Although Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad flatly denied the existence of "Starred Students" during the 2009 presidential election debates, the phenomenon has affected Iranian students since his first election in 2004. Undergraduate students who engaged in political, cultural or social activities in colleges, notwithstanding their high grades, had to be "selected" by the Ministry of Information.
None of the "Starred Students" were able to attend their classes, even after they attended the selection sessions and signed written promises demanded by intelligence authorities. Rashidi had ranked fourth in Women's Studies and twenty-ninth in Cultural Studies in entrance exams. During the months after she became a "Starred Student," she tried all legal avenues to follow up on her case, including meeting with members of parliament. She had meetings with Ministry of Science and Technology authorities as well, but none of these meetings changed her situation.
Other "Starred Students" tried to alleviate their difficulties through establishing the Committee to Defend the Right to Education. Some of those individuals are now in prison, facing unfounded charges. Some of these charges include "relations with Islamic Republic of Iran opposition groups such as the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO)," which have been denied by the defendants and their friends and families.
Several "Starred Students" have told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that their political activities were all within Iranian law, but those activities have resulted in their being blacklisted and denied their right to education. Officials refrain from acknowledging these charges.
"Starred Students" recently convicted include Zia Al-din Nabavi, sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and 74 lashes, and Majid Darri, sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. Other members of the Committee to Defend the Right to Education currently in detention are: Soroosh Sabet, Mahdiyeh Golroo, Shiva Nazarahari, and Peyman Aref.
"Although 90 percent of children in jail in Turkey are students, authorities interfere with parents trying to bring them course material."
DIYARBAKIR, Southeastern Turkey, Dec 6 , 2009 - Turkey is signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, but that does not stop minors in the country's Kurdish dominated eastern and south eastern regions from ending up with stiff jail sentences. In fact, after amendments were recently made to the country's anti-terror law, it is possible to charges children as terrorists and put them away for up to 50 years in jail.
Lawyer Canan Atabay who represents the Diyarbakir Bar Association at the European Union and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and is also a member of the Justice for Children Initiative (JCI) that has opposed indiscriminate arrests and sentencing of children for the last three years believes that the law targets Kurdish children. According to figures maintained by the JCI there are currently no fewer than 3,000 children being held in Turkish prisons. ‘'Almost all of them are Kurdish,’’ Atabay told IPS.
Turkey's crackdown on children began in the aftermath of the 2006 street riots in Diyarbakir, a predominantly Kurdish city where support for the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that is struggling for the rights of Kurdish citizens runs high.
In 2006, after the public funeral of 14 PKK members who were allegedly killed with chemical weapons, clashes between demonstrators and security forces broke out. After the initial comment of Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that ‘'whether men, women or children, the security forces will react with disproportionate force’', in the four days of riots ten people, five of them children, were shot by police arms. One child's skull was crushed by security forces.
Two months after the riots, Turkey's Supreme Court ruled that the 2005 anti-terror law could now be applied to children in the 15 - 18 age group. From then on they can be tried in Heavy Penal Courts which are authorised to try cases of organised crime, terrorism and state security. In 2006, the Supreme Court also changed its interpretation of the anti-terror law: whenever somebody is involved in a demonstration, carries a flag or does any other kind of propaganda for an illegal organisation, he or she is considered to be part of this organisation and defined as a 'terrorist'. ‘’
After the events of 2006, the state adopted a different perspective towards children,’’ says Diyarbakir lawyer Kezban Yilmaz. ‘’Putting a child into prison and preventing interaction with the family has the effect of making the family collapse,’’ she told IPS. ‘’The target of this repression is Kurdish society as a whole, the goal is to obstruct the democratic demands of the population.’'
‘'A child who is arrested in Istanbul for taking part in a demonstration will be tried according to the laws on demonstrations and public meetings,’’ says Kezban who is also the spokeswoman for JCI. ‘’A child arrested in Diyarbakir will be tried according to the laws on demonstrations and public meetings and accused of propagandising for a terrorist organisation and being a member of this terrorist organisation.’'
Currently Kezban is handling the symbolic case of Engin Tekin, a 17-year-old facing 50 years imprisonment for taking part in a public demonstration. He was arrested last October and is charged with seven offences: throwing stones at the police, damaging private property, being member of a banned organisation, possessing explosive articles and using them. 'Different offences carry different sentences,’’ Kezban explains. ‘’Propagandising for a terrorist organisation equals three years of imprisonment, membership starts from seven years.
When you add these up, for instance a child that joins the Kurdish new year celebrations and is arrested, is on average sentenced from 13 up to 28 years in prison.'’ But according to Kezban, currently there are children being arrested and sentenced for no more than giving the 'V' for victory sign, singing Kurdish songs, living near where a demonstration took place or accidentally passing through at the time of the demonstration.
'’They are being arrested in an indiscriminate way,’’ she told IPS. The arrested children are mostly sentenced on the basis of police testimonies and video footage. Only one percent of all prosecuted children get acquitted. Of the 60 cases Canan has handled since 2008, charges were dropped on only one occasion when the judge did not find the police testimonies convincing and there was no video footage. '’Normally judges consider police testimonies to be sufficient proof to put the children away,’’ Canan tells IPS. Besides, according to interviews and meetings conducted by JCI with jailed children, prison conditions are inhumane.
It is not uncommon to find bugs or glass in the food, there is no access to fresh air in the cells and children are verbally insulted by the prison personnel as they are considered to be terrorists. In Adana a city more to the south, there is evidence of torture used against children.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Iran? No...Turkey..
Sirnak Deputy Mayor, went to visit his brother in the Mardin E Type Closed Prison and was arrested.
The U.N. has "watched the situation in Iran" for over 30 years
Call to save the life of a political prisoner on death row on charges of "moharebeh." On April 26, the regime sentenced Jafar Kazemi, a political prisoner, to death at the mullahs’ appeals court on charges of “moharebeh” (waging war against God) and “propaganda against the establishment through cooperation with opposition groups.”
Jafar Kazemi, 47, is a father of two and was arrested on September 18, 2009, and transferred to Tehran’s Evin prison, where he was placed under torture and immense pressure. The regime’s henchmen pressured him to partake in the mullahs’ appalling propaganda, show trials and forced confessions on December 27 (religious festival of Ashura).
When these desperate measures failed, a phony case was fabricated against him and he was sentenced to death by a judge identified as Zargar. The cruel punishment, which had not been communicated to Kazemi before, was unexpectedly confirmed at an appeals court. We calls on the United Nations Secretary General, Security Council, the international community at large and all human rights advocates to enact urgent and binding measures to prevent the hanging of political prisoner Jafar Kazemi as well as for the release of all political prisoners in Iran.
Politically and Ethnically cleansing under the guise of Islam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3r_0s5I9V8&feature=related
"As a businessman you have to separate the human rights from the economic decision's." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMDiaAKWRG4&feature=related
Jafar Kazemi, 47, is a father of two and was arrested on September 18, 2009, and transferred to Tehran’s Evin prison, where he was placed under torture and immense pressure. The regime’s henchmen pressured him to partake in the mullahs’ appalling propaganda, show trials and forced confessions on December 27 (religious festival of Ashura).
When these desperate measures failed, a phony case was fabricated against him and he was sentenced to death by a judge identified as Zargar. The cruel punishment, which had not been communicated to Kazemi before, was unexpectedly confirmed at an appeals court. We calls on the United Nations Secretary General, Security Council, the international community at large and all human rights advocates to enact urgent and binding measures to prevent the hanging of political prisoner Jafar Kazemi as well as for the release of all political prisoners in Iran.
Politically and Ethnically cleansing under the guise of Islam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3r_0s5I9V8&feature=related
"As a businessman you have to separate the human rights from the economic decision's." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMDiaAKWRG4&feature=related
Yeah..That´s what we see today in Iran and against the Kurds as well.
And it´s NOT just a "human rights" issue..It´s ethnically cleanings, extermination, genocide, cultural genocide, wanton destruction, politized and crimes against humanity in EVERY ¤%¤¤ ASPECT THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES!
"Human rights"!
Crimes by the "Islamic Republic regime"..
On August 15th, 2004 a 16-year-old girl was hanged in a public square in Neka, Iran. At the age of 13, a 51 year old former government agent started molesting her. Her death sentence was for "acts incompatible with chastity". Her name was Atefah Rafavi Sahaaleh. The only evidence against Atefah was her own forced confession. Atefah railed against her judge in court for its unfairness, but this was her undoing. Judge Haji Rezai, who was also the local mullah, prosecutor and head of the city administration, personally obtained permission from Iran's Supreme Court to execute her, and put the noose around her neck himself before she was hoisted on a crane jib arm to her death.
On the night of her wedding to a boy who loved her, she was taken by the authorities and soon after executed without knowledge of her family.
The film clips are from a documentary film made by BB2 called "execution of a teenage girl" which can be viewed in full at : http://www.stopchildexecutions.com/
The "Moral Police" were a part of a child prostitution ring..
Atefeh Rajabi Sahaaleh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovSI2uyZW6w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzD_SSGrSr8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6kkh42UEnk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq5LJ2MNa9E&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aspN7-ChXqM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7mZtlIXlOA&feature=related
On the night of her wedding to a boy who loved her, she was taken by the authorities and soon after executed without knowledge of her family.
The film clips are from a documentary film made by BB2 called "execution of a teenage girl" which can be viewed in full at : http://www.stopchildexecutions.com/
The "Moral Police" were a part of a child prostitution ring..
Atefeh Rajabi Sahaaleh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovSI2uyZW6w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzD_SSGrSr8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6kkh42UEnk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq5LJ2MNa9E&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aspN7-ChXqM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7mZtlIXlOA&feature=related
Terror..In populated areas..
HAKKARI /ŞIRNAK – Local and cross-border operation of Turkish Army Forces are making life unbearable for residence especially for children who are living in Hakkari and Sirnak. The Army’s expanded local and cross-border operations are continuing. The residents in the bombing zone are living like in a battle area and their life become unbearable.
Experts emphasized that these conditions are creating unhealthy situations for citizens’ psychology as well as children’. One of residents 55 year old Sevket Demir explains; “Authorities are doing everything to make us bothered. Women and children are affected very negative because of artillery shooting, jets and scenes of full of panzers or soldiers.
"Children are crying in fear in the middle of the night. We are living like in war conditions. Nobody has right to make us to live in this conditions.”
11 year old Neşet Tunç; "My friends and I are really scared when we hear artillery. Sometimes soldiers are shooting the artilleries when we are in the class. Windows are shaking, our ears are bothering looks like blow-up and everywhere is shaking violently.
Experts emphasized that these conditions are creating unhealthy situations for citizens’ psychology as well as children’. One of residents 55 year old Sevket Demir explains; “Authorities are doing everything to make us bothered. Women and children are affected very negative because of artillery shooting, jets and scenes of full of panzers or soldiers.
"Children are crying in fear in the middle of the night. We are living like in war conditions. Nobody has right to make us to live in this conditions.”
11 year old Neşet Tunç; "My friends and I are really scared when we hear artillery. Sometimes soldiers are shooting the artilleries when we are in the class. Windows are shaking, our ears are bothering looks like blow-up and everywhere is shaking violently.
While Israeli warships fire on Rafah-area fishermen
Ma’an – Between 2 and 3am Friday morning fishermen working on the Rafah coast reported heavy fire at fishing boats out at sea near the Tel As-Saltan beach. Witnesses reported no injuries and the boats all returned safely to shore. An Israeli military official said neither the southern command offices nor naval officials were aware of any incidents in the area overnight. She noted, however, that when Palestinian fishing vessels cross the enforced three nautical-mile fishing limit, warning shots are routinely fired in the air. Under the Oslo Agreements, a fishing limit of 20 nautical miles was agreed to by Palestinian and Israeli negotiators, but in 2006 it was unilaterally reduced to 6 nautical miles, and in 2009 it was unilaterally reduced to three nautical miles.
Kafr Qaddum village residents said they woke up to settlers from the Hifat Gilad outpost of the illegal Qedumin settlement bloc tearing up some 30 olive trees on private lands. The trees, part of the agricultural land belonging to Saleh Shtewi and his brothers, were torn up at the south-eastern end of the village, abutting the settlement.
Fields in the area had previously been declared a closed military zone, locals said, keeping farmers from planting or harvesting their crops. Some were able to secure special permits during harvest seasons from Israeli authorities, however this did not always guarantee access to groves and orchards if settlers were present in the area.
Ma’an – A state of tension and rage prevailed among the residents in Shu’fat refugee camp in northern Jerusalem after Israeli bulldozers destroyed a wastewater network near the entrance of the camp. "The sludge turned the street into a swamp and obstructed the movement of schoolchildren, as well as slowed down public and private transportation," resident Jamil Sanduqa told Ma'an's correspondent.
Witnesses: 200 settlers vandalizing Rawabi city
Kafr Qaddum village residents said they woke up to settlers from the Hifat Gilad outpost of the illegal Qedumin settlement bloc tearing up some 30 olive trees on private lands. The trees, part of the agricultural land belonging to Saleh Shtewi and his brothers, were torn up at the south-eastern end of the village, abutting the settlement.
