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Women's Suffrage Movement

"I shall earnestly and persistently continue to urge all women to the practical recognition of the old Revolutionary maxim: "Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God."

- Susan B. Anthony

Women's Rights Activist

Power to the Women!!!!:o)

Dearest Masoud

My apologies, I did not mean to offend you. :o)

From now on, I promise to call you dear Masoud.

Also, thank you for the compliment.

Now, I must be off to catch up with a bunch of e-mails

Best wishes always,

Nadia

responses

Iran Dokht jaan,

I agree with your observation. The regime is much much harsher on Kurds and Balochis. Activities that the regime would tolerate among Persian Shia or Azerbaijani Shia, is harshly and violently repressed when the same act is done by Kurds. The regime knows that the overwhelming majority of the Kurds oppose the regime; therefore, it violently oppresses the most minor activities. IRGC thugs can shoot many innocent Kurds and easily get away with it. Same with Balochi Iranians.

Best,

MK

=================================

Nadia jaan,

What happened to "Dear Masoud"????? Please call me "Masoud." I always enjoy reading your thoughtful, and kind comments.

Best,

Masoud

====================

Rosie,

My sincerest apologies. My time is extremely limited. I cannot read all the threads. And in most threads that I open, I only skim. There are only a handful of threads that I can read. Therefore, I usually do not comment because I have not read all the germane discussions.

I did see your blog on left. Thank you for the hard work in gathering the materials.

You wanted to leftists to comment on your blog. WHO do you think is a leftists on this site? Let me assist in explaining Iranian left.

The hard left was composed of several groups. Fadaian Khalq, or Cherik-ha, they were a guerrilla group. After the revolution they split into many groups. In 1979, they were the largest Marxist-Leninist group in Iran.

The second largest leftist group was Peykar. They were a Maoist group. They thought that the main contradiction in society was between labor and capital and they thought that a communist proletarian revolution was imminent and that they were the vanguard. They thought that the liberal democrats were the representatives of the capitalist class; therefore, they made almost most of their attacks on the bourgeosie (their main enemy). So, they spend much of their activities encouraing a proletarian revolution against the capitalists and intensely attacked liberal democrats like Jebhe Melli, Bazargan, and Bani Sadr. In July 1981, as soon as the fundamentalist regime got rid of Bani Sadr, it attacked Peykar and executed thousands of them. The group simply collapsed. There are still a few of them alive. They are simply confused on what to think and what to do.

The People Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) was the largest leftist organization in Iran between 1979 and mid-1980s. It combined an egalitarian interpretation of Islam with Maoism. Right now, their main concern is simply survive a potential massacre of their members who are in Ashraf camp in Iraq. They cooperated with Saddam and that after the U.S. overthrew Saddam’s regime, many of the opposition to Saddam (which was close to the fundamentalist regime ruling Iran) was brought to power by the U.S. invasion. The current Iraqi regime has good relations with the terrorist regime ruling Iran. The terrorist regime really wants to get the PMOI sent to them. Although the terrorist regime and its supporters denied it, if the PMOI members are sent to Iran, the fundamentalist would torture and murder them. Supporters of the PMOI only comment when they are attacked in this site.

There also several small Maoist and two very small Trotskist groups.

So, when you ask for leftists to comment on your blog, these groups are simply not present on this site. Once in a blue moon, two former members of these leftist groups write articles Persian. They do not engage in responding to anyone.

The social democrats and liberal democrats in Iran have historically been in the National Front (Jebhe Melli Iran). On this site, your truly is one such person. We were attacked by the far left as bourgeois and by the conservative monarchists as communists, and by the extreme right-wing fundamentalists as Westernized or liberal (used as a swear word).

Most of the wonderful decent liberals and progressives on this site are younger men and women. They are not affiliated with any actual party or organization. They have basically grown up in the West. Their liberalism is influenced by their living in the west. They are concerned about human rights, secularism, women’s issues (especially compulsory hijab). Labor union rights is not very high on their agenda. Not that they do not care. They do. But there are other issues that animates them more.

