Political Prisoners' Letter for Dialogue and Peace

In a letter to Barack Obama, 55 Iranian political prisoners mostly related to the reformists and those detained after the disputed elections of 2009, have asked the US administration to  reconsider its position on the crippling sanctions against the Iranian nation. The Guardian published a letter in which several political prisoners have urged Obama to take the opportunity created by the election of   Hassan Rouhani  as Iran's new and moderate president, to seek detente between the two countries.
The letter says:" In our view, the tenure of this government may be the last chance to bring this conflict to a reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution. It is clear that there are parties and actors in both camps who do not wish the conflict to come to a peaceful end and prefer to see it drag on longer."

The letter is an important milestone in the US - Iran relations since it indicates that political prisoners in Iran are also seriously critical of US policies against the nation.

"The practical outcome of the intensification of sanctions and failure in achieving a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict between Iran and the United States will be further polarization and deepening of animosities. This will further undermine regional and international security." , the letter goes on to say.

The authors believe that the measures taken by Congress are leading the conditions towards and embargo and real war against Iran.  In this case the Iranian nation will stand united:" In such a war, supporters of the cause of democracy in Iran, people like us, who have paid the price of our belief in civil and political rights and liberties with the suffering our families have had to endure and the years of our lives spent in prison, will defend the independence and territorial integrity of Iran."
The letter calls for a dignified solution to the nuclear issue :" Mr. President! We believe it is time to replace sanctions with an effort to achieve a mutually acceptable resolution of the nuclear issue. To achieve such an end and given the chronic nature of the deep-rooted conflict, all sides concerned should strive for a dignified solution in which no party will be considered the loser."
 The letter finally urges the US President to take measures for trust building among the two countries:
" We, therefore, urge your administration and the new government in Iran to employ all possible means to build trust and ensure the success of diplomacy."

This letter, if properly read and understood by the people in Capitol Hill and other branches of the US administration will help them to open their eyes to  the realities about Iran and to put aside fantasies and inaccurate assessments about the social and political trends in Iran.

I hope both Presidents display the courage and integrity to resolve this important global conflict and to achieve a sustainable  resolution which would be acceptable for both sides and would lead to more security and peace in the world.

Humans of Iran and US

There were two events last week which indicated how important  public diplomacy can be when dealing with relationships between countries. After visiting Iran, a New York based photographer, Brandon Staton has posted pictures about people in Iran on his blog  http://www.humansofnewyork.com/ .  His posts have been well received by both Iranians and Americans.

This is how he begins his part on Iran:

"The US Government has a lengthy travel warning for Iran. While not advising you to ignore this warning, I do advise that you balance it with direct accounts of Americans who have recently visited the country. These accounts are generally filled with superlatives— the country is beautiful, the history is rich, and the people are eager to demonstrate their almost-sacred commitment to hospitality. "

The captions under the pictures are both meaningful and inspiring:

 "Curves are everywhere in Eastern culture: our writing, our architecture, our instruments, the way we dance, even the tone of our language is curved. The West was built on angles. The East was built on curves."

More interesting are the the  readers’ comments which  are eye opening. Many express the fact that they did not believe they could find such scenes in Iran , many have said that they enjoy seeing the pictures of Iranians. Some said that the human connection in these pictures have helped them see a different image from that portrayed by the mainstream media in the US. While the US administration is preparing the public opinion for a confrontational approach, people are attempting to open new vistas for friendship and cooperation for peace.

 In a more heartwarming but ultimately tragic story, many in Iran and in the mountain-climbing community worldwide were transfixed by the story of three Iranian mountaineers, Aydin Bozorgi, Pouya Keyvan and Mojtaba Jarahi who went missing after completing a daring new ascent of Pakistan’s daunting Broad Peak (8047m). The team had fixed the Iranian flag at the summit to open a new path in the name of Iran but while descending they had lost contact and went missing. In spite of the rescue attempts the missing mountaineers were never found. This created a huge social media campaign in Iran.  The most interesting point in this tragic story was that an American climber named Scott Powrie, who hiked alongside the Iranian climbers, memorialized their generosity and Iranian hospitality in a moving personal blog post:

http://highaltitudescott.blogspot.com/2013/07/bittersweet-homecoming.html   .

“Base camp life with the guys was wonderful.  I learned how to say "pass that food" and "thank you" in Farsi and the guys learned all the slang I could teach them from my California accent. They had brought many goods from Iran, Cheese, meats, pickled vegetables, yogurt, dried fruit and nuts.  This was their own food to sustain them for the entire expedition and they did not need to share.  But they were very giving and wanted us to feel welcome and try their local cuisine, offering all of what they had for us to try.”

