عالیجناب باراک اوباما رئیس جمهور ایالات متحدّهِ ی امریکا

The Honorable President Barack Obama
President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500
April 22, 2009
Dear Mr. President:
Your thoughtful, sincere, beautifully crafted and warm Nowruz address to the
people and the government of Iran was noticed and well received by Iranian freethinkers.
In your address you referred to Sa’di’s poem: “the valuable humanity which we
all share”. This timeless piece of Persian literature - which expresses the value known as
unity or solidarity - is an ancient belief of Iranians.
Let us start with this tradition specifically. It is necessary to point out that the
theocratic regime ruling Iran today is strongly against Sa’di’s vision. The same regime is
attempting to destroy the great and ancient Iranian culture by stripping it of its identity -
the same identity you that you fondly pointed out and expressed your appreciation for.
But why do they wish to destroy our culture? You have to, because the theocratic
regime considers solidarity and cooperation only as value for the Muslim community. So
you see the irremediable rift that is created between the nation and the government – the
Islamic Republic regime – to the very edge of this traditional custom.
It is critical to denote the regime’s decade-long effort to rob the people [of Iran]
of their cultural identity and ban Nowruz – the celebration of traditions and values which
you truly discern and expressed in your message. It is clear that this attempt has impoverished
the society as the majority is condemned by a minority rule: a callous regime that
silences every voice and suppresses every opponent criticism in the name of the All
Mighty Creator, aided by an overt and covert pseudo-fascist apparatus.
Secondly, if solidarity - human community and fellowship – a value accepted by a
civil society, then how can it be that hundreds of thousands of people are imprisoned, tortured
daily and slaughtered, women are “publicly stoned to death” and groups of men are
hanged from commercial cranes in broad daylight and yet, the western news outlets
choose to ignore and scarcely report this. No need to go back far: just in the short time of
your presidency, more than sixty individuals have been tried for trumped up charges in
feudal courts of the Islamic Republic and have been executed.
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In the light of these revelations, it is clear that your policy toward Iran needs to
consider either the people of Iran or the government of Iran, for between the two there is
no common interest to talk productively and reasonably. Although in foreign Policy bilateral
talks and negotiations within the United Nations’ framework are differentiated, in
both cases the only guarantors for any treaty or agreement are the sovereign, i.e. the
people of Iran. Especially since a fascist, anti-nationalist government, whose interests and
aspirations run counter to those of its own people and consider them lowly slaves, are incapable
of going against its own interests and keeping to the terms of its agreements with
non-Muslim foreigners who oppose its expansionist policies.
The Iranian government is not elected by the Iranian people; it is elected by
Omma– followers of the “Imam”. Pleasing the Almighty is established as the basis of a
country’s constitution, but when on a daily basis its administrations kill people, commit
crimes and subjugate and torment the followers of other religions and freethinkers in the
name of God, the regime is satisfying neither God nor the people. This is a self-serving,
autocratic and authoritarian regime. It is a regime based on fascist principles and dogmatism.
The freethinkers of Iran hope that the US government will not enter into negotiation
with this fascist regime but with a freely elected one.
The basis of political science in the modern world is communication. It is true
that every political negotiation is conducted to achieve an accord, as it should be. Diplomacy
requires moral context and each negotiation must take place with people’s interests
in mind. Also and more importantly, every communication or negotiation with
every side is not necessarily productive. When somebody sits at the negotiating table
with such a regime, he is defying Karl Popper’s principle: “Any negotiation with a dogmatic
regime is a waste of time and is a failure of logic and intellect and ushers the tenure
of depravity and oppression”. This humiliation was clearly demonstrated by Chamberlain
in the 1938 Munich Agreement with Hitler. Thus, such negotiations, whatever the
results, are doomed to failure, because the despotic Islamic Republic Regime’s reign in
the region is absolute and the uncertainty–value of any decisions in the region will grow.
A reminder that US failure in Middle East diplomacy in the past thirty years has been do
this uncertainty of political decision.
