Justice For A 9-Year Old Girl

Download this poster and say NO to anti-Latino violence

Nine-year-old Brisenia Flores was murdered in her home in Arivaca, Arizona in May 2009. She pleaded, “Please don’t shoot me,” right before she was shot — point blank, in the face — by a member of the Minutemen American Defense Corps (MAD)¹

The alleged mastermind behind Brisenia’s murder, Shawna Forde, has publicly represented anti-Latino hate groups including the Minutemen and the Federation of Americans for Immigration Reform (FAIR). Forde is currently on trial in Arizona for the murder of Brisenia and her father, Raul. As we speak, the jury is deliberating and will return a verdict within days, or hours.

Our community is waiting on justice for Brisenia.
Her murder represents the violence that follows when hateful and dehumanizing rhetoric and the groups that promote it goes unchecked.

Brisenia’s story has been largely ignored in the mainstream media, but her life has galvanized people around the country to speak out against hate violence towards Latinos. We at Presente designed a poster to honor Brisenia’s memory, and to send a statement that we want justice.

Together, let’s take a stand against anti-Latino violence and the hatred that ruins lives. Please download this memorial poster, display it proudly, and share it with your friends and family:
http://act.presente.org/go/240?akid=301.260745.2dMWk8&t=3

Brisenia’s murder follows the mainstreaming of the most dangerous strands of hatred in the United States. The extremist groups like those that Shawna Forde represented publicly are the same groups responsible for hateful laws like Arizona’s SB1070, attempts to repeal birth-right citizenship for babies born in the U.S. and the dehumanization of immigrants and Latinos.

It’s up to each of us to stand up against anti-Latino violence everywhere. By displaying this poster and helping people learn about the story of this amazing girl and her tragic murder, you can help build resolve to end the discrimination and violence that took Brisenia’s life.
Click here to take a stand and help us share this little girl’s story by spreading her image far and wide:http://act.presente.org/go/240?akid=301.260745.2dMWk8&t=5

We will send out an update as soon as we the jury comes back with a verdict. Until then, we’re all waiting for justice.

Thank you y ¡adelante!

Joaquin, Laurie, Favianna, Roberto & the rest of the Presente.org team

Resources

1. "Slain Girl Pleaded for Her Life, Mom Testifies at Militia Leader's Trial" AOL.com, 1/28/11
http://act.presente.org/go/244?akid=301.260745.2dMWk8&t=7

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Self Defense Is NOT A Crime: Petition

This relates to a personal friend of a good friend and AIM supporter and she has asked for any help I can give her. Steve Kane has been jailed for over 3 years for GBH with Intent, and Assault despite serious errors on the part of the police and the CPS, and evidence proving that he acted in self defense.

Please read the below petition text and sign it.

Category: Justice

Region: Wales

Target: The CPS, The Minister of Justice

Background (Preamble):

Mr. Steve Kane was recently found guilty of GBH with Intent and Assault for which he is now serving a prison term sentence of 3 years and four months.
It is a travesty of the British Justice system which has allowed this case to have even reached the court stage, and if the CPS Full Code Test had been implemented correctly and adhered to its own guidelines then this case would have been dismissed at the outset.

The CPS has presented a very biased and prejudiced case to which the police also made some serious mistakes in their reporting of this investigation. There were discredited witness statements in the case for the prosecution, and there is medical evidence, CCTV footage and independent witness statements that all back Mr. Kane’s statement of self defence.

There were also points of contention with the court case itself and Mr. Kane was not actually given the chance to fully defend himself with the full use of both witnesses and points of evidence that he wanted to present.

These were not allowed to be seen or heard due to the fact that the trial was condensed from the original allotted timescale of 5 days down to 3 days by the presiding Judge which we feel was majorly detrimental to the defence case and subsequently biased toward Mr. Kane.

The Judge also ruled that there would be no time allotted to witnesses for the defence who could not make an appearance in court before the end of the third day, despite them having already arranged to do so prior to the trial on the request of the defence legal team as they were of the conviction that the trial would be allowed its full allotted court time. This actually ruled out witnesses who could not rearrange their work schedules.

