Iranian Alert -- June 17, 2004 [EST]-- IRAN LIVE THREAD -- "Americans for Regime Change in Iran"

The US media almost entirely ignores news regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran. As Tony Snow of the Fox News Network has put it, “this is probably the most under-reported news story of the year.” Most American’s are unaware that the Islamic Republic of Iran is NOT supported by the masses of Iranians today. Modern Iranians are among the most pro-American in the Middle East.

There is a popular revolt against the Iranian regime brewing in Iran today. I began these daily threads June 10th 2003. On that date Iranians once again began taking to the streets to express their desire for a regime change. Today in Iran, most want to replace the regime with a secular democracy.

The regime is working hard to keep the news about the protest movement in Iran from being reported. Unfortunately, the regime has successfully prohibited western news reporters from covering the demonstrations. The voices of discontent within Iran are sometime murdered, more often imprisoned. Still the people continue to take to the streets to demonstrate against the regime.

In support of this revolt, Iranians in America have been broadcasting news stories by satellite into Iran. This 21st century news link has greatly encouraged these protests. The regime has been attempting to jam the signals, and locate the satellite dishes. Still the people violate the law and listen to these broadcasts. Iranians also use the Internet and the regime attempts to block their access to news against the regime. In spite of this, many Iranians inside of Iran read these posts daily to keep informed of the events in their own country.

This daily thread contains nearly all of the English news reports on Iran. It is thorough. If you follow this thread you will witness, I believe, the transformation of a nation. This daily thread provides a central place where those interested in the events in Iran can find the best news and commentary. The news stories and commentary will from time to time include material from the regime itself. But if you read the post you will discover for yourself, the real story of what is occurring in Iran and its effects on the war on terror.

I am not of Iranian heritage. I am an American committed to supporting the efforts of those in Iran seeking to replace their government with a secular democracy. I am in contact with leaders of the Iranian community here in the United States and in Iran itself.

If you read the daily posts you will gain a better understanding of the US war on terrorism, the Middle East and why we need to support a change of regime in Iran. Feel free to ask your questions and post news stories you discover in the weeks to come.

If all goes well Iran will be free soon and I am convinced become a major ally in the war on terrorism. The regime will fall. Iran will be free. It is just a matter of time.

Zoroastrians make Iran pilgrimage

BBC News
Thursday, 17 June, 2004

Members of Iran's dwindling Zoroastrian community are making their annual pilgrimage to the temple in the rocky mountain of Chakchak.

It is believed the last Zoroastrian princess sheltered from the Muslims in a cave on Chakchak in AD640.

The faith was founded in about 600BC by the Persian prophet Zarathustra who believed he had seen visions of a God he called Ahura Mazda.

Zoroastrian rule was driven out of modern-day Iran by the Muslim Arab invasion 1400 years ago.

THIS IS AN EXCEPRT---
Read more @
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3816297.stm

Michael Moore film appeals to terrorists

'Fahrenheit 9/11' gets thumbs-up from Hezbollah

Posted: June 17, 2004
5:00 p.m. Eastern
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com

Opponents of filmmaker Michael Moore are making the most of an endorsement his Bush-bashing film "Fahrenheit 9/11" received from terrorists affiliated with Hezbollah.

The Guardian of London reported today organizations related to the Middle East-based terrorist network have offered to help promote the film in the United Arab Emirates.

The terror-war supporting organization Move America Forward released a statement today saying the news about Hezbollah proves a contention it made about terrorist endorsement of Moore's award-winning documentary.

Earlier this week, Move America Forward Vice Chair Melanie Morgan declared: "It would be more appropriate to have this propaganda shown at al-Qaida training camps rather than American movie theaters."

The organization released an "apology" for Morgan's statement today, saying she didn't go far enough with her criticism.

"I regret that we limited our comments solely to the terrorist organization al-Qaida and failed to mention that other terrorist groups, like Hezbollah, would also rally behind this film," said the group's chairman, Howard Kaloogian.

"'Fahrenheit 9/11' serves one purpose and one purpose only: to undermine the United State's war against terrorism. This is precisely why Move America Forward has asked Americans to register their dissatisfaction with movie theaters that choose to show this film."

Concluded Kaloogian: "Now is the time for Americans to stand united behind the men and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan to preserve our safety and national security, not promote the agenda of radical terrorist organizations like Hezbollah."

Tina Brown reviewed the movie for the Washington Post, hammering Moore for his use of "wacky insinuations."

"In Moore's version of Iraq nobody was hanging from a meat hook in Saddam Hussein's jails. Baghdad was a happy city where children frolicked in the streets until boom! we blew them away," she writes.

"The invasion of Afghanistan? That was just a cover for running an oil pipeline across the country. …"

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=39012

EU-Iran Human Rights Talks

•We have received no information about the Iran-EU human rights roundtable held in Tehran earlier this week, vice chair of the international federation of human rights societies tells Radio Farda. Lahiji who heads the Paris-based society for defense of human rights in Iran, adds that Iran and EU rejected requests by this organization and several other independent human rights groups for attending the meetings. The only human rights organization invited to the talks was the Amnesty International. (Amir-Mosaddegh Katouzian)

•The Islamic Republic rejects secular and liberal concept of human rights, deputy judiciary chief Mohammad-Javad Larijani said at the end of EU-Iran human rights talks in Tehran.

•Human rights conditions in Iran are better than that of neighboring countries, President Khatami said. He added that, for improving human rights conditions, “we have to compare ourselves not with the west but with neighboring countries.

http://www.radiofarda.com/transcripts/topstory/2004/06/20040616_1430_0410_1257_EN.asp

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