Sic Semper Tyrannis
Science flies you to the moon. Religion flies you into buildings.
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Sign This!
16-Jan-2012
Since this appears to be another petition signing day, I figured I should cook up a petition of my own and ask for support. Here it is:
Since 1979, the Islamic Republic has been engaged in committing various crimes against humanity in Iran. It has executed tens of thousands of Iranians, imprisoned hundreds of thousands of others, tortured just as many and forced an equal number into exile. In the past thirty three years, the Islamic Republic has killed, tortured and imprisoned a large number of Iranian scientists, intellectuals, political activists and even children in a similar manner. By now, it is clear that this is a systematic campaign with political intentions. Media reports and political pundits attribute these atrocities to the Islamic Republic.
If public reports are true that these crimes against humanity are orchestrated by the Islamic Republic, in order to maintain its hold on power, and to loot Iran’s wealth, then we petition the Islamic Republic to stop these atrocities –a tactic replacing political engagement with executions, imprisonment, torture and terror at the expense of innocent civilians. If allowed to continue, these crimes against humanity provide the Iranian authorities with the tools needed to continue to suppress voices of dissent, even on the Iranian nuclear issue, to arrest and imprison political opposition, and to further curtail the activities of human rights activists.
Moreover, the Iranian regime has engaged, in the past 32 years, in a campaign of bellicose warmongering, which has included, but has not been limited to, attacking and occupying foreign embassies and diplomatic missions (one as recent as a couple of months ago), taking foreign diplomats hostage, promising to wipe other nations off the map of the world, threatening to close international waterways, supporting terrorist groups around the world and engaging in clandestine nuclear activities in violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and United Nations resolutions. All of these activities have brought crippling sanctions upon the Iranian people and have brought the country to the brink of a devastating war, which is the Islamic Republic’s ultimate goal.
As academicians, writers, human rights activists, and intellectuals, we condemn these atrocities. Such belligerence on the part of the Islamic Republic, its crimes against humanity and its warmongering can only escalate the internal tension and regional conflicts toward a military clash or war. Regardless of where we stand on Iran's nuclear program, we find these atrocities outrageous because they target the Iranian society without due consideration for human rights, due process of international and national laws, and lives of innocent individuals caught in the crossfire.
These types of killings have to stop, not only because they harm a nation in every possible way, but also because they build a deep psychological scar on the nation's public mind prompting it to ask for revenge in kind. We hope we are living in a better world than that. Killing innocent or even allegedly guilty people without consideration for their human rights and due process, by any force or government anywhere and anytime, is an outrageous act to be protested by all. If murderous dictatorships become the order of the day, no one will be safe in this world.
The following individuals have not yet signed this petition. But judging by their level of concern for the Iranian people, I am sure they will sign it once they notice it. So, I ask these find young men and women, especially the poets :-), to join me in condemning the Islamic Republic. I will look forward to their support:
01. Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, SOAS, University of London