The Judge also allowed a Jury member who admitted on the second day of the trial to working in the same office as a prosecution witness related to the case to stay on the jury, which makes it possible that the jury could have been seriously influenced by this same juror, and therefore gives reason to believe that the verdict given in this case to be unsafe and corrupt.

There is currently a complaint file being compiled against the CPS which fully questions the decisions made by their department in this instance. It calls for them to fully review their decisions, and fully explain why this case was brought to court.

The actual complaints against Mr. Kane had all been dropped by the men in question and yet the CPS continued to push the conviction forward at an enormous cost to the taxpayers and also at an enormous personal cost to Mr. Kane and his family.

It does not serve the public interest to have this man incarcerated. He is a very public spirited man whose only crime that evening was to have defended himself against an aggressive and unprovoked attack. Mr. Stephen Kane is a well loved and well respected family man. He is also a well known and popular entertainer throughout South Wales and as such has contributed to the local community, national and international fundraising causes for over 24 years for which he personally has helped to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Anyone that knows Steve on a personal level will attest to his good character and public spirit. Steve has donated huge amounts of his time and energy to help many people over the years and as such we now ask you to help him in his hour of need by signing this petition.

Petition:

We the undersigned are of the opinion that the CPS has not acted within “The Public Interest” in allowing the case against Mr. Stephen Kane to go to court on the evidence that was presented.

We are of the opinion that Mr. Kane acted purely in a self defensive manner and that this action was not excessive or extreme in these given circumstances.
We wholeheartedly agree that this is a travesty of the British Justice System and that this conviction should, therefore be deemed wholly unsafe.

We demand on this occasion that Mr. Kane should be released immediately from his prison term and that the convictions against him for GBH with intent and assault be overturned.

We wholeheartedly agree that Mr. Kane should be completely exonerated on all aspects of this conviction, and we demand that Justice is seen to be done in this case.

Sign the petition

The Free Steve Kane, Self defence is not a crime petition to The CPS, The Minister of Justice was written by J. Kane and is hosted free of charge at GoPetition. Contact author here. Petition tags: steve kane, stephen kane, kane, justice, cps, gbh, unsafe conviction

'Inquest' Press Release 14 Sep 2010

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release 14 SEPTEMBER 2010

MAN DIES AFTER BEING RESTRAINED BY POLICE OFFICERS IN HOSPITAL 

(Sent via 4wardever uk)

Olaseni Lewis, known to his family as Seni, was a young black man aged 23 years, engaged in post-graduate Masters studies in IT and Business Management at Kingston University.  He had no prior history of mental illness or any untoward behaviour until the evening of Sunday 29 August 2010 when his family and friends noticed that he was behaving strangely, alternating between calm and agitated phases. They sought professional help, resulting eventually in his admission as a vulnerable voluntary patient at the Bethlem Royal Hospital early in the evening of Tuesday 31 August 2010.  Within hours of leaving him at the hospital, however, they were to learn that he had collapsed after being restrained by police officers who had been called by hospital staff. Seni was taken by ambulance to Mayday Hospital where brain stem death was confirmed following tests on 3 and 4 September 2010.  

Seni’s family and friends are determined to ensure that all the circumstances of his tragic death are brought under proper scrutiny so that they can obtain the answers that they need from those responsible for the fatal restraint and those to whom their loved one had been entrusted.  To that end, they will be keeping a close eye on the investigations that are said to have been launched by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

Deborah Coles, co-director of INQUEST, that is working with the family and their lawyer said:

This is a deeply disturbing death and it is vital both for the family and the public that there is a rigorous, far-reaching investigation into the fatal restraint of a vulnerable black man in need of care and protection. INQUEST has worked on far too many cases where dangerous restraint has resulted in the deaths of vulnerable people, a disproportionate number of whom are from black and minority ethnic communities.

