Manda Zand-Ervin & Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi
Dear Senator Barack Obama:
After the recent days of highly charged commentary about "appeasement," we thought that as Iranian-Americans, we would convey to you the feelings of most people in Iran and the Iranian diaspora at large. It is important that a decision to dialogue with the Islamic Republic of Iran not be made in haste, for the purpose of winning the election. Instead, you now have a unique opportunity to make good on your message of change.On September 24, 2004, while a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Illinois, you suggested that "surgical missile strikes" on Iran may become necessary. "Launching some missile strikes into Iran is not the optimal position for us to be in" given the ongoing war in Iraq, you told the Chicago Tribune. You continued: "On the other hand, having a radical Muslim theocracy in possession of nuclear weapons is worse".
Your change in approach is now stunning for many Iranians. It is not that we want our country to be bombed, but the point is, why did you so suddenly and without explanation go from that extreme to the extreme of "unconditional dialogue"?
Senator, since 1979 the Mullahs of Iran have killed upwards of one million Iranians, not to mention the nearly one million sacrificed to the 8-year-long Iran/Iraq war. And what the Iranian people have withstood in terms of outrageous human rights violations is shocking; public hangings, stoning, flogging, cutting off limbs, tongues and plucking out eyeballs are an everyday occurrence across Iran. All are meant to strike fear of the ruling Mullahs into people's hearts.
Since you began talking about unconditionally dialoguing with the Islamic regime of Iran, you too have struck absolute fear in the hearts of the Iranian people, both inside and outside Iran. The few Iranian-Americans who support you are well-intentioned individuals who have been swept up in the excitement and fervor of your campaign. But we can wholeheartedly assure you that your comments have landslide opposition within the much greater Iranian heart both inside and outside Iran.
Iranians believe that the only country who has the moral authority and is able to support them is the United States of America, a country whose foundation as a melting pot mirrors the true character of the once great Persian Empire. But the fact is, as John Bolton so aptly puts it: "Negotiation is a tactic, not policy." Your policy of direct and unconditional negotiation will give the Mullahs of Iran the legitimacy that they need for more oppression. The real losers will be the already weary people of Iran, whose dreams of freedom and democracy will be dashed for a long time to come. If you empower that regime, the mullahs will continue to harm a country that is already totally economically devastated, as well as socially and politically oppressed.
And rest assured that they will have no qualms about exporting the kind of rule they have established inside Iran to the rest of the world; that is an undeniable fact that they themselves have openly admitted. One can see the proof in Syria and Lebanon.
On September 18, 2001, defying the regime's warnings and pressure, brave Iranians were the only people in the Middle East to hold a candlelight vigil in solidarity with America. The thousands who marched peacefully down one of the main Boulevards of Tehran were brutally attacked by revolutionary guards and paramilitary forces. Many paid a high price for their bravery: they were arrested and hauled off to prison.
Iranians have struggled since the 1850's for modernity, sovereignty and progress for our nation; Iran had a constitutional revolution in 1906 to separate the government from religion. Iranians are a progressive people and our cultural identity is very different from any of the other nations in the region.
Cyrus the Great wrote the first declaration of human rights in Iran more than 2500 years ago. The actual Cylinder upon which the declaration was carved is housed in the British Museum in London, and its replica is in the second floor lobby of the United Nations.
Senator, Europeans, through Jack Straw of the U.K., Dominique de Villepin of France and Joschka Fischer of Germany, tried negotiations for five years with the so-called moderate reformist, Mullah President Khatami. That effort ended in disaster, with the European Union admitting its failure. President Reagan tried also. He sent a cake and a Qur'an to Khomeini, but Khomeini fed the cake to dogs and willfully ignored president Reagan's proposal of friendship. President Clinton worked diligently on negotiations for eight years. Two secretaries of State, Warren Christopher and Madeleine Albright, both failed — during the regime of the same Mullah President, Khatami. In fact, it was Warren Christopher who called the regime of Iran evil after over three years of unsuccessful negotiations. Mrs. Albright even publicly apologized to the Mullahs of Iran for America's sins. She eliminated trade sanctions on three items as a goodwill gesture and offered incentives on Iranian frozen assets, but at every point the Mullahs ungraciously found excuses not to hail the repeated gestures of good will, and refused to take one step forward.
