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Save the Precious Archeological Sites of Pasargad in Iran
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 10:26 am    Post subject: Save the Precious Archeological Sites of Pasargad in Iran Reply with quote

Petition 10: Save the Precious Archeological Sites of Pasargad in Iran


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To: People of the world and the United Nations Organization

We, the undersigned, regretfully have to inform all the inhabitants of our planet earth that one of the greatest parts of the historical heritage of human race is on the verge of permanent extinction. The Islamic Republic of Iran has embarked on the finalizing stages of a dam construction in south of Iran that will ultimately drown the archeological sites of Pasargad and Persepolice, the ancient capital of the Archimedean Empire – a rich and complex site that, since its inception, has been considered by all writers of antiquity as one of the wonders of the ancient world and, thus, a part of the cultural heritage of the human race.

Comparing to the destruction of two Buddha statues in Afghanistan by the Talibans, this new threat and its consequent loss is beyond any imaginable destruction that have been inflicted on the history of the world. Although these glorious remainders of the Iranian history are a part of this nation’s historical identity, their loss is not by any means confined to them. That is to say, it is not only the Iranian nation that would be deprived of the most important part of its cultural identity; it is the world history that is in danger.

Considering only one fact could convey a powerful message to all of us. Amongst the sites that are threatened to be wiped from the face of the earth lies the tomb of Cyrus the Great, the Archimedean king of 2500 years ago who, in his unification of political systems, brought freedom to all those nations that lived under his lead through his “Declaration of Human Rights.” In fact, he is considered as the first human being in power who has advocated for the right of humans to choose and adhere to their values, cultures, religious creeds and trains of thought. A replica of the cylinder of his declaration is now exhibited in the UN building to symbolize the long efforts of our race to exit from the savagery of the animal kingdom and enter into the man-made civilized world. It is the tomb of this father of human rights that is being totally erased amongst many other historical monuments.

We call upon the conscious of all human beings and caution them about this immanent threat that is shadowing over an ancient country, culture and history. We need to see the immediate action of all world organizations, especially the United Nations and its cultural wings such as UNESCO, to step in and stop this inhumane cruelty to such precious heritages of our human race. We need to see immediate action and will follow our petition in any venues that are opened to us. Accordingly, we are setting up an “International Committee to Save the Archeological Sites of Pasargad” and invite every body to join it. We have to remember this: If the civilized world does not stop such a horrendous action of the forces of destruction now, we will soon lose everything that our civilization has created.

On behalf of the “International Committee to Save the Archeological Sites of Pasargad”

Shokooh Mirzadegi (Iranian writer)
Dr. Esmail Nooriala (Iranian Writer)

For joining the committee and/or reading a Farsi translation of this letter, as well as some relevant documents on this issue visit:



Sincerely,


Source: http://www.petitiononline.com/Pasargad/petition.html
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 08, 2005 3:18 pm    Post subject: No.1 Petition Reply with quote

Dear Compatriots and ActivistChat Members,

We are pleased to inform you that the “Save the Precious Archeological Sites of Pasargad in Iran” by two brilliant Iranian writers Ms. Shokooh Mirzadegi and Dr. Esmail Nooriala has become No.1 among the Most Active - Top 10 Petitions - 2005.0908 in the petitiononline site. Please visit http://www.petitiononline.com to see it yourself. Our congratulations goes to Activist writers of this petition and all freedom-loving people of the world that they have signed this petition in short period of time. Please inform everyone this good news. Also an organization formed Ms. Shokooh Mirzadegi and Dr. Esmail Nooriala to deal with this major problem please visit the site.

http://www.puyeshgaraan.com/Pasargad/Pasargad_Main.htm


Regards,
Cyrus
ActivistChat.com
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:32 pm    Post subject: footsteps of Taliban, The Government of Islamic Republic of Reply with quote



Footsteps of Taliban, The Government of Islamic Republic of Iran is set to destroy a major part of humankind's cultural heritage
***
http://www.savepasargad.com/


