Stop the Executions in Iran!
But Khamenei has agreed to start the executions of opponents. In Sirjan, they recently tried to hang two young men in public. But there something happened that I and no human rights supporter ever dared to hope. The people rose up to save the would-be victims. Then the agents of Khamenei got angry, shot at the crowd, and killed another three innocent civilians.
Ali Sarmi, a political prisoner, was sentenced to death on December 31. He was arrested nearly two years ago because he participated at a commemoration of the mass executions that had taken place in the 1980s.
The last picture of Ali Sarmi
Sarmi is not a young firebrand; he is 62. What crimes has he committed? None. How long has he been in prison? A total of 23 years. Three years under the shah, and twenty years at the hands of the Islamic Republic. In the past thirty years, he was arrested four times — an Iranian Nelson Mandela.
The Iranian rulers, the chairman of the judiciary, the president of the parliament, and the generals of the Revolutionary Guard have in recent days asked for the execution of the members of the opposition and the demonstrators. Ayatollah Jannati suggested on January 1 that for this purpose the same kind of judges are to be used as were used in the 1980s — “revolutionary” judges who could pronounce a death penalty within ten minutes.
Clearly, something should be done on behalf of the Iranian people. Can we, the free peoples of the West, help those threatened in Iran? We can certainly try.
The political parties in parliament have to start acting, demanding that their foreign policy officials call for an end to these criminal acts, and insisting that all political prisoners be released at once. Security Council members — above all, the United States — should put these matters on the agenda.
The nuclear negotiations with Iran are a failure. The ultimatum given by President Obama to the Islamic regime has already expired. The Europeans and Americans have their own self-interest to protect these defenseless people — how will they explain their silence to their children and grandchildren?
Since Franklin Roosevelt, the tradition with American presidents is that they have been a more or less reliable voice for freedom for people so unfortunate as to have to live in places like Iran. Those people could usually count on the POTUS at least speaking out on their behalf, and it gave them hope and courage. Some had more “realist” foreign policies, and some had more “idealistic” foreign policies, but you could generally at least count on the POTUS to condemn brutal totalitarian regimes and to at least express his sympathy with the victims of such regimes.
But in the past year, Barack Hussein Obama has either turned a deaf ear to the plight of oppressed people, or has cautioned that we musn’t upset their oppressors with irresponsible talk of “freedom” or their right to life, or any other such outdated notions.
A little over a year ago, we were all wondering what he meant by “change.” I think this is another example of what he meant.
The only way out of this situation is to kill the mullahs. When the Iranian people are willing to die to do that, then it will happen. Not before. Unfortunately, what happens after that is not necessarily better.
Brian, you are grossly misinformed and spouting right wing propaganda. Obama has consistently made statements in support of human rights in Iran including when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize. Just last week he made a public statement siding with the protesters and blistering the state sponsored thuggery. Here is is statement in full:
“The United States joins with the international community in strongly condemning the violent and unjust suppression of innocent Iranian citizens, which has apparently resulted in tensions, injuries and even death. For months, the Iranian people have sought nothing more than to exercise their universal rights. Each time they have done so, they have been met with iron fist of brutality, even on solemn occasions and holy days. And each time that has happened, the world has watched with deep admiration for the courage and the conviction of the Iranian people, who are part of Iran’s great and enduring civilization. What’s taking place in Iran is not about the United States or any other country. It’s about the Iranian people and their aspirations for justice, and a better life for themselves. And the decision of Iran’s leaders to govern through fear and tyranny will not succeed in making those aspirations go away. As I said in Oslo, it’s telling when governments fear the aspirations of their own people more than the power of any other nation. Along with all free nations, the United States stands with those who seek their universal rights. We call upon the Iranian government to abide by the international obligations that it has to respect the rights of its own people. We call for the immediate release of all who have been unjustly detained within Iran. We will continue to bear witness to the extraordinary events that are taking place there. And I am confident that history will be on the side of those who seek justice.”
Sir, it is illegal ( UN Charter) for the USA to intervene in the affairs of a sovereign nation. Not that it hasn’t happened in the past and won’t happen in the future, but each time it happens the rule of law loses another little chip. When it is all chipped away, you will miss it.
The USA has more to lose then to gain. No, if the USA acts against Iran it will hopefully be out of a national security interest.
There is a legal way. That is a chapter 7 UN Security Council Resolution requiring the UN to support an armed intervention in Iran.
I’m certain the USA will support such a resolution. It will be blocked by either Russia or China. So turning to the USA is a waste of time. “Preaching to the choir” is the term used in America.
You need to try and get China to go along, or Russia. You won’t because they both have long histories of murdering their citizens. In wholesale lots. So they don’t see anything wrong with what the Mullahs are doing.
So you ask America to do your dirty work. Only if the USA starts violating laws on a regular basis, then before long the US Government will start murdering it’s citizens in job lots also. Then where will you look for someone to do your dirty work?
Laws are written to be broken BUT you have be very selective about breaking them.
@ JBS
So we have another example of why we should kick the UN
off our land and resign from it completely. To side with
the demonstrators does no less than to reiterate that these
United States stands for freedom in every corner of the earth.
As far as the rule of law goes I ask you sir Who’s Law?
mans? or Gods? Might I remind you sir of the Christian precepts
that were used to form this nation and it’s constitution.
The Khamenei regime has threatened the world too many times to
count and it’s supressing the will of it’s people with plans that will certainly plunge all into armed conflict.
We are all doomed because of the inaction of our no nuts Mr Obama.
Good day sir.
#3 John Adamas:
You’re absolutely right. Well, at least your quote of Obama is accurate.
I honestly had no idea that he said that, and it makes me slightly more hopeful–although we’ve all had moments of disappointment with this president when we found that his actions–or even his subsequent words–don’t live up to his promises.
I think he said just about the right thing there. Why he waited six and a half months to say it, why he tacked that message onto the end of his risible “isolated extremist” remarks regarding the underwear bomber, and why it wasn’t more reported and why, in the interim, he let two (or was it three?) nuclear deadlines go by and why he’s made a pig-headed fetish of playing nice with the mullahs and their toady Ahmadinejad, I’ll never know.
Maybe he’s grown up a little with all the embarrassment that this latest foiled terror attack has caused his administration. I’m not holding my breath, but I hope so. I certainly don’t think that his courting of the mullahs has resulted in them falling in love with him, and they damn sure don’t fear him.
Maybe he’s realized that all the efforts to win them over with his smile aren’t working, so he’s decided–probably too late–to play tough?