. This has nothing to do with religion. It really is just an inferiority complex that raises these fascist practices.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Ahmadinejad's touch fetish!


I have previously drawn attention to Ahmadinejad's romantic side!

But this new picture of his trying to hold the Serbian Pres' hand is something else ... :)

Sunday, May 16, 2010

More Executions Lined Up: Tehran Prosecutor Talks of the Trap for Mousavi!

[I am VERY angry, reader's discretion advised. my anger is expressed in brackets.]

Six more executions are lined up. This time, the victims are alleged of relation to MKO. Juding from what Tehran's Prosecutor, Jafari Dolatabadi has juat said , it appears to me they are intent on killing more so-called proven "moharebs" to corner Mousavi into raising objections to unlawful executions, thus by prosecute him on charges of supporting the anti-revolutionary traitors. Here's some of what Jafari has said to this effect:

"Many of the positions that the defeated electon candidates have adopted are against the law [!], but we are acting according to Nezam's interest, therefore we are postponing confronting them to later. But it doesn't mean their statements are not criminal. To prosecute them as heads of the conspiracy is on the agenda of what interests the Islamic Republic Nezam! (Nezam=system, akak dictatorship]

Their statements in support of the anti-revolutionaries condemned to death is a statement separate from their election statemens and is against the principles [which?] and we will deal with it in time."

Then the mother !@$@# goes through what he considers "proof" of the convict's guilt and follows with salivating over upcoming execution of Mohammad Ali Saremi, Jafar Kazemi and Mohammad-Ali Haj Aghayee, whose connection to MKO is established--he says. Then continues:
The defeated candidates who have condemned the recent executions, have essentially supported these convicts and the anti-revolutionary groups and have questioned the final verdict of the court. When a verdict is confirmed, no one has the right to accuse the judiciary [am i the only one who is not getting the logic of this mother #!$#$%?] and to make the enemies of the IRI happy by having them believe we have executed the innocent and this is a great injustice.
The illogical blabber after he threatens legal action against Mousavi and Karoubi, because of their critical statements, continues:
We have repeatedly said that we differentiate between criticism and committing a crime. According to the constitution and the Press Law, criticism of the actions of the officials of the IRI is free and no one should worry about that. Both during the life of Imam [khomeini] and during the rule of the supreme leader, criticism has been free [liar liar liar]. But what is prohibited is questioning the pillars of the revolution [mother !@$!#%, Mousavi & Karoubi are a pillar of the @!#$$% revolution themselves] and supporting actions that are against the law. [can ANY lawyer make sense of this bullshit?]

The judiciary acts according to the law, but as Imam said, the Islamic Nezam has interests that may be outside of our understading! [Wow! does this asshole have a law degree?] Therefore, if we are not responding to teh call of people to confront the heads of the conspiracy [uhmmmm which people, the editor of Keyhan?] it is not because of our weakness, negligence, ignorance or agreements with them or carelessness, but because the time has not come yet.

Bottom line: critical=criminal!

But what strengthens suspicion that these executions are Mousavi-Trap is that Jafari has drawn parallels between the ongoing executions, and the killings of 1367 (1988) when Mousavi was the prime minister. In other words, he is trying to push a wedge between Mousavi and the Green movement. Let's see how this goes!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Statement and Analysis of Kurdish Reformists about Recent Executions


Source: Emrooz

The totalitarians can never drag to violence, our civil and peaceful movement for the human and legal rights of Kurds.


Respectable people of Iran,
Dear Kurdish compatriots,

Last week, 5 young countrymen were executed on the charges of terrorism and "moharebeh" (combat) by the judiciary system. The coordinating council of reformist Kurds, offers condolences to the families of the victims of this violence, and all compatriots; and expresses gratitute for the compassion and sympathy of personalities, parties, and different sectors of the society; and especially thanks the wise position adopted by Mrs Mousavi, Karoubi and Ms Zahra Rahnavard. These homogenous reactions are proof of coherence and compassion for the pain shared by all IRanians, of all religion and ethnicity and emphasize the following important points:

1) Our initial analysis is that a minority of war mongering and violence instigating individuals, whosustain themselves on unrest and tension in different parts of the country, are unhappy about the relative calm and peace on Kurdistan in the past few years, and seek to provoke violence. Therefore, we seriously warn all those who plan for violence, that resorting to violence from any group and faction will set a fire that will burn all.

