Urgent appeal to save the life of Farzad Kamangar

Via Jams O'Donnell:

'Education International (EI) has been informed that Farzad Kamangar, the Iranian Kurdish teacher and social worker sentenced to death on "absolutely zero evidence" according to his lawyer, could be hanged on Wednesday 26 November 2008.

According to several reliable sources, he has been taken from his cell 121 in ward 209 of Tehran’s Evin prison in preparation for execution. Jail security officers are said to have told him he is about to be executed and they are making fun of him, calling him a martyr.

The Revolutionary Court issued the death sentence against Kamangar on 25 February 2008. His lawyer has said: "Nothing in Kamangar’s judicial files and records demonstrates any links to the charges brought against him." Kamangar was cleared of all charges during the investigation process. The last time Kamangar was seen, he was at the health clinic of Evin prison and his physical condition was poor. Witnesses testify that he has been beaten again. Kamangar has not been allowed to see his lawyer or family members for the past two months.

EI has been appealing to the Iranian authorities to commute Kamangar's death sentence and ensure his case is reviewed fairly.

Now, EI is once again appealing to Iranian judicial authorities to halt the execution. EI is also asking members of the international community urgently to intervene.'

Please click here to send a message of protest to President Ahmadinejad.

Update:
Tried four times, however when pushing the 'send message'-button the message would not be sent.

in case you wish to speak out, you may directly address President Ahmadinejad, by using your own account and sending an email to following address:

dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

This is the message I sent:

Mr. Ahmadinejad,

having learned right now that Farzad Kamangar faces hanging in the next few hours, I call upon your humanity to immediately commute his death sentence and have his case re-examined through a fair trial.

The peace of the night,
Sean Jeating, Germany

- - - - -

Choose your own words, or - in order to save time - you may copy and paste the message above - don't forget to sign with your own name, though. :)

Thank you.

Merci, Miriam Makeba

I look at a stream and I see myself: a native South African, flowing irresistibly over hard obstacles until they become smooth and, one day, disappear - flowing from an origin that has been forgotten toward an end that will never be.
Miriam Makeba [March 4th, 1932 - November 10th, 2008]

Better than any of my words, the following videos (thanks to those who offer to share them) will let you understand, perhaps even feel why I would feel deep respect for this woman, since I happened to hear her voice for the first time.


UN [1963]




Soweto Blues [1966]



Khawuleza [1966]



Pata Pata

US-Smurfs to protect 'their' people

As I stated some days ago here at Bock the Robber's:

Not that I’m prone to conspiracy theories, but in context with what has happened during the past eight years, and what is happening right now - you all will know what I am refering to; if not, please ask -, I found reading this interesting, if not disturbing.

Why? Focusing on the most ... interesting sentences, here's an extract:

Beginning Oct. 1 for 12 months, the 1st BCT will be under the day-to-day control of U.S. Army North, the Army service component of Northern Command, as an on-call federal response force for natural or manmade emergencies and disasters, including terrorist attacks.
[...]
“Right now, the response force requirement will be an enduring [1] mission. How the [Defense Department] chooses to source that and whether or not they continue to assign them to NorthCom, that could change in the future,” said Army Col. Louis Vogler, chief of NorthCom future operations. “Now, the plan is to assign a force every year.”
[...]
They may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios such as massive poisoning and chaos in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive, or CBRNE, attack.
[...]
The 1st BCT’s soldiers also will learn how to use “the first ever nonlethal package that the Army has fielded,” 1st BCT commander Col. Roger Cloutier said, referring to crowd and traffic control equipment and nonlethal weapons designed to subdue unruly or dangerous individuals without killing them.
The package is for use only in war-zone operations, not for any domestic domestic purpose [2].

Who knows? Even Col. Clutiers doesn't.

“I don’t know what America’s overall plan is — I just know that 24 hours a day, seven days a week, there are soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines that are standing by to come and help if they’re called,” Cloutier said. “It makes me feel good as an American to know that my country has dedicated a force to come in and help the people at home.”

Good night, America. And good luck.


[1] I like this word. Seems the US-citizens can be sure of living in 'enduring freedom'.
[2] As far as I remember, this very sentence had been 'forgotten' in the original version, which seems to have been updated September 30th. Well, nice correction, anyway.


P.S.

The brigade will not change its name, but the force will be known for the next year as a CBRNE Consequence Management Response Force, or CCMRF (pronounced “sea-smurf”).

Now, isn't this a funny name? ... Ha. Ha. Ha.

USA under martial law?!

This is just a quick post. It will get updated as soon as I do find more leisure to (hopefully) write a proper one. Meanwhile: Enjoy ... if you can.