The flooding of Sivan Dam is pronounced evidence to the nullification of the human rights of the Iranian people
People of the world, People of Iran!
Two days ago, on January 22, 2007, Islamic’s Republic of Iran’s (IRI) Minister of Energy announced his intention to begin flooding the Sivand Dam within a week. This Dam will flood the ancient archeological sites of Bolaghi Gorge and Pasargad Plains where the mausoleum of Cyrus the Great - the author of the first declaration of Human Rights in mankind's history - is situated. The date chosen for this act is coincided with the anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini's return to Iran and taking over the reigns of power 28 years ago.
Thus, it is now clear that the government of Mr. Ahmdinejad, taking advantage of the tension it has created all through the world and region, has decided to realize that inauspicious intension which has been hidden in the construction of Sivan Dam by flooding a large part of Cyrus's ancient capital and birthplace, thus, annihilating the most sacred parts of Iranian territory.
By this action, he is telling us that whatever archeologists, historians, experts and university professors have said about the dangers of this dam, and the discoveries of last two years have proved them to be right, has no value for his government and he is poised to destruct the Iranian pre-Islamic history and culture.
But, is it the end of this saga? Is the Sivand Lake going to gradually drown Bolaghi Gorge and bring its disastrous consequences to this region? Do we have nothing but to surrender to despair and mourn our loss? No, we do not think so. Although this decision is the beginning of a catastrophe, it also can be seen as the beginning of a new phase in our cultural campaign against such atrocities to the mankind's cultural heritage.
We think that in these sensitive moments, the duty of lovers of culture and history all through the world and Iran is to expand their endeavors and show the people of the world that all the pronouncements of IRI with regards to the preservation of historical heritages are hollow and baseless and this monstrous dam and its flooding is pronounced evidence to the nullification of the human rights of Iranian people by this government.
Our duty is to show that the government of IRI is knowingly and intentionally following the footsteps of Taliban and has bluntly embarked on the destruction of our heritage. Flooding the Sivand Dam is similar to the detonation of those bombs that exploded the ancient Buddha statues in Afghanistan.
This Committee urges all people, both within and outside of Iran, to restlessly spread the news of this grand injustice with the aim of putting a stop to such atrocity.
We loudly declare that any responsibility with regards to the destruction of Iranian ancient heritage rests on the whole apparatus of IRI's government. We have no doubt that in a day to come all those who are participating in this horrendous act will be legally bound to answer Iranian nation. In the meanwhile, their name will appear next to the worst and most sinister names that could be found in the annals of the Iranian history.
With regards and love
ICSASPP
January 24th, 2007







پا بر جای پای طالبان، برای تخريب گنجينه های بشری
آبگيری سد ويرانگر سيوند روشن ترين، و گوياترين سند است برای اثبات پايمال شدن حقوق مسلم مردم ايران در ارتباط با تاريخ و فرهنگ شان

مردمان ايران، مردمان جهان!


