Noone asked why...

The following letter is written by the relatives of Mohammad Kamrani, another martyr of Iran. Mohammad was arrested during the protest on July 9th (18 Tir) in Tehran. His family did not have any news from him until July 14th, when he was transferred to Evin. Little they knew that Mohammad has been tortured in the dreadful Kahrizak detention center all through those days.

On July 15th his parents were informed that Mohammad has been transferred to a hospital.They found him when according to the doctor at Mehr Hospital, he was only 10% alive. On July 16th, Mohammad died from the injuries caused by sever torture.

با نام آنكه هر چه داريم از اوست

هيچكس نپرسيد چرا ؟ فقط زدند و كشتند و بردند.

و هيچكس جواب نداد چرا شعار خوني كه در رگ ماست هديه به رهبر ماست به يكباره هديه به ملت شد ، چرا مردمي كه روزي ملت غيور هميشه در صحنه ناميده مي شدند اكنون بايد شعارشان ((مرگ بر خامنه اي)) ،((مرگ بر ديكتاتور)) و شعارهاي آشناي اين روزها باشد؟ و چرا دولتي كه پشتوانه اش ملت بودند اكنون بايد از ترس همين ملت ، جوانان بيگناه شان را به خاك و خون بكشد آيا جرم اين جوانان بيش از درخواست پاسخگويي به امثال اين سوال ها بود؟ مگر پدر و مادر اين جوانان همان جوانان انقلابي نبودند كه اين نظام را بر پا كردند و به آن مشروعيت بخشيدند؟

آيا جواب اين ملت باج دادن به كشورهاي به اصطلاح برادر براي شكنجه و كشتنشان است؟ اين ملت تا به كي بايد در پاسخ به درخواست شرعي و قانوني خود گلوله دريافت كند؟

18 تير نقطه عطفي در مخالفت هاي اخير بر عليه دولت بود. حتی آن تهدید بی‌شرمانه فرمانده پلیس تهران - که در مورد احتمال راهپیمایی مردم در سال‌گرد 18 تیر- گفته بود: «هرکس بیرون بیاید خردش می‌کنیم» هم کسی را نترساند. نه اینکه نیروهای ضدشورش و چماقدارهای بی‌رحمی که علیه مردم در خیابان‌ها جنایت می‌کنند ناتوان باشند، نه، این مردم ایرانند که حالا هر کدام به تنهایی یک قهرمان هستند. آن‌ها دیگر نه از باتوم و چماق می‌ترسند و نه از گلوله مستقیم آن جانی‌ها (که فقط و فقط سر و صورت جوانان و دختران معترض را نشانه می‌روند) وحشتی دارند.

گرچه دولت از ترس ادامه یافتن و حتی بالاتر گرفتن اعتراضات مردمی، به بهانه آلودگی هوا کشور را در حدود یک هفته تعطیل کرده بود؛ ولی باز بودند کسانی که فریب این نیرنگ آشکار را نخورده و از تهران خارج نشدند. نرفتند تا در پنجشنبه 18 تیرماه، باشکوه‌ترین سالگرد واقعه خونین حمله لباس شخصی‌ها به کوی دانشگاه را با حضور خود در خیابان‌های نزدیک به میدان انقلاب تهران گرامی بدارند. یاد 18 تیر که می‌رفت در روزمرگی و دلزدگی عمومی ایرانیان به دست فراموشی سپرده شود، مثل یک خون تازه از رگ‌های شهر جوشید و به شکل مشت‌های گره کرده برابر ظلم و استبداد قد علم کرد...

عصر پنجشنبه کنترل بسیاری از نقاط پایتخت از دست نیروهای سرکوبگر تا دندان مسلح خارج شد و مردم موفق شدند یک پیروزی تاریخی را در دفتر جنبش جدید خود ثبت کنند. صحنه‌هایی که در این روز خلق شد، کم از آنچه در یک ماهه اخیر رخ داده بود نداشت. هم باز خیل موتورسواران چماق‌دار و لباس‌شخصی‌های مسلح وحشیگری را به اوج رساندند و هم مردم، مردم و باز هم مردم بودند که حماسه آفریدند و زنان، نوجوانان و جوانان و حتی سالمندان با دست‌های خالی از شرف و حق مسلم خود دفاع کردند.

اين در حالي است كه سردمداران نظام دم از احقاق حقوق بشر در جهان را دارند در حالي كه در كشور خودمان به بدترين شكل ممكن اين حقوق زير پا گذاشته مي شود. در شب 18 تير كم نبودند خانواده هايي كه در انتظار فرزند خود شب را به صبح بردند و پس از گذشت چندين روز نتوانستند حتي از محل بازداشت فرزند خود اطلاعاتي بدست بياورند بيخبر از اينكه در اين فاصله جوانانشان را در بازداشتگاه مخوف كهريزك بشدت شكنجه مي دادند تا اينكه در روز سه شنبه 23 تير تعدادي از انها به اوين منتقل و اسامي آنها اعلام شد .

خيل خانواده هاي نگران بود پشت در اوين منتظر كوچكترين خبري از فرزندانشان بودند و غير از تهديد چيزي نصيبشان نشد، يكي از اين زندانيان جوان 18 ساله بيگناهي به نام محمد كامراني بود ، كه اين روزها نامش را كم نشنيده ايم ، پيكر نيمه جان وي را در شرايطي تحويل خانواده اش دادند كه در اثر جراحات وارده بر اثر شكنجه بشدت آسيب ديده و به گفته پزشك بيمارستان مهر در آن زمان تنها 10% زنده بود.محمد 18 ساله در ساعت 4 صبح پنجشنبه از دنيا رفت در حالي كه قرار بود فرداي آن روز در كنكور پزشكي شركت كند. اين جوان نيز قرباني قدرت طلبي حاكمان وقت شد.

ولي سوالي كه مرتبا در ذهن تداعي مي شود آن است كه حكومتي كه بر روي خون جوانان بيگناه بنا شود تا به كي پا برجا خواهد ماند؟

به اميد آزادي

What went wrong?

The biggest difference between a dictatorship and democracy is not how they oppress or respect their people. The biggest difference is in the magnitude of their mistakes. When you neglect huge portion of people who are mostly elite, then you may face serious consequences by underestimating their frustration and power.

Four days after the election, when Ahmadi Nejad was declared as a winner and people were in streets during day asking for their votes to be counted and shouting “God is Great” from rooftops at nights, “Alef” website which belongs to conservative MOP , “Ahmad Tavakkoli” wrote this “story”.

The short of it is, a person who was going to rooftop to shout “God is Great” missed one night of shouting because of a popular Korean TV series showed in Iran’s governmental TV!

As people continued to demonstrate and shout God is Great, Islamic regime took into custody more than 100 famous political activists, journalist, lawyers, etc…

As people took into streets again, the regime looked into his old playbook and tried to link people to BBC and VOA.

As people continued to shout God is Great, Death to Dictator from rooftops, now regime doesn’t know where to look at.

Yesterday demonstrations spread through streets of Tehran and other parts of Iran, without single statement from reformists’ leaders must have been a nightmare for the regime that doesn’t respect well educated, young and energetic Iranian people.

Regime has killed people, has beaten a lot of people, has taken into custody thousands of people, has shut down cell phones, SMSs, internets, has fired foreign journalists, and has closed down the capital for one week because of air pollution, what else they can do? The Islamic regime has wasted its resources too quickly, too prematurely.

People’s demands now is far more than recounting votes, re-election, etc… for the first time they have shouted death to Grand Ayatollah’s son in streets of Tehran. They are aiming at backbones of Islamic regime. This is the difference between a democracy and dictatorship. Things happen very quickly in dictatorship!

