Peyvast

I just saw an old counter-clock in a restaurant while I was having dinner.

What a great idea!

NOW I can have all the TIME I want…

Can’t wait to buy me one!

1979 was the year that the Iranians almost unanimously elected an Islamic system of government in Iran. In fact that was not only an Iranian choice but the obvious choice of the Western and Eastern powers whom by withdrawing their support from the Shah and later democratic prime minister Bakhtiar and by supporting Ayatollah Khomeini and his Islamic revolution coerced in to a transfer of power in the Middle East that later proved to be disastrous not only to Iranians but to the rest of the world.

The creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran was the result of a joint error by the Iranian nation and major world powers that created a geopolitical shift which resulted in the expansion of the Islamic Extremism not only in Iran but in whole Middle East and the world. This turning point later caused other waves of Islamic extremism such as Al Qaeda and its direct attacks on US soil (9/11) as well as other major cities around the world.

30 years later on June 12, 2009 Iranians are facing another major decision that soon can result in a chain of other serious consequences for them and for the rest of the world. Although the center of power in Iran remains to be in the hands of its supreme leader and other unelected officials but this time, it is the Iranian presidential elections that will mark a turning point in the direction of events in Iran and the world.

The current four presidential choices presented to Iranians by the unelected Guardian Council of the Islamic Republic can be categorized in to two camps of:  Extremists (Mahmoud Ahmeadinejad and Mohsen Rezai) or more moderates (Mir Hussein Mousavi and Ayatollah Karoubi),  Ahmeadinejad and Mousavi being the front runners of each camp.

The Iranian presidential elections of 2009, in a way also mirrors the choices that Americans had between continuation of status quo of Bush era extremism reflected in John McCain and supported by the religious right or a choice of a change for a more moderate and acceptable candidate; Barack Hussein Obama.

But the similarity does not end there. There is another common scenario that played just before the scheduled vacuum and transfer of the power from the right to the center (Bush to Obama) and that was Israel’s launch of an attack on Hamas extremists at the all costs which resulted in many civilian casualties as well as weakening of Hamas military positions. Hamas being the ruling extremist Islamic party that was popularly elected by the Palestinians and supported by Iran. The invasion of Gaza in a way was also similar to previous Israeli invasion of Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, another extremist party supported by Iran, a war which also resulted in many civilian casualties.

Ahmadinejad’s constant verbal attack on the existence of Israel to the point of denial of Holocaust which was the starting cause of creation of Israel combined with the nuclear and missile technology advancements and ambitions of the extremists within the Islamic Regime of Iran has been of a serious concern to the government of Israel and western nations.

 It is historically proven that anytime Israeli’s have found their existence or security to be in serious danger, without any hesitation and at all costs including civilian casualties they have attacked the source of their concern. The invasions of Gaza and Southern Lebanon in the past few years have been only two examples of such fundamental strategy.

Obama administration has openly and behind the scenes been discouraging Israel of attacking Iran which to this date Israeli’s has complied with. However the agreement has not been indefinite and it has only been postponed until the outcome of the elections in Iran. In fact all along Obama administration has been aware of the high probability of an Israeli attack and has been preparing itself for the potential expansion of the war by Iran to other areas such as Persian Gulf. The decision to deploy in two phases 10’s on thousands of new military personnel to Afghanistan, among other reasons, has been part of this preparedness. The issue was also discussed behind closed doors with the Turkish Officials during the recent Obama visit. In fact US forces have militarily surrounded Islamic Republic from Turkey to Iraq to Kuwait, to Persian Gulf, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Regime of Iran has been aware of these developments and behind the scene has also been preparing itself for a potential attack on its nuclear facilities. Earlier this week Iran successfully tested its newly made medium range missile capable of more precise strikes at the heart of Israel.

The missile launch immediately caused a code red military alert by Israel.  As a result United States military this week and in the middle of the night (US time) put its forces worldwide on notice with specific preparedness order for a possible Israel/US/Iran war.

None of these recent alerts have been made public but neither were the surprise attack on Gaza shortly after Obama’s election.

On June 12 the decision of a potential war on Iran is determined, but not in Tel Aviv or Washington but in the polling stations of Iran. If by popular vote or by some other mysterious way, either names of Mahmoud Ahmeadinejad or Mohsen Rezaei (extremist former revolutionary guard chief who is on the Interpol top wanted list) comes out of the ballots of the Islamic Republic, short of any major new developments on either side, a war triangle of Israel/US/Iran will most likely be inevitable soon.  

Warning to Iran and Middle East : At the current rate of use , only 42 more years of oil is left !

Source Worldometer:

English: http://www.worldometers.info/

Persian: http://www.worldometers.info/fa/

A word of thanks to Nazanin Afshin-jam for sharing this brilliant video clip:

A recent poem by a  poet friend whom I have not seen for a long time , I used to know him as Raha (Free):

I am of air, of breezes, winds,
I who am of soil, dust and matter
seared by flames and fire,
locked together, cell to cell
hollow I am a vessel
till soul rings the bell.

