A couple days ago I went to one of my favorite Iranian online newspaper named Rooz and saw an article named “Mr. Khamenei and His Cell-mates”.
This was a letter written by one of Mullah Khamenei (Current Iranian Supreme leader) cellmate while in jail during the Shah’s regime.
I have to admit that I got very emotional reading this letter, to the point that I had to stop a couple of times and walk away from my computer. But, my curiosity forced me to finish reading his letter. I was not in Iran during the 1979 revolution but thanks to my father, uncles and brothers, I grew up in a very open minded environment. I read many of the books which the Shah’s Savak service had called “revolutionary”. I followed the Golsorkhi and Daneshian cases and court trial but did not share their ideals. Few of my class mates tried to give me Khomeini’s cassettes to listen to and I laughed at them. You see, all I wanted was a real democracy for my country where I could freely write whatever I wanted in my essays at school and buy and read the books I liked. I wanted Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Press.
So reading Mr. Assadi’s letter to his cellmate gave me another prospective of those like him, who were involved with “the other side”. The side that dreamed of an Islamic Democratic country. To this day I cannot believe how Iranian people really thought they can marry Democracy and Islam together and watch them live happily ever after.
In an e-mail to Mr. Assadi I asked his permission to insert his letter to my blog and to my surprise this gracious hero replied to me and gave me his permission. So here it is, his letter to his cellmate and friend, current Supreme Leader of Iran Khamenei.
Mr. Khamenei and His Cell-mates
Hushang Assadi
hooasadi@yahoo.fr
- 2009.02.23
Mr. Khamenei, I close my eyes as you and I together enter the corridors of the Komiteh Moshtarak prison in Tehran. These days you go around with your Velayate Faghih (a Shite jurisprudent who is also the head of state) garment and there is an entourage following you. But I, like thirty and something years ago, come along with nothing but my dreams of freedom.
Do you remember the days when you and I together were prisoners in the Shah’s prison and stayed in the same prison cell.? Contrary to those days, today I am exiled by you. You are the Velayate Faghih leader while I am outcast and driven from my home country. Do you know what your agents eventually told me? “You are a foreigner here. Get lost,” they said. Can you believe it that they told me I was a foreigner in my own country? So I am an outsider, an outcast. But on your visit to the same prison you, as the leader of the insiders of the current regime, are now gradually approaching the very same cell that we shared together in those days. You need to know that someone has recorded your sayings word by word and has put them on a website. I will read the writing and will accompany you through the prison visit.
You spoke about going to the bathhouse. Do you remember how the four of us, ie you, me, Ali and Sasan, washed ourselves with cloth-washing soaps? You seemed ashamed. Still we laughed so much. How happy we were in that atmosphere of darkness and duress, even though we were humiliated. We were beaten up. They would pull your hair. Sasan was almost dying of torture. What sparkle your eyes displayed when you used to put food into my mouth – that “communist” - with your own hands!
I have written all of these things, in my memoirs. But I will be honest with you: I am afraid to publish the memoir because of your agents who may harm me in my age and in this foreign country.
Yes, Mr. Khamenei, I remember you crying and reading the Quran while I, a young innocent man, sat on my feet dreaming of the days when freedom would arrive. Freedom for you to read your Quran and prayers, and for me to read Sholokhov, Foroogh, and Shamloo, as we all worked to rebuild Iran. You would focus on preparing people for their life in the after-life, while we would help them in their life in this mortal life.
As we walk down the wards, a shriek fills the air coming from the torture chamber and we both become silent. You must still remember those shrieks, as you have said so and someone has written about them. It is so good that you have not forgotten the cell, the tortures and the shrieks. You have even mentioned the name of your interrogator.
In fact all the cellmates of those days have survived and live today.
Years later you became president of Iran but I was sent to prison again. The interrogators this time were a different group. They were called “brothers” this time and replaced the previous ones. How strange it is, Mr. Khamenei. This time Alireza and I had the same interrogator. His name was “Brother Hamid”. Actually you know him very well. I am talking about Mr. Nasser Sarmadi Parsa. I heard that you screamed at him when he was the prison warden for the ward where the infamous “serial murderers” were kept, which triggered a heart attack onto him. Yet, I pitied him, even more. This is ironic that at one time people were tortured to gain power while at another time heart attacks were experienced confronting the same authority. But as you have said, believers have to fear what happens in the after world.
