Writing by Andrew on Sunday, 22 of June , 2008 at 9:06 pm
Dear Mr. Obama,
I am sorry to say that I am disappointed with your recent moves towards the political right. As soon as you won the Democratic primary, you went to AIPAC to pledge your allegiance to the Israeli right wing. And just yesterday you went back on your commitment to public financing. But really, the icing on the cake came when you recently indicated that you support the FISA bill that legitimizes wireless surveillance. You certainly are amazing.
What’s really interesting is your stance on Iran. In 2004, you said that America might need to launch “surgical airstrikes” against Iran and its nuclear program. But by 2007 you had reversed this position, instead favoring direct diplomatic negotiations. Not to worry, just this month you announced that you had changed your position once again and were no longer committed to negotiations without preconditions. In addition, you recently called Iran a “threat,” telling a pro-Israel audience that the “military option” is not out of the question.
Where’s the difference between your position and that of Senator McCain? Gone is the Obama who, during the Democratic primary campaign, warned about the consequences of a war with Iran. You don’t mention the issue in your speeches anymore, and you don’t seem so concerned about the possibility. Your new position on Iran is unfortunate, but who can expect anything different from someone who has recently changed his views on a whole multitude of issues?
So, I ask you: Do you honestly believe that there is a military solution to the standoff with Iran? Do you really think that Iran is such a threat to the security of Israel (A country that, by the way, possesses 150 nuclear weapons and is the world’s 8th largest arms exporter)? And are you willing to reject the current U.S. stance towards Iran and instead make a genuine effort for peace and cooperation? So far, the answer to these questions appears to be a clear “No,” as you seem genuinely committed to continuing the policies of warmongering, occupation, and profiteering.
Writing by Andrew on Friday, 6 of June , 2008 at 10:42 pm
Mr. Obama has been getting awful close with AIPAC lately - too close! His recent speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee was, in the words of Jon Stewart, an attempt at “pandering” - an attempt to pander to the right wing of the Israeli political spectrum.
AIPAC lobbied furiously for the war in Iraq and is now pressing for an attack on Iran. American politicians, and especially Senator Obama, need to stop kissing up to AIPAC, which, by the way, represents the “lobbyists” that Obama claims he rejects.
If Obama was serious about peace, he’d listen to the 64% of Israelis who want to pursue direct diplomatic talks with the Palestinian leadership, which is actually run by Hamas - a group that Obama labels as “terrorist.” He’d also listen to the 67.2% of Israelis who oppose an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Obama is letting AIPAC get in the way of peaceful solutions to the problems facing the Middle East.
First comes love, then comes marriage, then…later on…comes Netanyahu in a baby carriage!
Writing by Andrew on Wednesday, 28 of May , 2008 at 10:42 am
As Christopher Hitchens wrote this week, “It’s somehow absurd and trivial to use the word Israel and the expression 60th birthday in the same sentence or the same breath. (What is this, some candle-bedecked ceremony in Miami?).” Nevertheless, behold the message on Obama’s web site:
It’d be generous to say that Obama’s record on the Mid East has been contradictory. In 2007 he declared that “no one suffers more than the Palestinians.” Then, facing pressure from pro Israel supporters, he completely reversed this statement. Indeed, as a state senator, Obama was initially considered pro Palestinian - but then decided to change his position as his career advanced. Such distinguished political courage is rare in our times.
Just last year Obama said that he would unconditionally meet with the leaders of Iran, Cuba and Venezuela – countries that the US government has accused of everything from communism to terrorism – in the first year of his presidency. But to Obama, the elected leaders of the Palestinian authority are an entirely different story – Barack says he doesn’t want America or Israel to negotiate with these “terrorists.” A recent Israeli poll showed that 64% are in favor of diplomatic talks with the Palestinian leadership. In other words, Obama rejects the views of the Israeli public, rejects peace talks, and instead chooses to “appease” the right wing, which has accused him of being soft on terrorism.
Obama has highlighted his hypocrisy by saying that his commitment to diplomacy was misunderstood and that he will not, as pledged, engage in unconditional diplomacy with the leaders of Iran and Cuba. Just last week, Obama echoed Bush and called Iran a “threat” that must be confronted. And just this week he traveled to Miami and addressed a crowd of Cuban Americans, telling them that he won’t negotiate with the new leader of Cuba unless the Cuban leadership agrees to allow Cuban exiles to sit in during the meetings. Being at least somewhat intelligent, Obama must certainly know that Raoul Castro would never agree to such an unacceptable precondition. So, in other words, Obama has no plans of ever negotiating with Cuba - at all. Amazing, isn’t it?
Obama’s record of flip flopping on important political issues is quite disturbing. A creature of political expediency, Obama’s compromises and backtracks on his positions whenever he is criticized (Take Reverend Wright, for example). This is quite typical of the Democrats. After all, it was Clinton-Gore who expanded the War on Drugs, cut government spending, ended welfare assistance for the poor, and bombed Iraq for eight years straight. Obama’s behavior is unsurprising. Hope. Change. And, of course……
Writing by Rezareza on Saturday, 5 of January , 2008 at 6:17 pm
I would like to apologize to all the readers of The Eyeranians. The blog has not been up dated in a while which you can blame partly on my laziness and partly on the holiday season. Either way I hope you had a great Christmas and a wonderful new year, no matter what your religion or believes are. I want to wish you all a great new year , and hope we are going to be able to provide you with a bigger and better blog in the up coming year.
