Human Rights

Farsad and Farnam

Generally speaking, the reaction from the Iranian community at large falls into two camps: those who feel that organizational activity and resistance by the Iranian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community would provoke a strong government reaction, which in turn could lead to an international reaction against Iran as a whole, and those who seek a return of their full civil rights. The difference between the first and second group is that the second is not under pressure from the government due to their sexual orientation. I believe they can be asked to demonstrate for our full civil rights, as well.>>>

Separation of mosque & citizens

Today, September 11th 2007, the Committee of Ex-Muslims is officially founded in The Netherlands. Ehsan Jami (22), a young Iranian member of the city council from Leidschendam, wants to raise awareness about apostasy in Islam. He is worried about the human rights of those who are born into the religion of Islam, but who no longer wish to believe. In Islam apostasy is not accepted and is punished with the death sentence. In The Netherlands where the number of Muslims is growing more than any other religion, there are growing numbers of honor killings and violence in cases when Muslims chose to turn their backs to the Islam.>>>

Roger's story

Roger was a ladies’ man, who frequently scored dates with the prettiest girls on campus, as his perfect charm somehow got girls to give in to his dating demands. He did attend church regularly so the combination of church related activities and functions enabled him to meet a myriad of interesting gals. After graduating from college, Roger landed a sweet job with Morgan Stanley inside the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. He learned to enjoy the city, loved his job and a few years later fell in love with his neighbor, a young Asian lady attending Medical School at Columbia. They both attended the same church. >>>

The forgotten cemetery

A loved one is buried in Karaj’s Beheshte Sakineh. This cemetery which has always been the burial grounds for Karaj and its surrounding villages, is now developing into a cemetery of choice for many Tehrani’s who would like to avoid Beheshte Zahra’s overbearing crowds and mayhem. In November 1998 on the first anniversary of our loved one’s passing, a small group of friends and family gathered at her gravesite to remember her. My sister had brought her good friend, Akram, with her. In mid-afternoon we gathered and performed the necessary rituals of the anniversary.>>>

یک پرسش

گفت آرزو بر نو جوانان عیب نیست! البته جهان بدون جنگ استبعاد عقلی ندارد. علیرغم ادعا های زیادی هم که میشود کسی طبیعت انسان را زیر ذره بین نگذاشته که اثبات کنند انسان بذات جنگجوست. خدا را چه دیده اید؟ شاید هم ذات ما صلح طلب بوده و همه این تاریخ پر از جنگ بشر را باید به حساب استثنائات بگذاریم. بعضی ها هم اصلاً خیال همه را راحت کرده و میگویند ذات انسان هم جنگ طلب است و هم صلحخواه. مثلاً نیچه دوگانگی طبایع آپولونی (به پیروی آپولو خدای موسیقی و هنر یونانی) و دیانیزوسی ( به پیروی دیانوسیس برادر ناتنی آپولو و خدای شراب) را در "تبار شناسی اخلاق" و "مرگ تراژدی" خود مطرح کرده است>>>

آزادی بیان متعلق به گروه خاصی نیست

صحبت درخشان و خلجی یا هر شخص دیگر در میان نیست. بحث اینکه آیا من موافق خط فکری این یک یا خط مشی سیاسی آن یک هستم نیز نیست. مسئله بسیار اساسی تر از این حرفهاست که در بین نظرات شخصی ما نسبت به این یا آن گم شده است. اکثر ما ایرانیها - و خیلیهای دیگر - خط قرمزها و حد نصابهایی برای آزادی قائل هستیم. این حتی شامل حال به اصطلاح لیبرالهایمان نیز میشود. تا اینجای قضیه هرچند جای بحث دارد اما حرفی نیست. مشکل از آنجایی شروع میشود که حد نصاب آزادی افراد را مطابق با افکار بسته و زنگ زده خود محک میزنیم

 

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هنوز هم ستاره مي كشند

مشكل جنازه ها را از پيش حل كرده بودند . گورهاي دسته جمعي كه از مدت ها پيش آماده شده بود ، پيكر نحيف هر ستاره را در خود حل مي كرد. خاوران ،‌ گلزاري كه بعدها فاش شد در آن روزها زميني بود كه تنها شاهد بي زبان اين كشتار بود. شاهدي كه نه كسي مي توانست صدايش را بشنود و نه خود مي توانست به حركت در آيد كه اگر مي توانست تا سالهاي سال اگر از اين جنايت مي سرود باز هم كم بود. گورهاي دسته جمعي پذيراي هزاران تن از بهترين فرزندان ايران شد . اينجا ديگر از آنان نمي پرسيدند كه به خدا معتقدي يا نه ؟ ديگر بدون هيچ تفاوتي در برتري عقايد در جنسيت در زبان و در نژاد در كنار هم مي آسودند. ديگر از صداي پاي جلادان خبري نبود ، ديگر از فرياد و شكنجه از نماز و دعاي اجباري از ترس و اضطراب خبري نبود ‌، آرامگاه ابدي بود ... >>>

