Mousavi Meets with Karroubi

From Mousavi's Facebook:

Yesterday (Oct 10, 2009) Mir Hossein Mousavi visited Mehdi Karoubi in his home to talk about the post-election events. In this meeting both presidential candidates by pointing out the efforts of the IRIB (the state-run TV and radio channels) to diminish the reform movement, emphasised on their legal rights and demanded to appear on TV/radio to defend themselves and reply to the false accusations made against them on the “national” stage.

At the beginning of this meeting Mehdi Karoubi said that the recent presidential election was a great opportunity and the establishment could have used this opportunity to strengthen its position in the international community. By stating that the behaviour of the government after the election was far from the status and ideas of the system that was founded by Imam Khomeini, strongly criticised the illegal arrests of Alireza Beheshti, Morteza Alviri and Ebrahim Amini (senior advisors to Mousavi and Karoubi) as well as the other political prisoners who have sacrificed a lot for the revolution and the country. Karoubi, the Secretary General of the Etemad-Melli party, called the treatment of the students and revolutionary figures by the government as “odd and strange” and by reminding the events that happened during Shah’s time when the military forces attacked the university, called these kinds of behaviours obscene and that after all these years there was no one who could defend such acts and that he considered these as signs for all the officials to be careful with their actions so that so that future generations would have a good memory of them.

Mehdi Karoubi in continuation of his remarks by pointing out the recent letter by the Tehran’s Governor’s office that prohibits the members of Tehran’s City Council from comforting and meeting with the family members of the victims of the recent events, called this behaviour “very uncivilised”. Also by pointing out the recent remarks made by Mohseni-Ejei (the new General Prosecutor) in which he had said that the country was in a combat situation, Karoubi stated that these words are to create fear from the revolutionary courts (show trials) and asked that why these kinds of statements are made and why one should pretend that the country is in the military mode and everyone should keep quiet and be silent?! By expressing that some of the military forces such as the General Commander of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) are accusing the reformists of providing topics for the foreign media, Karoubi asked them who is truly providing topics for the foreign media. “Is it us or you? Do we make harsh statement or you? Who is behaving roughly, you or us?”

Karoubi also pointed out the Qods Day rallies and stated that although the position regarding Israel has not changed and that the Qods Day is a day to support the people of Palestine and condemn the violation of their rights by Israel, added: “But we should be thankful to the many people who attended these rallies. Most of those who participated in these rallies in response to our invitation were chanting slogans about Iran and their country and were concerned about their fate. We cannot ask people to be ignorant about their country and although the main propose for this day was Palestinian people but I ask the authorities to explain what has happened in the country that suddenly on Qods Day people are split in two groups and some express their concerns in the slogans they were chanting?”

At the end of his remarks Karoubi stressed that some are talking about the presidential elections as if nothing has happened and are telling people that there has been no fraud in the election and asked why they are telling people these lies as if people don’t know what has happened to them? If that is true then what are all these protest? He added that they are claiming that Ahmadinejad had 300,000 votes in 10,000 ballot boxes while Karoubi did not even have a single vote in those boxes and that he did not have even one support in those electoral areas that these ballot boxes were stationed. He added: “This is despite the fact that some of the observers at the polling stations say that in a ballot box I had 100 votes but they counted only one for me. At least say something that people won’t laugh at you over it. If you are telling the truth then in response to tens of hours of denying the fraud on the “national” media and putting pressure on the innocent detainees to obtain false confessions from them, give us some airtime too so that we also present our evidence and reasons.”

Mehdi Karoubi believes that the public opinion and their trust is the greatest resource of the system. Karoubi said that “The greatest resource of Imam [Khomeini] was the public trust and had said so himself several times. Therefore the trust in the system should not be destroyed and no one should move in that direction. Some of these gentlemen knowingly or unknowingly are moving in that direction and are constantly preparing material for the foreigners. Let’s do a right move to come out of this situation. Let’s announce the real statics. IRIB that has become a biased and destructive media and everyday is destroying its credibility more, should follow the right course and should try to win the trust of the people again.”

Also in this meeting Mir Hossein Mousavi by pointing out the events after the election strongly criticised the behaviour of the government and said that the revolutionary figures who were active from the very beginning of the revolution are today in prisons and this is a bitter irony that unfortunately has happened these days and added: “I don’t know why are these events happening and why are they doing these to the religious and revolutionary figures.”

