On a sunny day in Washington, DC, my imaginary American scholar, Hannah Esfandiari, was sittining in her Kalorama-located house, opening a letter she had just received from Tehran, Iran. It was a job offer from a prominent think-tank at the heart of the Islamic Republic's policy-making machine.
Her main job was going to be establishing contacts with Americans dissidents, scholars and activists and inviting them to Tehran to speak for high-rank Iranian policy-makers, top officers of the Revolutionary Guards and the intelligence ministry.
But she could not take the job offer. Not because she was afraid of being charged with assisting a 'state sponsor of terrorism' and perhaps being sent to Guantanamo Bay. But simply because, based on the U.S. Sanctions on Iran (Iranian Transactions Regulations), it would be illegal for her or any other American to sign any contract with, accept any funds from, or give any service to an Iranian citizen or organisation, wherever in the world. Violating that law could cost her up to 20 years of jail and $250,000 fine.
Now, let's come back to the real world and consider a similar case about an Iranian citizen who was directing a prominent American think-tank.
Haleh Esfandiari's job, as the director of the middle east programme at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (established by the U.S. Congress in 1981 and co-funded directly (PDF File) by the U.S. government), was to invite Iranian dissidents, scholars and activists them to Washington, D.C. to speak for and interact with high-rank American policymakers, top military and intelligence officers. (Absent from all media reports is that that she has served among the first group of fellows at the infamous National Endowment for Democracy with its well-known shady past and agenda.)
But when she last visited Tehran using her Iranian passport, she was detained, charged with acting against Iran's national security and released on bail after a long investigation.
Since her arrest a few months ago, the American media, politicians and scholars (including George Bush himself) made a huge fuss about the illegality of such detention and repeatedly called the charges against her bogus and appalling and insisted that Mrs. Esfandiari was totally innocent.
Quite hypocritical. Everyone is overlooking the other side of the story about the way the American government is treating its citizens who would give such a service (in fact much less significant) to Iran.
If Iran prosecutes its citizens after they started giving service to the policy-making machine of its biggest enemy, the U.S doesn't even allow such service in the first place by making it illegal and somehow punishes its citizens even before they started such service. The delicate point here is that both countries try to protect their national security through such measures, but while the American method to do that is more severe, it never gets any bad publicity, because, on it surface, the legal framework it is using is sanctions against a 'terrorist state,' not sanctions to protect national security.
This smart strategy prevents the American government to look bad in public, while it achieves its goal of depriving the Iranian policymakers from interacting with American scholars and at the same time make Iran look bad when it does the same. (When was the last time you heard an American teaching in any private or public Iranian university?)
Perhaps it is time for Iran and other countries under American economic sanctions to strike back and begin using the legal frameworks of sanctions against the U.S. to address their legitimate security concerns.
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a
by Rostam on Tue Sep 04, 2007 06:31 PM PDTa
Yawnnnnnnnn!!!!!!Boringgggg!!!!!!!!!!!
by jigsaw on Tue Sep 04, 2007 06:17 PM PDTAt the height of the struggle, Ayatollah Kashani, Khomeini's mentor, a leading clergy of that time, openly sided with the absolutist monarch, inciting his followers to oppose Mossadegh, who, according to Ayatollah Kashani, was clearly a communist/atheist lover; which he was not.
Now, the Khomeinist talking about "national security" , the 1953 coup and the Shah is the height of hypocrisy.
About 70 million people live in Iran. Most people simply wish to get rid of the mullahs. We do know, however, that about 15-20% of the population is solidly with the regime; as in, their status, privileges, petty-powers and income — hence physical and social survival — depends on this illigitimate theocratic/mafia state apparatus (call them pocketbook supporters). Thus, we observe idiotic and almost deranged and hallucinatory moral equivalency of comparing Esfandiari with Mohammad Atta.
And of course, there are those "true believers" , brainwashed by the families they were born into and have internalized a narrow and medieval ideology. Their anachronism illustrates their xenophobic/bigoted fear of others, other ideologies, and the force of modernity, which signals the approach of their demise. People like Abadi must feel besieged by the prison of their own mind, having to constantly reconcile reality with their ingrained indoctrination. The anxiety must be overwhelming for for they can see the writings on the wall and they can almost smell their eventual death in mind and body in the age of globalization. However, that doesn't stop them from deceiving themselves because that is the only way they can cope with the real world.