We will make history.

In the past few days, the Islamic Regime has taken a lot of its own people as hostages, it has taken a young French teacher a hostage, it has taken Iranian eyes, ears and mouths as hostages. It has fired foreign journalists, it has warned UK and US about the so called “interference” and it has controlled all news papers, journals , most of websites and cell phones. It has mounted pressure on most famous reformists Mousavi , Karoobi and Khatami that they didn’t talk or send a message for the tenth anniversary of brutal attack on university dormitories and finally the regime threatened to demolish any protest by its “almighty force”.

The eve of July 9,2009 was the beginning of new chapter in Iran’s Green Revolution. Brave men and women went to streets of Tehran and other cities of Iran and shouted against the regime that becomes more brutal and wild on a daily basis against its own people.
As sun set in Iran, people have been beaten again. Bones have been broken but souls have been revitalized.

From this day forward:

- Each brave Iranian man and woman is a LEADER.

- His or her mind is the MASTER MIND of the Green Revolution.

- His or her breath is the OXYGEN needed for the movement.

From the eve of July 9, 2009:

- They will not wait for their leader to talk, they will walk themselves.

- They won’t wait for BBC or VOA to send their messages to the entire world, they will do it themselves.

- They won’t ask for support but they will oppose any government that makes deal with Islamic regime that doesn’t have a respect for its own people.

- They won’t classify themselves as Iranians inside Iran and outside Iran; rather they will fight together shoulder to shoulder in two fronts; inside and outside of Iran.


Together, united, we will make history.

We will come to see you in Evin prison on Father's Day

The following letter was written by the three daughters of Mohammad-Ali Abtahi, former vice president of Iran, prominent reformist, and popular blogger, after their father has been detained for no good reason in the notorious Evin prison for 20 days and likely to be under torture.


Hi my dear and darling daddy,

Congratulations on your day. I really want to buy you a gift and come to meet you like I do every year. Like every year I want to hug you and feel your presence. Like every year I want to see your beautiful smile and be at your side. I never thought I would have to write you a letter for Father's day; not to mention a letter I know I can't even get to you.

My sweetheart dad,
I feel so gloomy, so desperately gloomy. I wish I could see you for one instant. I know you miss us too over there.
These twenty days have been very hard on us. Actually, they don't feel to have passed at all. For us it is still the 16th of June. The same day we headed off from Revolution to reach Freedom1. You got home sooner than us and you were worried about your daughters and you asked us to come home sooner...
And they arrested you the midnight of that very day...
For us it's still that day. We're waiting for you to come back home.

My sweetheart daddy,
They say you've done some things against national security; they say you've confessed that you are ashamed and regretful for what you've done and that you constantly shed tears. Who believes that?

Our joyful and caring dad,
With their lies, don't they know what they're doing to your wife and daughters with suffering souls and broken hearts?
You know well that us, your daughters and mom, your wife and all your fans and readers of your blog who are awaiting your freedom, know you better than those who have only known your grand ideas, patient temperament, cheerfulness and kindness for 20 days, and we know you are greater than these things...

Oh dearer than my life,
We miss your endless compassion, your constant laughter, your daily posts on webneveshteha2 that you worried about writing everyday at exactly 4:30 in the afternoon. I know you have a lot of worries these days, but the only thing that closed cell has taken off your shoulders is the daily updating of your blog. But today, us and all your fans are met with the 20 day old post "Abtahi Arrested".

My lovely daddy,
You're not here, we pass each day in loneliness...
Whatever we try gets nowhere. Sometimes we think to ourselves maybe in your lonely nights you think maybe your friends and daughters aren't doing anything for your freedom. Right after you were gone, we spent four days coming and going to the attorney's office and the Evin prison...just to get your diabetes medication to you.
We wrote letters to every single person we thought might be able to do something. But to no avail...
I don't know what's going on that none of your friends can do anything about it...
We are all appalled.
Except your short 2 minute call, the only calls we got were requests to stop following up from your interrogators.

My darling dad,
I hope you'll call tonight or tomorrow...or perhaps we can meet at least for the sake of Father's day.
But even if that doesn't happen, along with the children of your other detained friends, we will come to see you at the Evin prison together at 5 in the afternoon with roses in our hands.

Our precious...
Wish you were here...
Happy Father's Day...

Your daughters, Farideh, Fatemeh, and Faezeh


Footnotes:
1. There was a large rally in protest to the announced election results on June 16, 2009 from Revolution square to Freedom square in Tehran.
2. Webneveshteha is the name of Abtahi's popular weblog.

* Original Persian (Farsi) version
* Original Translation

12 more names...

Original Source in Persian

Human rights and democracy activists have collected the 12 more names of the martyrs of the post-election protests in Tehran.

The bodies are released to their families only if they accept and sign on a set of conditions, including:

- Having low-profile funerals attended only by close family.
- No chant or speech against the regime.
- The reason for death should not be mentioned in the funeral or on the tombstone.

The names are as follows:

1- Mohhammad Hossein Barzegar, male, 25, Highschool graduate, self-employed, shot in the head in Haft-Tir Sq, Tehran on Wed. June 17, 2009. Buried in Lot 302, Behesht-Zahra, on Sun Jun 21 after family's commitment to the conditions.

2- Seyyed Reza Tabatabaee, male, 30, Accountant, shot in the head on Azarbayjan St., on June 20, 2009. Buried in Lot 259, Behesht-Zahra, on Jun 24 after family's commitment to the conditions.

3- Iman Hashemi, male, 25, self-employed, shot in the eye on Azaadi St., on Sat. June 20, 2009. Buried in Lot 259, Behesht-Zahra, on Jun 24.

4- Parisa Koli(or Kali), female, 25, B.Sc. in Persian Literature, shot in the neck on Keshavarz Blvd., on Sun June 21, 2009. Buried in Lot 259, Behesht-Zahra, on Tue. Jun 23.

5- Mohsen Haddadi, male, 24, Software Designer, shot in the forehead on Nosrat St., on Sat June 20, 2009. Buried in Lot 269, Behesht-Zahra, on Tue. Jun 23.

6- Mohammad Nikzadi, male, 25, Civil Engineer, shot in the chest in Vanaq Sq., on Tue June 16, 2009. Buried in Lot 257, Behesht-Zahra, on Sat Jun 20.

7- Ali Shahedi, male, 24, was arrested on Sun Jun 21, 2009 and transferred to Tehranpars police station. He died in the police station for unknown reasons (according to the official autopsy). But his family believe he died from baton hits in the police station. Buried in Lot 257, Behesht-Zahra on Jun 24.

8- Vaahed Akbari, male, 34, self-employed, married with a 3-year old daugther, shot in the side on Vanaq St., on Sat June 20, 2009. Buried in Lot 261, Behesht-Zahra, on Tue Jun 23.

9- Abolfazl Abdollahi, male, 21, Associate Degree in Electrical Eng., shot in the back of the head in front of Sharif Univesity on Sat June 20, 2009. Buried in Lot 248, Behesht-Zahra, on Tue Jun 23.

10- Saalaar Tahmasbi, male, 27, Business Administration Student in Rasht, shot in the forehead on Jomhouri St. on Sat June 20, 2009. Buried in Lot 254, Behesht-Zahra, on Tue Jun 22 (or Mon Jun 21?).

11- Fahimeh Salahshour, female, 25, Highschool graduate, died on Jun 15th in the hospital from internal bleeding resulting from baton hits to her head in Valiasr Sq. on Jun 14th, Buried in Lot 266, Behesht-Zahra, on Tue Mon Jun 17.

