Volunteers in solidarity with Mournful Mothers of Iran,
San Francisco Bay area invite you to the International woman’s day rally
In solidairty with women of Iran and their struggle
Live performances, music, and speakers
Location: Cezar Chavez Plaza , Downtown San Jose
Date: March 7, 2010
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Contact: 408-243-2222 irwomenmovement@gmail.com
Sponsors: Kavosh Women’s Group, Iranian Society for Human Rights, Norcal4Iran, Amnesty International, Zanan Group
گرامی داشت روز جهانی زن همراهى
حامیان مادران عزادار ایران در ناحيه بى اريا سانفرانسيسكو
يكشنبه ٧ مارچ
هشت مارس، روز جهانی زن
روز جهانی زن، به تمام زنان به ویژه زنان ایرانی مبارک باد. نقش زنان ایرانی در ۳۰ سال اخیر نقشی بسیار مهم و حضورى بى وقفه. زنان در رژیم اسلامی در طول تمام این سال ها آماج نخستین حمله ها و سرکوب ها بوده و همچنان مبارزه كرده اند. حضور شما زنان و مردان آگاه را به این جمع خوش آمد می گوییم.
Contact: 408-243-2222 irwomenmovement@gmail.com
___________________________________________________
براى تماس، همفكرى و اعلانهاى برنامه هاى ما در در ناحيه (بى اريا) سان فرانسيسكو:to contact the volunteers
margbarmostabed@gmail.com
اخبار جدید را در وبلاگ حامیان "مادران عزادار ایران" در لینکهاى زیر ملاحظه کنید
4 our weblog and latest news of our activities:
http://sfbayareasolidaritymothersinmourning.blogspot.com
http://www.maadaransupporters.blogfa.com
اخبار مادران عزادار ایران http://mothersoflaleh.blogspot.com/
دادخواست ها به سازمان ملل: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/Iran2009/petition.html
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/against-executions-in-iran.html
با آرزوی پیروزی ملت ایران
Monday, March 1, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Mourning Mothers Statement on Executions بیانیه جدید مادران عزادار ایران بر علیه اعدام
Thursday, February 4, 2010
بیانیه جدید مادران عزادار ایران بر علیه اعدام
ما مادران امروز، دختران ديروز ايرانيم كه در روزها و ماه هاى انقلاب ٥٧ شركت داشتيم. آيا سزاوار است كه پس از گذشت سى و يك سال از انقلاب، همچنان شاهد اعدام فرزندان خود باشيم؟ اين سوال همه ما مادران ايرانى است.
ما مادران عزادار كه به صورت خودجوش در طول ٧ ماه گذشته شنبه ها در پارك لاله و ساير پارك ها و اماكن عمومى ديگر با حضور فعال خود كشتارها و بازداشت ها را محكوم كرده و خواستار پايان بخشيدن به اين اعمال غير انسانى و غير قانونى بوده ايم، امروز با اعدام فرزندان خود روبرو هستيم.
آيا سزاوار است ما مادران در همه عرصه هاى تاريخى شاهد فنا شدن فرزندان خود باشيم؟
چه كساني ما مادران را محكوم به اين مرگ تدريجى كرده است كه هميشه در سوگ عزيزان خود بنشينيم؟
مگر خواست فرزندان ما در طول سى و يك سال گذشته چه بوده است؟
آيا مشاركت فرزندان ما در انتخابات بايستى به بازداشت، شكنجه، تجاوز، كشتار و اعدام شان منجر شود؟
ما مادران عزادار ايرانى، كليه اعمال غير انساني و غير قانونى فوق را محكوم مي كنيم و هشدار مى دهيم اگر مسئولان به خواست مادران ايران زمين توجه نكنند و همچنان به اين اعمال خشونت بار ادامه دهند، با اقدامات اعتراضى گسترده ترى روبرو خواهند شد.
ما مادران عزادار ضمن تكرار خواسته هاى خود، "آزادى زندانيان عقيدتى" و "محاكمه آمران و عاملان كشتار فرزندانمان"، از تمام مردم ايران و جهان مي خواهيم كه از جوانان ما به صورت گسترده حمايت و از انجام اين چنين اعمال بيرحمانه به هر طريق ممكن جلوگيرى كنند.
زندگى ما به حيات فرزندانمان بستگى دارد. نگذاريم فجايع تاريخى دهه ٦٠ دوباره تكرار شود.
مادران عزادار
13 بهمن 1388
ارسال شده توسط madarane azadar در ۲۲:۱۳
Mourning Mothers in Iran Statement on Executions
We, the mothers of today, are the daughters of yesterday, who took part in the revolution of 1979. Is it fitting that after the revolution, for thirty one years, our children are still being executed? Where is the justice in that? This is the question faced by the mothers of Iran.
For the last seven months, we have continuously gathered at Laleh Park and other parks and public places and protested and showed our presence and condemned the killing and imprisonment of our children. We have called for an end to these inhuman and illegal acts. And now, we are faced with their impending execution.
Is it fair that we mothers should witness the slaughter of our children generation after generation? Our life depends on the life of our children. We mourn our dead which is a gradual death itself, Who has sentenced us mothers to this gradual death?
What have our children demanded throughout the 31 years to deserve this? How can it be right that our children’s participation in elections be rewarded by imprisonment, torture, rape, murder, and execution?
The Mourning Mothers of Iran condemn these inhuman and illegal acts in their entirety, and we warn that if officials ignore our demand and continue their violence, they will be met with more widespread protests.
We, Mourning Mothers repeat our call to justice:
Freedom for all political prisoners . Prosecution of all the officials and those who assisted in the murders of our children in a court of law.
We plead to all the people of Iran and the people all around the world to support our cause in any way you can.
We live to see our children live, Our lives depend on the lives of our children. Let us help stop this violence. Lets not allow the heinous massacre of the 1980’s to repeat.
February 2nd, 2010
Mourning Mothers
translated by N.Afarin
بیانیه جدید مادران عزادار ایران بر علیه اعدام
ما مادران امروز، دختران ديروز ايرانيم كه در روزها و ماه هاى انقلاب ٥٧ شركت داشتيم. آيا سزاوار است كه پس از گذشت سى و يك سال از انقلاب، همچنان شاهد اعدام فرزندان خود باشيم؟ اين سوال همه ما مادران ايرانى است.
ما مادران عزادار كه به صورت خودجوش در طول ٧ ماه گذشته شنبه ها در پارك لاله و ساير پارك ها و اماكن عمومى ديگر با حضور فعال خود كشتارها و بازداشت ها را محكوم كرده و خواستار پايان بخشيدن به اين اعمال غير انسانى و غير قانونى بوده ايم، امروز با اعدام فرزندان خود روبرو هستيم.
