Parliamentary attempt to abolish blasphemy law
From the National Secular Society
We have been working closely with our Honorary Associate Dr Evan Harris MP, who has identified an opportunity to challenge the blasphemy law in the House of Commons.
On Wednesday, 9 January, Dr Harris will table as an amendment to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill. Below is a letter we have been working on with him which will appear in the Daily Telegraph signed by a large number of other Honorary Associates and prominent supporters of the NSS as well as some other worthy names from a religious and other spheres.
The letter itself makes the case forcibly:
"In the light of the widespread outrage at the conviction of the British teacher for blasphemy in Sudan over the name of a teddy bear we believe it is now time to repeal our own blasphemy law.
"The ancient common law of blasphemous libel purports to protect beliefs rather than people or communities. Most religious commentators are of the view that the Almighty does not need the "protection" of such a law. We are representatives of religious, secular, legal and artistic opinion in this country and share the view that the blasphemy offence serves no useful purpose. Yet it allows small partisan organisations or well-funded individuals to try to censor broadcasters like the BBC and to intimidate small theatres, the printed media and book publishers.
"Far from protecting public order — for which other laws are more suited — it actually damages social cohesion. It is discriminatory in that it only covers attacks on Christianity and Church of England tenets and thus engenders an expectation among other religions that their sensibilities should be also protected by the criminal law (as with the attempt to charge Salman Rushdie) and a sense of grievance among minority religions that they do not benefit from their own version of such a law.
"As the Law Commission acknowledged as far back as 1985, when they recommended repeal, it is uncertain in scope, lack of intention is no defence and yet it is unlimited in penalty. This, together with its chilling effect on free expression and its discriminatory impact, leaves it in clear breach of human rights law and in the end no one is ever likely to be convicted under it.
"The Church of England no longer opposes its abolition and the Government has given no principled reason to defend its retention. We call upon MPs to support the amendment proposed by Dr Evan Harris, Frank Dobson and John Gummer (tbc) tomorrow during the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill Report stage proceedings and for the Government — which rightly criticises countries like Sudan for their blasphemy laws — to give it a fair wind."
If you support the abolition of blasphemy laws, we urge you please to write immediately to your MP, preferably by email, explaining you would like them to support Dr Harris's amendment on Wednesday and add in your own words why you think this is important. You could perhaps use some of the ideas in the above letter, but please do not reproduce them all.
It is best if you can to contact your MP by email – you can find out details if you don't know them from this website. This allows you to write to the correct MP by putting in your postcode. Whatever method you use to contact your MP, it is essential to include your name and full address.
If for any reason you would prefer to write by letter, you can send it by fax by phoning 020 7219 3000 and asking for the MPs office and requesting a fax number. Alternatively you could write to them at House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA, but in view of the urgency we would urge you to use email or fax if possible.
The NSS has been fighting for the abolition of blasphemy for the whole of its 140 year history. We have been working with Dr Harris on this important issue for some weeks including over the seasonal break assisting with research and soliciting the support of many influential individuals.
We know you will want to add your support.
Please act straight away, there is very little time.
The fruits of our efforts will not be clear for some considerable time as the Bill has to go through several readings in both Houses of Parliament, but we will keep you informed of its progress through Newsline. We are most grateful for your support.
Terry Sanderson
President
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Monday, January 07, 2008
Women of the Year
Mina Ahadi and Maryam Namazie have been selected as two of the top 45 women of the year by Elle Quebec (Canada) for their work in the Councils of Ex-Muslims. To see the cover and relevant page, click here.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
On Benazir Bhutto
The below is a letter to the editor that was not published today by the Observer:
When Benazir Bhutto's father was executed by General Zia-ul-Haq, no western commentator could have pointed to the Islamist generalissimo as a herald of Social justice and expect to get away with it.