12- Vahid Reza Tabatabaee, male, 29, B.A. in English Literature, shot in the head in Baharestaan Sq. on June 24, 2009. Buried in Lot 308, Behesht-Zahra, on Tue Mon Jun 27.

Before this, the name of another 14 martyrs was released, including:

1- Neda Agha Soltan (female)
2- Fetemeh Barati (female)
3,4- Fatemeh Rajabpour & her daughter (female)
5- Kasra Sharafi (male)
6- Movina Ehtermi (female)
7- Kambiz Shojaee (male)
8- Mohsen Imani (male)
9- Naser Amirnejad (male)
10- Iman Namazi (male)
11- Mostafa Ghonyan (or Ghanyan) (male)
12- Bahman Jenabi (male)
13- Ashkan Sohrabi (male)
14- Kaveh Alipour (male)

I will build you again my dear country

I will build you again my dear country

though by giving away my life

I will set up pillars to your roof

though with my own bone

I will smell a flower of yours

as your young generation's desire

I will wash you off blood

with flood of my running tears

though I've died for hundred years

I will stand by my grave

I will break the devil's heart

with my roar

though I'm old but still

If there was a time for teaching

I will start the youth

Besides my young men

* This song was released in solidarity with Iranian people. The following people contributed to this song:

Lyric by Simin Behbahani, respected contemporary poet
Music by Mohammad Shams, internationally well recognized composer and conductor
Voice by Dariush Eghbali, Influential and gifted contemporary performer

Don't Hit, Brother!

Tuesday June 30, 2009: Human Rights Watch asked Iranian officials to release Saeed Hajarian or transfer him to a medical center as soon as possible. Ms. Sarah Leah Whitson, the Executive Director of the Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch, mentioned that given Mr. Hajarian's physical condition, his arrest is not acceptable in the first place; however, terrible jail conditions together with the pressure on him to confess put his life in danger.

Saeed Hajarian, a prominent reformist theorist, was assassinated, in March 2000, at the peak of the conflicts between conservatives and reformists in Iran. He survived, but he has been severely disabled.

The following is a translation of a piece written by Ebrahim Nabavi.

Don't Hit, Brother!

Dear Mr. Interrogator:

I don't know what your name is. Are you Hosseini, Mortazavi,Ahmadi, or whatever name you have chosen for yourself, so people wouldn't recognize you? I don't know what you have done til now and whom you have interrogated, but be careful with this one.

I'm talking about Saeed Hajarian.

My friends are telling me you have beaten him up and have put him under severe pressure. How could you do that?! You were telling the kids to talk and to talk, and to tell whatever they know.

What did you tell Saeed? How did you ask him to talk? Saeed?

He can't talk. I have seen Saeed. When he wants to talk he has to concentrate all his afflicted and sick body to utter a word. Don't tell him to talk; he can't talk. When he was able to talk, he wasn't talking either. Outside the prison, when he met his friends, he was barely talking. Now what do you expect from him? Him who hardly can speak and even forcing himself is still not able to utter a word.

You have been putting your one hand on his afflicted shoulder and have been pressuring his weak body and have been telling him, “Tell me you were trying to do 'Green Revolution,' Tell me...” Meanwhile, you have been making a fist with the other hand to punch his face. Move away your hand. HE CANNOT TALK!

I had visited Saeed Hajarian when he was at “City Council”. With numerous surgeries they had kept him alive and he was still not able to have control over his face and his hands. With great effort, he said,“ Seyed, I read your piece and I laughed. It's been a while since I've laughed.” I was glad I was able to give a smile to his afflicted heart, but I was upset that this smile might have made him suffer more pain in his body. A body which suffered for freedom and was injured for knowing.

Mr. Interrogator, now you're standing and you're placing a piece of paper on top of which is written “النجاه فی الصدق "in front of Saeed, and you're writing: “Write down all your connections with American agents.” Telling him, “We know everything Mr. Saeed! You got caught very badly. They'll call you out at 5am to execute you! Write down that you had connections with American agents.”

But, my dear brother! Mr Hosseini, Mr Ahmadi. Whoever you are. Saeed can't write! To write one word, all of his body would be racked with pain. How could he write?

Once, he could write, and with every word he would have shaken the country. But they took his hand. They took his tongue. They made him into a Zombie. LET HIM GO, brother!

His book had been recently published. Before leaving the room, I bent to kiss his face. Then, with his unspoken words, he told me, “Here you go!” and he gave me a book. He opened the first page and, with effort, he wrote something. His autograph was merely crossed and messy lines. This was few months after he had been released from the hospital.

When Saeed was shot, Shareeatmadari wrote an article praising him as if he'd been assassinated by Israelis, and as if Shareeatmadari's people hadn't been behind the assassination. Brother interrogator! Does not Shareeatmadiri today mutually agree with you on how to interrogate?

I can't see your face. You're not yourself. I know you would not assign just anyone to be in charge of Hajarian. And who would be a better interrogator than Hossein Shareetmadari? But maybe even Shareeatmadari himself doesn't know that Hajarian can't write. I know if he was tortured, his dear, healthy body would not be able to write either. But with this afflicted body and weary hand, how could anyone write?

Mr. Interrogator! Mr. Hosseini! Mr. Shareeatmadari. Whoever you are! You put your hand underneath Saeed's chin and you pressure it and you say, “ Write down all your positions.”

What position do you want? What do you not know about Hajarian? Ask elders and don't pressure him anymore.

He's the one who once founded the security system of this country. And when he matured politically, he was the theorist for reform and a democratic society. He created such an evolution in people's thoughts and words that when the people's enemies wanted to destroy the core of reform movement, they recognized only one way. A bullet into Hajarian's brain.

Now what do you want and what do you not know of? If you do not know his position after his reforms, read his books. If you want to know with whom he had contacts outside Iran, be assured that, on the long list of doctors who performed surgery on his afflicted body, you can find at least one.

Who are you looking for?

Mr. Interrogator, he is the son of the revolution who is now injured. You can not even let go of a corpse!

I see you standing in front of Saeed's wheelchair and looking at his forehead and wishing that Saeed Asgars' bullet had hit him in the forehead and thinking that what if you were able to break his skull and to see what's going on in his mind and how his brain, with weary and tired body, still works like a clock. And with kicking, you push him backward, he with bent neck looking at you. He wants to say, my dear brother! Don't look for an anti-coup institution. Tehran is the anti-coup institution. All the country is the anti-coup institution.

The center of the mental war is the houses of all cities in the country. If you are looking for the leaders of the movement, you should take every citizen to prison. Your prisons don't have the capacity. Hajarian lips are slowly moving. It's something between laughter and pain.

My brother! Mr. Interrogator! You once killed Hajarian, once paralyzed all his body, took his body from one nation. What else do you want? He can't write, don't hurt his hand, don't beat him up. He's a child of this nation. He can't confess to anything. Who can believe that a person who can hardly walk up even one stair would stand against the officers who savagely beat innocent people in front of the cameras of all the people around the world?

What's resistance? For a guy whose body is constantly suffering pain - pain more than this - what meaning does it have?

Is that all your power? All the glory and power that you have acquired is being acquired by beating Saeed Hajarian? Your intention to be affectionate was this? Your intention to use your intellectuals and geniuses was this? Your intention of global management was this?

Mr. Interrogator! Stop it! Come out of prison room 261 and say you can't live anymore with the guilt of torturing a motionless, yet still living, corpse.