آيا سزاوار است ما مادران در همه عرصه هاى تاريخى شاهد فنا شدن فرزندان خود باشيم؟
چه كساني ما مادران را محكوم به اين مرگ تدريجى كرده است كه هميشه در سوگ عزيزان خود بنشينيم؟
مگر خواست فرزندان ما در طول سى و يك سال گذشته چه بوده است؟
آيا مشاركت فرزندان ما در انتخابات بايستى به بازداشت، شكنجه، تجاوز، كشتار و اعدام شان منجر شود؟
ما مادران عزادار ايرانى، كليه اعمال غير انساني و غير قانونى فوق را محكوم مي كنيم و هشدار مى دهيم اگر مسئولان به خواست مادران ايران زمين توجه نكنند و همچنان به اين اعمال خشونت بار ادامه دهند، با اقدامات اعتراضى گسترده ترى روبرو خواهند شد.
ما مادران عزادار ضمن تكرار خواسته هاى خود، "آزادى زندانيان عقيدتى" و "محاكمه آمران و عاملان كشتار فرزندانمان"، از تمام مردم ايران و جهان مي خواهيم كه از جوانان ما به صورت گسترده حمايت و از انجام اين چنين اعمال بيرحمانه به هر طريق ممكن جلوگيرى كنند.
زندگى ما به حيات فرزندانمان بستگى دارد. نگذاريم فجايع تاريخى دهه ٦٠ دوباره تكرار شود.
مادران عزادار
13 بهمن 1388
ارسال شده توسط madarane azadar در ۲۲:۱۳
Mourning Mothers in Iran Statement on Executions
We, the mothers of today, are the daughters of yesterday, who took part in the revolution of 1979. Is it fitting that after the revolution, for thirty one years, our children are still being executed? Where is the justice in that? This is the question faced by the mothers of Iran.
For the last seven months, we have continuously gathered at Laleh Park and other parks and public places and protested and showed our presence and condemned the killing and imprisonment of our children. We have called for an end to these inhuman and illegal acts. And now, we are faced with their impending execution.
Is it fair that we mothers should witness the slaughter of our children generation after generation? Our life depends on the life of our children. We mourn our dead which is a gradual death itself, Who has sentenced us mothers to this gradual death?
What have our children demanded throughout the 31 years to deserve this? How can it be right that our children’s participation in elections be rewarded by imprisonment, torture, rape, murder, and execution?
The Mourning Mothers of Iran condemn these inhuman and illegal acts in their entirety, and we warn that if officials ignore our demand and continue their violence, they will be met with more widespread protests.
We, Mourning Mothers repeat our call to justice:
Freedom for all political prisoners . Prosecution of all the officials and those who assisted in the murders of our children in a court of law.
We plead to all the people of Iran and the people all around the world to support our cause in any way you can.
We live to see our children live, Our lives depend on the lives of our children. Let us help stop this violence. Lets not allow the heinous massacre of the 1980’s to repeat.
February 2nd, 2010
Mourning Mothers
translated by N.Afarin
Friday, February 5, 2010
farzad kamangar's mother
Farzad Kamangar is a Kurdish teacher, journalist and political prisoner sentenced to death. There are many innocent and brave women and men like him in the same predicament. For more info www.Farzadkamangar.com
Excerpts of The letter of Farzad kamangar’s mother to Mothers in Mourning and the solidarity groups abroad:
January 16th 2010
Farzad’s mother sends a message to all mothers in mourning that we should take action to save our children ourselves.
She continues to say: Farzad is not my only child, all the other young people in the prisons who have been executed, are sentenced to death or are languishing in prison are my children also. Human beings are all equal, whether Fars, Arab, Kord or Azari they are all humans and entitled to freedom and dignity, but how must we proceed, and who do we appeal to, Where and how?
What do these protesters want but freedom? Farzad has been in prison for four years, what did he want but to struggle for freedom? His attorney has tried and tried to help but now they say his file is missing. His attorney has has had a heart attack because of the terrible ordeal of Farzad and a dozen other Farzads.
…We must rise up united, with all our differences we must stand hand in hand and protest together and keep each other informed…don’t these gentlemen recall the fate of the shah? Didn’t they see what happened to Saddam Hossein? Is that what they want for themselves?
We appeal to you, to the United Nations, they are killing our children every day, it is very dangerous, don’t let these young people be killed. You are my voice tell the world.
This is Farzad Kamangar’s message, let us listen to her call, I speak to all you brave and freedom loving people where ever you are rise up and show your solidarity, demonstrate, have gatherings and be assured many will join you. Call for the immediate release of all political prisoners and immediate ban on the executions.
Solidarity with mournful mothers in Iran-LA
Solidarity with Mothers in Mourning in Iran SF Bay Area
http://mothersoflaleh.blogspot.com/
http://sfbayareasolidaritymothersinmourning.blogspot.com
http://www.maadaransupporters.blogfa.com
Excerpts of The letter of Farzad kamangar’s mother to Mothers in Mourning and the solidarity groups abroad:
January 16th 2010
Farzad’s mother sends a message to all mothers in mourning that we should take action to save our children ourselves.
She continues to say: Farzad is not my only child, all the other young people in the prisons who have been executed, are sentenced to death or are languishing in prison are my children also. Human beings are all equal, whether Fars, Arab, Kord or Azari they are all humans and entitled to freedom and dignity, but how must we proceed, and who do we appeal to, Where and how?
What do these protesters want but freedom? Farzad has been in prison for four years, what did he want but to struggle for freedom? His attorney has tried and tried to help but now they say his file is missing. His attorney has has had a heart attack because of the terrible ordeal of Farzad and a dozen other Farzads.
…We must rise up united, with all our differences we must stand hand in hand and protest together and keep each other informed…don’t these gentlemen recall the fate of the shah? Didn’t they see what happened to Saddam Hossein? Is that what they want for themselves?
We appeal to you, to the United Nations, they are killing our children every day, it is very dangerous, don’t let these young people be killed. You are my voice tell the world.
This is Farzad Kamangar’s message, let us listen to her call, I speak to all you brave and freedom loving people where ever you are rise up and show your solidarity, demonstrate, have gatherings and be assured many will join you. Call for the immediate release of all political prisoners and immediate ban on the executions.
Solidarity with mournful mothers in Iran-LA
Solidarity with Mothers in Mourning in Iran SF Bay Area
http://mothersoflaleh.blogspot.com/
http://sfbayareasolidaritymothersinmourning.blogspot.com
http://www.maadaransupporters.blogfa.com
our history
This is a translation of a blog that was circulated widely and carried, still carries our hopes and dreams and illustrates well the good will and simple aspirations of this movement in Iran, and how much it reflects a global consciousness and inclusiveness, a sense of being part of the global community and suffused with the world, Iranians feel they are global citizens, even though they live under severe embargo, and can’t get a visitor visa in many places.
Chapter One
When the history of this century is written, the first chapter will start with us.
