Blogger: Mideast Youth - Thinking Ahead
Article: Persepolis 2: Safeguard the Innocent
Originaly Posted On: 2008-08-15 21:07:51

2,500 years ago, Cyrus the Great penned down what is regarded as the first declaration for human rights, affirming the right to freedom of worship. But centuries later, what is the situation of Iran’s largest religious minority?

Note: images for this clip were lovingly borrowed from the feature film, “Persepolis.” Marjane Satrapi’s admirable production. She continues to serve as an inspiration for us all.

If you cannot access YouTube, this video is also available here in (English) and (Farsi.)

Much has been said and written on the persecution of the Baha’i minority in Iran, but in these dark days, and as troubling news continues to emerge, it is time to rise up and proclaim, enough! Whether it is justified by religion, or hidden under the guise of nationalism, or instigated by prejudice, religious intolerance is a plague that threatens the fabric of our societies. It is our moral obligation to not sit by silently as our fellow brothers and sisters are murdered, imprisoned and denied their rights as citizens due to their personal beliefs.

Spread the word:

• Promote this clip by sharing it with your friends, colleagues, and on social networks.
• Stay aware of human rights abuses against this innocent minority.

Contact Iranian Embassies

• Contact your nearest Iranian embassy, expressing your concern over the treatment of Baha’is. We’ve provided a template letter, as well as contact details of embassies worldwide.

For those in Iran:

• Learn more about the faith, and be aware that the IRI and officials of other countries like Egypt have launched massive propaganda campaigns against them.
• Reach out to Baha’is, and keep an open mind.

Remember, you don’t have to believe in the Baha’i faith in order to tolerate and respect its members. We all deserve equal human rights, and an equal status in citizenship, regardless of our faiths.

[If you would rather watch a higher resolution version, visit our video sharing site]

Blogger: Point of no return
Article: Iraqi-Jewish festival: an Arab view - update
Originaly Posted On: 2008-08-11 16:30:00

Some weeks ago, Point of no Return flagged an interesting piece by the well-known author and poet Khalid al-Kishtainy in the Saudi-owned Arabic daily, al-Sharq al-Awsat after he had attended the Halahel Iraqi-Jewish festival in London in June. Why weren’t the Iraqi Jews, who traditionally held leftwing, liberal views, acting as a bridge between Israel and the Palestinians? he wondered.

The piece produced an equally interesting comments thread (with special thanks to Eileen and Freddy K for kindly translating them). Some admonished the Palestinians, one praised the Jews for being intelligent and hard-working. But this comment, from Amer Ammar of the United States, stood out:

“My dear Sir, how can we confess in Iraq that we have wronged the Jews? Our fathers and us have been fed hatred against the Jews to the extent that their knowledge, their star (of David) and their dress have become our most feared things. Whereas, if we looked at the old pictures of Baghdad and the various cities then we would see that their dress and the star were present everywhere without any ill feeling towards them.

Our ancestors and their Jewish friends lived with each other and were neighbours. So what happened? What is the crime of the thousands of Iraqi Jews who loved their country and contributed towards its advancement and construction, only to be rewarded with expulsion and persecution (Farhoud). It is important that the new generation should take the first step towards rebuilding the trust and no better place to start when with our brothers who are already living in this country as it is certain that they never did commit any crimes, worst than the crimes of the past dictatorial regime or the present democratic regime.”

Amen to that.

To read all the comments scroll down the 17 July post.