Op-Ed

Human Rights: Ba-Humbug?

Large sums of money have been and are being spent on creating seemingly spontaneously grown citizens' organizations that shape and give direction to dissent among the populations over-lorded by governments not liked by the U.S. It is natural that, in these half-covert operations, human rights are used as a wedge issue. Because of this push by the right into the discursive and practical area of 'human rights', some western leftists have abandoned this area of advocacy when it comes to countries they perceive as being under attack by the imperialists, and therefore most talk of human rights violations in such countries has become taboo, since it allegedly paves the way for the continuation of the imperialist interventions, and subjugation of more natives around the world>>>

چرا "تحریم" انتخابات بی معنی است؟

چرا مدافعان تحریم فقط هر ۴ سال یک بار، در روز انتخابات ریاست جمهوری به یاد مشروعیت نظام می افتند. اگر مشروعیت نظام را قبول ندارند، قاعدتآ می بایست در تمامی اموری که پای نظام در میان است راه نافرمانی مدنی را پیش بگیرند. پس چرا هنگامی که بچه های خود را در مدارس آموزش و پرورش جمهوری اسلامی ثبت نام می کنند، یا در طول مدتی که بر اساس قوانین نظام به فعالیت های تجاری می پردازند، یا زمانی که ازدواجهای خود را به ثبت رسمی می رسانند، یا هنگامی که با گذرنامهء جمهوری اسلامی سفر می کنند، فرم های کارت ملی را پر می کنند و یا از بانکهای دولتی تقاضای وام می کنند، مشروعیت نظام و قانون اساسی را زیر سئوال نمی برند و از تمامی قوانین پیروی و از مزایای آن استفاده می کنند؟ مگر می شود نظام سیاسی و قانون اساسی یک کشور، فقط هر ۴ سالی یک روز فاقد مشروعیت باشد؟>>>

بايکوت نمايش اقتدار ملت

آنچه اين روزها در جريان يکی از مسائل توضيح نيافته و مبهم مانده در مورد «بايکوت (تحريم) انتخابات» آن است که آيا اين کار، بعنوان يک کنش سياسی، تأثيری هم دارد يا نه؟ و اگر مخالفان آن اعتقاد داشته باشند که «بايکوت بی تأثير هم نيست، اما...» آنگاه بايد پرسيد که چگونه می توان مثبت يا منفی بودن اين تأثير را ـ آن هم از ديدگاه طرفين ماجرا که بايکوت کنندگان و شرکت کنندگان باشند ـ تشخيص داد؟ من فکر می کنم که در بحث های جاری سياسی ما به اين پرسش ها عنايت کافی نشده و برايشان پاسخ مکفی فراهم نيامده است و، لذا، می خواهم در اين هفته ، در حد توان و درکم، نکاتی را مطرح سازم و ببينم که چگونه می توان پاسخ هائی معقول برای اينگونه پرسش ها يافت. بگذاريد با يک امر بديهی آغاز کنم که «بايکوت» را نمی توان يک اقدام سياسی برای دستيابی به قدرت دانست؛ يعنی، روشن است که بايکوت کردن انتخابات قرار نيست به پيروزی بايکوت کنندگان در «انتخابات» بيانجامد!>>>

A Privilege Long Forgotten

A vote; an amazing right capable of extraordinary change. Where a vote used to stand as something worth fighting for, we now see the great degree to which some people have lost sight of this fact. This power and control is a privilege taken for granted. How long ago it now seems that the forefathers of the United States waged a revolutionary war to declare their freedom from Great Britain and give the choice of government back to the people. How long ago it now seems that women marched the streets in demand of the rights of suffrage. How long ago it now seems that people of all different colors banded together to achieve their rights as equal citizens in the selection of their government. But the truth is, that it was not so long ago>>>