Finally, there is a pro-fundamentalist gang here which pretends to be left. This pseudo-left is supportive of the reactionary fascistic regime. The Western Left is duped by this gang very easily. This pro-fundamentalist pseudo-left attacks the U.S., Israel, and supports Hezbollah and Hamas. These issues easily attract the Western left. Western leftists are innocent of the reactionary nature of this gang. In the West, there exists a cluster of issues such as human rights, feminism, Marxism, anti-imperialism, homosexual rights, opposition to discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities. The pro-fundamentalist pseudo-left remains silent because it is their buddies and pay-masters who oppress women, minorities (ethnic and religious groups), labor unions, homosexuals. So, when there is discussion of human rights, you will notice that the pro-fundamentalist gang is silent. Why? Because their pay masters and buddies are flogging people, torturing people and assassinating people.

In conclusion, the American left and Western left are being duped by a pro-fundamentalist gang. Some of the gang are probably literally paid by the fundamentalist regime. It is their job to propagate for the regime. Some may be simple supporters of the regime.

There is however, mutual hatred toward the U.S. and Israel. What the Western left does not comprehend is that they are allying with extreme right-wing reactionaries. Islamic fundamentalism is similar to European fascism. When the Islamic fundamentalists attacked the USSR and communists in Afghanistan, the Western left condemned them as collaborators with CIA and American imperialism. But when Islamic fundamentalists attacked the US or Israel, then the Western left finds common ground with these ultra-right wing reactionaries. That is why, you will see the pro-fundamentalist gang on this site concentrate on the U.S. and Israel, and remain silent on human rights, labor union struggles, feminists struggle, oppression of minorities.

This is not unique here. In 1939, there was the Hitler-Stalin pact. Both opposed the West. There is an emerging alliance between the far left communists and the far right Islamic fundamentalists. In Britain, George Galloway represents this. In Latin America Hugo Chavez does this. This is a weird alliance between the most left with the most reactionary elements in the world today.

I hope this is helpful.

MK

Ps Ostaad, the only things that apply to you on this

thread are the things I said directly to you.

I'm outta here now. Take care.

r.

Khaleh, I did NOT call anyone a hypocrite or EVEN

criticize anyone in any but the most tactful way  on the ENTIRE thread of that blog. And the blog itself actually DEFENDED everyone, rationalized their indifference for them on ALL sides of the spectrum. Go back and read it if you feel like when you have some focus. You'll see. It's true. . (Or don't, that's fine too).

What I did do was from the beginning  of that blog say I needed people. I needed participation. I needed help. And if I hadn't contacted those three so-called "rightwingers" by e-mail to participate, that blog would've basically been UNCCOMMENTED. I mean UNCOMMENTED. And I especially said I needed the Left to comment because labor IS our responsibility.And I didn't even get a SNEEZE from a single one of them.

So you see I already tried to get people-the BLOGGERS I mean, it was for THEM-- to the cause and I was left high and dry. (My focus on labor now will be the general readers. IF I have the strength). So I'm free now with thee bloggers. I can say whatever I like. For the first time ever on this website. About ANYTHING.  Because I NEVER worked so hard on this site. And nothing was ever more critical. And I saw what I got for it. So now I have NOTHING left to lose. .. even though the poor workers lost a lot

But that's okay. Irandokht will help them now..

Thanks so much for the reply. I agree, zero's fine by me. Anyway take care. Bye bye. I'm under water. Glug glug glug.  :o)

Dear Rosie

I am about to go now- but thought you may want a reply from me so here it is.

Dont know much about your situation with ID and Natalia- but whatever it is it is not really my business although a reconciliation would be nice to see.

I write short comments due to laziness and  due to my short attention span I have difficulty reading very long and detailed text- so I go by impressions when it comes to very long posts and theseimpressions undoubtedly can at times be wrong. I did get a feel that you were annoyed that the post you worked hard on and indeed was very detailed was not commented upon widely.This could have a number of reasons- I gave you my own reason for not commenting- may be it was wrong  in the light of what you have said and when I think about it more now, it is perhaps rather due to our 'history' rather than your post being intimidating per se.

