March 13, 2017 at 4:00 am
Ayatollah Seyed Hossein Kazemeini Boroujerdi is a high-ranking
prominent dissident clergyman in Iran. He has strongly called for separation of religion and state, and he
condemns Islamic radicalism, fundamentalism, and terrorism. He is opposed to political Islam and the rule of Velayet-e-Faqih (Islamic
custodianship over people), the theocratic system that governs Iran. Boroujerdi
has many supporters and is known as Iran's Mandela.
"He has long advocated for the abolishment of execution, and cruel, inhumane, and degrading punishments; such as torture, stoning and whipping. He rejected anti-Semitism and advocated religious freedom. He established charities and welfare centers to help the poor and assist victims of natural disasters. He condemned personal financial gain from religious activities. His call has been welcomed by an increasing number of followers to the point that, until his arrest, his gatherings surpassed the theocracy's organized ceremonies, by their sheer size and numbers."
"He has long advocated for the abolishment of execution, and cruel, inhumane, and degrading punishments; such as torture, stoning and whipping. He rejected anti-Semitism and advocated religious freedom. He established charities and welfare centers to help the poor and assist victims of natural disasters. He condemned personal financial gain from religious activities. His call has been welcomed by an increasing number of followers to the point that, until his arrest, his gatherings surpassed the theocracy's organized ceremonies, by their sheer size and numbers."
For these humanitarian endeavors, he was sentenced to execution by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
However, due to international pressure, in 2006, the Iranian regime changed the
judgment to 11 years in Iran's most notorious prison, Evin.
He spent 11 years enduring heinous conditions with no medical care or access to a
lawyer. There was no fair and due process.
He was convicted of ambiguous charges such as "waging war
against God". As Amnesty International wrote in a report:
"He [Boroujerdi] was arrested at his home in Tehran on October
8, 2006, along with more than 300 of his followers. He and some of his
followers were initially sentenced to death after an unfair trial in Branch 3
of the Special Court for the Clergy in June 2007. His sentence was commuted in
August 2007 to eleven years in prison. In addition to this, Ayatollah
Boroujerdi was defrocked (banned from wearing his clerical robes and thereby
from practicing his clerical duties), and his house and all of his belongings
were confiscated. He had reportedly been found guilty of at least 30 charges,
including "waging war against God" (moharebeh); acts against national
security; publicly calling political leadership by the clergy (velayat-e faqih)
unlawful."
He was frequently tortured. Several attempts to kill him in prison led the Human Rights Watch
to pressure Iran into conducting an investigation. According to Amnesty International:
"Ayatollah Boroujerdi has reportedly been tortured and
otherwise ill-treated on numerous occasions since his arrest. He is said to
have been beaten, thrown against a wall, and had cold water thrown on him when
he was sleeping. He suffers from a heart condition, pulmonary issues, diabetes,
severe problems with his eyes including untreated cataracts, and kidney stones.
His legs are swollen which makes it very difficult for him to walk. His hands
also shake as a result of his Parkinson's disease. While in detention, he has
not been receiving necessary medical treatment and has lost a considerable
amount of weight. He was reportedly attacked and beaten in prison on November
17, 2013, perhaps in retaliation for letters he wrote that have been published
on various web sites."
In a letter to then UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, titled "I Implore You to Sympathize with Our Plight," Ayatollah
Boroujerdi revealed the Iranian regime's atrocities, oppression, and support of
terrorism:
"Greetings to the respected United Nations General Assembly. I
am writing you as a political prisoner from the dreaded Evin Prison. I have
been imprisoned and tortured for the past eight years for simply speaking out
against political Islam and the cruel crimes committed by the government of
Iran against its citizens due to implementation of religious laws. I would like
to bring to your attention that Iran's natural resources along with its
national wealth are being spent -- as a matter of priority -- on funding Syria,
Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain and Iraq by the authorities while Iran's own
citizens are enduring widespread poverty, unprecedented unemployment along with
high rates of depression and physical ailments. People in Iran have therefore
lost hope."
Boroujerdi's prison sentence was recently completed, but it is
critical to point out that he is still nowhere near free. He is still deprived
of basic needs, he is under house arrest with heavy conditions and bail has
been imposed on him.
Ayatollah Boroujerdi released a message recently, according to his
representative:
"Our teacher of monotheism, Seyed Hossein Kazemeini Boroujerdi
in his new position, just like in the past, demands for fulfillment of the
rights of the innocent Iranian nation. The approaches and manners which the
opposition groups in exile have adopted with regards to defending the rights of
our deprived people have proven to be devoid of faithfulness and sincerity in fulfilling
their promises. The shady dealings and political tampering which have become
common practices these days have resulted in increased injustice, unfairness,
and lack of freedom. This political-ideological prisoner is crying out and
protesting against prejudices and against those who by adopting inhumane
policies tend to ignore his tireless efforts and self-sacrifices in fighting
oppression and tyranny, and those following their own personal interests,
factions and cliques in campaign against this regime."
The International community, the United Nations, Human Rights Watch
and Iran's opposition groups need to pressure the Islamic Republic of Iran to
release Ayatollah Boroujerdi.
Finally, as Ayatollah Boroujerdi articulately stated:
"It shall be noted by future generations that I have made the
world aware of the dire situation in Iran numerous times. Those of you, who are
well aware of our desperate plight, hear our cries and remain indifferent shall
be remembered for generations to come. I implore you to sympathize with our
plight and understand that we are being silenced. We are asking for help once
again."
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, political scientists and Harvard University
scholar is president of the International American Council on the Middle East.
He can be reached atDr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu.
Follow Majid Rafizadeh on Twitter
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