دو روز پيش، در دوم بهمن ماه 1385، برابر با بيست و دوم ژانويه 2007، وزير نيروی جمهوری اسلامی اعلام داشت که درهفته آينده (يعنی در سرآغاز ده روزی که «دهه ی فجر» خوانده می شود و با سالگرد بازگشت آيت الله خمينی به ايران همزمان است)، آبگيری سد سيوند را آغاز می کنند. و به اين سان روشن شده است که دولت آقای احمدی نژاد قصد دارد، با استفاده از فضای متشنج بين المللی و منطقه، به نيت شومی که 15 سال است در پايتخت کورش بزرگ ( پدر ملت ايران، و گوينده ی اولين منشور حقوق بشر)، به صورت سدی برآمده و می رود تا بخش بزرگی از فرهنگ باستانی ايرانزمين را ببلعد، جامه ی واقعيت بپوشاند و مقدس ترين پاره ی خاک ايران را در زير آب ويران سازد.
معنای اين کار آن است که آنچه تاکنون باستان شناسان، تاريخ دانان، متخصصان و استادان دانشگاه در مورد اهميت آثار باستانی در خطر گفته اند و کاوش های انجام شده در دو سال اخير آنها را اثبات کرده، برای دولت آقای احمدی نژاد کوچکترين اهميتی ندارد و به نظر می رسد که دولت ايشان به راستی کمر به نابودی تاريخ و فرهنگ ايران بسته است.
اما آيا اين پايان ماجراست؟ آيا درياچه ی سد سيوند به اين زودی ها پر شده و تنگه ی بلاغی را در خود غرق خواهد کرد؟ و آيا بايد زانوی غم به بغل گرفت و عزاداری کرد؟ نه، به نظر ما چنين نيست. اين اگرچه سرآغاز تحقق يک فاجعه است اما سرآغاز تازه ای هم برای مبارزه با اين نوع فرهنگ ستيزی ها و ويرانگری های بشری است.
به نظر ما در شرايط بسيار حساس کنونی وظيفه ی همه ی دوستداران ايران و دوستداران تاريخ و فرهنگ بشری است تا از اين پس تلاش های ملی و بين المللی خود را گسترش داده و به مردمان ايران و جهان نشان دهند که حکومت موجود در ايران هر ادعايي که در جهت توجه و احترام به تاريخ، فرهنگ، و به گنجينه های ملی مردمان ايران دارد توخالی و پوچ است. آبگيری سد ويرانگر سيوند، روشن ترين، زنده ترين و گوياترين سند است برای اثبات پايمال شدن حقوق مسلم مردم ايران در ارتباط با تاريخ و فرهنگ شان
وظيفه هر علاقمند به فرهنگ ايران و هر علاقمند به فرهنگ های بشری، به نمايش گذاشتن اين واقعيت است که حکومت جمهوری اسلامی اکنون عالماً و عامداً در اين مورد خاص پا بر جای پای طالبان افغانستان گذاشته و به تخريب آثار باستانی ايرانزمين اراده کرده است. آبگيری سد سيوند مثل زدن کليد انفجار همان بمب هایی است که طالبان در افغانستان برای منفجر کردن مجسمه های بودا به کار بردند.
کميته بين المللی نجات پاسارگاد از همه ی ايرانيان، و از همه ی مردمان جهان چه در داخل و چه در خارج از ايران تقاضا می کند تا به طور مرتب و خستگی ناپذير خبر اين بی عدالتی عظيم فرهنگی را با هر وسيله ی ممکن به گوش همگان رسانيده، و دادی باشند در مقابل اين بيداد عظيم فرهنگی. در عين حال، اين کميته همچنان اعلام می کند که مسئوليت هر خطری که متوجه هر تکه از آثار ملی و بشری ايرانزمين شود به طور مستقيم به دولت و کل حاکميت کنونی ايران برمی گردد. بی شک همه ی کسانی که در اين فاجعه ی عظيم ملی و بشری شرکت کنند، نه تنها زمانی بايد از نظر حقوقی جوابگوی اعمالشان باشند بلکه نام آن ها نيز برای هميشه در کنار ننگين ترين نام های تاريخ ايران در حافظه ی ملت ما ثبت خواهد شد.
با مهر و احترام
کميته بين المللی نجات پاسارگاد
بيست و چهارم ژانويه 2007
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:23 pm    Post subject: Do We Remember March 11, 2001? Reply with quote

Do You Remember March 11, 2001 ?
NEXT ...
Do You Remember Sept. 11, 2001 ?
NEXT IS COMING ....

Next Week Islamic Fascist Occupiers Of Iran will flood the ancient archeological sites of Bolaghi Gorge and Pasargad Plains where the mausoleum of Cyrus the Great - the author of the first declaration of Human Rights in mankind's history - is situated. The date chosen for this criminal act is coincided with the anniversary of Evil Fascist Ayatollah Khomeini's return to Iran and taking over the reigns of power 28 years ago.

SHAME ON US IF WE DON'T TRY OUR BEST TO STOP THE MADNESS OF MULLAHS IN IRAN IN NEXT FEW DAYS




What has Mr. Kofi Anan and UN done to stop Buddha statue destruction ?
Nothing
What Free World did to stop Buddha statue destruction ?
Nothing
What has EU done to stop Buddha statue destruction?
Nothing
What has G8 done to stop Buddha statue destruction ?
Nothing
What has U.S. done to stop Buddha statue destruction ?
Nothing

Do You Remember March 11, 2001 ?





Do You Remember Sept. 11, 2001 ?




The Destruction of the Statues in Bamiyan
World did 'too little, too late' to save Buddhas...

From CNN:
http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/02/26/taliban.statues/index.html

February 26, 2001
Web posted at: 10:45 AM EST (1545 GMT)


KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have ordered the destruction of all the country's statues, including the world's tallest standing Buddha.

The order came from the Taliban's supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, who issued an edict declaring statues -- including ancient pre-Islamic figures -- an insult to Islam.

"Because God is one God and these statues are there to be worshipped and that is wrong. They should be destroyed so that they are not worshipped now or in the future," Omar said in his edict, published by the Taliban-run Bakhtar News Agency.

The edict comes as an international delegation is in Kabul meeting with Taliban leaders to try to preserve Afghanistan's heritage. Among the delegation are the Italian and Greek ambassadors to neighboring Pakistan.

There was no immediate comment from the delegation to the Taliban leader's newest order, nor was it immediately clear what prompted the edict.