Probably somewhere in the introduction they will say that before our movement in this century other things happened too, September 11th, the Iraq and Afghanistan war. But they are all remnants of the old century, with twentieth century tools like planes and rockets and bullets, and a twentieth century dialogue. And then they will write that the first chapter was ours because we were the true offspring of our century, our dialogue was the beginning of the dialogue of the third millennium.
Then in the beginning of the book they will write that the social movements of the 21st century are the offspring of modern communication and right there they will say ours was the first social movement to wholly use the modern technology born of this century. Perhaps there will be a section dedicated to how these technologies changed the structure of societies and how they changed perceptions on social class, distribution of work and production and distribution of wealth and leadership and social management and even the concepts of the world about lasting human values.
Perhaps on that same page will be a picture of the first headset, and the founder of wikipedia, facebook, blogger, you tube, podcast and perhaps even their statues will be erected in town squares. The subtitle to the pictures will probably read: the faces that built the 21st century. Right there they will write that up to then, communications were one-sided, someone would write and papers would publish and people would read it or one person would talk and the rest of people would look at him. Or someone would order and lead and the faceless masses would follow him. They will write that the distribution of wealth, information and power was hierarchical and then they will write, in bold, that the new communications technologies, made these relationships horizontal in society. These communications empowered the base of the hierarchy so much that it rose itself to the rank of the tip of the hierarchy. It made it possible for people to be in connection to each other, receive and send news and exchange information and talk and hear and see and be seen and find new ways to work together, produce new thought, critique and move forward.
Then on top of the page there will be a picture of us with our green flags. They will say they were the first social movement that “everyone” was a leader in, the person we chanted his name was just the representative of part of our demands. Perhaps there will be a box on that page with Mir-hossain Mousavi’s statement about how he accepts the invitation to support people in the fridya prayer protest, because people asked him to participate. They will probably have a foot note explaining that up to then usually movement leaders would announce their appearance somewhere and invite people to show their presence and support, not the other way around.
There will probably be a section on how a movement without a leader and coordinating central structure was so coordinated, and how well the ideas, demands and slogans were brought forth, critiqued, completed and expressed so coherently as if these millions of people had practiced for years. May be right there will be a link to the electronic copy of the history book and a film that will show the momentous Friday prayer protest where establishment’s man with the loudspeaker is shouting “death to America” and us the people are shouting back “death to Russia”! As if we are all one mind and one scream.
Right there will be written that we were the first party which did not have a central committee, a branch, a general secretary and we acted in total anarchy and perfect coordination. There will probably be a little dig about the anarchist organizations of previous decades which had a coordinated structure but acted in total anarchy!
There will be written that we did not have an organizational structure but our political position, demands, our vision and our programs were clear and coherent. That there clearly was a process, in which our demands were clarified, summarized, critiqued and presented in the clearest way.
In this chapter there will be written that we lived the last days of guns and bullets and showed that any place there is consciousness, information and enough space for human connection, bullets are meaningless. There will be a picture of a bullet in our freedom museum somewhere and the subtitle will say: “the last bullet that was fired of a gun.”
And someone somewhere will calculate how much all the electrons of all our websites and weblogs weigh, and compare that to the weight of the bullet and remark, that all in all they weighed less than one thousandth of the weight of the bullet. Perhaps the weight of all the molecules of the slogans we screamed, all the “down with the dictator”, “political prisoners must be freed” and all that chanting that reverberated through the atmosphere, weighed less than a single wall in Evin prison.
Then they will write, we started a new meaning to human society, human connection and globalism and living in a global village. Then these historians will give us a label, the simplest will write: the green revolution. Another will write: the revolution of smiles, and someone will write: the revolution of consciousness.
Source: http://bolts.blogspot.com/2009/08/blog-post.html This blog is in farsi language
Questions & connection to the volunteers of solidarity with the mothers in mourning in Iran:
margebarmostabed@gmail.
Chapter One
When the history of this century is written, the first chapter will start with us.
Probably somewhere in the introduction they will say that before our movement in this century other things happened too, September 11th, the Iraq and Afghanistan war. But they are all remnants of the old century, with twentieth century tools like planes and rockets and bullets, and a twentieth century dialogue. And then they will write that the first chapter was ours because we were the true offspring of our century, our dialogue was the beginning of the dialogue of the third millennium.
Then in the beginning of the book they will write that the social movements of the 21st century are the offspring of modern communication and right there they will say ours was the first social movement to wholly use the modern technology born of this century. Perhaps there will be a section dedicated to how these technologies changed the structure of societies and how they changed perceptions on social class, distribution of work and production and distribution of wealth and leadership and social management and even the concepts of the world about lasting human values.
Perhaps on that same page will be a picture of the first headset, and the founder of wikipedia, facebook, blogger, you tube, podcast and perhaps even their statues will be erected in town squares. The subtitle to the pictures will probably read: the faces that built the 21st century. Right there they will write that up to then, communications were one-sided, someone would write and papers would publish and people would read it or one person would talk and the rest of people would look at him. Or someone would order and lead and the faceless masses would follow him. They will write that the distribution of wealth, information and power was hierarchical and then they will write, in bold, that the new communications technologies, made these relationships horizontal in society. These communications empowered the base of the hierarchy so much that it rose itself to the rank of the tip of the hierarchy. It made it possible for people to be in connection to each other, receive and send news and exchange information and talk and hear and see and be seen and find new ways to work together, produce new thought, critique and move forward.
Then on top of the page there will be a picture of us with our green flags. They will say they were the first social movement that “everyone” was a leader in, the person we chanted his name was just the representative of part of our demands. Perhaps there will be a box on that page with Mir-hossain Mousavi’s statement about how he accepts the invitation to support people in the fridya prayer protest, because people asked him to participate. They will probably have a foot note explaining that up to then usually movement leaders would announce their appearance somewhere and invite people to show their presence and support, not the other way around.
There will probably be a section on how a movement without a leader and coordinating central structure was so coordinated, and how well the ideas, demands and slogans were brought forth, critiqued, completed and expressed so coherently as if these millions of people had practiced for years. May be right there will be a link to the electronic copy of the history book and a film that will show the momentous Friday prayer protest where establishment’s man with the loudspeaker is shouting “death to America” and us the people are shouting back “death to Russia”! As if we are all one mind and one scream.
Right there will be written that we were the first party which did not have a central committee, a branch, a general secretary and we acted in total anarchy and perfect coordination. There will probably be a little dig about the anarchist organizations of previous decades which had a coordinated structure but acted in total anarchy!
There will be written that we did not have an organizational structure but our political position, demands, our vision and our programs were clear and coherent. That there clearly was a process, in which our demands were clarified, summarized, critiqued and presented in the clearest way.
In this chapter there will be written that we lived the last days of guns and bullets and showed that any place there is consciousness, information and enough space for human connection, bullets are meaningless. There will be a picture of a bullet in our freedom museum somewhere and the subtitle will say: “the last bullet that was fired of a gun.”