Years from now, your grandchild will ask you why this street is named Saeed Hajarian? And will ask Grandpa, who always introduces himself as an employee of courtroom, “Who's Saeed Hajarian?”

And you know well who is Hajarian.

Now look twice at yourself, and at those whom you interrogate, and when you lift your boot to hit one of the great men of this country, at least your leg should shake a little bit. Any human whose leg does not shake, is a human who is dead inside his heart.

How would you continue your life without heart?­

By: Ebrahim Nabavi
roozonline.com

Bring Me Back the Meaning of My Life

This is an English translation of a love letter written for Mostafa Tajzadeh by his wife, while he's in the notorious Evin prison and said to be under torture after the Iranian presidential elections in June 2009. A note to consider before reading this love letter from Fakhrosadat to Mostafa: Mostafa and Fakhrosadat were close to the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution of Iran. Like many other supporters of Khomeini, they supported the Islamic revolution with good intentions and in recent years they have supported the pro-democracy reform movement in Iran, and are thus considered opposition for the hardliners such as Ahmadinejad. It is worth noting that Khomeini himself was weary of the damage these hardliners could do and did not allow them to thrive while he was alive.

My dear, my sweetheart, my darling

I didn't fall in love with your looks when I was seventeen, though beautiful they were and still are. Because in the two meetings we had when you proposed, we didn't even remember that fondness was what our mothers and grandmothers said it's supposed to be

And I didn't fall in love with your riches as you told me the first day that you had none, none at all, and you told me in later days "because I don't want to lie, I should say out of everything in this world, I have a motorcycle" and I frowned because the thought of motorcycle riding was not beautiful in my mind and I preferred to walk on foot and be late

And I didn't fall in love with your ranks as you had none. You said "I am in the Islamic Revolution Committee, and in the Friday prayers staff" and I didn't care at all what you do.

Honey, I fell in love with your character, and I chose you for your own name "Mostafa" (the chosen one) and you became my chosen one. I, Fakhrosadat, was the baby of the family and everybody was waiting to see who the last groom of our family will be and your brother-in-law told me the day after you proposed "It was as clear as day that you were going to like this guy"

I don't know why he said that but I liked you because you were the man of my dreams in 1981, exactly two years after the victory of the Islamic Revolution. Me, a seventeen year old Fakhrosadat, a fiery revolutionary who cared not for the musts and must-nots that were determined by the norm. I wanted you who wanted nothing other than the ideals and beliefs that were my ideal and belief. And you loved Ruhollah who coupled us together forever, and I want you who are still standing for the ideals you had then.

Oh my partner in life, stay strong for your ideals and know that I'm always proud of you and your perseverance.

You were in a rush for us to get married and I too, and we both insisted that our mentor and leader must solemnize our marriage. We decided that both our families would try to reserve a time with the late Imam. You through Mr. Khamenei and us through Mr. Mohtashamipour who Imam loved like he loved his children Mostafa and Ahmad and everybody knew that. I don't remember which time came first, but on January 27, 1981 we were together on our way to Jamaran for an eternal bond. You remember, I know you remember well, and I still remember your face full of tears in the hands of the Imam, and my own tears, and my own tears, and my own tears

I announced my marriage portion to be a series of the Tafsir al-Mizan and the Imam asked me to determine some money too and I told him to do as he saw fit, and he asked if I knew how to use the Tafsir and I knew, and after a silence he said the vows and I was in a hurry to say "I do" and me and you had no care for where we were and what conditions we had as though we were spellbound. And the Imam told us to tolerate each other and he told me to tolerate my husband and you to tolerate your wife so we learned that intolerance is a possibility in people's lives, and we decided to forever keep the promise we made in front of the Imam and we tolerated each other and the problems of life and its ups and downs and its sweet and sours, but we could never tolerate one instance of separation and now you've just taken your path and gone away?????????????? No they took your path and they took you away my chosen one This was not what we had promised. Do you remember every time we talked about you going to war I would get nervous and you would tell me not to worry for martyrdom requires a grace that not just any guy can achieve, and every time you heard the news of a dear one being martyred, you would get mesmerized and possessed, and when news came that Mohsen had risen to heaven and Hossein had been captured how you treated the families of these cousins so that they would forget the pain of the loss of their children when they smelled your presence and saw all your kindness and compassion, my sweetheart

Do you remember the home we had rented was filled with pictures of martyrs? From Rajayi and Bahonar and Beheshti and Motahhari, to all the relatives and friends who were martyred, and everyone said is this a house or a museum of martyrs? And in one of the last times we moved you cleaned most of the picture frames really well you put them in a box and said their respect must be kept and we took their memories to the depth of our hearts to keep them safe from any harm, and... do you remember all those pictures were smiling except the one of the Imam but we liked the charisma?

I hear in their home to home searches they seize the picture albums, and I'm so glad that you hid those pictures from evil eyes and took them away from dirty hands

I have so much to talk to you about. I don't know if you've heard my voice in these 18 days of division. They say you only hear the "Allah-u-Akbar" chants. I wish our house was still in Sa'adat Abad so you could hear my voice from section 209 in Evin which they say is newly built like the house that was never built for you and for us, and you would say "Fakhri, our lives are coming to an end" and I would say I fear even if we die we won't get a house in the afterlife, and you would laugh and say "which of the departed have ever been left homeless?" and I...now I despise all the houses, any house that is empty of you.

For me to be there and you not, my soulmate and companion where are you? Did those who took has bonded us together and whoever takes us apart would break his you away know that our Imam heart, and are these things even important for those strangers who vulgarly stole you from your house on your mother's birthday?????????????????????? My sweetheart, being away from you is not only difficult for me but for whoever knows you and whose soul is wounded at thought of the slightest pressure on you, it's hard, so hard. I wish I could talk to you even if just for the three minutes they allow non-political prisoners I wish before the interrogator - who I don't know if he knows anything of Islam -- had cut us off I would have told you that we are fine and everyone here is thinking of you in their prayers, and I would tell you that you are not just in my heart but in the heart of all Iranians and all the people you loved with all your heart, for whose rights you fought and stood up and persisted. I read Hamd for the perseverance of you and other dear ones detained and I pray for tranquility for myself and their families and I know there is no one more caring than our God towards you and others and I've left you in his hands and ourselves too, but remember one thing: I chose you for your courage and persistence towards your ideals, don't let the promise we made with our Imam break, my chosen one And one more thing: without you I'm meaningless and life without you is meaningless.

Bring me back the meaning of my life.

Fakhrosadat Mohtashamipour Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Link to the Original Translation

The Voice of Iran: Neda

Musical Tribute to Neda by Maral

Neda, you're not going down,
your eyes might be close,
your blood on the ground,
but I know,
you'll be around,

Neda, Neda, take my hand...


*Nedā (ندا) is the the Persian word for "voice", "calling" or "divine message," and Neda Agha Soltan has been referred to as the "voice of Iran".
source: Neda's page on Wikipedia

Iran Human Rights: At Least 19 People Were Shot Dead & Several Dozens Wounded just in Tehran Demonstrations on Saturday 20 June 2009

Young Student, Neda, who was shot dead by a Basiji militia hiding on a nearby rooftop

Iran Human Rights, June 21:
Despite the warnings by the Iranian regime’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, thousands of pro-democracy Iranians went into the streets in Tehran and other Iranian cities today. Demonstrators were met by thousands of security forces and paramilitary Basidj militia.

According to sources in Iran more than 19 people were shot dead and several dozens wounded by the shots fired at the demonstrators.