Anyhow I sincerely think that if you would like more comments on very important posts, calling folks hypocrites will not get you them and that was my point- one that was offered as a neutral observation rather than meaning to put you down- although admittedly I could have used a more friendly term than intimidating, if I had thought of one at the time.

Having said all this, point zero is Ok with me and good day to you. 

oh and ps Khaleh, I write long posts.

So does Qumars. So does Jamshid. So do Kaveh and Ayhab when they get into it. So do many.

So don't even go there and even THINK that my posts are more intimidating than others' due to length. Or I call foul.

Okay Khaleh, I'm back.

I scanned that entire thread under that Labor blog carefully. I did not see one single word I said that was not polite to anyone. In fact if anythig I exercised undue restraint. I don't HAVE to scan the blog because I KNOW the spirit of good will and good intentions in which it was written.

It took me a day to write, but more than that was the fruit of weeks of serious thought, and in fact ALL WEEK LONG I'd been working on an ARTICLE for the general readership until that day I realized I wasn't READY to write that article because my fact-checing was so hindered by my inability to read Persian, which, to rearticulate for the nth time, is proof positive that I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE ONE WHO SHOULDERED THE BURDEN of exposing this purge, or in fact, bringing up labor persectuions practically AT ALL since Osanloo became a "celebrity victim.'

There are fifty posts. I bent over backwards to be diplomatic to everyone. I gave Anonfish an entire lengthy "lesson" so she could have a framework from which to understand political discourse. I mediated a HORRENDOUS invective-filled battle between the poor hard Left girl who'd left the website because of the indifference to Labor and David ET whom she kept calling rightwinger and excoriating. I bent over backwards. My posts were long and considerate and well-meaning in ever sense of the word and I challenge you to show me otherwise.

Now, let us assume that this is doable, that you will or even COULD show me otherwise, or likewise, let us assume that this is NOT doable and that I am right and that every single of my numerous lengthy posts on that thread is considerate and fair and comes from a good place. Either way, doesn't matter, in terms of the point I'm about to make. Which is:

Khaleh, you suggest my posts are intimidating and that's why you didn't comment on that blog I slaved over, andsaid so. But they are certainly are certainly no moreso than Qumars', Rashidian's, Marge's, David ET's, Kadiver's Kaveh's, Ayhab's, Javid's himself, even Niloufar's when pressed, and many many more. (but NEVER the two lovely ladies below, they try VERY hard to be very polite in their barbed comments, so butter wouldn't melt in their mouths). So why am I being singled out as writing objectionable posts? Hmmm...let's see...what's different about me?

Rhetorical question.

Now I don't know if you're really singlling me out or if you feel the same way about those others but you felt compelled to articulate it about me. If it is the former I call foul. If it is the latter, perhaps you also told them the same thing so I call Fair. If you did not telll them the same thing but only sweet lil me, I call Lovely, because you obvously care about me more than you do the others.

For example Kaveh I said I CHALLENGE you to find one single harsh or objectionable post on that thread. Now I may be right or I may be wrong, but: do you have a problem with my using the word "challenge"?  And would you have the same problem if Qumars or Jamshid or Javid used it, and if not way not. Etc.

I agree that a few days after that blog I got angry about the absence of participation from "this Left of mine" and that anger is all over the website, usually along with an explanation as to why. But to reiterate, my distress is justified and my anger should be forgiven and I deserve to be supported.

And anyone who doesn't agree and purports to want to do something for labor NOW after these two plus years of silence is..a hypocrite of the first order. Fortunately, like I said, you don't fall into that category, because happily you profess nothing of the kind.

Now go on and educate your child on how not to be like me. And tell yourself that that was an unduly harsh comment while you're at it.

Khaleh I appreciate the small gestures you've made lately on my blogs to bury the hatchet, and we did have a hatchet, an unfortunate hatchet. Those gestures gave me some kind of courage to continue here in this--sorry--toilet bowl of hypocrisy and apathy and endless verborreha as the Cubans say. But what you just wrote--it sweeps away those truly lovely gestures and reverts to what CAUSED the hatchet to begin with.