Fields in the area had previously been declared a closed military zone, locals said, keeping farmers from planting or harvesting their crops. Some were able to secure special permits during harvest seasons from Israeli authorities, however this did not always guarantee access to groves and orchards if settlers were present in the area.
Ma’an – A state of tension and rage prevailed among the residents in Shu’fat refugee camp in northern Jerusalem after Israeli bulldozers destroyed a wastewater network near the entrance of the camp. "The sludge turned the street into a swamp and obstructed the movement of schoolchildren, as well as slowed down public and private transportation," resident Jamil Sanduqa told Ma'an's correspondent.
Witnesses: 200 settlers vandalizing Rawabi city
(S)elections
The following are supposedly the real Iran election figures that were suppressed, which came in a letter sent anonymously, purportedly an official IRI document with Islamic Republic of Iran Letterhead.
Mohammad Asghari, who leaked the information about the true result of the elections. Sources confirmed that he died in a suspicious car accident. He was a Sisco specialist working as a contractor on the Ministry of Interior’s intranet network security. Two days after the election he leaked the actual election results and was killed in a staged car accident.The actual election results he leaked was as follows:
Qualified voters: 49,322,412
Participated voters: 42,026,078
Voided votes: 387,161
Musavi votes: 19,075,623
Karubi votes: 13,387,104
Ahmadinejad votes: 5,698,417
Rezaie votes: 3,754,218
Azeri-Turks, Azeri-Armenian, Azeri Jews..
Ahmadinejad Meeting "Jews Against Zionism" in New York. The "Jews Against Zionism"- These people are a major faction within US ruling class. "Jews against Zionism" are far more criminal than regular "Jews for Zionism".Ahmedinejad is half Azeri-Turkic-Jewish-Armenian? Khatami is Azeri Turk, in fact many in the Iranian regime are Azeri Turks. Armenian decent have the JIAN or IAN in the end of their names and is almost always Armenian.
Britain's "Daily Telegraph" claims it has new evidence showing Ahmadinejad was "previously known as Sabourjian -- a Jewish name meaning cloth weaver." A photograph of the Iranian president holding up his identity card during elections in March 2008 clearly shows his family has Jewish roots.
The short note scrawled on the card suggests his family changed its name to Ahmadinejad when they converted to embrace Islam after his birth.
Meir Javedanfar casts doubt on the Jewish links: The reason that Ahmadinejad's father changed his surname has more to do with the class struggle in Iran. When it became mandatory to adopt surnames, many people from rural areas chose names that represented their professions or that of their ancestors. This made them easily identifiable as townfolk. In many cases they changed their surnames upon moving to Tehran, in order to avoid snobbery and discrimination from residents of the capital. The Sabourjians were one of many such families. Their surname was related to carpet-making, an industry that conjures up images of sweatshops. They changed it to Ahmadinejad in order to help them fit in. The new name was also chosen because it means from the race of Ahmad, one of the names given to Muhammad.
"You should punish the moral corrupt - not the victims of it."
Atefah's words in the Neka's court which she was taken to after refusing "temporally marriage" to Haji Rezai, head of Neka's court. Moreover, Judge Rezai, militia members and those who accused her and detained her were involved in a child prostitution ring.
Atefeh Rajabi Sahaaleh, was a 16-year-old schoolgirl from the town of Neka, Iran who was executed a week after being sentenced to death by Haji Rezai, head of Neka's court on charges of adultery and "crimes against chastity". Rezai, who served as the prosecutor, judge and witness also carried out the execution of the teenager himself by placing the noose round Atefeh's neck before she was hoisted on a crane to her death telling her “This will teach you to disobey!”
After the execution of Atefeh, Iranian media reported that Judge Rezai and several militia members including Captain Zabihi and Captain Molai were arrested by the Intelligence Ministry. Inside sources informed the media that in addition to the confession of his rape of Atefeh, Judge Rezai who served as judge, jury and executioner, also confessed to torturing her during interrogations to extract names of others she had relations with.
He also confessed to covering up what he and the militia members had done to Atefeh, by speeding up the verdict of execution. Judge Rezai insisted that the verdict and the execution were fully in compliance with the laws of Islam, permitted and sanctioned by the religious authorities. No charges have been made against Rezai.
The execution is controversial because as a signatory of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Iran promised not to execute anyone under the age of 18. Atefah's father had passed her birth certificate to the civil authorities, lawyers involved, journalists and Judge Rezai himself but according to a witness, "the judge just looked at her body, because of the developed physique ... declared her as 22."
Pursuant to continual complaints filed by Atefeh's family, and very heavy international pressure about her execution and the way the judge mishandled the case, the Supreme Court of Iran issued an order to free Atefeh, but only after it already knew she was dead.
Massacring Iranian soldiers, abusing, jailing, killing, disrespecting Iranian War Veterans
As the men who saved the Islamic Republic from extinction, the "Basijis", or "volunteers", are hugely respected in Iranian society. Yet increasingly, many veterans complain their identity has been hijacked by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's hardliners. Today the term "Basiji" is generally used to refer to the militia of bearded, fundamentalist youths who attack liberal gatherings and harass young Iranians for wearing Western clothes.
"There are two different kinds of Basiji," said Hamid Salehi, who still endures lung problems after surviving an Iraqi gas attack. "There are the real Basiji like us, who participated and volunteered in the war, and then there are those who support the president, who just use it as a label."
Another veteran, Mohammad Tabatabaye, 45, added: "The real Basijis sacrificed themselves for the country so that we could have freedom. They are not the same as those guys who come with sticks and chains and hit the young people because they have different tastes and different clothing."
According to Mr Salehi, Iran has about 500,000 surviving Basijis. The war with Iraq, between 1980 and 1988, was triggered by Saddam's invasion of his neighbour and became one of the deadliest in modern times, killing some 230,000 Iranian soldiers and claiming perhaps a million lives in total.
Some of the Basijis were only 13 when they volunteered and they fought Iraq without proper military training, often simply charging the enemy in "human wave" attacks. Since then, Iran's regime has made a point of looking after veterans and the families of "martyrs", providing many of the injured with free homes and hospital treatment. But veterans complain that not all receive the help they need.
Many are also contemptuous of Mr Ahmadinejad's followers. "I see these people wearing the Basiji scarves and clothes, and it makes me angry, it is as if they have stolen my identity," said Mr Tabatabaye, who volunteered at the age of 18 and was a prisoner of war in Iraq after being captured near Basra in 1982.
Ahmadinejad served with Iranian special forces during the war with Iraq and famously claims to have joined a raid on the city of Mosul. But some doubt his story. "You will not find any wartime commander who will tell you that Ahmadinejad was involved there," said another veteran. "It is just one of a thousand lies he tells."
"There are two different kinds of Basiji," said Hamid Salehi, who still endures lung problems after surviving an Iraqi gas attack. "There are the real Basiji like us, who participated and volunteered in the war, and then there are those who support the president, who just use it as a label."
Another veteran, Mohammad Tabatabaye, 45, added: "The real Basijis sacrificed themselves for the country so that we could have freedom. They are not the same as those guys who come with sticks and chains and hit the young people because they have different tastes and different clothing."
According to Mr Salehi, Iran has about 500,000 surviving Basijis. The war with Iraq, between 1980 and 1988, was triggered by Saddam's invasion of his neighbour and became one of the deadliest in modern times, killing some 230,000 Iranian soldiers and claiming perhaps a million lives in total.
Some of the Basijis were only 13 when they volunteered and they fought Iraq without proper military training, often simply charging the enemy in "human wave" attacks. Since then, Iran's regime has made a point of looking after veterans and the families of "martyrs", providing many of the injured with free homes and hospital treatment. But veterans complain that not all receive the help they need.
Many are also contemptuous of Mr Ahmadinejad's followers. "I see these people wearing the Basiji scarves and clothes, and it makes me angry, it is as if they have stolen my identity," said Mr Tabatabaye, who volunteered at the age of 18 and was a prisoner of war in Iraq after being captured near Basra in 1982.
Ahmadinejad served with Iranian special forces during the war with Iraq and famously claims to have joined a raid on the city of Mosul. But some doubt his story. "You will not find any wartime commander who will tell you that Ahmadinejad was involved there," said another veteran. "It is just one of a thousand lies he tells."
Selling out Persian women and girls
Iran's Sex Slaves Suffer Hideously Under Mullahs
A measure of Islamic fundamentalists' success in controlling society is the depth and totality with which they suppress the freedom and rights of women. In Iran for 25 years, the ruling mullahs have enforced humiliating and sadistic rules and punishments on women and girls, enslaving them in a gender apartheid system of segregation, forced veiling, second-class status, lashing and stoning to death.
Joining a global trend, the fundamentalists have added another way to dehumanize women and girls: buying and selling them for prostitution. Exact numbers of victims are impossible to obtain, but according to an official source in Tehran, there has been a 635 percent increase in the number of teen-age girls in prostitution. The magnitude of this statistic conveys how rapidly this form of abuse has grown. In Tehran, there are an estimated 84,000 women and girls in prostitution, many of them are on the streets, others are in the 250 brothels that reportedly operate in the city.
The trade is also international: Thousands of Iranian women and girls have been sold into sexual slavery abroad. The head of Iran's Interpol bureau believes that the sex-slave trade is one of the most profitable activities in Iran. This criminal trade is not conducted outside the knowledge and participation of the ruling fundamentalists. Government officials themselves are involved in buying, selling and sexually abusing women and girls.
Many of the girls come from impoverished rural areas. Drug addiction is epidemic throughout Iran, and some addicted parents sell their children to support their habits. High unemployment -- 28 percent for youth 15 to 29 years of age, and 43 percent for women 15 to 20 years of age -- is a serious factor in driving restless youth to accept risky offers for work. Slave traders take advantage of any opportunity in which women and children are vulnerable. For example, following the recent earthquake in Bam, orphaned girls have been kidnapped and taken to a known slave market in Tehran where Iranian and foreign traders meet.
Popular destinations for victims of the slave trade are the Arab countries in the Persian Gulf. According to the head of the Tehran province judiciary, traffickers target girls between 13 and 17, although there are reports of some girls as young as 8 and 10, to send to Arab countries.
The number of Iranian women and girls who are deported from Persian Gulf countries indicates the magnitude of the trade. Upon their return to Iran, the Islamic fundamentalists blame the victims, and often physically punish and imprison them. The women are examined to determine if they have engaged in "immoral activity." Based on the findings, officials can ban them from leaving the country again.
Police have uncovered a number of prostitution and slavery rings operating from Tehran that have sold girls to France, Britain and Turkey as well. One network based in Turkey bought smuggled Iranian women and girls, gave them fake passports, and transported them to European and Persian Gulf countries. In one case, a 16-year-old girl was smuggled to Turkey, and then sold to a 58-year-old European national for $20,000.
In the northeastern Iranian province of Khorasan, local police report that girls are being sold to Pakistani men as sex slaves. The Pakistani men marry the girls, ranging in age from 12 to 20, and then sell them to brothels called "Kharabat" in Pakistan. One network was caught contacting poor families around Mashad and offering to marry girls. The girls were then taken through Afghanistan to Pakistan where they were sold to brothels.
In the southeastern border province of Sistan Baluchestan, thousands of Iranian girls reportedly have been sold to Afghan men. Their final destinations are unknown.
One factor contributing to the increase in prostitution and the sex-slave trade is the number of teen girls who are running away from home. The girls are rebelling against fundamentalist-imposed restrictions on their freedom, domestic abuse and parental drug addictions. Unfortunately, in their flight to freedom, the girls find more abuse and exploitation.
90 percent of girls who run away from home will end up in prostitution. As a result of runaways, in Tehran alone there are an estimated 25,000 street children, most of them girls. Pimps prey upon street children, runaways and vulnerable high-school girls in city parks.
In one case, a woman was discovered selling Iranian girls to men in Persian Gulf countries; for four years, she had hunted down runaway girls and sold them. She even sold her own daughter for $11,000. Given the totalitarian rule in Iran, most organized activities are known to the authorities.
The exposure of sex-slave networks in Iran has shown that many mullahs and officials are involved in the sexual exploitation and trade of women and girls. Women report that in order to have a judge approve a divorce they have to have sex with him. Women who are arrested for prostitution say they must have sex with the arresting officer. There are reports of police locating young women for sex for the wealthy and powerful mullahs.
In cities, shelters have been set up to provide assistance for runaways. Officials who run these shelters are often corrupt; they run prostitution rings using the girls from the shelter. For example in Karaj, the former head of a Revolutionary Tribunal and seven other senior officials were arrested in connection with a prostitution ring that used 12- to 18-year-old girls from a shelter called the Center of Islamic Orientation.
Other instances of corruption abound. There was a judge in Karaj who was involved in a network that identified young girls to be sold abroad. And in Qom, the center for religious training in Iran, when a prostitution ring was broken up, some of the people arrested were from government agencies, including the Department of Justice.
The ruling fundamentalists have differing opinions on their official position on the sex trade: deny and hide it or recognize and accommodate it. In 2002, a BBC journalist was deported for taking photographs of prostitutes. Officials told her: "We are deporting you ... because you have taken pictures of prostitutes. This is not a true reflection of life in our Islamic Republic. We don't have prostitutes."