02. Masih Alinejad, Journalist
03. Asieh Amini, Journalist and Human Rights Activist
04. Fariba Amini, Independent Journalist and Writer
05. Hooshang Amirahmadi, Professor, Rutgers University
06. Richard P. Appelbaum, Professor of Sociology, University of California at Santa Barbara
07. Rahim Bajoghli, Human Rights Activist
08. Darioush Bayandor, historian, author
09. Asef Bayat, Professor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
10. Iris Bazing, MD, Baltimore, Maryland
11. Maria Bennett, Poet, New Jersey, USA
12. Mohammad Borghei, Strayer University.
13. Mehrzad Boroujerdi, Professor, Syracuse University
14. Juan Cole, Professor, University of Michigan
15. Shirindokht Daghighian, Independent Scholar & Author
16. Mehrdad Darvishpour, Lecturer at the Malardalen University, Sweden
17. Lucia F. Dunn, Professor of Economics, Ohio State University
18. Goudarz Eghtedari, Ph.D., Voices of the Middle East
19. Mohammad Eghtedari, Economist, Washington, DC
20. Nader Entessar, Professor of Political Science, University of South Alabama
21. Amir Fassihi, Nowruz Foundation for Nonviolence, CA
22. John Foran, Professor of Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara
23. Ali Fathollah-Nejad, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
24. Yoshie Furuhashi, Editor, MRZine
25. Alexandra Gallin-Parisi, Professor, Trinity University
26. Amir Hossein Ganjbakhsh, Senior Investigator, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD
27. Reza Goharzad, Journalist, Los Angeles
28. John L Graham, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Irvine
29. Hossein Hamedani, Professor, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
30. Nader Hashemi, Professor, University of Denver
31. Esmail Hejazifar, Professor of Physics, Wilmington College, Ohio
32. Paula Hertel, Professor of Psychology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX
33. Mohsen Heydareian, Ph. D, Political Science, Sweden
34. Fredun Hojabri, Retired Professor of Sharif (Aryamehr) Univeristy of Technology
35. Angie Hougas, Human Rights Activists, McFarland, WI
36. Noushin Izadifar Hart, M.D., Radiation Oncologist, Reston, Virginia
37. Azadeh Jahanbegloo, Sociologist, Wright State University, Ohio
38. Jahanshah Javid, Editor, Iranian.com
39. Hasan Javadi, Retired Professor of Persian Language, University of California, Berkeley
40. Mark C. Johnson, Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation, NY
41. Yahya Kamalipour, Chair, Global Communication Association, Purdue University
42. Aziz Karamloo, MD, Faculty Member, University of California, Los Angeles
43. Mahmood Karimi-Hakak, Professor of Theatre and Film, Siena College, NY
44. Liam Kennedy, Community Board Member,CCPB, UC, Irvine
45. Fatemeh Keshavarz, Professor, Washington University, St. Louis
46. Nanette Le Coat, Associate Professor, Modern Languages and Literatures, Trinity University
47. Arturo Madrid, Professor, Trinity University
48. Ali Akbar Mahdi, Professor Emeritus, Ohio Wesleyan University
49. Azita Mashayekhi, Industrial Hygienist, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
50. Rudi Matthee, Distinguished Professor of Middle Eastern history, University of Delaware
51. Farzaneh Milani, Professor, University of Virginia
52. Yaser Mirdamadi, Independent Scholar
53. Ziba Mir-Hosseini, CMEIL, School of Oriental and African Studies
54. Ida Mirzaie, Ohio State University
55. Valentine M. Moghadam, Professor of Sociology, Northeastern University
56. Mahmood Monshipouri, Professor, San Francisco State University
57. Akbar Montaser, Professor, Department of Chemistry ,George Washington University
58. Reza Mousoli, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK
59. Baquer Namazi, Retired UNICEF Country Representative & Civil Society Activist
60. Arash Naraghi, Assistant Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Moravian College
61. Mohamad Navab, University of California, Los Angeles
62. Farrokh Negahdar, Political Analyst
63. Mohammad-Reza Nikfar, Independent Scholar and Philosopher
64. Azam Niroomand-Rad, Professor Emeritus, Georgetown University Medical Center
65. Farhad Nomani, Professor of Economics, American University of Paris
66. Mehdi Noorbaksh, Associate Professor, Harrisburg University of Science & Technology
67. Trita Parsi, President, National Iranian American Council, Washington, DC
68. Richard T. Peterson, Professor of Philosophy, Michigan State University
69. Davood Rahni, Professor of Chemistry, Pace University, New York
70. Farhang Rajaee, Professor, Carleton University
71. Asghar rastegar, MD, Professor of Medicine, Yale School of Medicinek
72. Thomas M. Ricks, Ph.D., Independent Scholar
73. Mahmoud Sadri, Professor of Sociology, Texas Woman's University
74. Muhammad Sahimi, Professor, University of Southern California in Los Angeles
75. Hamid Salek, D.D.S. University of Southern California , Los Angeles
76. Reza Sarhangi, Professor, Department of Mathematics, Towson University
