(Original article can be found at niacouncil.org)
Arash Hadjialiloo
Washington DC - New developments in Iran's foreign policy have yet again allowed its human rights violations to go widely unreported. As of July 15, the BBC had reported Iran plans to stone "at least" eight women and one man for various sex crimes, ranging from adultery to incest and prostitution. The lawyers representing the women have warned that all nine people could be executed at any moment despite a 2002 moratorium on stoning ordered by Iranian judiciary chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi. It is believed that at least three people have been executed by stoning in Iran since the supposed suspension.
Various human rights organizations such as Amnesty International have protested Iran's use of stoning, calling it a "grotesque punishment" as it maximizes suffering and unfairly targets women, who are more likely to be illiterate and may sign confessions without legal representation.
Coverage of Iran's scientific research has been specifically directed towards its pursuit of nuclear technology. Much less controversial and infinitely more impressive has been Iran's reputation in the realm of HIV research and prevention. This favorable opinion of Iran's medical work is largely a result of brothers Drs. Arash and Kamyar Alaei who have been working for over 20 years to combat HIV in Iran and the world specifically against spread from drug use, a debilitating epidemic amongst Iran's population. However, Iran's recent apprehension and refusal to charge or release the brothers has significantly injured this promising bridge with the international world.
According to Joe Amon, HIV/AIDS program director at Human Rights Watch; "Iran's HIV/AIDS program has been acclaimed internationally for seriously addressing the AIDS epidemic," "To fight AIDS effectively, the government has realized that it must engage in global efforts to combat the disease, work with civil society, and confront taboo issues, including sex and drugs. The detention without charges of the Alaei brothers has a chilling effect on all of those efforts."
Until their recent imprisonment, the brothers had worked extensively with Iranian government and religious leaders to educate Iranians, with special programs directed at youth prevention and prison care. Their incarceration comes only two week before Dr. Arash Alaei was to unveil Iran's HIV program at the International AIDS convention in Mexico. As to what exactly this does to Iran's embattled human rights record, Amon was unequivocal, saying that Iran "cannot be considered to be making progress if it is blatantly violating the human rights of two if its most valuable activists in this area."
According to Dokhi Fassihian, member of the National Iranian American Council's Board of Directors, "these human rights violations must end. Iran's human rights record must be brought to the forefront of public attention."
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Thanks NIAC
by Q on Tue Jul 29, 2008 02:40 AM PDTkeep up the good work.
Too Little, Too Late
by Free Thinker (not verified) on Tue Jul 29, 2008 01:11 AM PDTNIAC's much belated concern about the Islamic regime's volumnious records of abuse of human rights has already done enough damage to their imagevities that needs much much more than a "cross-posted article" on their site. to be reversed.It is clear that this "one 0ff", reaction is but a knee-jerk attmept to right a much delayed wrong.
Sorry NIAC, but your prolonged "inaction" on voicing the legitimate concerns of the Iranian-Americans, that NIAC claims to represent, on the systematic abuse of human rights in Iran speaks volumes about your underlying agenda. You need to do a hell of a lot more to come clean with this.
IR leaders must face tribunal
by Teerdaad (not verified) on Mon Jul 28, 2008 08:49 PM PDTIR leaders have been torturing and murdering Iranian people for almost 30 years. It's very nice of NIAC to finally taking a position, however superficial, against horrific human rights violations in Iran. Why don't you call for Khamenei and rest of the IR murderers to face International tribunal in Hague like Milosevic, etc..? Mr. Parsi, I dare you to directly condemn Khamenei for his crimes.
Well Mr. Fred
by Abarmard on Mon Jul 28, 2008 07:48 PM PDTI wish your Lobby, the AIPAC would do the same, even with copy and pasting, we'll take it.
The regime in Iran must be pressured to stop this really shameful and barbaric acts.
The arrest of these two
by asdf (not verified) on Mon Jul 28, 2008 04:31 PM PDTThe arrest of these two hard-working doctors is indeed appalling and indicates the depth of fascism of this criminal regime.
Thanks NIAC; you started a bit late to address the horrendous treatment of Iranians by their own government but it's ok, it's never too late to do the right thing.
Thank you
by Jahanshah Javid on Mon Jul 28, 2008 03:32 PM PDTNIAC is doing the right thing by raising the issue of human rights abuses in Iran. A balanced, sensible policy towards Iran must include the condemnation of grave acts of cruelty by the Iranian judiciary and security forces. Everyone at NIAC... Keep up the good work!
Cross posted no less
by Fred on Mon Jul 28, 2008 02:28 PM PDTNIAC lobby says: "these human rights violations must end. Iran's human rights record must be brought to the forefront of public attention." Additionally, the lobby is kind enough to copy and past a more than few days old BBC news item which has been available to all. NIAC lobby constantly touts its congressional access and is not shy in lobbying for the policies that are for all intents and purposes the same as those on the Islamist regime’s wish list. the singular joint human rights in Iran conference of long ago which NIAC lobby has blown out of proportion and gotten a lot of mileage out of has worn off, how about some timely action on human rights and pressuring the Islamist regime? The Islamist regime has increased its tempo of killing Iranians; surely such a savvy lobby can do better than this posting albeit “Cross posted at niacINsight.com”.