Yet, earlier the same year, officials of the Social Department of the Interior Ministry suggested legalizing prostitution as a way to manage it and control the spread of HIV. They proposed setting up brothels, called "morality houses," and using the traditional religious custom of temporary marriage, in which a couple can marry for a short period of time, even an hour, to facilitate prostitution. Islamic fundamentalists' ideology and practices are adaptable when it comes to controlling and using women. Some may think a thriving sex trade in a theocracy with clerics acting as pimps is a contradiction in a country founded and ruled by Islamic fundamentalists.
In fact, this is not a contradiction. First, exploitation and repression of women are closely associated. Both exist where women, individually or collectively, are denied freedom and rights. Second, the Islamic fundamentalists in Iran are not simply conservative Muslims. Islamic fundamentalism is a political movement with a political ideology that considers women inherently inferior in intellectual and moral capacity.
Women and girls have no guarantees of freedom and rights, and no expectation of respect or dignity from the Islamic fundamentalists.
Dr. Donna M. Hughes is a professor and holds the Carlson Endowed Chair in Women's Studies at the University of Rhode Island. She wishes to acknowledge the Iranian human-rights and pro-democracy activists who contributed information for this article.
Donna M. Hughes http:www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/
A measure of Islamic fundamentalists' success in controlling society is the depth and totality with which they suppress the freedom and rights of women. In Iran for 25 years, the ruling mullahs have enforced humiliating and sadistic rules and punishments on women and girls, enslaving them in a gender apartheid system of segregation, forced veiling, second-class status, lashing and stoning to death.
Joining a global trend, the fundamentalists have added another way to dehumanize women and girls: buying and selling them for prostitution. Exact numbers of victims are impossible to obtain, but according to an official source in Tehran, there has been a 635 percent increase in the number of teen-age girls in prostitution. The magnitude of this statistic conveys how rapidly this form of abuse has grown. In Tehran, there are an estimated 84,000 women and girls in prostitution, many of them are on the streets, others are in the 250 brothels that reportedly operate in the city.
The trade is also international: Thousands of Iranian women and girls have been sold into sexual slavery abroad. The head of Iran's Interpol bureau believes that the sex-slave trade is one of the most profitable activities in Iran. This criminal trade is not conducted outside the knowledge and participation of the ruling fundamentalists. Government officials themselves are involved in buying, selling and sexually abusing women and girls.
Many of the girls come from impoverished rural areas. Drug addiction is epidemic throughout Iran, and some addicted parents sell their children to support their habits. High unemployment -- 28 percent for youth 15 to 29 years of age, and 43 percent for women 15 to 20 years of age -- is a serious factor in driving restless youth to accept risky offers for work. Slave traders take advantage of any opportunity in which women and children are vulnerable. For example, following the recent earthquake in Bam, orphaned girls have been kidnapped and taken to a known slave market in Tehran where Iranian and foreign traders meet.
Popular destinations for victims of the slave trade are the Arab countries in the Persian Gulf. According to the head of the Tehran province judiciary, traffickers target girls between 13 and 17, although there are reports of some girls as young as 8 and 10, to send to Arab countries.
The number of Iranian women and girls who are deported from Persian Gulf countries indicates the magnitude of the trade. Upon their return to Iran, the Islamic fundamentalists blame the victims, and often physically punish and imprison them. The women are examined to determine if they have engaged in "immoral activity." Based on the findings, officials can ban them from leaving the country again.
Police have uncovered a number of prostitution and slavery rings operating from Tehran that have sold girls to France, Britain and Turkey as well. One network based in Turkey bought smuggled Iranian women and girls, gave them fake passports, and transported them to European and Persian Gulf countries. In one case, a 16-year-old girl was smuggled to Turkey, and then sold to a 58-year-old European national for $20,000.
In the northeastern Iranian province of Khorasan, local police report that girls are being sold to Pakistani men as sex slaves. The Pakistani men marry the girls, ranging in age from 12 to 20, and then sell them to brothels called "Kharabat" in Pakistan. One network was caught contacting poor families around Mashad and offering to marry girls. The girls were then taken through Afghanistan to Pakistan where they were sold to brothels.
In the southeastern border province of Sistan Baluchestan, thousands of Iranian girls reportedly have been sold to Afghan men. Their final destinations are unknown.
One factor contributing to the increase in prostitution and the sex-slave trade is the number of teen girls who are running away from home. The girls are rebelling against fundamentalist-imposed restrictions on their freedom, domestic abuse and parental drug addictions. Unfortunately, in their flight to freedom, the girls find more abuse and exploitation.
90 percent of girls who run away from home will end up in prostitution. As a result of runaways, in Tehran alone there are an estimated 25,000 street children, most of them girls. Pimps prey upon street children, runaways and vulnerable high-school girls in city parks.
In one case, a woman was discovered selling Iranian girls to men in Persian Gulf countries; for four years, she had hunted down runaway girls and sold them. She even sold her own daughter for $11,000. Given the totalitarian rule in Iran, most organized activities are known to the authorities.
The exposure of sex-slave networks in Iran has shown that many mullahs and officials are involved in the sexual exploitation and trade of women and girls. Women report that in order to have a judge approve a divorce they have to have sex with him. Women who are arrested for prostitution say they must have sex with the arresting officer. There are reports of police locating young women for sex for the wealthy and powerful mullahs.
In cities, shelters have been set up to provide assistance for runaways. Officials who run these shelters are often corrupt; they run prostitution rings using the girls from the shelter. For example in Karaj, the former head of a Revolutionary Tribunal and seven other senior officials were arrested in connection with a prostitution ring that used 12- to 18-year-old girls from a shelter called the Center of Islamic Orientation.
Other instances of corruption abound. There was a judge in Karaj who was involved in a network that identified young girls to be sold abroad. And in Qom, the center for religious training in Iran, when a prostitution ring was broken up, some of the people arrested were from government agencies, including the Department of Justice.
The ruling fundamentalists have differing opinions on their official position on the sex trade: deny and hide it or recognize and accommodate it. In 2002, a BBC journalist was deported for taking photographs of prostitutes. Officials told her: "We are deporting you ... because you have taken pictures of prostitutes. This is not a true reflection of life in our Islamic Republic. We don't have prostitutes."
Yet, earlier the same year, officials of the Social Department of the Interior Ministry suggested legalizing prostitution as a way to manage it and control the spread of HIV. They proposed setting up brothels, called "morality houses," and using the traditional religious custom of temporary marriage, in which a couple can marry for a short period of time, even an hour, to facilitate prostitution. Islamic fundamentalists' ideology and practices are adaptable when it comes to controlling and using women. Some may think a thriving sex trade in a theocracy with clerics acting as pimps is a contradiction in a country founded and ruled by Islamic fundamentalists.
In fact, this is not a contradiction. First, exploitation and repression of women are closely associated. Both exist where women, individually or collectively, are denied freedom and rights. Second, the Islamic fundamentalists in Iran are not simply conservative Muslims. Islamic fundamentalism is a political movement with a political ideology that considers women inherently inferior in intellectual and moral capacity.
Women and girls have no guarantees of freedom and rights, and no expectation of respect or dignity from the Islamic fundamentalists.
Dr. Donna M. Hughes is a professor and holds the Carlson Endowed Chair in Women's Studies at the University of Rhode Island. She wishes to acknowledge the Iranian human-rights and pro-democracy activists who contributed information for this article.
Donna M. Hughes http:www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/
Since its inception 26 years ago, the regime has been in a state of constant war with the Iranian people as well as the Iranian heritage
The Islamic Republic of Iran has renewed its war of destruction on Persian antiquities. The regime sees its Persian heritage as a formidable enemy of its conquest. It aims at turning Iran into a pure form of an Islamic nation. Hence, they have waged a war on Persian antiquities in the hope of suppressing Persian pride and nationalism.
"Cultural genocide" is a term sometimes used to describe the deliberate destruction of the cultural heritage of a people or nation for political or military reasons. Since its inception 26 years ago, the regime has been in a state of constant war with the Iranian people as well as the Iranian heritage.
Over its life span, the Islamic Republic zealots have tried many times to cleanse the pre—Islamic Persian heritage in the name of Islam. First, they declared war against the Persian New Year or 'Nowruz', and then they attacked other Persian traditions and customs.
At the beginning of the revolution, Islamic zealots rushed to the site of the Persepolis, the magnificent palace of the Achaemenid kings. Fortunately, the total bulldozing of the relics of the Palace was averted by Iranian patriots who wished to preserve their heritage.
In their latest attempt in the war of destruction, the Islamic Republic has been insidiously planning to obliterate some of the most cherished places in Persian history. They intend to eradicate the Pasargad, the Bolaghi gorge and the Persepolis. Most of all, they are obliterating the memory of one of history's great rulers, Cyrus the Great.
In Pasargad is found the tomb of Cyrus the Great, the King of Kings and the founding father of Persia. Cyrus the Great, who is mentioned 25 times in the Bible, is known for his passion and compassion and his unprecedented tolerance. Cyrus the Great's Charter of Human Rights is known to be the first such charter written, and refers to the concept of humans as having universal rights, regardless of legal jurisdiction, ethnicity, nationality or religion.
Cyrus the Great's most notable reputation of a great leader stands high as a Persian king who freed the Jews from captivity by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.Cyrus the Great, not only allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple, but assisted the Jews in this endeavor, something which was followed by his heirs.
Cyrus the Great proclaimed more than 2500 years ago, "Today, I announce that everyone is free to choose a religion and free to live in all regions and take up a job provided that they never violate other's rights."
Cyrus the Great declared himself not a conqueror, but a liberator.
It has been said that Alexander the Great set the torch to Persepolis in a drunken rage, regretting it the following day. Alexander the Great plundered Persia. He destroyed and burned Persepolis, the magnificent palace complex of the Achaemenid kings. Yet, Alexander the Great paid tribute to Cyrus the Great at his tomb. This shows how much the king of kings was respected, even in the eyes of his fierce enemies. What Alexander came to set on fire to more than 2200 years ago, the regime intends to submerge today.
In its war of construction and destruction, the regime has been building "Sivand Dam" near the Persian antiquities. The construction of the Sivand Dam on the Polvar River began in 1992 without consultation with or the knowledge of the World Cultural Heritage Organization officials. The dam's opening was planned in March 2005, but the Iranian energy ministry has delayed it to early 2006 to give the archaeologists more time to examine the sites.
This dam will flood the entire Tang—e Bolaghi (Bolaghi Gorge) mountain pass and the surrounding region. That would lead to some 8 kilometers of the Bolaghi Gorge being submerged and lost forever. Thus, experts of ICHCTO and the Pars—e Pasargad Research Foundation quickly undertook a project to study the area. So far they have identified more than 100 archeological sites there
The regime´s ulterior motive in building "Sivand Dam" so close to the archeological sites was to intentionally flood the vast archeological area of Pasargad, including the tomb of Cyrus the Great, Bolaghi Gorge, the King's path and the main historical road of Persia, which was constructed by order of Darius of the Achaemenids and the relics of the magnificent palace of Persepolis.
Although the regime's records speak dismally for itself, there are numerous reasons for this cultural genocide by the Islamic regime, in Iran.
The Islamic regime's decision to destroy Cyrus the Great's tomb is due to their inner fear of the personification of Cyrus the Great in the heart of every Persian. Since Cyrus the Great released the Jews from captivity some 2500 years ago, the Islamic Republic's intense hatred of Jews has fueled their mission of destruction. Also, fear of Persian nationalism is so immense that it stands in their way of creating an Islamic Utopia. These fears are justified, especially following the news on the future release of a British movie on the life of Cyrus the Great.
Today, we are up against a truly malignant force in radical Islamism that is breeding, sheltering and financing its terrorist armory. This new enemy of humanity and world heritage is far more radical and dangerous than the Nazi Germany or the old Soviet Russia ever were.
The Islamic Republic's ultimate objective is the destruction of everything in the world that is good and leaving behind a network of Islamic terror around the free world.
Let us hope that people of the earth become united against the forces of evil and evildoers of radical Islamism. Let us hope that the free world applies pressure to the Islamic Republic to prevent them from purging the Persian heritage.
"Cultural genocide in the name of Islam"
The plague of dam construction has become a means for Islamic regime to destroy ancient Iranian Heritage in the name of development projects. Although the dam constructions are economically important, but in Iran have threatened the country´s rich cultural heritage. One of the most important examples of such is construction of Sivand Dam in Bolaghi Valley.
Ever since the initial phase of Sivand Dam construction, large groups of Archaeologists and experts from Iran and across the globe have become engaged in an emergency salvation project to save the remaining evidence at Bolaghi Valley before they are immersed under water, making it the biggest salvation project ever in the history of Iran?s Archaeological activities. Archaeologists have no choice but to end their rescue operations in Bolaghi Valley in a month time to submit their final report before the Dam floods the entire area.