Yet this is precisely how William Dalrymple now explains and apologises for the "rise" of the Islamic right in Pakistan ("Pakistan's flawed and feudal princess", 30 December). The Jamaat-e-Islami were Zia's most fervent and violent supporters; more recently they threatened to resign their assembly seats if Zia's notorious Hudood ordinances on rape (whereby a rape victim could be stoned if she could not produce four male witnesses) were changed; and today
their totalitarian manifesto includes the death penalty for anyone who leaves Islam.
In any sane political discourse, uncoloured by cultural relativism, this politics is fascistic. The political Islamic movement offers the Pakistani people and the Middle East nothing that they haven't already suffered under Zia, Musharraf or any pro-western dictatorship.
Maryam Namazie
Spokesperson
Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain
When Benazir Bhutto's father was executed by General Zia-ul-Haq, no western commentator could have pointed to the Islamist generalissimo as a herald of Social justice and expect to get away with it.
Yet this is precisely how William Dalrymple now explains and apologises for the "rise" of the Islamic right in Pakistan ("Pakistan's flawed and feudal princess", 30 December). The Jamaat-e-Islami were Zia's most fervent and violent supporters; more recently they threatened to resign their assembly seats if Zia's notorious Hudood ordinances on rape (whereby a rape victim could be stoned if she could not produce four male witnesses) were changed; and today
their totalitarian manifesto includes the death penalty for anyone who leaves Islam.
In any sane political discourse, uncoloured by cultural relativism, this politics is fascistic. The political Islamic movement offers the Pakistani people and the Middle East nothing that they haven't already suffered under Zia, Musharraf or any pro-western dictatorship.
Maryam Namazie
Spokesperson
Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain
At least 50 and possibly hundreds of Ahwazi Arabs
According to an Amnesty International Urgent Action, on 30 December, at least 50 and possibly hundreds of men from Iran’s Ahwazi Arabs were arrested as they attended a memorial in Ahvaz City, the capital of the south-western Khuzestan province. They were detained following an attack by members of the police and Bassij forces.
Those arrested, whose numbers have been reported by Ahwazi groups to be between 200 and 300, have been taken to an unknown location, and their family members have as yet received no information as to their whereabouts or wellbeing. It is feared that they could be tortured or otherwise ill-treated in detention.
Amnesty International has received the names of 53 people said to have been arrested at the time. The organisation has also been informed that a number of people were injured when security forces opened fire on the crowd. These included 18 -year-old Amir Heydari, who was injured in the leg.
The memorial was being held on the seventh day after the death of Mehdi Heydari at the hands of security forces. An Ahwazi Arab in his twenties, he had been wanted by security forces for some time and had gone into hiding. He had returned home for a short visit, and was shot dead while trying to escape after officials from the Ministry of Intelligence surrounded his house.
To find out more and demand the political prisoners, click here.
Those arrested, whose numbers have been reported by Ahwazi groups to be between 200 and 300, have been taken to an unknown location, and their family members have as yet received no information as to their whereabouts or wellbeing. It is feared that they could be tortured or otherwise ill-treated in detention.
Amnesty International has received the names of 53 people said to have been arrested at the time. The organisation has also been informed that a number of people were injured when security forces opened fire on the crowd. These included 18 -year-old Amir Heydari, who was injured in the leg.
The memorial was being held on the seventh day after the death of Mehdi Heydari at the hands of security forces. An Ahwazi Arab in his twenties, he had been wanted by security forces for some time and had gone into hiding. He had returned home for a short visit, and was shot dead while trying to escape after officials from the Ministry of Intelligence surrounded his house.
To find out more and demand the political prisoners, click here.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Join 28 December demonstrations in solidarity with imprisoned students in Iran
More than two weeks ago 43 students and political activists across the cities of Iran were either abducted or were arrested before, during and after the national student day on 7 th December in Iran and all of them were imprisoned.
