COMMON CAUSE

For Martijn Rep

Good point! It is hard to motivate large-scale altruism with no-frills fact. Emotions, aesthetics , "soul," and rituals--what some call spirituality--are crucial.

The comment below by IWASTHERE mentions anger and tears as witnesses to IRI murders recreated the painful events for the audience. I wasn't there for those particular talks, but hearing about their impact, I confess I worried about the parallel with the Shiite martyrdom theme. But then, purely intellectual appeals go only so far.

Iwasthere: Did anyone tape

Iwasthere: Did anyone tape the event??? I would love to purchase the tape.

To free Thinker

Free thinker, have some cold water. These pictures been taken when people were posing for camea and they didn't even know the pics will be post on the Iranian.com, you should have been there to see all of these smiley faces crying and anger when Parastou Forouhar was describing his parents assasination, you should have been there to see the effect of Iraj Mesadaghi and Monire Baradaran talk about the 1367 massacre, why are you so angry? how do you allow yourself to judge more than 200 people based on pictures...I don't get it...

BRAVO !

Civil Society in the Making ! Keep up the Good Job !

Great Job Everyone who Participated

I attended this gathering and I thought it was fantastic. I am 23 years old and do not speak perfect Farci, and I do not consider myself a very political person, but I do vote and I do follow as much Iranian politics that I can and allowed on the internet. And I know enough to recognize that fighting for human rights, the basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled to is not UTTERLY USELESS and if anyone thinks otherwise, they are very ignorant and inconsiderate. If one has any intelligence, they would know that having events to bring a group of people together to fight such an important cause, teaching about the history of Iran and trying to come up with a simple solution where it does not matter where you are from, what god you believe in and who your family was, a person should have basic human rights… is not USELESS. The important matter is the fact that such gatherings which unite us together as Iranians fighting for a cause are tremendously encouraging. Together, no matter who we are and what language we speak or where we even live, fighting for rights for Iranians should be a joint effort. Call me a dreamer but at least instead of sitting in our homes and waiting for some miracle to happen, we are trying to make some progress.

For Faribors Maleknasri M.D.

If you're arguing for more Iranian-American participation in US politics, I'm all for it. But I am unclear as to why you think this means there should be less Iranian-American involvement in Iranian politics. Why is one sort of activism useful and the other useless?

Also, the above article mentions one of the cases--Geneva demonstration--where human rights activism led to the release of prisoners in Iran. Clearly, the protest was not useless.

Hope and progress

This gathering -- and many similar ones in recent years outside Iran -- are tremendously encouraging. Thirty years ago, human rights and democratic values were not considered anything worth fighting for. Today it's rare to find opposition activists or politicians who do not believe in the universal declaration of human rights or democracy. This enthusiastic embracing of fundamental rights by such a wide spectrum of Iranians (lawyers, students, academics, politicians...) only gives hope in a brighter, freer future for Iran and Iranians.

Who remembers a time when prominent non-Bahais publicly defended the right for Bahais to freely practice their faith and enjoy all rights? Who remembers a time when so many support the women's movement for equality? Who remembers a time when anyone even acknowledged the existence of homosexuality, let alone tolerate it to the extent we do today? When in our history has democracy been so widely accepted as THE most desired form of government?

The battle is by no means over. But this is tremendous progress.

Utterly Useless

In Fact. I think those self-named protectors of Human rights would have better lost a word about this fact: Judges in the united states get elected in the same way as governores, senators, the president and so on. The economy, trade and industry sponsor their election compaigns. How democraticlly can then the Judgment in general in the United states be? The Irano-Americans can play an active role on this issue, read and write a bit about lake of democracy in their new home. Who is supposed to get happy about all these baseless critisism on Islamic Republic of Iran? Whom should it help? What can it change? Who has sponsored the journy of our countrymates to the United states? How easy was it for them to get a visa and why? The islamic Republic of Iran is today just untouchable. The system which could have been founded by sacrificing blood and life is unchangable. I think better one sees these facts realistically and makes his mind. Better beginn with introduction and estabilishng, importation, initiation, inauguration of human rights first in the united states where the Irano-Americans live but do not participate in any social rights which build the basics of human rights. Continue to do as you have done only if you get paid for it. Otherwise one can also make a good name of himself if She/He trays the fact in the assemblies: The Senat of the united states has not let pass through some fundamental parts of the human rights charta and stuggl for their passing. But be carefull. It can cost you your greend card, it can cost you your american only or second nationality. I hope then the way back home will be for sure open for you. Once there offer the system your help and experiences. you will see: They send you for a while to.......? learning Koran by heart. Greeting

Many thanks for the

Many thanks for the coverage.

One remark: I feel it's not necessary and may even be counterproductive to describe IRI versus opposition as 'God versus Man'. It seems to suggest that it is a battle between religion and humanism which creates a black-and-white picture that does no service to the process of establishing human rights. It may even play into the hands of those who are against universal human rights.

It's not just a political battle but (perhaps even more so) a spiritual battle. On that plane, religion and humanism should be allies to ensure victory.

Utterly Useless

This is yet another example of a bunch of dysfunctional Calif-Iranians getting together, under the mild weather and the sunny sky of San Jose, all looking happy and chirpy, smiles all around, ladies relaxed and cheerful, fashionably dressed and fittingly made up, men bumptious and bouncy all in seaside holiday attire posing for holiday snaps, hugging and squeezing their lady friends, AND GUESS WHAT? They have gathered to share information and remind themselves, and the world in theory, of the outrageous crimes and violation of human rights taken place under the Islamic regime of Iran!!! Surely, such a painful subject would have affected a few of the participant to the extent of showing some disgust or looking pensive, god forbid sad, or at least sombre. No chance! In nearly 200 hundred pictures posted in the accompanying photo essay, there not a single sad or sombre face — not even ONE! If were told who these people are and why they have gathered there, you would have rightly mistaken this gathering with a Convention of Exotic Cruises Travel Agents discussing the recent rise in cruising around the world due to the sharp rise in oil prices! I suppose you would have been able to see a fewer smiley faces in such a gathering than you see in the conventions of Iranian Human Rights Activists of California!!

Well, with such leading figures among the key speakers as Lahiji (Ebadi's controller and the rigth hand man whose farcical interview with the VOA last year, ended in him remaining speechless when one telephone caller reminded him of how he used to encourage the expat-students to return to Iran under Rafsanjani's presidency which lead to many of them being arrested and tortured if not killed). Or Mansur Farhang, Imam Khomeini's first UN rep and an ongoing pal to his old buddy Ibrahim Yazdi. Not to forget Ahamad Karimi-Hakkak who is the darling of the regime sponsored "cultural" events and conferences and their "Chair of choice."

I said it before and keep saying it that you Calif-Iranians are living in a world of you own and have no idea what the true Iranians, those who live inside the borders of Iran are going through. Keep enjoying your happy isolation while it lasts. The reason that you are against the regime change in Iran is clear: you don't want to have your merry gatherings to stop because when the regime goes, you won't have much to gather for any longer ... and of course you don't have much to return to your homeland for either!

good

good reporting