Scott goes on to say:”In this world I have been lucky enough to live in many different places and meet many different people.  Some good, some bad and in some rare cases you meet some who evoke a powerful feeling of good inside you, almost like a white light of happiness.  These people are very rare and are the ones that make this world a better place to live in for all of us.  There are so few of these special people on this earth that if you lose even a few there are tremendous negative effects for the rest of us.  Aidin, Pouyu, and Mojtaba are of these few, rare people.  The world will miss these young souls; I will miss these young souls. They were my friends and I am sad to see them go. My heart goes out to the families and friends of these individuals. The entire Iranian team was a great show of talent and character, an amazing reflection of their country from which they came.”

As reports of the unsuccessful rescue attempts were verified, news agencies reported that sanctions restrictions had impeded the flow of information on the location of the mountaineers using Thuraya cellphones . These sanctions are taking many lives, among the ordinary people particularly those in need of special medications, members of Congress and the US administration  better realize that they are complicit in the suffering of Iranians as well as Iraqi’s , Afghans, Syrians and Palestinians.

These events preceeded news in the mainstream media that the American Congress adopted a new set of crippling sanctions against the Iranian nation only a few days before the inauguration of the  moderate President Dr. Rouhani. This unfriendly message was unfortunate since  the Iranian nation had delivered a clear message by electing Rouhani and they expected to hear a rational response to this decision, but it seems that this clear signal has fallen on deaf ears and that radical elements on both sides wish to aggravate the situation. There is no question that the powerful Zionist lobby in the congress and senate are pushing for a confrontational approach against Iran. Their existence depends on escalation of conflict between the US and Iran.

Civil society groups , Iranians residing in the US and political activists should all engage in a serious effort to bring to light the aspirations of the people to connect and mend ties in a spirit of just and balanced relations. Now that the Iranians have made their selection, it is upon the American society to take action to prevent the neocon and Zionist Christian lobby from taking affairs in their hands. Confrontation benefits the military industry in the US for they can sell more arms to fearful Arab neighbors who are being fed with the fake phobia of a “nuclear Iran”. Peace benefits nations who are weary of interventionist policies in the region and seek security and  calm for their children and families who now have been suffering from the calamities of war, conflict and sanctions for several years.

Muslim Mothers for Peace

 

“The bombing culminated a violent two days in Iraq that left around 60 people dead.There appears to be no let up in the violence between Shi'ites and minority Sunnis, which the United Nations says has killed more than 2,500 people since April.

 Iraqi Sunnis complain that the Shi'ite-led government ignores their needs and is marginalizing them politically. The Associated Press reports Sunni and Shi'ite clerics delivered a joint Ramadan sermon Friday in Baghdad, calling for an end to the violence and a united Iraq.”

The above is an example of news reports we hear every day, about dark events happening in our world.

 In recent years we have witnessed a constant rise in sectarian violence among various groups particularly among   Shia and Sunni  factions. This violence has disrupted the social balance and the chain of normal life in many societies. In addition to Pakistan and India where we were accustomed to hearing news of bombings on religious occasions, now the sectarian divide has spread to Iraq, Syrian , Lebanon and even Egypt. Afghanistan also faces recurrent waves of violence both sectarian and anti occupation in nature.

Eventhough, there are certain differences in historical narratives and interpretations among  Shia and Sunni sects, but the majority of the basic precepts are common among the two schools. The Scripture, ie the Holy Quran is completely identical for all Muslims as are the pillars of the Religion.  Muhammad SA is the Prophet of all Muslims , the  ethicals standards and religious rituals are very similar. The basic differences are in the historical interpretations and the course of history after the demise of the Prophet. The trend of events after the Prophet led many believers to question the  justification of leaders particularly the  misdemeanors   of rulers who after  Ali Ibn Abitaleb took the affairs in their hands violating the basic teachings of the Prophet and  oppressing people by tyrannical  control over their resources and lives.

The history of colonial rule in Islamic societies indicates that occupying and colonial forces have exploited   the few differences among  Islamic  schools of thought to strengthen  their rule and control over the  wealth and resources of  Muslim nations. Now, after what has been inflicted upon Muslim societies in the region the sectarian divide has become deadly and more violent.

I had and interview with an international news agency  Shafaghna.com and I proposed a campaign of Muslim Mothers  for Peace. The proposal has been welcomed by many media and social activists. We hope to launch the campaign in close collaboration with Sunni and Shia sisters and brothers worldwide.