H/t Little Nicky who on Bock's site offered this link. Thanks for that.

Iran: Mullahs banned from mosques*

Tehran - Iranian clerics have been banned from appearing in prayer rooms and mosques because they are said to promote a culture of fear and intolerance, according to the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

The measure was announced on Monday and reported by Iran's official news agency Irna.

Ali Reza Karimi, director of the ministry's press and disinformation department, said the ban included the use of Iranian clerics with overseas Farsi language satellite networks.

He urged to respect the ruling to safeguard what he calls national dignity.

Ah, sorry, this is the news of another day.

But now:

Tehran, 7 July (AKI) - Iranian artists and athletes have been banned from appearing in commercials because they are said to promote a culture of consumerism, according to the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
Continued here.

* Sorry. Just noticed that the check-correct-title- surveillance failed. The responsible person was immediately sentenced to ten seconds of severest swear-boarding.

Poison of democracy

The Russian tabloid newspaper that reported President Vladimir Putin was planning to marry an Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast has been shut down.
Continue here.

Mind you, I am not focusing on Mr. Putin copulating with Angela Merkel, Alina Kabaeva or whomsoever, but on the shutting down of newspapers.

Mind you, I do scorn on hack writers and paparazzi who'd do all to get a photo showing f.e. a sweet tiny ministrant serving the pope.
As long as people would buy such so-called tabloids there is a market, isn't there?

And here we are: As soon as people would not buy them, there would not be any market for tabloids.

Meanwhile: By surpressing freedom of speech Mr. Putin does deserve to be wholeheartedly
swearboarded.

Mind you, if I were Mr. Putin I'd not know how to cope with all the / his problems.

P.S. I am glad that Mr. Putin is (not yet) able to shut down this blog. Being one of his poor countrymen, I'd very probably not be as brave a Anna Politkovskaja, but rather singing a song of praise to honour this crooked and dishonest man.

P.P.S. I am not Martin Luther King. But I do have a dream: Mr Putin may fuck whoever erroneosly thinks he is attractive, but not the people of Russia or any other country. Same goes for all Bushs, Cheneys and Khomeinis of this world.

Good for bilateral relations

Berlin police have found a body that is probably* that of a missing Russian artist who had been condemned by the Orthodox Church for an exhibit in her homeland. The death was an apparent suicide, police said Friday.

Anna Mikhalchuk, [unfortunately not English entry, yet - sj] who moved to Berlin in November, has been missing for three weeks. She created a stir in Russia with an 2003 exhibition that the church considered blasphemous, and was tried and acquitted by a Moscow court on charges of inciting religious hatred.
To be continued here.

Apparently!! I see.

In German - although most Germans would not know :) - there is a big difference between scheinbar (only looks like being true/a fact) and anscheinend (it looks very much like; thus seems quite probable).

This allows the conclusion: Apparently Anna Politkovskaja committed suicide by shooting herself into her back.

Thanks for having me.

* Meanwhile according to Spiegel online (German edition), Anna Mikhalchuk has been identified by her husband, the Russian philosopher and author, Mikhail Ryklin.

If the Games fail ...

"International companies are ignoring basic human rights in return for business opportunity, while the Communist party is offering profits in return for continued control of the internet and the ability to intimidate dissidents."

"The collusion of these two kinds of ugliness means that there is no way for western investment to promote freedom of speech in China, and that in fact it greatly increases the ability of the Communist party to blockade and control the internet.”

“You are helping the Communist party maintain an evil system of control over freedom of information and speech."

Three core statements from an open letter to yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang quoted by the Financial Times - almost 30 months ago, October 18th, 2005.
Its writer: Liu Xiaobo, Chinese intellectual human rights activist who accuses Yahoo of betraying its customers and supporting dictatorship by providing information on journalist Shi Tao to Chinese authorities.
Full article here.

Of course, Mr. Liu who had the pleasure of several years being spoilt by 'his' leaders' unlimited love - in prison - would be delighted by the increasement of voices demanding a boycott of the Olympic Games in Beijing, wouldn't he?

Hm, and that's what he said according to a yesterday published Spiegel-interview:

"That wouldn't be a good way to punish China. If the Games fail, human rights will suffer. The government would stop paying any attention to the rest of the world. I personally think: We want the Games and we want human rights to be respected."

And what do you think?

Prisoners in Freedom City

'For five articles they sentence him to 3,5 years in prison. Our daughter will be four years before she will see her father again.' Two sentences spoken by Zeng Jinyan that I do remember from the interview she gave two days ago, after her husband, Hu Jia, had been sentenced.