Home to world's tallest Buddha

Afghanistan's ancient Buddhas are located in Bamiyan, about 150 kilometers (90 miles) west of the Afghan capital of Kabul.

One Buddha statue, measuring 53 meters (175 feet), is the world's tallest standing Buddha. A smaller one stands beside it at 37 meters (120 feet). The two statues, which have been damaged in fighting in the area, were carved out of the Afghan mountainside in the fifth century.

In addition to the giant Buddhas, a treasure trove of pre-Islam artifacts are contained in Afghanistan's museum.

Much of the museum was destroyed in the bitter fighting between rival Islamic factions, including Rabbanis, between 1992 and 1996, when the Taliban took control.

Many of the artifacts were stolen and sold on the open market. Some have appeared in museums around the world.


Harsh brand of Islamic law

The tallest of the two giant Buddhas has already been damaged by zealous Taliban soldiers who fired rocket propelled grenades at it.

There have been reports that the faces of the Buddhas have been disfigured. Representations of faces are forbidden in Islam, according to the Taliban. The Taliban espouse a harsh brand of Islamic law that bans most forms of light entertainment and all photography, and requires men to wear beards in keeping with the fashion of Islam's prophet Mohammed.

The Taliban also require everyone to pray five times a day, as required in the Muslim holy book the Koran. Many of the Taliban's edicts are directed against women, who are required to wear all-enveloping clothing and to travel with a male relative.

Women are not allowed to work and schooling for girls beyond eight years old is not allowed, although the Taliban say they will allow it when fighting ends. The Taliban rule roughly 95 percent of the country and the opposition, led by ousted President Burhanuddin Rabbani, holds the remaining five percent.

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Buddhas of BamyanFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Coordinates: 34°49′55″N, 67°49′36″E
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhas_of_Bamyan

One of the Buddhas of Bamyan as it stood in 1963.The Buddhas of Bamyan (Pashto: "De Buda butan pe bamiyano ke" د بودا بتان په باميانو کې)Persian: تندیس‌های بودا در باميان tandis-ha-ye buda dar bamiyaan were two monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km (143 miles) northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters (8,202 feet). Built during the 6th century, the statues represented the classic blended style of Greco-Buddhist art.

The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. This coating, practically all of which was worn away long ago, was painted to enhance the expressions of the faces, hands and folds of the robes; the larger one was painted carmine red and the smaller one was painted multiple colors[2]. The lower parts of the statues' arms were constructed from the same mud-straw mix while supported on wooden armatures. It is believed that the upper parts of their faces were made from great wooden masks or casts. The rows of holes that can be seen in photographs were spaces that held wooden pegs which served to stabilize the outer stucco.

They were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Japan, Switzerland, and UNESCO, among others, have pledged support for the rebuilding of the statues.

Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Destruction
3 Commitment to rebuild
3.1 Recent developments
4 External links
5 References



[edit] History
Bamyan lies on the Silk Road, a caravan route linking the markets of China with those of India, Central Asia, Middle East, and Europe. It was the site of several Buddhist and Hindu monasteries, and a thriving center for religion, philosophy, and Greco-Buddhist art. It was a Buddhist religious site from the second century up to the time of the Islamic invasion in the ninth century.

Monks at the monasteries lived as hermits in small caves carved into the side of the Bamyan cliffs. Many of these monks embellished their caves with religious statuary and elaborate, brightly-colored frescoes.

The two most prominent statues were the giant, standing Buddhas, measuring 55 and 37 meters (180 and 121 feet) high respectively, the largest examples of standing Buddha carvings in the world. They were perhaps the most famous cultural landmarks of the region and the site was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site along with surrounding cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamyan Valley.

The smaller of the two statues was built in the year 507 AD. The larger one was constructed in 554 [3]. The statues are believed to have been built by the Kushans and Indo-Hephthalites (both eastern Indo-European peoples) at the heyday of their empires. Ironically, the above mentioned people were the ancestors of the Pashtuns, the ethnic group from which the Taliban drew its core following. [4]

Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Hsüan-tsang (Xuanzang) passed through the area around 630 CE and described Bamyan as a flourishing Buddhist center "with more than ten monasteries and more than a thousand monks", and he noted that both Buddha figures were "decorated with gold and fine jewels" (Wriggins, 1995). Xuan Zang's account is intriguing as he mentions a third, even larger, reclining statue of Buddha[1]; although it is generally believed destroyed, some archaeological expeditions are searching for it.

A monumental sitting Buddha similar in style to those at Bamyan still exists in the Bingling Temple caves in China's Gansu province.