The Islamic Republic is illegitimate because their governance does not represents and reinforce the true will of the people, who are the true source of all sovereignty, and the only legitimating base for any state. The religious mumbo jumbo and "agents of God" on earth rhetoric are only to exploit the sheeple's religious sentiments in order to continue to exploit and to rip them off of their human rights and wealth.
The gang members in any part of U.S. can take over the government and declare themselves as the ruler of that city or state but that doesn't make them legitimate. That is exactly what happened during the revolution when hoodlums, criminals and the most vile segment of the society usurped the power through a mixed bag of lies, deception and brutal savagery and vile extermination of anyone who opposed their views and their way of life.
Consequently, talking legalise and so called "IRI's law" and national security are by definition irrelevant and prepostrous when the ruling class are involved in breaking all kinds of laws, committing all kinds of crimes against humanity, promoting genocide, and destruction of other countries. BTW, Iran's security and the regime's security are mutualy exclusive (not compatible; contradictory)
Blow by blow of how the Islamist thugs usurped the revolution:
//www.democratiya.com/interview.asp?issueid=9
Divide and conquer... A strategy mullahs have used on us ...
by Ghool on Tue Sep 04, 2007 04:46 PM PDTGuys, Guys:
Please, stop given attention to Hoder more than he used to get on his own Blog before it was shut down by the authorities. Don’t you see
he is trying to play with your minds? We all know that Hodooler is on the pay role of Akbar Rafasanjani. His mission and assignment are to divide and conquer our community, a strategy the mullahs have masterfully and successfully exploited over the past 3 decades. The more
attention and oxygen you give him, the more he is going to suck it out of you!
Now, as for our outlaw lady friends Dariush Abady, Foad, Ben be Madadi, etc. If I ever get my hands on these clowns, I will tear their testicles out and hang them on their earlobes as ornaments. That’s how they’re
going to become our lady friends!?
Iranian.com is personal attackers den!
by ali.taaba on Tue Sep 04, 2007 03:45 PM PDTWhat’s wrong with you people? Is it time to attack Hoder personally again just because he said something you didn’t like/approve of? You all need to grow up.Apparently those who claim that they are living in the democracy heaven (AKA the US) don’t know the least about democracy and what comes under its umbrella (freedom of speech etc.), but hang on, you live in the US where the term democracy is used loosely too often and only when it is to your benefit.. I’m with you now….
All you need to know is that if you want to be impolite and judgmental, others can be worst to you, have this in mind and be my guest and “kheshtak derani konid” .
the Shah's money
by dariushabadi on Tue Sep 04, 2007 03:40 PM PDTit makes me smile Rostam when you say such things. You know why? because you think the IRI supporters are the same as the old-Shahee crew of the past. You assume that since the Shah paid his cronies to support him internationally, then we lovers of the Islamic REpublic must be getting paid too right?
Why don't you leave your house, and go to any Iranian masjid here in the US. It is packed almost every Thursday night with at least 1,000 Iranians in each masjid who love the Islamic Republic.
None of us get paid, just as you probably don't get paid anymore by the Shah (but you probably get paid from that $75 million the US government gives you as a welfare check to overthrow Iran, right?)
We don't need money Rostam. American Muslims are one of the most educated and highest paid people here in America (actually, ironically we get paid more on average than American Jews as a community. weird, no?)
We defend Iran because we don't want it to get attacked, so that your family and our family don't get bombarded with missiles. We don't give excuses to the wolves to attack our motherland.
You can call us all vatanforoosh all you want, or Arab-parast, but by defending the IRI, we are stopping this wolves from creating excuses internationally to invade our homeland.
So that makes YOU the vatanforoosh for creating so many excuses, only to see Bush go on the international stage and use those excuses to rape your motherland.
But you get paid by the US government to do this, so I guess its your job right? You have to bring food to the table every night, and you haev no other choice?
Insha'Allah, God will forgive you.
well put
by Bavafa on Tue Sep 04, 2007 03:35 PM PDTGreat comparison, not to mentioned that she is free on bail yet the five Iranians that have been kidnapped in Iraq by the occupying force (US) yet to be charged never mind put on trial.
No one tortured for their political beliefs?
by dariushabadi on Tue Sep 04, 2007 03:33 PM PDTParthian,
No offense, but you seem like an ostrige with your head in the ground. If we ignore the hundreds of innocent people who were illegally detained and tortured (and raped) in Guantanamo and Abu Gharib....and just rewind 40 years....here is the story of the United States:
Just 40 years ago....while Martin Luther King was preaching about "I have a dream"....black people in America were lynched and hosed down with hot water by the US government for their demand of "more rights" and even threats of overthrowing the US government for oppressing black people. Sound familiar? Not yet?