The most important fact to remember is that while the negotiations were going on between the Clinton Administration and the Mullahs of Iran, they were continuing the development of their hidden nuclear program. Do you really think you can trust these people?
We appreciate the fact that you believe this administration has not done a good job in negotiations, but they have tried. They tried directly and indirectly, behind closed doors and in public. If the Mullahs of Iran wanted to negotiate, there was the April 2006 package approved by the European Allies and Russia and offered by the U.S. with good will and many incentives. Yet typically and inexplicably, Iran remained recalcitrant and rejected it.
Now here is a proposal for you:
America led the world in supporting the Eastern European Solidarity Movement, by which ultimately the Eastern bloc was able to free itself from communist domination and dictatorships. The international community weakened the South African regime by supporting and empowering Mr. Mandela against South Africa's racial apartheid regime, which was eventually forced to step aside peacefully and allow change for the better to begin.
The Iranian government is, by all definitions and international laws and United Nation's resolutions, a gender apartheid regime. What would happen if you declare Iran a Gender Apartheid country and not the representative of the oppressed women of Iran? Support the millions of laid-off and destitute Iranian workers, students, and teachers, as well as the estimated 23,000 innocent political prisoners who are being tortured in prisons for speaking out against these tyrants. Support the average Iranian and not the Islamic regime. Put America's power behind what is right — and watch the people of Iran usher out the Mullahs and democratically elect a government that truly represents the people of Iran.
This will be a bold and thoughtful way of managing the foreign policy of America. It is the picture of your message of change, at work not only for America, but the world at large, Senator. Appeasement of dictators and oppressors is just as unwise as war. A nation is made up of people, not its leaders. The only people in this case who are worth negotiating with are the people of Iran, who are the only friends America should want in Iran — not the tyrants who have hijacked that great nation.
America is in no position to lose more friends.
In closing, Senator, even if you manage to dialogue with the ruling clergy in Iran, they will never keep their word. They are masters of deception, manipulation, rhetoric and spin. They are incapable of even honoring their own signatures, and refuse to abide by the terms and conditions of treaties that they themselves have agreed upon time and time again, as we have witnessed in their reactions to U.N. resolutions.
We were born and raised in Iran, and we do know Iran's Mullahs.
Respectfully,
Manda Zand-Ervin & Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi
___________________________________________
The attached letter has a lot of grammatical and
spelling errors in it, but is interesting. By
forwarding it, I am NOT trying to change anyone's mind
(so don't start). I am just sharing one perspective
so everyone can make a reasoned decision for
themselves.
______________________________________
Dear Senator,
My name is Leon Weinstein. I am an American. I am
also Jewish. I was born in the Soviet Union, was
fortunate to get out in 1974 and lived in Israel until
my second immigration to the US in 1986. I have family in Israel, including my brother, parents, and my
bellowed nephews. As you see I have a stock in Israel,
and wouldn't want this country to be bombed by nukes (or conventional rockets), annihilated or buldozered to the Mediterranean, all of the above being proposed by the esteemed leaders of practically all neighboring Israel nations. I am not a partial and neutral bystander. I am one very angry and concerned citizen and below I will try to explain to you why I am angry and concerned.
You might become our next President, Leader and
Commander-in- Chief, but we the people know precious little about who you are, your ability to withstand pressure, your philosophy, sympathies and preferences, your experience and your judgment. During your recent campaigning we hear from you many wonderful words like "unification of America", "no more blue or red states", "help to humanity", "care for those that need care", and I applaud those words. If your words are supported by your past actions, then you might be the man for the job. If your words contradict or are unsupported by what you did before the Presidential race, then you are not what you say you are, right?
In order to find that out I attempted to examine whom you hang out with, what words you and your friends were saying in private and in public and how all that can affect our lives.
First, I decided to look who is endorsing you
(according to the information that can be found on
Internet), who likes where you stand on issues. I
found among others a scaring host of anti-Semitic and
anti-Israeli people and organizations:
- Louis Farrakhan (Nation of Islam Leader, racist,
anti-Semite)
- Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (Islamic Terror Organization)
- Raila Odinga (Fundamental Islamic
Candidate,Kenya, some say he is your cousin)
- Daniel Ortega (Marxist Sandinista Leader,
Nicaragua)
- Raul Castro (Hard-line Communist Leader, Cuba)
- Socialist Party USA (Marxist Political Party)
- The New Black Panther Party (Black Militant
Organization)
- Hamas Terrorist Organization (Islamic Terrorist
Organization) .