[edit] Destruction
When Mahmud of Ghazni conquered Afghanistan in the 12th century, the Buddhas and frescoes were spared from destruction. Aurangzeb, the last Mughal emperor distinguished for his religious zeal, employed heavy artillery in an attempt to destroy the statues[citation needed]. Nadir Shah, too, had cannon fire directed at the statues. But over the centuries the statues had largely been left untouched.

In July 1999, Mullah Mohammed Omar issued a decree in favor of the preservation of the Bamyan Buddhas. Because Afghanistan's Buddhist population no longer existed, which removed the possibility of the statues being worshiped, he added: "The government considers the Bamyan statues as an example of a potential major source of income for Afghanistan from international visitors. The Taliban states that Bamyan shall not be destroyed but protected." [5]

Afghanistan's Islamist clerics would begin a campaign to crack down on "un-Islamic" segments of Afghan society. The Taliban soon banned all forms of imagery, music and sports, including television, in accordance with what they considered a strict interpretation of Islamic law [6].

In March 2001, according to Agence France Presse in Kabul, the decree declared, "Based on the verdict of the clergymen and the decision of the Supreme Court of the Islamic Emirate (Taliban) all the statues around Afghanistan must be destroyed. All the statues in the country should be destroyed because these statues have been used as idols and deities by the non-believers before. They are respected now and may be turned into idols in future too. Only Allah, the Almighty, deserves to be worshiped, not anyone or anything else."

Information and Culture Minister Qadratullah Jamal told Associated Press of a decision by 400 religious clerics from across Afghanistan declaring the Buddhist statues against the tenets of Islam. "They came out with a consensus that the statues were un-Islamic," said Jamal.

On March 6, the London Times quoted Mullah Mohammed Omar as stating, "Muslims should be proud of smashing idols. It has given praise to God that we have destroyed them." He had clearly changed his position from being in favor of the statues to being against them. During a March 13 interview for Japan's Mainichi Shimbun, Afghan Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmad Mutawakel stated that the destruction was anything but a retaliation against the international community for economic sanctions: "We are destroying the Buddha statues in accordance with Islamic law and it is purely a religious issue".

On March 18, The New York Times reports that a Taliban envoy said the Islamic government made its decision in a rage after a foreign delegation offered money to preserve the ancient works while a million Afghans faced starvation. The New York Times also added, however, that other reports "have said the religious leaders were debating the move for months, and ultimately decided that the statues were idolatrous and should be obliterated."

Then Taliban Ambassador-at-large, (and current Yale non-degree program student) Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, said that the destruction of the statues was carried out during the famine in Afghanistan after the Swedish government earmarked money to be provided to restore the statues and refused to allow it to be used to aid Afghan Children. Hashimi is reported as saying: "When the Afghani head council asked them to provide the money to feed the children instead of fixing the statues, they refused and said, 'No, the money is just for the statues, not for the children'. Herein, they made the decision to destroy the statues" [7].

On April 19, 2004, in an interview to a Pakistani journalist Mohammad Shehzad, Mullah Mohammad Omar said the following, "I did not want to destroy the Bamyan Buddha. In fact, some foreigners came to me and said they would like to conduct the repair work of the Bamyan Buddha that had been slightly damaged due to rains. This shocked me. I thought, these callous people have no regard for thousands of living human beings — the Afghans who are dying of hunger, but they are so concerned about non-living objects like the Buddha. This was extremely deplorable. That is why I ordered its destruction. Had they come for humanitarian work, I would have never ordered the Buddhas' destruction."

The Islamist Taliban government decreed that the statues, which had survived intact for over 1,500 years, were idolatrous and un-Islamic. During the destruction, Taliban Information Minister Qudratullah Jamal lamented that, "this work of destruction is not as simple as people might think. You can't knock down the statues by shelling as both are carved into a cliff; they are firmly attached to the mountain." The two largest Buddhas faced dynamite and tank barrages and were demolished after almost a month of intensive bombardment.


Calendar commemorating the destructionAccording to UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura, a meeting of ambassadors from the 54 member states of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) was conducted. All OIC states - including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, three countries that officially recognised the Taliban government - joined the protest to spare the monuments (CNN). A statement issued by the ministry of religious affairs of Taliban regime justified the destruction as being in accordance with Islamic law AFP News. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would later condemn the destruction as "savage." A Swiss documentary reported that locals claimed to have seen Pakistani and Saudi engineers on site to help with the destruction of the statues.[8]. A Pakistani charity, Al Rasheed Trust, based in Karachi, had published a special calendar with photographs of the destructions to commemorate the destruction.