The main objectives are awareness raising, advocacy and promotion of understanding among the Shia and Sunni  schools and a strong denunciation  of violence and terror .

Winds of Change in Ramazan

We need to change the current trend of affairs in today's world. The world is suffering from an acute case of mismanagement. global powers intervene in the affairs of nations only to secure their interests. It seems that nothing is in its place.The ongoing escalation of violence in many parts of the world, the widening gap between rich and poor nations, the scourge for more wealth and prosperity among the rich and insecurity, poverty and hatred among the miserable masses has taken the world to the verge of unsustainability . The world has not become a better place for people after the world powers intervened in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Palestine,  in Libya, in Syria. Now, Snowden tells us that the details of our lives are all under the scrutiny of the US intelligence apparatus, the so called  leading country  of freedom and human rights in the world is now accused of controlling everything to maintain its supremacy and control over the wealth, resources and peoples of the world. What can we do as humans who aspire for justice and peace. 

 In  2004, as the Vice President of Iran  and during the Khatami Administration , I was invited to deliver a speech at the University of Seoul. The conference hall was jammed with students and academics who were curious to hear from a woman Vice President from Iran.

In that session I spoke about the common aspirations of human societies , about the fact that many global challenges including environmental degradation and the widening gap between rich and poor nations are rooted in the distorted lifestyles that we humans pursue. We need to improve ourselves individually and collectively in terms of  consumption patterns,  destruction of the natural environment, violence, war and abrogation of human rights.Today we come to the conclusion at the international level that we need to change lifestyles and attitudes in order to correct the current unsustainable trends. I mentioned the need for an inner journey to correct the attitudes and behavior that has become so detrimental. The Four Journeys of Mulla Sadra could be taken as a model , where four stages of cognition and spiritual upliftment were included, I noted. I was fascinated to hear the very intelligent questions and the level of understanding that Korean students displayed to concepts which came from a very distant country and culture but which touched common human values and aspirations. 

The inner journey we all aspire for may begin with the month of Ramadan. Ramadan is a chance to change the monotonous routine of our self-centered and egoistic lives . It is a chance to see beyond the material limits of the self and by closing doors on material senses and desires, to open a door to the mystical realm of the spirit. Ramadan is the month when Muslims refrain from eating and abstain from desires. One should endeavor to refrain from lying and all other sins during this holy month. Ramadan is a time for the inner journey for perfection.  Ramadan has benefits for both the mind and the body as well as the spirit. Eating, sleeping and work behaviors are all altered during this month paving way for a new lifestyle during the whole year ahead.

Ramadan tells us that in order to change the world people need to change their lifestyles, their attitudes, their desires and behavior needs to change before they can change their society and change the current trend of affairs in today's world. 

New Pressures Against Iran

Fair and peaceful elections in Iran led to the election of Hassan Rouhani as the eighth president of Iran. Hassan Rouhani who called for moderation and alleviation of the pressures on political activists and press enjoyed the overwhelming support of the reformists and moderate centrist groups. The victory of Rouhani who also called for a more balanced and rational approach in dealing with the Western powers, has been considered as a major political development for Iran. Iranians made the best of the circumstances they faced. Indicating that the nation had used its democratic rights to change the current power construct and radical political orientation, these elections consolidated the country's position in future negotiations and diplomatic ventures.

Many analysts and even ordinary people on the street  presumed that this change of course in political trends would enable the West and the Obama administration to take a more sensible direction on Iran.    They believed that these elections would deliver a signal of abiding to democratic values, dialogue and understanding to the world and  lessen the pressure of the sanctions against the people. Realizing that the people are now genuinely behind their President -elect,  it was speculated that the Western powers would get the message and change their strategy on Iran to reach a viable solution that would reasonably satisfy both sides of the equation.

The recent sanctions imposed by the American Congress however indicated otherwise.  The House Foreign Affairs Committee has also produced a letter which indicates how biased and wrong they are about internal and foreign politics in Iran. I would propose that Congress members who have signed this letter should engage in an independent briefing with Iranian politicians living in the US, about the dynamics of internal politics in  Iran.

The election of Rouhani provides an opportunity for all. This window of opportunity can prevent further tensions and instability in the region and in the world. As before,  it seems that the American administration is giving the message that it is  not capable of translating Persian / Farsi texts and speeches or it may be that they are incapable of understanding the shrewd and intricate nature of the Iranian politics? The rest of the world and Europe better understand that the US has lost its credibility and objective approach on this matter. The EU needs to reassess the current course taken on Iran with due consideration of the recent political developments and change of direction in Iran.