Battle with the dead

I know not what it is that has overcome this land and nation. With the passing of each day, one notices more and more manifestations of weakness and desperation amongst those who reign powerful. It is as though a wellspring of the uttermost degrees of anger and hatred is gushing out of the depths of their beings. They are lost in a frenzy of bewilderment as to the manner in which to employ all that rage and fury. Their animosity towards the Bahais goes back a long, long, way: they captured the Bahais; killed them; looted their homes and belongings; and fancied that they could extinguish the Divine Light of Truth. But, they did not succeed! >>>

What's gone wrong?

When my daughter’s friend told me a couple of weeks a go, that her socialist lesbian friend has a poster on her wall saying: “We are all Hezb’ Allah Now!” I said: “my God! (And I am an atheist) something has gone fundamentally wrong.” I asked myself, what are they trying to do, mocking socialists? Or, are they simply brainwashed? What is this world coming to? This young woman has all the necessary ingredients for fighting against political Islam and Hezb’ Allah. First of all she is a woman.>>>

Azerbaijan in Iran

Iran was not supposed to be a country of the Persian, or the Aryan, nation, because the Persians are just about half of the population, or maybe less, and there is neither an Aryan nation or an Aryan race to build a country upon. But it could be just like any country, a union of peoples or nations, where there is no preferred one, and each nation within the country can decide about their own affairs in case they wish to. Breaking up countries is too costly and not worth any attempt, but discriminatory policies of authoritarian regimes are creating the right atmosphere that over time lead to social discontent that can overflow and cause serious problems at any moment.>>>

Can't keep my promise, mother

In 2006, for the first time in 29 years, more than 200 Bahai students could enter national universities. However, from the very beginning of the school year, gradually most of these students were expelled according to a previously planned strategy. This year (2007), however the government has employed a new tactic. Most Bahai students have not yet received their test report cards. Not receiving their results, they are now even unaware of their scores and the fact that whether they have passed the test or not.>>>

درخدمت و خیانت کیان تاجبخش

به نظر سکوت حاکم بر فعالیت های کیان حکایت از ضعف در ا رزیابی نقش روشنفکرانی چون او، در تغییر وتحولات سیاسی سال های اخیرداشته است. ضعفی که گوئی به تابوی تحلیل های سیاسی دوران معاصر ،چه در داخل ایران و چه در جمع مهاجران ، تبدیل شده است. وچه بسا با حفظ توهم توطئه و تقویت ان، به مثابه کم خرج ترین وسیله برا ی حفظ انسجام میان گروهای مخالف است که طیف منتقدین نظام به نقطه مشترکی با حکومت جمهوری اسلامی می رسد ، حتی اگر امروز یک طرف دعوي مسرور از خفه کردن نوزاد در نطفه باشد و طرف دیگرمغموم از نارسی او. >>>

Clear distance

Of course, as we had predicted, US pressure on Iran, the threat of war, sanctions and plans for regime change from above, Bush-style, will only lead to further repression, executions and detention of the very activists who lead genuine anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist struggles - while Iran’s islamic regime is busy negotiating with the US and UK governments over the terms of all three parties’ interference in the internal affairs of imperialist-occupied Iraq. Public hangings and mass arrests are part of this government’s efforts to impose an atmosphere of fear and terror at a time when large sections of the working class are protesting against low wages and lack of job security. >>>

اراذل و اوباش حکومتی

اگر دلیل مجازات رذالت و اوباشگری ست, کدام یک رذل تر و اوباش ترند ؟ آمران و عاملان طناب به گردن روشنفکران و روشنگران گرانقدری چون محمد مختاری و محمد جعفر پوینده انداحتن و آنها را خفه کردن , وبا قمه هنرمند گرانقدری چون فریدون فرخزاد را مثله کردن , و با چاقوی آشپزخانه سیاستمدار برجسته ای چون بختیار وهمکارش رابه قتل رساندن, و با دشنه پیکر فروهرها را دریدن و قلب کارون 9 ساله را برابر چشم پدر شاعرش حمید حاجی زاده دریدن پیش از آنکه شاعررا مثله کنند و........ , یا زور گیران و باج گیران ؟ >>>

Backwards will always be backwards

Recently questioned whether the recent stoning of one person is backwards, when compared with the apparent progress made by the IRI since 1979. Yes, Dariush. It is by definition, backward. This is 2007 A.D., not 2007, B.C. Anyone who thinks this is acceptable in any society must be stoned (as in high) themselves. But let's not stop there. Let's address the rest, shall we?>>>