So..in the weighing and balancing, I have no problem whatsoever with you. As far as I'm concerned, we're at point zero, and zero is a beginning, it's a good place to be.

But as far as those two lovely ladies, those two new-found friends, not a snowball's chance in hell we'll ever be at zero after this..unless something cataclysmic happens..

and it would have to emanate from them not me.

Ready to walk the plank now Rosie.

Just did. Gurgle gurgle.

Roxane.

Ostaad, two lovely ladies / Khaleh

Ostaad, I'm sure you'll agree this is ridiculous and I can't possibly have a conversation with you about this issue when there are two other people in the same conversation that I will not talk to about it, and with very good reason.

Now the good reasons may not be so obvious, but I know these two lovely ladies very very well for a website, FAR better than I know you, and you and I know each relatively well-for a website. I know their language, I know our history, I know how they operate here, I know their feelings about me, I know the times they've done things like this before....

not saying I'm blameless, no one ever is, but there's a history here and I know it like the back of my hand. Now the second lovely lady's post was clearly aggressive and rude, the first one's is not so apparent, but the fact is to use expressions like "saving the world" and "my way or the highway" are politely demeaning. Especially ince I never SAId my way or the highway. All I said was that the "Left" should CARE about Labor and they showed no concern whatsoever on that blog. So there's a purposeful twisting here, and it's not in my favor. And not one single word of support for me or recognition of my efforts.

I know you don't want to get involved in this and I don't blame you, it's both too ugly and too stupid. But I really needed to explain it because I'm jumping ship here and any further conversation on this topic between you and me can't take place here. And that's obvious, so here I go.

But before I walk the plank I just want to acknowledge my new supporter here, Khaleh. We have a history too. I know him very well too, for a website. I'd say about as well as I know you.

Well I'm about to dive. Thanks for the input. Take care. BUT

first Khaleh I'm replying to you shortly

Ostaad

To be honest I think both flogging, tasing, water boarding, death penalty and so on is a problem in the world.

I know that being raised in Texas leads many to believe that I am all for the death penalty but it is not the case. I wrote a blog on it Life vs Death. I can assure you that my belief does not make me very popular with many.

Now, to your question about laws that must be adhered to by the IRI. Yes, there are laws but like I mentioned in a previous post individuals like Shirin Ebadi would be a better source of information than I. Also, the lawyers working with www.stopchildexecutions.com would be good sources. Sorry, Iranian law is not really my expertise at the moment.

However, let us discuss International law. For example the United Nations and a document signed by many countries, including Iran called the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in which it states clearly what constitutes the rights of children.

Organizations like www.stopchildexecutions.com use this in their efforts to save the lives of countless children and juveniles.

I hope that this was helpful for you.

Best,

Throwing tantrums Dear Rosie

Will certainly get you less responses rather than more.

Currently I am trying to teach my 6 year old that he will get more of others if he used a more civil manner - Although it is admittedly more of 'do as I say rather than do as I do' situation.

Anyhow I did want to make a comment on your blog but did not do it as your resposes are intimidationg at times- I am saddened to say- but then again you can not keep calling people hypocrites etc and expect everyone just to shut up. 

I may be doing the wrong thing here by posting this as you may have issues to deal with and throwing tantrums here may just be a saftey valve for you- If this is the case please accept my apologies and go right ahead. 

A general observation to my detractors on this thread:

As I explained in my intiial posting, I discovered this current labor purge and  its terrible dimensions and spent weeks investigating it to write an expose on this site--weeks only because I can't read Persian. I completed a long blog on it last week which I provided a link to below. I hope K. realizes that the indictment on that post was not intended to be addressed to him but to the entire website community to some extent, but most of all to my so-called Left. I should not have been the one to shoulder this burden. K's post unfortunately does not even disclose the purge, only an isolated incident.  That's not his fault, but the information is out there and I'm the only one who found it. AND THAT SHOULD NOT BE.