I was really surprised to find so many American
enemies routing for you (Hamas, Sandinistas, Cuban
Marxists), but what really frightened me was that
there is a well-organized effort in the Middle East to
call American voters at random asking them to vote for Obama. Who pays them for the expensive phone calls to America? Who trained them what to say and who gave them names and phone numbers of the American voters? This was reported by Al Jazeera: "After studying Obama's campaign manifesto I thought this is a man that's capable of change inside of America." said one of pro-Obama Middle Eastern organizers.
"But may be" I was arguing with myself, "I can't
blame you for that, since you didn't ask for their
endorsements or their help? You may be even do not
know about it, or do you? On the other hand if our
enemies (Hamas, Sandinistas, Cuban Marxists) love you so much, may be it says something about your agenda?"
Enough about those that like you. Let's look at whom
you like, whom you planning to bring to the White
House to govern America. You invited Zbigniew
Brzezinski to become your chief political advisor.
Brzezinski signed a letter demanding dialogue with
Hamas, whose charter calls for Israel's destruction. He has also an interesting view on Communism that I am afraid you may share: "Communism has the
intellectually tantalizing possibility that for the
world at large. It was … a blessing in disguise". WOW! "Blessing in disguise?" Half of my family was murdered in Gulags. My beloved grandfather died after a stroke at the KGB headquarters.
Your advisor on nuclear policies Joseph Cirincione in response to reports that the site in Syria that Israel
bombed was a potential nuclear facility being
established with the help of North Korea, said that
the reports were the product of two nefarious,
agenda-driven groups: (1) Bush administration
hardliners seeking to derail "the U.S.-North Korean
agreement" and (2) Israelis who "want to thwart any
dialogue between the U.S. and Syria." WOW again!
Your financial backer billionaire George Soros
repeatedly says in his speeches: "The main obstacle to
a stable and just world order is the United States."
How many times in one letter I can repeat WOW! Another obstacle he considers Israel. If you have an obstacle on your way, you remove it, right? Do you share the same ideology that Soros professes? As a matter of fact, looks like your wife does. Soros is the power behindmoveon.org, and this is he who puts money in your campaign coffins. In the old world we had a
saying, "he who dines the girl, is dances her as
well". What dance you promised Soros?
"The world powers established this filthy bacteria,
the Zionist regime, which is lashing out at the
nations in the region like a wild beast."- this is
what President of Iran Ahmadinejad says of Israel. He consistently calls for destruction of Israel and the
"Big Satan", the United States. Iran harbors and
finances terrorists around the globe. At the same time
your most senior military adviser retired Gen. Merrill
McPeak says President Bush and Israel is to blame for Iran's bad behavior: "It was usthat insulted them by including them in the 'axis of evil' and making sure
they understood we didn't like them very much. That
drove us apart," says McPeak and continues: "Obama's
idea is, why not talk to them. Why not see if there
isn't some common ground. Certainly, the fight
against al Qaeda would be one of them."
Dear Senator, hate of Israel would also be a good
common ground with Iran, Hesbollah and Hamas. I
remember the overwhelming joy on the Iranian and
Palestinian streets when they heard about 9/11. Same joy I recall when Hezbollah dragged on the streets of Gaza killed Israeli soldiers in front of TV cameras. The same joy they experienced when masked terrorists beheaded Americans and many other infidels they kidnap, torture and videotape their murders.
Simon Malley, another of your foreign policy advisors loathes Israel. The anti-Israel activism became a crusade for him. He spent countless hours with Yasser Arafat and became a close friend of Arafat. He
was,according to Daniel Pipes, a sympathizer of the
Palestinian Liberation Organization --- and this was
when it was at the height of its terrorism wave
against the West. His efforts were so damaging to
France that President Valerie d'Estaing expelled him
from the country. Now you want him to give you an
advice regarding Middle East and relations with
Israel.
I can go on and on. My big question to you is –
usually we surround ourselves with like-minded people. Didn't you notice that all those people quite contradicting your public speeches? Or may be they express your hidden thoughts and agenda?