Unofficial reports say that at least 150 people might have killed in today's [20 June] Tehran demonstrations.

Some reports say that snipers shot people at the lower parts of the body and some of those wounded were taken away in Basidj vans to undisclosed locations. According to our reports, there have been protest demonstrations in other Iranian cities such as Shiraz and Isfahan.

Another disturbing report from "Human Rights Activists in Iran" said yesterday that the phone lines of Tehran’s Evin prison were cut off while many of those arrested last week were transferred to this prison.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of Iran Human Rights asked the world community to show clear support for the pro-democracy movement in Iran and condemn the Iranian regimes use of violence against peaceful demonstrators.

He said: " World community must not recognize Ahmadinejad as the president and send clear warning against extensive use of violence against defenseless protestors who are demanding their legitimate rights".

Source: Iran Human Rights Website (www.iranhr.net)

International Solidarity with the People of Iran

A Petition Against the Government-Sponsored Violence in Iran
June 22, 2009

We, the undersigned scholars, academics and writers around the world, are concerned about the human rights crisis in Iran. We request the United Nations to condemn the current coup d’état and support Iranians in their demand for a fair and democratic election. Deeply worried by the reports of Iranian paramilitary groups and security forces firing upon and arresting peaceful civilian demonstrators, we demand that the international community act now to prevent further violence and bloodshed. We call on the government of Iran to respect and uphold the right to peaceful protest. We call upon democratic institutions and organizations around the world to condemn government-sponsored violence against peaceful Iranian protesters. We also call on governments around the world to ask the UN Secretary General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Human Rights Council to appoint a UN special commission to monitor the post-election situation in Iran and to inform the Security Council about the arbitrary arrest and detention of student activists and leading reformists in Iran.

Mohammed Abed; Guliano Amato; Dora Apel; David E. Apter; Andrew Arato; John Atlas; Etienne Balibar; Joanne Barkan; Zygmunt Bauman; Mark Beissinger; Daniel A. Bell; Seyla Benhabib; Michael Berlin; Sheri Berman; Richard Bernstein; Michael Bérubé; Casey Nelson Blake; Giancarlo Bosetti; Ken Brociner; David Bromwich; Daniel Brook; Luther P. Carpenter; Jean Cohen; Charles W. Collier; George Cotkin; Giorgio De Michelis; Jane Dailey; Neil Denny; Andrew Ian Dodge; Michael Doyle; Max Dunbar; Ellen DuBois; Marc Edelman; Cynthia Epstein; Edward Evans; Henry Farrell; Giulio Ferroni; Nina zu Fürstenberg; Nancy Fraser; Vera Frenkel; Manuel Anonio Garreton; Jeanie Gosline; Kathleen Gerson; Gary L. Gerstle; Brian Gilbert; Todd Gitlin; Fabian L. Glagovsky; Eugene Goodheart; Linda Gordon; Linda Grant; Alan Greenberg; Mark Greif; Murray Hausknecht; Agnes Heller; Patrick Heller; Gur Hirshberg; Jennifer Hochschild; John Holzrichter; Maurice Isserman; Noah Isenberg; Ramin Jahanbegloo; Angel Jaramillo; James Johnson; Michael Katz; Michael Kazin; Alejandro Ribo Labastida; Shalom Lappin; Daniel Larner; Jeremy Larner; Jesse Larner; Mark Levinson; Steven Lukes; Kanan Makiya; Jeff Madrick; David Marcus; Avishai Margalit; Edna Ullmann-Margalit; Jake Marmer; Giacomo Marramao; Andrew Martin; Guido Martinotti; Kevin Mattson; Deborah Meier; Michael Meranze; Harold Meyerson; S.M. Miller; Nicolaus Mills; Jo-Ann Mort; Olivier Mongin; Andrew Murphy; Ashis Nandy; Martha Nussbaum; George Packer; John Palubiski; Ilene Philipson; Maxine Phillips; Ruben Pulido; Wes Ramsay; Eric Reeves; Phillip Richards; Corey Robin; Ben Ross; Marco Roth; Lillian Rubin; James Rule; Richard Sandbrook; Henry Shue; Alan Sommerstein; Buzz Spector; Jerome Slater; Christine Stansell; Judith Stein; Charles Taylor; Ruy Teixeira; Kay Trimberger; Evan Tucker; Adrian Tysoe; Inna Tysoe; Salvatore Veca; Felix de Villiers; Judith B. Walzer; Michael Walzer; Paul Wapner; Michael Weiss; Jon Wiener; Melissa Williams; Richard Wolin; Susan Wright

Source:Dissent Magazine
http://www.dissentmagazine.org/online.php?id=257

22 June 2009: Tehran: Ongoin Contestation on the Streets

Iranian police and military forces have turned Shiroudi Sport Compound into a military garrison. The sport compound is located in central Tehran, close to Haft-e-Tir Square, where many demonstrations have been taking place during June uprising.

20 June, 2009: Day 8th: Resistance, Rage & Blood on the Streets of Tehran, its Suburbs & other Cities in Iran

A Summary Report of, thus far, the Bloodiest Day in the Islamic Republic of Iran:

Despite the state ban of today’s demonstration (following the Supreme Leader’s speech in Friday Sermon, 19 June), thousands of people took to the streets of central Tehran, chanting “Death to the Dictator” and “Down with Dictatorship.” Due to heavy censorship of all communication venues by the current government, the only available sources of information from Iran are incoming news from twitter, eyewitnesses, blogs (particularly, Revolutionary Road), Facebook, and Youtube videos taken by cell phones on the streets.


:Anti-riot police & Basij militia occupying, in-advanced, Ferdowsi Square on Revolution Street:


:Anti-riot police & Basij militia blocking access to demonstration sites:

In Tehran, ongoing reports confirmed heavy and bloody clashes between different fractions of Iranian security forces (including military police, anti-riot police, Basij militia – many in plain dress and wearing masks) and protesters in central Tehran, on Revolution St. from Ferdowsi Square (2 city blocks east of Revolution Sq.) to Freedom Sq. (the west-end of Revolution St.) – an area of some 6 kilometers – and the surrounding neighborhoods; as well as Amirabad mid-town neighborhood (few city blocks – approx. 3 km – north of Revolution St.), where parts of University of Tehran campus and its dormitory are located.


:Map of Enghelab(Revolution) Street & its surrounding areas, Azadi (Freedom)Square:

Meanwhile, helicopters were flying above the demonstration areas. The demonstrations started, as planned, around 4:00 pm – local time (LT) – by tens of thousands of people gathering in Tehran’s Revolution Square, amidst heavy presence of police and military forces (see pictures above). This is while by using tear gasses and blocking the entry roads to the whole area from the early hours of the rally, the police and military forces, practically, tried to disperse present protesters into surrounding residential areas and deny many more access to the demonstration sites.

Nonetheless, by 4:20 pm (LT), Revolution St. (the main route of June demonstrations) was packed up to its west-end, Freedom Square. By 4:30 pm (LT), anti-riot police, military police, and Bajis militia started attacking and dispersing demonstrators into the surrounding (mostly residential) areas, using batons, tear gases, and pepper sprays – also, late-evening reports from Emam Hospital speak of burned injured civilians, confirming the possibility of pouring either boiled water, chemical water or acid on protesters – unconfirmed reports speculate acid is being poured by helicopters flying above the contested areas. By 5:20 pm (LT), reports of heavy clashes and sounds of gun shots in Khosh St. around Freedom Sq. came in. By 5:40 pm (LT), heavy clashes between demonstrators and police and military forces (using tear gas and water cannons) on Freedom St, and chants of “Death to Dictatorship” by the people were reported. There are some reports of beating ordinary people on the streets and not just protesters. By 5:50 pm (LT), news of gathering some 2,000 to 3,000 protesters at Tehran University campus, followed by police surrendering of the campus, where the hardest and bloodies confrontations have been reported in Amirabad neighborhood.


