Tell the world
Open letter to Sean Penn on his visit to Iran

Ali Javadi
May 17, 2005
iranian.com

Dear Mr. Sean Penn,

Allow me to get to the crux of the matter without any introduction. Your position on the U.S. war against Iraq generated the admiration of many freedom loving people around the world. You stood along the peace loving people of the world and condemned the U.S. aggression against Iraq. I admire that you have now traveled to Iran as a newspaper reporter to witness and expose the undeniable truths of the lives people are leading under the dark and repressive Islamic regime, in order to expose these shocking realities to the world. This is also what the freedom loving people of Iran will expect from your trip to Iran.

Mr. Penn, your trip to Iran will enable you to objectively witness the reality of one of the most inhumane religious regimes in the recent history of mankind: 

You can see that under the Islamic regime there is no freedom of expression or assembly, precluding the right to protest, demonstrate, and freely report news. You will observe that after any demonstration many are arrested, tortured, and imprisoned.

You can see first hand that the Islamic regime is a regime based on sexual apartheid. Women are not equal or free members of the society; but rather are constantly suppressed and harassed. Women do not have any of the freedoms of a civilized nation and are forced to cover themselves under veils or risk lashings for violating the barbaric Islamic codes. In Iran, under the Islamic regime, men and women are stoned to death for extramarital relations.  

You are able to see how rampant poverty and destitution is in Iran. I urge you to engage yourself with the working class; they will tell you that close to one million have not received their rightfully owed wages. They will tell you that the average wage of a worker in Iran is less than half the government declared poverty line. You can witness how poverty and unemployment has caused widespread drug addiction and depression in the society. You can observe how a noticeable segment of the female population resorts to prostitution in order to pay for the bare necessities of living. Ironically and sadly, the Iranian people face all these miserable conditions and social ills in a country which is rich in natural and human resources.

Mr. Penn, in Iran you can find the true nature of an "election" in the Islamic regime. Under this regime, women are prohibited from even seeking candidacy for any "elected" position. You will find that only those would become eligible to seek office have already proved their staunch allegiance to the Islamic regime through many previous actions. And you can easily conclude that "election" in Iran is an insult to any civilized free culture, having no resemblance to any truly free election anywhere in the world.

Mr. Penn, I hope your trip to Iran enables you to empathize with the brewing feelings of hatred many of the people in Iran harbor towards the Islamic regime. Speak to anyone in the street at random and if the fear of backlash does not hold them back, I guarantee you they will let you know that their greatest dream is to see the Islamic regime overthrown to make room for the formation of a free, open, egalitarian, prosperous and secular political and social system.

Mr. Penn, do not allow the Islamic regime to use and abuse your position and trip to Iran during this comical "election." Expose the truths of the current situation in Iran to the world.

Join along with the freedom loving people of Iran and declare that what is going on in Iran is not a free and legitimate election by any means. Reflect the wishes of freedom loving people of Iran to the world. Let everyone know that the people of Iran are trying to do away with the Islamic regime and are tired of poverty and deprivation, and that they want freedom, equality and prosperity.

Let your eyewitness report from Iran become a true account of what the society is and help it to advance the people of Iran in their struggle against the Islamic regime.

With best wishes

Ali Javadi
President of New Channel TV
June 14, 2005

About
Ali Javadi is the president of New Channel TV, which is a 24-hour satellite television program. New Channel has millions of viewers all over Europe, Iran and the Middle East. Ali Javadi is a leading political figure in Iranian opposition, holds a PhD in applied mathematics, and currently is a professor at the University of California.