The family and friends of Seni Lewis are grateful for all the very many messages of support and condolence that they have received in the wake of his untimely death earlier this month. For the rest, they would ask all representatives of the media to respect their privacy so that they can grieve for their loved one in peace, and they will not be making any further comment at this stage.

Notes to editors:

INQUEST is the only organisation in England and Wales that provides a specialist, comprehensive advice service on contentious deaths and their investigation to bereaved people, lawyers, other advice and support agencies, the media, parliamentarians and the wider public. Its casework priorities are deaths in prison and in police custody, in immigration detention and in secure training centres. INQUEST develops policy proposals and undertakes research to campaign for changes to the inquest and investigation process, reduce the number of custodial deaths, and improve the treatment and care of those within the institutions where the deaths occur.

INQUEST is represented on the Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody and the Ministry of Justice Coroner Service Stakeholder Forum.

Please refer to INQUEST the organisation in all capital letters in order to distinguish it from the legal hearing.

Further Information	www.inquest.org.uk
INQUEST	office 020 7263 1111
Deborah Coles, Co-Director, INQUEST	mobile 0771 485 7236
Raju Bhatt, Bhatt Murphy Solicitors	office 020 7729 1115

INQUEST
89-93 Fonthill Road, London N4 3JH
Registered Charity No 1046650 | Registered Company No 03054853
- Awarded the Longford Prize 2009 and Liberty and JUSTICE Human Rights Award 2007
- Visit our website at www.inquest.org.uk - Raise money for INQUEST as you search the web with Everyclick.com - www.everyclick.com/inquest

Advocate for Sakineh's Lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei

We have recently learned that the sister and brother-in-law of Mohammad Mostafaei, Sakineh's lawyer, have been detained and are being held until Mohammad Mostafaei hands himself in to The Iranian Authorities. The latest news is that he has now been detained but we have not been able to confirm this yet. In any case he and his family are in danger as are Sakineh and her children (her son has not been heard from for a number of days). Please copy and paste the following 2 letters (via Mission Free Iran) and email contacts and send them to ask that Foreign embassies, Bar Associations and Law Schools so what they can to ensure the safety of Mohammad Mostafaei and his family. All he is guilty of is trying to ensure a fair trial and sentence for Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani. Please also sign this petition.

Target: Foreign Ministries/US State Department

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to you with an urgent request that you intervene with the authorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran, who continue to harass, intimidate and persecute Mohammad Mostafaei, and have issued a warrant for his arrest, in the wake of the international outcry demanding freedom for his client, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani. The regime has also taken as hostages Mostafaei's wife and brother-in-law (Fereshteh and Farhad Halimi), imprisoning them in a craven attempt to force Mostafaei to turn himself in.

Mohammad Mostafaei is a lawyer who has honorably and courageously defended Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani against a stoning execution in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The worldwide outcry against the execution of Sakineh Ashtiani has created embarrassment and political difficulties for the Islamic Republic, and they have harassed and attempted to intimidate Mr. Mostafaei in an effort to reduce the pressure on the regime that has been caused by the campaign for Mostafaei's client Ashtiani.

I condemn the reprehensible injustice of the Islamic Republic; the regime should not be allowed a free hand to silence Mostafaei and terrorize his family in this way. Iranian lawyers must be free to represent their clients without fear of harassment and intimidation of themselves or their loved ones. I therefore demand immediate and unconditional freedom of Mostafaei's family; immediate and unconditional guarantee for Mostafaei's safety and freedom of practicing his legal obligations towards his clients; immediate end to harassment and intimidation of Mostafaei, his family, friends, and colleagues; and immediate and unconditional freedom for Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is solely responsible for the safety and freedom of Mr. Mostafaei.

Diplomatic sanctions, including travel bans, freezing of bank accounts, and expulsion from international organizations such as the UN must be used to force the Islamic Republic to comply with international law and standards of human rights. I expect this government to take immediate steps to implement serious diplomatic sanctions against the criminal regime of the Islamic Republic.