Mr. President - when and if you should ever under the guise of “commitment to
diplomacy” sit to negotiate with the theocratic regime in Iran, which is born out of violence,
then your position counters and clashes with human rights and the rights of the Iranian
people well as breaches Sa’di’s solidarity and ignores Martin Buber’s “I and you”
and Habermas’ discourse ethics. Buber says: “man is realized in you and becomes me.”
Mr. President, which “I” are you going to become? The “I” that is the Iranian people or
the “I” that is the Islamic Republic?
Please do not forget the Iranian-Americans who have played a major role in making
the United States more prosperous - those whom you proudly mentioned are some of
the millions of Iranians who were forced to flee the Islamic Republic’s reign out of fear
and lack of freedom, as a result of the death of democracy, leaving their homes and livelihoods
behind in the land of their forefathers and ancestors. No other country in the world
has suffered such a horrible fate in the past thirty years, and the world’s apathy towards
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them is unprecedented. The same apathy has brought about the reign of this illegitimate
Caliphate, pillaging and plundering the country’s natural resources and spreading its caliphate
rule around the globe with the aid of foreign corporations. All this at an epoch
you call “the Epoch of Globalization”. This Caliphate’s expansion is synonymous with
the instability and insecurity of the region.
Please realize that your compromise and rapprochement with this regime does not
mean stability and balance of power in the region, the traditional principles of America’s
Real Politic. Specially when in your message you state: “this is a future that brings with
it renewed trade between our people as well as greater opportunities for cooperation and
commerce”, and clearly emphasize American Real Politic, you thus nullify and void your
motto of “Change”. Please believe that the people of Iran and the Middle East have not
forgotten the policy that has crippled them over the past thirty years.
Let us be cognizant that the future of man in this world will only be provided for
by humanity, mutual respect and solidarity that must be built on human rights and liberty.
Everyone in their own place can assess the depth and breadth of this freedom. In classical
ideology, the expanse of this development is measured by how much an individual’s
dreams are realized. Today, science has demonstrated to us that the extent of individual
freedom is determined by how much an individual is in control of his or her work.
The people of Iran are not liberated in either the classic or the modern measures.
They do not have satisfying jobs, nor can they realize their dreams on a reasonable measure.
Yes, a thin veneer of the society has everything, but the rest have eyes filled with
longing and yen. Therefore, any negotiation that does not end this dire situation will not
vanquish the Taliban in the region, but will merely serve to facilitate a new crop of
Taliban in the region. This must indeed be the goal of the “Change” you speak of.
On the other hand, you mentioned Nowruz in the proper context. It is a celebration
that announces the renewal of nature every year and through that, it directs the individual
to an internal and external renewal and rejuvenation of man. But we Iranians realize
these concepts, when during this time of celebration and joy, we clean and dust our
abodes and don new clothes. Through this ritual, we demonstrably shed and discard old
values and welcome and usher in the renewal and the transcending rejuvenation not just
in words but in deeds.
That is why we await your actions. We are also aware that each change must
have direction in addition to substance: a purpose towards sublime creation. This direction
lies within this point that the US policy must turn towards the people, not towards
the governments and steer away from unpopular regimes. Any meddling that obstructs
the natural flow in creating functional societies impedes the progress of modernism: that
which binds and connects all nations into the family of man. Truly, the United States has
not offered any assistance to the real Iranian opposition inside [Iran] or abroad.
Now the problem of theocratic regimes of the Islamic Republic sort can only be solved
by the nationalist and progressive forces of those countries, the United States with all its
knowledge and might has been ignorant of the culture and customs of such ancient civilization
as Iran. Thus, we the free and democratic opposition of the current regime in Iran
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are interested in the phenomenon of “Change” in the policies of the United States and
therefore we encourage any policy that support an end to this barren and effete dynasty in
Iran. The Iranian people are not free but rather strongly suffer abuses of human rights.
What they expect with the proclamation of “change” is solidarity and your support to obtain
the rights and democracy that the Americans enjoy.