Iranian and Italian archeologists conducting excavations at Sivand Dam to salvage the cultural heritage of Tangeh Bolaghi have come across an Achaemenid Village along the Shahi Road. The village will be submerged with the commissioning of Sivand Dam.Tangeh (mountain pass) Bolaghi which extends for 18 km is located eight kilometers from Pasargad historical monument in Fars province. It forms a part of the landscape of Pasargad.
"Cultural genocide" is a term sometimes used to describe the deliberate destruction of the cultural heritage of a people or nation for political or military reasons. Since its inception 26 years ago, the regime has been in a state of constant war with the Iranian people as well as the Iranian heritage.
Over its life span, the Islamic Republic zealots have tried many times to cleanse the pre—Islamic Persian heritage in the name of Islam. First, they declared war against the Persian New Year or 'Nowruz', and then they attacked other Persian traditions and customs.
At the beginning of the revolution, Islamic zealots rushed to the site of the Persepolis, the magnificent palace of the Achaemenid kings. Fortunately, the total bulldozing of the relics of the Palace was averted by Iranian patriots who wished to preserve their heritage.
In their latest attempt in the war of destruction, the Islamic Republic has been insidiously planning to obliterate some of the most cherished places in Persian history. They intend to eradicate the Pasargad, the Bolaghi gorge and the Persepolis. Most of all, they are obliterating the memory of one of history's great rulers, Cyrus the Great.
In Pasargad is found the tomb of Cyrus the Great, the King of Kings and the founding father of Persia. Cyrus the Great, who is mentioned 25 times in the Bible, is known for his passion and compassion and his unprecedented tolerance. Cyrus the Great's Charter of Human Rights is known to be the first such charter written, and refers to the concept of humans as having universal rights, regardless of legal jurisdiction, ethnicity, nationality or religion.
Cyrus the Great's most notable reputation of a great leader stands high as a Persian king who freed the Jews from captivity by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.Cyrus the Great, not only allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple, but assisted the Jews in this endeavor, something which was followed by his heirs.
Cyrus the Great proclaimed more than 2500 years ago, "Today, I announce that everyone is free to choose a religion and free to live in all regions and take up a job provided that they never violate other's rights."
Cyrus the Great declared himself not a conqueror, but a liberator.
It has been said that Alexander the Great set the torch to Persepolis in a drunken rage, regretting it the following day. Alexander the Great plundered Persia. He destroyed and burned Persepolis, the magnificent palace complex of the Achaemenid kings. Yet, Alexander the Great paid tribute to Cyrus the Great at his tomb. This shows how much the king of kings was respected, even in the eyes of his fierce enemies. What Alexander came to set on fire to more than 2200 years ago, the regime intends to submerge today.
In its war of construction and destruction, the regime has been building "Sivand Dam" near the Persian antiquities. The construction of the Sivand Dam on the Polvar River began in 1992 without consultation with or the knowledge of the World Cultural Heritage Organization officials. The dam's opening was planned in March 2005, but the Iranian energy ministry has delayed it to early 2006 to give the archaeologists more time to examine the sites.
This dam will flood the entire Tang—e Bolaghi (Bolaghi Gorge) mountain pass and the surrounding region. That would lead to some 8 kilometers of the Bolaghi Gorge being submerged and lost forever. Thus, experts of ICHCTO and the Pars—e Pasargad Research Foundation quickly undertook a project to study the area. So far they have identified more than 100 archeological sites there
The regime´s ulterior motive in building "Sivand Dam" so close to the archeological sites was to intentionally flood the vast archeological area of Pasargad, including the tomb of Cyrus the Great, Bolaghi Gorge, the King's path and the main historical road of Persia, which was constructed by order of Darius of the Achaemenids and the relics of the magnificent palace of Persepolis.
Although the regime's records speak dismally for itself, there are numerous reasons for this cultural genocide by the Islamic regime, in Iran.
The Islamic regime's decision to destroy Cyrus the Great's tomb is due to their inner fear of the personification of Cyrus the Great in the heart of every Persian. Since Cyrus the Great released the Jews from captivity some 2500 years ago, the Islamic Republic's intense hatred of Jews has fueled their mission of destruction. Also, fear of Persian nationalism is so immense that it stands in their way of creating an Islamic Utopia. These fears are justified, especially following the news on the future release of a British movie on the life of Cyrus the Great.
Today, we are up against a truly malignant force in radical Islamism that is breeding, sheltering and financing its terrorist armory. This new enemy of humanity and world heritage is far more radical and dangerous than the Nazi Germany or the old Soviet Russia ever were.
The Islamic Republic's ultimate objective is the destruction of everything in the world that is good and leaving behind a network of Islamic terror around the free world.
Let us hope that people of the earth become united against the forces of evil and evildoers of radical Islamism. Let us hope that the free world applies pressure to the Islamic Republic to prevent them from purging the Persian heritage.
"Cultural genocide in the name of Islam"
The plague of dam construction has become a means for Islamic regime to destroy ancient Iranian Heritage in the name of development projects. Although the dam constructions are economically important, but in Iran have threatened the country´s rich cultural heritage. One of the most important examples of such is construction of Sivand Dam in Bolaghi Valley.
Ever since the initial phase of Sivand Dam construction, large groups of Archaeologists and experts from Iran and across the globe have become engaged in an emergency salvation project to save the remaining evidence at Bolaghi Valley before they are immersed under water, making it the biggest salvation project ever in the history of Iran?s Archaeological activities. Archaeologists have no choice but to end their rescue operations in Bolaghi Valley in a month time to submit their final report before the Dam floods the entire area.
Iranian and Italian archeologists conducting excavations at Sivand Dam to salvage the cultural heritage of Tangeh Bolaghi have come across an Achaemenid Village along the Shahi Road. The village will be submerged with the commissioning of Sivand Dam.Tangeh (mountain pass) Bolaghi which extends for 18 km is located eight kilometers from Pasargad historical monument in Fars province. It forms a part of the landscape of Pasargad.
Dangers to archaeological sites all over Iran.
Since the Islamic Republic came to power in 1979, pre-Islamic Iranian heritage has suffered extensively and many historical sites have been destroyed under the guise of development projects.
The biggest of them all is the notorious Sivand Dam in Fars province, which submerged over 137 archaeological sites, including an Achaemenid dynastic (550-330 BCE) palace denoted to Darius the Great; a section of the Achaemenid Imperial Road; a Parthian cemetery and a Sasanian dynastic wine workshop. In addition, the humidity that is generated from the artificial lake has affected the structural-integrity of the Pasargadae the first capital of Achaemenid dynasty.
Many Iranians and cultural institutions including CAIS, believe the regime’s main objective for building the Sivand dam was a gradual destruction of Pasargadae and particularly the mausoleum of Cyrus the Great as the result of high humidity levels in the area.
The historical figure of the Cyrus the Great is placed on the top of the Islamic Regime leaders’ hate list. He who is considered by Iranians as the ‘Father of the Nation’ has been under constant attack and name-callings, simply because Iranians have great respect and deep warm feelings for the benevolent ancient Iranian king.
Mausoleum of Cyrus the Great at risk.
Cyrus Tomb"The filling of the dam's reservoir will cause many environmental, economic, and cultural changes in the region, and the rise in humidity will damage the ancient structures," Mohammad-Hassan Talebian said.
Anahita Temple, in the township of Kangavar in Kermanshah Province.
The damages have been caused by construction activities including excavations for concrete-footings on the ancient platform, reported the Persian service of Mehr News. The construction has outraged archaeologists and cultural enthusiasts who are voicing their concerns over the destruction.
The news agency released pictures showing some concrete-footings at the site that have not yet dried out and metal beams ready to be erected. The evidence suggests a large construction is on the way and no one knows the purpose of the building or who is responsible for the destruction.
The construction work at the site has begun despite the fact that the heritage regulations ban any constructions on or around cultural heritage sites, though Islamic Republic is no stranger to ignoring this law.
When Mehr News agency reporter asked Zeinoldini the director of Kangavar Cultural Heritage Department about the destruction of the site, he refused to comment, responded “the order came from the top to not give any information, and you should contact the ICHTHO’s Public Relation Office to obtain the information.”
Anahita Temple
The proposed date for the construction of the Anahita Temple is circa 200 BCE, thus placing it as the oldest surviving stone structure from the Parthian dynasty (248BCE - 224CE) in Iran-proper.
The platform covers 4,600 sq.m, constructed over a mound 32-meters high, and is claimed to have been a temple dedicated to the Zoroastrian deity ‘Aredvi Sura Anahita’ (Ar´dvi Sura Anahita), venerated as the divinity of 'the Waters' (Aban), associated with fertility, healing, purity and wisdom.
The remains at Kangavar reveal an edifice that is Hellenistic in character and yet displays distinctly Iranian architectural traits. The platform’s enormous dimensions and its megalithic foundations, corroborated by the two lateral stairways that ascend the platform echo and recalling Achaemenid traditions, particularly mimicking that of the Apadana Palace at Persepolis. Since its construction, the ancient structure underwent numerous major reconstruction periods continuing into 19th century, and until detailed further excavations are to be carried out, no definite judgments may be declared on its function.
With the recent invasion and destruction of the site, obtaining and establishing the exact date or the function of the structure sinks further into ambiguity.
Sivand Dam: Countdown to Destruction Iranian Heritage
As the result of inundation of Sivand Dam in Fars Province the ancestral heritage of Iranian nation in Bolaghi Valley, will be buried under millions of gallons of water in five months time. Based on the Islamic Republic' Ministry of Energy, the Dam is set to be inaugurated by the end of the current Iranian year which will fall in late March 2007.
The catastrophe for Iranian heritage is that after the dam reservoir is filed, the Bolaghi Valley which contains well over 130 (according to some experts 147) ancient settlements from pre-Historic to Sasanian dynastic era will be submerged including a section of the Achaemenid Imperial?s Road (Rah-e ?ahi) and the recently discovered Achaemenid palace denoted to the Darius the Great.
In a press conference held on Nov. 6, Parviz Fattah, Islamic Republic's Minister of Energy, said that the plan will be carried through by the end of this year while, according to him, all the negotiations between the Ministry and Iran?s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) have already been settled; -the kind of negotiation that the loosing party is the Iranian nation.
Not surprisingly, the Islamic regime' Minster has also falsely declared that the Energy Ministry has provided ICHTO with the 470,000 Euro to build Pasargadae Museum near the historic Bolaghi Valley. The claim is being rejected by Mohammad Hassan Talebian, director of Parse-Pasargadae Research Center.
This issue have become one of main concerns for Iranian nation, which they are hopelessly witnessing the destruction of their heritage in hand of the despot theocratic regime in Iran. Pasargadae and Persepolis historical sites have special places in Iranian hearts and minds, which are sacred as K'aba in Mecca for Muslims.
The perimeters of the future artificial lake behind the dam at its largest reach is 7 kilometres from Pasargadae site, 9 kilometres from the mausoleum of the Cyrus the Great and nearly 70 kilometrs from Persepolis. Although there are no threats to these two historical sites from submersion aspect of Dam?s inundation, but the humidity changes, which artificially would be created by the dam, are going to be the key threat. No preliminary environmental research has been carried out to assess the affects of humidity upon the ancient constructions at Pasargadae. Therefore, the extent of the future damages to the site remains unknown.
A new tragedy is unfolding for the ancient sites of the Izeh region, as the Islamic Regime's Ministry of Energy plans the construction of yet another dam on the Sussan Plain in the Khuzestan Province.
The Sussan historical plain in the Khuzestan province, is the birthplace of Elamite and Achaemenid civilizations. With the construction and inundation of Karun II Dam, this historic plain along with all its invaluable archeological sites will be submerged.
The KCHTD (Khuzestan Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department) sent a letter to the Ministry of energy requesting its officials begin archaeological studies before the project becomes operational on the Sussan Plain, where many Elamite, Achaemenid, Parthian and Sassanid dynastic eras sites are located.
“The studies, which will evaluate the cultural significance of the site, should be carried out by the Ministry of Energy,” KCHTD director Sadeq Mohammadi told the Persian service of CHN. “The ministry will select a number of cultural studies advisors and the ICHTO will supervise them,” he added, but evaded a question about relocation of the dam.
Karun II Dam will be 125 meters in height and 382 meters in width. Its reservoir will have the capacity to store 206 million cubic meters of water.
It is not the first time, historical sites in Iran are in danger, either due to a lack of cooperation between different organizations or intentionally. In any case it results in the destruction of Iranian heritage, mainly pre-Islamic. The best example is the infamous Sivand dam in the Bolaghi Valley, which after inundation will devour 130 historical sites from pre-historic to Sasanian dynasty, and the humidity that generates from the artificial lake behind the dam is going to be an immense threat to Pasargadae and Cyrus the Great mausoleum's structural integrity.
Two years ago, another dam named Karun III was inaugurated in Khuzestan which devastated the archeological site behind it. Experts believe that archaeological salvage began too late for the ancient sites which were located in the area currently occupied by the reservoir of the Karun-III Dam, which came on stream in November 2004 and devoured many ancient sites and artifacts dating back to the Elamite era, the Stone Age, and the Epipaleolithic periods (20,000-10,000 BCE.)