Mir Hossein believes that these actions are causing wounds to the people’s souls and spirits that will not be easily treatable in future. He pointed out the show trials for the reformists that were staged with a lot of propaganda and said: “What did you gain from this show? Are you seeking to hold inquisition courts? Do you understand the downfalls of such actions in the society?”

Mir Hossein Mousavi referred to the great number of revolutionary figures that have been pushed aside and said: “In the past four years, many wrong behaviours have taken place that have made the revolutionary figures to either go to the sidelines or lose their enthusiasm for working. Have a look and see how many ministers, members of the parliament and revolutionary figures were eliminated. The sidelines of our revolution have now become greater and more important than its core. How many presidents we have, how many ministers we have. We have members of the parliament, managers, dominants intellectuals who have all been pushed to the sidelines. Why are all these talents eliminated?”

While pointing out his warnings over the past year he expressed sorrow over the abuse of the county’s financial resources by some of the power centers and the questionable transfer of telecommunications to IRGC and the methods of providing the 8 billion dollars cost of it.

Mousavi then referred to the accusations of the velvet revolution and said: “Unfortunately these days from every podium there is a remark being made to destroy the revolutionary figures. Especially the holly podium of the Friday prayer is now specific to a party and the hardliners are using any means to eliminate everyone who has a different opinion from them.”

Mousavi, by pointing out the history of Russia and the communist era, said that in an era some people took power that tried to eliminate those who were active in that revolution by removing the images of them from books and pictures and by forging the history to deceive their people and people of the world but their government was overthrown and historians wrote the real history.

He emphasised: “The few should not think that the events of the beginning of the Revolution and the years after that are gone from people’s minds. Recently, one of the gentlemen who also had a position in my cabinet and then resigned over some differences has made comments that make you wonder. It is three or four months that he is spreading lies at IRIB and his media against me, Mr. Karoubi and people who have supported us and tries to destroy our characters. Don’t we have the right to defend ourselves on “national” TV too?”

He, by reminding the meeting with Ayatollah Hashemi-Shahroudi (the former Head of the Judiciary) said: “Mr. Shahroudi called me and asked if I could go to his office. I went there. Ayatollah Hashemi-Rafsanjani (the Head of the Assembly of Experts and the Expediency Council) was there too that I was not originally informed about his presence. We talked about the events that happened after the election and then Mr. Shahroudi asked me what I would do. I said that we were clear and that they should give us time so that we could also defend ourselves in live broadcast from the national media in that environment of destruction. Prior to that Mr. Larijani had also asked me if I would go to the television and I said yes. In the meeting with Mr. Shahroudi he suggested a legal gathering and I accepted. Right then he called the High Commission of National Security, they spoke and they agreed too. Then they told us to write a request. We prepared a request [for gathering] signed by me and sent. A few days later we received a note from the High Commission of National Security that they had rejected our request according to such article and it was also signed by some managers.”

Mir Hossein Mousavi by criticising the extent of lying among some of officials, added: “They are constantly giving false information to the public and think that people will believe them. How many times the number of people killed after the election was changed? Then they claim that the fraud in election is a lie. There are people who are determined to pretend that there was no fraud in the election. Especially it was repetitively propagated from the television. Well, if you are certain of your action why are you worried of our presence at the television or why are you preventing from the presence of our experts there? If you are truthful then establish a roundtable with the presence from our experts and ours so that both sides could talk their views.”

Mousavi, by pointing out the restricted environment that has been created, said: “Today the environment is in such a way that no one can criticise the administration. Anyone who says something [against the administration], even if he is one of their own people, is linked to the enemy, is called to be against Imam [Khomeini] and will have false accusations made up for him.”

He reiterated: “I asked them why you, who voided 700 ballot boxes during the sixth parliamentary election so that you could get one specific figure elected to the parliament, don’t open hundred ballot boxes in a live television broadcast so that people can see how many ballot papers without a serial number are in there?”

At the end Mousavi expressed hope that the devotees of the system think and resolve the problems that have been created as in his opinion it is impossible to ignore the public’s awareness and to ask the students to be quiet as they are sons and daughters of this people and demand an answer.

