Persia

Dear Sasun and other interested people: First of all, many thanks for your kind interest in the subject. In order to avert a misunderstanding, let me elucidate this that The ongoing struggle for democracy in Iran has nothing to do with American or British intervention. Have you ever seen a democracy installed by the Brits and Americans in the Middle East? We Iranians are well aware of this striking fact. Our democracy movement is a homegrown movement supported by the bulk of the populace in Iran. By support, I have never meant military intervention. We Iranians are in quest of moral support of the West through media and other means. This moral support, which is indispensable to the audacious students of Iran, has already started to take shape in Italy. Millions of average Italians, including many prestigious media corporations have declared their espousal of the auspicious democracy movement in Iran. This indeed is very imperative and is what we are in pursuit of. We are aiming to reach out to the general public in the entire Europe to inform the courageous students and ordinary people in Iran of the fact that they are not alone and that the entire world is behind them in solidarity. Let me amplify this again: This has nothing to do with American or British Intervention. This is our own HOMEGROWN democracy movement. The entire world is impatiently waiting for July 9th to loom, which will mark the fourth anniversary of the brutal attack on student dormitories. The conditions and torture to which Iranian people are exposed daily is appalling. This is what we Iranian people are opposing. We Iranians want to take our rightful place amongst the respected people of the world with a SECULAR and DEMOCRATIC system. In the mean time, let me tell you that please do not mistake Iran for Iraq or Afghanistan. Iran is the only country in the with a homegrown democracy movement in the Middle East. While the entire Muslim world is demanding further fanatism and religious rule, Iranians are the only ones asking to integrate with the West. A democratic Iran will benefit the entire Middle East. We don't want an American intervention in our country. All we need is international support. Hence, in order to show your support, please notify of the media corporations in the countries you are located of this mass movement. If you want to support us in person, you can partake in the July 9th demonstrations held world-wide. These demonstrations, held legally in support of the students in Iran are scheduled to take place in the U.S.A., France, Sweden, Italy, Belgium, United Kingdom, Holland, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Australia. If you are located in one of these countries, you are more than welcome to march with us in July 9th. Furthermore, you can also sign the petition I have provided the address of. Best Regards and pray for us. Persia

"ON 9 JULY, WE ALL SHALL BE IRANIAN" SAYS ITALIANS ROME 28 June (IPS) On the initiative of a group of Iranian intellectuals and journalists in Italy and in collaboration with "Il Riformista" newspaper, a hundred of leading Italian personalities of all walk announced their support for the Iranian student’s freedom seeking protest movement. "On 9 July, all of us we shall be Iranian", wrote Marco Follini, the General Secretary of the "Unione di Centro Democratice" (Union of Democratic Centre), referring to the fourth commemoration of the first major student’s protest revolt against the Islamic Republic, seeking freedom and democracy. The 9 July 1999 rebellion, started as a peaceful protest by students against the closure of a reformist newspaper, was savagely clamped down on orders of Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i, the leader of the Islamic Republic and the blessings of President Mohammad Khatami, elected for the first time two years before thanks to massive votes of the students. "On 9 July, all of us we shall stand proudly by Iranian students, supporting their struggle for democracy and freedom", Mr. Follini said, calling on the Italians to join in the support movement "regardless of their political stands". The latest wave of anti-regime demonstrations started almost two weeks ago with the students protesting a government plan to privatise higher education, discriminating the poorer classes, but it quickly became full scale political, after Islamist thugs and pressure groups, controlled by the ruling conservatives, attacked the protesters. The students were then joined by ordinary people, clashing with the vigilantes and basij (volunteer) militias, chanting for the first time slogans against the regime’s highest officials, including Ayatollah Khameneh’i, former president Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the regime’s highest personage after the leader and president Mohammad Khatami. The protests intensified after Mr. Khameneh’i called on the Basij to deal "mercilessly" with the demonstrators and another hard line cleric demanded the Judiciary that the students and their supporters be punished as enemies of God, an accusation that carries death penalty under Iranian Islam-based laws. "The fight of the brave young Iranians is not important for the Iranians alone, but also would have a positive implication for the future of the whole of the Middle East", he observed. Answering the invitation of the Italy-based "Iranian Committee for Support of 9 July Protest Movement", Italico Santoro, the Editor of "La Voce Republicana" said not only he and all of his colleagues at the newspaper would come out on the occasion, "but I’m certain that most of our readers would also join the commemorative event". "I shall be with you on 9 July, bringing a message not only for my friend and colleague Babak Payami, who was detained for 48 hours, but also for all Iranians, particularly the students, who, because of their courage, have been admired world-wide", said Paolo Virzi, a veteran Italian movie director. As for Piero Fassino, the General Secretary of the "Democratice di Sinistra" (Democratic Left), Italy’s main opposition Party, "it is heart-warming" that "at last", some in Italy have decided "not to let Iranian students alone in their struggle for democracy". In a letter sent last week to the leaders of the European Union, Mr. Fassino had urged them to "end their silence" concerning the Iranian students protest movement. A former Justice Minister, Mr. Fassino, while announcing his "full support" for the democratic aspirations of Iranian students, said: "By backing the Iranian students, we also defend the interests of the European Union that cannot be separated from democratic movements in Europe". "In our letter placed on some internet websites, we urged the Italian public not to remain silent in the face of what is boiling down in Iran or to explain why their indifference?" one of the original promoters of the letter, Mr. Ahmad Ra’fat, an Iranian-Italian journalist told Iran Press Service. "Not only hundreds of people, among them some of Italy’s best known and respected intellectuals, journalists, artists and politicians responded almost immediately to our action, but also said they would suggest to celebrate the 9 July as "Iranian Students Day". Source: Iran Press Service

Dear Stormy: Do you mean to imply that the demonstrations are petty? If you think so, wait and see the upcoming demonstrations planned for the 9th of July worldwide and in Iran. And thanks for your consideration. Regards, Persia

Dear Armenian friends: Recent days have been marked by Iranians' unprecedented struggle for democracy. Iranians students and thousands of students, in order to display their rejection of the brutal clerical regime suppressing Iranians, have been braving streets day and night. The regime brutal thugs have arrested thousands of innocent students for simply asking for democracy. At such a sensitive time, do not leave your Iranian brothers alone and help this nation with a rich history achieve its rightful place in the respected nations of the world. Sign the petition below to show your support http://www.petitiononline.com/hbzadeh/petition.html