A different point of view about Shirin Ebadi (as well as other Iranians) from the Iranian student movement: >>Kerry's main Iranian fund raiser sues the Movement
SMCCDI (Announcement)
Apr 29, 2004
" To sin by silence, when we should protest, makes cowards out of men. The human race has climbed on protest. Had no voice been raised against injustice, ignorance and lust, the inquisition yet would serve the law, and guillotines decide our least disputes. The few who dare, must speak and speak again, to right the wrongs of many..." - ( Ella Wheeler Wilcox )
The primary Iranian supporter of Senator John Kerry and a subject of many controversies, Hassan Nemazee, has sued the "Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran (SMCCDI) and its coordinator for 10-million dollars in damages.
These two frivolous and potentially muffling law suits were filed on March 3rd at the 125th Judicial District Court of Harris County (Houston Texas) by Nemazee's hot shot lawyer, Charles R. Parker, who specializes in "complex business litigations." The SMCCDI's registrant was served on April 16th, and the Student Movement's coordinator, Aryo B. Pirouznia, was served on April 20th.
Tactically, the law suits are believed to be an attempt to publicly rehabilitate Nemazee's reputation. Being the subject of many less than positive discussions, Nemazee needs his image polished to cleanse John Kerry's Presidential campaign that has been tarnished with troubling questions on his international links.
Muffling, or forcing SMCCDI to cease operations would then give them a free hand in regard to the Iranian-American equation. Indeed, sustaining a judgment against SMCCDI could very well cause its' well known and valuable American operations to cease, as none of its US resident members have the resources to fight the Iranian-American businessman supporting Mr. Kerry.
A careful overview of the VII following parts will offer a better understanding of the situation:
I) Background:
The Plaintiff, Nemazee, a close friend of Al Gore, is a wealthy and controversial Iranian-American businessman who was nominated by President Clinton to be a U.S. Ambassador to Argentina. His nomination was rejected by the U.S. Senate, following the publication of some very troubling news on his financial activities in the famous and credible "Forbes Magazine." (see copy of this article at:
daneshjoo.org )
Exposed, Nemazee joined the self proclaimed "American-Iranian Council" (AIC) headed by the notorious Hooshang AmirAhmadi who's a well known lobbyist for the Iranian Mulllahcracy. Within the majority of the Iranians and Iranian-Americans, AmirAhmadi is held in very low esteem for supporting the Islamic republic regime.
Joining the American-Iranian Council, Nemazee helped this group and its members by opening doors to the highest levels of the U.S. Democratic Party. His main mission was to promote this group, AIC, and to push for the establishment of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic regime. Using his contacts with Senator Jospeh Biden (D-DE), an influential member of the U.S. Senate's Foreign Affairs Committee, a controversial fundraising event at the IMAN Islamist Center of Los Angles was held, in 2002, and attended by Senator Biden where a substantial amount of money was collected. The IMAN's head, Sadegh Namazikhah, is also a board member of the AIC, and he is pushing for the cancellation of sanctions against the Mullahs' regime.
The affair turned into a scandal following SMCCDI's intervention and the reports published in Mr. Biden's home state's press. (see the article published in the Delaware News Journal at: daneshjoo.org )
In June 1, 2002, Nemazee invited Senator John Kerry (D-MA) to a controversial American-Iranian Council (AIC) Dinner-Gala held in San Francisco where he made a speech in favor of establishing ties with the Islamic regime. As board member of the AIC, he declared that the organization's mission was to create "the vehicle for a dialogue which will ultimately lead to a resumption of relations."
Again SMCCDI denounced the gala event and provoked, with help of other freedom loving groups, a noisy protest rally in front of the regrettable gathering (see the SMCCDI's Urgent Action Call at: daneshjoo.org )
Meanwhile, AIC organized another very controversial meeting with the then acting U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, who offered a formal apology to "Iran" (?). Indeed, influenced by the illegitimate group, Ms. Albright apologized despite knowing that the Islamic Republic is one of the main sponsors of terrorism and anti-Americanism in the World. In retrospect, her, Albright's, apology is considered a gift for bad behavior of the clerical regime. Several other meetings were organized on U.S. soil and abroad where officials of the Mullahs' regime, like Mehdi Karoubi, a cleric and Speaker of the Islamic Parliament, would meet with US officials and legislators.
