Comments on: A Show-Trial of Seven Leading Baha’is of Iran http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/2098 Documenting the Persecution of the Baha'i Community in Iran Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:45:12 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: The Cormorant Baker » Blog Archive » Loyal apposition http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/2098/comment-page-1#comment-1655 The Cormorant Baker » Blog Archive » Loyal apposition Fri, 17 Apr 2009 02:01:42 +0000 http://www.iranpresswatch.org/?p=2098#comment-1655 [...] About a week ago I posted a comment on the following blog entry over at Iran Press Watch: the Baha’is in response to Moojan Momen’s article - A Show-Trial of Seven Leading Baha’is of Iran [...] [...] About a week ago I posted a comment on the following blog entry over at Iran Press Watch: the Baha’is in response to Moojan Momen’s article – A Show-Trial of Seven Leading Baha’is of Iran [...]

]]> By: Robert Howard http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/2098/comment-page-1#comment-1615 Robert Howard Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:47:31 +0000 http://www.iranpresswatch.org/?p=2098#comment-1615 Many thanks for such a clear represention of the situation - it is very helpful. Many thanks for such a clear represention of the situation – it is very helpful.

]]> By: Jamshed K. Fozdar http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/2098/comment-page-1#comment-1536 Jamshed K. Fozdar Sat, 11 Apr 2009 11:29:24 +0000 http://www.iranpresswatch.org/?p=2098#comment-1536 If the world's most powerful nation has been brought to its knees into negotiating with a bunch of thugs for the release of one of its chaps then what chance has it to be heard by a multitude of thugs masquerading as a government holding a whole people in bondage. The US and the west, as all others, have long abdicated the moral high ground. Such scenario of course, has been played out before and even now is being enacted in other nations besides Iran. On the other hand popular revulsion is a terrible thing and the history of nations shows that once mass revulsion is set in motion, the old order is speedily relegated to history's trash heap. Instead of individual states, now in our time, the whole human race, buffeted by injustice in all vistas of its life, is swiftly moving toward world revolution and planetary cataclysm destined to set our world on its head. And, deservedly so. One should therefore, take heed not to get on the wrong side of Justice and truth when one sees even a mouse's tail trampled underfoot by an elephant. There is no neutrality in the moral order and looking the other way when the chips are down will certainly find us beside the "beheaded oppressors" whose time to disappear is fixed "neither too soon, nor too late."sura XXIII.43. If the world’s most powerful nation has been brought to its knees into negotiating with a bunch of thugs for the release of one of its chaps then what chance has it to be heard by a multitude of thugs masquerading as a government holding a whole people in bondage. The US and the west, as all others, have long abdicated the moral high ground. Such scenario of course, has been played out before and even now is being enacted in other nations besides Iran. On the other hand popular revulsion is a terrible thing and the history of nations shows that once mass revulsion is set in motion, the old order is speedily relegated to history’s trash heap. Instead of individual states, now in our time, the whole human race, buffeted by injustice in all vistas of its life, is swiftly moving toward world revolution and planetary cataclysm destined to set our world on its head. And, deservedly so. One should therefore, take heed not to get on the wrong side of Justice and truth when one sees even a mouse’s tail trampled underfoot by an elephant. There is no neutrality in the moral order and looking the other way when the chips are down will certainly find us beside the “beheaded oppressors” whose time to disappear is fixed “neither too soon, nor too late.”sura XXIII.43.

]]> By: LizKauai http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/2098/comment-page-1#comment-1499 LizKauai Fri, 10 Apr 2009 06:37:06 +0000 http://www.iranpresswatch.org/?p=2098#comment-1499 People all over the world are becoming educated and exposed to situations and experiences that enable them to independently investigate truth. We all find ourselves in a common sea of change. Some react by trying to "go back" to the imagined greener grass of the past but others respond by embracing the principle of oneness with enthusiasm and courage. The Yaran and their brethren who are suffering persecutions are among the latter. They are an inspiration and an example. Mahalo nui loa! People all over the world are becoming educated and exposed to situations and experiences that enable them to independently investigate truth.
We all find ourselves in a common sea of change. Some react by trying to “go back” to the imagined greener grass of the past but others respond by embracing the principle of oneness with enthusiasm and courage.
The Yaran and their brethren who are suffering persecutions are among the latter. They are an inspiration and an example.
Mahalo nui loa!

]]> By: Thomas Jackson http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/2098/comment-page-1#comment-1494 Thomas Jackson Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:36:59 +0000 http://www.iranpresswatch.org/?p=2098#comment-1494 “A passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification.” ~George Washington, ~page 269 of The 5000 Year Leap. “The nation which indulges toward another habitual hatred or habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interests." ~ George Washington "Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none." ~ Thomas Jefferson “A passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification.” ~George Washington, ~page 269 of The 5000 Year Leap.

“The nation which indulges toward another habitual hatred or habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interests.” ~ George Washington

“Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/2098/comment-page-1#comment-1493 Jonathan Thu, 09 Apr 2009 23:46:55 +0000 http://www.iranpresswatch.org/?p=2098#comment-1493 I have a question about this article. Since then I have thought about Dr. Momen's position in this article, and I would have to disagree that the trial we are waiting for in Iran can be called a show trial. The thing about show trials is that they serve a social function to cement the legitimacy of a regime by demonstrating to the populace that the internal "enemies" really do exist and the government has them under control, all glory to the revolution. But to do this as a show trial means that the trial must be public, and this trial in Iran is certain not to be. The show trials of Communist regimes in Russia and Eastern Europe were aided in this goal by ensuring beforehand not just a guilty verdict, but a guilty confession through various means. Again, it is highly unlikely that the Iranian Baha'is would succumb to this, no matter what was done to them, since they so rarely have in the past. So, as far as show trials go, the Iranian government has almost no chance of pulling one off, and although they aren't the most intelligent group of people in the world, they are not complete idiots either. Trying to conduct a real show trial would backfire because they could never get the right message out, and, even if they could, all but the most uneducated and ideologically rigid among the people would simply see it as the sad joke that it is. I have a question about this article.

Since then I have thought about Dr. Momen’s position in this article, and I would have to disagree that the trial we are waiting for in Iran can be called a show trial. The thing about show trials is that they serve a social function to cement the legitimacy of a regime by demonstrating to the populace that the internal “enemies” really do exist and the government has them under control, all glory to the revolution.

But to do this as a show trial means that the trial must be public, and this trial in Iran is certain not to be. The show trials of Communist regimes in Russia and Eastern Europe were aided in this goal by ensuring beforehand not just a guilty verdict, but a guilty confession through various means. Again, it is highly unlikely that the Iranian Baha’is would succumb to this, no matter what was done to them, since they so rarely have in the past.

So, as far as show trials go, the Iranian government has almost no chance of pulling one off, and although they aren’t the most intelligent group of people in the world, they are not complete idiots either. Trying to conduct a real show trial would backfire because they could never get the right message out, and, even if they could, all but the most uneducated and ideologically rigid among the people would simply see it as the sad joke that it is.

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