77. Mehrdad F. Samadzadeh, University of Toronto
78. Gabriel Sebastian, Author, Futurist
79. Ali Shakeri, Community Board Member, CCPB, UC, Irvine
80. Evan Siegel, Ph.D., Independent Researcher on Iran & Azerbaijan, Adj. Mathematics Prof., CUNY
81. Arman Shirazi, Senior Scientist, CSM North America
82. Sussan Siavoshi, Professor, Trinity University
83. Mark D. Stansbery, Iran Action Network
84. Sussan Tahmasebi, Women's Rights Activist
85. Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi, Univeristy of Toronto
86. Bahram Tavakolian, Willamette University
87. Farideh Tehrani, Ph.D., Middle Eastern Studies Librarian, Rutgers University, NJ
88. Mary Ann Tetreault, Cox Distinguished Professor of International Affairs, Trinity University
89. Nayereh Tohidi, Professor, California State University, Northridge
90. Patricia Trutty-Coohill, Professor of Art History, Siena College, NY
91. Farzin Vahdat, Research Associate at Vassar College
92. Bill Wolak, Poet, New Jersey, USA
93. Leila Zand, Program Director, Middle East Civilian Diplomacy, Fellowship of Reconciliation
94. Hamid Zangeneh, Professor, Widener University
| Recently by Anonymous Observer | Comments | Date |
|---|---|---|
| The 1979 Devolution Was The Perfect Fit For Iranians | 72 | Nov 24, 2012 |
| Bring Dr. Mohandes & Vildemose Back!!! | 31 | Nov 08, 2012 |
| Iranian.com, David Duke or "Storm Front?" | 66 | Oct 12, 2012 |
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AO
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Thu Jan 19, 2012 08:38 AM PSTVPK- You think that a court in the IR will convict one of its own operatives?
Who said anything regarding a court in IRI? I would take them to court in USA; or an international court; get a conviction. Then base actions on that result.
Vildemose and VPK
by Anonymous Observer on Thu Jan 19, 2012 08:34 AM PSTVildemose: what I mean is that I really don't believe that Ari is an IR supporter. He's your garden variety ultra liberal who thinks that if he calls the IR what it is, and if he supports what really whould be done with the IR, he will be labeled a radical, neocon, whatever. So, he does whatever he can to come up with an "amicable" resolution of the whole murderous dictatorship "thing," not realizing that in the process he is paralyzing himself and any other eprson who is taking real steps to deal what can only be described as a brutal and violent system. It's called paralysis by analysis.
VPK- You think that a court in the IR will convict one of its own operatives?
Responses
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Thu Jan 19, 2012 08:25 AM PSTMisguided attempt at
by vildemose on Thu Jan 19, 2012 08:22 AM PSTMisguided attempt at objectivity?? Nice euphamism....lol
A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
Vildemose - perhaps some of it at least
by Anonymous Observer on Thu Jan 19, 2012 08:19 AM PSTare misguided attempts at objectivity. Others have other agendas.
There are hundreds of them
by vildemose on Thu Jan 19, 2012 08:15 AM PSTThere are hundreds of them on this site..Would the same logic be extended to Bashar al Asad in Syria or the Late Shah???
A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
Seriously, Vildemose, the length some people go
by Anonymous Observer on Thu Jan 19, 2012 08:00 AM PSTto try to put lipstick on the pig that is the current system in Iran. As if there's a "judicial process" in Iran where grievances aganist the government can be addressed! I mean, I really like and respect Ari (and Roozbeh Gilani for that matter)...but come on...
AO: You just noticed the
by vildemose on Thu Jan 19, 2012 07:48 AM PSTAO: You just noticed the ethically and morally compromised forked-tongue...lol
A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
...
by vildemose on Thu Jan 19, 2012 07:50 AM PST...
....
by vildemose on Thu Jan 19, 2012 07:49 AM PST...
Ari, I can't believe you actually said this
by Anonymous Observer on Thu Jan 19, 2012 07:42 AM PSTWhatever we do, it has to be done lawfully. Iranian citizens have rights and responsibilities under Iranian law. The IRI opressing, raping, murdering etc. does not give us license to act unlawfully--for example, we can't blow up a person (and his driver) because we think he belongs to an organization some members of which have commited crimes.
You do realize that your comment above is a glaring example of self contradiction, right? So, let me get this straight: the IR plays by no rules. It kills, rapes and attacks unarmed and defenseless civilians. In response, those who are oppressed, murdered, raped and attacked should seek remedy by going to "tribunals" set up by the murdering, raping and oppressing IR and ask for justice?!!! Are you for real? Why don't we just sit down and have a nice game of chess with a gorilla while we're at it?!!
VPK
by Ari Siletz on Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:30 PM PSTI agree with all your points.Will vote for you someday.