II) Set backs and Alarming tactics:
The illegitimate activities described above, and claims of being supported by Iranians and Iranian-Americans but in reality rejected and denounced by millions is at the heart of this issue. Constant exposure and denunciations by SMCCDI and other groups of the real situation in Iran and the election of President Bush undermined AIC's false claim of progress of "reforms in Iran", while the impacts of the 9/11 atrocity illuminated the dangers of Islamism.
Nemazee, who "officially" resigned from the AIC at the end 2002, denies in 2004, of having suggested "any rapprochement with the Islamic regime." He also states "that he made a mistake joining AIC." Omitting to acknowledge, however, that such "mistakes" and activities bought more time for the Islamic regime to take more Iranian lives and foment more evil plans.
Several other AIC board members will resigned "officially" along with Nemazee, during the same period. The resignations of Akbar Ghahary and Faraj Alae-I were also tendered at about the same time. These same three activists, Nemazee, Gharary and Alae-I, then founded a new entity self calling itself the "Iranian American Political Action Committee" (IAPAC), in 2003.
Ghahary and Alae-I are wealthy Iranian businessmen Alae-I is the President of the Nasdaq listed Centillium Corp. and married to Susan Akbarpoor a very controversial young Iranian woman known to be close friend with Hashemi Rafsanjani's daughter. It's to note that Susan Akbarpoor who is involved in several lawsuits in N. California is also the founder of SiliconIran that purportedly promotes the exchange of technological research. She has been an ardent supporter of President Khatami and Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazzi and involved in the support of some speeches made by them in Los Angeles. The speeches turned into a massive protest demonstrations by Iranian-Americans who rejected their presence. (See FrontPage Magazine's article at:
daneshjoo.org )
Interestingly, IAPAC'S website is maintained by SiliconIran.
IAPAC's original founders, Nemazee, Ghahary and Alae-I, would consider it a success to rally few of good Iranians who are probably not familiar with all the past activities of the main founder.
The group's claim of focusing only on promoting Iranian-Americans in the U.S. avoids the appearance, therefore, of interfering in U.S.-Iran relations. It states on its website that the group supports candidates of both political camps, democrat and republican, but this seems to be a blatant attempt to mislead the casual observer. Throwing important resources behind the election of Senator John Kerry's U.S. Presidential bid, Nemazee, the principal founder of the group, is organizing big fundraising events like the one held in April in New York where Kerry collected millions of dollars (see New York Post of April 11th). Alae-I and his wife are also among Kerry's biggest contributors.
In addition, Akbar Ghahary, the third founder of the group, has attempted to mislead Iranians, during a believed paid Iranian TV interview, by stating "Senator John Kerry supports them in their quest for democracy." Acknowledging in a very controversial "face to face" Kerry type flip-flop, with Sharam Homayoon of Iranian Satellite TV network "Channel One" based in Los Angeles that "he was initially a pro-republican. Later, however, when his friend Hassan Nemazee introduced them to senior Democrat circles like Senator Biden he changed his mind. Now he offers, or promotes that it would be better for Iranians to back Senator Kerry for president because he supports their democratic aspirations."
Their activity of supporting Senator John Kerry was reported in one of Iran's leading newspapers in March of 2004.
Also, unconfirmed reports are stating that meetings were held between some of the founders of IAPAC and the Islamic foreign minister, during his last trip to the U.S. Some sources believe that there is a strong possibility that Nemazee's influence was behind the mysterious Iranian Official News Agency, Mehr, receipt of an e-mail from Senator Kerry's offices "promising to repair damages made by the Bush administration, if Kerry is elected."
It's to note that Adams, an aid to Kerry, declared in mid February that such news is "just a hoax." But nearly a month later, Beers, another Kerry aid, declared that "this was an internal memo among Democrats and "he's scratching his head, and can't understand how this letter ended up in the hands of Iranian official circles."
Compounding this line of thinking, Senator Kerry refuses to take a firm stand against the terrorist Mullah regime while U.S. soldiers are getting killed in Iraq by the Islamic republic's funded terrorists. Like Al Gore during his TV debate with Mr. Bush in the 2000 election campaign, Kerry believes that the Islamic regime "is a legitimate entity" and declares that it is "becoming democratic."
III) Pressure and Threats:
Nemazee's frivolous suits and malicious acts are results of SMCCDI's constant denunciation of his double agenda that intends, ultimately, to promote relations between the U.S. Administration and the Clerical regime.