The arrested students who have not committed any crime but defending freedom and equality; those students who have expressed their opposition to the militarised atmosphere in the universities created by security forces; our comrades who have not committed any crime and only defended humanity and justice; the students who organised the national students day with slogans such as "No War", "University is Not a Militaries Camps", "No Sexual Apartheid", "Long Live Freedom & Equality", "Workers Unity", have been accused of actions against country's security including conspiracy and bombings.
It is a fact that political prisoners in horrible wards 209 and 325 of Evin prison live under difficult conditions. Every day we here news about bad health and worsening of the physical condition of our comrades. According to news we have received our friends are under torture and all physical and psychological pressure. We are gravely concerned about our comrades as their families are banned to visit them. Students' lawyers are not permitted to meet them and they are deprived of their basic human rights.
This treatment of students by the Islamic Republic has been faced with a fierce international protest. The amnesty international has organised a campaign to free students. The head of the EU Parliament has asked for their immediate release. During the last two weeks we have received hundreds of protest letters from across the world and numerous protest actions and demonstrations against the Islamic Republic and for immediate release of the imprisoned students have been organised.
On behalf of all students, we the Freedom and Equality – seeking Students are very proud of these waves of solidarity and thank all who were with and for us in these difficult days. But the fact of the matter is that despite all these efforts, our friends are still in prison.
To release the arrested students an international action is urgently required!
We call all the international organisations and campaigns to join us on 28th December to protest against the Islamic Republic and raise your voice to free the students in Iran. Your solidarity and joint actions all around the world will strengthen our efforts and make the release of our friends and comrades possible.
The movement for freedom and equality urgently needs your support and solidarity and united action.
Long Live Freedom!
Long Live Equality!
Freedom and Equality – seeking Students of Universities in Iran
19 December 2007 / 28th Azar 1386
The arrested students who have not committed any crime but defending freedom and equality; those students who have expressed their opposition to the militarised atmosphere in the universities created by security forces; our comrades who have not committed any crime and only defended humanity and justice; the students who organised the national students day with slogans such as "No War", "University is Not a Militaries Camps", "No Sexual Apartheid", "Long Live Freedom & Equality", "Workers Unity", have been accused of actions against country's security including conspiracy and bombings.
It is a fact that political prisoners in horrible wards 209 and 325 of Evin prison live under difficult conditions. Every day we here news about bad health and worsening of the physical condition of our comrades. According to news we have received our friends are under torture and all physical and psychological pressure. We are gravely concerned about our comrades as their families are banned to visit them. Students' lawyers are not permitted to meet them and they are deprived of their basic human rights.
This treatment of students by the Islamic Republic has been faced with a fierce international protest. The amnesty international has organised a campaign to free students. The head of the EU Parliament has asked for their immediate release. During the last two weeks we have received hundreds of protest letters from across the world and numerous protest actions and demonstrations against the Islamic Republic and for immediate release of the imprisoned students have been organised.
On behalf of all students, we the Freedom and Equality – seeking Students are very proud of these waves of solidarity and thank all who were with and for us in these difficult days. But the fact of the matter is that despite all these efforts, our friends are still in prison.
To release the arrested students an international action is urgently required!
We call all the international organisations and campaigns to join us on 28th December to protest against the Islamic Republic and raise your voice to free the students in Iran. Your solidarity and joint actions all around the world will strengthen our efforts and make the release of our friends and comrades possible.
The movement for freedom and equality urgently needs your support and solidarity and united action.
Long Live Freedom!
Long Live Equality!
Freedom and Equality – seeking Students of Universities in Iran
19 December 2007 / 28th Azar 1386
Friday, December 21, 2007
Never a choice
As I have said on many an occassion, the veil - socially speaking is never a choice.
Lest anyone forget, Hojatolislam Gholam Reza Hassani said: "women who do not respect the hijab and their husbands deserve to die." Hassani, who leads Friday prayers in the city of Urumieh, in Iranian Azerbaijan said "I do not understand how these women who do not respect the hijab, 28 years after the birth of the Islamic Republic, are still alive." He is the representative of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in eastern Azerbaijan.