Ari
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:26 PM PSTWe are not going to do anything; unless I have more power than I think! I have no intention of blowing anyone up. But if someone threatens a nation I am not surprised if that nation takes action.
You see the difference is between what I do and what others do. Now assume I become the PM one day. And it is proved that Israel killed some person while IRI was in power. I will not let that get in the way of normalization of relations.
I am not for grudges and revenge as it will not advance our nation. If I did have the power I would allow for freedom of religion. Ban non legal rules such as Fatwah. No priest gets to give rulings. Only a court of law. That should satisfy your request.
VPK
by Ari Siletz on Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:55 AM PSTWhatever we do, it has to be done lawfully. Iranian citizens have rights and responsibilities under Iranian law. The IRI opressing, raping, murdering etc. does not give us license to act unlawfully--for example, we can't blow up a person (and his driver) because we think he belongs to an organization some members of which have commited crimes.
AO, You are wasting your time.....
by Roozbeh_Gilani on Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:07 AM PSTThe Sickos would never bite the hand which feeds them....
"Personal business must yield to collective interest."
Not genocide
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:00 AM PSTGenocide is killing a whole race "gene". I do not think there is a whole race oppressing Iranian people. Those who do oppress people should be punished. Do you disagree; should we let them go.
AO, here's the distinction
by Ari Siletz on Wed Jan 18, 2012 10:48 AM PSTForeign invaders are thrown out of the country, and we're done. Domestic oppressors are thrown out of power, but we still have to live with them. Unless you're proposing genocide!
Matter of semantics Ari
by Anonymous Observer on Wed Jan 18, 2012 09:21 AM PSTAn oppressor is an oppressor, regardless of whether he is foreign or domestic. There's no "negotiating" with a guy who says--bluntly--that he will blow your brains out if you oppose him. He needs to go, one way or the other and by all means necessary. If that means ambushing him and killing him at a vulnerable moment, then that's what needs to be done.
YMJ
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Tue Jan 17, 2012 01:54 PM PSTWhere do you live is it America or any part of West. If so then pack up and move to IRI. Yes we are well aware of the love Iranians have for IRI. Specially getting stoned to death.
They also love being executed; raped and the other wonders. That is the reason why Iran has the highest brain drain of the world. Also why any Iranian able to is moving. But why should you be bothered? You are safe in the West.
If I had my way the immigration rules here would be revised. You are right; I know nothing. I just live in Great Satan violator of rights. Why do you not go back to your human rights Islamic heaven.
what a joke! Human rights? Think guantanamo!
by YMJ on Tue Jan 17, 2012 01:41 PM PSTThis clearly show's how little exiled Iranians actually understand of Iranian society and how much suppor the Islamic Republic actually has.
And since when did these people care about human rights? They run into the arms of the worlds biggest human rights and civil rights violators, like America, UK, France and Israel, then condemn their own countrymen of human rights violations!
Being on the side of the worlds largest ever empire , who has committed the worlds most brutal human rights violations, doesn't give ANY credebility to ANY human rights organization.
They should first go after the BIGGEST human rights violators, go after the big fish, before you start pointing fingers.
Jesus christ said, The one who throws the first stone, should be the one who has never comitted a sin.
I mean it's just fake! If these people ACTUALLY cared about human rights, they would go after the big fish and everyone else would fall in line! They wouldn't politicise human rights and would make sure that even if your the worlds largets empire, you'll get nailed for comitting human rights violations!
AO
by Ari Siletz on Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:42 PM PSTApplying the rule, the IRI is not a foreign occupier. By defintion if you're born in Iran, you're Iranian. In the case of IRI members, not only were they born in Iran but their ancestry is from Iran. So the Nazis in France comaprison does not apply. The IRI religion being of Arab origin isn't a valid legal argument to dispossess them of Iranian citizenship and the protection of our laws--specifically due process.
Secondly, terrorism does not work. The June 1981 bombing that injured Khamenei and killed scores of others did not set us on a path to democracy. It accelerated the emerging reign of terror. No IRI member said, "I better quit because I could get bombed." So if the Roshan assassination was to scare others in the program to quit, it was one needless effort and two needless deaths (the driver). In fact expect the IRI to give the nuclear program people a raise as hazzard pay.