And someone somewhere will calculate how much all the electrons of all our websites and weblogs weigh, and compare that to the weight of the bullet and remark, that all in all they weighed less than one thousandth of the weight of the bullet. Perhaps the weight of all the molecules of the slogans we screamed, all the “down with the dictator”, “political prisoners must be freed” and all that chanting that reverberated through the atmosphere, weighed less than a single wall in Evin prison.
Then they will write, we started a new meaning to human society, human connection and globalism and living in a global village. Then these historians will give us a label, the simplest will write: the green revolution. Another will write: the revolution of smiles, and someone will write: the revolution of consciousness.
Source: http://bolts.blogspot.com/2009/08/blog-post.html This blog is in farsi language
Questions & connection to the volunteers of solidarity with the mothers in mourning in Iran:
margebarmostabed@gmail.
Solidarity with the Mourning Mothers in Iran
How can we continue our support for the people of Iran who are protesting and demanding their freedom?
Here is one way: The mourning mothers of Iran are the mothers of protesters who have been killed by the establishment. These protesters only wanted freedom of expression and freedom to a decent life with dignity.
Let’s show our support, every week people gather in Berkeley to support this. All people welcome (gender, age, …) Lots of families join us and there are always activities for children (no gruesome pictures displayed). We give people information about the recent events in Iran and keep Iran alive in their minds. We take petitions and support letters and ask them to sign them.
We want to film our event and put it on you tube so people in Iran know that they are not alone. We also email a report to people in Iran every week about it. Organize among your friends, take a candle, and flowers, pictures of the young protesters and wear black [optional] to show our love and respect to these silent brave women.
When: 1PM ON Sundays (JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST TO GET ANNOUNCEMENTS) It is not about turning out in big numbers; it is about being persistence and sustaining it for a longer period of time.
If everyone tells at least 10 people then at least 3 persons/families will show up. The main goal is to "be the media" and bring the message from people to people. We hope u join us. Bay area Volunteers for solidarity with mourning mothers in Iran. contact: margebarmostabed@gmail.com
http://mothersoflaleh.blogspot.com/
How can we continue our support for the people of Iran who are protesting and demanding their freedom?
Here is one way: The mourning mothers of Iran are the mothers of protesters who have been killed by the establishment. These protesters only wanted freedom of expression and freedom to a decent life with dignity.
Let’s show our support, every week people gather in Berkeley to support this. All people welcome (gender, age, …) Lots of families join us and there are always activities for children (no gruesome pictures displayed). We give people information about the recent events in Iran and keep Iran alive in their minds. We take petitions and support letters and ask them to sign them.
We want to film our event and put it on you tube so people in Iran know that they are not alone. We also email a report to people in Iran every week about it. Organize among your friends, take a candle, and flowers, pictures of the young protesters and wear black [optional] to show our love and respect to these silent brave women.
When: 1PM ON Sundays (JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST TO GET ANNOUNCEMENTS) It is not about turning out in big numbers; it is about being persistence and sustaining it for a longer period of time.
If everyone tells at least 10 people then at least 3 persons/families will show up. The main goal is to "be the media" and bring the message from people to people. We hope u join us. Bay area Volunteers for solidarity with mourning mothers in Iran. contact: margebarmostabed@gmail.com
http://mothersoflaleh.blogspot.com/
General info:
Iran is a large country (big as 5 western US states) surrounded by Iraq & Turkey on the west, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian sea, & Turkmenistan on the north, Afghanistan & Pakistan on the east, the Persian Gulf & Oman sea on the south. 18th largest country in the world & population 70 mill. It holds the worlds second biggest natural gas, & oil reserves, is the second largest exporter of crude oil. Most of its revenue is from its oil export (over 60%). After that, it has some agricultural exports, & is largely a scattered village agricultural economy & semi modernized. It is rich in mineral reserves, it is semi arid, it has large cosmopolitan cities, Tehran is the capital & all government organizations is located there, it is a centralized government with a sophisticated military & police structure, It’s a developing country. It has a majority Persian ethnic followed by Azari (Turkish), arab, Kurdish & turkomen & luri, baluchi, armenian ethnic minorities. It also has a large jewish population, Christian, Zoroastrian & bahai, & sunni moslem religious minorities. The most active & organized minorities to stand up to oppressive social conditions are kurd & turkomen. Iran’s national language is Farsi/Persian, national religion shia islam, government is a republic with a supreme leader & council of experts who are more powerful than the president, president has 6 vice presidents & 22 ministers in his cabinet. Women are second class citizens. Legal system is sharia law.
Short history of modern Iran:
The dawn of western colonial endeavors left the region weak & economically drained but Iran did not become a direct colony, despite stupid monarchs & outdated government & army. It basically teetered on the brink of failure & lost many of its national treasures & territory to the Russian & British Empire. The weak & corrupt Qajar dynasty (Iran had always been a monarchy, part of an empire or had other form of hierarchical government structure) led to the constitutional revolution & it became a constitutional monarchy 1906, but that did not stop Reza Khan to usurp the throne 1925 with a military coup & establish a brutal absolute monarchy, during which Iran’s national treasures continued to be pillaged by the British (oil industry, telegraph, railroad, post, taxations of certain kinds) & during WWII in 1942 the allies occupied Iran & booted Reza Shah (pro Nazi) & installed his 21 yr old son, Mohammad Reza Shah in his place. People were discontent & many uprisings were squashed until Mossadegh became prime minister & the nationalization movement of 1951-53 & with his leadership Iran briefly experienced a modicum of democracy & national pride to nationalize the oil. Soon after, the US successfully staged a coup & re established the shah’s dictatorship & took the lion’s share of the oil industry. This repression led to uprisings & the 1979 people’s revolution which ousted the shah & an interim government was formed which was supposed to be a coalition of some of the factions of the leadership of the revolution which did not last long & the most regressive & opportunist Moslem wing of the revolution (led by Khomeini) took hold of power & established the Islamic Republic of Iran, killing its opponents, & creating a government of terror. 1980-1981 was marked by mass executions of rival communist & nationalist factions, the brain drain, & war ensued w/Iraq, which enticed by the US attacked the oil rich & Arab south west border. 8 years of war, economic embargo & haphazard & trial & error economic strategies led to a depressed & somber 20 years post revolution which effectively overturned all the hopes & gains people had made in 1979. Eventually people did rise up again, & the years after the turn of the millennium, was marked by sporadic & increasing worker strikes, student demonstration & women’s right advocacy. Iranians have been struggling for a free independent Iran for a long time.
For more in-depth information about Iran, its relationship to US & its history & culture:
All the Shah’s men Steven Kinzer
Persopolis Marjan Satrapi
List of more books & reviews: http://www.meforum.org/1669/iran-in-books
Articles w/permission to distribute: www.opendemocracy.net
Recent arrests: hundreds possibly thousands have been arrested in Tehran alone; if you add up all the provinces then it is going to be very many.