Lest anyone forget, Hojatolislam Gholam Reza Hassani said: "women who do not respect the hijab and their husbands deserve to die." Hassani, who leads Friday prayers in the city of Urumieh, in Iranian Azerbaijan said "I do not understand how these women who do not respect the hijab, 28 years after the birth of the Islamic Republic, are still alive." He is the representative of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in eastern Azerbaijan.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Political prisoners in Iran need international solidarity
In a pre-emptive attack on independent student organizations the Islamic regime in Iran arrested dozens of politically active students prior to Student's Day (December 7), practically a day of protest against the status quo during decades of student struggles. However, despite the said arrests, the students celebrated their day by holding protest actions in different forms on a national level. In the course of those actions more students were arrested. At present there are forty-odd student activists from various parts of the country held in detention in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran, as well as in other known and unknown places.
The detained students have been subjected to torture and cruel treatment. The news of torture has gravely alarmed their families and the people at large. The trumped-up charges brought against the students have aggravated the widespread concerns for their lives. Among other things, the Ministry of Intelligence has released a communiqué with regards to the Leftist students claiming that “the troublemakers had already obtained slingshots, collected rocks, and made sonic hand grenades” or “the detainees were found in possession of a considerable amount of alcoholic beverages, immoral literature, heretical books, and leaflets with sacrilegious content.” Also, the state-run Raja-news website has published reports stating “following extensive nation-wide investigations of the universities, the core communist cell, with connections abroad (read: connections with opposition organizations abroad), has been discovered and arrested. The said communist cell plotted to raise riots at universities on December 7th through violent provocations, using incendiary devices such as Molotov cocktails and hand grenades ... etc.”
The fake and fabricated nature of such reports is obvious to all. However, these are heavy accusations used by the regime throughout its 30-year-long existence to line up thousands of freedom-seeking people against its firing squads. Today, it resorts to the same accusations against the students. This has, naturally, caused grave worries for the lives of the detained students among their families and the people at large. We simply have to thwart this conspiracy of the regime and free the imprisoned students by means of our international solidarity.
There is presently a massive protest movement underway for the release of the students at family, university, and town levels in various parts of the country. However, what is needed for a powerful fight for their immediate and unconditional release, as well as the release of all other political prisoners in Iran, is an extended global solidarity. We, therefore, call upon all individuals, institutions and organizations defending human rights to join our international campaign for the release of the recently arrested students and all other political prisoners languishing in the dungeons of the Islamic regime in Iran.
It should also be noted here that besides the detained students a large number of labor activists - among whom the internationally well-known Mahmoud Salehi, Mansour Osaanlou and Ebraahim Madadi - as well as scores of women who have resisted the regime’s current wave of mass intimidation on the pretext implementing its Hijab and other Islamic codes are in jail too.
An immediate demand of the Iranian people is the unconditional release of the recently arrested students, as well as all other political prisoners. Lend them your extensive international support so that they can open the prison gates, release their political prisoners and take their just struggles against the barbaric Islamic regime one step further.
The detained students have been subjected to torture and cruel treatment. The news of torture has gravely alarmed their families and the people at large. The trumped-up charges brought against the students have aggravated the widespread concerns for their lives. Among other things, the Ministry of Intelligence has released a communiqué with regards to the Leftist students claiming that “the troublemakers had already obtained slingshots, collected rocks, and made sonic hand grenades” or “the detainees were found in possession of a considerable amount of alcoholic beverages, immoral literature, heretical books, and leaflets with sacrilegious content.” Also, the state-run Raja-news website has published reports stating “following extensive nation-wide investigations of the universities, the core communist cell, with connections abroad (read: connections with opposition organizations abroad), has been discovered and arrested. The said communist cell plotted to raise riots at universities on December 7th through violent provocations, using incendiary devices such as Molotov cocktails and hand grenades ... etc.”