I have much to say about a great Iranian man who is victim of Islamic Republic , Ayatollah Boroujerdi. The sad thing is that just because he is a religious man he is not getting the deserved attention by some of Iranian activists. I get to this later but for now this an urgent action call I just received from Amnesty International . I sometimes think that Iranians have (and had) many great leaders but do not have committed and conscious followers. Many nations such as South Africa with only one of them changed their destiny forever.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

PUBLIC  AI Index: MDE 13/045/2009   14 May 2009

 

Further Information on 262/06 (MDE 13/114/2006, 29 September 2006) and follow-up (MDE 13/120/2006, 13 October 2006; MDE 134/2006, 11 December 2006; MDE 13/140/2007, 30 March 2007; MDE 074/2007, 15 June 2007;MDE 13/103/2007, 10 August 2007 and MDE 13/135/2008, 11 September 2008) -  Arbitrary arrest/ fear for safety/ possible prisoner of conscience/ medical concern/torture and ill-treatment 

 

IRAN                         Ayatollah Sayed Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi (m), aged 50, Shi’a cleric

                              

Ayatollah Sayed Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi was subjected to beatings on 5 May 2009 in Yazd Central Prison, central Iran, where he was transferred in the latter part of 2008. He has been held in solitary confinement since 27 January 2009. He may be a prisoner of conscience, held only because of his religious beliefs.

 

On 1 May, Ayatollah Sayed Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi wrote a letter to the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, requesting that international observers be sent to Iran in order to pave the way and to assist Iranian people in an open referendum on the system of government (see letter at  http://www.hrairan.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=967:456&catid=66:304&Itemid=293). Following this letter, Ayatollah Boroujerdi was beaten in prison on 5 May and in protest he began a hunger strike. The prison authorities reportedly told the Ayatollah’s family that his telephone privileges of calling his family and lawyer were being suspended and that he was being punished for his latest statements about a referendum. There is no information available to Amnesty International as to his present condition with regard to his hunger strike.

 

Ayatollah Sayed Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment on 13 August 2007. According to the judgement he will serve one year in a prison in Tehran and the remaining ten years in a prison in another part of the country. He has been repeatedly denied adequate treatment for his medical concerns including Parkinson’s Disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems. Ayatollah Boroujerdi is reported to have been repeatedly tortured and ill-treated since his arrest. His family have appointed lawyers for him but, the Special Court for the Clergy (SCC) has refused to allow them to defend him on the grounds that only clerics appointed by the Judiciary can make representations on his behalf.

 

Ayatollah Sayed Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi advocates the removal of religion from the political basis of the |ranian state. He was arrested at his home in Tehran on 8 October 2006 along with more than 300 of his followers. He and 17 followers were initially sentenced to death, but the death sentences were later dropped. In addition to his sentence of 11 years’ imprisonment, Ayatollah Boroujerdi was also banned from practicing his clerical duties and his house and all his belongings were confiscated.

 

Most of the 77 followers of Ayatollah Boroujerdi who also faced trial, have now been released. Five of them are however, serving prison terms ranging between 2 and 5 years.

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The SCC, which operates outside the framework of the judiciary, was established in 1987 by Ayatollah Khomeini to try members of the Shi’a religious establishment in Iran. Its procedures fall far short of international standards for fair trial: among other things, defendants can only be represented by clergymen nominated by the court, who are not required to be legally qualified. In some cases the defendant has been unable to find any nominated cleric willing to undertake the defence and has been tried without any legal representation. The court can hand down sentences including flogging and the death penalty.

 

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:

- calling for a prompt and impartial investigation into allegations that Ayatollah Boroujerdi has been tortured or otherwise ill-treated, and, with its methods and findings made public;

- urging the authorities to end the practice of solitary confinement, in line with the recommendations made by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention;

- seeking assurances that he is not being tortured or otherwise ill-treated in detention;

- urging the authorities to allow Ayatollah Sayed Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi to receive adequate medical attention and regular access to family visits;

- expressing concern that Ayatollah Sayed Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi and his detained followers may be prisoners of conscience, who should be immediately released if not promptly charged with a recognizably criminal offence and given a fair trial;

- expressing concern that Ayatollah Sayed Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi has been denied the right to adequate and regular access to legal representation of his choice.

 

APPEALS TO:

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi

c/o Director, Judiciary Public Relations and Information Office

Ardeshir Sadiq

Judiciary Public Relations and Information Office

No. 57, Pasteur St., corner of Khosh Zaban Avenue

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email:            info@dadiran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)

Salutation:      Your Excellency

 

COPIES TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email:            info_leader@leader.ir

via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=letter (English)

http://www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php?p=letter (Persian)

Salutation:      Your Excellency

 

Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran

Mohammad Javad Larijani

Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh / Office of the Head of the Judiciary

Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri

Tehran 1316814737, Iran

Fax:              +98 21 3390 4986 (please keep trying)

Email:            info@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Javad Larijani)

Salutation:      Dear Mr Larijani

 

and to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

 

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 25 June.