Farah Douglas' speech in San Diego last night

Share/Save/Bookmark

Q
by Q
25-Jul-2009
 

Welcome to San Diego’s mega rally in support of freedom and human rights in Iran. Thank you for taking time to be here today. My name is Farrah Douglas. I’m an Iranian-American and I’m proud to raise my voice here tonight in support of millions of Iranians who struggle for their freedom.

Before anything else, I want to answer the question of: “Why are we here?” We are here as a nonpartisan group. This is a non-political event. We are not promoting, supporting or rallying for any political agenda or any candidate. Our primary goals for this evening’s rally are:

1) Giving Voice to the people of Iran in demanding civil & human rights. 2) Pressuring the Iranian government to stop its brutal treatment, the abuse of power, the imprisonment, torture and killing of peaceful demonstrators. 3) Announcing our solidarity with the Iranian people. Letting them know we have heard their voices, they are not alone in their struggle and they have our support.

We are proud to have prominent international organizations supporting and endorsing this non-political rally. We want to thank: Amnesty International (and their representative Cindy Mathews), Survivors of Torture International (and their representatives Maren Daugherty), End Violence against Women International (their representatives: Stephanie Hanson and Inez Baker) and IranPeace 2009 (their representatives: Cameron Malek and Bashir Eghbali). I also want to take time and introduce the other four ladies who helped organize this rally with me. They are: Stephanie Hanson, Kelly Morrissey, Fary Moini and Jamile Palizban. Our thanks to Bashir Eghbali and Cameron Malek as well.

Let me acknowledge that among us today are many factions of the Iranian- Americans. We honor you all and we want the world to see and know that despite our differences and differing political views, we are united in the most important cause of all: Freedom of speech and human rights for Iranians. In fact tomorrow, Saturday, there is another rally in front of the Federal Building in San Diego, at the corner of Front Street and Broadway. That rally is from 5 to7 pm and the organizers are inviting all of you to attend it.

Now let’s focus on the events that have prompted this rally and others all around the world. On June 12th 2009 a general election was held in Iran for the president. On the same day Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was announced as the winner of the election and the president of the country. According to the official results, Ahmadinejad received 62.6% of the votes, while his rival Mr. Mir Hossein Mousavi had received 33.8%.

The Iranians and most of the new media had expected the results to be much closer. Therefore, millions of Iranians did not believe the results and large crowds gathered in the streets to protest. We all saw the moving videos of these demonstrations on our TV screens. Signs of “Where is my vote?” were every where.

What we know is that at a minimum hundreds of these demonstrators were arrested, many were injured, and at least 20 were killed. The most famous victim is Neda Agh-Sultan. As we watched this 26-year old woman die on the streets of Tehran, we all cried for her and for Iran. Today in Iran is the 40th day of Neda’s death. There are demonstrations in Iran to remember her as a symbol of innocent Iranians whose lives are in danger just because they are asking for basic human rights and freedom of speech. With us today we have a young artist, Parmis Kashirad. She was born in Iran but raised in the United States. The recent events in Iran have moved her so, that she has devoted her time to paintings that portray and show the plight of the Iranian women. I invite you to take a few minutes after the rally and view her paintings.

What’s going on with human rights abuses in Iran? Amnesty International has complied a list of 368 individuals who have been identified as being arrested since the election. Tehran’s chief of police announced earlier this month that over 1,000 demonstrators were imprisoned. The families of these individuals have not been able to contact them or receive any information about them. Since June 12th, demonstrators have been met with clubs, bullets and tear gas. Worse yet, even when the streets are quiet, protestors disappear from their homes without word to their anxious families.

Human Rights Watch Group has collected accounts from detainees following their release, many of whom report mistreatment, threats and coercion to sign false confessions of being spies or working for foreign governments. For me, as a woman who lived through the Islamic Revolution of 1979, one of the most painful scenes, in addition to Neda’s death, was watching a video of one of the demonstrations in Iran, during which people chanted, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. We’re together.” People who live in the free world don’t have any concept of what it means to be afraid of your own government and live in constant fear of being arrested.

