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NEWS & VIEWS 9
Issue nine
A WAVE OF TERROR AGAINST IRANIAN WRITERS
While IRI has denied responsibility on all three cases, evidence clearly points to IRI's intelligence organization. Iranian protests against these attacks have been echoed by international organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Pen, in written statements and in letters addressing the Iranian president Rafsanjani. Simultaneous demonstrations and evenings of solidarity are to be held in major cities across the world on Dec. 7th.
In the Pen open letter signed by Edward Albee, Gunter Grass, Eric Hobsbawm, Arthur Miller, Edward Said, Susan Sontag, Jackues Derrida and Millan Kondra is said: 'We urge you, to release full information on the whereabouts of Farraj Sarkoohi. We also request that independent inquiries into the sudden deaths of Ghaffar Hosseini and Ahmad Mir Alai be conducted and that the results be made public.
Bellow is a declaration by the CC of OIPFM issued on 2 Oct. 1996. We feel that while this document was issued prior to the above developments, its content has gained greater significance because of them.
The clerical regime has never been able to attract the support of the Iranian intelligentsia. Neither has it been able to influence their cultural activities. Instead, it has practiced a policy of repression. A policy that has been intensified in the recent months via overt and clandestine actions and conspiracies against Iranian writers.
An example is the recent revelations regarding the horrifying conspiracy that lead to the destruction of a bus containing 21 writers. The bus was intentionally thrown into a cliff. This act was arranged by the intelligence agents of the Islamic regime with the goal of destroying a significant portion of the dissenting voices among Iranian writers. Reports indicate that such attacks against writers are often designed to look like accidents. There have also been cases where innocent people have been blamed for them. In recent months, censorship of books has become tighter. Many independent publications have been closed and their writers have been under attack. Well-known authors and journalist have been called for weekly interrogations and those involved in the revival of the Iranian Writers' Association have been threatened and asked to stop their activities. The Hezbullah gangs have also been used to forcibly cancel public gatherings.
We believe that the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the person of Ayatullah Khamenei are directly responsible for these attacks against our country's cultural treasures. We condemn these threats and conspiracies and invite all to a unified struggle against repression of freedom and dictatorship in Iran.
In his reply the Iranian President aimed to ease the tension escalated by Iran's indignation at the murder trial of four suspects with clear ties to high ranking Iranian officials. These suspects were indicted for the murder of four Kurdish-Iranian dissidents at Berlin's Mykonos Restaurant.
Rafsanjani's recent interventions were aiming to contain the ruling right wing fraction in Iran and to tone down their recent acts of intimidation and threat against the German government and its judicial system. Rafsanjani indicated that Germany is not the real enemy of Iran and recent tensions are provoked by the U.S. to alienate Iran from an important international trade partner.
Mr. Rafsanjani's response demonstrated the 'positive' potentials of German policy towards Iran. In an earlier communication, Mr. Kohl assured the Iranian president and the Iranian public of the German government's respect for Iranian moral standards and religious beliefs and indicated that the trial was not meant to cause religious or cultural offense. He further indicated, however, that the German government can not interfere with its judicial system as the two function independently of one another.
These recent developments suggests the potentials of the "Critical Dialogue" policy, adopted by the EU, to defuse the Iranian terror tactics and to push forward demands for improvements in Iran's human rights policies.
The "Critical Dialogue", however, can also be viewed as a self serving policy that aims to retain the European commercial ties with Iran while masquerading concerns for human rights with a few critical words. This second view was clearly demonstrated in the Austrian government's reaction to the murder of Dr. A. Ghasemloo, the leader of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan on 12 July 1989 in Vienna. Despite clear evidence pointing to the Iranian government's involvement, the Austrian government never allowed the case to be prosecuted. Instead, in a decision that blatantly favored commercial interests over human rights principles it permitted the murderers to return to Iran.
OIPFM is strongly critical of those policies that clearly neglect human rights in favor of lucrative commercial relations with dictatorships. We argue for a critical dialogue that aims to curb Tehran's dictators ' routine use of terror and murder.