Legally, Nemazee is a known PUBLIC FIGURE, due to his nomination by President Clinton as Ambassador to Argentina, and as a former board member of AIC. As a board member of AIC illegitimately claiming to lobby on "behalf" of Iranian-Americans for promotion of ties with the Islamic regime, and as a current main fund raising organizer for Senator John Kerry, his lawyers seek, in spite of the facts, to build part of their "case" by claiming that "he is not a public figure."
Also, adding fuel to Nemazee's denunciation, SMCCDI sent Senator E. Kennedy (D-MA), in July 2003, a request that the veteran Senator boycott the gala launch of IAPAC. The letter stated the fact that Nemazee, the main founding member of the group, is "one discredited and well-known agent of the Islamic republic WITHIN the Iranian-American community in the US." As millions of Iranians who reject the Islamic regime and anyone that supports it are well familiar with these two names. (see the SMCCDI's letter at: daneshjoo.org )
In this article, SMCCDI uses of the word "agent" which implied that Nemazee is a sympathetic lobbyist, or solicitor promoting ties with the Islamic regime, which was based upon his previous activities. But an e-mail from an individual named Morad Ghorban, an IAPAC official, later requested removal of the published SMCCDI letter suggesting that a probably fictitious e-mail, mass e-mailed by an unknown third party had been used by SMCCDI as the source for its letter to Senator Kennedy. The young and ambitious Ghorban probably didn't know that SMCCDI had already named and criticized Nemazee for his illegitimate actions in the Movement's "May 2002 Urgent Call for Action" rejecting the June 1, 2002, meeting of the AIC in San Francisco with the presence of the very same Senator John Kerry.
In response, an immediate reply, archived by SMCCDI, was sent to Ghorban stating "the SMCCDI, as any other responsible organization does not use or base its actions on unknown third party e-mails." Further, "the decision by SMCCDI to write to Senator Kennedy was based on Nemazee's prior controversial actions as a board member of the AIC that would alarm any respectable Iranian."
Requesting a public apology from SMCCDI, Nemazee's lawyer, Charles Parker, sent a letter to the SMCCDI on September 15, 2003. This letter attempted to build the false appearance, or case claiming Nemazee is not a public figure and a fictitious mass mailed e-mail was used as the basis of the letter sent to Senator E. Kennedy. Despite being notified about the fictitious e-mail, their letter conveniently failed to mention SMCCDI's reply to Morad Ghorban.
Therefore, SMCCDI disregarded the Nemazee lawyer's letter as another frivolous request in line with several other unsuccessful attempts to pressure his adversaries. Had the SMCCDI stated, or implied that Nemazee was a "foreign-agent" that suggests he would be required to register with the U.S Government his relationship with the Iranian regime. Placing things in perspective, Nemazee's role has been more akin to that of a used car salesman, which is also a form of an agent.
Unconfirmed reports are stating that some members of IAPAC might also sue SMCCDI. The important points are that none of them were officially part of IAPAC on the date the SMCCDI letter was addressed to Senator E. Kennedy; and the content of the letter targeted IAPAC's main founder and not its' members. Some of the members are honorable Iranians who are ignoring Nemazee's past and now they're getting used in something that is beyond only promoting Iranian-Americans in the US.
IV) Additional Info:
On February 2, 2004, SMCCDI issued a statement responding to a dinner invitation of the Islamic regime's envoy at the UN to a few misguided American legislators. The misguided legislators, Bob Ney and Arlen Specter were to attend a dinner that was to be followed by an official trip to Iran, in order to promote diplomatic ties. (See SMCCDI's Statement at:
daneshjoo.org )
Astonishingly, Arlen Specter is on the list of candidates sponsored by IAPAC, while Bob Ney has a controversial young Iranian adviser named Titra Parsi who's heading something called the "National Iranian American Council" (NIAC). A well known fervent supporter of Khatami and his so-called reforms, Titra Parsi is also a very close friend to Hooshang AmirAhamadi and a former board member of the AIC. He's known for several interviews, such as, with Los Angeles Times in which he praised President Khatami and his sham "reforms."
His new well financed NIAC creation is supposedly intended to promote Iranian Americans in the U.S. and is not to interfere in external relations. But in reality, NIAC seems also to be targeting the promotion of the 2nd version of regime's reformists. Amongst them is the defender of terrorists held at Guantanomo. The very same Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi who forgets what's going on in her own country has become the mouthpiece of the Islamic regime's foreign policy. Ms. Ebadi has defended at several occasions the right of Taliban members and Islamist terrorists held at Guantanomo, while she has kept silent on the fate of political activists and students held by the Islamic regime in inhumane conditions. She has interfered in the affairs of France by slamming the French law on the veil in the well known French secular schools but she omits to say that thousands of Iranian women have been killed, injured or arrested in order to be forced to respect the Islamic veil.