We’re here this evening to support the Iranian people in their quest for freedom of speech and human rights. We are calling on the world to pay attention and to take notes of the mistreatment of the Iranians by the Iranian government. The following are addressed to the United Nations, President Obama, Mr. Ahmadinejad and the Iranian people :

1) We are calling on the United Nations and the world to impose sanctions on the Iranian government to force the release of all political prisoners.

2) We are asking the international community and the governments around the world to stop recognizing the Iranian regime as a legitimate government of this ancient country, while it is torturing and murdering its own people.

3) We are calling on President Obama to take a tougher stand against Iran and demand civility and human rights in Iran.

4) We are asking Iran’s Supreme Leader to free thousands of innocent Iranians who are imprisoned based on their political views. We in particular remember Shadi Sadr and Mirza Bahari amongst the other prisoners.

5) To the Iranian government we say: the world is watching you, the weight of the world’s moral judgment is on your shoulders. Practice civility. Hear the voices of the millions that you have silenced by force. NO MORE VIOLENCE.

6) To the world’s media: Please do not take your eyes off of Iran. As long as you’re watching, the Iranian government’s reaction to the demonstrators will be measured and somewhat civil. When you turn your eyes away, the brutality will begin.

7) We proudly proclaim ourselves to be the voice of the millions of Iranians who are voiceless now and need our support. We will use the same digital and global social media that the Iranians use to rebroadcast news from Iran: Twitter, facebook and so on.

8) We honor all Iranians, those who agree with their government, those who have demonstrated against their government with great risk to their lives, and those who tweet and tell us about their struggle.

9) We honor the Iranian women, who have taken the leading role in these demonstrations. We are your voice and will remain with you.

Now I want to call on every one to observe a minute of silence in respect to Neda and all other victims in Iran. Please bow your head in respect and reflect for a moment.

At this point I want to invite Mr. Ali Sadr To sing the “Ey Iran” anthem for us. God bless the freedom seekers of the world, the United States of America and all of you.

Farrah Douglas, 5 Women Who Care

//united4iran.org/locations/north-america/san...

Share/Save/Bookmark

more from Q
 
jamshid

safsateh

by jamshid on

"You are all of a sudden "contributing" to a movement whose existence you denied?"

You talk as though the movement is owned by reformers. Just as your fellow thugs did with the revolution 30 years ago. The movement is not owned by the reformers. Many of the people who poured in the streets did so because they were sick and tired of the IRI, not because they championed the reformers.

Many of those who voted, did so not because they believed in the regime, but because they felt they must choose between the lesser of two evils.

This is the "people's" movement, not just a person's or just one group of people's.

"you are all of a sudden a champion of internal reform"

You lie. I am not pro-reform, never was, let alone be a "champion" of it. I was against the regime and its establishment, and if that included the reformists, then I was against them too. But today the reformists themselves are seeing that this regime is not reformable. They are getting raped in prisons while you are laughing in the comfort and safety of your Western home.

And the prosecution and suppression of the reformists has not even begun. We shall see in the next few months when the schools open. (More sleepless nighs for you.)

"predicted internal change would be decades of struggle and gradual at best?"

Yes. The recent events and the savagery of your IRI men in Iran has proven this point. What happened to the gradual struggle? It was supposed to be without bloodshed and violence. Not only it is mared with bloodshed, but people are even getting raped. So much for "reforming" the regime.

"Jamshid, a supposed "Iranian" with a fake name who has nothing to lose by attacking other people."

I had nothing to lose, if I didn't travel to Iran and if your IRI thugs were not the type of cowards that would go after family members. I do travel to Iran and I do have family members and other contacts in there. I need to protect them from sniches like you.

The recent persecutions in Iran, which is exposed to the world, support my above concerns.

Despite your diversion, you still have not answered the question. I know what I have done for the people's movement and I know my contacts in Iran, before June 12 and after. Again, I ask you: How do you know that I have done "nothing" for this movement?

Next, since you have failed to provide evidence that I supported foreign intervention, I consider my public challenge a closed deal, and with you having miserably failed the challenge.

No amount of sassateh and fallacy can change this. This only exposes the weasel liar that you are, just as your fellow thugs are in Iran.