I also thought it would be appropriate to start the first post of the new year with some pictures from Christmas in Iran. Hope you enjoy them!
Writing by persiancowboy on Monday, 6 of August , 2007 at 10:19 pm
The ITF and its affiliates, together with the ITUC and members of Global Unions have been campaigning in support of independent workers’ movement in Iran. For more than 20 years, state-run Workers House and Islamic Council exist but have failed to represent workers’ genuine demands. Tehran Bus Workers’ Union (Vahed Syndicate) was established in May 2005, overcoming massive oppression by the authorities. The leadership was, however, arrested in December 2005.
On 15 February 2006, a global action day was organised by the ITF and the ITUC, demanding an immediate and unconditional release of Mansour Osanloo, President of Tehran Bus Workers’ Union and a large of union supporters who were arrested by the authorities in January for organising a one-day strike. As a result of our action, all but M Osanloo were released within days.
The ITF and the ITUC submitted the joint complaint to the ILO in July 2006. M Osanloo was first released on 9 August, ten minutes before the closing of the ITF Congress in Durban where the delegates unanimously adopted an emergency motion in support of the union. He was, however, re-arrested in November and after a fresh round of worldwide protest, release in one month.
In June 2007, he took part in the ITF’s Road Transport Workers’ Section Conference in London for the first time. The union has been a member of the ITF since 1 May 2006. M Osanloo was then invited to Brussels to address the ITUC’s General Council Meeting.
He was again abducted by four unknown assailants on 10 July, three weeks after his return to Iran from Europe. Needless to say, the ITF, together with the ITUC responded immediately by condemning this cowardly act. As of 20 July 2007, he is detained in the nortorious Evin Prison in Tehran.
Visit the ITF campaign page where you can sign the petition and read more about the history of the workers’ struggle in Iran and international solidarity.
Writing by persiancowboy on Friday, 3 of August , 2007 at 1:39 pm
Thats the title of Scott Glover’s article in Los Angeles Time about tasering of an Iranian student in UCLA’s library. You can watch the original video on YouTube.
Even with use of force policies that are “unduly permissive,” a UCLA police officer violated department rules when he repeatedly shocked a student with an electric Taser gun last fall during a confrontation captured on video and posted on the Internet, according to a report released Wednesday.
Los Angeles police accountability expert Merrick Bobb found that the decision to use the Taser on student Mostafa Tabatabainejad was “unnecessary, avoidable and excessive.”
The findings are at odds with an earlier inquiry by UCLA Police Chief Karl Ross, who cleared Officer Terrence Duren and two colleagues of any wrongdoing.
Tabatabainejad, then a 23-year-old senior at UCLA, was in the campus library one night last November when a security guard asked him to provide identification during a routine check to make sure everyone in the library after 11 p.m. was a student or otherwise authorized to be there.
Tabatabainejad, a U.S. citizen of Iranian descent, refused repeated requests to provide his identification, explaining later that he thought he was being singled out because of his Middle Eastern appearance.
In an ensuing confrontation with university police, Tabatabainejad was shocked at least three times with a Taser when he failed to get on his feet and walk out of the library as officers demanded.
Los Angeles/Washington DC - Ongoing conversations between NIAC and the director and actors in the upcoming film, ‘Crossing Over,’ reached a positive conclusion last week. According to the film’s director, all elements of an honor killing in the script have been eliminated. Written in the tradition of ‘Crash,’ the film follows the struggles of individuals from different immigrant communities as they strive to ‘cross over’ from illegal residency to documented citizenship. Harrison Ford is playing the lead role of Max Brogan, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.
His partner, Hamid Baraheri, played by Cliff Curtis, is a naturalized Iranian-American citizen. The star-studded ensemble cast also features Sean Penn, Ashley Judd, and Ray Liotta. The film is currently in the last stages of production and is due out this December.
At issue was the depiction of Iranian Americans committing an “honor killing” in Los Angeles, a scenario that is both highly unlikely and potentially inflammatory. In a letter to ‘Crossing Over’ director/producer Wayne Kramer on May 15, NIAC outlined its concerns.
If “significant changes” were not made, NIAC wrote, “the film will generate serious backlash against the Iranian American community, further punishing a population that has been increasingly the target of discrimination in this time of escalated tensions between the U.S. and Iran.” The producer immediately contacted NIAC to discuss the issue and agreed take its concerns into consideration.
NIAC later submitted its analysis and suggestions to the production team, which changed elements of the script and even re-shot certain scenes. The final product, the director says, does not include any reference to “family honor” and does not depict an honor killing.
Emily Blout, NIAC’s Assistant Legislative Director, commended the director for his willingness to consider the views of the Iranian American community. “Mr. Kramer was receptive and sympathetic to our concerns.” said Blout after the Friday conference call. “I appreciate his efforts and am satisfied with the changes that have been made.”
NIAC president, Dr. Trita Parsi, attributed the success to the power of outreach and dialogue. “The Iranian-American community should engage in dialogue with directors and producers in Hollywood to ensure that the depiction of Iranian Americans reflect the community’s true achievements,” he said.
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