[edit] Commitment to rebuild
Though the figures of the two large Buddhas are almost completely destroyed, their outlines and some features are still recognizable within the recesses. It is also still possible for visitors to explore the monks' caves and the passages which connect them. As part of the international effort to rebuild Afghanistan after the Taliban war, the Government of Japan and several other organizations, among them the Afghanistan Institute in Bubendorf, Switzerland, along with the ETH in Zurich, have committed themselves to rebuilding the two largest Buddhas; anastylosis is one technique being considered.


[edit] Recent developments
In May 2002, a mountainside sculpture of the Buddha was carved out of a mountain in Sri Lanka. It was designed to closely resemble one of the Buddhas of Bamyan.

In December 2004, Japanese researchers discovered that the wall paintings at Bamyan were actually painted between the 5th and the 9th centuries, rather than the 6th to 8th centuries as previously believed. The discovery was made by analysing radioactive isotopes contained in straw fibers found beneath the paintings. Further discoveries are expected to be made after comparing the paintings' dates and styles.

The Afghan government has commissioned Japanese artist Hiro Yamagata to recreate the Bamyan Buddhas using fourteen laser systems to project the images of the Buddhas onto the cliff where they once stood. The laser systems will be solar-powered and wind-powered. The project, which will cost an estimated $9 million, is currently pending UNESCO approval. If approved, the project is estimated to be completed by 2007.

In September 2005, Mawlawi Mohammed Islam Mohammadi, Taliban governor of Bamyan province at the time of the destruction, was elected to the Afghan Parliament.

Swiss filmmaker Christian Frei made a 95-minute documentary "The Giant Buddhas" (released in March 2006), on the statues, the international reactions to it, and an overview of the controversy. The movie makes the controversial claim (quoting a local Afghan) that the destruction was ordered by Osama Bin Laden and that initially, Mullah Omar and the Afghans in Bamyan had opposed the destruction (Times of India Mar 27 2006).

In the summer of 2006, Afghan officials were deciding the timetable for the re-construction of the statues. The mullahs in the province have stated that the destruction was an atrocity and the statues deserve restoration. While they wait for the Afghan government and international community to decide whether to rebuild them, a $1.3 million UNESCO-funded project is sorting out the chunks of clay and plaster — ranging from boulders weighing several tons to fragments the size of tennis balls — and sheltering them from the elements.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kamal Hyder: Destruction of Afghan Buddhas
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/03/12/afghan.buddha.02/
March 12, 2001
Web posted at: 6:51 p.m. EST (2351 GMT)

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Afghanistan's Taleban has destroyed two giant Buddhas carved into a cliff centuries ago, pictures obtained by CNN show.

United Nations officials confirmed the claims made by the Taleban, which announced last month it would destroy images deemed "offensive to Islam." But no photographs of the demolition were available until Monday.

Museums and governments around the world had hoped to save the two Buddhas, the earliest of which is thought to have been carved into the sandstone cliffs of Bamiyan in the third century A.D. At 53 meters (175 feet) and 36 meters (120 feet), the statues were the tallest standing Buddhas in the world.

Demolition of the two towering images was nearly finished Monday, Taleban Information Minister Qudratullah Jamal said.

"The destruction work is not as easy as people would think," he said. "You can't knock down the statues by dynamite or shelling as both of them have been carved in a cliff. They are firmly attached to the mountain."

A delegation from the 55-nation Organization of Islamic Conference came to the Afghan town of Kandahar, the austere Islamic group's headquarters, on Sunday to urge the Taleban to stop its campaign against the relics. Taleban leaders refused.


"We would repeat to them as we have to other delegations that we are not going to back away from the edict, and that no statues in Afghanistan will be spared," Jamal said.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, on a tour of south Asian nations, also urged the Taleban to spare the relics. Koichiro Matsuura, the head of the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO, said the agency would continue efforts to salvage other Afghan relics targeted for destruction.

"It is abominable to witness the cold and calculated destruction of cultural properties which were the heritage of the Afghan people, and, indeed, of the whole of humanity," Matsuura said in a written statement Monday.