Q

I EXPLAINED in 3 well supported reasons.

by Q on

You don't want to accept them? I can't say I'm surprised. You are all of a sudden "contributing" to a movement whose existence you denied? You are all of a sudden a champion of internal reform, even though you were basically spitting on those same people as "IRI supporters" and predicted internal change would be decades of struggle and gradual at best?

Many trauma victims have a psychological block to black out the most painful experiences. In your case (in your most recent case), your experiences are your own misguided understanding of Iran.

Allow me to humbly quote myself from below:

but I predict you will not understand. This is typical of a hypocrite with a huge ego. Your juvenile mind simply rejects anything that it doesn't agree with and goes to "koocheh ali chap" asking BS questions and wasting time instead. I will give you three reasons, and then sit back and then let you make all the BS excuses you want.

PS. Let this be a lesson to anyone who might be tempted to "engage" Jamshid, a supposed "Iranian" with a fake name who has nothing to lose by attacking other people. The lesson is this: do not engage him, he is simply looking for an excuse and personal attention to continue babbling about what he wants to babble about. He never has learned anything from any debate and you certainly won't learn anything by indulging him. It's a waste of time, pure and simple.


jamshid

No cigar Q...

by jamshid on

Let's start with my question and then let's look at your answers.

My question: "How do you know what I did or didn't do for the movement?"

Your first answer: The Green movement was created by a coalition that was put together by Mr. MirHossein Mousavi... You on the otherhand rejected the whole concept of "reform" [and the process of voting].

Gooz be shaghigheh cheh rabti daareh? How does that "prove" that I didn't do anything for the movement? I did a lot actually. But neither I nor anyone who lives outside of Iran can ever do as much as those who bravely face the riot guard in Iran. However, this would include you as well.

There were many Iranians who not only are not reformists but also anti regime, and nevertheless participated in the demonstrations, spread of news or other activities. Do you deny this?

Your second answer: why I say you have done nothing, is your confirmed cowardice and hypocrisy.

Again, gooz be shaghigheh cheh rabti daareh? Ok, Jamshid is hypocrite and cowardice. Jamshid bad. How does that prove that you in fact "know" that I didn't do anything for the movement? You are a grand coward yourself by staying abroad, but still you must have done a thing or two for the movement, haven't you? So what does cowardice has anything to do with my question?

Your third answer: why you have done nothing is your baseless attacks and divisive rhetoric which will hurt the movemetn... you are in one in the severe minority...

I am sorry if this is getting repetetive, but again, gooz be shaghigheh cheh rabti daareh? How does the above actually "proves" that I didn't do anything for the movement? You yourself just said that this coallition is broad and covers all kind of people, so that should naturally includes "minorities" like me, right?

Or are you saying that "everyone" should just shut up and let Mousavi take care of business? Well if that's the case Khamenei and his gang are already doing a great job at shutting people up. Why would we need Mousavi? It seems that you yourself don't undestand what Mousavi is trying to accomplish.

You see where you are going, don't you? In a hole.

The funniest bit is this one:

"You (jamshid) have not only not helped, but you have severaly undermined this movement."

This is priceless! Q, I didn't know that I had such powerful impact on the movement as to being able to "serverly" (lol!) "undermine" it! Are you drunk? Or are you just an idiot?

NOW, THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION OF ALL:

You wrote, "The truth is, you are not mentally stable enough to admit how wrong you were when you advocated for foreign intervention..."

I AM DIRECTLY CHALLENGING YOU IN PUBLIC TO SHOW evidence that I ever advocated foreign intervention. Your slandering should be punishable, but unfortunately, this is cyberspace and not much can be done.

You are faced with two options:

1. Show the evidence for your above claim, in which case I should crawl in a hole and shut up.

2. Don't find the evidence or don't care, in which case, you have proven your own cowardice and malice and the sweage that you must be.

Notice that I am not calling you a coward no malicioius nor sweage. But you yourself shall automatically assign these names onto yourself, if you fail to provide the evidence.

Isn't it great that you have control over who and what you are? Now, go exercise that control and find the evidence.


