Open Letter from Iranian Academics to UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-moon

19 June 2009 :: staff

His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon
Secretary General of United Nations
3 United Nations Plaza,
New York NY, 10017, USA
Fax: 1-212 963-7055
18 June, 2009

Dear Mr. Secretary General,

We the undersigned, Iranian academics from different universities around the world, express our deepest concerns about the situation in Iran. The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has failed to respect the outcome of an electoral process which had already been restricted to four trusted candidates. In reaction to the peaceful protests by citizens and voters who felt cheated, the government resorted to outright violence, further suppression of rights and restriction of all media coverage. University dormitories have been attacked and students and faculty savagely beaten and detained. Most tragically, several students have already been killed.

We commend the remarkable and resilient actions of the grassroots organizations of Iranian civil society led by courageous women, students, teachers and workers, and support their demands for democracy, individual liberties, and political and religious freedoms.

We condemn the acts of violence against Iranians who are peacefully and legitimately demanding basic rights, and would like to request that you appoint and send a new Envoy to Iran to investigate the outright violations of human rights by the Iranian government.

Sincerely,
Signatories: (initial signatories so far [as of 18:41 GMT, 19 June 2009])
Ali Akbar Mahdi, Ohio Wesleyan University, USA
Amir Hassanpour, Professor, University of Toronto, Canada
Asef Bayat, Professor, Leiden University, Netherlands
Azadeh Jahanbegloo, Wright State University, Ohio, USA
Alireza Navabi, Adjunct Professor, University of Guelph, Canada
Bahram Tavakolian, Willamette University
Behrooz Moazami, Loyola University New Orleans, USA
Farhad Nomani, Professor, American University of Paris, France
Farrokh Guiahi, Associate Professor, Hofstra University, USA
Farrokh Zandi, Professor, York University, Canada
Fataneh Farahani, Stockholm University, Sweden
Fatemeh Moghadam, Professor, Hofstra University, USA
Haideh Moghissi, Professor, York University, Canada
Hamid Akbari, Northeastern University, Illinois, USA
Hamid Zangeneh, Professor, Widener University, USA
Hassan Shahpari, Villanova Univewrsity, USA
Ida A. Mirzaie, the Ohio State University, USA
Janet Afary, History, Purdue University
Khatereh Sheibani, Instructor, University of Guelph, Canada
Kamran Talattof, Professor, University of Arizona, USA
Kaveh Ehsani, Asst Professor DePaul University
Kazem Alamdari, California State University, Los Angeles, USA
Korosh Hadissi, Senior Researcher, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Canada
Mansoor Moaddel, Professor, Eastern Michigan University, USA
Maziar Behrooz, San Francisco University, USA
Mehrdad Darvishpour, Stockholm University, Sweden
Mehrzad Boroujerdi, Associate Professor, Syracuse University, USA,
Minoo Deraye, Assistant University, York University, Canada
Misagh Parsa, Professor, Dartmouth College, USA
Mojtaba Mahdavi, Assistant Professor, University of Alberta, Canada
Mehrdad Mashayekhi, Professor, Georgetown University, USA
Nayereh Tohidi, Professor, California State University, USA
Norma Moruzzi, Associate Professor University of Illinois in Chicago
Omid Payrow Shabani, Associate Professor, Guelph University, Canada
Parvin Alizadeh, Senioe Lecturer, London Metropolitan University, UK
Peyman Vahabzadeh, Assistant Professor, University of Victoria, Canada
Ramin Jahanbegloo, Professor, University of Toronto, Canada
Saeed Rahnema, Professor, York University, Canada
Shahrzad Mojab, Professor, University of Toronto, Canada
Soheila Pashang, Professor, Seneca College, Toronto, Canada
Sohrab Behdad, Professor, Denison University, USA
Yassamine Mather, Professor, Glasgow University

— More from Café Sentido on the Iranian election and demonstrations —

Against the Good Nukes / Bad Nukes Fallacy

Cynicism often lends itself to the construction of intellectually convenient, overly facile descriptions of future events, which —bolstered by the impassioned worries and self-promotion of the cynic, the anti-prophet— quickly assume an air of prophetic certainty. Buoyed by the psychological satisfaction of carrying prophetic certainty within, the cynic then commits more and more fully to the proclamation of unshakeable doctrines about the future, based on bad-faith arguments and a passion for the despairing global outlook.

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