Experts say a similar fate awaits the ancient sites located in the area to be flooded by the reservoir of the Karun-II Dam.
Similar case was the destruction of historical sites behind Kuh-e Shur Dam in Izeh, in the Khuzestan province, which was constructed by Islamic Agricultural-Jihad Ministry (Islamic Crusade for Agriculture) , which is one example of the many similar cases.
The Islamic Jihad for Agricultural was also promised to submit the plans of the Kuh-e Shur Dam to ICHTO Khuzestan provincial department before the construction began. However, not so surprisingly, the Ministry did not honor their agreement, and the dam illegally was built without informing the Organization and no one dared to question them. The ministry's action resulted in the loss of irreplaceable Iranian heritage.
Bizarrely the dam construction projects in Iran have become the most serious threats to ancient sites and cultural heritage over the past decades.
The choice of locations by the regime for constructing the new Dam, chemical factories and hotels, over or in the vicinity of pre-Islamic Iranian sites are questionable, and cannot be coincidental. The Islamic regime's enmity towards anything Iranian, especially pre-Islamic heritage is rather prevalent knowledge.
Dogmatic-clerics and hezbolllahis began their strategy for suppressing Iranian culture and civilisation immediately after the 1979 revolution,
which has been alleviated in recent years. One of the most-notorious clerics in Iran, Ayatollah Sadeq Khalkhali, who was renowned for his brutality and mass executions in post-revolutionary Iran, had hopelessly tried to bulldoze and level-down Persepolis, and after that the mausoleum of Master Ferdowsi, the greatest Persian epic poet in Tus.
The two Achaemenid sites of Persepolis and Pasargadae, as well as the historical figures of Cyrus the Great, Darius the Great, Ferdowsi and his great masterpiece, Shahnameh (The Book of Kings), have always been the objects of abhorrence by the regime's prominent members and anti-Iranians in general.
"Today, the choice of sites for these so-called development projects have been carefully designated by the regime, in accordance with the policy of de-Iranianisation of the country, that has been in force since 7th century.
These Dam constructions serve no other purpose but to destroy the physical evidence from the pre-Islamic Iranian era. They are hopelessly trying to erase the memories of Iran's glorious past, which have been the key factor in shaping Iranian cultural identity for thousands of years", said an archaeologist working with Khuzestan' ICHTO, who wished to remained anonymous for his safety.
Another archaeologist from the same department who also wished to remain anonymous added: "Unfortunately, these on-going destructions and plundering of our national heritage are a fraction what we see or hear.
Until we do not show a nationwide solidarity that we care about our national heritage, our national identity will remain under constant attack from the regime. promoting and protecting our cultural heritage, pre-Islamic as well as Islamic is vital to our cultural identity and the Islamic regime has found new method to tackle this historical unity."
He added: "Their cunning plan is to destroy our cultural heritage in a subtle manner; by building dams and factories in the name of development projects; - creeping Arabic words into Persian language in the name of religion; suppressing Iranian culture, rejecting Iranian celebrations to the point of banning like Chaharshanbeh Suri, and instead, promoting Arabian celebrations in the name of Islam."
Parthian Kuh-e Khajeh in danger of total destruction.
Despite frequent warnings by the experts, one of the most unique Parthian sites in Iran-proper known as the Kuh-e Khajeh (Parthian Ushida) remains in danger of total destruction, and the cultural authorities have not take any action to ensure its protection.
Rasul Haj-Mousavi, the director of Sistan’ Cultural Heritage Base (SCHB) said: “the daily destruction of the unique Parthian site has become very serious.
Saving the site should become a matter of concern for Iran Cultural Heritage and Organisation (ICHTO), and its protection should be considered as a national programme.”
Haj-Mousavi said the two main difficulties that SCHB is facing are, “ICHTO would not follow the SCHB’s recommendation, when comes to prioritising the sites in the province for allocating the necessary budget, and also the lack of manpower. SCHB is a very large archaeological base, with no manpower.” As a sign of protest, Haj-Mosavi has submitted his resignation to ICHTO a few months ago, which was turned down. He submits his resignation for the second time.
In June 2006, Mohammadali Ebrahimi, the director of Sistan and Baluchestan province’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department asserted that the area badly needs vegetation to neutralize the destructive impacts of the strong winds, which occur for four months of the year with speeds reaching 120 km per hour. Despite his warnings in August 2006 one of the eastern walls of the palace has collapsed.
While the Iranian heritage sites are in desperate need of funding in order to be rescued from total destruction, the Islamic Republic is spending billions of dollars of the Iranian assets every year in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq. In June 2008, Iran Focus revealed that the regime spends $2.5B every year on activities in Iraq, in which a fraction of the money that is being spent for futile aims could be used to save thousands of heritage sites like Kuh-e Khajeh.
Historical Background:
Mount Khwajeh, also spelled Kuh-e Khajeh, Kuh-i Khaja, is a flat-topped black basalt mountain located 30 km southwest of the town of Zabol and is located on an island in the middle of Hamun lake, in the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
The trapezoid-shaped basalt lava, situated 609 meters from the sea level, with a diameter ranging from 2.0 to 2.5 kilometers covering an area of 40,000 square meters, is the only natural height left behind the Sistan area. It is here we can find a citadel with palaces, fire temple, a pilgrimage centre and graveyard. Also there are number of small temples (possibly Mithraist or Anahit), known to the locals as the “Kouchakchal Ganjeh”.
The Kuh-e Khwajeh historical complex is one of the most significant archaeological sites in Iran and the biggest model of unbaked mud brick architecture remaining in Sistan region, which dates back to the Parthian dynasty (248 BCE-224 CE).
The ancient site was identified by A. Stein, E. Herzfeld, and was investigated in part by G. Gullini in a short expedition conducted in the 1960. According to his findings the palace and the fire temple were already in existence in the Parthian period. The ruins on the southern slope, dates back to 1st century BCE and it is still known as Kuk-u Kohzadh.
Stein also discovered a Buddhist monastery at Mth. Khajeh in 1916. Roman Ghirshman pointed out that the art of Mth. Khajeh predates Gandhara art which disproves the widely accepted notion that Buddhism spread from Nepal or Eastern India, and it claimed that Mth. Khajeh was Kapilavastu, the birthplace of Gotama.
Stein’s work clearly shows that Buddhism was born in Iran but was later nurtured in modern India, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
However, Khwajeh Mountain Complex is greatly respected by followers of the three faiths of Zoroastrian, Christianity and Islam and considered as a holy place. The mountain has been named after the mausoleum of “Khwajeh Mehdi”, one of the sympathizers of Alavi rulers, which is situated on this mountain, often referred under its Islamic name Kuh-i Ushida.
The oldest and by far the most important structure of the site is an ancient fortress found on the eastern slope, referred to under various connotations such as Rostam’s castle, the Kaferun castle, Kohan-Dež, etc.
Unique murals decorated the walls of the fortress, few of which have survived. Recently, a complete documentation of the site was carried out. In addition, partial restoration and fortification of the castle were conducted on its walls and arches.
Sistan, known as the birthplace of Iranian hero Rostam, has very strong associations with Zoroastrianism. According to Zoroastrian mythology, Lake Hamun was the keeper of the Prophet Zoroaster’s seed. And when the world’s end is at hand, three maidens will enter the lake, and afterwards will give birth to the messiah known as the Saoshyant, who will then be the “final saviour” of mankind."
The biggest of them all is the notorious Sivand Dam in Fars province, which submerged over 137 archaeological sites, including an Achaemenid dynastic (550-330 BCE) palace denoted to Darius the Great; a section of the Achaemenid Imperial Road; a Parthian cemetery and a Sasanian dynastic wine workshop. In addition, the humidity that is generated from the artificial lake has affected the structural-integrity of the Pasargadae the first capital of Achaemenid dynasty.
Many Iranians and cultural institutions including CAIS, believe the regime’s main objective for building the Sivand dam was a gradual destruction of Pasargadae and particularly the mausoleum of Cyrus the Great as the result of high humidity levels in the area.
The historical figure of the Cyrus the Great is placed on the top of the Islamic Regime leaders’ hate list. He who is considered by Iranians as the ‘Father of the Nation’ has been under constant attack and name-callings, simply because Iranians have great respect and deep warm feelings for the benevolent ancient Iranian king.
Mausoleum of Cyrus the Great at risk.
Cyrus Tomb"The filling of the dam's reservoir will cause many environmental, economic, and cultural changes in the region, and the rise in humidity will damage the ancient structures," Mohammad-Hassan Talebian said.
Anahita Temple, in the township of Kangavar in Kermanshah Province.
The damages have been caused by construction activities including excavations for concrete-footings on the ancient platform, reported the Persian service of Mehr News. The construction has outraged archaeologists and cultural enthusiasts who are voicing their concerns over the destruction.
The news agency released pictures showing some concrete-footings at the site that have not yet dried out and metal beams ready to be erected. The evidence suggests a large construction is on the way and no one knows the purpose of the building or who is responsible for the destruction.
The construction work at the site has begun despite the fact that the heritage regulations ban any constructions on or around cultural heritage sites, though Islamic Republic is no stranger to ignoring this law.
When Mehr News agency reporter asked Zeinoldini the director of Kangavar Cultural Heritage Department about the destruction of the site, he refused to comment, responded “the order came from the top to not give any information, and you should contact the ICHTHO’s Public Relation Office to obtain the information.”
Anahita Temple
The proposed date for the construction of the Anahita Temple is circa 200 BCE, thus placing it as the oldest surviving stone structure from the Parthian dynasty (248BCE - 224CE) in Iran-proper.
The platform covers 4,600 sq.m, constructed over a mound 32-meters high, and is claimed to have been a temple dedicated to the Zoroastrian deity ‘Aredvi Sura Anahita’ (Ar´dvi Sura Anahita), venerated as the divinity of 'the Waters' (Aban), associated with fertility, healing, purity and wisdom.
The remains at Kangavar reveal an edifice that is Hellenistic in character and yet displays distinctly Iranian architectural traits. The platform’s enormous dimensions and its megalithic foundations, corroborated by the two lateral stairways that ascend the platform echo and recalling Achaemenid traditions, particularly mimicking that of the Apadana Palace at Persepolis. Since its construction, the ancient structure underwent numerous major reconstruction periods continuing into 19th century, and until detailed further excavations are to be carried out, no definite judgments may be declared on its function.
With the recent invasion and destruction of the site, obtaining and establishing the exact date or the function of the structure sinks further into ambiguity.
Sivand Dam: Countdown to Destruction Iranian Heritage
As the result of inundation of Sivand Dam in Fars Province the ancestral heritage of Iranian nation in Bolaghi Valley, will be buried under millions of gallons of water in five months time. Based on the Islamic Republic' Ministry of Energy, the Dam is set to be inaugurated by the end of the current Iranian year which will fall in late March 2007.
The catastrophe for Iranian heritage is that after the dam reservoir is filed, the Bolaghi Valley which contains well over 130 (according to some experts 147) ancient settlements from pre-Historic to Sasanian dynastic era will be submerged including a section of the Achaemenid Imperial?s Road (Rah-e ?ahi) and the recently discovered Achaemenid palace denoted to the Darius the Great.
In a press conference held on Nov. 6, Parviz Fattah, Islamic Republic's Minister of Energy, said that the plan will be carried through by the end of this year while, according to him, all the negotiations between the Ministry and Iran?s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) have already been settled; -the kind of negotiation that the loosing party is the Iranian nation.
Not surprisingly, the Islamic regime' Minster has also falsely declared that the Energy Ministry has provided ICHTO with the 470,000 Euro to build Pasargadae Museum near the historic Bolaghi Valley. The claim is being rejected by Mohammad Hassan Talebian, director of Parse-Pasargadae Research Center.
This issue have become one of main concerns for Iranian nation, which they are hopelessly witnessing the destruction of their heritage in hand of the despot theocratic regime in Iran. Pasargadae and Persepolis historical sites have special places in Iranian hearts and minds, which are sacred as K'aba in Mecca for Muslims.
The perimeters of the future artificial lake behind the dam at its largest reach is 7 kilometres from Pasargadae site, 9 kilometres from the mausoleum of the Cyrus the Great and nearly 70 kilometrs from Persepolis. Although there are no threats to these two historical sites from submersion aspect of Dam?s inundation, but the humidity changes, which artificially would be created by the dam, are going to be the key threat. No preliminary environmental research has been carried out to assess the affects of humidity upon the ancient constructions at Pasargadae. Therefore, the extent of the future damages to the site remains unknown.
A new tragedy is unfolding for the ancient sites of the Izeh region, as the Islamic Regime's Ministry of Energy plans the construction of yet another dam on the Sussan Plain in the Khuzestan Province.
The Sussan historical plain in the Khuzestan province, is the birthplace of Elamite and Achaemenid civilizations. With the construction and inundation of Karun II Dam, this historic plain along with all its invaluable archeological sites will be submerged.
The KCHTD (Khuzestan Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department) sent a letter to the Ministry of energy requesting its officials begin archaeological studies before the project becomes operational on the Sussan Plain, where many Elamite, Achaemenid, Parthian and Sassanid dynastic eras sites are located.