Sincerely,

[your name]

Addresses of Foreign Ministries: (note: for some people, including the commas results in failure to send; if you have difficulties sending mail, try removing the commas)

npillay@ohchr.org, michael.spindelegger@bmeia.gv.at, kab.bz@diplobel.fed.be, info@mvp.gov.ba, iprd@mfa.government.bg, ministar@mvpei.hr, minforeign1@mfa.gov.cy, podatelna@mzv.cz, udenrigsministeren@um.dk, vminfo@vm.ee, umi@formin.fi, bernard.kouchner@diplomatie.gouv.fr, inform@mfa.gov.ge, guido.westerwelle@auswaertiges-amt.de, gpapandreou@parliament.gr, titkarsag.konz@kum.hu, external@utn.stjr.is, minister@dfa.ie, gabinetto@cert.esteri.it, segreteria.frattini@esteri.it, urm@urm.lt, tonio.borg@gov.mt, secdep@mfa.md, m.verhagen@minbuza.nl, post@mfa.no, DNZPC.Sekretariat@msz.gov.pl, senec@mne.gov.pt, pm@pm.gov.pt, miguel.moratinos@maec.es, registrator@foreign.ministry.se, info@eda.admin.ch, turkcons.london@mfa.gov.tr, urgent-action@ohchr.org, Iran_team@amnesty.org

Request Bar Associations and Law Schools to Advocate for Mostafaei

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you with an urgent request that your organization issue a formal statement condemning the Islamic Republic of Iran for harassment, persecution, and issuance of a warrant to arrest Mohammad Mostafaei, the Iranian human rights lawyer who has honorably and courageously defended Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani against a stoning execution in Iran.

Sakineh Ashtiani is the 43-year-old Iranian mother of two who was accused of the non-crime of adultery, found guilty despite lack of evidence and denial of the charges, lashed 99 times in front of her teen-aged son, and has spent 5 years in prison. She was later retried for the same non-crime; again, despite lack of any evidence and despite the refusal of 2 of the 5 judges in her case to find her guilty, she was sentenced to death by stoning. Her children, with the help of Mostafaei, launched a global campaign to try to win their mothers’ freedom.
The worldwide outcry against the execution of Sakineh Ashtiani has created embarrassment and political difficulties for the Islamic Republic, and they have harassed and attempted to intimidate Mr. Mostafaei in an effort to reduce the pressure on the regime that has been caused by the campaign for Mostafaei’s client Ashtiani. The regime took as hostages Mostafaei’s wife and brother-in-law (Fereshteh and Farhad Halimi), imprisoning them in a craven attempt to force Mostafaei to turn himself in.

We now hear disturbing rumours that Mostafaei has been arrested. Whether he is arrested or still in hiding, the Islamic Republic should be forced to comply with international social and legal standards in granting Mr. Mustafaei human and professional rights, and allowing him the freedom to fulfill his obligations towards his clients. The Islamic Republic of Iran is solely responsible for Mr. Mostafaei’s safety.

Mr. Mostafaei deserves the support of his colleagues in the legal profession, in the form of a public and formal condemnation of the reprehensible injustice of the Islamic Republic. The Islamic Republic should not be allowed a free hand to silence Mostafaei and terrorize his family in this way. Iranian lawyers must be free to represent their clients without fear of harassment and intimidation of themselves or their loved ones.

I therefore request that your organization issue a public statement demanding immediate and unconditional freedom of Mostafaei’s family from prison; demanding freedom of practice of law for Mohammad Mostafaei and all Iranian lawyers; and demanding an immediate end to harassment and intimidation of Mostafaei, his family, friends, and colleagues.

The world must break its silence on the Islamic Republic’s medieval criminal laws, and abuses even of that law. Your colleague, Geoffrey Robertson QC, appointed by the UN Secretary-General as one of the “distinguished jurist” members of the UN Internal Justice Council, has begun this work by issuing his findings on the massacre of political prisoners in Iran in 1988 (http://www.iranrights.org/english/attachments/doc_1115.pdf). I ask you to continue the fight for justice in Iran at a time when there is no justice to be found.