2) According to what is heard from the victims and their lawyers, it is certain that non of the charges against these individuals were proven in the court of law, and the evidence registered in the court could have never led to a death penalty. As Mr Mousavi's statement emphasized, people have the right to be informed of the steps and quality of prosecution of the suspects. How is it that the details of an infamous person like Hossein Shariatmadari who has targeted the dignity and integrity of decent peopel of this country are broadcast in the so-called "national media", but a court that condemns 5 Iranians to death is held outside of the view of the public?

3) Some letters of these individuals, and stories of their inmates and their families indicate the bitter reality that these individuals have undergone torture to admit to crimes they had not committed. It is obvious, according to the explicit order of Constitution, that confession under such conditions cannot be used to deliver such verdict. These statements, and the fact that the trial and the execution of these individuals has taken place secretly sheds serious doubts on the judiciary due diligence.

4) It is heard that Farzad Kamangar was planning to write a note entitled "I am and Iranians, I am a Kurdish Iranian"; and that Shirin Alam-Hooli, in talking to her lawyer, expresses her wish to become a lawyer to defend the innocent, it is surprising how the judiciary system that finds excuses to postpone carrying the execution verdict of the criminals of the Kahrizak prison, has rushed to send the youth of this country to gallows, without any legal or juristic justification, and while the country is under the crisis of internal solidarity [with the government] and external threats against national security. The question remains, would the IRI have benefited better from executing the Kahrizak murderers, or these 5 innocent jailed young people?

5)As stated before, and repeatedly mentioned in previous years, the Kurdish reformists are against any movement that may lead to violence. History has shown us that between the people and the government, violence leads to a detrimental cycle. Just as we have perpetually condemned the violent actions of some factions, we condemn the violence of the the execution of these five young innocent individuals, and we reiterate to the political and civil activists to not fall in the trap of those who seek violence; and ask politicians, and security and judiciary forces to not violate the citizen rights by such unjust and illegal actions. Obviously, such actions widen the rift between the people and the government.

6) It seems that this action of the judiciary (which, judging from its actions in the past year, seems to be operating under the spell of the political and security forces) has taken place coincidentally with the anniversary of 22 Khordad (12 June, election day) to send an intimidation warning to the green movement. Throughout the history, the proud people of Kurdestan have constantly paid a high price for the freedom and democracy movements of Iran. Let them be the pioneers of this hard path again. But the mindless rulers must have now well known that torture and fire, killing and jailing and raping the brave children of this nation, will never deter them of the path they have chosen. Better if they learn from the history; and do not disillusion people out of hope for reforming this system; and instead of authoritarian, arrogant and atrocious actions, submit to the rule of law and permit the people to mark the future of the country without inflammation.

Again, we offer condolences to the grand people of Iran, and especially the families of the victims and our honored kurdish compatriots; we feel ourselves part of this tragedy. The totalitarian faction should know, that these actions will not distract the peaceful and civil movement for Kurd's right into violence. We have no doubt that all factions and political activists in Kurdestan are alert, and with acute intelligence, while sympathizing with the families of the victims, prevent the wish of the violence-seekers come true.

The coordinating council of reformist Kurds
May 14, 2010

Thursday, May 13, 2010

The shocking executions have distracted attention from the following:


1) Mottaki hosted a dinner for the UN security council. "Western diplomats called it a rare move for a visiting dignitary such as Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki to host a dinner for all the council's 15 member nations.Western diplomats called it a rare move for a visiting dignitary such as Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki to host a dinner for all the council's 15 member nations."..."The occasion served as one of the highest-ranking contacts in recent years between the U.S. and Iran, which lack formal relations."

2) Iran's auditor General issued a damning report of the economic calamity of the Ahmadinejad Government. In summary: Government's handling of oil revenues is quite murky and several irregularities and fraud may have taken place. This report has boldened the parliament in launching loud attacks against the government

3) Hashemi, who has been silent in the past few months, and whose son is under an arrest warrant, has come out to condemn the politics of imprisonment, torture and intimidation--drawing direct parallels between the heroism of the jailed generation of today, and that of his; implying, more directly that before, that Khamenei is walking in the Shah's shoes!