At the end of the interview Zeng Jinyan is waving back towards the camera.

She has entered that part of Beijing where the Hu's have a flat: Freedom City.

Lovely name, isn't it? Almost as lovely as The Place of Heavenly Peace.

But who am I but a 'misinformed malicious Western blogger'?

Let's watch some videos, documenting how intensively Mr. Hu the leader of the leaders and thus General Secretary of the CPC Central Comitee lets care his best men for the safety and freedom of an unemployed father aged 34 and his family, never giving up the hope these black sheep may find back on the left path.

Here we go:

Prisoners in Freedom City (part 1 / 7)

Prisoners in Freedom City (part 2 / 7)

Prisoners in Freedom City (part 3 / 7)

Prisoners in Freedom City (part 4 / 7)

Prisoners in Freedom City (part 5 / 7)

Prisoners in Freedom City (part 6 / 7)

Prisoners in Freedom City (part 7 / 7)


In this sense: The peace of the night.

The Bastards of Beijing *

Quoting from China Daily - March 17th, 2008:

Chinese citizens are guaranteed freedom of speech by the nation's Constitution, Zhang Jun, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, said on Saturday.

"Citizens have the rights to express their ideas under the legal system, which includes suggestions to and criticisms of the government. These rights are protected by law and by the Constitution," Zhang said.

It is acceptable for people to criticize preparations for the Olympic Games or express their complaints, he added.

Zhang made the remarks in response to questions raised by foreign media at a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing legislative session.

Marvellous, isn't it?

Well, the next sentence starts with a 'But'.

Back? Did you also see the portraits of nine leaders? Fine. Just keep these in your mind. Especially the one of the leader of the leaders, the General Secretary of the CPC Central Comitee, Mr. Hu Jintao.

End of the beforegoing.

Mr. Hu has been sentenced to 3,5 years in jail!

Ah, no. Not the General Secretary of the CPC Central Comitee.

Mr. Hu Jia.

Why would Mr. Hu Jia be sentenced, although he is not the General Secretary of the CPC Central Comitee?

Well, as one could - for certain reasons - not rely on Western newspapers, I do again tend to rather trust on the phare of journalism, the China Daily.

Back? Let's recapitulate then:

'Hu spread malicious rumors, and committed libel in an attempt to subvert the state's political power and socialist system.'

How did Hu, 'libel the Chinese political and social systems, and instigate subversion of the state, which is a crime under Chinese law'?
By 'two website articles' ... 'published [...] on overseas-run websites'.

In other words: 'An unemployed father aged 34 and the holder of a college degree' by 'spreading malicious rumor' tried to find oversea-allies to knuckle down his fellow countrymen - roughly one billion Chinese.

And here comes the moment to remember the portraits of nine leaders. Especially the one of the leader of the leaders, the General Secretary of the CPC Central Comitee, Mr. Hu Jintao.

Obviously these gentlemen do not only suffer from mental inferiority, but also are heroic cowards who fear 'an unemployed father aged 34 and the holder of a college degree'.



* How could this happen? I had just started to write a review of 'The Bastard of Istanbul' by Elif Safak. While writing the title suddenly the Olympic Games in Berlin ... err Beijing came to my mind, and thus the little faux pax seems to have happened.
Of course, I do distance myself from the title. Never would I call mighty criminal and corrupt cowards who suffer from mental inferiority bastards.


Postscriptum:

Ah yes, as the phares of China's daily journalism did not mention (surely due to a lack of space), I do allow myself to add:

Mr Hu Jia has a wife, Zeng Jinyan (24), and a two months old daughter.

But that's completely a different post.

Hurray! They're not capitulating

Within hours after a plot to murder Kurt Westergaard was foiled, yesterday Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten republished the cartoonist's drawing of Mohammed which is depicting the Muslim prophet with a bomb under his turban.

And again I do regret that - not listening to Tetrapilotomos' advice - I did not found factories in which I could let produce flags on demand in all those countries in which pious philanthropists would encourage their (sic) people to give evidence of how peace-loving and tolerant their religion is.

Instead of presenting pictures showing burning flags and / or well educated humanitarians holding posters with slogans such as Death to / Kill /Massacre / Slaughter those who insult Islam" and or "Europe you will pay, your 9/11 will come", I do allow myself to recommend reading following essay by Henryk M. Broder which is an excerpt from his book Hurra! We're capitulating.

Ah, well, and due to a recent occurrance here another piece by the same author: Shariah Is for Everyone!

Tripling the tribute

Neither I'd forget José Carrasco.

Seems it's a night I do remember some special people, representative for lots of courageous journalists.