Since not one single person on myblog from the Left said boo even though i began by asking for a discussionon of this important matter, and only three people (so-called rightwingers) participated (and only at my invitation by e-mail, not a criticism of them but an important point to raise), I have every right to be upset, I have every right to be angry and if I go over the top a little in expressing this distress and anger, I deserve to be excused and supported.r

So any individual, who criticized me without offering me any support especially in their FIRST ccomment--mocked me actually--and THEN proceded to participate n this discussion as though they give a good goddam about these labor purges  is a hypocrite of the first order.

To risk elbowing me out of pursuing this cause when I'm the one who's displayed so much energy and intiative in trying to do something about it, to put the personal agenda of humiliating me before the workers' cause--. 

hypocrisy of f the very first order.

 Roxane

Ostaad, the very best way to act against IRI human

rights depredations is to use their own laws. There is NOTHING illegal about having a May Day rally. The charge used is acting against state security which is different. It's not about congregating in public, andi it's not about addressing labor issues, that's not illegal.

It's also important to remember that the issue was a May Day rally, not EVEN a strike.

The reason it's been demonstrated to be the best way is becaue the SCE campaign has slowly but surely gotten into a position where they have achieved a lot of international publicity and have thus saved several lives. The real issue they're concerned with is capital punishment but they focus on the exection of people who committed the crimes when they were still minors because it violates their agreement as signatories to an international agreement not to do this.

Now in the case of Kamangar. If one were to challenge every trial that Amnesty said did not meet international standards, one would die of exhaustion. But Kamangar's is a capital case (as I'm sure you know he's a labor activist, and teacher and journalist--i.e. two unions, and he's also a Kurd, poor thing, they get the worst of it every time, I'd say at least 60% of the labor purge has been directed against Kurds--Shiva and Sousan of course being Kurds in Senandaj). Now he's been accused of participating in a  a separatist movement and there ARE laws against that) but in capital cases, Amnesty's determining there was no fair trial should be reason for the cause to be taken up.

But I agree with you. The best strategy is to focus on those punishments which are AGAINST the law. It's the only one that seems to work and it slowly erodes the system. B...poor Kamangar, though. Poor Kamangar.. Fortunately however therre was a blog on him not long ago. And he's been in prison for a while. But this new purge..

Ostaad

I agree with you that the best way to confront the regime is from within their own system. Natalia was correct in pointing out that there are a few who are doing just that. 

As a nation we have to agree that any changes has to be gradual in order to preserve our sovereignty and prevent a civil-war like chaos as we see in the neighboring countries.

Unfortunately the most adamant opposition groups abroad are not considering the dangers of a foreign power involvement and/or are willing to risk it all for the goal of destroying IRI.

I just hope that the opposition finds a way to support our lawyer activists and the human rights groups in Iran in a constructive way. 

IRANdokht

Natalie

Flogging per se is not an issue, for example tasing, which is very common in the US is not cool either, although it "seems" more up-to-date as far as the form of punishment is concerned. The question is whether there are laws and are they adhered to by the Iranian so-called judiciary people. That, I think, is the angle these shenanigans must be confronted and dealt with.

Regarding Shirin Ebadi, I'm sure she has more important thing to do. I don't think she'd be discouraged by the accusation of being part of IRI at all.

Irandokht

Id, it is, an incontrovertible fact that David ET's blog on the subject of the bowing of Obama was up BEFORE I posted the satire on the bowing, FIRST on his blog and only as an afterthought within the feeds, as I explained to you in the thread below my feed on the bowing. Your comment politely ridiculed my having posted on the bowing at all. And you did not post a siimilar comment on David's blog. That's a FACT. It is also a iFACT that you did not post such a comment on MPD's satire on the bowing which appeared the next day. And it is a FACT that you, like I, are one of the actually few people here who comment on things on a daily basis and give eqqal time to both the feeds and the blogs.

And there are a lot of other things I have to say to you but I won't because unlike you I am not schooled in the art of poliite attacks. Just writing this post civilly is HARD for me.  So I'll let them ride. Otherwise my posts'll be deleted, and justly so,

As regards your new "friend" here other people have pointed it out to me in e-mails they sent me, without my ever having brought up the subject to them, that you are "friends" with whoever serves your agenda, and have articlated what, in their view, this agenda is. And over time I have come to concur with them. And that is all I have to say. Except for one thing.