Tel Aviv's best friend

The Durban Review Conference held in Geneva in April was set to examine progress made toward the goals of the previous conference in 2001: to eliminate racism, xenophobia and related intolerance. Many expected the conference would condemn Israel's attack on Gazan civilians, but what transpired was indeed the opposite. The resolution passed in Geneva helped Israel's stance by commemorating the Holocaust. Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had a lot to do with this outcome, albeit inadvertently. The conference was filled with a sense of premonition even before it was convened. Ahmadinejad's presence had made participants uneasy>>>

Not worth the effort

While the Obama administration has been formulating its Iran strategy, Congress and many pundits have touted the need for Russian support. At the opening session of the hearing "Prospects for Engagement with Russia" held on March 19, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) observed that "Vital to our efforts toward a nuclear-free world will be a greater effort from Russia to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. The president is right to open the door to direct engagement with Iran. But it is imperative that we back a strategy of engagement with a commitment to more effective multilateral sanctions if negotiations do not bring progress. To do this effectively, we need Russia on board.">>>

A Better Way

The assumption that the Iranian theocracy is unchangeable leaves no room for any possible opposition groups to work together. After the revolution of ’79 and the power struggle within the undefined system, the Iranian people and political groups have become more divided for not wanting to be the pawns in yet another revolutionary movement, unless there are some power guarantees. Unfortunately there are no guarantees. Essentially the issue goes deeper than normally is discussed. There are no unifying ideologies and/or attractive movements that are supported by the Iranian people. The experiences of the last revolution have put a bitter impression that will not vanish for a long time>>>

مانی

این ترم درس جدیدی بنام "مذهب و جامعه" برای دانشجویان مبتدی رشته جامعه شناسی گفتم و این بهانه ای شد که بار دیگر در مورد الهیات شُرور مطالعه کنم. توجیه بیعدالتیهای مشهود در عالم را در الهیات مسیحی "تئودسی" میگویند. کلام ادیان ابراهیمی پاسخهای جالبی به این مسأله داده است که صورت ساده یکی از آنها را در کتاب خواندنی "عدل الهی" اثر مرحوم مرتضی مطهری میتوان سراغ کرد. ریاضی دان و متألّه مسیحی لایب نیتس در بحث مفصلی ادعا میکند که خطا بر قلم صنع نرفته است واگر نارسائی در عالم میبینیم اشکال از قامت ناساز بی اندام ماده است و نه تشریف زیبای خلقت خداوند. بعبارت دیگر ِاشکال از آفرینش نیست بلکه این نقص ذاتی ماده است که قابلیت پذیرش خیرمحض الهی را ندارد. پس شرور عدمی اند یعنی خدا فقط خیر و نیکی آفریده و جنس همه بدیها از نیستی است، همانطور که ظلمت نبود نور و مرگ نبود زندگی است>>>

Joint lesson

The importance of education is stressed from a young age in Iran and the United States. However, in both systems it is the pursuit of a degree rather than education that is often considered as significant. It is more important to have proof of a college education rather than the ability to apply what was learned. With the exception of certain trade oriented fields of study, such as education or medicine, many students from both nations do not necessarily pursue careers directly related to their degrees. Iranian and American students alike have grown frustrated with this disregard for process and dominant focus on end results. Many students are entering fields of study based on what they see as financial security, rather than passion>>>

بايکوت

از آنجا که دليل اصلی حکومت برای اجرای نمايش انتخابات نشان دادن حقانيت (مشروعيت) و پايه های مردمی خويش است، خودبخود، شرکت نکردن در انتخابات عملی برای مخدوش ساختن اين «حقانيت» بشمار می آيد و اگر اکثريتی از مردم دست به بايکوت انتخابات بزنند، رژيم ديگر نخواهد توانست بعنوان نمايندهء برآمده از ارادهء مردم عمل کند و سخن بگويد و موقعيت اش در چشم حاميان خارجی اش نيز متزلزل می شود و افکار عمومی بين المللی هم خواهد توانست با قدرت بيشتری روی رژيم فشار آورد تا، مثلاً، حقوق بشر را رعايت کند، دست به کشتار وسيع نزند، شکنجه نکند، و يا در تقويت تروريسم بين المللی نکوشد. بايکوت کنندگان لازم می بينند تا کسانی را که ساده لوحانه برای شرکت خود در انتخابات شرط می گذراند، به شرکت در بايکوت انتخابات قانع کنند تا بخش توهم آفرين رژيم کنار رفته و کارکرد منحوس بخش واقعی اما اغلب پنهان آن نمايان شود>>>

Four More Years?

