The secular ideology of this Shia cleric is that the “Hidden Imam” is the only one who has the legitimate competence to rule and pass judgment based on Islam, not the “Supreme Leader” and other self pro-claimed “Marjas” (Council of Guardian) who have the ultimate power in Iran, one after the other above the mostly symbolic president and parliament.

The popularity of Kazemeini made the regime very uncomfortable last year after many speeches he gave against political Islam which lead to his arrest by the Ministry of Intelligence (who at the time spread rumours that Kazemeini claims that he is the 12th Imam himself) . The arrest came in October 2006 in which police faced confrontation by 100s of his followers who surrounded the area. Over 40 of the followers were also arrested, including bloggers who were there to report whats happening.

Since then Kazemeini has gone under heavy tortures in Section 209 of Evin prison. His health started to deteriorate after a hunger strike he started in February, eye-witness reports from his appearance infront of “Special Court for Clergy” (SCC, set up by Khomeini himself in 1987 to combat clerics against the regime) in March claim that he was in a very poor condition, unable to walk upright and was coughing up blood.

In March Kazemeini also appeared on a disgusting TV programme by the regime which goes live in prisons to show tortured political prisoners’ forced fake “confessions”. He appeared in prison uniform and poor condition admitting to his “lies” and how his “poor followers” believed in them!

On Sunday the secular cleric and 80 of his followers appeared in front of the illegal court without the right to have a lawyer. He was sentenced to death on the grounds of over 30 accusations including threat to national security, calling the Velayat-e Faqih “illegitimate”, connections with “anti-revolutionary” forces and spying for them inside the country, creating a new religion called “the traditional religion”, etc etc.

He was in such a poor condition that he found speaking very difficult but he said to the court that he is not guilty of being political but his only real crime is his religious beliefs.

City boy
http://www.citboyblog.com

Originally posted here.

This time it is a poor attempt by Mr. Pourzal who has gone further than the expected attack on ex political prisoners of Iran, to focus his attack on the human rights activist and hero Nazanin Afshin-Jam.

Is it not interesting that a self pro-claimed “organizer for human rights” (!) has written an article attacking Nazanin, calling her a fraud?!

Let’s first just go over who Nazanin Afshin-Jam is and what she has been doing.

Coming from a persecuted family during the Islamic Revolution, threatened with execution, her family moved to Europe. In her teenage years she got her pilot license from the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, before going to university to study Double Major Degree in International Relations and Political Science.

Throughout her university life, Nazanin volunteered for humanitarian charities and organisations such as Red Cross. She found the opportunities to enter the Miss Canada and Miss World competitions as an excellent chance to find a much bigger platform to promote her ideas and voice. She won the Miss Canada title and became the 1st runner up to Miss World.

This amazing woman who is by all means a true symbol of inspiration and pride for not only Iranians but girls and women all over the world, has since spent her time helping victims from tragedies such as the tsunami in India and Sri Lanka, raised funds for earthquake victims in Bam (Iran), Ethiopia, and campaigned for women’s rights in Middle East, and other issues all over the world.

She has gained huge popularity among Iranians and all human rights organisations for her efforts to make known the case of another Nazanin, a teenage girl in Iran who was sentenced to death for killing her rapist in defense, and by attracting world wide news agencies to get her voice heard she literally saved her life from the inhuman Sharia courts of Islamic Republic. For her efforts, she received “Hero for Human Rights” award from Artists for Human Rights / Youth for Human Rights International at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Now, in an article called “With Defenders Like Nazanin, Who Needs Enemies?“, Rostam Poorzal, a board director of CASMII, friend of Abbas Edalat, has called her a fraud, for simply having a photo of herself with two other human rights and democracy activists Amir-Abbas Fakhravar, former political prisoner and a leader in Iranian student movement and former Shah’s son who no longer calls himself the crown prince.

I have nothing to say but that I told you so. Stop the war coalition and “activists” such as CASMII have done nothing to promote human rights situation of Iran, yet they claim to be “Human rights organizers” and they spend their time promoting the criminal and terrorist Islamic Republic and spreading false propaganda against true human rights and democracy activists in the diaspora. Shame on CASMII, and shame on all those who know about this fraud organisation and are still associated with them.

City boy
http://www.cityboyblog.com

Originally posted here.

Twenty five years after her arrest by the Islamic revolutionary guards, she speaks of the horror she experienced in Evin prison during a period of time which she calls the Iranian holocaust. This 16 year old girl was taken to Evin and tortured by not much older revolutionary guards and then taken to a cell built for 6 people, which was now used as a new home for 60 people, left with no food or water. She describes how everyday they took some of the prisoners out and only a few came back..and soon it was her turn. She was taken to middle of the Evin complex in an open space with only gallows to see. This poor starved Iranian teenager was not sure if this was really happening to her..

This book is a very detailed first hand account of the horror that took place under the name of revolution. One that promoted oppression, inequality, religious dictatorship, theocracy… 190 years after the French revolution.

Originally posted here.