With no surprise and as predicted in the SMCCDI's past Public Statements, NIAC and Akbar Ghahary are now involved in organizing, or supporting some speeches for Mrs. Ebadi on U.S. soil. The first of these speeches, promoted by NIAC, is to be held on May 12th at the Maryland University College Park.
niacouncil.org
Babak Talebi, a student of Maryland's College Park and NIAC's Advisory Board Member and Treasurer, seems to be one of the organizers of the controversial event. He's known also as a fervent Khatami supporter and known for several interviews, such as, with Los Angeles Times in which he praised President Khatami and his sham "reforms."
The latter who at a time was misusing his university's name for the promotion of his website created for the promotion of Khatami, had to stop following that SMCCDI denounced his action and notified his university's management.
niacouncil.org
V) More troubling points and reactions:
On another front, following the article published in the Tehran Times on February 8, 2004, regarding Senator Kerry's e-mail promising to repair damages, SMCCDI issued an open letter to the presumptive democratic candidate. (see the SMCCDI's letter at: daneshjoo.org )
The Movement criticized Senator Kerry for his stand on Iran. The powerful letter was quoted by several radio talk shows and was the subject of many articles published in newspapers like the New York Sun and Washington Times, on March 1st and on March 12th.
NY Sun: daneshjoo.org
WT: daneshjoo.org
WT: daneshjoo.org
On March 1st and 2nd, 2004, two articles written by the investigative reporter Kenneth Timmerman were published in the Insight Magazine and in the Front Page Magazine. Titled "Kerry will abandon terror war" and "Kerry's Iranian Sugar Daddies" were articles criticizing Kerry's ill advised position supporting the Mullahs, the war on terror and SMCCDI's coordinator quotes.
IM: daneshjoo.org
FPM: daneshjoo.org
VI) The Law Suit:
On March 3rd, after the publications of Washington Times (Kerry and the Ayatollahs) and Insight Magazine (Kerry will Abandon Terror War) on March 1st and FrontPage Magazine (Kerry's Iranian Sugar Daddies) on March 2nd, Nemazee and his friends recognized that the only way to muffle, or possibly strangle SMCCDI was to mire the organization in a long judicial process.
Seeking to obscure the manipulations from afar, Nemazee directed his lawyer, Charles Parker, to file suits against the SMCCDI and its coordinator. The suits have been filed and officially served. Seeking to muffle the voice of the SMCCDI just prior to the upcoming US Presidential election in a desperate attempt to rehabilitate him self and avenge past miscalculations. Losing the ambassador fiasco and betting on Presidential Kerry's win is an ambitious means of revenge for his own past mistakes.
VII) Unfinished Business:
Nemazee's lawyer's contention that SMCCDI quoted or posted an unknown third party's e-mail is a baseless claim and, at best, a transparent ruse to manipulate the American judicial system. In addition, Nemazee is legally a public figure subject to criticism since the Presidential ambassadorial nomination of December 30, 1998, as related to all controversies published on this case and the above mentioned opinions.
In reaction, the SMCCDI's officers are seeking an attorney, or attorneys that would consider legally representing the organization pro-bono or with minimal fees and would like to put a stop on the efforts of controversial individuals in order to influence the upcoming U.S. Presidential election and its prospects. SMCCDI's members have dedicated their efforts to the freedom of Iran, and dealt with the war against Islamic terror, rather than amassing a fortune and illegitimate fame on the backs of the Iranian people.
SMCCDI and its Coordinator are also reserving the right of counter suing Hassan Nemazee for libelous, truly Malicious and intentionally acts, conspiracy, and having caused psychological damages to some of the Movement's members, especially some of the brave NGO recognized students who are fighting against tyranny and terror in Iran and are worried about the future of the Movement's operations in the US.
A SMCCDI Urgent Action Call, seeking financial and legal support from all freedom lovers, democracy advocates and principled Iranians and Americans, shall be issued in the next few days and prior to the juridical deadline of May 10th by which date SMCCDI must have found a lawyer and shall depose a contrary argument beside the Harris County Court, in order to avoid shutting down its valuable operations.
Copies of more existing documents, than mentioned in the above text, are available for the members of Press upon written request send to: smccdi@daneshjoo.org
For info call: (214) 906-8181<<
daneshjoo.org |