Q

allright, let me spell it out for you,

by Q on

but I predict you will not understand. This is typical of a hypocrite with a huge ego. Your juvenile mind simply rejects anything that it doesn't agree with and goes to "koocheh ali chap" asking BS questions and wasting time instead. I will give you three reasons, and then sit back and then let you make all the BS excuses you want.

First. The Green movement was created by a coalition that was put together by Mr. MirHossein Mousavi. He is an Iranian politician, working inside the IRI for reform. He is the reformist candidate which is why the same demographics that supported Khatami in 1997, came out to support him as well. Except unlike Khatami, he managed to reach into the war veterans and the conservative religous people as well. This was a broad and people-powered coalition.

You on the otherhand rejected the whole concept of "reform" from Inside. You repeatedly attacked and made fun of reformists and activists who wanted a native-powered movement. You were and are in favor of foreign intervention because of your retarded belief that Iranians are incapable of improving their own conditions without help. You dismissed the entire process of voting, which was a major vehicle for unity and organizing, and in fact attacked those who were against any boycott repeatedly and childishly. Had people listened to the likes of you and what you have been saying the past 5 years, there would be no green movement.

You have not only not helped, but you have severaly undermined this movement. You and the likes of you never had enough faith in the Iranian people that they could do anything to challenge any power inside Iran. Just like your western neoconservative co-ideologues, you were arrogant enough to say that they (Iranian people) will learn over time how to stand up for themselves and gradually challenge power structure, but in the mean time you wanted the West to provide moral and finanical support.

The green movement is fiercly independent, internal and peaceful: 3 things you are not.

It was not because but in spite of verraji by people like you that the Green movement happened.

Second reason why I say you have done nothing, is your confirmed cowardice and hypocrisy. You have no qualms about attacking me and other people's real identities, calling us terrorists, and all kinds of horrible names yet you have been too much of a coward to use your real name to do it. Your excuse has been that your life is in danger, and that somehow your ass is way too important to be jeapardized during your occasional tourist visits to Iran. Nevermind that thousands of activists and millions of Iranians are in much higher risk than you and they are actually doing something. That's fine, but the cowardice comes in when you don't afford the same benefits to other people, and you have the nerve to attack and slander them over not-EVEN what they have done, but for silly stupid things like what you PROJECT and FANTACIZE about who they are based on (for example) who they quote!!! As you have done to me, as you have done to the site owners and many other fine people on Iranian.com.

By now all of a sudden appearing after a Winter slumber and proclaiming "support" for the Green movement, this obvious cowardice and hypocrisy will undermine it even more.

This is why I said all the IRI has to do is show this site to Iranians who will vomit in horror and sit back home instead of risking being associated with "freedom fighters" such as yourself.

Third reason why you have done nothing is your baseless attacks and divisive rhetoric which will hurt the movemetn because unwelcome guests such as yourself are too prejudiced to co-exist with anyone else.

nevermind that you are in one in the severe minority. Millions of religiously inspired Iranians, and even grand Ayatollahs are part of the movement.

The coalition is big and broad as it was when Mousavi and the reformists formed it in Iran. Broadly speaking there is room for people like myself and people like Farah Douglas. In demonstrations we have learned to get along. However, only a small, insignificant yet loudmouth element show up and cause trouble and friction. This is exactly what you just did in this thread after my positive praise for Farah Douglas. In other words, you don't care enough about the movement to keep it together, you are the same self-appointed thought-police you have always been: constantly checking up on honorable people and from the cowardly saftely of your fake name, throwing mud at them. This hurts the unity and the solidarity of the Green movement.

I hope it is now clear to you, but I'm not holding my breath that you understood any of it. I know better.

The truth is, you are not mentally stable enough to admit how wrong you were when you advocated for foreign intervention, when you undermined the Iranian people saying they can't do anything like this on their own with out Western "help". You will never admit that a native, local, religously inspired IRI insider under the banner of Imem Khomeini and the values of the 1979 revolution was able to do what you and the joke of an opposition couldn't even dream of in the past 30 years. You will never admit that voting in this election was the right thing to do and sitting home letting the regime be "deligitimized" was the wrong thing to do.

Even now, instead of understanding and supporting the movement you wax philosphical about what people really want. According to you they are lying to themselves and pretending to support Mousavi and Karroubi, and holding "where is my vote" and "allho akbar" signs. Because you are a coward, you think they, too, are cowards that even despite being killed in the streets they dare not say what's "really in their hearts and minds."

It's not your fault, you're simply incapapble of accepting reality as it is. You are much more comfortable twisting reality and making conspiracy theories so it sounds like you were right all along, so you can play the righteous savior of Iran and feel good about slandering people.

Unfortunately it appears that you and your army of 100 assholes didn't get to and never will be able to free anybody.

I hope it's clear now!


jamshid

Re: Q

by jamshid on

You always resort to name calling when you are cornered, which happens often by the way.

I ask you again, how do you know what I did or didn't do for the movement? If you have telepathy ability, it's ok, just say it and I promise to take you seriously for once.


Q

coward AND ignorant

by Q on

if you can't read the reply in plain English, I can't help you. Just as I suspected, you are blind as a bat to things you do not want to see.


jamshid

Re: Q

by jamshid on

To repeat from my previous post:

1. "You ARE a coward, and you have done absolutely nothing for the movement... "

2. How do you know? If you can't answer this simple question, then you have proven your idiocy as well as your inherent fascistic attitude.

And so you did not answer the simple question, proving my conclusion. Instead you engaged in a name calling and other things that mostly apply to yourself.

I am not surprised. You've lost steam Q. At least back in the past you used clever fallacies, which does require some skills. But now you have reduced yourself to name calling, which doesn't require much skill. A hezbollahi thug can do it too.

Point made, I rest my case.


Q

Yawn! Why do you have to be such a big loser?

by Q on

I know because you are a coward. If you did anything, you would show it, but since you are a coward, you can only BS about it and thus belittle those who are actually doing something. You have lied repeatedly and have little respect for truth. You have acted like a fascist chracter assassin repeatedly. Nobody expects anything but pure hot air from you. Talk is cheap.

You're not in Iran genius!!! Those people on the streets and on the YouTube videos are risking something. You are not!

It's funny how sensitive some people get. Some people are sensitive that I call them on their BS. That I expose them for being just another loudmouth nobody with a fake name!

Sorry, that's life!


jamshid

Re: Q

by jamshid on

You were pathetic in the past, I can't find the word to describe you today.

You ARE a coward, and you have done absolutely nothing for the movement...

How do you know? If you can't answer this simple question, then you have proved your idiocy as well as your inherent fascistic attitude.

In Iran, people with similar attitude than you are arresting innocent men and women and telling them, "You are a coward, and you have done absolutely nothing for the great revolution...."

The similarities are scary.


Q

get a life my friend...

by Q on

I have no interest in your BS protestations and disingenuous questions, go bother someone who gives a rats ass what you think.

You ARE a coward, and you have done absolutely nothing for the movement. While real people are taking risk with their lives, your sorry ass is doing nothing but verraji. Talk is cheap and you are broke.

Your lies, attacks, and character assassinations, -- especially the ones based on fantasy BS you project into people based on 3rd party quotes --, are well documented on this site.

Maybe someday when you have enough respect for yourself and for the truth, people can hold a human converstaion with you. Until then, good luck being ignored by anyone with half a brain.


jamshid

Re: Q

by jamshid on

"your juvenile BS protestations..."

In your limited world, ANY criticism towards you, your ideology and your form of government is considered "juvenile BS protestations". You remind me of Ahamdinejad who similarly considered these protests to be "khas o khashak".

Don't make the mistake of comparing yourself to her...

Just as nobody should dare compare themselves to Emam Khomeini? I don't even know this lady well enough to compare myself with her. But I freely do compare my ideas with hers, which seems to be the same regarding political prisoners and the illegitimacy of the regime, among other things.

Your opinion of these issues is well documented in this site.

I don't just sit around leading the life of an anonymous coward who can only pop out and chracter assassinate those who are actually DOING something,

I have done quite a lot since before June 12 and after. There is no need for people to brag or talk about what they have done when there is so much more left to do.

But more importantly, why before the protests, you did not change your avatar/color/etc., as you did now, in order to protest the killing, torturing and the imprisoning of innocent Iranians by the regime?

Why now? 

What is difference between getting shot by regime elements in the street in June of this year and getting hanged in June of last year? Just less than a year ago, you were downplaying and even laughing when people including me talked about  the imprisonment and torture of political prisoners.

What is the difference between those and these political prsionsers?

baseless accusations, and mudslinging

Sure Q, sure. Whatever. I always thought you are misguided, BUT at the very least, I gave you credit for one thing, ant that is having one face under all circumestances. Today, you even lost that lone credit.

I want to add that I don't have any problem with your sudden change of color. As long as you are in line with the will of the people, more power to you. What I don't appreciate in these times that people are getting killed by the very regime you have defended in this site for more times than I could count, is hyprocrisy and cowardly "riaa kaari".

We allowed these kind of hyprocrites and "riaa kaar", starting with your eternally damned emama khomeinin, to go unchecked 30 years ago, and we saw the results. I hope people don't repeat the same mistake.

Lastly, I am just curiouis to know what do you still think of the IRI's imprisonment and torture of political prisoners, say, in 2008? Do you want to talk about it, or do you feel like crawling in a hole to hide your shame?


Q

Jamshid!

by Q on

Please... your juvenile BS protestations on behalf of "we" and "us" is getting so rediculous it's being ignored by everyone.

Farah was a good speaker and had a tremendous presence. Don't make the mistake of comparing yourself to her. Unlike you, she was non partisan, without a political agenda. Unlike you, I don't have to agree with every word of everyone's speech to admire them. And unlike you, I don't just sit around leading the life of an anonymous coward who can only pop out and chracter assassinate those who are actually DOING something, while he himself can only do "verraji".

I am and always will be against economic sanctions or US/European action against the Iranian people.

I haven't changed, but the real sadness is neither have you. You never understood nuance in people's real motivations, and still don't.

Don't waste our time with your baseless accusations, and mudslinging, the only thing you are really good at.


jamshid

Re: Q

by jamshid on

Excerpts from the 5 women who cares speech (which I completely agree with its points):

Pressuring the Iranian government to stop its brutal treatment, the abuse of power, the imprisonment, torture and killing.

Well, we've been trying to do this for a long time, only to have you and others like you oppose us at every corner, or asking us for "evidence" of torture and killing.

We are calling on the United Nations and the world to impose sanctions on the Iranian government to force the release of all political prisoners.

Please do explain to us: Are you for sanctions against Iran? I don't think so, therefore, a disclaimer at the bottom of your blog would have been a good thing.

We are asking the international community and the governments around the world to stop recognizing the Iranian regime as a legitimate government of this ancient country, while it is torturing and murdering its own people.

Wow! Almost my words repeated over and over again in this site. Words which you fought against vehemently. I am certain you remember some of our many "legitimacy" discussions regarding the IRI. Again, a disclaimer at the bottom of your blog would have avoided confusion for the readers as to where YOU stand. (or stood?)

We are asking Iran’s Supreme Leader to free thousands of innocent Iranians who are imprisoned based on their political views.

Q, what is happening to you? We've been asking for the same in this very site for a long time. Shall I spend some time and research your responses to the exact same requests made by some readers in this site? You always turned your back to such requests and called us liers for not being able to show you "evidence" to support these claims. Why the sudden change of mind (and avatar)?

Practice civility. Hear the voices of the millions that you have silenced by force. NO MORE VIOLENCE.

Your reply to the above requests in the past: Where is your evidence that there are millions of people againt the IRI? You people fabricate lies about IRI's popularity with no shame! (Or something to that effect)

I think there is either a complete turn around in your political views, or else you are following the advice "khaahi nashavi rosvaa hamrange jemaa'at sho". Or perhaps you just forgot to type in your disclaimer at the bottom of your blog.


desi

Thanks Farrah, I was at at

by desi on

Thanks Farrah, I was at at the rally last night.  Albeit very late and I voted for you for City Council.  Thanks...and thanks to Q for posting this.