But Ari, neither Roshan nor Khamenei were innocent civilans
by Anonymous Observer on Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:10 PM PSTthey were (and are in Khamenei's case) elements of a dictatorial regime with a clear domestic and international military agenda. Eliminating them is justified both by the oppressed masses and by their foreign enemies.
As far as Hamas, I do not see a problem if they target Israeli military officers or other elements who are engaged in the military opeartions against Hamas, and vice versa. I don't see a problem with Israel eliminating Hamas members. They are at war. That's what war is about, both the cold and the hot version of it. If they don't like it, they should make peace.
A bit of info about one of the people who signed the original
by Anonymous Observer on Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:52 AM PSTpetition that is parodied in this blog. Ms. Leila Zand brags about meeting the "Iranian leadership" at the UN in September, 2011 and about being a guest at the exclusive chelo kabab and ghormeh sabzi dinner that was hosted by AN himself. Oh, brother...
//forusa.org/blogs/leila-zand/for-meets-iranian-leadership-un/9580
PS- all I did was a quick two minute Google search of this one person. Just imagine if we had the time to search the backgrounds of the other signatories. Imagine the gems we can come up with. :-))
AO
by Ari Siletz on Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:52 AM PSTGood question about Nazis in France. We could use occupation by a foreign power as the justification for anti-Nazi violent resistance. Have we also justified Hamas' terrorist actions against Israel with this rule? No; I would draw the moral line at targetting unarmed people.
For the record
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:25 AM PSTI agree with AO and pointed out the exact same things. Both about the dangers goal of this man brings on the world. And about "believing" is not a good reason to support a person.
Once again Iran is not there to settle people's sense of justice. It is not there to punish the West of free the Palestinians. Iran is a nation of normal people who want normal lives. If you want to settle your score with West do it yourself.
The revolution was sold as a way to improve lives. It turned out to be the pet project of anti-Western radicals. Now it is run by radicals who gladly destroy Iran to get their pet cause. May the pet causes be cursed forever for the pain they brought Iran.
Ari - How about the assassination of Nazi officials in France
by Anonymous Observer on Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:28 AM PSTand elsewhere? Justified or not justified?
Point is that sometimes the weak, the oppressed and the disenfranchised have no option but the physically eliminate the elements of the oppression by any means necessary--to inflict pain on an otherwise comfortably invincible and cruel system.
AO
by Ari Siletz on Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:10 AM PSTI condemn the terrorist bombings that caused Khamenei's injury and the death of so many others. Even setting moral issues aside, from a practical point of view, those extreme acts of violence only exacerbated the situation, later to become a contributing factor in the IRI's murder of thousands. Terrorism--even in retaliation--is a bad idea, morally or practically.
Souri -Is having a belief and sticking to it an admirable trait?
by Anonymous Observer on Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:45 AM PSTBy that standard we should applaud, among others, Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Khomeini, etc...
If this guy really believed in a mission to destroy the U.S. and Israel, I am glad he was killed! The level of devestation that that kind of ideology can bring upon the Iranian people is unimaginable. See, it's not whether or not these numb nuts can destroy the U.S. or Irsael, but it's rather their belief that they can do so. Acting upon that fantasy and trying to destroy a nation that can level your entire country with one submarine (the U.S.) or a country that has an arsenal of hundreds of nuclear warheads (Israel) is nothing but suicidal, and not just for the person, but for an entire nation.
Ari - are we talking about moral equivalency here?
by Anonymous Observer on Tue Jan 17, 2012 09:48 AM PSTSeriously, by your standard, we could just as easily paste Khamenei's picture next to Neda's. Wasn't he also a victim of a bombing?
As much as I like you Ari, your blog was uncalled for and improper. Neda was an innocent victim of state sponsored terrorism and oppression. Roshan was a willing and eager participant in a dangerous game where he had called for destruction of two nations, one of which may have returned the favor by destroying him. Live by the sword, die by the sword.
Bahmani - this was written to make a point
by Anonymous Observer on Tue Jan 17, 2012 09:45 AM PSTwhich the hypocricy and duplicity and the much annoying self aggrandizement BS of many who signed the original petition, of which this is a parody.
But if you still feel like signing it, please go ahead and I will email it to Kahmenei. :-)