Ayatollah Lankarani, an Iranian cleric, has issued a fatwa for the death of Rafigh Taghi and Samir Sedaghat Oghloo. We should resolutely protest this fatwa that has been issued by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s authorities against writers and critics of religion in the Azerbaijan Republic.
On November 15, 2006, Rafigh Taghi who is a journalist and columnist of San-at newspaper wrote an article entitled ‘Europe and Us’. In his article, he quoted Mohamed and the Koran, calling Mohamed an aggressor and concluding: ‘This religion is the religion of aggression against humanity.’ Islamic gangs of Hezbollah were immediately organised to protest in the streets of Tabriz and Ardebil in Iran. As a result, Rafigh Taghi and Samir Sedaghat Oghloo, the editor of the journal, were immediately imprisoned in Baku. The Islamic regime’s officials even asked the government of Azerbaijan to apologise for ‘insulting Moslems!’
On November 29, 2006, Lankarani, shamelessly issued the fatwa against the two individuals.
This is an example of how political Islam treats religion’s critics and opponents. The Islamic Republic of Iran has officially and openly ordered Islamic terror gangs to assassinate these two individuals, wherever they spot them.
This is ugly face of the criminal Political Islam. They have come to power with murder, fatwas, stoning and execution, and maintain themselves with these crimes. This is a movement that cannot even tolerate a caricature or any criticism and immediately orders bloodshed. This movement should be dealt with maximum international aversion and protest, and be condemned worldwide.
We, the citizens of the world, must not allow a bunch of reactionaries in Iran or anywhere else to issue such rulings and bloodshed. Freedom of speech must be protected; secularism and the separation of religion from political power must be defended as must the right of criticism and unconditional right of freedom of expression.
Political Islam is a dark movement against humanity and against women. This movement is trying to spread its dark shadow over the entire world. This situation cannot be tolerated. One should not be submissive vis-à-vis such a Medieval and inhuman movement. Together, we must defend humanity’s achievements.
Saving the lives of Rafigh Taghi and Samir Sedaghat Oghloo is our task and the duty of an international front against political Islam.
Some Azerbaijani journalists have announced that they are abandoning Islam in protest to the fatwa ruling against the two. According to Journal Express published in Baku, Aghsheen Dada-of, a journalist and writer has said: We have thought a lot about this decision in the past, but after the arrest of Rafegh Taghi, we have made up our minds and are announcing this decision to the public… We abandon Islam, with the goal of reversing the fatwa and of stopping the religious practice of execution rulings against those who have freely expressed their thoughts. The writer of the article “Europe and us” in San-at journal, Rafegh Taghi, has the right to express his opinion about negative and positive aspects of the prophet Mohammed. Rafegh Taghi has expressed his opinion in an original and comprehensive way and did not intend to insult the prophet!’
This action is considered an important move in the campaign to save the lives of Rafegh Taghi and Samir Sedaghat Oghloo. We are inviting everyone to sign the petition and by doing so defend the two writers and freedom of speech. The international front against political Islam must rise against the fatwa of killing and assassination.
Defend the following:
1- Unconditional freedom of speech is the right of any human being.
2- The fatwa against these two writers is condemned.
3- Ayatollah Lankarani should be arrested and tried for issuing the fatwa and encouraging the killing of these two writers.
4- The government of Azerbaijan should be condemned for violating of the freedom of speech and for arresting these writers.
5- Rafigh Taghi and Samir Sedaghat Oghloo must be freed immediately.
6- The Islamic Republic of Iran is the founder and centre of propagation of such practices, and has in the past issued the same kind of fatwa against Salman Rushdie. This government should be isolated and condemned for its criminal acts.
To sign the petition, click here.
Mina Ahadi
Maryam Namazie
11 comments:
O How much easier
to curb such acts
and fervor were
it not for our
two-sided faces!
What a voice we
might raise were
it not for double
sided blades- to peace
among all the races.
(Nice plea by the way my friend. Very soulful indeed. Thank you.)
I won't sign the petition because I know my signature, as a non-Muslim, as a person who will never under any circumstances be a Muslim, will be worthless.
As for "political Islam", what other kind fo Islma is there? It started as much as a militaristic political as a religous movement.
With a majority Muslim population, you ultimately have one of two governments. One, an Islamic "Republic", or the other, a dictatorship such as under Saddam, as an extreme example, that keeps the fundamentalists in check through brute force.
Any attempt to introdcue any kind of reforms in these nations that are geared toward any kind of government besides one of these two is doomed to dismal failure.
Political islam is, indeed a horror for women.
Why dont we check the credibility of these two people. For sure, its an offence to curb the freedom of press; all the former members of russian federation is choked by the influence of America and for sure lot of journalists and artists will loath this influence and these 2 people might be one among them.
Agreed, curbing freedom is bad, but i think we should ponder a little over this issue before extending a helping hand.
For islam being militant and islamic countries either having a dictator at helm is a fact. But, how credible is this free speking western democracies? How much of freedom is allowed for the minority communities in these places? Why are the Romas treated like the wretched of the earth; racism for sure exist; from the football pitch to the footpath. Christianity moulded the market economy and a way where "Bush" even claims as the messenger of god! That is ludicrous!
I signed the petition. The URL is fixed.
I'm not being allowed to sign in on Google/Blogger accounts. I want to comment on more blogs, but I'm being blocked.
With a majority Muslim population, you ultimately have one of two governments. One, an Islamic "Republic", or the other, a dictatorship such as under Saddam, as an extreme example, that keeps the fundamentalists in check through brute force.
I was under the impression that Saddam's dictatorship was secular in nature, am I wrong?
@ Ren - Are you being blocked or is it just Google being Google and not letting you in?
No Bob, I don't think so. The Ba'athist regime was considered an "enemy of Communism and Radical Islamism" by the US, but it still had relgious leanings, like Woman having to wear the veil etc.. that was the big controversy, on whether the US had created a theorcracy.
Left henry, what source are you using for the "woman had to wear veil" info? Islamic extremism, Islamism, political Islam etc. is already under plenty of attack world wide. I would suggest authors lay off criticizing Mohammad for awhile, criticize Islam if you like.Things are a tad sensitive right now, hello, and a little common sense goes a long way.
Does anyone else not see the irony in Islamists issuing violent acts against those who claim that Islam is a violent religion?
I found it interesting that students were screaming "death to the dictator" and burning pictures of ahmadinejad the other day.
I have had the same logging in problem Renegade. I think it is with the blogs that have switched to blogger beta. I think they intend to make us all switch and they are cutting us off slowly.
RE - I don't understand. What do you mean you can't sign and are being blocked????
This post only goes to show the power of ideas, ideals and words. They are often more powerful than the sword because they wield the sword. I find it very hard to understand the logic of Iran's actions. One would think that after the international condemnation resulting form the Salman Rushdie fiasco and shame, they might have realized that they do themselves and Islam a great disservice.
Shame!
D
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