“The studies, which will evaluate the cultural significance of the site, should be carried out by the Ministry of Energy,” KCHTD director Sadeq Mohammadi told the Persian service of CHN. “The ministry will select a number of cultural studies advisors and the ICHTO will supervise them,” he added, but evaded a question about relocation of the dam.
Karun II Dam will be 125 meters in height and 382 meters in width. Its reservoir will have the capacity to store 206 million cubic meters of water.
It is not the first time, historical sites in Iran are in danger, either due to a lack of cooperation between different organizations or intentionally. In any case it results in the destruction of Iranian heritage, mainly pre-Islamic. The best example is the infamous Sivand dam in the Bolaghi Valley, which after inundation will devour 130 historical sites from pre-historic to Sasanian dynasty, and the humidity that generates from the artificial lake behind the dam is going to be an immense threat to Pasargadae and Cyrus the Great mausoleum's structural integrity.
Two years ago, another dam named Karun III was inaugurated in Khuzestan which devastated the archeological site behind it. Experts believe that archaeological salvage began too late for the ancient sites which were located in the area currently occupied by the reservoir of the Karun-III Dam, which came on stream in November 2004 and devoured many ancient sites and artifacts dating back to the Elamite era, the Stone Age, and the Epipaleolithic periods (20,000-10,000 BCE.)
Experts say a similar fate awaits the ancient sites located in the area to be flooded by the reservoir of the Karun-II Dam.
Similar case was the destruction of historical sites behind Kuh-e Shur Dam in Izeh, in the Khuzestan province, which was constructed by Islamic Agricultural-Jihad Ministry (Islamic Crusade for Agriculture) , which is one example of the many similar cases.
The Islamic Jihad for Agricultural was also promised to submit the plans of the Kuh-e Shur Dam to ICHTO Khuzestan provincial department before the construction began. However, not so surprisingly, the Ministry did not honor their agreement, and the dam illegally was built without informing the Organization and no one dared to question them. The ministry's action resulted in the loss of irreplaceable Iranian heritage.
Bizarrely the dam construction projects in Iran have become the most serious threats to ancient sites and cultural heritage over the past decades.
The choice of locations by the regime for constructing the new Dam, chemical factories and hotels, over or in the vicinity of pre-Islamic Iranian sites are questionable, and cannot be coincidental. The Islamic regime's enmity towards anything Iranian, especially pre-Islamic heritage is rather prevalent knowledge.
Dogmatic-clerics and hezbolllahis began their strategy for suppressing Iranian culture and civilisation immediately after the 1979 revolution,
which has been alleviated in recent years. One of the most-notorious clerics in Iran, Ayatollah Sadeq Khalkhali, who was renowned for his brutality and mass executions in post-revolutionary Iran, had hopelessly tried to bulldoze and level-down Persepolis, and after that the mausoleum of Master Ferdowsi, the greatest Persian epic poet in Tus.
The two Achaemenid sites of Persepolis and Pasargadae, as well as the historical figures of Cyrus the Great, Darius the Great, Ferdowsi and his great masterpiece, Shahnameh (The Book of Kings), have always been the objects of abhorrence by the regime's prominent members and anti-Iranians in general.
"Today, the choice of sites for these so-called development projects have been carefully designated by the regime, in accordance with the policy of de-Iranianisation of the country, that has been in force since 7th century.
These Dam constructions serve no other purpose but to destroy the physical evidence from the pre-Islamic Iranian era. They are hopelessly trying to erase the memories of Iran's glorious past, which have been the key factor in shaping Iranian cultural identity for thousands of years", said an archaeologist working with Khuzestan' ICHTO, who wished to remained anonymous for his safety.
Another archaeologist from the same department who also wished to remain anonymous added: "Unfortunately, these on-going destructions and plundering of our national heritage are a fraction what we see or hear.
Until we do not show a nationwide solidarity that we care about our national heritage, our national identity will remain under constant attack from the regime. promoting and protecting our cultural heritage, pre-Islamic as well as Islamic is vital to our cultural identity and the Islamic regime has found new method to tackle this historical unity."
He added: "Their cunning plan is to destroy our cultural heritage in a subtle manner; by building dams and factories in the name of development projects; - creeping Arabic words into Persian language in the name of religion; suppressing Iranian culture, rejecting Iranian celebrations to the point of banning like Chaharshanbeh Suri, and instead, promoting Arabian celebrations in the name of Islam."
Parthian Kuh-e Khajeh in danger of total destruction.
Despite frequent warnings by the experts, one of the most unique Parthian sites in Iran-proper known as the Kuh-e Khajeh (Parthian Ushida) remains in danger of total destruction, and the cultural authorities have not take any action to ensure its protection.
Rasul Haj-Mousavi, the director of Sistan’ Cultural Heritage Base (SCHB) said: “the daily destruction of the unique Parthian site has become very serious.
Saving the site should become a matter of concern for Iran Cultural Heritage and Organisation (ICHTO), and its protection should be considered as a national programme.”
Haj-Mousavi said the two main difficulties that SCHB is facing are, “ICHTO would not follow the SCHB’s recommendation, when comes to prioritising the sites in the province for allocating the necessary budget, and also the lack of manpower. SCHB is a very large archaeological base, with no manpower.” As a sign of protest, Haj-Mosavi has submitted his resignation to ICHTO a few months ago, which was turned down. He submits his resignation for the second time.
In June 2006, Mohammadali Ebrahimi, the director of Sistan and Baluchestan province’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department asserted that the area badly needs vegetation to neutralize the destructive impacts of the strong winds, which occur for four months of the year with speeds reaching 120 km per hour. Despite his warnings in August 2006 one of the eastern walls of the palace has collapsed.
While the Iranian heritage sites are in desperate need of funding in order to be rescued from total destruction, the Islamic Republic is spending billions of dollars of the Iranian assets every year in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq. In June 2008, Iran Focus revealed that the regime spends $2.5B every year on activities in Iraq, in which a fraction of the money that is being spent for futile aims could be used to save thousands of heritage sites like Kuh-e Khajeh.
Historical Background:
Mount Khwajeh, also spelled Kuh-e Khajeh, Kuh-i Khaja, is a flat-topped black basalt mountain located 30 km southwest of the town of Zabol and is located on an island in the middle of Hamun lake, in the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
The trapezoid-shaped basalt lava, situated 609 meters from the sea level, with a diameter ranging from 2.0 to 2.5 kilometers covering an area of 40,000 square meters, is the only natural height left behind the Sistan area. It is here we can find a citadel with palaces, fire temple, a pilgrimage centre and graveyard. Also there are number of small temples (possibly Mithraist or Anahit), known to the locals as the “Kouchakchal Ganjeh”.
The Kuh-e Khwajeh historical complex is one of the most significant archaeological sites in Iran and the biggest model of unbaked mud brick architecture remaining in Sistan region, which dates back to the Parthian dynasty (248 BCE-224 CE).
The ancient site was identified by A. Stein, E. Herzfeld, and was investigated in part by G. Gullini in a short expedition conducted in the 1960. According to his findings the palace and the fire temple were already in existence in the Parthian period. The ruins on the southern slope, dates back to 1st century BCE and it is still known as Kuk-u Kohzadh.
Stein also discovered a Buddhist monastery at Mth. Khajeh in 1916. Roman Ghirshman pointed out that the art of Mth. Khajeh predates Gandhara art which disproves the widely accepted notion that Buddhism spread from Nepal or Eastern India, and it claimed that Mth. Khajeh was Kapilavastu, the birthplace of Gotama.
Stein’s work clearly shows that Buddhism was born in Iran but was later nurtured in modern India, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
However, Khwajeh Mountain Complex is greatly respected by followers of the three faiths of Zoroastrian, Christianity and Islam and considered as a holy place. The mountain has been named after the mausoleum of “Khwajeh Mehdi”, one of the sympathizers of Alavi rulers, which is situated on this mountain, often referred under its Islamic name Kuh-i Ushida.
The oldest and by far the most important structure of the site is an ancient fortress found on the eastern slope, referred to under various connotations such as Rostam’s castle, the Kaferun castle, Kohan-Dež, etc.
Unique murals decorated the walls of the fortress, few of which have survived. Recently, a complete documentation of the site was carried out. In addition, partial restoration and fortification of the castle were conducted on its walls and arches.
Sistan, known as the birthplace of Iranian hero Rostam, has very strong associations with Zoroastrianism. According to Zoroastrian mythology, Lake Hamun was the keeper of the Prophet Zoroaster’s seed. And when the world’s end is at hand, three maidens will enter the lake, and afterwards will give birth to the messiah known as the Saoshyant, who will then be the “final saviour” of mankind."
The ongoing Cultural Genocide on Persian Heritage. Would a real Persian do that? We do not THINK SO DHU!
7000-year-old Shushan (Susa) damaged by hotel construction. Other remains in Susa are destroyed by vandals.
December 19, 2006 a mass book burning took place by vandals and fanatics. These criminals burned numerous post-Islamic manuscripts (in New Persian) regarding Cyrus the Great, the Achamenids and pre-Islamic Iran.
Destruction of Achaemenid relief by vandals at Persepolis
Vadnals and activists were burning books pertaining to ancient Persia inside Iran on December 19, 2006. Many leading pan-Islamic ideologues- criminals in Iran actively called for: “… the destruction of the Cyrus tomb and remains of the 2.000-year-old Persian palace in Shiraz, Fars Province, the Persepolis.”
There are currently a number of organizations inside Iran that are destroying numerous sites, including Pasargardae. The only reason the site remains intact is due to the vociferous protests of UNESCO. The CAIS website, may not be up to date regarding this particular issue, however it is generally correct in highlighting the dangers to pre-Islamic sites in Iran at present.
There are numerous other dangers to pre-Islamic sites in Iran – below are two other examples:
Tagh-e-Bostan site of Sassanian royalty and cavalry, Kermanshah province. Government railway project nearby (past the islet) threatens to damage site, including archway containing statue of late Sassanian cavalryman as well as statues of Anahita, Ahura-Mazda and Khosrow II. “Ignorance towards Tagh-e-Bostan Continues”, CHN News of Iran, June 24, 2006.
"Bisotun, Kermanshah province. The construction of a petrochemical plant near Bisotun endangers the archaeological sites in that location. The Mohammd HassanYehbalam of Iran's Ministry for the Preservation of Iranian Archaeological sites ["Miras e Farhangi"] noted the following to news reporters in Iran on August, 28, 2000:
"The Ministry of Petroleum…deliberately built the petrochemical complex against the recommendations of the Miras e Farhangi Ministry…"
The critical state of archaeological sites in Iran has been discussed by Dr. Kamal Aldin Niknami of the University of Tehran's Department of Archaeology in the following article: Niknami, K.A. (2005). Iran: archaeological heritage in crisis: developing an effective management system for archaeology. Journal of Cultural Heritage, Volume 5 (Issue 4), pp.345-350.
Note these excerpts from the article's abstract:
""The fact is that, as the international conventions warn, the archaeological heritage is constantly under threat of destruction…the destruction is on the increase. The constructions … expansion of the new settled areas threaten large areas of archaeological sites … a low degree of respect for the law, lead to an increase in looting and considerable damage to the archaeological heritage."
"7000-year-old Shushan (Susa) damaged by hotel construction
"In the second week of August of 2008, a hotel construction company bought bulldozers to carve out 10,000 square meters from the ancient site of Susa. This ancient site will now become the “Laleh Hotel”. The site however contains invaluable archaeological data dating to the late Parthian (248 BC-224 AD) and Sasanian (224-651 AD) eras. During the land clearing process Partho-Sassanian relics, as well as a skeleton, were simply destroyed.
"The construction permit has been issued by Khuzestan Province’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organisation (ICHHTO). Fortunately, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei (head of ICHHTO) spoke to reporters in Tehran and assured that the company will be bought to justice. For more information on the Susa case consult:
"There are numerous other recent examples of damage to pre-Islamic sites in Iran as reported by official sources inside of Iran:
"Bulldozing Iran's 7000-year-old mound for brick production..http://www.mehrnews.com/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=747668
Varamin's 7000-year-old Pardis Mound is being destroyed for brick production. http://www.chn.ir/News/?section=2&id=47926
6000-year-old Ray damaged by canal construction.
"There are also reports of damage to post-Islamic sites in Iran as well (as reported by official sources inside of Iran): Farabi building damaged. Semnan's Safavid cistern (reservoir) demolished.
"Lack of knowledge of dangers to archaeological sites in Iran is partly explained by a lack of appreciation of the very complex political climate of Iran today, in which a constant tug of war tales place between pan-Islamists (who often try to manipulate construction projects to destroy ancient sites) versus authorities and organizations in Iran who wish to preserve those sites. Included in this volatile mix, are miniscule separatist organizations with ties to political lobbies.
"“The heritage matters have been taken seriously by the Iranian media for past few years, and Iranian archaeologists have become the bridge between the ICHHTO and the media – they as the educators have illuminated the significances of “heritage” and “archaeology” in today’s Iran”, according to a report by the Persian service of CHN.