:The writings read: My martyr comrade, I will take back your vote:


:Fire & fights in residential areas of Tehran:


:Street fights in residential areas:


By 8:30pm (LT), reports of Mir-Hossein Mousavi’s (the opposition presidential candidate) presence among the people and his speech in Jayhoon St. (on Revolution St., close to Sharif University and Freedom Sq.) came in. According to confirmed sources, Mousavi declared he’ll stand all the way with the people: “I am prepared for martyrdom. Shame on you and your tricks the coup government” and “If I am arrested the nation is to strike indefinitely.”

Residential houses close to the contested areas have been opening their doors, giving refuge to injured protesters. Confirmed reports speak of European Embassies' (Embassies of Britain, France, Denmark, Portugal, and Australia – so far) opening their doors and accepting injured protesters. This is due to the fact that many confirmed evidences show those injured who have been taken to the hospitals are being immediately arrested by police and military forces, taken to unknown locations, without informing families’ of the victims. Local reports saying Canadian Embassy has refused to accept anyone so far. According to news coming from Fatemieh Hospital in Tehran, until 11:00 pm (LT), some 30-40 civilians were dead, 200 more injured, and police has been taking names of incoming injured civilians. Incoming news speak of ongoing shooting at people on the streets of Tehran and calling for urgent medical help at site. Meanwhile, incoming news speak of mass arrests of journalists in Tehran. This is while, so far, not only some 600-700 reformist political figures (many of them part of the political structures) and activists, but also many young social organizers have been arrested within the past days.


:The brutal suppression of demonstrations started by shooting civilians:

While clashes and street fights, initially, started in the central city – in areas around Revolution St. – and then shortly later, spread to mid-town (University of Tehran campus), later in the evening and into the night, the street fights between civilians and police/military forces made it to other parts of the city, as well as the east and west side suburbs (mostly lower middle-class and working-class areas): by 7:00 pm (LT), upper town areas on Vali Asr Street (Vanak Sq.), by 8:47 pm (LT), going up north of Vali Asr (Tajrish Sq.), by 9:17 pm (LT), Arya Shahr neighborhood (west of Tehran), by 10:48 pm, Gisha neighborhood (west of Tehran), by 11:00 pm (LT), Haft Hoz neighborhood (east of Tehran), by 12:00 pm (LT), Navab St. and Azarbayjan St. (both south of Tehran), by 12:15 pm (LT), reports of fires in Haft Hoz Sq. (east of Tehran) and use of Molotov Cocktail by protesters in pushing back Basij militia.

By 9:45 pm (LT), hundreds of thousands of Tehranians took to their roof tops, chanting “Allaho Akbar” (God is great) for an hour – both in memory of the days of the 1978-9 revolution, and, as a sign of collective resistance and solidarity, symbolically implying ‘the fight will go on’. Eyewitness reports speak of the highest intensity of chanting within the past week. Some reports speak of plans by people to march into central Tehran tonight.

News of similar scenes of heavy and bloody clashes between police/military forces and civilians has been reported from other cities: Ahavaz (southern Iran), Rasht (northern Iran), Tabriz (northwestern Iran), Isfahan (central Iran), Shiraz (southern Iran).

Below are some videos from today (Saturday, 20 June 2009) street scenes in Tehran. Some videos contain violent scenes. Discretion advised.

20 June 2009, Demonstrations on the Streets of Tehran, around 5:30 pm (LT)

Above: Chanted Slogans: Death to the dictator; Down with this falsified, populist government; People why are siting aside, Iran has turned into Palestine;


20 June 2009, Demonstrations & Confrontations on the Streets of Tehran


Above: Chanted Slogans: Death to the dictator; Until Ahmadineajad is here, everyday will be like this; People, why are you sitting aside, Iran has turned into Palestine; O' Hossein, Mir-Hossein; Don't be scared, don't be scared, we're all together.


20 June 2009, Rage & Blood On the Streets of Tehran


20 June 2009, Rage & Blood on the Streets of Tehran


20 June 2009, Shooting at Civilians on the Streets of Tehran (Discretion Advised)


20 June 2009, Killing of a Young Girl by Basij Militia on the Streets of Tehran (Discretion Advised)


"At 19:05 June 20th
Place: Karekar Ave., at the corner crossing Khosravi St. and Salehi st.
A young woman who was standing aside with her father watching the protests was shot by a basij member hiding on the rooftop of a civilian house. He had clear shot at the girl and could not miss her. However, he aimed straight her heart. I am a doctor, so I rushed to try to save her. But the impact of the gunshot was so fierce that the bullet had blasted inside the victim's chest, and she died in less than 2 minutes.
The protests were going on about 1 kilometers away in the main street and some of the protesting crowd were running from tear gass used among them, towards Salehi St.
The film is shot by my friend who was standing beside me.
Please let the world know." From Facebook Notes.

In the memory of all those brave souls who have lost their lives on the streets, and, in solidarity with all brave women and men who have courageously taken to the streets of Tehran and other cities in Iran; voicing their rights as citizens, resisting oppression and dictatorship, getting injured and arrested. You are making memorable pages of the history of this much troubled country.

Tehran's Autoworkers and Bus Syndicate In Solidarity with People's Movement

According to several sources, since Thursday, 18 June, autoworkers at Iran Khodro - Iran's biggest auto company - have been on partial strike in solidarity with post-election protests. Also, Vahed Syndicate (the syndicate of bus drivers and workers of Tehran and suburbs) issued a solidarity statement on 18 June ... See below for both news:

Strike in Iran Khodro:

We declare our solidarity with the movement of the people of Iran.

Autoworker, Fellow Laborers (Laborer Friends): What we witness today, is an insult to the intelligence of the people, and disregard for their votes, the trampling of the principles of the Constitution by the government. It is our duty to join this people's movement.

We the workers of Iran Khodro, Thursday 28/3/88 in each working shift will stop working for half an hour to protest the suppression of students, workers, women, and the Constitution and declare our solidarity with the movement of the people of Iran. The morning and afternoon shifts from 10 to 10:30. The night shift from 3 to 3:30.

Laborers of IranKhodor


Vahed Syndicate Statement: Any Suppression or Threat of Civil Liberty Condemned

Any Suppression or threat of civil liberty condemned

In line with the recognition of the labour rights, we request that June 26 Action Day - Justice for Iranian workers - to include the human rights of all Iranians who have been deprived of their rights.

In recent days, we continue witnessing the magnificent demonstration of millions of people from all ages, genders, and national and religious minorities in Iran. They request that their basic human rights, particularly the right to freedom and to choose independently and without deception be recognized. These rights are not only constitutional in most of the countries, but also have been protected against all odds.

Amid such turmoil, one witnesses threats, arrests, murders and brutal suppression that one fears only to escalate on all its aspects, resulting in more innocent bloodshed, more protests, and certainly no retreats. The Iranian society is facing a deep political-economical crisis. Million-strong silent protests, ironically loud with un-spoken words, have turned into iconic stature and are expanding from all sides. These protests demand reaction from each and every responsible individual and institution.

As previously expressed in a statement published on-line in May of this year, since Syndicate Vahed does not view any of the candidates support the activities of the workers’ organizations in Iran, it would not endorse any presidential candidate in the election. Vahed members nevertheless have the right to participate or not to participate in the elections and vote for their individually selected candidate.