Yours faithfully
The Iranian freethinkers
1. Mr. Dr. Alereza Taghi
2. Mr. Alizadeh Masoud
3. Mrs. Arjomand Mahin
4. Mr. Asisi Massud
5. Mr. Dr. Assemi Mohammad
6. Mr. Dr. Azadi(Iran)
7. Mr. Azarbaijani
Maziar
8.Mr. Barati Reya
9. Dr. Babak 7 (Iran)
10.Mr. Dr. Baghaii Yazdi
Namdar
11.Mr. Baghumian Wahik
12.Mr. Behmand Paymon
13.Mr. Dr. Blourchi
Ali
14.Mr. Dr. Djadali
Faegh
15.Mr. Dr. Djassemi Mohammad
16.Mrs. Djassemi
Zohreh
17.Mr. Dr. Doshouki Abdoul
sattar
18.Mr. Ebrahimi Ali
19.Mr. Ebrahimi Mohammad
20.Mr. Etemadi Kourosh
21. Mr. Farssad Mehrab
22.Mr. Farsi Faraz
23.Mr. Farsi Fereidun
32. Mr. Hakemi Hashem
33. Mr. Haidari Abbas
34. Mr. HonarBakhsh Homayoon
35. Mr. Hosseini Ghader
36. Mr. Kallhor Kurosh
37. Mr. Dr. Kashfi Mansour
38. Mr. Kermani Reza
39. Mr. Khamoshi Kambiz
40. Mrs. Khedmati
Farideh
41. Mr. Dr. Kh.
Kordestani Mehdi
42. Mr. Dr. Kianzad Hassan
43. Mr. M. Asgari Mani
44. Mr. Mahdavi Arash
45. Mr. Mahini Houshang
46. Mr. Majlessei Daryoush
47. Mr. Malvan Mohammad
48. Mr. Marvasti Cyus
49. Mr. Molavi Massoud
50. Mr. Moghbelan Nader
51. Mr. Dr. Mogherrab
Cyrus
52. Mr. Mohseni Alireza
53. Mr. Mohyeddin Jamshid
54. Mrs. Mohyeddin Zarrin
55. Mrs. Moradi Anita
56. Mr. Mussavi Saeed
57. Mr. Nayimi Qmars
58. Mr. Nikou Ramin
59. Mrs. Nooriala Partow
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24.Mr. Dr. Froutan
Iman
25.Mr. Dr. Ganji Saeed
26.Mrs. Ganji Soheila
27.Mr. Prof. Ghaboussi
Farhad
28.Mr. Ghasmloui Davoud
29.Mr. Gorgin kaikhosro
30.Mr. Dr. Grouh H.
31.Mr. Haddadizadeh
Parvize
64. Mr. Ramezani
Morteza
65. Mr. Dr. Rastegar
Eskandar
66. Mr. Rastegari
Arash
67. Mr. Dr. Razmara Manouchehr
68. Mr. General Rohani
Mehdi
69. S 57(Iran)
70. Mr. Colonel Sabouri
Yazdi
71. Mr. Dr. Safai Mohammad
R.
72. Mr. Saraj Kaveh
73. Mr. Dr. Sarram Mehdi
74. Mr. Schadmehr
(Iran)
75. Mr. Schawochi Farid
76. Mr. Shahriari
Behnaz
77. Mr. Prof. Shojaii
Siamak
78. Mr. General Shoaii
Nosrat
79. Mr. Prof. Siadatpour
Ahmad
80. Mr. Dr. Shojai Manutchehr
81. Mr. Shoghi Davood
82. Mr. Dr. Shojai Manutchehr
83. Mr. Prof. Siadatpour
Ahmad
84. Mr. Steki kurosh
85. Mrs. Taghipour
Massumeh
86. Mr. Tawakol Babak
60. Mr. Nouri Ali
61. Mr. Prof. Parvin
Iraj
62. Mr. PoorReshmehi
Alireza
63. Mr. Pol Nasser
87. Mr. Torabi
Arash
88. Mrs. Dr. Toyserkani
Farahnaz
89. Mr. Prof. Vahedi
Nosrat
90. Mr. Vashian
Hani
91. Mr. Dr. Yamani
Ali
92. Mr. Prof. Zahedi
C.
93. Mrs. Zandkarimi
Mandana
94. Mr. Zeinali
Lohrasb
95. Mr. Ziari Mardavitch
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