The imposed interview ban has raised the suspicions and swayed the public’s mind that the authorities in charge of the organisation and subsequently the government want to censor and filter the news to cover up their incompetency in doing their jobs.
The banning of the archaeologists who are considered to be the heralds of the Iranian archaeological news is in contradiction with the Islamic Republic’s constitution and the move is considered to be illegal. Nonetheless, this is not the first time that the Islamic Republic’s ignores its’ own constitution.
By implementing such a ban the regime tries to close the only avenue of obtaining the accurate news about the status of Iranian archaeology.
ICHHTO have unsuccessfully tried to silence archaeologists in past, by channelling the news through the public relation office. However, since last year they stepped up their offensive behaviour towards archaeologists who choose to put themselves on the line of fire to protect their nation’s heritage and since then any experts who have criticised or exposed the ICHHTO misconduct have either received warnings or faced harsh reprimands and dismissals.
“Giving an expert view [of the heritage matters] is an absolute right of the archaeologists. Also issuing statements regarding a particular organisation’s internal affairs is the responsibility of their public relation offices, since the individuals including the experts are not fully aware of the protocols – therefore organisations nominate a speaker to execute the task”, said Mohammad-Mehdi Forq´ni, lecturer of Media Science at Tabatabai University.
“As the experts cannot fulfil the speakers’ job – the speakers and public relation offices are also incapable of commenting about the culture and heritage matters, as it is the experts’ field”, said Forq´ni.
He added “the banning law not only is revoking the archaeologists’ rights in expressing their expertise views, but also it is the abuse of the freedom of speech.”
He concluded “the media generally prefer to obtain the news directly from their sources, by interviewing the experts rather than via a [filtered] liaison office.”
ICHHTO executives in defending the banning decision have issued a number of contradictory statements, starting by: “experts are not aware of the cultural matters, and therefore they are providing wrong information.” This is while the majority of organisation’s executives are non-educated elements, who occupied the posts just because of their legions to the regime, connections or being the relations of the ruling clerics.
Following the above organisation has changed the statement and alleged: “since there is no difference between the experts and non-experts working for ICHHTO, the ban makes sure the prevention of any contradictory news.”
And the statement changed again to: “some news dealing with the Iranian heritage [in trouble] is being politicised and since the experts are not aware of the situation, they influence the process of resolving the problems, therefore the news should not reach the media directly.”
And in the final disdainful statement ICHHTO stated: “this ban is to ensure the job security of the archaeologists!”
The implementation of such censorships and news filtering demonstrates that people in charge of the organisation consider archaeologists as whistleblowers who expose ICHHTO’s incompetency in safeguarding the Iranian heritage.
ICHHTO which is responsible for protection of the Iranian heritage have failed in its’ responsibilities, and even have caused damages beyond salvation to Iranian heritage, in particular pre-Islamic sites.
One of the most devastating examples was issuing a permit to a construction company to build a hotel over a Partho-Sasanian (248 BCE – 651 CE) cemetery, which resulted in destruction 10,000 sq.m of the ancient site.
The permit was issued by the head of ICHHTO provincial office, and endorsed by Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei the director of ICHHTO and the vice-president of current government in power. As the result of pressure from public ICHHTO forced to terminate the construction permit and in a public deceiving interview in July 2008, Rahim Mashaei who himself was one of the collaborators in destruction of the heritage site, tried to distant himself from the case by promising an inquiry, and claimed the wrongdoers will be prosecuted. The case was closed and no one brought to justice – including Rahim Mashaei.
Hamid-Rez Hosseini a veteran Iranian journalist regarding the ban said: “this move in essence is pointless, sine we have well over ten thousand archaeological and historical sites throughout the country, which most are in a devastating and critical status.
A significant number of these sites for past three years have suffered immensely and are on the verge of complete destructions, however, by a visiting those sites and simple observation we independently can inform the public about their statues and therefore we don’t require archaeologists to tell us anything.”
He added “this ban is demonstrates that there is a rift between the organisation’s management and their experts. ICHHTO’ management is well aware that the archaeologists do not follow most of the organisation’s [irrelevant and bureaucratic] protocols – and in a way the management want to cover up this partition.”
“ICHHTO management are imagining that their public relation office is capable to dealing with the cultural news bulletins. They want impose and decide for us what news is to be published and who we can talk to”, said Maryam Khorsand, journalist and the chief editor of Persian daily E’tem´d.
According to her, there is possible connection between the presidential election in Iran and ICHHTO’s banning of interviews.
Today Iranians journalists in cooperation with archaeologists have reached a level of independency and sophistication that the ICHHTO is incapable of controlling and filtering the news – such action is further damages to public’s trust in ICHHTO.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
When we say genocidal system we MEAN genocidal system..
According to reports from Iranian Kurdistan nine members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has been killed during the last couple of days in the Kurdish cities of Mariwan, Piranshar, Saghez and Bokan.
We bet they weren´t Azeri Turks..Just as all those dead in the Iraq-Iran war..with 1,000,000 dead. Add to that the thousands and thousands of massacres before the war and thousands and thousands of prisoners massacred during the war and thousands of thousands during 30 ¤%¤¤ years!
As if ¤%¤¤ Kissinger, Carter and company wouldn´t know!
We bet they weren´t Azeri Turks..Just as all those dead in the Iraq-Iran war..with 1,000,000 dead. Add to that the thousands and thousands of massacres before the war and thousands and thousands of prisoners massacred during the war and thousands of thousands during 30 ¤%¤¤ years!
As if ¤%¤¤ Kissinger, Carter and company wouldn´t know!
As we said: This could be funny if it weren´t for the fact that it expose the most gross crimes being committed simultaneously in the whole region!
Kissinger was warning American leaders that "they are no longer giving Iraq the attention it deserves."
EU warns Mideast peace partners to "quell rhetoric."
A chairwoman of the European Union is accused for "supporting separatists" and thereby labeled and designated on EU´s terrorist list.
Moreover...Turkey is one of NATO´s most armed member, member in the Security Council and involved in the wars all the way from the Balkans to Afghanistan and Pakistan to Swat valley..
Yeas..This can be developed, specified and analyzed further and as we said: we will shew this system of crimes INTO ¤%¤¤ PIECES and there are no criminal psychopathic mass murderers that will stand a ¤%¤¤ chance!
EU warns Mideast peace partners to "quell rhetoric."
A chairwoman of the European Union is accused for "supporting separatists" and thereby labeled and designated on EU´s terrorist list.
Moreover...Turkey is one of NATO´s most armed member, member in the Security Council and involved in the wars all the way from the Balkans to Afghanistan and Pakistan to Swat valley..
Yeas..This can be developed, specified and analyzed further and as we said: we will shew this system of crimes INTO ¤%¤¤ PIECES and there are no criminal psychopathic mass murderers that will stand a ¤%¤¤ chance!
EU warns Mideast peace partners to quell rhetoric
Ma'an - EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said on Tuesday, that Europe was "concerned by the public statements that have been exchanged recently between various parties to the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East." "The EU has on several occasions reiterated its concern about the lack of progress in the Middle East Peace Process and has called for the urgent resumption of negotiations that will lead, within an agreed time-frame as specified by the Quartet, to the two-state solution," she said.
Some examples of "rhetoric's" in Palestinian territories..
28/04/2010, Fire destroys 300 olive trees in Qalqiliya. Ma'an – A fire destroyed 300 olive trees in the northern West Bank district of Qalqiliya on Tuesday, authorities said. The blaze spread quickly due to high temperatures and wind as well as a lack of rainfall in the area, civil defense reported. Officials are investigating the cause of the fire, which affected about 400,000 square meters of the grove.
Ma'an - Toxic fumes killed four Palestinians and injured six inside a smuggling tunnel under the Gaza-Egypt border on Wednesday evening, medics reported. It was not immediately clear what type of gas was used. Medics are accusing Egyptian forces of spraying a chemical into the tunnel as part of a crackdown on smuggling. One of the victims was identified as Muhammad Abu Jamous. He was among four pronounced dead on arrival at Abu Yousef An-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, our correspondent reported from the scene. Six others were injured after inhaling gas inside a tunnel, medics said, blaming Egypt.
Gas might have been used in the same tunnel days earlier, officials said. "Workers said they were on their way to one of the tunnels filled with poisonous gas a week ago, to confirm the toxin had dissipated," Adham Abu Salmiya, spokesman for Gaza medical services, told Ma'an. "They were shocked to find it had actually remained in the tunnel, resulting in the deaths and injuries." Other news reports stated that Egypt blew up a tunnel and the victims died of smoke inhalation.
Wednesday's incident comes amid an escalating Egyptian security crackdown along the borders of the coastal enclave. Smugglers have said that in recent weeks, officials clamped down on tunnels, seizing goods almost daily, and shutting down tunnels rapidly. Forces detonated explosives inside a tunnel on Saturday morning.
29/04/2010, Ma'an - Israeli settlers from the area known as Yitzhar south of Nablus rioted, destroying Palestinian property in the town of Huwwara, following the Israeli military arrest of seven settlers. Palestinians reported settlers setting fire to fields and vandalizing homes as dozens of right-wing setters gathered in the Huwwara park.
According a police spokesman, settlers were arrested for earlier vandalism and destruction targeting Palestinians, known by setters as a "price tag" policy, aimed at causing harm to Palestinians and making trouble for soldiers who one settler leaders told reporters were "out to get" the settlers. The spokesman said there were several "small disturbances in the area" in the early morning following the arrests, and later clarified that similar events were continuing to take place throughout the day. He said police were on the scene to deal with the culprits.
Last week Nablus-area residents woke up to smashed and burning cars with the words "price tag" spray painted on torched vehicles.
Israeli jeep hits tractor, killing 2 children
Following death of a protester on Wednesday, rallies against the buffer zone that eats up 61-square-kilometers of the tiny coastal enclave saw one protester injured.
Some examples of "rhetoric's" in Palestinian territories..
28/04/2010, Fire destroys 300 olive trees in Qalqiliya. Ma'an – A fire destroyed 300 olive trees in the northern West Bank district of Qalqiliya on Tuesday, authorities said. The blaze spread quickly due to high temperatures and wind as well as a lack of rainfall in the area, civil defense reported. Officials are investigating the cause of the fire, which affected about 400,000 square meters of the grove.
Ma'an - Toxic fumes killed four Palestinians and injured six inside a smuggling tunnel under the Gaza-Egypt border on Wednesday evening, medics reported. It was not immediately clear what type of gas was used. Medics are accusing Egyptian forces of spraying a chemical into the tunnel as part of a crackdown on smuggling. One of the victims was identified as Muhammad Abu Jamous. He was among four pronounced dead on arrival at Abu Yousef An-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, our correspondent reported from the scene. Six others were injured after inhaling gas inside a tunnel, medics said, blaming Egypt.
Gas might have been used in the same tunnel days earlier, officials said. "Workers said they were on their way to one of the tunnels filled with poisonous gas a week ago, to confirm the toxin had dissipated," Adham Abu Salmiya, spokesman for Gaza medical services, told Ma'an. "They were shocked to find it had actually remained in the tunnel, resulting in the deaths and injuries." Other news reports stated that Egypt blew up a tunnel and the victims died of smoke inhalation.
Wednesday's incident comes amid an escalating Egyptian security crackdown along the borders of the coastal enclave. Smugglers have said that in recent weeks, officials clamped down on tunnels, seizing goods almost daily, and shutting down tunnels rapidly. Forces detonated explosives inside a tunnel on Saturday morning.
29/04/2010, Ma'an - Israeli settlers from the area known as Yitzhar south of Nablus rioted, destroying Palestinian property in the town of Huwwara, following the Israeli military arrest of seven settlers. Palestinians reported settlers setting fire to fields and vandalizing homes as dozens of right-wing setters gathered in the Huwwara park.
According a police spokesman, settlers were arrested for earlier vandalism and destruction targeting Palestinians, known by setters as a "price tag" policy, aimed at causing harm to Palestinians and making trouble for soldiers who one settler leaders told reporters were "out to get" the settlers. The spokesman said there were several "small disturbances in the area" in the early morning following the arrests, and later clarified that similar events were continuing to take place throughout the day. He said police were on the scene to deal with the culprits.
Last week Nablus-area residents woke up to smashed and burning cars with the words "price tag" spray painted on torched vehicles.
Israeli jeep hits tractor, killing 2 children
Following death of a protester on Wednesday, rallies against the buffer zone that eats up 61-square-kilometers of the tiny coastal enclave saw one protester injured.
"Kissinger was warning American leaders that they are no longer giving Iraq the attention it deserves."
Well..Yeah...with the instigated genocidal war-fare against the Kurds, which is set up and a system put in system in crimes against humanity and peace, where the Kurds are denied their basic human rights and jailed and killed for fighting for their basic human rights, denied right to life and killed in both Turkey, Syria and Iran just because they are Kurds.
The destabilization of Iraq is a fact and then it´s just in with the CIA`s set up Vietnam village guard system and both Iraq and this whole ¤%¤¤ region is "another Vietnam"!
Welcomed by both Israeli leaders, Syrian, Turkey and the "Iranian" regime that is given the opportunity to keep on with it´s ethnically cleansing of both Kurds and Iranians!