When it comes to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, there is no grey: you either like him or you don’t. His supporters point to his strong and often very vocal anti-West, anti-Israel stance, while his opponents complain about all the negative press he has created for Iran in the West as well as his policies that have nearly destroyed Iran’s economy. Well, are you ready for four more years of Ahmadinejad? You might as well be, since indications are that in a two-man race this June he will be “elected” to run the country for another four years. The first reason he will be elected is history. In the 30 years since the inception of the Islamic Republic of Iran, there have been five presidents prior to Ahmadinejad>>>

Preventing Nuclear Terrorism

As Mohamed ElBaradei's term as head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) draws to a close, the organization is struggling to choose a new leader. After deadlocking on an initial vote in March, a new round of nominations closed on April 27, with the next vote scheduled in the coming months. While the IAEA sorts out changes at the top, the United States should try to expand the agency's mandate and responsibilities. One such change would be the establishment of a full-fledged intelligence office, which would dramatically improve the agency's ability to identify and deter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)>>>

Generation Gap

One of the most interesting debates to emerge in the past month is about whether or not the US should reach out to Iran. This debate encompasses many of the controversial issues that divide the Iranian community outside Iran. But like most debates, this one is full of passion and strong feelings and sometimes the parties involved get personal and nasty with those that they take to be their opponents. In this way the debate becomes murky, confusing and often distorted. I want to clear away some of the confusion and shed some light on the issues involved in this debate and what the different sides are saying. As a background, I begin by looking closely at Roger Cohen’s views on better relations with Iran and Obama’s recent New Year message to Iranians>>>

Right time, wrong man

As Iran nears its presidential elections, Ahmadinejad's team who were so far acting rather low-profile in gathering support for his second-term, are slowly beginning to make public one of the largest and most coordinated media campaigns in Iran's history. Perhaps interestingly not a single private donor will contribute to this campaign. Nor will Ahmadinejad need any local campaign offices, according to himself. Costly bill-board adverts? Why bother when you have the combined resources of the country's largest newspapers, hours and hours of unchallenged airtime on state TV and radio stations, coupled with analysis that often only adds insult to injury>>>

سعدی، ميان احمدی نژاد و اوباما؟

حضور و سخنان شرم آور، ظاهراً انساندوستانه و باطناً سرشار از نفرت و تبعيض احمدی نژاد در سوئيس، آن هم در کنفرانس بررسی مسائل مربوط به تبعيض های نژادی و... از يکسو، و حضور سخن مشهور سعدی در پيام نوروزی رئيس جمهور آمريکا خطاب به دولت و ملت ايران، که شوق و خشم، و اميد و نااميدی های فراوانی را در ميان ايرانيان برانگيخت، از سوی ديگر، نشان از دوپارگی عميقی دارد که در کل فرهنگ انسانی، و بخصوص در ملغمه ای به نام فرهنگ کنونی ايرانی، وجود دارد. اين روزها هر پاره از اين دو در جائی سر بر می کشد تا ما را در چهرهء خويش به جهانيان بشناساند؛ آن هم بهمراه اين واقعيت تآسف برانگيز که «چهرهء فرشته گون ما» در سخنان ديگران و خطاب به خود ما رخ می کند، و چهرهء «اهريمن آسامان» در سخن کسی که رئيس جمهور کشورمان شناخته می شود>>>