"Everything possible must be done to stop further destruction. I have asked my special envoy to continue his mission and explore all avenues that may allow for the safeguarding of other treasures of Afghanistan's pre-Islamic heritage," he said.
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 4:08 am    Post subject: REQUEST FOR YOUR ACTION NOW - ROOZ SIYAH - Black Day Of Iran Reply with quote


REQUEST FOR YOUR ACTION NOW - ROOZ SIYAH - Black Day Of Iran Next Week

Executive Summary:
The Islamic Republic of Iran, which holds in great contempt any non-Islamic belief or heritage, has embarked on destroying the archeological sites of Pasargad and Persepolis -- some of humanity's most prized cultural heritage. The heinous destruction of the two Buddha statues by Afghanistan 's Taliban on March 11, 2001, pales in comparison to the present barbaric designs of the Islamic Republic.

Pasargad and Persepolis are more than a mere collection of ancient structures. They are embodiments of humanity's historical respect for liberty and tolerance of diversity. Among the sites to be destroyed is the tomb of the renowned Archimedean king, Cyrus the Great, of 2500 years ago who is recognized as the early champion of human rights. It was this great trailblazer of human rights who freed the Jews from captivity and promoted freedom of culture, religion and beliefs in the vast empire under his rule.

The construction of the Sivand Dam on the Polvar River that will submerge this priceless historical and cultural site began in 1992 without consultation with or the knowledge of the Cultural Heritage Organization officials. The dam is slated for operation in early 2006. Once in operation, the dam will eventually flood the entire Tang-e Bolaghi (Bolaghi Gorge) mountain pass and the surrounding region. As a result some 8 kilometers of the Bolaghi Gorge will be submerged and lost forever. The experts of ICHCTO and the Pars-e Pasargad Research Foundation have identified more than 100 archeological sites that are threatened with permanent destruction.

It is humanity's most precious heritage -- yours and your descendents' heritage -- of great value which is in dire need of your support. Generations of humanity will bemoan the loss of this living testimony to the nobility of mankind. The destructive hand of the Islamic zealots must be stayed. Stand up, raise your voice and do what is in your power to preserve what is rightfully yours.


Action Expectations From Iranian Security Forces TO STOP MULLAHS MADNESS IN Pasargad:

This is a very clear message to Security Forces (Pasdaran, Military and Police) that they must act to destroy Sivand Dam before disaster happens.

The Armed forces must choose between defending and serving the people or serving Mullahs. This is up to armed and security forces to choose between SHAME and HONOR, serving Mullahs or their country, Sisters, Brothers, Fathers & Mothers who pay their salary. To avoid another disaster the security forces do not have any choice other than be prepared to fight to free their homeland from the Mullahs and Islamic Fascist Viruses of Iranian society whether the armed forces serve them or serve the enemy of freedom and free society. Iranian people should be prepared for final battle for freeing their homeland from TAAZI and must not forget that their FOREVER leader Cyrus the Great died in battlefield in 530 BC at the age of 60 and not in bed.

The message to Iranian people inside Iran : General Strike Now.

And the message to Iranian outside Iran to increase public awareness by any means available.


Action Expectations From FREE World:


Do You Remember March 11, 2001 ?
NEXT ...
Do You Remember Sept. 11, 2001 ?
NEXT IS COMING ....


Next Week Islamic Fascist Occupiers Of Iran will flood the ancient archeological sites of Bolaghi Gorge and Pasargad Plains where the mausoleum of Cyrus the Great - the author of the first declaration of Human Rights in mankind's history - is situated. The date chosen for this criminal act is coincided with the anniversary of Evil Fascist Ayatollah Khomeini's return to Iran and taking over the reigns of power 28 years ago.

What have Mr. Kofi Anan and UN done to stop Buddha statue destruction ?
Nothing
What Free World did to stop Buddha statue destruction ?
Nothing
What has EU done to stop Buddha statue destruction?
Nothing
What has G8 done to stop Buddha statue destruction ?
Nothing
What has U.S. done to stop Buddha statue destruction ?
Nothing


If members of Iran Security Forces are COWARD and do not follow example of Iranian Air Force Top Gun Hero General Ayat Mohagheghi and they can not stop this MULLAHS MADNESS in NEXT FEW DAYS then free world must act to stop this madness or accept another shame on human history like March 11, 2001 when The Destruction of the Statues in Bamiyan happened and the FREE World did 'too little, too late' to save Buddhas.... and then few months later September 11 happened. No excuse can be accepted this time !!!!!

Do You Remember March 11, 2001 ?





Do You Remember Sept. 11, 2001 ?



