Human Rights Transcend Politics
Dec 17th, 2008Siavash Abghari
Human rights have a special place in hearts and minds of the members of the Progressive American Iranian committee (PAIC). In November the people of the Persian heritage outside Iran, celebrated the “Cyrus Day”, in commemorating the Cyrus’s Charter of Human Rights, the first written document which stipulates that all humans have inalienable rights, without regard to any considerations such as ethnicity, nationality and religion. And, on December 10, 2008, people all around the glob celebrated the 60th anniversary of the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”. While free people of the world were celebrating human rights achievements, tragically, the people of Iran are systematically and brutally repressed by the fascist Islamic Regime presently ruling and occupying the Cyrus’s homeland.
Unfortunately, Iranians in Diaspora, in spite of having many human rights activists and human rights organizations, have not been able to put an effective pressure on the Islamic regime in support of the Democratic and Freedom movement in the country, due to, the fragmented and polarized politics among Iranians in opposition.
We at the PAIC, know that human rights is not a partisan political issue and all who have joined PAIC are politically diverse and from a variety of political persuasions representing political land escape of the Iranians in Diaspora. We believe that human rights transcend politics. Political diversity is our strength and we are united through a shared commitment and passion for human rights. To be a strong human rights movement, PAIC must be a broad-based movement. We invite all freedom loving, peace loving people to join us and unite for human rights in Iran and elsewhere.
Do not seek and look, who is and who is not in this movement, look to see what you can do, to advance the cause of human rights, particularly in our homeland, Iran. We all must try to make PAIC an organization that welcomes individuals with different political viewpoints. For the millions of Iranian people who are suffering under the Islamic regime and who are looking to us for help, in exposing the nature of this criminal Regime of terror and its lobby groups, we must build an organization that can inspire people in our communities with divergent political tendencies and ideologies to fight for human rights. We must all remember and remind ourselves that the fight for human rights is based on principle not partisanship and politics. We must all remember the reason that Islamic regime has been able to eliminate the opposition groups and be the most repressive and violator of human rights in the World, was, and is due to polarized politics of prodemocracy groups in opposition, and failure to unite for human rights. We must set aside the partisan politics and unite for human rights. We must unite for human rights in solidarity with the people of Iran. Join the PAIC today and unite for human rights.
December 16, 2008
Dear Mr. Abghari,
I can’t agree with you more. It’s truly sad how the people of Iran are repressed so brutally by the occupying and fascist Islamist regime of Iran. Especially when Iran is the homeland of the founder of the first charter of the human rights, The Cyrus The Great.
However, I must say, if I may, that the existing polarized politics of prodemcracy groups in opposition are totally due to cincere and true opposition-like agenda of such groups. We can not ignore the role of the Islamist regime’s elements amongst us who portray themselves as opposition. Whether such opposition group calls itself a Monarchist, supporters of Mosadegh or Republicans. It would naive for any freedom loving individual to think of, for example, such groups as “Etehad Jumhurikhahane Iran” base in Germany as a true opposition group to the mullah regime or think of them as a non-supporter of the mullah regime. Similarly, it would be naive to consider websites such as “www.iranian.com” as a non-partisan website when we have witnessed hundreds of the pro mullah authors article on that outlet while many of our responses to such articles or our writings are screened and prevented to be published on that site.
I know, for example, a mullah appeasing radio producer in Portland Oregon who, according to members of a small Monarchist group in this town, is the “teacher’s pet” of Dariush Homayoun. Yet, the same radio producer, has called for appreciating Ahmadinejad, if he does something good. Just imagine if one was to appreciate Hitler for anything that murderer has ever done! The same producer has also defended Abbas Maleki’s invitation to Portland. Do you really think there is a single true Monarchist who would defend Abbas Maleki to be invited to our home towns and to be given a chance to speak in the public, while the same producer would surpress our voices on his radio program?
In other words, if one claims to be a monarchist, MEK, Jomhurikhah or Mosadeghi, one must really observe and listen to the bottom line agenda of such characters and if you look carefully, you may see the tip of turban sticking out of such fake individuals’ pocket.
Not all existing plarized politics should be viewed as, somewhat of an error by the true opposition groups, rather, perhaps, the effective distortion, sewing the seed of discord and deception by the mullah elements, the quasi-opposition (shebhe opposition) groups amongst us.
Please continue your great work as PAIC has, in a very short time, become the most trusting and powerful group among the oppostion.
Morteza
Dear Morteza:
In my commentary I made a reference to divisiveness of the prodemocracy opposition groups without explanation and with no intention of putting all of blame on their shoulders. This is a very important issue that we have to investigate and educate the public and being educated.
You correctly refer to one of the most important divisive factor in opposition which is the infiltration of true opposition groups by the elements of the Clerical Regime. The regime is and has been very active and the agents of the regime are all over the place! The regime has planted its elements NOT only in and among political groups, but in cultural and social and professional organizations in all countries outside Iran! We all MUST be alert.
PAIC is trying to expose the elements of the regime and the lobby groups, which try to influence US foreign policy in favor of the criminal regime in Iran. It is the responsibility of the political groups to expose the elements of the regime among the opposition. This is very critical and important.
Dear Mojtaba,
I hope that you can help PAIC in any way possible; to achieve its goals and be our good will Ambassador at large. Would you?
Once again, thank you for your comments and keep in touch.
Best
Siavash Abghari
call or,email,me if I can be any help
asghar afsharnia
Mr. Abaghari,
I appreciate your comments and your comments for an honorable offer above. It is so enjoyable to know that many of the tactics by the Clerical Regime’s infiltrators are exposed by PAIC and such knowledge is becoming common knowledge within most Iranian-American households. This fact is, as I believe, is the most important ammunition to combat the terror-masters occupying and ruling Iran. I’m hoping this fact will soon become the common knowledge of the American as well of the world community across.
You stated it well in your article:
“Do not seek and look, who is and who is not in this movement, look to see what you can do, to advance the cause of human rights, particularly in our homeland, Iran. We all must try to make PAIC an organization that welcomes individuals with different political viewpoints.”
I believe that, it should be the duty of all freedom-loving Iranians to help PAIC to, rightfully, be the organization that not only welcomes individuals with different political viewpoiints, but to also be the leading organization to fight for human rights and to pave the way for millions of Iranians to, at last, free Iran from the claws of the Clerical Regime.
I wish PAIC success as I continue my support for the people of Iran and a secular democracy for Iran alongside of you.
Happy Holidays,
Morteza