Civil Society Prevents the Destruction of A Valuable Garden

Experts believe the natural pristine forests of Iran, belonging to the Hircanian age, probably date back to between 2-3 million years ago. These natural forests are a natural reservoir of diverse flora and fauna and exceptional beauty. They comprise up to 4% of the country's area and are under constant pressure from legal and illegal logging, urbanization and industrialization projects. Situated at the north of Iran andsouthern border of the Caspian sea, these forests are a natural touristic attraction for millions of people who visit the north every year.
Since two years ago, State officials announced plans to construct a highway passing between the Nowshahr Botanical Gardens in Mazandaran. This botanic reservoir which dates more than 5 decades ago is a  unique collection of living plants many of which are at the verge of extinction. Many of these plants are also ornamental as well. In addition to research and education, the Garden is a touristic attraction as well. At that time many NGOs and environmental activists opposed the action and certain members of the Garden administration filed a legal claim against the local authorities. This led to a judicial verdict and the plans were temporarily cancelled.
Last week a new directive was issued to begin the destruction of the Garden on Wednesday. NGOs and civil society activists began a campaign to protest against the action and to prevent the government from executing its directive. They also signed a petition asking Dr. Rouhani the President elect to take action to prevent the destruction of this valuable biodiversity reservoir.
NGOs arrived on the site on Wednesday to see that the directive has been temporarily annulled and construction activity cancelled.

Recent Presidential elections resulted in the victory of the moderate candidate who called for change. This event indicates that the winds of change are on the way and there is much reason for optimism.

Sectarian Divide and The Savior

The Muslim world is now more than ever threatened by sectarian strife  and discord. The Shia –Sunni divide has been orchestrated by radical and deviant groups to fuel terrorism and violence in Islamic societies. The recurring tragedy of sectarian violence has torn apart the social and economic fabric of societies in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq , Bahrain and Syria. Messages inciting hatred and revenge are now heard even in social networks which were intended to promote understanding and dialogue .

Certain Sunni religious figures have sometimes given violent and radical   fatwas against Shias and Shia groups have sometimes resorted to insults against the Sunnis.

In the late 70s Imam Khomeini considered the sectarian divide as a major threat to the Muslim Ummat, for this reason he designated the week between  birthday of the Prophet which is the 12^th of Rabie according to Sunni tradition and the 17^th of Rabie according to Shia tradition as the Week of Unity . Now for years many festivities and  societies like the Dar Al Taghrib  have been established and civil groups are active to promote unity but it seems that this approach does not suffice any longer. It is very evident today among the effective tactics that espionage teams and CIA or MI6 groups follow that creating discord and enmity is a method for weakening the Muslim Ummah.

The birthday of the Savior, which is a common theme not only among Muslim sects( eventhough there are varying interpretations) but among many Abrahamic religions, is a unique opportunity to promote dialogue and discourse among Shia and Sunni groups and to invite them to prevent radical groups from taking the upper hand in their societies.

According to tradition and Hadith , Mahdi will bring a message of peace, unity and justice for all human beings of earth, he will eradicate oppression , poverty and the suffering of the people. His message is one of love and understanding for all humankind.

Rouhani and A New Era of Moderation and Reform

The Coalition of Moderates and Reformists for Change has resulted in the victory of Dr.Hassan Rouhani. His victory was a surprise since many predicted that elections would be taken to the second round and things would become very difficult, but when Khatami and Hashemi backed Rouhani and when the people moved into the election scene things changed quickly.
Tehran was the scene of spontaneous joy and celebration last night. Thousands came into the streets in many cities in Iran to celebrate the victory of the Reformists and the departure of Ahmadinejad. Among the slogans they chanted was the freedom of political prisoners and Mousavi and Karroubi.
The jubilation and political expectations together are another indication that the people are well aware of the implications of this important political development.
For years Reformists were under pressure, they were imprisoned or questioned for their criticism and opposition to government policies. For years the political monopoly of Principalists in power claimed that Reformists were ousted from the social and political scene in Iran. They spoke about the end of reformism and the Green movement but last night Tehran and many large cities in Iran spoke in other terms. Seventy two percent of those eligible to vote had come to the polls and 50.7 percent had voted for Rouhani . As a major display of democracy and change in Iran, expectations are that foreign relations will improve and the unjustified sanctions against the Iranian nation will subside. Considering the strength that Rouhani has in foreign policy this is a reason for hope today. I hope western powers and American politicians would carefully evaluate current developments and find a way to change their one-sided approach on Iran.

