To all heads of state and their representatives at the summit meeting of non-aligned countries in Iran
We are happy to welcome you toIranfor the summit meeting of non-aligned countries at this critical period during which popular uprisings have taken place throughout the whole region and when oppressed peoples are striving for emancipation.
The movement of Non-aligned countries of which the first summit meeting took place in 1961, was a great step forward for the independence of many Third world countries. It also transformed their alliances into an independent force in the world. This brought hugely encouraging results in these countries concerning the major powers. However with the development of nations and human societies and the growth of socio- political ideas neither democracy as defined by a majority vote nor the slogans of Thomas Jefferson proclaiming the equality of all human beings, suffice to satisfy today’s requirements. The same evolution concerns the idea of independence which in the past signified the independence of governments and countries vis-à-vis foreign countries.
Today the concept of independence includes the independence of nations with regards to authoritarian, despotic states. At the present time, social and political activists not only defend the independence of states on the international scene but also fight for the rights of nations to participate freely in the governing of their own countries. Thus they work to stop the authorities of any country from oppressing its people and preventing the independent growth of their ideas and political activity. How can a voiceless people deprived of independence in action and the right to express its opinion in managing its own country possibly be independent in the fullest sense of the word on the international scene or be able to develop good relationships with countries in a state of global tension?
The great popular revolution of 1979 transformedIraninto one of the most independent countries. However shortly afterwards a narrow segment of society took power into its hands and established a permanent state of repression which day after day limited the scope of political activity. This continued until the presidential election of 2009 – practically a coup d’état, staged with the help of military and security forces when the regime broke up the basis of freedom and did not hesitate to use all means of violence and injustice.
In this way thousands were imprisoned and many killed in torture. Using Stalinian methods the oppressors purged those political figures who had worked to make the revolution bear fruit and had governed for 30 years. They accused them of espionage and of playing into the hands of foreigners. In a masquerade of justice, reformists were sentenced during rigged trials to long prison sentences. Likewise, in the hopes of nipping in the bud the green movement which constituted a forerunner of the Arab Spring and the popular movement in the region, two presidential candidates were kept under house arrest, in total disregard of their previous level of responsibility in key political positions after the revolution.
Today, a third of a century later, the revolution which might have been the source of inspiration for structural reform and the struggle of peoples in the region has been so discredited that the leaders of popular movements are quick to distinguish themselves from the Iranian revolution so as not to be identified with that event.
We hope that you the participants in the summit meeting of non-aligned countries will ask the Iranian authorities to allow you to visit the two leaders of the green movement, Mir Hussein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi as well as other imprisoned freedom fighters so as to inform yourselves of the reality of the situation in Iran.
It is difficult to understand why the honored members, renowned for their insistence on the independence of nations, should remain silent and condone a regime that continues to exploit empty pretexts to restrain national independence and oppress its own people.
In spite of all the violence and injustice to which the Iranian people have been subjected, they will persevere in using legal non-violent means to further their struggle. The people is convinced that every step taken to denounce the reality of events inIranacts as a guarantee for the struggle of other peoples in the region. Thus they may find a way of erecting a defence against the violent policies of potentially colonialist states and their partners who try to subvert the regional popular uprising and to transform the spring of enlightenment of the nations into winter.
These aforesaid policies result only in according total control to the despotic powers-that-be or state of dependence on superpowers.Either outcome is detrimental to national independence. The mission of the non-aligned nations should therefore be to combat on behalf of national independence rather then simply limiting itself to independence at a merely governmental level.
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