The fake and fabricated nature of such reports is obvious to all. However, these are heavy accusations used by the regime throughout its 30-year-long existence to line up thousands of freedom-seeking people against its firing squads. Today, it resorts to the same accusations against the students. This has, naturally, caused grave worries for the lives of the detained students among their families and the people at large. We simply have to thwart this conspiracy of the regime and free the imprisoned students by means of our international solidarity.
There is presently a massive protest movement underway for the release of the students at family, university, and town levels in various parts of the country. However, what is needed for a powerful fight for their immediate and unconditional release, as well as the release of all other political prisoners in Iran, is an extended global solidarity. We, therefore, call upon all individuals, institutions and organizations defending human rights to join our international campaign for the release of the recently arrested students and all other political prisoners languishing in the dungeons of the Islamic regime in Iran.
It should also be noted here that besides the detained students a large number of labor activists - among whom the internationally well-known Mahmoud Salehi, Mansour Osaanlou and Ebraahim Madadi - as well as scores of women who have resisted the regime’s current wave of mass intimidation on the pretext implementing its Hijab and other Islamic codes are in jail too.
An immediate demand of the Iranian people is the unconditional release of the recently arrested students, as well as all other political prisoners. Lend them your extensive international support so that they can open the prison gates, release their political prisoners and take their just struggles against the barbaric Islamic regime one step further.
Please send your protest letters to:
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street
Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Islamic Republic Street
Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Iran
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Iran
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Iran
Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran, Iran
Email
Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Iran
International Labour Solidarity Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran
Equal Rights Now; Organization for the Defense of Women’s Rights
International Federation of Iranian Refugees
International Committee against Execution
International Committee against Stoning
December 17, 2007
Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Iran
International Labour Solidarity Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran
Equal Rights Now; Organization for the Defense of Women’s Rights
International Federation of Iranian Refugees
International Committee against Execution
International Committee against Stoning
December 17, 2007
The latest list of detained students, and pictures of some of them
1- Milad Moyini (Mazandaran University) 2- Behrang Zandi (Mazandaran University) 3- Hamed Mohammadi (Mazandaran University) 4- Arash Pakzad (Mazandaran University) 5- Hasan Maarefi (Mazandaran University) 6- Anooshe Azadfar (Tehran University) 7- Ilnaz Jamshidi (Communications, Azad University, Central Tehran) 8- Mehdi Gerayloo (Geophysics, Tehran) 9- Nader Ehsani (Mazandaran University) 10-Sayid Habibi (ex-member of the Central Council of Advare Tahkime Vahdat) 11- Behrooz Karimi-zade (Tehran University) 12- Keyvan Amiri Elyasi (Masters, Industry, Sharif Technical University) 13- Nasim Soltan Beygi (Communications faculty, Allameh University) 14- Ali Salem (Masters of Polymers – Polytechnic University) 15- Mohsen Ghamin (Polytechnic University) 16- Roozbeh Saf-Shekan (Tehran University) 17- Roozbehan Amiri (Computer Science, Tehran University) 18-Yaser Pir Hayati (Shahed University) 19- Mahsa Mohebbi 20- Okhtay Hosseni (Azad University) 21- Sayid Agham Ali Khalili (Allameh University) 22- Behzad Bagheri (Tehran University) 23- Ali Kalayi 24- Amir Mehrzad 25- Hadi Salari (Rajaee University) 26- Farshid Farhadi Ahangaran (Rajaee University) 27- Amir Aghayi (Rajaee University) 28- Milad Omrani 29- Soroosh Hashempoor (Chamran University) and 30-Yoones Mirhossein (Student of Shiraz University) 31- Parsa Kermanjian (Kermanshah University) 32-Abed Tavanche 33- Reza Arab (Mazandaran University) 34- Sadra Pirhayaty(Shahed University) 35-Peyman Piran 36- Majid Ashrafnejad (Rajaee University) 37- Shovan Merikhi (Mazandaran University) 38- Sara Khademi (Mazandaran University) 39- Nima Nahvi (Mazandaran University) 40- Mohammad Saleh Ayuman (Tehran University) 41- Sohrab Karimi (Tehran University) 42- Farshad Dustipoor (Tehran University) 43- Javad Alizadeh (Tehran University)
Monday, December 17, 2007
Release imprisoned students now!