Sincerely,

[your name]

Addresses of Bar Associations and Law Schools: (compilation of Bar Association addresses courtesy of Shreen Ayob, with many grateful thanks)

International Bar Association (IBA) iba@int-bar.org
Lawyers and legal centers Communities Council of Europe (CCBE) ccbe@ccbe.eu
Organization of Lawyers for Lawyers (Advocaten voor Advocaten) info@lawyersforlawyers.nl
Goethe University School of Law info@ilf.uni-frankfurt.de
Santa Clara University Law School iflores@scu.edu, vbali@scu.edu
The Bar Council (UK) Ethics@BarCouncil.org.uk
Criminal Bar Association (UK) ADolan@barcouncil.org.uk
Alba (UK) enquiries@adminlaw.org.uk
The City of London Law Society (UK): mail@citysolicitors.org.uk
European Young Bar Association (UK): info@eyba.org
Estonian Bar Association: advokatuur@advokatuur.ee
The Finnish Bar Association: info@barassociation.fi
France:
Association Francaise des Avocats: ace@avocatline.com.fr
Association Francaise des Juristes d’Entreprise : admin@afje.org
Conseil National des Barreaux : presidence@cnb.advocat.fr
Arab Association for International Arbitration: ahdab@destination.com.lb
Ordre des Avocats de Paris: delegationgenerale@avocatparis.org
Law Society of Ireland general@lawsociety.ie
Netherlands Bar Association info@advocatenorde.nl
Germany:
German Bar Association dav@anwaltverein.de
The German Federal Bar: zentrale@brak.de
Budapest Bar Association (Hungary): bpbar@matavnet.hu
The Icelandic Bar Association: lmfi@lmfi.is
The Bar Council of Ireland: barcouncil@lawlibrary.ie
The Law Society of Ireland: general@lawsociety.ie
Italy:
Ordine degli Avvocati di Milano (Italy): segreteria@ordineavvocatimilano.it
Avvocati di Roma (Italy): consiglio@ordineavvocati.roma.it
Ordine Degli Avvocati Di Perugia (Italy): segreteria@ordineavvocati.perugia.it
Ordine degli Avvocati di Genova (Italy): ordavvge@split.it
Kosova Chamber of Advocates: info@oak-ks.org
Bar Association of Armenia info@iravaban.am
Austria rechtsanwaelte@oerak.at, office@rakwien.at
Azerbaijan Lawyers Confederation k_jafarli@yahoo.com
Belgium groups:
Institut des Juristes d’Entreprise: info@ije.be
Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten bij de Balie te Brussel: orde@baliebrussel.be
Orde van Vlaamse Balies: info@advocaat.be
Bulgaria:
Sofia Bar Association(Bulgaria): sak_sas@abv.bg
Supreme Bar Council of Bulgaria: VASarch@bitex.com
Interadvocat Bar Association (Bulgaria): todorova@bbcelegalconsultancy.com
Croatian Bar Association: hok-cba@hok-cba.hr
Cyprus Bar Association s: cybar@cytanet.com.cy
Czech Bar Association: international@cak.cz
The Danish Bar and Law Society: bbu@advocom.dk, uwk@danskeadvokater.dk
Association of Danish Law Firms: uwk@danskeadvokater.dk
The Latvian Council of Sworn Advocates: adv-pad@latnet.lv
Le Barreau de Luxembourg: info@barreau.lu
Amsterdam Bar Association: deken@aova.nl
Netherlands Bar Association: info@advocatenorde.nl
Law Society of Northern Ireland: info@lawsoc-ni.org
The General Council of the Bar of Northern Ireland: chief.executive@barcouncilni.org.uk
Norwegian Bar Association: post@advokatforeningen.no
Poland:
The Polish Bar Council: nra@nra.pl
National Council of Legal Advisers of Poland: kirp@kirp.pl
Ordem dos Advogados
Portugueses: cons.geral@cg.oa.pt
Romania:
Bucharest Bar Association (Romania): secretariat@baroulbucaresti.ro