Yes Mr. Khamenei, you screamed at someone who had tortured me for three full months when I was behind bars. He forced me to eat my own excretes. In all honesty, the interrogators in the first prison did not do these things. Did they? But “Brother Hamid” did these very things to Alireza Akbari. My will to live kept me from dying, but Alireza was not so fortunate and was executed. His crime? That is clear: According to you we were all spies by nature. According to you we all planned to topple the regime, we were sexually amoral, etc.
The ironic part Mr. Khamenei is that Alireza and I both defended “the Glorious Islamic Revolution” based on the political line of the movement to which we belonged. And we defended it wholeheartedly. As did Rahman Hatafi. Yes, that young green-eyed, brown-haired man who you must remember because he and I came to your house in 1977 which was located on Fereiduni Street in Mashhad. That was a very simple and divine house. You only had one servant who later became your poet. You and Rahman talked with each other for four hours. When parting time came, you held my hand at the door and softly said, “What a wonderful and educated young man he is, but what a shame he is a communist.”
You know that that educated young man not only defended the revolution till his last breath, but even theorized this defense for others. But what fate he had into falling in the hands of “Brother Hamid.” He and “Brother Mojtaba” together gave Rahman such hell that he cut into his own face with his nails and then bit cut his own veins.
Yes, Mr. Khamenei, as poet Shamloo – whom you never liked - has said, “Strange Times” have dawned. You were the president then and I was in a cell adjacent to the one you and I shared during our prison days under the Shah.
So you continue your visit to the “Museum of Learning”, as Komite Moshtarak prison is known today. Next to my prison cell was Behazin’s cell. Behind the window they had thrown the lifeless body of Rahman Hatafi. Neither I, nor Behazin, nor Rahman, nor Alireza had committed any crime except a holding opinions that were different from those of your government. That is all there was. Nevertheless, three of these individuals are no loner living and I have been thrown out of my own country, my own home.
As you continue to visit the “Museum of Learning” you pass by the statue of Manouchehri and Ghandi. You see a prisoner effigy being whipped, the head of another one held under water, and looking next you remember that someone was hanging from the bars there.
You see these images and displays and shake your head in misfortune as you walk by. It is a shame that there is no one to ask what was going on there between 1979 and 2001 when Komiteh Moshtarak gave way to the Museum of Learning.
You should ask after brothers Hamid, Mojtaba, Mahmud, Rahim and the others. Perhaps someone will tell you that through their behavior these “brothers” made SAVAK look good. Perhaps they will tell you that the shrieks that used to come from the torture chambers during the Shah’s days had grown louder and louder in later years.
It is interesting that all your prison cellmates who opposed the Shah have survived and are alive today. But from amongst those in the prison of the Islamic Republic, only you and I survive. And my survival is per chance. If I had not left the country in time they would have done me too. Brother Saeed Mortezavi who people say is your favorite judge told me himself: “We should not have had merci on you to let you live. And it is still not too late for that.”
Mr. Khamenei! You know the people that I have named in this piece. And these are just the first names in a long never ending list some of whose names you know and others you don’t. Thousands of them have been executed, have spent long years in prison, have been forced to leave their country, are jobless, are in self-imposed exile at home, and are mostly among the best children of Iran.
I take the very God that I have seen you worship as witness and ask: when you used to cry in the prison cells of Komiteh Moshtarak prison so that SAVAK interrogators would leave did you want them to be replaced with brothers Hamid, Mojtaba, Rahim etc? Did you just want the call of azan (call to prayers) to be heard at the Komite Moshtarak prison and a change in the torture shrieks? Did you just want the acts of torture to change merely change names from torture to taazir (the Islamic term for physical punishment including torture)? Are these the changes that you wanted?
And do you really believe that by changing the name of Komite Moshtarak to Towhid after 20 years of its existence, and then to Ward 3000 of Evin, and finally to the Museum of Learning, these issues would evaporate or be solved?