Prison conditions: near starvation, withholding bathroom use, solitary confinement, sleep depravation, psychological torture, flogging w/wire, beating, rape, mock execution, & threatening & forced confessions & forced signing of made up confessions, forced confession on TV are used widely.
To contact volunteers of solidarity with mothers in mourning in Iran:
margebarmostabed@gmail.com
mothers in mourning of Iran, weblog from Iran, this is the blog that has news of their gathering and their demands and memorial to their children, they gather every weekend in laleh park in Tehran to silently protest. http://mothersoflaleh.blogspot.com/
good article about the mothers in mourning:
http://womennewsnetwork.net/2009/10/08/mourning-mothers-iran-stand-with-activist-mothers-worldwide/
The dead & detained
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2009/jun/29/iran-election-dead-detained
http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/061649.htm
web memorial, light a candle
http://www.iranian-heroes.org/
Recent death toll: since june 12th 2009 :120+
http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/news.jsp?essayId=22133
http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/news.jsp?essayId=22128
kianush asa memorial:
http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/news.jsp?essayId=22082
European & … companies who sell torture devices to Iran
http://iran.whyweprotest.net/news-current-events/6471-report-germany-companies-profit-iran-torture-devices.html
Companies sell spying equipment to Iran:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124562668777335653.html
http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/061649.htm
Human Rights organizations on Iran:
http://www.hrw.org/
http://www.omct.org/
http://www.apt.ch/
http://www.kanoon-zendanian.org/
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/1884/aipp.html
http://www.komitegozareshgar.blogfa.com/
http://www.iwae.org/
http://www.pjac.org/
http://www.1980smassacre.com/home.html
http://dialogt.org/
http://p111272.typo3server.info/
http://www.utoronto.ca/prisonmemoirs/articles.htm
Online petitions: to support the mothers:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/Iran2009/petition.html
http://www.gopetition.com/popular-petitions/Iran/
about labor in iran: www.labornotes.org/blogs/2010/01/interview-iran-labor-activists-face-repression
Blogs: http://shirin-alamhooli.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/iran_translator
http://revolutionaryflowerpot.blogspot.com/2009/09/translation-of-article-by-milad-s.html
http://tehranlive.org/2009/06/17/demonstration-and-protests-to-election-results-the-5th-day/
http://shooresh1917.blogspot.com/2009/06/blog-post_13.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8156612.stm
http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/061649.htm
Iran is a large country (big as 5 western US states) surrounded by Iraq & Turkey on the west, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian sea, & Turkmenistan on the north, Afghanistan & Pakistan on the east, the Persian Gulf & Oman sea on the south. 18th largest country in the world & population 70 mill. It holds the worlds second biggest natural gas, & oil reserves, is the second largest exporter of crude oil. Most of its revenue is from its oil export (over 60%). After that, it has some agricultural exports, & is largely a scattered village agricultural economy & semi modernized. It is rich in mineral reserves, it is semi arid, it has large cosmopolitan cities, Tehran is the capital & all government organizations is located there, it is a centralized government with a sophisticated military & police structure, It’s a developing country. It has a majority Persian ethnic followed by Azari (Turkish), arab, Kurdish & turkomen & luri, baluchi, armenian ethnic minorities. It also has a large jewish population, Christian, Zoroastrian & bahai, & sunni moslem religious minorities. The most active & organized minorities to stand up to oppressive social conditions are kurd & turkomen. Iran’s national language is Farsi/Persian, national religion shia islam, government is a republic with a supreme leader & council of experts who are more powerful than the president, president has 6 vice presidents & 22 ministers in his cabinet. Women are second class citizens. Legal system is sharia law.
Short history of modern Iran:
The dawn of western colonial endeavors left the region weak & economically drained but Iran did not become a direct colony, despite stupid monarchs & outdated government & army. It basically teetered on the brink of failure & lost many of its national treasures & territory to the Russian & British Empire. The weak & corrupt Qajar dynasty (Iran had always been a monarchy, part of an empire or had other form of hierarchical government structure) led to the constitutional revolution & it became a constitutional monarchy 1906, but that did not stop Reza Khan to usurp the throne 1925 with a military coup & establish a brutal absolute monarchy, during which Iran’s national treasures continued to be pillaged by the British (oil industry, telegraph, railroad, post, taxations of certain kinds) & during WWII in 1942 the allies occupied Iran & booted Reza Shah (pro Nazi) & installed his 21 yr old son, Mohammad Reza Shah in his place. People were discontent & many uprisings were squashed until Mossadegh became prime minister & the nationalization movement of 1951-53 & with his leadership Iran briefly experienced a modicum of democracy & national pride to nationalize the oil. Soon after, the US successfully staged a coup & re established the shah’s dictatorship & took the lion’s share of the oil industry. This repression led to uprisings & the 1979 people’s revolution which ousted the shah & an interim government was formed which was supposed to be a coalition of some of the factions of the leadership of the revolution which did not last long & the most regressive & opportunist Moslem wing of the revolution (led by Khomeini) took hold of power & established the Islamic Republic of Iran, killing its opponents, & creating a government of terror. 1980-1981 was marked by mass executions of rival communist & nationalist factions, the brain drain, & war ensued w/Iraq, which enticed by the US attacked the oil rich & Arab south west border. 8 years of war, economic embargo & haphazard & trial & error economic strategies led to a depressed & somber 20 years post revolution which effectively overturned all the hopes & gains people had made in 1979. Eventually people did rise up again, & the years after the turn of the millennium, was marked by sporadic & increasing worker strikes, student demonstration & women’s right advocacy. Iranians have been struggling for a free independent Iran for a long time.
For more in-depth information about Iran, its relationship to US & its history & culture:
All the Shah’s men Steven Kinzer
Persopolis Marjan Satrapi
List of more books & reviews: http://www.meforum.org/1669/iran-in-books
Articles w/permission to distribute: www.opendemocracy.net
Recent arrests: hundreds possibly thousands have been arrested in Tehran alone; if you add up all the provinces then it is going to be very many.
Prison conditions: near starvation, withholding bathroom use, solitary confinement, sleep depravation, psychological torture, flogging w/wire, beating, rape, mock execution, & threatening & forced confessions & forced signing of made up confessions, forced confession on TV are used widely.