If you don't know this history, then read up on it. Just 40 years ago...when the UC Berkeley students in California protested against their governments role in Vietnam....do you know what then GOVERNOR of CALIFORNIA, RONALD REAGAN did to the students?
He brought tanks and soldiers and declared martial law in the city of Berkeley and shot over 100 students for protesting against the Vietnam war.
And you DARE claim that the United States government has never tortured or killed anyone for their political beliefs?
IT IS AN INSULT TO ALL THOSE WHO STRUGGLED FOR RIGHTS and AGAINST FALSE WARS in the UNITED STATES to say such LIES about the US government.
The US Government has more blood of African Americans, anti-war activists and innocent Arabs and Afghans on its hand, than anything the IRI has ever done.
THIS DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE IRI. BUT YOU MUST STOP LYING ABOUT WESTERN GOVERNMENTS AND MAKE THEM LOOK LIKE ANGELS EITHER.
What's the matter Hoder?
by Rostam on Tue Sep 04, 2007 03:29 PM PDTWhat's the matter Hoder? Are you afraid?
Are you afraid the IRI is taking its last breaths?
Are you afraid that your salary, your "mogharari" will soon be cut off?
Are you afraid that you would have to then work for a living instead of being a "moft-khor?"
Are you afraid that the angry people who are being tortured, raped and murdered by your beloved IRI will come after you?
Are you afraid that you won't have the IRI to protect you then?
Are you afraid Hoder?
haleh esfandyari=mohammad ata ?
by Ardalan on Tue Sep 04, 2007 03:07 PM PDTthe analogy makes sense if you can compare Haleh Esfandyari and her work with Al-Qaeda inspired activities namely blowing up planes and smashing them into buildings....that is not to say from a human rights point of view, either of the two government's approach is justifiable...it's a question of degrees where this analogy fails to keep a sense of perspective
No Wonder you Were Sued !
by Darius Kadivar on Tue Sep 04, 2007 03:04 PM PDTSmart Ass Comments as Usual Hoder ...
I don't like the Bush or the Neo Conservatives but to compare the plight of Intellectuals and Scholars in the US and in Iran is disproportional.
Even Ollie North Got at least a fair trial for the Iran Contra scandal. Where has ANY suspect in the Islamic Republic EVER got a Fair Trial.
Dunno why an Intelligent Guy like you wants to play the Devils Advocate just for the sake of contradiction ?
I oppose War On Iran or any military strike against the darn nuclear sites but I would entirely support sanctions of economic nature cause alas There is ALWAYS a Price to have Freedom.
You can't expect eternally to have the benefits and never the inconveniences of our choices.
In the name of freedom of expression you seem to be losing touch with the Sad and pathetic nature of the Islamic Republic ...
Best,
DK
Here he goes again..
by Parthian on Tue Sep 04, 2007 03:16 PM PDTIslamic Republic supporters just seem unable to shed their thuggish behavior. If they are in a place where they can not use force, they resort to name calling, and empty accusations.
Another one of their infamous trait is that they never learn. They have not learned civility in the past 30 years, they have not learned from history that ironically history is not on their side. Let me not digress. This little joojeh who has just learned a few big English words, and is now throwing around, to prove his intellectual prowess, once again fails miserably to support his accusations. I dare him to bring prove of National Endowment of Democracy's alleged "shady" past and "well" known agenda!
He is at the peak of absurdity when implicitly compares the U.S judicial system with that of I.R. Now last time I checked, no one died or was tortured for their political belief in downtown D.C., but it was in Tehran,and with a pair of shoes by all things. The thugs he is comparing the U.S judicial system to, are the islamic thugs who managed to kill a 60 year old photographer with their shoes. Shame on you. Shame on you for the lack of clarity, shame on you for the lack of fairness and perspective.
Afarin!
by Foad on Tue Sep 04, 2007 01:55 PM PDTWell done! I agree with you. Although I am sorry to see anybody incarcerated for political reasons but these people (so called Scholars) have made their living by cooperating with neo-conservatives and carrying their torch on Iran. As far as I know Woodrow Wilson was a Republican Ultra Conservative President. An institute (Think Tank) named after him can not be anything but in service of neo-conservative ideologies.
Foad