Take it as a tribute to all those who had, have and will have the courage to speak out against injustice and totalitarism of any kind.
I am not sure, if I had been or would be such courageous.

The Peace of the Night.

... and by the way ...

... 104 days before Hrant Dink got murdered, on October 7th, 2006 and thus - again: by the way - coinciding with the anniversary of Vladimir Putin's birthday, Anna Politkovskaya was assassinated.

Since, they say, the inquiries are running at full speed.

In memoriam Hrant Dink

There is still hope

Ladies, gentlemen,
friends,
readers and leaders beyond authority,

what a marvellous week we had, Tetrapilotomos and I,
he brightened the earth, I polished the "Why" [sic: not the "sky"]

In other words: I did some research.

And the few hours Tetrapilotomos and I shared we spent watching an old spider
weaving its net and then waiting for its prey.

End of the beforegoing.

Such tiny questions, and what reactions. :)

Common-purpose-net,
gateway-303.energis.gsi.gov.uk,
gateway-202.energis.gsi.gov.uk;
to cut it short: Quite a few leaders beyond authority vistited my blog since October 29th.

As I know, my frequent readers and my friends will let dispense lenity;
therefore, some lines exclusively for leaders beyond authority:

It's not easy to make a living. You may have a family. Therefore I am happy you have found a job that fits your abilities. Last not least, undoubtedly you are just fulfilling your order
[which, by the way, most war-criminals would say when being accused of atrocities].

Indeed, my heart rose like a falcon up to the sky when noticing that one member of your team of leaders beyond authority would even check the label "Omnium". A real connoisseur. Chapeau!

I hope you enjoyed widening your horizon at the expense of British tax-payers, although I am sure with a little more organising ability at least one of you could have checked the books and within minutes sent me the answers, at least the one for question b.

Ah well, nobody is perfect.

Now you read my advice which is, of course, free of charge - as I wish to disburden your tax-payers - I am waiting with burning patience, though.

Yours sincerely . . .


And now - not to leave you lost - some facts for you, dear regular readers:

a) The leader beyond authority visiting via Common-purpose-net just stayed 1 min 56 secs.

b) afterwards I got visitors via the mentioned GSIs and some other enthusiasts; one (?) would even stay for more than nine hours [although I hope there was a shift changeover; it's not good for one's eyes to be online such long].

Why?

Now wouldn't I hide my light under a bushel, but this was amazing.
Such innocent tiny questions - which by the way occured while researching into something completely different - and such a traffic on my site?!

I mean, I did just ask [, didn't I?].

There is no reason to mistrust a charity - I repeat: a charity - with such a charming name, isn't there?

I have no doubt at all that a charity calling itself "Common Purpose" would intend nothing else but the best for humankind. In other words: I felt sure by doing a little research I should easily find reliable independent sources giving evidence of that all these leaders beyond authority are kind humans.

Unfortunately, up til now I could not find any reliable independant source telling something positive about Common Purpose.

Still, there is some hope.

The altruistic leaders beyond any authority are weaving their net in quite a few countries. And as when a boy I was lazy in learning vocabularies I do not speak as many languages as I should like being able to speak [today].
Therefore I asked some colleagues in various countries to find as much evidence as possible that Common Purpose is as charitable, humanitarian and philantropic as they are telling on their websites.
As soon as there is a positive feedback I shall let you know.

Meanwhile I can unfortunately recommend just websites where you would find nasty bloggers writing nasty things about Common Purpose.
To me it sounds like a conspiracy theory. But who am I to judge what is right, and what is wrong?

The best will be you take your time, read carefully and form your own opinion.

http://thejournal.parker-joseph.co.uk/blog/_archives/2007/11/2/3328667.html

http://thesocietyofqualifiedarchivists.blogspot.com/2007/09/common-purpose.html

The following five should be read one by one :

http://nourishingobscurity.blogspot.com/2007/10/micro-control-oil-isis-and-lots-of.html

http://nourishingobscurity.blogspot.com/2007/10/micro-control-2-how-to-recognize-it.html

http://nourishingobscurity.blogspot.com/2007/10/micro-control-3-pinning-bstds-down.html

http://nourishingobscurity.blogspot.com/2007/11/micro-control-4-some-eu-plans-for.html

http://nourishingobscurity.blogspot.com/2007/11/micro-control-5-time-will-confirm-or.html


Well, and even the Devil in his kitchen has obviously "been aware of Common Purpose for some time and may well write about it at some stage". In the meantime, he offers to watch a video about "this rather sinister organisation".

Apropos "sinister": He did not use one of his favourite words which sounds like the name of a great German philosopher, and therefore I hope there is still hope.