To contact volunteers of solidarity with mothers in mourning in Iran:
margebarmostabed@gmail.com
mothers in mourning of Iran, weblog from Iran, this is the blog that has news of their gathering and their demands and memorial to their children, they gather every weekend in laleh park in Tehran to silently protest. http://mothersoflaleh.blogspot.com/
good article about the mothers in mourning:
http://womennewsnetwork.net/2009/10/08/mourning-mothers-iran-stand-with-activist-mothers-worldwide/
The dead & detained
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2009/jun/29/iran-election-dead-detained
http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/061649.htm
web memorial, light a candle
http://www.iranian-heroes.org/
Recent death toll: since june 12th 2009 :120+
http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/news.jsp?essayId=22133
http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/news.jsp?essayId=22128
kianush asa memorial:
http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/news.jsp?essayId=22082
European & … companies who sell torture devices to Iran
http://iran.whyweprotest.net/news-current-events/6471-report-germany-companies-profit-iran-torture-devices.html
Companies sell spying equipment to Iran:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124562668777335653.html
http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/061649.htm
Human Rights organizations on Iran:
http://www.hrw.org/
http://www.omct.org/
http://www.apt.ch/
http://www.kanoon-zendanian.org/
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/1884/aipp.html
http://www.komitegozareshgar.blogfa.com/
http://www.iwae.org/
http://www.pjac.org/
http://www.1980smassacre.com/home.html
http://dialogt.org/
http://p111272.typo3server.info/
http://www.utoronto.ca/prisonmemoirs/articles.htm
Online petitions: to support the mothers:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/Iran2009/petition.html
http://www.gopetition.com/popular-petitions/Iran/
about labor in iran: www.labornotes.org/blogs/2010/01/interview-iran-labor-activists-face-repression
Blogs: http://shirin-alamhooli.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/iran_translator
http://revolutionaryflowerpot.blogspot.com/2009/09/translation-of-article-by-milad-s.html
http://tehranlive.org/2009/06/17/demonstration-and-protests-to-election-results-the-5th-day/
http://shooresh1917.blogspot.com/2009/06/blog-post_13.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8156612.stm
http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/061649.htm
General info:
Iran is a large country (big as 5 western US states) surrounded by Iraq & Turkey on the west, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian sea, & Turkmenistan on the north, Afghanistan & Pakistan on the east, the Persian Gulf & Oman sea on the south. 18th largest country in the world & population 70 mill. It holds the worlds second biggest natural gas, & oil reserves, is the second largest exporter of crude oil. Most of its revenue is from its oil export (over 60%). After that, it has some agricultural exports, & is largely a scattered village agricultural economy & semi modernized. It is rich in mineral reserves, it is semi arid, it has large cosmopolitan cities, Tehran is the capital & all government organizations is located there, it is a centralized government with a sophisticated military & police structure, It’s a developing country. It has a majority Persian ethnic followed by Azari (Turkish), arab, Kurdish & turkomen & luri, baluchi, armenian ethnic minorities. It also has a large jewish population, Christian, Zoroastrian & bahai, & sunni moslem religious minorities. The most active & organized minorities to stand up to oppressive social conditions are kurd & turkomen. Iran’s national language is Farsi/Persian, national religion shia islam, government is a republic with a supreme leader & council of experts who are more powerful than the president, president has 6 vice presidents & 22 ministers in his cabinet. Women are second class citizens. Legal system is sharia law.
Short history of modern Iran:
The dawn of western colonial endeavors left the region weak & economically drained but Iran did not become a direct colony, despite stupid monarchs & outdated government & army. It basically teetered on the brink of failure & lost many of its national treasures & territory to the Russian & British Empire. The weak & corrupt Qajar dynasty (Iran had always been a monarchy, part of an empire or had other form of hierarchical government structure) led to the constitutional revolution & it became a constitutional monarchy 1906, but that did not stop Reza Khan to usurp the throne 1925 with a military coup & establish a brutal absolute monarchy, during which Iran’s national treasures continued to be pillaged by the British (oil industry, telegraph, railroad, post, taxations of certain kinds) & during WWII in 1942 the allies occupied Iran & booted Reza Shah (pro Nazi) & installed his 21 yr old son, Mohammad Reza Shah in his place. People were discontent & many uprisings were squashed until Mossadegh became prime minister & the nationalization movement of 1951-53 & with his leadership Iran briefly experienced a modicum of democracy & national pride to nationalize the oil. Soon after, the US successfully staged a coup & re established the shah’s dictatorship & took the lion’s share of the oil industry. This repression led to uprisings & the 1979 people’s revolution which ousted the shah & an interim government was formed which was supposed to be a coalition of some of the factions of the leadership of the revolution which did not last long & the most regressive & opportunist Moslem wing of the revolution (led by Khomeini) took hold of power & established the Islamic Republic of Iran, killing its opponents, & creating a government of terror. 1980-1981 was marked by mass executions of rival communist & nationalist factions, the brain drain, & war ensued w/Iraq, which enticed by the US attacked the oil rich & Arab south west border. 8 years of war, economic embargo & haphazard & trial & error economic strategies led to a depressed & somber 20 years post revolution which effectively overturned all the hopes & gains people had made in 1979. Eventually people did rise up again, & the years after the turn of the millennium, was marked by sporadic & increasing worker strikes, student demonstration & women’s right advocacy. Iranians have been struggling for a free independent Iran for a long time.
For more in-depth information about Iran, its relationship to US & its history & culture:
All the Shah’s men Steven Kinzer
Persopolis Marjan Satrapi
List of more books & reviews: http://www.meforum.org/1669/iran-in-books
Articles w/permission to distribute: www.opendemocracy.net
Recent arrests: hundreds possibly thousands have been arrested in Tehran alone; if you add up all the provinces then it is going to be very many.
Prison conditions: near starvation, withholding bathroom use, solitary confinement, sleep depravation, psychological torture, flogging w/wire, beating, rape, mock execution, & threatening & forced confessions & forced signing of made up confessions, forced confession on TV are used widely.
