Iran’s Mullahs Trumped edited to include videos

Iran’s Mullahs Trumped
https://clarionproject.org/irans-mullahs-trumped/
Home > World > Canada > Iran’s Mullahs Trumped
BY RAHEEL RAZA Wednesday, May 9, 2018 
US President Donald Trump signs a document reinstating sanctions against Iran after announcing the US withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear deal, in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 8, 2018. (Photo: SAUL LOEB / AFP / Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump signs a document reinstating sanctions against Iran after announcing the US withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear deal, in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 8, 2018. (Photo: SAUL LOEB / AFP / Getty Images)
 

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President Donald Trump’s announcement May 8 about sanctions on Iran brings back memories of my face-to-face with the Iranian regime.

A few years ago, I was in Geneva at the United Nations Human Rights Council and Iran was very much in the news as the U.N. was trying to get its special rapporteur into Iran to look into human rights violations. However, Iran had refused his entry. Meanwhile, Amnesty had just published a report about human rights aberrations in Iran with facts, figures and actual incidents. In the plenary where I was also present to speak on a separate issue, the Iranian ambassador rose just before I spoke and said that there were no human rights aberrations in Iran. This was all a Western conspiracy, he said.

Well! I immediately trashed my prepared speech and stood up with the Amnesty report in my hand and very politely told Mr. Ambassador he must be mistaken (a polite way of saying “you are lying through your teeth”) and that human rights violations in Iran are documented in this report (which I waved in the air).

At the UNHRC people do not usually applaud, but I got applause from Iranian dissidents and some others in the room who knew the facts but were afraid to speak out because of fear of reprisals.

All this is to say that the concern about human rights in Iran is not a new issue. However, during the Obama administration, Iran was emboldened by his lifting the sanctions and today we see a regime that continues to be violent and cruel to its own citizens.

As a Canadian, I have been concerned about some of our citizens who have become victims of Iran’s regime. To name a few of them:

In 2003, Zahra Kazemi, a Canadian citizen who was born in Iran, was taking pictures of protesters in Tehran, which prompted authorities to arrest her. Kazemi was detained, tortured and raped in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison. Kazemi later died in the hospital to which her jailers transferred her.

Web programmer Saeed Malekpour, an Iranian national with permanent resident status in Canada, has been imprisoned in Iran since his arrest on 4 October 2008. He is serving a life sentence in Evin Prison.

This year, Canadian Professor Kavous Seyed-Emami, died in prison in Iran while his wife was detained.

There are dozens more cases of Iranians being detained, tortured and some that have just disappeared with no accountability. LGBT community members in Iran are fearful for their lives while minorities like the Bahai’ have been persecuted mercilessly.

And we are not even taking into consideration Iranian women arrested for removing their hijabs or protestors in the streets.

What does this tell us about the regime in Iran? Is it democratic? Does it respect basic human rights?

Clearly not. The regime is on a power trip, crushing anyone who comes in its way.

In the words of an Australian reformist Shia imam “Iran must be stripped from all nuclear capabilities and Obama’s negotiations were too soft. We are dealing with the founders of Hezbollah, a ruthless group of terrorists, not a democratic government. They are more dangerous than Kim Jong Un.”

President Trump has taken a clear position on Iran’s duplicity while showing his support for the courageous and remarkable people of Iran. Hopefully this will encourage them to bring about the change that is needed.

The Canadian government that prides itself on human rights and gender equality should also take note and think twice about restoring diplomatic relations with Iran.



As Trump Decides on Iran, Watch These Videos as a Reminder
https://clarionproject.org/trump-decides-iran-watch-videos-reminder/
Home > World > Iran > As Trump Decides on Iran, Watch These Videos as a Reminder
BY CLARION PROJECT Tuesday, May 8, 2018 
This week the Trump administration decides on whether to continue with the Iran nuclear deal or sanction the Islamic Republic.

These Clarion videos from 2016 serve as a reminder as to why we in the West should fear a nuclear Iran. (The campaigns mentioned at the end of the videos are no longer active.)

Say NO to a Nuclear Iran! - Iran Short Film Series #1

Clarion Project
Published on 4 Mar 2015
See all the  films in our Iran short film series, visit http://iran.clarionproject.org/iran_f...
Urgent - Write to Your Elected Officials Now. 
No Nukes For Iran! 
WATCH 12.22 MINS
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6dukyWFEKM&ab_channel=ClarionProject


Change the Channel - Iran Short Film Series #6
Clarion Project
Published on 25 Jun 2015
See all the films in our Iran short film series, visit http://iran.clarionproject.org/iran_f...
Change the Channel. What happens if the Iran Nuclear agreement goes bad? Ever wondered what a bad nuclear deal looks like? Change the Channel is a fast-moving look through the eyes of our news channels at the growing turmoil and eventual destruction wrought by a nuclear Iran on the Middle East and beyond. Even America isn't safe.
WATCH 2.47mina
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duFAhtbujFU&ab_channel=ClarionProject


BILL CLINTON -OBAMA-KERRY-Ayatollah al Khameni
WATCH 3.27mins
RED LINE CROSSED
Say NO to a Nuclear Iran!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=50&v=w5h1hVpZmzo



The World Stayed Silent - Iran Short Film Series #7
Clarion Project
Published on 30 Jun 2015
See all the films in our Iran short film series, visit http://iran.clarionproject.org/iran_f...
When the Jews were being slaughtered in the holocaust the world remained silent. Today Iran repeatedly calls for the destruction of Israel and attacks, through its proxy terrorist groups, Jewish and Israeli civilians around the world. If Iran gets the nuclear bomb will the world stay silent again?
Subscribe and stay updated on what’s going on in the news, our latest films and what we’re up to at Clarion.
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WATCH 2.42 MINS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=hYBJ9Xgs2Zs&ab_channel=ClarionProject