Dabashi's "little torture"

by Julie Jigsawnovich

Hamid Dabashi's: "What's a little torture in Kahrizak and Evin...?" on CNN sounds more like PressTV.

Hamid Dabashi's states, "What's a little torture in Kahrizak and Evin over the last year compared to what the United States has done in Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay and Bagram Airbase in the course of its "war on terror" over the last decade?"  http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/06/11/dabashi.iran.green.movement/index.html?hpt=C2 

Wait a minute. This sounds more like Iran's State-run Press TV than CNN. And why is Dabashi comparing events during a one year period to cumulative events occurring during a decade as if they were of equal value? This is just plain illogical. 

Dabashi's statement makes it sound as though torture in Iranian prisons only occurred over the last year, when in fact torture has increased over the last year.  Torture has been practiced in the Islamic Repulic of Iran for decades. 

Amnesty International recently released a report which includes details of torture

http://thereport.amnesty.org/sites/default/files/AIR2010_EN_0.pdf

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran www.ihri.org is also a great resource of information regarding specific cases of torture.

The torture and the travesties of justice are becoming so extreme in Iran that even members of the staunch Revolutionary Guards are defecting. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2010/jun/11/iran-revolutionary-guard-defectors

I welcome investigations into torture anywhere committed by anyone, because torture is ethically indefensible--and I don't believe torture keeps us safe. The bottom line is that human rights should be respected everywhere, by everyone. 

Former elite officers in Revolutionary Guard reveal increasing tensions in Iran regime

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2010/jun/11/iran-revolutionary-guard-defectors

A two-month investigation by Guardian Films and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reveals how hundreds of members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard are defecting - in protest at what they see as a 'betrayal' by the Iranian government

Torture is Unnecessary for Keeping a Country Safe

The ban on "waterboarding" has not hampered U.S. intelligence gathering at all, says "top C.I.A. spy".http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0403/cias-top-spy-intelligence-suffered-all-waterboarding-ban/

Hundreds of gay men tortured and killed in Iraq

Even if you aren't gay or bisexual yourself, know that the persecution of gays tends to be accompanied by the persecution of other groups too. For a historical, non-muslim comparison-- the Third Reich persecuted gays, intellectuals, artists, disabled people, and ethnic minorities.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/08/17/iraq.homosexual.killings/index.html

Former spy who infiltrated RG: Don't recognize Ahmadinejad

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0805/p09s01-coop.html

Shia cleric defends civil rights: Grand Ayatollah Montazeri's Fatwa

Grand Ayatollah Montazeri's Fatwa is heartening and stereotype-breaking. Here are some excerpts:

"A political system based on force, oppression, changing people’s votes, killing, closure [of organs of civil society], arresting [people] and using Stalinist and medieval torture, creating repression, censorship of newspapers, interruption of the means of mass communications, jailing the enlightened and the elite of society for false reasons, and forcing them to make false confessions in jail, is condemned and illegitimate. And, according to the teachings of the Prophet and his descendants confessions in jail have no religious or legal validity and cannot be the criterion for action [against the confessor].

The courageous people of Iran are also aware of such confessions — the examples of which can be found in the history of communist and fascist regimes — and are aware that such confessions and fake television interviews are extracted from their jailed children under duress and torture, in order to hide the oppression and injustice, and in order to present a distorted image of the peaceful and lawful protests of the people. The [government] officials who are responsible for such acts must be aware that such acts are sinful, and are punishable both religiously and by law. Iran belongs to the people, not to you and me, and they make the decisions, and the officials are their servants. People must be able to gather peacefully, and defend their rights both in writing and orally."

For the full text, please visit:
http://tehranbureau.com/grand-ayatollah-montazeris-fatwa/