To contact volunteers of solidarity with mothers in mourning in Iran:
margebarmostabed@gmail.com
mothers in mourning of Iran, weblog from Iran, this is the blog that has news of their gathering and their demands and memorial to their children, they gather every weekend in laleh park in Tehran to silently protest. http://mothersoflaleh.blogspot.com/
good article about the mothers in mourning:
http://womennewsnetwork.net/2009/10/08/mourning-mothers-iran-stand-with-activist-mothers-worldwide/
The dead & detained
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2009/jun/29/iran-election-dead-detained
http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/061649.htm
web memorial, light a candle
http://www.iranian-heroes.org/
Recent death toll: since june 12th 2009 :120+
http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/news.jsp?essayId=22133
http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/news.jsp?essayId=22128
kianush asa memorial:
http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/news.jsp?essayId=22082
European & … companies who sell torture devices to Iran
http://iran.whyweprotest.net/news-current-events/6471-report-germany-companies-profit-iran-torture-devices.html
Companies sell spying equipment to Iran:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124562668777335653.html
http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/061649.htm
Human Rights organizations on Iran:
http://www.hrw.org/
http://www.omct.org/
http://www.apt.ch/
http://www.kanoon-zendanian.org/
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/1884/aipp.html
http://www.komitegozareshgar.blogfa.com/
http://www.iwae.org/
http://www.pjac.org/
http://www.1980smassacre.com/home.html
http://dialogt.org/
http://p111272.typo3server.info/
http://www.utoronto.ca/prisonmemoirs/articles.htm
Online petitions: to support the mothers:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/Iran2009/petition.html
http://www.gopetition.com/popular-petitions/Iran/
about labor in iran: www.labornotes.org/blogs/2010/01/interview-iran-labor-activists-face-repression
Blogs: http://shirin-alamhooli.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/iran_translator
http://revolutionaryflowerpot.blogspot.com/2009/09/translation-of-article-by-milad-s.html
http://tehranlive.org/2009/06/17/demonstration-and-protests-to-election-results-the-5th-day/
http://shooresh1917.blogspot.com/2009/06/blog-post_13.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8156612.stm
http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/061649.htm
Iran is a large country (big as 5 western US states) surrounded by Iraq & Turkey on the west, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian sea, & Turkmenistan on the north, Afghanistan & Pakistan on the east, the Persian Gulf & Oman sea on the south. 18th largest country in the world & population 70 mill. It holds the worlds second biggest natural gas, & oil reserves, is the second largest exporter of crude oil. Most of its revenue is from its oil export (over 60%). After that, it has some agricultural exports, & is largely a scattered village agricultural economy & semi modernized. It is rich in mineral reserves, it is semi arid, it has large cosmopolitan cities, Tehran is the capital & all government organizations is located there, it is a centralized government with a sophisticated military & police structure, It’s a developing country. It has a majority Persian ethnic followed by Azari (Turkish), arab, Kurdish & turkomen & luri, baluchi, armenian ethnic minorities. It also has a large jewish population, Christian, Zoroastrian & bahai, & sunni moslem religious minorities. The most active & organized minorities to stand up to oppressive social conditions are kurd & turkomen. Iran’s national language is Farsi/Persian, national religion shia islam, government is a republic with a supreme leader & council of experts who are more powerful than the president, president has 6 vice presidents & 22 ministers in his cabinet. Women are second class citizens. Legal system is sharia law.
Short history of modern Iran:
The dawn of western colonial endeavors left the region weak & economically drained but Iran did not become a direct colony, despite stupid monarchs & outdated government & army. It basically teetered on the brink of failure & lost many of its national treasures & territory to the Russian & British Empire. The weak & corrupt Qajar dynasty (Iran had always been a monarchy, part of an empire or had other form of hierarchical government structure) led to the constitutional revolution & it became a constitutional monarchy 1906, but that did not stop Reza Khan to usurp the throne 1925 with a military coup & establish a brutal absolute monarchy, during which Iran’s national treasures continued to be pillaged by the British (oil industry, telegraph, railroad, post, taxations of certain kinds) & during WWII in 1942 the allies occupied Iran & booted Reza Shah (pro Nazi) & installed his 21 yr old son, Mohammad Reza Shah in his place. People were discontent & many uprisings were squashed until Mossadegh became prime minister & the nationalization movement of 1951-53 & with his leadership Iran briefly experienced a modicum of democracy & national pride to nationalize the oil. Soon after, the US successfully staged a coup & re established the shah’s dictatorship & took the lion’s share of the oil industry. This repression led to uprisings & the 1979 people’s revolution which ousted the shah & an interim government was formed which was supposed to be a coalition of some of the factions of the leadership of the revolution which did not last long & the most regressive & opportunist Moslem wing of the revolution (led by Khomeini) took hold of power & established the Islamic Republic of Iran, killing its opponents, & creating a government of terror. 1980-1981 was marked by mass executions of rival communist & nationalist factions, the brain drain, & war ensued w/Iraq, which enticed by the US attacked the oil rich & Arab south west border. 8 years of war, economic embargo & haphazard & trial & error economic strategies led to a depressed & somber 20 years post revolution which effectively overturned all the hopes & gains people had made in 1979. Eventually people did rise up again, & the years after the turn of the millennium, was marked by sporadic & increasing worker strikes, student demonstration & women’s right advocacy. Iranians have been struggling for a free independent Iran for a long time.
For more in-depth information about Iran, its relationship to US & its history & culture:
All the Shah’s men Steven Kinzer
Persopolis Marjan Satrapi
List of more books & reviews: http://www.meforum.org/1669/iran-in-books
Articles w/permission to distribute: www.opendemocracy.net
Recent arrests: hundreds possibly thousands have been arrested in Tehran alone; if you add up all the provinces then it is going to be very many.
Prison conditions: near starvation, withholding bathroom use, solitary confinement, sleep depravation, psychological torture, flogging w/wire, beating, rape, mock execution, & threatening & forced confessions & forced signing of made up confessions, forced confession on TV are used widely.
To contact volunteers of solidarity with mothers in mourning in Iran:
margebarmostabed@gmail.com
mothers in mourning of Iran, weblog from Iran, this is the blog that has news of their gathering and their demands and memorial to their children, they gather every weekend in laleh park in Tehran to silently protest. http://mothersoflaleh.blogspot.com/
good article about the mothers in mourning:
http://womennewsnetwork.net/2009/10/08/mourning-mothers-iran-stand-with-activist-mothers-worldwide/
The dead & detained
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2009/jun/29/iran-election-dead-detained
http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/061649.htm
web memorial, light a candle
http://www.iranian-heroes.org/
Recent death toll: since june 12th 2009 :120+
http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/news.jsp?essayId=22133
http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/news.jsp?essayId=22128
kianush asa memorial:
http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/news.jsp?essayId=22082
European & … companies who sell torture devices to Iran
http://iran.whyweprotest.net/news-current-events/6471-report-germany-companies-profit-iran-torture-devices.html
Companies sell spying equipment to Iran:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124562668777335653.html
http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/061649.htm
Human Rights organizations on Iran:
http://www.hrw.org/
http://www.omct.org/
http://www.apt.ch/
http://www.kanoon-zendanian.org/
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/1884/aipp.html
http://www.komitegozareshgar.blogfa.com/
http://www.iwae.org/
http://www.pjac.org/
http://www.1980smassacre.com/home.html
http://dialogt.org/
http://p111272.typo3server.info/
http://www.utoronto.ca/prisonmemoirs/articles.htm
Online petitions: to support the mothers:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/Iran2009/petition.html
http://www.gopetition.com/popular-petitions/Iran/
about labor in iran: www.labornotes.org/blogs/2010/01/interview-iran-labor-activists-face-repression
Blogs: http://shirin-alamhooli.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/iran_translator
http://revolutionaryflowerpot.blogspot.com/2009/09/translation-of-article-by-milad-s.html
http://tehranlive.org/2009/06/17/demonstration-and-protests-to-election-results-the-5th-day/
http://shooresh1917.blogspot.com/2009/06/blog-post_13.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8156612.stm
http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/061649.htm
Source: http://dargolestane.blogfa.com/post-409.aspx blog in Farsi language this translation provided by N.Afarin. Questions & connection to the volunteers of solidarity with the mothers in mourning in Iran: margebarmostabed@gmail.com
Lest we become one of them
Look at these pictures, yesterday when I saw the second picture it reminded me of the first one. The painting “the Intervention of the Sabine Women” is my favorite picture. I love it something awful. It’s an oil paining by Jacques-Louis David, the French painter, painted around the year 1795. I mean around the years of rein of terror, & when France was in war with other countries in Europe. David was imprisoned because of siding with Robespierre. After his wife, bereft of all hope, visited him in prison, David thought of painting this to give her heart that love conquers over conflict.