Continuing your visit of the prison and as you leave Komite Moshtarak, I go and sit in the very prison cell that we occupied together. I close my wet eyes. I close them to this bitter world. The guard locks the door. You go to resolve the issues of the world but I really wish for you to come back, and for Ali and Sasan to return as well. I wish the four of us could again sit together for a meal and launch a new goal.
Leaving the prison, you are now at your command center. You enjoy your lunch, begin to pray and forget Komite Moshtarak prison and the Museum of Learning. But I still sit in the same prison cell and cry for ever. Yes, I will cry until freedom finds its wings in my country, until the rule of law rules, power is not monopolized by anyone, and no one is estranged or outcast from his home-country.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Hijacker of Iranian Revolution
These last few days I was trying to write down my feelings about the 30th anniversary of the Iranian revolution. The revolution that the Mullahs and their so called Imam Khomeini hijacked from the real Iranian heroes such as Dr. Mosadegh and Dr. Barzangan. But instead I decided to introduce the real Khomeini to my readers. Since I have a real bias against Khomeini and don’t want to be called a liar or a spinner, I am going to introduce this Mullah using his own words. I also would like to apologize to Mullah Khomeini’s children and grand children for bringing up their father and grandfather words because as I know they have been trying very hard to hide his books and quotes. As a matter of fact few of Mullah Khomeini’s books are banned in Iran and other Islamic countries. I did try to order them through my local library but the librarian told me I should try to find it in an “Adult only” book store. I finally got a couple of his books and here are few citations from Khomeini himself. Some Iranians call this Mullah, Imam Khomeini. As far as I know the title “Imam” is given to kind and intelligent clergies such as Imam Ali or Imam Hussein. So after reading Mullah Khomeini’s own words it is up to you to give him the title “Imam” or not.
Khomeini’s own words:
“A man can have sex with animals such as sheep, cows, camels and so on. However, he should kill the animal after he has his orgasm. He should not sell the meat to the people in his own village; however selling the meat to the next door village should be fine.” From Khomeini’s book, Tahrirolyasyleh.
If a man sodomizes the son, brother, or father of his wife after their marriage, the marriage remains valid.
If a father (or paternal grandfather) marries off his daughter (or granddaughter) in her absence without knowing for a certainty that she is alive, the marriage becomes null and void as soon as it is established that she was dead at the time of the marriage.
It is highly recommended that a girl be married off as soon as she reaches the age of puberty. One of the blessings of man is to have his daughter experience her first period not in her father's house, but in that of her husband
During the time a woman is menstruating, it is preferable for a man to avoid coitus, even if it does not involve full penetration – that is, as far as the circumcision ring – and even if it does not involve ejaculation. It is also highly inadvisable for him to sodomize her during this time.
If the number of days of the woman’s menstrual period is divided by three, a husband who has intercourse with her during the first two days must pay the equivalent of 18 nokhods [about 3 grams or 0.1 ounces] of gold to the poor; if he has it on the third or fourth days, the equivalent of 9 nokhods; and if he has it during the last two days, the equivalent of 4.5 nokhods.
Sodomizing a menstruating woman does not require such payment.
If a man repudiates his wife without informing her of it, and continues to meet her expenses for a period of, say, a year, and at the end of that time informs her that he got a divorce a year earlier and shows her proof of it, he may require that she return to him anything he has bought or given her during that time, provided that she has not used it up or consumed it, in which case he cannot demand its return.
Now that I entertained you with some porn let’s take a look at some of other Khomeini’s quotes from before and after 1979 revolution. Keep in mind that in Islam just like any other religions lying is a huge sin and liars burn in Hell.
Khomeini’s own words on Governing before revolution:
"Personal desire, age, and my health do not allow me to personally have a role in running the country after the fall of the current system." -- Interview with the Associated Press, Paris, November 7, 1978
"In Islamic Iran the clergy themselves will not govern but only observe and support the government's leaders. The government of the country at all levels will be observed, evaluated, and publicly criticized." -- Interview with Reuters news agency, Paris, October 26, 1978
Khomeini’s own words on Governing after revolution:
"This nation exists and clerics exist too. You all must know that in every place in this country only clerics can get the job done. Don't show so much prejudice that you want to put the clerics aside. What have you done for your country in all these years that now you're saying clerics should not be in charge? Appreciate these clerics. You do not understand correctly! If you put this group aside, no name or sign of Islam will remain. Imagine one cleric has done something wrong somewhere. Why can you do something wrong and some cleric cannot do anything wrong?" -- In a meeting with the Islamic Parliament, Jamaran (2), Tehran, May 27, 1981
Khomeini’s own words on Freedom of press and Expression before revolution:
"The Islamic regime does not have oppression." -- Interview with France Press news agency, Paris, October 25, 1978
"The foundation of our Islamic government is based on freedom of dialogue and will fight against any kind of censorship." -- Interview with Reuters news agency, Paris, October 26, 1978
"In Iran's Islamic government the media have the freedom to express all Iran's realities and events, and people have the freedom to form any form of political parties and gatherings that they like." Interview with the Italian newspaper Paese Sera, Paris, November 2, 1978
"Our future society will be a free society, and all the elements of oppression, cruelty, and force will be destroyed." -- Interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel, Paris, November 7, 1978
"In Iran's future Islamic system everyone can express their opinion and the Islamic government will respond to logic with logic." -- Interview with international reporters, Paris, November 9, 1978
Khomeini’s own words on Freedom of press and Expression after revolution:
"Don't listen to those who speak of democracy. They all are against Islam. They want to take the nation away from its mission. We will break all the poison pens of those who speak of nationalism, democracy, and such things." -- In a meeting with Iranian students and educators, Qom (3), March 13, 1979
"Those who create political fronts must stop their activities. If from the beginning, as in other revolutions in the world, several thousand of these corrupt individuals had been burned and beheaded till the issues were finished, problems would have been solved. We will allow one or more parties to operate if they operate correctly. But we announce that the rest are forbidden. We will no longer allow the same freedom that we used to give, and we cannot allow these parties to continue their activities. According to religious law, we can't give them a grace period. Canonically, it is not correct to give a grace period. We made mistakes when we gave freedom; we can't treat these wild animals gently. We will no longer allow any of their writings to be distributed in the country. We will destroy all their writings. We have to deal with them harshly, and we will deal with them harshly. -- In a meeting with selected Members of Congress, Qom, August 18, 1979
Khomeini’s own words on Women Rights before revolution:
"These words that you have heard regarding women in the future Islamic government are all hostile propaganda. In the Islamic Republic women have complete freedom, in their education, in everything that they do, just as men are free in everything." -- Interview with German reporters, Paris, November 12, 1978
"Women are free in the Islamic Republic in the selection of their activities and their future and their clothing." -- Interview with The Guardian newspaper, Paris, November 6, 1978.
Khomeini’s own words on Women Rights after revolution:
I couldn’t find any of Khomeini’s own words on Women Rights after revolution but just looking at what is happening to these brave women and a close examination of Iran Constitution laws will give you an in-depth understanding of what Khomeini and his gang think of Iranian women and their rights and freedom.
Khomeini’s own words:
“A man can have sex with animals such as sheep, cows, camels and so on. However, he should kill the animal after he has his orgasm. He should not sell the meat to the people in his own village; however selling the meat to the next door village should be fine.” From Khomeini’s book, Tahrirolyasyleh.
If a man sodomizes the son, brother, or father of his wife after their marriage, the marriage remains valid.
If a father (or paternal grandfather) marries off his daughter (or granddaughter) in her absence without knowing for a certainty that she is alive, the marriage becomes null and void as soon as it is established that she was dead at the time of the marriage.
It is highly recommended that a girl be married off as soon as she reaches the age of puberty. One of the blessings of man is to have his daughter experience her first period not in her father's house, but in that of her husband
During the time a woman is menstruating, it is preferable for a man to avoid coitus, even if it does not involve full penetration – that is, as far as the circumcision ring – and even if it does not involve ejaculation. It is also highly inadvisable for him to sodomize her during this time.
If the number of days of the woman’s menstrual period is divided by three, a husband who has intercourse with her during the first two days must pay the equivalent of 18 nokhods [about 3 grams or 0.1 ounces] of gold to the poor; if he has it on the third or fourth days, the equivalent of 9 nokhods; and if he has it during the last two days, the equivalent of 4.5 nokhods.