4) Right after the execution of the innocent Kurds, Iran issued permission for the family of the three American hikers to visit their families!

5) and of course ... the Iranians are nto silent about the execusions ... I don't know what politics motivated these criminal killings; but I strongly sense this was a provocation ... someone could be aiming to ride the tide of the genuine emotions this has stirred ... Mousavi and Karoubi have expressed grief, but have not used this tragedy to stirr emotions. If anything, Mousavi's reiterated that he remains committed to peaceful opposition.

But, I am suspicious of Hashemi; and of Larijanis ... Larijani's has been kissing the IRGC's ass recently and Hashemi's web page http://www.hashemirafsanjani.ir/ is scrolling through a few "provocative" memoirs of his; opening the "election fraud" book again! It appears to me, that some "opposition" is growing from within the system--this opposition knows that they too are hated by the people; so are they trying to pull the rug from under Ahmadinejad in collusion with his cronies? This second coup d'etat will not be in favour of the greens either.

I am watching, eyes wide open!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

They EXECUTED Her: Shirin Alam Hooli

She was 28 years old; born in a village near a small town Maku. She was arrested two years ago; tortured; and sentenced to 2 years of prison for trying to leave the country illegally; and death for connections to PJAK. A few weeks ago; she wrote a letter. I wish I wasn't so late in translating it ... but I do now ... not because i am not depressed anymore; but just to tell you of the nature of the beast that's working hard to disintegrate my country, by targeting the ethnic minorities; stirring their justifiable hatred with unjustifiable executions, and fermenting violence, only to beget more violence ... The "ENEMY" of Iran is now wearing the cloak of the judiciary ...

Here's her letter:
My prison time has entered the third year; that is three years of suffering behind Evin bars, two years of which i spent in confusion, without a lawyer and without even a charge communicated. In those days of confusion, i spent bitter days in the hands of the IRGC and then interrogations of the 209 ward began. After the 209 interrogations, I was sent to the common women ward, where my frequent requests for a decision on my case were ignored until I was handed in an unjust death sentence.

Why have I been imprisoned; and why should I be executed? Is it because I am a Kurd? Then I tell you: I was born Kurd; and because of being Kurd I have suffered deprivation.

My language is Kurdish, a language with which I have grown up and formed bounds to my family, friends and acquaintances. But I am not permitted to speak my language, to read it, to be educated in it, not even to write it.

They tell me deny my Kurdish heritage, but if I do that I have denied my existence.

Honorable Judge, Mister interrogator!!

When you interrogated me, I could not even understand your language. I have learned Persian from friends in the two years I have been in jail. You interrogated and prosecuted me in your own language, when I didn't know what is happening and could not defend myself.

The tortures you did have become my nightmares; and my days are spent with the pains of torture. The blows to my head have damaged my skull. Some days, an unbearable headache attacks; they are so sever that I lose consciousness; become disoriented for hours and at the end when the pain becomes unbearable my nose bleeds until i slowly recover.

The other gift of [the interrogators] is weakness of my vision, which is worsening by day; and my request for glasses is still unanswered. When I walked into the prison, my hair was all black and now after three years they are turning gray.

I know you have not done this just to me and my family; but to all Kurdish children like Zeynab Jalalian, Rounak Saffarzadeh and .... The Kurd mothers' eyes are wet in desire of seeing their children again; they are constantly worried about what is to come; each telephone ring is the omen of their child's execution.

Today, (2-May-2010) after a long while I was taken for interrogation to 209; the baseless accusations repeated, and I was asked to cooperate to get my death sentence reduced. I don't know what cooperation means when I have no more information than I have already given them. They asked me to repeat what I had said before; which I didn't. The interrogator told me that they wanted to release me last year but because my family didn't cooperate my case has come this far. The interrogator himself confessed that I am just a ransom; kept until they get what they want or executed, but freedom, never.

Serkeftin [Victory]
Shirin Alam Hooli
3-5-2010


P.S. Here's an earlier letter of her description of prison treatment.

P. P. S: A Kurdish song by Mohsen Namjoo; entitled Shirin. Shirin in Persian means sweet; Shirin is the "Juliet" of Persian stories; she is the beloved of all: the lover of Cyrus for whom Farhad carved the mountain ... Bistoon ... the mounyain of love in Iran's Kurdistan ... the hanging of this woman is eating me up ...