Whenever I look at this picture, among all the chaos & action, what captures my eye is “Hersilia” with her golden locks & her white robe & stony face. As the story goes, Romulus & his men founded the city of Rome, & did not have any women among them so they went to the neighboring Sabines to ask permission to intermarry. The men of Sabine didn’t grant them permission & the Roman men invited the Sabines to Rome for a celebration & in the midst of celebration, abducted the women & drove out the men of Sabine. These women had children by the Romans & many years after the Sabines attacked the Romans in revenge. The Sabine women stood in the middle & made the two sides make peace. In David’s painting you see Hersilia, Romulus’s wife & daughter of the king of the Sabines, she stands between her husband & her father.
I think something like this happened in 1979, the revolution was a celebration that beguiled the feminine presence in my country, abducted it & swallowed it up. It was blind & ignorant, as usual, & didn’t realize this is an eternal force, it can be dormant but will never disappear; it will wait & spring back from somewhere. Somewhere in the midst of the second picture. In this picture I see Hersilia who is fed up with the blood & war of men & is demanding peace. That is why I say this movement will not be moved to violence as long as this woman stands in the midst.
This woman has experienced being abducted & deceived & will not repeat the mistake of 1979, will not throw stones, shed blood, will not become a guerrilla fighter, take up arms, will not acquiesce to the feast of violence. This woman with the luminous arms & radiance of her hair will make my country green.
I know you know what I mean when I say woman, its not just women I speak of, I speak of the feminine presence, the power that drives this movement, the power that comes of wisdom, kindness, resilience, temperance & brave hearted motherhood that will put a smile on the faces of the men of my country & hijab on their heads.
I speak of Sohraab & his mother. I speak of the youngster who slept in his bed two nights ago, was in detention last night, & I know not where tonight. I speak of the anger that blazed in me as I spoke to his mother & my struggle to make hope & patience of that anger so as not to lose myself, so as not to become one of them.
______________________________________________________
refers to the political action the week before the ashura uprising (first week of December); 16 of azar in the Iranian calendar, commemoration of the student rally of 1953, swept the country this year, largely organized & initiated by left leaning students. masses of students came out in support. It refers to the incident involving a student leader, Majid Tavakoli, who was detained after making a brave & fiery speech. the establishment attempted a smear campaign & to shame him & announced he was fleeing the scene with women’s clothes, released a picture of him in the state run media in women’s clothes & hijab, in response a peoples campaign started, men took pictures with women’s clothes & hijab. It was largely interpreted as an action in solidarity with both the student leader, & women in Iran, who forcibly have to wear the hijab in public, restoring a sense of dignity to both.
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/irans-state-media-mocks-arrested-student-leader-pictured-in-womens-clothing/
http://www.irannewsdigest.com/2009/12/18/majid-tavakolis-full-speech-the-hejab-campaign/
Lest we become one of them
Look at these pictures, yesterday when I saw the second picture it reminded me of the first one. The painting “the Intervention of the Sabine Women” is my favorite picture. I love it something awful. It’s an oil paining by Jacques-Louis David, the French painter, painted around the year 1795. I mean around the years of rein of terror, & when France was in war with other countries in Europe. David was imprisoned because of siding with Robespierre. After his wife, bereft of all hope, visited him in prison, David thought of painting this to give her heart that love conquers over conflict.
Whenever I look at this picture, among all the chaos & action, what captures my eye is “Hersilia” with her golden locks & her white robe & stony face. As the story goes, Romulus & his men founded the city of Rome, & did not have any women among them so they went to the neighboring Sabines to ask permission to intermarry. The men of Sabine didn’t grant them permission & the Roman men invited the Sabines to Rome for a celebration & in the midst of celebration, abducted the women & drove out the men of Sabine. These women had children by the Romans & many years after the Sabines attacked the Romans in revenge. The Sabine women stood in the middle & made the two sides make peace. In David’s painting you see Hersilia, Romulus’s wife & daughter of the king of the Sabines, she stands between her husband & her father.
I think something like this happened in 1979, the revolution was a celebration that beguiled the feminine presence in my country, abducted it & swallowed it up. It was blind & ignorant, as usual, & didn’t realize this is an eternal force, it can be dormant but will never disappear; it will wait & spring back from somewhere. Somewhere in the midst of the second picture. In this picture I see Hersilia who is fed up with the blood & war of men & is demanding peace. That is why I say this movement will not be moved to violence as long as this woman stands in the midst.
This woman has experienced being abducted & deceived & will not repeat the mistake of 1979, will not throw stones, shed blood, will not become a guerrilla fighter, take up arms, will not acquiesce to the feast of violence. This woman with the luminous arms & radiance of her hair will make my country green.
I know you know what I mean when I say woman, its not just women I speak of, I speak of the feminine presence, the power that drives this movement, the power that comes of wisdom, kindness, resilience, temperance & brave hearted motherhood that will put a smile on the faces of the men of my country & hijab on their heads.
I speak of Sohraab & his mother. I speak of the youngster who slept in his bed two nights ago, was in detention last night, & I know not where tonight. I speak of the anger that blazed in me as I spoke to his mother & my struggle to make hope & patience of that anger so as not to lose myself, so as not to become one of them.
______________________________________________________
refers to the political action the week before the ashura uprising (first week of December); 16 of azar in the Iranian calendar, commemoration of the student rally of 1953, swept the country this year, largely organized & initiated by left leaning students. masses of students came out in support. It refers to the incident involving a student leader, Majid Tavakoli, who was detained after making a brave & fiery speech. the establishment attempted a smear campaign & to shame him & announced he was fleeing the scene with women’s clothes, released a picture of him in the state run media in women’s clothes & hijab, in response a peoples campaign started, men took pictures with women’s clothes & hijab. It was largely interpreted as an action in solidarity with both the student leader, & women in Iran, who forcibly have to wear the hijab in public, restoring a sense of dignity to both.
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/irans-state-media-mocks-arrested-student-leader-pictured-in-womens-clothing/
http://www.irannewsdigest.com/2009/12/18/majid-tavakolis-full-speech-the-hejab-campaign/
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