Dolj Bar Association (Romania): baroul.dolj@rdscv.ro
Russia:
Federal Chamber of Lawyers of the Russian Federation: info@advpalata.com
International Union (Commonwealth) of Advocates (Russian): mcca@mail.ru
Moscow Chamber of Advocates: info@advokatymoscow.ru
Scotland associations: lawscot@lawscot.org.uk, carole.ferguson-walker@advocates.org.uk, lawscot@lawscot.org.uk
Spain:
Illustre Colegio de Abogados de Madrid: icam@icam.es
Illustre Collegio d’Advocats de Barcelona: internacional@icab.es
Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Malaga: decano@icamalaga.es
Consejo General de la Abogacia Espanola: informacion@cgae.es
Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Valencia: internacional@icav.es
The Swedish Bar Association: info@advokatsamfundet.se
Swiss Bar Association: info@swisslawyers.com
Ankara Bar Association (Turkey): ankarabarosu@ankarabarosu.org.tr
Union of Turkish Bars: admin@barobirlik.org.tr
Ukraine:
Ukrainian Bar Association: info@uba.ua
Union of Advocates of Ukraine: office@b-i-m.com.ua
Austrailia:
Law Council of Australia: mail@lawcouncil.asn.au
The Australian Bar Association: info@austbar.asn.au
Law Society of New South Wales: lawsociety@lawsocnsw.asn.au
The Law Society of the Australian Capital Territory: lawsoc@lawsocact.asn.au
The South Australian Bar Association: sabar@sabar.org.au
Victorian Bar Council: vicbar@vicbar.com.au
Japan Federation of Bar Associations: international@nichibenren.or.jp
The Japan Bar Association: masatsugu.suzuki@bakernet.com
Tokyo Bar Association: akita@toben.or.jp
New Zealand:
New Zealand Bar Association: nzbar@nzbar.org.nz
New Zealand Law Society: inquiries@lawyers.org.nz
Canadian Bar Association: info@cba.org
Chambre des notaires du Quebec: admin@cdnq.org
Federation of Law Societies of Canada: info@flsc.ca
Iranian American Bar Association: mail@iranbar.org
American Bar Association International Liaison Office: abailo@staff.abanet.org
Los Angeles County Bar Association: questions@lacba.org
National Association of Women Lawyers: nawl@nawl.org
State Bar of Michigan International Law Section: smcmann@mail.michbar.org
New York State Bar Association International Section: lcastilla@nysba.org
UK Law Schools and Societies
London School of Economics (LSE), dept of Law: lawdepartment@lse.ac.uk
LSE Law Society: a.y.tan@lse.ac.uk
City University Law School: law@city.ac.uk
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Law School: law@soas.ac.uk
SOAS Law Society: 219960@soas.ac.uk, 213515@soas.ac.uk
Oxford University Faculty of Law: lawfac@law.ox.ac.uk
Cambridge University Law Faculty: enquiries@law.cam.ac.uk
Imperial College Law Society: lawsoc@imperial.ac.uk
School of Law: Kings College: law-otherenquiries@kcl.ac.uk
Kings College Law Society: jack.browne@kcl.ac.uk, sebastian.multala@kcl.ac.uk
UCL Law School: h.genn@ucl.ac.uk, joanne.scott@ucl.ac.uk
UCL Law Society: ucl-law-society@ucl.ac.uk, k.bochenek@ucl.ac.uk
Nottingham Law School: gsr@ntu.ac.uk
Aberdeen Law School: p.beaumont@abdn.ac.uk
Edinburgh University Law School: law@ed.ac.uk
Surrey University Law School: fmlreception@surrey.ac.uk
Surrey University Law Society: ussu.lawsoc@surrey.ac.uk
Brunel Law School: international@brunel.ac.uk
Brunel Law Society: brunellawsociety@lawyer.com

International Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani Day: World Citizens against Stoning

Despite the massive international campaign to save her, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani still faces execution in Iran by stoning for the 'crime' of adultery.

I am against the death penalty in all cases, but cases where the penalty is applied for something that is not even a crime, and in such a barbaric form as stoning, I am completely outraged. This is a case that I have followed closely and have supported in many ways. If it were not for our actions to this point Sakineh would already have been murdered by her own country and the regime would be plowing on with it's campaign against women, freedom, political opposition and human rights. Due to our campaigning and pressure we have already delayed the stoning and have forced Iranian officials to hold an review of her case. But we cannot stop here as many believe that the delay in the decision is merely a ploy to allow the international community to relax and look elsewhere while the Iranian Regime goes ahead with it's cruel and inhumane punishments for actions not even deemed crimes by the civilized world and for actions that are often not even proven to be true.

Tomorrow has been named Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani Day and people all over the world will be gathering in support of Sakineh and the many others like her, and against the barbaric practises of The Islamic Republic of Iran. Please join me in Edinburgh at the bottom of the mound at 2pm and stand with me and show your support. This is an issue that cannot be beaten except by the continued and focused international pressure that has been seen so far.

If you wish to bring posters or signs please do, examples can be found via Iran Solidarity, Mission Free Iran and The AIM's blog. If you are not in the Edinburgh area please attend or organise a protest near you.

Mental Freedom and Mindfulness

Looking at the AIM and its members may overwhelm people no matter what religion, race, creed or political affiliation. The members are dedicated and inspired. Each one of us came from our own respective parts of the globe and picked up good and bad habits along the way. Whether we were prosecuted by our families and chased out of our homelands due to religion, spent decades as government slaves in the prison system, spent 16 hours a day for weeks in silence in meditation, sabotaged KKK rallies in our youth, or studied a lifetimes worth of documents on corrupt political systems of the world and achieved high levels of education, we have converged under one banner.

Our mission isn't to bond by exclusion the way many organized religions have gained followers. Its not about a drive to be part of something exclusive. The only thing we have realized is that we are ALL part of something exclusive on this rock which is being a human and surprisingly enough, this understanding is what separates our reality as a group from the realities of others. By understanding this connection in our waking consciousness we know that we can never be free as a species unless all of us are free. Freedom is a state of mind as we have seen from many of the great writers and leaders of our time. They were forced to endure and found peace when they were physically confined. You can cage the physical person but you cannot cage their ideas and thoughts. We see this in the words of Nelson Mandela and Mumia. The ideas start small and then they expand like a wildfire. Mental emancipation is slowly spreading but the contraints run deep as they are almost embedded in our DNA.

The old corrupt thought of entitlement based on name or family lineage, justice based on commerce, or superiority based on race, gender or religion are the instruments used for centuries to create the mental prison that has alienated us from ourselves as we are separated in our mental cells. We cannot be mentally free while these institutions are in place because they perpetuate ego and economic cannibalism. Those in power have actually convinced us, and aided us in stealing from each other as long as we give them a cut. Being trapped in these mental cells we have learned to cut each others throats for our own piece of a cake that those who have manipulated us have taught us to want. By living in these mental cells we have had no choice but to look at ourselves separately because we feel thats what our "purpose" is. These concepts of differences are fueled by capitalism, world governments, religious nationalism, consumerism, sexism and racism.

The point is not for every person to drop everything they're doing and dedicate their lives the way members of the AIM have, the point is to dedicate our lives to one other. The systems that seem to be concreted into turning us against each other so we are easily manipulated will not be taken down by our "right to bare arms" against them. It will be taken down by every day actions of every person under its rule. Propping up your fellow human is the antithesis of these driving forces. If someone feels helpless against defending women's rights against Sharia law, a time will come when a person will be ready and the illusion of helplessness will subside. Until then, theres people who need your help in your own community and if you're one of those people that needs the help, we will help you and theres still always something to give.

The AIM is not only about helping all our brothers and sisters, it is about educating to help bring others out of their mental incarcerations so that they to can have a healthy mind to combat the manipulators. No one has to be part of any group to help a child to care for another. Theres always something you can do, no matter how small. Its the volition behind it that spreads.

To all the AIM members, we need to lead by example. Communication is key, we must hold a high standard because if we are separate, then we can never unify others. Up the ante people.