OIPFM is also strongly opposed to the American policy of imposing isolation and economic blockade against Iran. The American policy, while damaging to Iran's economy, aims to change regional balance of power. The American policy hurts the ordinary Iranian people and not their dictators as it is not aimed to cause democratic changes within the Iranian political system.
It is regretful that despite Mr. Arafat responsible and cool headed policies, aiming at the continuation of the peace negotiations, the Israeli government. The Israeli government has elected to risk the peace and security of the region to forcefully impose its will on the outcome of the peace negotiations. The Israeli government has shown disrespect for the Palestinian people's culture, traditions, and their basic rights. This behavior that inevitably results in more uprising and may lead to expansion of violent protests. It is indeed regretful that instead of peace, the Netanyahu government has decided to adopt an expansionist policy which could only escalate the violence, bloodshed, and tension in the region.
Fedaian support Mr. Arafat's call to protest against the Netanyanu's policies. They received it as just and timely. They condemn the Israeli government's expansionist policies and its use of violence against the defenceless Palestinian people.
OIPFM believes that negotiations towards the ideal of 'land for peace' is the only solution to the Mid-Eastern crisis. The Israeli government must accept that any circumvention of the land-for-peace basis will only escalate the violence and widen the gap between the Palestinian and Israeli people.
In a letter to Mr. Arafat, OIPFM stated its support of PLO's policies including its emphasis on the continuation of the peace negotiations.
Taliban, the most reactionary group among the Afghani Mojahedin now has captured Kabul and currently rules Afghanistan. To prevent further bloodshed, the coalition government of Rabbani-Hekmatyar withdrew their forces from the capital. . Once in power, Taliban's initial act was to enter the United Nations' headquarters where the former President Dr. Najib-ullah, was taking refuge. They tortured him and his brother and shot them in public and dragged their bodies around the city, then hung them in front of the presidential palace. Taliban's subsequent act was to enforce an 'Islamic Laws': women lost their right to work and education outside their homes and the Islamic hijab became mandatory.
The Central Council of the OIPFM considers the Taliban official take over of Kabul a national tragedy for the people of Afghanistan and a negative political development for the region. We view these events with great sadness and concern. It is clear that Taliban will prolong the civil war that has been ravaging that country for too long. We believe that the United States bears obvious responsibilities for this tragedy imposed on Afghanistan by the Taliban take over.
The Central Council of OIPFM is concern about the recent tragic events in Afghanistan and conveys its condolences to Dr. Najib's family and friends. History will remember Dr. Najib and his government for their sincere efforts to bring national reconciliation, peace and stability in Afghanistan. We remember Dr. Najib and express our deepest sympathies to his wife and three children.
Address: Buel Bruken Forum, Fredrich Breuer Str. 17, Bonn, Germany. The program includes Folkloric Iranian songs and dances along with other entertaining programs. An exhibition documenting 26 years of Fedaian movement is also to be held.
ANNIVERSARY: The 26th anniversary of the birth of Fedaian Movement will be celebrated on 15 February 97. Address: Buel Bruken Forum, Fredrich Breuer Str. 17, Bonn, Germany. The program includes Folkloric Iranian songs and dances along with other entertaining programs. An exhibition documenting 26 years of Fedaian movement is also to be held.
SEMINARS: OIPFM advocates the establishment of an on going dialogue among various Iranian political tendencies. During October and November members of various opposition parties participated in seminars organized by the local Iranian democratic centers to debate political issues. The CC of OIPFM's participation in these debates included: F. Negahdar's address at the Open Society Campaigners in Frankfurt; M. Abdulrahimpur's address at Center for Defence of Democracy in Malemo; and M. Fatapur's address at the Iranian Political Center in Hamburg.
THE CC MEETING, held on 16th and 17th of November, decided to mobilize all forces to protest against increasing repression in Iran through promoting demonstrations to be held abroad. The CC also discussed US and EU policies towards Iran and scrutinized OIPFM's position.
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