Presidential Elections Ahead/ Prudent Coalition

Now that I have been disqualified on political pretexts, to run for Council elections in Tehran, I have been  spending more time on the concurrent presidential elections. Former President Khatami has now, for the past 7 months, convened a Council of Advisers to decide on a road map for the future. A strong and unified presence for the nationwide council elections and a wise decision on presidential elections has been pursued by this group and other remaining Reformist political groups.

Although many well known Reformist figures were disqualified for council elections in major cities like Tehran, yet Reformists have managed to produce an alliance among their groups and give a 31 person list for Tehran as well as many other cities. This is the result of months of tireless efforts of many political activists who have payed the heavy price of Reformist activism in Iran.

After weeks of campaigning Dr.Aref was asked to resign from his candidacy to open way for a coalition of moderate and reformist groups on Dr.Hassan Rouhani . His  justified resignation created new waves of hope for prudent  political activism. Now, we have only one remaining day for election campaigning.
Restrictions on Reformist activities continue, yet we will proceed to the final stage.

Persian Opera :The Rain Bird

The Vahdat Opera House is one of the most beautiful and fully equipped in Tehran. We were invited to see the " Rain Bird" or Morque Baran a creation of Pari Saberi a reknown theater writer and director. In one of her interviews she had indicated that her dreams of having a Persian Opera were realized with this work. The "Rain Bird " is based on the legendary story of Jamshid and Zahak. Jamshid is the King of Persia who gets caught in his pride and claims absolute authority and the devil comes to his help through Zahak to oppress the people and to silence any opposition. In face of his tyranny Kaveh the son of a goldsmith and Feriedoon come to fight against the oppression and ultimately they imprison the cruel Zahak. In addition to beautiful traditional costumes and great Persian music performance by the Kamkar Group, the play was laden with beautiful verses of poetry from Hafiz and Ferdowsi as well as contemporary poets like Sohrab Sepehri and Houshang Ebtehaj.

 Iranian arts, music , theater and poetry were all present in one work. The political message of this legendary epic is one of freedom from oppression and tyranny of the rulers and foreign domination; as the aggression of Alexander remains as a historical reminder of the interests that colonial powers pursued in Iran. The performance was excellent and there was a 10 minute standing ovation at the end indicative of the general approval of the audience.

Elections, Suspense and Prayers

Following the disqualification of hundreds of Reformist candidates for the nationwide council elections last month, now the disqualification of Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani has astonished political activists on both sides of the political arena. The reality is that the Ayatollah’s candidacy had created waves of hope among both reformists and principalists and among the public in general. Initial polls and predictions indicated that Hashemi would gain more than 57% of the votes in the first stage of the election. The fact that he was disqualified due to old age was the only pretext given for this political act of the Council of Guardians. Many Iranian personalities have objected to this decision and have requested a revision of this decree. Reformists have not decided on the strategy they will pursue in the elections. Council candidates like myself who have filed their objections will receive a notice today on whether they have been qualified or not. Then they can begin the campaign. These three days of Rajab are reserved for prayer and occlusion ceremony termed “Etekaf”, recitation of the holy Quran and prayers are recommended. News of additional sanctions and a new pro Israel bill from the US Senate are indicative of a revived attempt to break the resilience of the Iranian nation. We pray for the well- being and brighter future for humanity.

Countdown to elections in Iran

Countdown to elections in Iran has begun .I have signed up for Tehran City Council elections which will be held next month simultaneously with nationwide presidential elections in Iran. The next council in Tehran will have 31 members according to an amended law. According to official reports approximately 3000 people have signed up in Tehran to compete for 31 seats.
Candidates for presidency have also been signing up since yesterday. Reformists are hopeful that either Khatami or Hashemi Rafsanjani will announce their candidacy and sign up until Saturday. National polls indicated that Khatami still holds the highest rank in terms of popularity for presidential elections. Thousands of political activists have invited Khatami to stand as candidate during the past month. Khatami has indicated that current pressures, constraints on activist and ongoing threats have created an unfavorable atmosphere for his participation.
Rumours and certain reports indicate that Reformists may face challenges in the vetting process even for the city council elections which are considered to be more relaxed and open than other elections in Iran. Even if they are disqualified in the first stage they face the opportunity to appeal and obtain final approval through Parliament oversight procedures .
Internet connections have not been working well recently and observers believe this is related to the upcoming elections in June.
By mid next week the political orientations of presidential hopefuls and Reformists candidates will be elucidated and results of the vetting process will be announced.
Elections are an opportunity for public participation in decision making processes of the country.  I hope the trend of developments will lead to an improvement in social and economic indicators of our society.