Sodomizing a menstruating woman does not require such payment.
If a man repudiates his wife without informing her of it, and continues to meet her expenses for a period of, say, a year, and at the end of that time informs her that he got a divorce a year earlier and shows her proof of it, he may require that she return to him anything he has bought or given her during that time, provided that she has not used it up or consumed it, in which case he cannot demand its return.
Now that I entertained you with some porn let’s take a look at some of other Khomeini’s quotes from before and after 1979 revolution. Keep in mind that in Islam just like any other religions lying is a huge sin and liars burn in Hell.
Khomeini’s own words on Governing before revolution:
"Personal desire, age, and my health do not allow me to personally have a role in running the country after the fall of the current system." -- Interview with the Associated Press, Paris, November 7, 1978
"In Islamic Iran the clergy themselves will not govern but only observe and support the government's leaders. The government of the country at all levels will be observed, evaluated, and publicly criticized." -- Interview with Reuters news agency, Paris, October 26, 1978
Khomeini’s own words on Governing after revolution:
"This nation exists and clerics exist too. You all must know that in every place in this country only clerics can get the job done. Don't show so much prejudice that you want to put the clerics aside. What have you done for your country in all these years that now you're saying clerics should not be in charge? Appreciate these clerics. You do not understand correctly! If you put this group aside, no name or sign of Islam will remain. Imagine one cleric has done something wrong somewhere. Why can you do something wrong and some cleric cannot do anything wrong?" -- In a meeting with the Islamic Parliament, Jamaran (2), Tehran, May 27, 1981
Khomeini’s own words on Freedom of press and Expression before revolution:
"The Islamic regime does not have oppression." -- Interview with France Press news agency, Paris, October 25, 1978
"The foundation of our Islamic government is based on freedom of dialogue and will fight against any kind of censorship." -- Interview with Reuters news agency, Paris, October 26, 1978
"In Iran's Islamic government the media have the freedom to express all Iran's realities and events, and people have the freedom to form any form of political parties and gatherings that they like." Interview with the Italian newspaper Paese Sera, Paris, November 2, 1978
"Our future society will be a free society, and all the elements of oppression, cruelty, and force will be destroyed." -- Interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel, Paris, November 7, 1978
"In Iran's future Islamic system everyone can express their opinion and the Islamic government will respond to logic with logic." -- Interview with international reporters, Paris, November 9, 1978
Khomeini’s own words on Freedom of press and Expression after revolution:
"Don't listen to those who speak of democracy. They all are against Islam. They want to take the nation away from its mission. We will break all the poison pens of those who speak of nationalism, democracy, and such things." -- In a meeting with Iranian students and educators, Qom (3), March 13, 1979
"Those who create political fronts must stop their activities. If from the beginning, as in other revolutions in the world, several thousand of these corrupt individuals had been burned and beheaded till the issues were finished, problems would have been solved. We will allow one or more parties to operate if they operate correctly. But we announce that the rest are forbidden. We will no longer allow the same freedom that we used to give, and we cannot allow these parties to continue their activities. According to religious law, we can't give them a grace period. Canonically, it is not correct to give a grace period. We made mistakes when we gave freedom; we can't treat these wild animals gently. We will no longer allow any of their writings to be distributed in the country. We will destroy all their writings. We have to deal with them harshly, and we will deal with them harshly. -- In a meeting with selected Members of Congress, Qom, August 18, 1979
Khomeini’s own words on Women Rights before revolution:
"These words that you have heard regarding women in the future Islamic government are all hostile propaganda. In the Islamic Republic women have complete freedom, in their education, in everything that they do, just as men are free in everything." -- Interview with German reporters, Paris, November 12, 1978
"Women are free in the Islamic Republic in the selection of their activities and their future and their clothing." -- Interview with The Guardian newspaper, Paris, November 6, 1978.
Khomeini’s own words on Women Rights after revolution:
I couldn’t find any of Khomeini’s own words on Women Rights after revolution but just looking at what is happening to these brave women and a close examination of Iran Constitution laws will give you an in-depth understanding of what Khomeini and his gang think of Iranian women and their rights and freedom.
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