Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Iranian solidarity, for who?

Recently I have learned about the September 27, 2008 event in Boston. When I saw that the group sponsoring the event is IAC based out of 284 Amory St. I became concerned, for back in 2003 and 2004 when International ANSWER was based there, and from the photos of IAC I see some of the same people from International Answer with IAC, solidarity with Iran was NOT a priority.
As a man who has an Iranian father who is an aristocrat and who opposes American action against Iran and other historical Iranian territory like Afghanistan and Iraq I have been very active in the anti-war movement with people in America and abroad. When I attended the September 25, 2003 Boston anti-war demonstration sponsored by International Answer I received complaints only from 2 anonymous demonstrators and some Zionist pig involved with International Answer because I brought the Iranian flag. Not the flag of the mullahs of Iran’s government who were put into power with American backing in 1979 to destabilize that region and to give the American military/industrial complex and Rothschild backed bankers another target, but the Shir-O-Korshid flag which the Iranian community Worldwide recognizes as the rightful Iranian flag regardless of their political beliefs of ethnic background, and which my fellow Iranians who demonstrated against American aggression in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America used that same day. In October I received a message from International Answer not to bring that flag.
In September 2004 when I met with Dr. Pedram Riahi and members of the Iranian community in Boston as well as members of the Iranian Association of Boston were threatened by members of International Answer into not showing up at events where International Answer would have a presence, despite the fact that International Answer claims to oppose war with Iran.
If this IAC I am addressing is simply International Answer Boston under a different name, as it has the same address and apparently the same membership, I ask you this. You claim to oppose war with Iran, yet you exclude members of the Iranian community, all of who oppose war against the land their ancestors came from and a war which will spark ethnic discrimination by the American government such as was shown to the Germans, Japanese, Russians, and every ethnic group the American government has had conflict with? If this discrimination is based on political and ideological divisions then why have you not considered this, or decided to demonstrate against war and keep silent on all other issues? Or is it IAC is acting as a government backed provocateur? After all, every time I have attended an event sponsored by International Answer or IAC or where they have a presence the local police know too well who the demonstrators are. As one who has done time for his political beliefs in America and have friends like Amer Jubran who have had similar experiences the idea of having the police, who have committed acts of misconduct and brutality towards people under the guise of public safety, knowing my moves is repellant, especially in a city like Boston where the police department is the most corrupt and brutal in the country.
If you truly stand in Solidarity with Iran and the Iranian community Worldwide then I hope you will allow all Iranians to show up at these events, if not then I ask you, why should the Iranian community stand in Solidarity with you when you discriminate against us?

Peter Khan Zendran

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home