Friday
Oct092009
Iran: Karroubi Reply to Ahmadinejad's Appearance on US TV (9 October)
Friday, October 9, 2009 at 13:01
Now, for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize: Mehdi Karroubi
The Latest from Iran (9 October): Almost Four Months
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Thanks to Pedestrian for translation from original article in Mashrote News. The letter is written on behalf of Karroubi by his son, Mohammad Taqi:
In the Name of God,
[a poem: if the first bricks of a wall are placed askew, the entire wall will go up askew]
Dear Brother, Mr. [Ezatullah] Zarghami,
The Honorable head of IRIB [Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting],
Greetings,
As you are well aware, on Tuesday Mr. Ahmadinejad’s interview with Charlie Rose [of US Public Broadcasting Service] was broadcast on Channel1 [IRIB1]. When speaking of post-election events, the host of this American TV network pointed to the subject of rape in prisons. In response, Mr. Ahmadinejad said: "It is Mr. Karroubi who has made these allegations and when the three-member team from the judiciary refuted his comments, he grew very angry and had nothing to show for it."
It is quite unfortunate that the culture of lying has become an inseparable part of the executive branch [of government]. I don’t know what it is about New York that brings out this personal attribute [lying] of the president’s two-fold. It is also unfortunate that the Islamic Republic’s broadcasting service has also been transformed to a medium that spreads this vile culture and the result is the lack of trust people feel towards this public medium....
I want the dear people to know that some very shocking news was reported to me about the state of the children of this nation who were in legal and illegal detention centers for simply demanding their legal rights. It was my religious, legal, national, and human obligation to say something and not to allow the violation of people’s rights and the trampling of their honor to become a norm in the Islamic Republic. After the members of the judiciary team were announced, we had some productive meetings, and I gave them my documentation while trusting that these individuals were intent on following the cases and punishing those who were responsible. But suddenly, instead of pursuing the cases, traitors viciously attacked me and they shut down my personal office and the office of my Etemade Melli party and another copy of the documents was in the hands of the officials.
The accusations made in [Ahmadinejad’s] interview are pure lies, and I am still actively pursuing those cases --- stories which hurt the conscience of any free human being. I ask the so-called national media to give me or one of my representatives a third of the time they gave to those judiciary members so I can convey the extent of these atrocities to the people, so that the nation, the real owners of this land, can place themselves in the place of a jury and judge my words and yours. The late Imam [Khomeini] said that he would sacrifice his life for the people of this nation, so why are these same people now considered become outsiders and why do they not have the right to hear of what is happening to their own children via their own medium?
Mr. Zarghami,
I know you to be an honest, intelligent individual. That is why I recommend that you bring down this great wall of mistrust that has been created between the people and their national media, which, today, more resembles the officials’ personal media. The interests of the people and the nation lie in their being informed of events. And there’s no one around these days who doesn’t know that because of the existent technologies, despite all the efforts, borders have been broken and people have access to information.
I ask the lord for your health and well-being,
With Thanks,
Mohammad Taqi Karoubi
The Latest from Iran (9 October): Almost Four Months
Receive our latest updates by email or RSS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED
Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis
Thanks to Pedestrian for translation from original article in Mashrote News. The letter is written on behalf of Karroubi by his son, Mohammad Taqi:In the Name of God,
[a poem: if the first bricks of a wall are placed askew, the entire wall will go up askew]
Dear Brother, Mr. [Ezatullah] Zarghami,
The Honorable head of IRIB [Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting],
Greetings,
As you are well aware, on Tuesday Mr. Ahmadinejad’s interview with Charlie Rose [of US Public Broadcasting Service] was broadcast on Channel1 [IRIB1]. When speaking of post-election events, the host of this American TV network pointed to the subject of rape in prisons. In response, Mr. Ahmadinejad said: "It is Mr. Karroubi who has made these allegations and when the three-member team from the judiciary refuted his comments, he grew very angry and had nothing to show for it."
It is quite unfortunate that the culture of lying has become an inseparable part of the executive branch [of government]. I don’t know what it is about New York that brings out this personal attribute [lying] of the president’s two-fold. It is also unfortunate that the Islamic Republic’s broadcasting service has also been transformed to a medium that spreads this vile culture and the result is the lack of trust people feel towards this public medium....
I want the dear people to know that some very shocking news was reported to me about the state of the children of this nation who were in legal and illegal detention centers for simply demanding their legal rights. It was my religious, legal, national, and human obligation to say something and not to allow the violation of people’s rights and the trampling of their honor to become a norm in the Islamic Republic. After the members of the judiciary team were announced, we had some productive meetings, and I gave them my documentation while trusting that these individuals were intent on following the cases and punishing those who were responsible. But suddenly, instead of pursuing the cases, traitors viciously attacked me and they shut down my personal office and the office of my Etemade Melli party and another copy of the documents was in the hands of the officials.
The accusations made in [Ahmadinejad’s] interview are pure lies, and I am still actively pursuing those cases --- stories which hurt the conscience of any free human being. I ask the so-called national media to give me or one of my representatives a third of the time they gave to those judiciary members so I can convey the extent of these atrocities to the people, so that the nation, the real owners of this land, can place themselves in the place of a jury and judge my words and yours. The late Imam [Khomeini] said that he would sacrifice his life for the people of this nation, so why are these same people now considered become outsiders and why do they not have the right to hear of what is happening to their own children via their own medium?
Mr. Zarghami,
I know you to be an honest, intelligent individual. That is why I recommend that you bring down this great wall of mistrust that has been created between the people and their national media, which, today, more resembles the officials’ personal media. The interests of the people and the nation lie in their being informed of events. And there’s no one around these days who doesn’t know that because of the existent technologies, despite all the efforts, borders have been broken and people have access to information.
I ask the lord for your health and well-being,
With Thanks,
Mohammad Taqi Karoubi
Reader Comments (6)
I made a HUGE mistake here. As you see, the letter is signed "Mohammad Taqi" - I just thought that was Karoubi's other name!
This is his son, not Karoubi!
Pedestrian,
No apology needed --- I wondered when I saw name but didn't cross-check. I think it's fair to say that this was written and distributed on elder Karroubi's behalf by his son.
S.
Ol' mule with spirit kicking ! well done Mr K. (and down with IRIB!)
Much thanx for the translation (fast track) ;- )
The way I see the situation, regime is splitting in 2 different sides 1 side the side after saving their interest and staying in power at any cost no matter wt it takes (killing, torturing, raping, max opression & aggression) 2nd side is the saide following the same interest of staying in power & avoid regime change, in a different fashion, by softening behaivior, very slow reform & giving minimum freedom at a time while getting a chance to identify hidden threats to IRI. In fact almost any mulla & polititian who's involved in IRI regime's main concern & fear is a comming revolution & the demand of iranians for a secular democratic government
Khatami played the same game mousavi & Karoubi R playing now and majority of iranians may have no option to act as supporters 2 show their anger but don't buy it from the heart and know it?s a similar game to Khatami's that left everything the same
At the same time mullas know the only way to immune themselves frm the threat of regimechange is to act to be on people's side.
No matter how hard the reformists try, it is impossible 2 get democracy enough to satisfy Iranian's demand, out of th current regime
Mullas know, simply freedom of speech & media would put an end to their regime.
Iran isn't Egypt, Afghanistan or Saudi Arebia with an old school thinking nation you could control by religious laws only, Iranians r secular, modern thinkers & demand western life style & freedom of the west and the only way to rule them under religion is by force, by a dictator religious regime
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