As regards your new "friend" I do not feel it is my responsibility to respond to someone who has TWICE posted empty posts to me to convey that I am not worthy of a response. I will only respond to an empty post from her, and that is the reason why I did not read her last post, because otherwise I might be tempted to reply,

But any further post YOU direct to me, I will reply to in detail and with gusto.

Dear IRANdokht

I know you are correct. I wish you and your family a Happy Easter. :o)

I think it is best, if I go spend some time with my sons now. It is much more constructive.

Best wishes,

NAA

Dear Natalia

I find your input and your comments here most constructive and reasonable.

Just a friendly suggestion: do not expect any changes in people's attitude or behavior. That's too high an expectation and will result in frustration and disappointment at best.

Regards,

IRANdokht

My people know what it is to suffer this

I am a 1/2 generation American. Many generations have endured the struggle in my family in many forms and shapes. 

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj4ya_Gyq80

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcZKjIva2Js

By the way this isn't your blog and therefore not entitled to tell anyone when to leave it. I believe it is egotistical, presumptious and self-centered of you to do so.

It belongs to Dr. Kazemzadeh, whom has always been a very gracious host. :o)

You're right. I haven't changed much.

I'm glad I took on my RESPONSIBILITY as a self-proclaimed member of the Left to spend week if necessary (and they were) to research and expose a workers' purge of enormous dimensions while everyone else was crying about women, and white collar people. Even though I SHOULD'VE BEEN THE LAST PERSON TO HAVE DONE THAT JOB.

And I'm glad that when no member of that so-called Left even bothered like I said, to piss on that blog, that I haven't changed enough to be outraged.

But you have changed. And it's not for the better. Now like I said, go dance under a rainbow. And think about ways to mock and degrade me for my work while you're at it. But....don't write them. You won't, I know. Just to prove your morali superiority. Reverrend Natalia of the Holy Church of Sanctimony, Smugtown, USA.  Whih the empty space on your post below proves far loudeer than my words. So why am I even bothering to elaborate what you just displayed so well. Because I'm furious at you and I need to get it off my chest. Whereas you don't care.,.certainly ot about the poor little workie-workers in their silly little fields. Cuz if you did, Reverend, you NEVER would've written that first post.

R so sad to see you have not changed

ناتاليا

Natalia,

READ your first comment. Smug, sanctimonious, hypocritical, self-entitled, coming from a place that shows you either didn't bother to read the link to the blog I wrote or you didn't understand it. The apology should go to ME and to the workers that are the victims of the "unjust and tragic events' you so decry in in your post to K., while all you did in your post to me was to implicitly MOCK me for my efforts and my current justified reactions, to further JUSTIFY this so-called Left's throwing workers to fate and the four winds...now that's bad.. Natalia REALLY BAD. Now be a good Free Spirit and go dancing under a rainbow. Happy Easter:

//www2.trafford.com/clientimages2/cv1412090938.jpg

Dr Kazemzadeh

Thank you for posting this information. I was not aware of the unjust and tragic events.

My apologies for bringing such a discussion between Ms. Roxane and I on your thread.

Best,

Nadia

My purpose on this thread

is to remind you once again that it is not about you.

Why must you always point out that if it wasn't for you certain issues would not be discussed, discovered .............?

Don't you think that you are minimizing the pain, suffering, sacrifice of these brave women. Who may I remind you were flogged for what they believe in. See the difference?!

May I also remind you that a Free Spirit is just that. Free to express in my case her opinions on many things. Like a good friend told me not too long ago "What is good for ganter is also good for the goose" or something to that effect.

You never think twice about telling others what to do but have an allergic reaction when others do the same to you which is the reason we travel different paths these days.

Also, I am gaining in political knowledge and in fact have been developing my own political views.

Also, before asking others to make good on their so called words......may I remind you of all the times you said GOODBYE to the web site.

Anyway this thread is not about us. You have an issue with me then write a blog about me or whatever and we can deal with it there.

thank you for the post

Masoud jan

I have noticed that human rights activists that are located in kurdestan are punished harder and in general there are more cases of long term imprisonment, torture and execution for the kurds. The brave kurdish Iranians are most politically active, almost always towards the left and are always targetted by the central government where they're under-represented and also the neighbors of the country (even after Saddam is long gone). Most anti-kurds actions are being justified as anti-separationist, hence making it more dangerous for the any activists in the region.

It's such a shame.   

IRANdokht

Gimme a break< Natalia

Natalia, you say everybody has their own way of saving the world:

FACT: there was not one single mention on this site til my blog of a flagrant human rights violation papered all over the web on hr, labor and leftist websites for over a month when I wrote the blog. I only took so long to write it becaue I was reseraching the PURGE I quickly found out about and fact-checking took so long because I can't read Persion.

FACT: For over two years the Haft Tapeh Sugar Workers Union has been the most important union in the workers movement after Osanloo's was clamped down on. There are exactly three mentions of this union on this site' one a blog by Ahwazi (a local, Ahwaz is near Haft Tapeh and is the most active city for workers actions in Iran) during their HUGE strike in October 07'; an incidental mention in Amnesty International's yearly report for '07 posted by SCE, a hman rights organization; and Majid's mention of it on a submission of Jahanshah's called "Goldfinger", about a Bazaari strike-which was not a workers' strike.

FACT: The search engine revealed no comments about any other workers' issues since Osanloo that I could find (this search was not comprehensive but I used the main names).

FACT: Without the three so-called right wingers participating on the thread at my invitation, there would've been ONE post from MPD, a very close friend who almost always posts on my threads, ONE post from a human rights organization with no comment, only a copy of their blurb for their own campain, and ONE link to a photo of the two flogged women without comment (okay that was good but that was IT).  T

FACT: The blog begins with a request for a serious discussion.

FACT: The name of the blog, Striking Iran, ensures that it was clickedd on numerous times because that is the most-discussed topic here except for sex.

FACT: The blog posed specific questions to the Left as to whether their failure to follow workers' human rights issues has left Labor to the dogs, IN BOLDFACE.

FACT: Not one single person on this so-called Left bothered to piss on that blog.

FACT: Anyone who is indifferent to workers' issues cannot conceivably by any stretch of the imagination be termed a Leftist.

What is it you don't understand? The blog was featured, it's about a serious PURGE going on, it begins asking for a serious discussioin, it has a title that ensures people would click on it, it took hours for anyone other than MPD to comment, and I'd written them all too and they all constantly get called right-wingers.

FACT; i do not speak Persian and I am not Iranian and I am the only one who found out about these purges. Even now. The feed is six weeks old (not to criticize the feeder, I'm GLAD he posted it) and it still doesn't expose that there is a PURGE going on all over Iran.

I did not write that blog as an indictment. I wrote it to ask questions to explore why the paucity of information here and asked for a dialog, especially from the Left.

I got what I wanted. Complete silence. That spoke volumes.

What is it you don't understand that you would start of with this preaching about everyone has their own way of saving the world. Do you think I wanted to or enjoyed spending weeks researching to expose this purge? Did you bother to READ the blog?

What is it you don't understand that you are preaching at me when I have a RIGHT to be angry. I posed QUESTIONS in that blog, not an indictment of the Left. Now I am indicting. Don't lecture ME. Lecture the people who are responsible: the ones who go around screaming, anti-Colonialism, anti-Capital using Marxist rhetoric, and you know they clicked on, and didn't take five minutes to piss on, that blog.

You want a pulpit? You have a pulpit. This site gives a pulpit to every Tom, Dick and Harriet who wants a pulpit. Don't sermonize me from your pulpit. Sermonize the people who deserve the sermon. And more.  What is your goal here? To justify this Left's dereliction of duty these past two lus years in ignoring workers' purges and now completely totally ignoring that blog? Just what the hell IS your goal here?

Didn't you say you're a Free Spirit now and you don't get involved in politics? I framed this as a political, ideological issue in that blog AND IT IS ONE, as regard the Left. Didn't you say you were staying out of politics now that you've become liberated? Would you make good on that please, and stay away from my politics please? I BEG you to do that. PLEASE.

Ostaad

Shirin Ebadi fought and put her life on the line for justice in Iran. Sadly, many put her down long ago on this web site because they felt she did not do enough.

Some even accussed her of being part of the IRI.

I think they need to stop flogging period. It is an inhumane form of punishment.

ROSE

Everyone has their own way of saving the world. It does not always have to be the way one thinks it is.

Simply because it is not done our way.......does not mean they are not necessarily doing something to better the world.

Some believe that trying to save the world from behind a computer is not the same as actually being on the front lines of the struggle.

Why must it be our way or the highway?

Whom are we to say one way is better than another way?

Everyone plays an important part........

Is there a specific law about strikes and flogging?

I'm not a lawyer but it seems to me one way of fighting these atrocities is by using the IRI's own codes of law. Can anyone point to a specific law that says you shall be flogged if you go on strike or march for May Day?

There must be a way to fight this non-judiciary using its own laws.

A blog I wrote on the labor purges in Iran (and this is only one

small partof it, was up here featured for the past entire weekend. Don't be fooled by the number of comments. They are almost all from three people who I'd written to and asekd to comment on it. I'd written about ten other people and  they didn't bothe. Normally I don't write people to ask them to comment on my blogs but in this case I did because I thought it was so important and I wanted to generate a serious discussion about it (with specific questions I asked in the blog). Those three were the only ones who responded (and interestingly they are all called "rightwingers") by our magnificent 'left' here). One old Leftie wrote in response to one of these people, otherwise she said she wouldn't've posted. If I had not specifically written people to post, there would've been exactly two comments on that thread, one by a fish and one from a human rights organization promoting a campaign. The "Od Left" girl said she'd left the website (she's a fish) because of the indifference.

The title of the blog "Striking Iran" ensured people would click on it and I have no doubt they did. I would bet everything I own on it. The information you post is six weeks old. I spent five weeks researching that blog and explained why it had been so hard for me to do it. No one gave a damn.

People who call themselevs Leftists and do not care about Labor are hypocrites. If other people don't take up the cause of Labor it is not their duty. It is the duty of the Left. But this so-called Left wouldn't care if every laborer in Iran were dead (or anyone else) as long as they achieved their goal of an Iran free of "neo-Colonialsim' in the name of "anti-Capital". This Left has as much right to call itself  left as I have a right to call myself a microwave oven. The only human right they care about is their right to use Marxit rhetoric to further their agenda (the rhetoric all being based on a theory of Labor0.

This information is six weeks old. Why did an American who doesn't speak Persian find it and find out the extent of the purges and write a lengthy expose on it? I know it's hard to find, but it's out there, especially in Persia. Why when I wrote about it at length did nobody care? My intention had been to write an article to appeal to the general readership but I wrote the blog before I finished the article because I was still fact-checking, it isn't easy.

I consider my having to have been the one to expoe all this a disgrace to this website and its bloggers. I consider the failure of anyone who hadn't been asked to to comment a further disgrace. I consider the silence of this so-called Left to comment an abomination. And all of this has made me realize that I am basically wasting my time here. This was the most important thing I ever contributed here and no one cared. i researched it for weeks, have been in direct contact with the central Iranian labor organizations inside and outside Iran.  No one gave a damn.

I am spitting into the wind here. The information on Shiva Kheirobadi and Sousan Razani has been out for six weeks. I am glad you found it and thought it was important enough to post but other than the three "right wingers" of the many I asked, other than those three, no one cared enough about that blog Striking Iran to even stop to piss on it.

I am wasting my time on this forum. I have often wondered if this was true and now I know for sure it is. I never used to use that word that is bandied about but I am using it now. The so-called Leftists in their so-called fantasy Left on this forum should be ashamed of themsevles. The other people, whatever.

//iranian.com/main/blog/rosie-roxy-roshan/striking-iran-0