A Mockery of Human Rights

(Mohammad Parvin)

The news of participation of Amnesty International (AI) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) in an event in Washington, DC on July 26, 2007, arranged by National Iranian American Council (NIAC), has become a source of profound distress among the freedom loving Iranian and Iranian-American community: a community supporting the legitimate aspirations of the Iranian people for a democratic and secular leadership.

What is greatly shocking is that one of the four sponsors of this event formed under the title, “Human Rights in Iran and U.S. Foreign Policy Options”, is Amnesty International.  It is shocking because NIAC is an organization that has been lobbying for establishing the unconditional relations between the U.S. and the Islamic Regime of Iran (IR) since its inception, and has not shown any concern whatsoever about the human rights violations in Iran. We don’t need to go far to prove these claims about NIAC.  

At a time when terrorist activities of the Islamic regime of Iran (IRI) against the Iranian people and the entire world has been documented, the participation of AI and HRW in an event promoted by an organization that openly announces its support for unconditional relations between the US and a terrorist regime, raises serious questions. This is in complete contrast to the mission and mandates of the Amnesty international and HRW.  

AI and HRW are touted as a supporter of human rights and democratic values and should not participate in the events organized by the Islamic Regime’s lobby groups that are trying to manipulate the American Political System to legitimize the Islamic Regime.  

Everything that this organization does whether it is an event for youth, forming a conference, supporting the anti-war movements, dealing with Iranian/American issues or local politics, it is all directly or indirectly designed to serve one and only one purpose: Establishing relations between the United States and one of the most brutal violators of human rights, the Islamic Regime of Iran.  A careful look at the NIAC website, its public statements, public events, and its nonpartisan support of the U.S. political figures who share NIAC vision in dealing with the Islamic Regime, would be enough to show you what NIAC really stands for.  Not only does NIAC not deny this, but like all other lobby groups declares very proudly that it does so because of its love for Iranian people!  

On the issue of human rights, we have challenged the AI and HRW to find one statement issued by NIAC since its formation in condemning the Islamic Regime for violating the basic human rights of Iranians.  Not even one single sentence has been issued by NIAC in condemnation of IR for stoning, torture, execution of political prisoners, or the treatment of women and religious minorities.  One cannot find any reference to human rights in NIAC’s mission statement, goals, programs or anywhere else.  None of the many urgent actions issued by Amnesty International to stop imminent execution of political prisoners or stoning of men and women to death, has been acknowledged or distributed by NIAC.  

Dr. Trita Parsi, the President of this group was ex-congressman Bob Ney’s advisor who is serving now a 30-month jail term for bribery and lobbying for the Islamic Regime among other things.  NIAC was promoting Bob Ney for years as a friend of Iranian people! 

It is so ironic that the event organized by NIAC is going to discuss the human rights situation in Iran . This event is a mockery of human rights and an insult to all those who have paid dearly in Iran for standing for their rights. It should not be promoted by the Human Rights organizations