Condolences for Binazir Bhuttos Passing

"One should not love or hate anything until it is understood"

I believe many fanatics don't want to bother to be open to new or different ideas. Therefore, they simply kill it. God give humanity shelter and justice from these closed minded people.

Gathering of reporters, Human and Women's Rights Activits

Women's Activists, reporters, students and Human rights acitivists in Iran gathered to protest the illegal arrest of Maryam Hoesseinkhah and Jelveh Javaheri. Their only crime was demanding their basic human rights.

Photos taken from Kosoof.com, and more are available on the website
http://www.kosoof.com/

read article on website below:
http://www.shahrzadnews.org/article.php5?id=759

Another site with Information on Iranian Student Demonstrations

photo by Hasan Sarbakhshian

"...The theme was the freeing of all political prisoners, calls for the Islamic republic's judicial chief to resign and demands for a referendum on the country's political future....Observers agree that the students at Tehran university, traditionally a hotbed of dissent, were getting bolder.
"A few years ago, people were too scared to take to the street. That is no longer the case today, even if they don't have permission," said analyst Said Leylaz. "It's an indication of the discontent....."

click on link below for rest:

http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=13300&NewsKind=CurrentAffairs

Additionally, according to Gooya news, more demonstrations took place by the students as well, although it was smaller.

http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2007/12/065896.php

Petition for Jelveh Javaheri and Maryam Hosseinkhah

Please sign the petition at the link below, requesting the freedom of these two Women's Rights Activists.

english:
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=24570#sp24570

Iranian Students Protest in University Again

According to Gooya news, Iranian students gathered in protest at Tehran University again.

Also, the Harasat Pro-regime Security forces were standing in front of the Unviersity gates. Additionally the Harasat forces had a list of the active students and were working towards identification of the students present in the demonstration. At first the students sang the song "Yar Dabestani" as they were walking to the trade divisoin of the University. The students were holding enlarged photos of their classmates that are now in jail, chanting:"Imprisoned students must be freed". Slogans chanted were as follows:

"As long as there are jail sentences, were are all in prison"

"We want the freedeom of left leaning students"

"Hello to the three, Ghasaban, Tavakoli, and Mansouri"

"Can you hear? This is the voice of freedom"

"Women's Rights = Human Rights"

"Our share is jail, torture, and being deprived of education"

"Bring back civility"

"Education is not my share, its my right"

Additionally, the Kurdish students had enlarged photos of their fellow students as well. They were protesting the cruel treatment of the regime towards the Kurdish ethnicity as well.

As they students were moving towards the 16th of Azar gates, they shouted:

"students, unite, unite"

they broke the 16th of Azar gate and continued on, and additionally they broke open the Ghods road gate and continued.

According to Rooz onlines interview with Ali Vafghi, the Tahkeem Vahdat student organization member, the student movement has now learned to adapt to the regime's harsh tactics. They have learned how to not rely on any one individual, the privledges of an office/center, a budget, a peremit and now they know how to function in an environment filled with security forces and not turn to violence.

Read Gooya news article

http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2007/12/065794.php

Read Rooz online article

http://www.roozonline.com/archives/2007/12/post_5154.php

A letter from Maryam Hosseinkhah

Here is partial translation of Maryam Hosseinkhah's letter from Iran's Evin prison. Maryam is a Women's Rights activist that was imprisoned just recently for her efforts towards the "One Million Signature Campaign to change Discriminatory laws towards women." Additionally, Jelveh Javaheri, another women's rights activist, was imprisoned as well.


Here is Prison and I am a women amongst other women whose pains are Examples of Inequality

By Maryam Hosseinkhah from the 3rd public division of Evin’s women prison
Monday, 28th of Aban, 1386

Here is prison, the women’s prison of Evin. It is not the first time that I come here. The first time I was a reporter going along with the head of the detention center interviewing the inmates. I was going from cell to cell and for the first time was listening to the stories of women imprisoned in the four walls of the cell, who were accused of drug addiction, prostitution and murder. I could only write a few words, only as much as the detention head would allow. It was that very day that all the inmates in the presence of the guards would describe that they did not have any problems, but when leaving they put a crumpled piece of paper in my pocked written: “Please help us, here no one else will.”

The second time I was a prisoner as well, exactly like all the prisoners in the division. 30 of the other women activists were in solitary confinement and I was disheveled and worried, amongst the women who I always wrote about their woes. I had the same unknown lost fate as my friends. That day I was a guest that was to leave very quickly.

This time is the third time, however everything is different. Now with my 100,000 million toman (~$100,000) bail, I am one of them. One of hundreds of women who for years are entangled in the tall walls of Evin and has no one to help. Neither the law helps them, nor family, nor any one else. The true definition of helplessness can be learned here, in the eyes of these inmates. Inmates where if the law was a little, just a little, more fair, would be in their homes next to their children. Women who have no resemblance to the cliché of women inmates. .....

read the rest in farsi at:
http://www.we4change.info/spip.php?article1383

Jelveh Javaheri and Maryam Hosseinkhah arrested

According to Gooya news two Iranian Women's rights activists have been arrested with unknown charges. Perhaps those doing the arresting and charging are hoping to make up for their own shortcommings by accusing others of bad things. As long as the accusters keep pointing fingers onto others, everyone's attention will be distracted from themeselves.

http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2007/12/065584.php

Anothe arrest in Iran

Here is a video clip of yet another arrest of a girl in Iran. I can't say I know why she was arrested, but chances are likely it was for some ridiculous reason like her hair was peeking out of her veil.

http://kamangir.net/2007/12/03/police-brutality-in-iran-video/