Moreover, the fact remains that demands of almost an absolute majority of the Iranians go far beyond the demands of a particular group. In the past, we have emphasized that until the freedom of choice and right to organize are not recognized, talk of any social or particular right would be more of a mockery than a reality.

The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company fully supports this movement of Iranian people to build a free and independent civil society and condemns any violence and oppression.

In line with the recognition of the labour rights, the Syndicate requests that June 26 which has been called by the International Trade Unions Organization ‘Day of action’ for justice for Iranian workers to include the human rights of all Iranians who have been deprived of their rights.

With hope for freedom and equality

The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company

18 June 2009

I will participate in the demonstration...

Tomorrow is a big day. It may be my last day.

“I will participate in the demonstrations tomorrow. Maybe they will turn violent. Maybe I will be one of the people who is going to get killed. I’m listening to all my favorite music. I even want to dance to a few songs. I always wanted to trim my eyebrows very thin. Yes, maybe I will drop by the salon before the rally tomorrow! I have to watch some great parts of Hamoon* again.I also have to go through my books. Shamlou** and Forough** are worth reading at these moments. I have to review my family album too.And my friends! I have to call them to say goodbye. All I have are two bookshelves full of books which I told my family who should get them. I’m two courses away from getting my bachelors degree but who cares about that now. There is a lot on my mind right now. I am writing these scattered sentences for the next generation so they know we were not just emotional and caught up in excitement. So they know that we did everything we could to create a better future for them. So they know that our ancestors surrendered to Arabs and Mongols but did not surrender to despotism. These words are dedicated to the children of tomorrow …”

- translated from the notes of an Iranian blogger with more courage than most of us will ever know.

*Hamoun: an Iranian movie directed by Dariush Mehrjoui
** "Ahmad Shamlou" and "Forough Farrokhzad": Two contemporary Iranian poets

Stay Strong

This is visual summary of Iran uprising in the aftermath of the 2009 presidential election. The video contains very violent scenes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Letter from Tehran

"This is not about Mousavi, but about people realizing that they are not followers like a herd of sheep that goes anywhere it is summoned to go..."

June 18. 2009


The events of the last couple of days have been so moving that I haven’t be able to digest it all yet. Life was already fast and hectic enough in Tehran where we wouldn’t have time to get to everything, now after 3 PM everything comes to a halt and based on a collective agreement, we all leave our houses or daily routines and head towards downtown without any transportation! Believe me that every day we leave the house, we are not sure if we will make it back. Some of us like me and my family and our close friends who are among the crowd every day worry even more and each night after the rally we keep calling each other to make sure everyone is back home safe and sound.

During the rallies we see such variety of bitter and sweet incidents that it gives us material to think about for months to come. We come across small kids, men and women over 75 years old, people from all walks of life. Today I saw a blind young man accompanied by his father, many people with broken limbs, blued eyes, and many who carry the pictures of those killed in the events which breaks your heart. Many people distribute drinks and refreshments to protesters, some wave hands from the windows of their houses showing their green ribbons, and all of this, in an unbelievable moving silence.

Remember when in middle school as a composition homework, we had to write about “Imagine you could see the seed of people’s hearts.” Today these green ribbons have become those seeds. When you see them you get energized, and feel that you are all one. Cheating these people is worse than any crime and it is such a loss to waste all this hope and energy. I hope we make something good out of it. I have to add that what you and other Iranians outside of Iran are doing to support us is really warming our hearts. We are sure what you are doing is very effective. When they ask all foreign reporters to leave the country and when all of the communication channels are disconnected, it is your voice that takes our voice to the outside world.

Many criticize us and wonder what does Mr. Mousavi have that is so special? They argue that after all he is one of the many in that corrupt system of the Islamic Republic and will never act against it. My argument is that this is not about Mousavi, but about people realizing that they are not followers like a herd of sheep that goes anywhere it is summoned to go. They will know that the individual will does matter and that their actions can be effective and can speak louder than any specific person; this to me is the most important aspect of these events. Now either Mousavi or anyone else who will end up in power, they will have the understanding of what people want and what they are capable of, and how they can voice their requests. This is the significant and important step and now that Mousavi has chosen to go ahead, we will support him.

I had so much to tell! It is so good talk to each other.

"What I have witnessed"

A powerful note from a female medical student in Iran, translated from Farsi by a trusty reader.


Hello,

It's painful to watch what's happening.

I don't want anything to do with what has been said this far, as I neither have the strength nor the resilience to face all these unfathomable events.

I only want to speak about what I have witnessed. I am a medical student. There was chaos last night at the trauma section in one of our main hospitals. Although by decree, all riot-related injuries were supposed to be sent to military hospitals, all other hospitals were filled to the rim. Last night, nine people died at our hospital and another 28 had gunshot wounds. All hospital employees were crying till dawn. They (government) removed the dead bodies on back of trucks, before we were even able to get their names or other information. What can you even say to the people who don't even respect the dead. No one was allowed to speak to the wounded or get any information from them. This morning the faculty and the students protested by gathering at the lobby of the hospital where they were confronted by plain cloths anti-riot militia, who in turn closed off the hospital and imprisoned the staff. The extent of injuries are so grave, that despite being one of the most staffed emergency rooms, they've asked everyone to stay and help--I'm sure it will even be worst tonight.

What can anyone say in face of all these atrocities? What can you say to the family of the 13 year old boy who died from gunshots and whose dead body then disappeared?

This issue is not about cheating(election) anymore. This is not about stealing votes anymore. The issue is about a vast injustice inflected on the people. They've put a baton in the hand of every 13-14 year old to smash the faces of "the bunches who are less than dirt" (government is calling the people who are uprising dried-up torn and weeds)

This is what sickens me from dealing with these issues. And from those who shut their eyes and close their ears and claim the riots are in opposition of the government and presidency!! No! The people's complaint is against the egregious injustices committed against the people.

18 June 2009: Day 6th: Ongoin Demonstraions in Tehran

Demonstrations are ongoing. Today, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Tehran, chanting: "Mousavi, Mousavi, Take Back my Vote." Mir-Hossein Mousavi, also, joined the demonstration today. Once among the crowd, people chanting: "Oh Hossein, Mir-Hossein."

'Oh Hossein' is in reference to the third Shi'ie Imam, who, besides being a historical religious figure, is a political symbol of revolt against tyranny and oppression in the imaginaire of Iranians. In these days, the similarity of names between Mir-Hossein Mousavi and the third Shi'ie Imam, has been politically appropriated by the people on the streets of Tehran and many other cities of Iran. The appropriation of 'Hossein' is also a counter action vis-a-vis the fact that Ahmadi Nejad and his government justify their actions by appeals to religion and religious figure.




Thursday, 18 June 2009: Imam Square. Tehran. 5pm (local time)

Massive Mourning Rally Tehran, 17 Jun, 27 Khordad

Viva Iranians!

"At each rally people arrange the next time and place...
Sometimes ghalamnews confirms,
we use telephone and even make lots of copies of the arrangement and spread it on the streets!!! They are the most primitive ways but it works...

you don't believe how big these crowds are, and how good you feel walking along with the people who are ready to protect you in anyway,
those who are just like you.."

Politico-Military Coup d'etat in Iran: Struggle within Iranian Elites

Paul Jay, the senior editor of The Real News Network, talks with Brazilian Pepe Escobar, correspondent for Asia Times and an analyst for The Real News Network, on the recent mass-uprising in Iran.

My Elementary Schoolmate

One of the memorable songs of the 1979 revolution that turned into the song of the student movement in Iran. 30 years later the song is back to the streets of Tehran and other cities in Iran.



My elementary schoolmate.
You are with me and my comrade all the way.
We’ve suffered together.
Your tears and sighs are mines as well.
Engraved on this blackboard are our names.
Remaining on our bodies are still the scars of the lash of tyranny and injustice.

This uncultured landscape of ours is covered with weed instead of the green of grass.
Either good or bad, dead is the hearts of all its people.
Your hands and my hands must rip these veils apart.
Who else, except for you and I, could cure our wounds?

My elementary schoolmate.
You are with me and my comrade all the way.
We’ve suffered together.
Your tears and sighs are mines as well.
Engraved on this blackboard are our names.
Remaining on our bodies are still the scars of the lash of tyranny and injustice.

This uncultured landscape of ours is covered with weed instead of the green of grass.
Either good or bad, dead is the hearts of all its people.
Your hands and my hands must rip these veils apart.
Who else, except for you and I, could cure our wounds?

My elementary schoolmate.
You are with me and my comrade all the way.
We’ve suffered together.
Your tears and sighs are mines as well.
Engraved on this blackboard are our names.
Remaining on our bodies are still the scars of the lash of tyranny and injustice.

Men in civilian clothes attacked Day hospital in Tehran

به گزارش خبرنگار شهاب‌نیوز؛ حمله افراد لباس شخصی که دقیقاً معلوم نیست از کجا تغذیه می‌شوند به بیمارستان دی در حالی رخ داد که ساعاتی قبل از آن، تعدادی از مجروحان ناآرامی‌های روز سه‌شنبه تهران توسط اورژانس یا مردم به این بیمارستان منتقل شده بودند. طی روزهای شنبه، یک‌شنبه و دوشنبه نیز تعدادی از مجروحان و کشته شدگان ناآرامی‌ها و اعتراضات تهران به این بیمارستان منتقل شده‌اند.

خبرنگار شهاب‌نیوز می‌افزاید: افراد لباس شخصی که مجهز به چوب، چماق، باتوم، زنجیر، اسپری و بعضاً سلاح و بیسیم بودند پس از مراجعه به بیمارستان دی و عبور توام با تهدید از نگهبانی و حراست بیمارستان؛ وارد بخش اورژانس شدند و از پزشکان و کارد پرستاری با حالتی تهدیدآمیز خواستند که مجروحان ناآرامی‌ها را درمان نکنند!

این افراد با پرخاشگری، مجروحان ناآرامی‌ها را «منافق»، «عوامل دشمن»، «جاسوس» و «اراذل و اوباش» خواندند و خطاب به کارد پرستاری بیمارستان با تهدید تاکید کردند که حق ندارند این افراد را درمان کنند.

مجادلات این افراد با پزشکان و کادر پرستاری حدود ۱۵ دقیقه ادامه پیدا کرد. با آن که این افراد چند باری تلاش کردند با مجروحان نزدیک شده یا آن‌ها را شناسایی کنند، برخورد هوشمندانه پزشکان باعث شد که درگیری فیزیکی و خشونت‌آمیز رخ ندهد.

گفتنی است کادر پزشکی و امدادی حتی در جریان جنگ جهانی دوم یا حمله رژیم غاصب اسرائیل به غزه نیز از آزادی و امنیت برخوردار بودند.

Source


Translation:

Shahab News: Men in civilian clothes attacked Day hospital in Tehran (Tavanir st at Valiasr st) and it is not clear where they got their orders from. This happened
hours after some of the people wounded and injured in the street violence against protesters were brought to Day hospital by ambulances and by people on Tuesday. Number of wounded and dead were also brought to this hospital on previous days.

The attackers who were armed with batons, chains, sticks, sprays and guns entered the emergency room by forcing and threatening the security guards and ordered doctors and nurses not to treat patients injured during the protests. They also called those patients "spies", "traitors", and "enemy's supporters".

The confrontation lasted 15 minutes during which the hospital staff tried to keep the attackers from approaching the patients and recognizing their faces. At the end, they succeeded in preventing violence.

Note that even in the World War II and during Israel and Palestine's war in Gaza, the medical teams have been safe and free to do their job and treat the wounded.

Demonstrators embracing the police!!

Surprise Surprise!

Look who is beating people in the streets:

From 17Jun

Which government kills it own people like this?

A guy holding the picture of a young teenager who died in the protest.

New photos from Iran

People Massive rally in Iran against the Rigged Election.

Robert Fisk: Fear has gone in a land that has tasted freedom

"Please, please, keep the Basiji from us," one middle-aged lady pleaded with a special forces officer in flak jacket and helmet as the Islamic Republic's thug-like militia appeared in their camouflage trousers and purity-white shirts only a few metres away. The cop smiled at her. "With God's help," he said. Two other policemen were lifted shoulder-high. "Tashakor, tashakor," – "thank you, thank you" – the crowd roared at them.

Article: Robert Fisk: Fear has gone in a land that has tasted freedom

New photos from Iran, From the Massive rally in Tehran, Monday

Open Letter to the World

“Human beings are members of a whole, In creation of one essence and soul. If one member is afflicted with pain, Other members uneasy will remain. If you have no sympathy for human pain, The name of human you cannot retain.” - Saadi



This week Iranians turned out in record numbers not seen since the beginning of the Iranian revolution to change their current President Mahmood Ahmadinejad. Their willingness to exercise their democratic right was both historic and uncommon in the Middle East.

Iranians longed for change the same way people in the United States, and indeed worldwide, longed for a new beginning after the Bush years. They were tired of an increasingly delusional President who has thrown their country into economic turmoil and portrayed their country as a conflict seeking entity in the Middle East. But today the same Iranian regime that has denied a dialogue with the world, denied human rights, denied democracy, denied the Holocaust, is blatantly denying the will of its people by committing massive election fraud to reelect Mahmood Ahmadinejad, and arresting journalists and opposition leaders in broad daylight. Accepting this deception will be costly not only for the people of Iran but also for the people of the Middle East, with far reaching consequences worldwide.

As you read these words, the people in Iran have taken to the streets in nationwide protests. Despite brutal government suppression tactics the Iranian people are courageously fighting for their rights. As antiriot police batons crush the bones of demonstrators whose only protest is election fraud, Iranians are screaming for the world to hear them: WE DENOUNCE MAHMOOD AHMADINEJAD! The people of Iran now ask for your support! We do not expect you to fight our struggle but to help us fight it.

We expect people worldwide to put pressure on their governments and politicians not to accept the legitimacy of the Iranian elections and the fraudulent presidency of Mahmood Ahmadinejad. Democratic societies worldwide must not leave the Iranian people alone now that they have risen to the challenge. Instead they need to align their policies with the will of the Iranian people. Friends, we ask you not to let 70 million people in Iran be taken hostage.

Any government that accepts Mahmood Ahmadinejad as the new president of Iran has betrayed the Iranian people, endangered world peace, and has no sympathy for human pain.

Iranian Artists in Exile

Plesae sign the pettion

PLEASE TELL EVERYONE IN TO KEEP PROTESTING FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS! IF IT GOES ON THE UN WILL HAVE TO DECLARE THE VOTE VOID... DON'T STOP, KEEP GOING FOR 48 HOURS! .... PLEASE GO ON A STRIKE ON TUESDAY.!!! PLEASE SIGN AND FORWARD THIS PETITION! WE NEED OUR VOICES TO BE HEARD! TELL EVERYONE.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/where-is-my-vote