Mohajerani Speaks Out Against Previous Executions

Ayatollah Mohajerani was Minister of Culture under Khatami and it is very rare for a former administrator to speak out against the executions that took place in the 1980s. Yet Mohajerani has done just that and hopefully he will also speak out about the current planned executions since this seems as a referance to what is going on:

The Atashiha mosque was a mosque in Shiraz. It was a popular youth center and Ayatollah Dastgheyb was the leader of prayers. For us students he personified honesty and integrity – things we had come to expect of our religion. He had a calm voice and kind eyes. Then, the revolution began with chants for equality and freedom; these were elements we assumed were at the heart of the Islamic Republic.

Many slowly distanced themselves from those promises because of the positions they went on to hold. Moreover, something called the “interest of the system” devoured those promises. Instead of promise, we were given “interest” and in place of religious values, we had “saving the system.” Like all revolutions, its pledges submitted to its realities.

All of us who were silent in the midst of the slaughter of our youth in 1987 - we thought that the pressures of war and the threats of outsiders were justifications for remaining silent; that they were a permit for the slaughter at a rate which has very few examples in our history.

In those days, among all the officials and administrators, only one voice rose up to speak against that slaughter. It was the voice of Ayatollah Montazeri, who protested the killings and was subsequently dismissed from his post. However, the value of his act far exceeded the value of any position he had to renounce.

Ayatollah Montazeri is the epitome of truth for our generation and those that follow; a truth that escalates and reveals that it is possible to rise against evil and look it in the eye.

Today, the voice of Ayatollah Montazeri – who, according to Professor Bashiriyeh, is the spiritual leader of the green movement in Iran – is no longer alone. The voices of other ayatollahs are a reflection of that cry. This is the cry of humanity. What part of our humanity can sit idly by and accept tyranny - or, worse, help it to progress?

I recently saw a letter that some had written to the leader, asking Ayatollah Dastgheyb to repent. Those who signed it - many of whom are Friday prayer leaders - are all employed by the leader. Others are revolutionary guard officials, who got to know of Islam and the revolution in that very Atashin mosque and by way of that very same Ayatollah Dashtgheyb. The third group are government officials …

Faced with such statements, Shirazi youth and students are obligated to once again gather in that same Atashin mosque and to shower it with their fervent warmth and participation. Let’s extend the prayers of the mosque into the streets and avenues so that it is clear to all that the courageous cleric who speaks for freedom, justice and integrity will never be left alone.

Before the revolution, when the Friday prayer leader would lead prayers in Esfahan, he only had four or five followers. But Ayatollah Taheri’s prayers in Hossein Abad mosque would always be flowing with people. And so would Ayatollah Gharavi’s prayers in a wood factory outside the city.

Ayatollah Dastgheyb is a shining example of the movement in Iran. Given all the limitations that the system has created for him and a letter such as this one - which shows traces of intelligence and military services - it is our responsibility to support him. We can do so by attending that very prayer at his mosque. With our presence we loudly declare that the ayatollah is not alone and that the writers of that letter are agents of despots.

Prisoner Sentenced to Death

Sadly Mohammad-Reza Ali-Zamani is the first person sentenced to death following the protests. Let us pray that this not happen and the regime comes to its senses. Amnesty International highlights why he should be freed:

Amnesty International is urging the Iranian authorities to rescind the death sentence imposed on Mohammad-Reza Ali-Zamani, the first person to be sentenced to death in connection with protests following disputed presidential elections.

Zamani, 37, was sentenced to death by a Tehran Revolutionary Court on Thursday after he was convicted of "enmity against God for membership of and activities to further the aims of the terrorist grouplet Anjoman-e Padeshahi-e Iran (API)".

The API is an exiled opposition group which advocates the ending of the Islamic Republic and the establishment of an Iranian monarchy.

He was also convicted of "propaganda against the system", "insulting the holy sanctities", "gathering and colluding with intent to harm national internal security " as well as of leaving the country illegally to visit Iraq where he was alleged to have met US military officials.

Zamani is one of more than 100 people currently standing trial before a Tehran Revolutionary Court for fomenting protests against the disputed official result of Iran's 12 June presidential election. Amnesty International has condemned such "show trials" as a "mockery of justice"

Amnesty International fears that Zamani’s death sentence will pave the way for more death sentences against those being tried on similar offences. At least 13 other people are also currently at risk of being executed in Iran.