To read the timeline of the events leading up to the arrests of students provided by the Communist Youth Organisation, click here.
Help free jailed students in Iran now!
In the last two weeks more than 40 student leaders and activists* have been rounded up by the Ministry of Information of the Islamic regime of Iran. We have been informed that at least 43 of the detainees are being held in the notorious Evin Prison, and the whereabouts of the rest is unknown. These students were arrested on or before 7 December 2007 in anticipation of protests on Student Day**.
Many of you are aware of the brutality and oppressive nature of the Islamic regime of Iran. Many of you would not be surprised by the degree of its savagery. However, what is extremely worrying in these arrests is the fabricated charges that have been announced publicly against them by the regime and state-controlled media. The Ministry of Information has stated: "The rioters had obtained bows and arrows and stones and made sonic hand grenades... The detainees had in their possession a significant amount of alcoholic drinks and illegal and immoral literature containing insults to the sacred". The Rajanews website, linked to president Ahmadinejad, has said: "Following extensive nationwide investigations of the universities by the security organisations, the core of the communists who had connections with aboard has been identified and arrested. The communist cell's plan was to create riots in the universities on 7th December by obtaining incendiary devices such as Molotov Cocktail and hand grenades to cause mayhem and disturbance".
Although references to 'alcohol, banned literature, insulting sanctities, link to opposition groups abroad', etc. only demonstrates the depth of the oppressive nature of this regime, the mention of 'obtaining incendiary devices such as Molotov Cocktail and hand grenades' are dangerous security codes which have been used in the past to execute thousands of dissidents or to impose long-term prison sentences. The news of torture of students is most worrying. The world must react to this atrocity.
The reality is that the Islamic regime, which has been defeated politically in the universities and in the face of students' struggles, aims to intimidate the people and the protest movement which is gathering momentum nationally by brutally suppressing the students.
The protest to free the jailed students is continuing. The families of the detained students have begun to organise protest meetings. It is therefore vital to organise an international solidarity movement to free the students and political prisoners. The Islamic Republic is fragile when faced with international pressure and would not be able to carry out its criminal plans against the students.
We call on all of you to use all in your power to support the detained students and their families and force the Islamic regime to immediately and unconditionally release the prisoners. It should also be noted that many labour activists, women's rights activists and women who have refused to obey the regime's Islamic dress codes are currently in prison. The people of Iran would appreciate the international solidarity with their struggle against the Islamic regime. International pressure would make a difference to the situation of the political prisoners, and would limit the ability of the regime in its repression against student, labour and women rights activists and the people of Iran.
Asqar Karimi
Head of the Executive Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran
12 December 2007
Send your protest letters to:
Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street
Shahid Keshvar Doust Street Tehran, Iran
Email: mailto:info@leader.ir
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran , Iran
Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St.,Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran, IranIran
Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir
Notes :
* List of detained students
1- Milad Moyini (Mazandaran University) 2- Behrang Zandi (Mazandaran University) 3- Hamed Mohammadi (Mazandaran University) 4- Arash Pakzad (Mazandaran University) 5- Hasan Maarefi (Mazandaran University) 6- Anooshe Azadfar (Tehran University) 7- Ilnaz Jamshidi (Communications, Azad University, Central Tehran) 8- Mehdi Gerayloo (Geophysics, Tehran) 9- Nader Ehsani (Mazandaran University) 10-Sayid Habibi (ex-member of the Central Council of Advare Tahkime Vahdat) 11- Behrooz Karimi-zade (Tehran University) 12- Keyvan Amiri Elyasi (Masters, Industry, Sharif Technical University) 13- Nasim Soltan Beygi (Communications faculty, Allameh University) 14- Ali Salem (Masters of Polymers – Polytechnic University) 15- Mohsen Ghamin (Polytechnic University) 16- Roozbeh Saf-Shekan (Tehran University) 17- Roozbehan Amiri (Computer Science, Tehran University) 18-Yaser Pir Hayati (Shahed University) 19- Mahsa Mohebbi 20- Okhtay Hosseni (Azad University) 21- Sayid Agham Ali Khalili (Allameh University) 22- Behzad Bagheri (Tehran University) 23- Ali Kalayi 24- Amir Mehrzad 25- Hadi Salari (Rajaee University) 26- Farshid Farhadi Ahangaran (Rajaee University) 27- Amir Aghayi (Rajaee University) 28- Milad Omrani 29- Soroosh Hashempoor (Chamran University) and 30-Yoones Mirhossein (Student of Shiraz University) 31- Parsa Kermanjian (Kermanshah University) 32-Abed Tavanche 33- Reza Arab (Mazandaran University) 34- Sadra Pirhayaty(Shahed University) 35-Peyman Piran 36- Majid Ashrafnejad (Rajaee University) 37- Shovan Merikhi (Mazandaran University) 38- Sara Khademi (Mazandaran University) 39- Nima Nahvi (Mazandaran University) 40- Mohammad Saleh Ayuman (Tehran Univercity) 41- Sohrab Karimi (Tehran Univercity) 42- Farshad Dustipoor (Tehran Univercity) 43- Javad Alizadeh (Tehran Univercity)
Ahmad Ghasaban, Majid Tavakolli and Ehsan Mansoori from the Polytechnic University of Tehran have been in prison and under torture since February 2007, sentenced to 2 to 3 years' prison in unofficial courts.
** Student Day (16th Azar in the Persian Calendar, 7 th December) is an important day in the students' protest movement in Iran. Initially marked in protest at the 1957 killing of three students by the Shah's police during a protest to a visit by the then Vice President Richard Nixon, it has become an annual day of protest by students against the Islamic Republic regime
Many of you are aware of the brutality and oppressive nature of the Islamic regime of Iran. Many of you would not be surprised by the degree of its savagery. However, what is extremely worrying in these arrests is the fabricated charges that have been announced publicly against them by the regime and state-controlled media. The Ministry of Information has stated: "The rioters had obtained bows and arrows and stones and made sonic hand grenades... The detainees had in their possession a significant amount of alcoholic drinks and illegal and immoral literature containing insults to the sacred". The Rajanews website, linked to president Ahmadinejad, has said: "Following extensive nationwide investigations of the universities by the security organisations, the core of the communists who had connections with aboard has been identified and arrested. The communist cell's plan was to create riots in the universities on 7th December by obtaining incendiary devices such as Molotov Cocktail and hand grenades to cause mayhem and disturbance".
Although references to 'alcohol, banned literature, insulting sanctities, link to opposition groups abroad', etc. only demonstrates the depth of the oppressive nature of this regime, the mention of 'obtaining incendiary devices such as Molotov Cocktail and hand grenades' are dangerous security codes which have been used in the past to execute thousands of dissidents or to impose long-term prison sentences. The news of torture of students is most worrying. The world must react to this atrocity.
The reality is that the Islamic regime, which has been defeated politically in the universities and in the face of students' struggles, aims to intimidate the people and the protest movement which is gathering momentum nationally by brutally suppressing the students.
The protest to free the jailed students is continuing. The families of the detained students have begun to organise protest meetings. It is therefore vital to organise an international solidarity movement to free the students and political prisoners. The Islamic Republic is fragile when faced with international pressure and would not be able to carry out its criminal plans against the students.
We call on all of you to use all in your power to support the detained students and their families and force the Islamic regime to immediately and unconditionally release the prisoners. It should also be noted that many labour activists, women's rights activists and women who have refused to obey the regime's Islamic dress codes are currently in prison. The people of Iran would appreciate the international solidarity with their struggle against the Islamic regime. International pressure would make a difference to the situation of the political prisoners, and would limit the ability of the regime in its repression against student, labour and women rights activists and the people of Iran.
Asqar Karimi
Head of the Executive Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran
12 December 2007
Send your protest letters to:
Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street
Shahid Keshvar Doust Street Tehran, Iran
Email: mailto:info@leader.ir
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran , Iran
Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St.,Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran, IranIran
Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir
Notes :
* List of detained students
1- Milad Moyini (Mazandaran University) 2- Behrang Zandi (Mazandaran University) 3- Hamed Mohammadi (Mazandaran University) 4- Arash Pakzad (Mazandaran University) 5- Hasan Maarefi (Mazandaran University) 6- Anooshe Azadfar (Tehran University) 7- Ilnaz Jamshidi (Communications, Azad University, Central Tehran) 8- Mehdi Gerayloo (Geophysics, Tehran) 9- Nader Ehsani (Mazandaran University) 10-Sayid Habibi (ex-member of the Central Council of Advare Tahkime Vahdat) 11- Behrooz Karimi-zade (Tehran University) 12- Keyvan Amiri Elyasi (Masters, Industry, Sharif Technical University) 13- Nasim Soltan Beygi (Communications faculty, Allameh University) 14- Ali Salem (Masters of Polymers – Polytechnic University) 15- Mohsen Ghamin (Polytechnic University) 16- Roozbeh Saf-Shekan (Tehran University) 17- Roozbehan Amiri (Computer Science, Tehran University) 18-Yaser Pir Hayati (Shahed University) 19- Mahsa Mohebbi 20- Okhtay Hosseni (Azad University) 21- Sayid Agham Ali Khalili (Allameh University) 22- Behzad Bagheri (Tehran University) 23- Ali Kalayi 24- Amir Mehrzad 25- Hadi Salari (Rajaee University) 26- Farshid Farhadi Ahangaran (Rajaee University) 27- Amir Aghayi (Rajaee University) 28- Milad Omrani 29- Soroosh Hashempoor (Chamran University) and 30-Yoones Mirhossein (Student of Shiraz University) 31- Parsa Kermanjian (Kermanshah University) 32-Abed Tavanche 33- Reza Arab (Mazandaran University) 34- Sadra Pirhayaty(Shahed University) 35-Peyman Piran 36- Majid Ashrafnejad (Rajaee University) 37- Shovan Merikhi (Mazandaran University) 38- Sara Khademi (Mazandaran University) 39- Nima Nahvi (Mazandaran University) 40- Mohammad Saleh Ayuman (Tehran Univercity) 41- Sohrab Karimi (Tehran Univercity) 42- Farshad Dustipoor (Tehran Univercity) 43- Javad Alizadeh (Tehran Univercity)
Ahmad Ghasaban, Majid Tavakolli and Ehsan Mansoori from the Polytechnic University of Tehran have been in prison and under torture since February 2007, sentenced to 2 to 3 years' prison in unofficial courts.
** Student Day (16th Azar in the Persian Calendar, 7 th December) is an important day in the students' protest movement in Iran. Initially marked in protest at the 1957 killing of three students by the Shah's police during a protest to a visit by the then Vice President Richard Nixon, it has become an annual day of protest by students against the Islamic Republic regime
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The left-leaning protest movement in Iran
If you still don't believe the protest movement in Iran is left leaning, take a look at these pictures of recent student demonstrations in Iran on the blog of the Communist Youth Organisation.
The banners say:
'Socialism or barbarity'
'Freedom, Equality'
'The university is not a military base'
'Student movement unite with the labour movement'...
The banners say:
'Socialism or barbarity'
'Freedom, Equality'
'The university is not a military base'
'Student movement unite with the labour movement'...
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