During an ABC interview Stephanopoulos asked you: "So you would extend our deterrent to Israel?" your answer was: "As I said before, I think it is very important
that Iran understands that an attack on Israel, is an
attack on our strongest ally in the region, one that
we -- one whose security, we consider paramount. And
that would be an act of aggression that we would --
that I would consider an attack that is unacceptable.
And the United States would take appropriate action."
It is important to notice that you didn't say, "We
will come after them and will respond in full force".
Dear Senator – what is this "appropriate action" of
yours? We already know that your mentors Reverend
Wrightand socialist billionaire Soros think that the
US and Israel stand in a way to the "progress". May be
the appropriate action, as you and your team understand it will be to tell Iranians "Good job, guys"?
Israel is an American alley that brings to the
relations its fair share. I want you to read exerts
from two articles written by Ambassador (ret.) Yoram
Ettinger, who is an expert on U.S. Middle East policy: Former secretary of state and NATO supreme commander Gen. (ret.) Alexander Haig refers to Israel as the largest, most cost-effective combat-experienced U.S. aircraft carrier – one that does not require American ersonnel, cannot be sunk and is located in a region critical to U.S. national security interests.
In 1967, Israel defeated a pro-Soviet Egypt/Syria axis. In 1970, Israel forced the rollback of an invasion by pro-Soviet Syria of pro-U.S. Jordan, preventing a pro-Soviet Domino Effect in the Persian Gulf. In 1981, Israel destroyed Iraq's nuclear reactor, enabling the U.S. to proceed with conventional military options in its wars againstSaddam Hussein. In 1982, Israel destroyed Syrian-operated Soviet surface-to-air missile batteries, which were considered impregnable. Israeli-developed unmanned aerial vehicles have been employed by U.S. Marines in Afghanistan and Iraq, providing otherwise unattainable intelligence and
preempting terrorist strikes. The Israeli-developed
Lightning Pod navigation guidance system eliminated
Al-Zarqawi, the arch Al-Qaeda terrorist. Absent Israel
and its contribution to U.S. national security,
Washington would have to deploy, to the eastern flank
of the Mediterranean, aircraft carriers and tens of
thousands of servicemen, costing scores of billions of
dollars annually.
Dear Senator, we all would want to hear you saying
words that in uncertain terms will tell our enemies
that you are not their friend, that you stand and will
stand for our country and for the principals of the
founding fathers of our country. How about repeating
the pledge that Professor Wichman of Mechanical
Engineering at MSU wrote to a group of "outraged by
Jewish behavior" Muslim students in his University:
I (Barack Hussein Obama) will stand firmly against
beheadings of civilians, cowardly attacks on public
buildings, suicide murders, murders of Catholic
priests (the latest in Turkey), burnings of Christian
churches, the continued persecution of Coptic
Christians in Egypt, the imposition of Sharia law on
non-Muslims, the rapes of Scandinavian girls and women
(called 'whores' in extreme Muslim culture), the
murder of film directors in Holland, and the rioting
and looting in Paris France. This is what offends me,
and many, many of my fellow Americans. This shall be
stopped and stopped immediately. I will not tolerate
it on my watch. As a US President I will stand firm to
stop this aggressive, brutal, and uncivilized behavior. I will defend our allies including Israel, and will destroy
any one who will try to destroy them. Amen!
Looks like you are not going to do it. This will make
your Far Left friends angry with you. You will hide
behind words and smiles and half-truths. Exactly as
you were hiding your controversial pastor in the
basement of the building before you announced your bid
for the US presidency.
Dear Senator, I received the below written text by
email. I do not know the sender, but I agree with
him/her hundred percent. And I want you and your
sponsors, supporters and advisors to read it as well:
Any nation or culture that tried to mess around
with the nation of Israel was destroyed -- while we
Jews kept going! Egypt? Anyone knows where their
empire disappeared to? Greeks? Alexander of Macedonia? The Romans? Does anyone today speak Latin? The Third Reich? Anyone heard any news about it lately? And look at us, the Nation from the Bible, from Slavery in Egypt. We are still here, speaking the same language!
Do not even think about positioning the United States
of America against Israel and Jews.
Sincerely,
Leon A.Weinstein
Los Angeles, CA
eonweinstein@ hotmail.com
PS I can't imagine being a Jew and voting Obama. I
can't imagine being an Israeli supporter and voting
Obama either. I can't imagine voting Obama period
No comments:
Post a Comment