Next Event

So student protests are continuing around the country without the regime being able to stop them. It seems the next mass event being planned by the Green Movement is going to be held on November 4th when it will be Student Day in Iran. There will be big rallies sanctioned by the government and so a similar situation to the Qods Day rallies will occur.

Unfortunately I have been very busy and so I will not update as frequently as previously. However I will still bring the most important news events that come out of Iran.

Hajjariyan Back Home

Saeed Hajjariyan is now safe back at home after being in prison for several months. He has been in frail health given that he is disabled from a previous shooting attack by the regime. Khatami visited him as can be seen in the picture above.

Student Protests Continue

This video is from Science & Technology University’s Cafeteria in Tehran on Oct 5, 2009. The students are yelling God is Great:

Ahmadinejad Has Jewish Roots

In perhaps a strange irony, it has been revealed that Ahmadinejad in fact comes from a Jewish family. I don't know how important this will be and if there will be any extra pressure on him in Iran:

A photograph of the Iranian president holding up his identity card during elections in March 2008 clearly shows his family has Jewish roots.

A close-up of the document reveals he was previously known as Sabourjian – a Jewish name meaning cloth weaver.

The short note scrawled on the card suggests his family changed its name to Ahmadinejad when they converted to embrace Islam after his birth.

The Sabourjians traditionally hail from Aradan, Mr Ahmadinejad's birthplace, and the name derives from "weaver of the Sabour", the name for the Jewish Tallit shawl in Persia. The name is even on the list of reserved names for Iranian Jews compiled by Iran's Ministry of the Interior.

Experts last night suggested Mr Ahmadinejad's track record for hate-filled attacks on Jews could be an overcompensation to hide his past.

Ali Nourizadeh, of the Centre for Arab and Iranian Studies, said: "This aspect of Mr Ahmadinejad's background explains a lot about him.

"Every family that converts into a different religion takes a new identity by condemning their old faith.

"By making anti-Israeli statements he is trying to shed any suspicions about his Jewish connections. He feels vulnerable in a radical Shia society."

A London-based expert on Iranian Jewry said that "jian" ending to the name specifically showed the family had been practising Jews.

"He has changed his name for religious reasons, or at least his parents had," said the Iranian-born Jew living in London. "Sabourjian is well known Jewish name in Iran."

A spokesman for the Israeli embassy in London said it would not be drawn on Mr Ahmadinejad's background. "It's not something we'd talk about," said Ron Gidor, a spokesman.

The Iranian leader has not denied his name was changed when his family moved to Tehran in the 1950s. But he has never revealed what it was change from or directly addressed the reason for the switch.

Relatives have previously said a mixture of religious reasons and economic pressures forced his blacksmith father Ahmad to change when Mr Ahmadinejad was aged four.

The Iranian president grew up to be a qualified engineer with a doctorate in traffic management. He served in the Revolutionary Guards militia before going on to make his name in hardline politics in the capital.

During this year's presidential debate on television he was goaded to admit that his name had changed but he ignored the jibe.

However Mehdi Khazali, an internet blogger, who called for an investigation of Mr Ahmadinejad's roots was arrested this summer.

Mr Ahmadinejad has regularly levelled bitter criticism at Israel, questioned its right to exist and denied the Holocaust. British diplomats walked out of a UN meeting last month after the Iranian president denounced Israel's 'genocide, barbarism and racism.'

Benjamin Netanyahu made an impassioned denunciation of the Iranian leader at the same UN summit. "Yesterday, the man who calls the Holocaust a lie spoke from this podium," he said. "A mere six decades after the Holocaust, you give legitimacy to a man who denies the murder of six million Jews while promising to wipe out the State of Israel, the State of the Jews. What a disgrace. What a mockery of the charter of the United Nations."

Mr Ahmadinejad has been consistently outspoken about the Nazi attempt to wipe out the Jewish race. "They have created a myth today that they call the massacre of Jews and they consider it a principle above God, religions and the prophets," he declared at a conference on the holocaust staged in Tehran in 2006.

This Weekend

I am going to go out of town for a little bit for a little rest, but I will be back updating on Sunday so check back.

U2 Continues Green Song

So throughout their world tour, the U2 has played their song "Sunday Bloody Sunday" in tribute of the Green Movement. Well I was able to watch one of the performances live and I have put the video below. It was pretty awesome and U2 is a great band:

Green Football Game

In the middle of a big football game today in Iran, the crowd shouts the name of Mousavi: