When dictatorship is a fact, revolution becomes a right. -Victor Hugo 

Dorothy Canfield Fisher says: A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary.

Today at 5:45 A.M. Denmark time my mother passed away.

What a black day it is for me mother.

I called Maman at 6.a.m. today. Dad took the phone and said she is in a coma now.

I do not see Iranian women and men as an illiterate bunch that must be lured into being civilized. I believe that the current generation is much smarter than that. We need clarity and transparency more than anything else. I believe the society's overwhelming desire is to move towards a secular democracy. We need thought leaders that would show us how, rather than tell us how.

Ms. Ebadi crossed that fine line between political and human rights activism when she started making disappointing political statements some of which are mentioned in my articles or others such as encouraging people to participate in the upcoming Majlis elections, discouraging anti-government demonstrations, praising the current pathetic Majlis for being the shining star and pride of our nation, and comments you usually don't hear from The Human Rights Activists' of the world. The Majlis she praised as the honor of our nation in recent history is the same Majlis that had to shut up and suspend its amendment of the "media bill" on the orders of Rahbare Moazam (the Supreme Leader). Whenever I read a new statement, speech, or interview from Ms. Ebadi, I whisper to myself "har dam az in bagh bari miresad, taz-e-tar az taz-e-tari miresad."

By the way Mr. Moini, what are exactly the issues that I am confusing? Where is the ambiguity when Ms. Ebadi says "I would have awarded the Nobel peace prize to Mr. Khatami"? For those who have forgotten, Mr. Khatami is the same man who praised Mr. Lajevardi and called Mr. Rafsanjani the identity of the revolution. All these fellows of course belong in the same "human rights activism" camp, which explains why they praise each other! And please stay away from putting people in the same category as it pleases you. For example, I have high regards for Mehrangiz Kar's work and her secular views.


I have to reiterate from my article that if Ms. Ebadi wants to remain a human rights activist no one can or should force her to become an opposition leader. But the truth is that she is throwing her weight behind a bunch of inept political charlatans (otherwise known as "Reformists") and their proven dissembling path. It is her participation in such deceptive political game, despite her public insistence on staying away from it that opens the door to criticism. Under these circumstances, I believe it is everyone's duty to challenge her. And by the way challenging is quite different from silencing, for example silencing through personal attacks. If you find a word in my two articles in which I have personally attacked Ms. Ebadi please point that out to me. On the other hand Ms. Izzadi's response, which you apparently praise and regard so highly, is nothing BUT personal attack. As if visiting nightclubs or not living in Iran strips one of the right to speak and voice his/her opinion. Such behavior may be acceptable from someone with little exposure to the civil discourse of exchanges like this (after all we are not in a neck to neck campaign on the same political office), but it becomes far more disappointing when it comes from people who have lived years and years in the so-called free world.

Finally a human with no FEAR is no human. Of course we all have fears and emotions, some have more some have less. This is a typical example of what I call "meaningless tarofs."