-VNON

Keeping The Pressure On

From Maria Rohaly of Mission Free Iran:

This is for Sakineh.

This is for every woman living under threat of execution in Iran.
 

This is for all of us.

It is a call for designating July 24 as International Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani Day. And it is a call to go back to the streets in protest.

Stopping the execution of Sakineh makes it harder for the Islamic Republic to execute anyone else. Were it not for our outcry, she would have already been stoned to death. And that is a fact.

Let's keep making it hard for the regime to kill our sisters and brothers in Iran.

Love,
Maria.

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For Sakineh.

For her children. 

For the people of Iran.

For the people of the world...

Bad News All Day!

After several days of not feeling too good and having a house full of people and cats, I woke up this morning for the first time in 3 days without pain searing through my head and making my eyes feel like they're on fire. The relief lasted only until I read some blogs and news stories.

A quick round up of how bad it is in the world today...

Having submitted to International pressure The Islamic Regime of Iran had agreed not to 'stone' to death Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43 year old mother of two. It looked likely that she would instead face death by hanging for the crime she has been convicted of. The crime being adultery. This announcement was no victory but it was a step towards ending the barbaric practise if stoning people to death. This morning I was sent a message with a link to an article that stated that The IRI had taken a stand and would in fact go ahead with Sakineh's original sentence of stoning, and also that this is not only for the crime of adultery but also the crime of the murder of her husband. This is a charge that has never previously been mentioned in connection with Sakineh and it seems now to be a last ditch attempt or excuse to justify her murder sentence.

I also learnt that in the same city in Iran where Sakineh is being held a 26 year old woman has been punished for refusing to conform to The Islamic dress code (wearing a hijab). Elnaz Babazadeh was stopped by the local authorities and when she refused to conform to the dress code three agents jumped into her car, threatened her with a gun, raped her, executed her and dumped her body near a cemetery.

Next I find out that in that city alone The IRI will also be stoning a pregnant woman, will be hanging 18 people for the 'crime' of homosexuality, have been carrying out mock stonings on a teenager in preparation for the real thing and are holding a large number of juvenile 'offenders' on death row. All this from a country that has recently been awarded a seat on The UN Commission on the Status of Women??

While The IRI is clearly a gender-apartheidist regime that controls it's people with fear, violence, rape and torture, it is not only women and children who are targeted. As a result of the high profile campaign started by Mission Free Iran to prevent the stoning of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, MFI have received another letter from Iran begging for help from the international community. This letter is sent at great risk to the family of those involved and shows how desperate they are for help. The letter was sent by the Mother and younger brother of a community and human rights worker named Behnam Ebrahimzadeh. He has been tortured and imprisoned by The IRI and his family now fear for his life as he languishes in an Iranian prison without access to medical treatment for the broken bones he sustained during his arrest and torture.

Also in today's news, 37 year old William L. Garner was executed at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility near Lucasville. He died by lethal injection at 10.38am local time. Garner became the 6th condemned inmate to be executed in Ohio this year and the 39th overall since capital punishment resumed in 1999. He also became the 31st condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the USA and the 1219th overall since the nation resumed executions on January 17, 1977.

If you wish to become involved with any of the many campaigns to help with any of the issues I have mentioned today then please visit some of the links and blogs posted below. They are also a great source of information if you want to find out more about anything I have mentioned.

Just to show that there is some hope in this world for true equality, the UK announced on Wednesday that it will now consider cases of asylum for people fleeing countries due to fear of violence or prosecution because of their sexuality. In some ways it's a small step, but it is long overdue and for me it was a reminder that if we keep working we will see change. It reminds me never to stop until that day has come. I was also overwhelmed by the blogs, videos and pictures from all over the world showing global acts of solidarity on Sunday's International Day Against Stoning. Please check them out in the links below.

Mission Free Iran

Iran Solidarity

Death Penalty News

July 11 - Copenhagen 

July 11 - MFI

Iran Solidarity - Sakineh Posts