Letter to the British Parliament

Written by ACI in 4 October 01

Date: Thursday, October 04, 2001

Ref.: 65 / M / 205

 

The Rt Hon Members of Parliament

Following the bloody and tragic events of 11th September, the world has united in addressing issues concerning terrorism. The worldwide condolences and condemnations, the international coalition against global terrorism, urgent trips of various world leaders to the United States of America and the resolution of the UN Security Council are the public signs of this.

However, since there is still no universally acceptable definition of who is a terrorist a few questions come to mind:

  • What is the true meaning and definition of a terrorist and terrorism?
  • Does it only refer to those who inflict pain and bloodshed in the United States and for the American people and is it only headed by Bin Laden?

Obviously not but how do we recognise them?

  • Is it enough to have an internationally recognised court convict the Islamic Information Minister and implicate the President and Supreme leader of the Islamic Republic in international terrorism against their opposition?
    • If so Frithjof Kubsch the head of the panel of judges at the Mykonos trials did so on 10 April 1997 in Berlin Germany.
  • Is the assassination of Iranian dissidents in and out of Iran seen as a terrorist act?
    • If so among the many brutally assassinated outside Iran at the hands of the agents of the Islamic Regime are Prime Minister Shapur Bakhtiar in France, Dr Abdolrahman Ghassemloo the leader of the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran in Austria, and the four Kurdish leaders in Mykonos restaurant in Germany.
  • Is a confession to terror enough to recognise a terrorist system?
    • If so the Information Minister, Ali Fallahian, already convicted of terrorist acts by the German courts admitted to his agents assassinating Darioush and Parvaneh Foroohar at their home in November 1998; As well the kidnapping and murder of other intellectuals.
  • How do we judge a system that approves the competency of a convicted terrorist for Presidency?
  • Ali Fallahian stood for the June 2001 presidential elections. One of the ten recognised as competent enough to head the Islamic government from over eight hundred candidates.
  • Should we ignore or overlook repeated Human Rights violations and country reports condemning these violations, kidnappings, disappearances, arbitrary arrests, extra judicial killings, executions … in our assessment of who is a terrorist or one that helps and harbours terrorism.

Association of Iranian Researchers has not received a reply to its letter of September 21, addressed to the Prime Minister (attached) concerning the Foreign Secretary’s visit to Iran. More importantly, you the Members of Parliament have not been involved in any decision making and have only been updated or informed of the Prime Minister’s decisions and actions. The essential questions remain:

  1. How can the British Foreign Minister travel to the Islamic Republic with such urgency and without consultation with the nation’s representatives?
  2. Is it not correct that Mr. Robin Cook’s proposed trips were always debated in Parliament and his planned trips never actually took place?
  3. How could the British Foreign Secretary, as the representative of one of the oldest democracies in the world, travel to a country that not only has been recognised as the number one state sponsoring terrorism by the US State department (April 2001 report) but one that actually confesses to supporting HAMAS and the Hezbollah amongst others?

How do we define and identify terrorists and terrorist regimes? Perhaps this should be the key question the British Parliament debates during its emergency session.

With Respect

Hossein Ladjevardi

President, Association of Iranian Researchers.