Actually, we know this system of crimes against peace, ethnically cleanings, expansions, wanton destruction and the most gross violations against humanity all over the region, by now!
The destabilization of Iraq is a fact and then it´s just in with the CIA`s set up Vietnam village guard system and both Iraq and this whole ¤%¤¤ region is "another Vietnam"!
Welcomed by both Israeli leaders, Syrian, Turkey and the "Iranian" regime that is given the opportunity to keep on with it´s ethnically cleansing of both Kurds and Iranians!
Actually, we know this system of crimes against peace, ethnically cleanings, expansions, wanton destruction and the most gross violations against humanity all over the region, by now!
Actually...It has been a ongoing genocide and extermination of the Iranian people as well..since 1979..
Iran: 27 executions in past 20 days. With three more hangings reported on Tuesday in cities of Dezful (southern Iran) and Mashhad (northeast Iran) the number of executions in the past 20 days reaches 27. 2 prisoners were hanged in Mashhad. Another prisoner identified as Rahman R. was hanged in Dezful on April 20.
Why having a war with war lords in Afghanistan? It´s just to make the Afghans flee into Iran..
Why having a war with war lords in Afghanistan? It´s just to make the Afghans flee into Iran..
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Some injured Palestinians are evacuated by helicopter, others shot. So where does the Israeli government make the differences?
Ma'an – A 21-year-old man protesting Israel's no-go zone in Gaza was killed on Wednesday, after Israeli forces opened fire on the march and hit the young man in the leg. Medics said he died in hospital. The man, identified by activists as Ahmad Salem Deeb, was the fourth to be injured in three days as protests against the enforcement of the no-go zone continue.
Reports from members of the International Solidarity Movement in Gaza said Deeb was shot 30 meters away from the Gaza-Israel border. A statement from the activist group said protesters were waving flags and chanting slogans demanding the cessation of Israeli control over the no-go area when shots were fired.
The young man had joined in a protest that left from the Ash-Shuja'iyya neighborhood east of Gaza City, and marched toward the border area. Areas of the no-go zone were expanded from 150-meters to 300 meters in some places, and are regularly patrolled by Israeli forces, who term the area a "combat zone," citing "terrorist activity" in the area.
Muawiya Hassanein, chief of emergency and ambulance services in Gaza, said the young man sustained moderate injuries and was transferred to the Ash-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City for treatment. Hours later the official said Deeb had succumbed to his wounds and died.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said the man's death was under investigation, but confirmed that forces fired shots when a group approached the border area. The official said a violent and illegal riot preceded the fire, and that participants threw rocks at the Nahal Oz crossing and set small fires nearby. Forces fired warning shots to distance them from the fence, she said.
Eating up 20% of Gaza's arable lands, farmers and civilians have demanded access to the area, which lies insude the 1967 boundaries, and from which Israel said it unilaterally withdrew in 2005.
Palestine People's Party politburo member Walid Al-Awad told Ma'an that hundreds of residents participated along side the victim, and marched toward the buffer zone waving Palestinian flags. On Monday, a woman from Malta and three Gaza residents were wounded, one seriously, when Israeli forces fired on a protest near Khan Younis.
Reports from members of the International Solidarity Movement in Gaza said Deeb was shot 30 meters away from the Gaza-Israel border. A statement from the activist group said protesters were waving flags and chanting slogans demanding the cessation of Israeli control over the no-go area when shots were fired.
The young man had joined in a protest that left from the Ash-Shuja'iyya neighborhood east of Gaza City, and marched toward the border area. Areas of the no-go zone were expanded from 150-meters to 300 meters in some places, and are regularly patrolled by Israeli forces, who term the area a "combat zone," citing "terrorist activity" in the area.
Muawiya Hassanein, chief of emergency and ambulance services in Gaza, said the young man sustained moderate injuries and was transferred to the Ash-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City for treatment. Hours later the official said Deeb had succumbed to his wounds and died.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said the man's death was under investigation, but confirmed that forces fired shots when a group approached the border area. The official said a violent and illegal riot preceded the fire, and that participants threw rocks at the Nahal Oz crossing and set small fires nearby. Forces fired warning shots to distance them from the fence, she said.
Eating up 20% of Gaza's arable lands, farmers and civilians have demanded access to the area, which lies insude the 1967 boundaries, and from which Israel said it unilaterally withdrew in 2005.
Palestine People's Party politburo member Walid Al-Awad told Ma'an that hundreds of residents participated along side the victim, and marched toward the buffer zone waving Palestinian flags. On Monday, a woman from Malta and three Gaza residents were wounded, one seriously, when Israeli forces fired on a protest near Khan Younis.
Az-Zahar: Israel thwarted 120 rounds of prisoner talks
Gaza – Ma'an – There have been 120 rounds of prisoner swap talks, and Israel has thwarted them all, Hamas leader Mahmoud Az-Zahhar said in a Tuesday address.
Nations like Egypt and Germany have stepped in and brokered deals, the Hamas leader said, adding that "Israel has consistently refused to pay the price of the deal," and aborted a swap that would see captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit freed.
Speaking in a meeting at the central Gaza refugee camp in An-Nusseriat, Az-Zahhar reiterated statements he made on Monday, following the release of an animated film of Gilad Shalit: "We do not kill our captives," Az-Zahhar told camp residents, echoing statements made earlier saying the video did not represent Hamas party policy. The talks failed not because factions in Gaza want to harm the soldiers, Az-Zahhar said, but because Israeli officials repeatedly refuse to agree to the core principals of the factions' demands.
Nations like Egypt and Germany have stepped in and brokered deals, the Hamas leader said, adding that "Israel has consistently refused to pay the price of the deal," and aborted a swap that would see captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit freed.
Speaking in a meeting at the central Gaza refugee camp in An-Nusseriat, Az-Zahhar reiterated statements he made on Monday, following the release of an animated film of Gilad Shalit: "We do not kill our captives," Az-Zahhar told camp residents, echoing statements made earlier saying the video did not represent Hamas party policy. The talks failed not because factions in Gaza want to harm the soldiers, Az-Zahhar said, but because Israeli officials repeatedly refuse to agree to the core principals of the factions' demands.
Actually...We do not think the installation of the Iranian regime or 1991 was "a mistake"..
Kissinger is of German-Jewish background. Kissinger grew up in Furth, Germany; the disturbing rise of Hitler and his family's status as Jewish-German refugees in New York City; his return to occupied Germany as an American soldier in World War II; his Harvard-educated rise to international prominence as a Cold War strategist; and his foreign policy...etc...http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674032521
Americans who voted for the change promised by Barack Obama would probably have been disturbed to see Henry Kissinger, an 85-year-old "warhorse" from the Nixon administration and the Vietnam War era meeting with the leaders of Russia during an "informal" summit on March 19-20. Kissinger's meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was actually his third meeting, at least, since Medvedev was elected and his second since Obama was elected.
Jim Jones, Obama's National Security Adviser, spoke in Munich's Hotel Bayerischer Hof on February 8, 2009: Thank you for that wonderful tribute to Henry Kissinger yesterday. Congratulations. As the most recent National Security Advisor of the United States, I take my daily orders from Dr. Kissinger, filtered down through General Brent Scowcroft and Sandy Berger, who is also here. We have a chain of command in the National Security Council that exists today. Jim Jones, Obama's National Security Adviser, said that he takes his daily orders from Dr. Henry Kissinger.
This is how the Chicago Tribune and its sister paper the Los Angeles Times explained Kissinger's recent visit to Moscow: To "reset" relations with Russia, an old diplomatic warhorse is back on the path. Henry Kissinger, the architect of Cold War detente with the Soviet Union, met informally with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to try to smooth over a new generation of animosities between the countries.
Some say Kissinger is very close to Maurice "Hank" Greenberg the former head of A.I.G., the corrupt insurance company which has funneled a large part of the incredible amount of $180 billion received from the U.S. government to private banks such as Goldman Sachs. Kissinger became chairman of A.I.G.'s International Advisory Board in 1987.
Henry Kissinger and the Kurds
PNA -It is amazing how Henry Kissinger has been able to retain his aura of invincible genius in international relations, continuing to counsel presidents, foreign governments and major global businesses, while occasionally writing lofty Op Ed pieces advising the U.S. on what it should or should not be doing next.
This mind you, despite Kissinger"s own history of monumental cynicism and duplicity when he was guiding foreign policy for President"s Nixon and Ford. Indeed, it"s a tribute to the ability of mainstream American media to forgive and forget.
The latest example is an Op Ed piece Kissinger just wrote for the New York Times warning American leaders that they are no longer giving Iraq the attention it deserves. The fact is, however, when Kissinger was in charge of U.S. policy for Iraq, the results for its people, particularly the Kurds, were disastrous.
Over the decades, the Kurds quixotic struggle for some form of independence doomed them to a seemingly endless cycle of rebellion followed by incredibly vicious repression. Those uprisings were usually encouraged by enemies of Iraq"s rulers who made use of the Kurds to destabilize the regime in Baghdad. It was a ruthless, deceitful process, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of Kurds being slaughtered and displaced over the years. And it was an ideal playing field for Kissinger.
For years, the Shah of Iran had been secretly supporting the Iraqi Kurds to put pressure on Baghdad. So were the Israelis, who hoped to distract Iraq"s increasingly virulent leader from joining an Arab attack on the Jewish state. In 1972, Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon, motivated by fear that Iraq was becoming too cozy with the Soviet Union, agreed to a request from the Shah to help back the Kurds.
For the sake of deniability, the U.S. supplied the Kurds with Soviet arms seized in Vietnam, while Israel provided Soviet weapons that it had captured from the Arabs. According to the Washington Post"s Jon Randal, the clandestine operation was kept secret even from the U.S. State Department, which had argued against any such support. The Kurd"s news friends, however, did not want their protégées to win their struggle. An independent Kurdish state would be much too disruptive for the region, they felt. Their support was carefully doled out—enough to keep the revolt going, but not enough to take it to victory.
The Kurdish leader, Mustafa Barzani, was hard-headed enough to understand his people were being used by Iran, but not worldly enough to comprehend that his American backers could be equally duplicitous. “We do not trust the Shah,” Barzani told reporter Randal in 1973. “I trust America. America is too great a power to betray a small people like the Kurds.”
It was to be a fatal error of judgment. In 1975 the Shah and the leaders of Iraq abruptly agreed to settle their disputes and signed a treaty of friendship. A key part of the agreement was that Iran would immediately cease its support of the Iraqi Kurds. Overnight, Iranian army units that had been supporting the Kurds—with artillery, missiles, ammunition, and even food—retreated across the border into Iran. The U.S. and the Israelis similarly called a sudden halt to their support. At the same time, Iraqi troops began a massive offensive against the hapless Kurds.
Thus, without any warning, the Kurds were abandoned; not just their fighting men, the pesh merga, but their villages, wives, and children, were exposed to a ferocious Iraqi onslaught. Barzani sent a desperate plea to Kissinger for aid. “Our movement and people are being destroyed in an unbelievable way with silence from everyone. We feel, Your Excellency,that the United States has a moral and political responsibility towards our people, who have committed themselves to your country"s policy. Mr. Secretary, we are anxiously awaiting your quick response.”
Twelve days later, a U.S. diplomat in Tehran cabled CIA director William Colby, noting that Kissinger had not replied and warning that if Washington ”intends to take steps to avert a massacre it must intercede with Iran promptly.”
Meanwhile, a quarter of a million Kurds fled for their lives to Iran. Turkey closed its borders to thousands of others seeking refuge. Many of the militants left behind—especially students and teachers—were rounded up by the Iraqi, imprisoned, tortured, and executed. Some 1,500 villages were dynamited and bulldozed.
Over the following weeks and months, as the killing continued, Barzani issued more desperate appeals to the CIA, to President Gerald Ford, to Henry Kissinger. No one answered. Kissinger not only refused to intervene but also turned down repeated Kurdish requests for humanitarian aid for their thousands of refugees.
This duplicity of American officials might never have surfaced but for an investigation in 1975 by the U.S. Congress"s Select Committee on Intelligence headed by New York Democrat Otis Pike. The Pike report concluded that for Tehran and Washington the Kurds were never more than “a card to play.” A uniquely useful tool for weakening Iraq"s “potential for international adventurism.” From the beginning said the report, “The President, Dr. Kissinger, and the Shah hoped that our clients [Barzani"s Kurds] would not prevail.” The Kurds were encouraged to fight solely in order to undermine Iraq. “Even in the context of covert operations, ours was a cynical enterprise.”
The report"s damning conclusions continued: Had the U.S. not encouraged the Kurds to go along with the Shah and renew hostilities with Iraq, “the Kurds might have reached an accommodation with [Iraq"s] central government, thus gaining at least a measure of autonomy while avoiding further bloodshed. Instead the Kurds fought on, sustaining thousands of casualties and 200,000 refugees.”
One of the officials who testified before the committee in secret session was Henry Kissinger. When questioned by an appalled congressman about the U.S."s decision to abandon the Kurds to their bloody fate, Kissinger chided the committee, “One should not confused undercover action with social work.”
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