Dum spiro spero.

PS:

Additional you may find shallow information about GSI (Government security net) here.

The Peace of the Night! :)

Dark matter happens

:)
Seems I decided in favour of the title heading my latest post, because my (sub-) conscience felt/knew that I should not waste a title as to be found above now, in order to just satisfy my sometimes strange sense of humour.

Indeed, and seriously, dear readers:

Dark matter happens

As to be seen above: Turkish readers visiting my blog are obviously not supposed to see my "visible" support for freedom of speech in their country.

Would you call this democracy, Mr. Gül?

Or would you call censorship an act of "libertarian paternalism", ordered by for common pupose?

The Impossible Fact

Tonight my closest friend out of the blue declaimed following poem.

To me it sounds like a variation of a poem by Christian Morgenstern,

But Tetrapilotomos claims it is by "a certain" McSeanagall.


The Impossible Fact

Usmanoff, rich, an aimful rover,
walking in the wrong direction
at a busy intersection
is run over.

"How," he says, his mood restoring
but without his wrath ignoring,
"can an accident like this
ever happen? What's amiss?

"Did the world's administration
fail in free speech's deprivation?
Did police ignore the need
for reducing bloggers' speed?

"Isn't there a prohibition,
barring internet transmission
of a mighty to a wight?
Were the nasty bloggers right?"

Tightly swathed in dampened tissues
he explores the legal issues,
and his shillings soon make clear:
Free speech not permitted here!

And he comes to the conclusion:
His mishap was an illusion,
for, he reasons pointedly,
that which must not, can not be.
[McSeanagall]


The (English version of) the Original (?)

The Impossible Fact

Palmstroem, old, an aimless rover,
walking in the wrong direction
at a busy intersection
is run over.

"How," he says, his life restoring
and with pluck his death ignoring,
"can an accident like this
ever happen? What's amiss?

"Did the state administration
fail in motor transportation?
Did police ignore the need
for reducing driving speed?

"Isn't there a prohibition,
barring motorized transmission
of the living to the dead?
Was the driver right who sped ... ?"

Tightly swathed in dampened tissues
he explores the legal issues,
and it soon is clear as air:
Cars were not permitted there!

And he comes to the conclusion:
His mishap was an illusion,
for, he reasons pointedly,
that which must not, can not be.

Nazim Hikmet had a dream

Nazim Hikmet had a dream:

Yaşamak bir ağaç gibi tek ve hür
ve bir orman gibi kardeşçesine,
bu hasret bizim.

To live like a tree and at liberty
and brotherly like the trees of a forest,
this yearning is ours.

- - -

Thus spake my closest friend, Tetrapilotomos:
"Sometimes I think: Past is. Is presence. Impossible to let bygones be bygones or even forget about. It’s there. Is presence. And maybe herein lies the reason that we remain unable to learn from the past."

- - -

The following poem by Hikmet is dedicated, especially to those being in power in Turkey, pretending to love the(ir?) country, pretending to be the most democratic democrats ever on Turkish soil and under Turkish sun, pretending to be guarantors of free speech and guardians of freedom of opinion, and who - like most of their predecessors - have banned Nazim Hikmet’s books from public libraries.
I LOVE MY COUNTRY

I love my country :
I have swung on its plane trees, I have stayed in its prisons.
Nothing can overcome my spleen
as the songs and tobacco of my country.

My country :
Bedreddin, Sinan, Yunus Emre and Sakarya,
lead domes and factory chimneys
are all the work of my people
who even hiding from themselves
smile under their drooping mustaches.

My country.
My country is so large :
it seems that it is endless to go around.
Edirné, Izmir, Ulukıshla, Marash, Trabzon, Erzurum.
I know the Erzurum plateau only in its songs
and I am ashamed
not to have crossed Tauruses even once
to go to the cotton pickers
in the south.

My country :
camels, train, Fords and sick donkeys,
poplar
willow
and red earth.

My country.
The trout which likes
pine forests, best freshwaters and the lakes
at the top of mountains,
and at least half a kilo,
with red reflections on its scaleless, silver skin
swims in the Abant lake of Bolu.

My country :
goats on the Ankara plain :
the sheen of blond, silky, long furs.
The fat plump hazelnuts of Giresun.
The fragrant red-cheeked apples of Amasya,
olive
fig
melon
and of all colours
bunches and bunches of grapes
and then the plough
and then the black ox
and then : ready to accept
everything
advanced, beautiful and good
with the joyous admiration of a child
my hard-working, honest, brave people
half hungry, half full
half slave...

tr. by Fuat Engin