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PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 3:36 pm    Post subject: Sivand Dam Will be Flooded Next Week Reply with quote

Sivand Dam Will be Flooded Next Week

26 January 2007

Parviz Fathi, the Islamic Republic Energy Minster
http://www.cais-soas.com/News/2007/January2007/26-01.htm

LONDON, (CAIS) -- Parviz Fatahi, the Islamic Republic's Energy Minister, on Thursday announced that by next week the Sivand dam will become operational, reported Persian service of ILNA.

According to Fathi, the Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organisation (ICHTO), has finally agreed to the inundation of the dam.

It seems the Islamic Republic has coordinated the inundation of the dam, to coincides with “Daheh Fajr”, the anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini's return to Iran, in 1979. This day will undoubtedly will be remembered as one of the Iran's darkest days in history.



"When a news reporter asked Khomeini in the airplane just before landing, after 14 years of exile what was he feeling, he responded, "Hichi" (Nothing); and when she incredulously asked again, he elaborated "Hich ehsâsi nadâram" (I don't feel a thing), and evidently his successors they "do not feel a thing" too about our heritage -- by making the dam operational, they want to bring nothingness to Iran and Iranian heritage”, said an archaeologist with Fars CHTO, who wished to remain anonymous for his safety.



He continued “history has always shown the despots and evil doers will be brought down to their knees, and the Islamic Regime is not exempt from this rule - the regime will eventually collapse and sooner or later they will join the villains of the history, and as they will be placed alongside, Alexander, Arabs and Genghis [khan], we will remember them as the destroyers of Iran and the Iranian heritage.”


Iranian national heritage has been suffering for the past 28 years, as the result of regime's policy of de-Iranianization of the country. The detestation towards anything Iranian by the regime, has either endangered, damaged or even destroyed prominently Pre-Islamic sites. In recent years the Islamic government has commissioned the construction of over 80 dams, in which all of them has been built, or going to be built over the pre-Islamic sites; the most infamous one is the Sivand dam.


Sivand dam project has been one of the most condemned projects in post-revolution Iran due to its' immense threat to Iranian cultural heritage. Most Iranians are furious about the construction of the dam and argue that there is no objective in the world worthy to justify the construction of a dam, so close to Pasargadae.


More than 130 historic sites, large numbers of clay vessels, human skeletons and other evidence of human settlement dated as far back as the eighth millennium BCE, 6000-year-old clay kilns, and most strikingly, the palace of the Achaemenid Emperor, Darius the Great (549-486 BCE) have so far been discovered at the historic site of Bolaghi Valley during an international attempt to save as much as possible the historic evidence of this area before being engulfed by the reservoir of Sivand Dam.


The perimeters of the future artificial lake behind the dam at its largest reach is 7 kilometres from Pasargadae site and 9 kilometres from Cyrus the Great’ Tomb located 45 meter above water level after inundation; -Persepolis is ten times farther than Pasargadae which is located 70 kilometres from the lake. Therefore, there are no direct threats to these two historical sites from submersion aspect of Dam’s inundation.


Nevertheless, the catastrophe for Iranian heritage is that after the dam reservoir is filed, the Bolaghi Valley which contains well over 130 ancient settlements from pre-Historic to Sasanian dynastic era (224-651 CE) will be submerged including a section of the Achaemenid Imperial’s Road (Rāh-e Šāhī). Also, the humidity changes, which artificially would be created by the dam, are going to be the key threat. Despite the regime's claim, no preliminary environmental research has ever been carried out to assess the affects of humidity upon the constructions at Pasargadae.


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PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:09 pm    Post subject: Home Of Cyrus The Graet Under Plan Of Destruction Reply with quote

Plea For Your Help: Count Down To Flooding and Destruction Of Cyrus The Great Home By Islamic Fascist Occupiers Of Iran - REQUEST FOR YOUR ACTION NOW - ROOZ SIYAH - Stop Black Day Of Iran Next Week -
Cyrus The Great, The Father, The Liberator, The Law-Giver and The Anointed of The Lord Home Can Not Be Flooded By Terror Masters-
As a result of Cyrus The Great achievements the Iranians regarded him as The Father, the Babylonians as The Liberator, the Greeks as the Law-Giver, and the Jews as the Anointed of the Lord.


To Become More Familiar With Cyrus The Great Home Please Watch The Following Excellect Short Video

In Search of Cyrus the Great - Cyrus Kar- Spenta Productions
11 min 23 sec - Oct 6, 2006

To Watch This Video Please Click Here

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5468494210860637483&q=Cyrus+The+Great&hl=en


Cyrus (580-529 BC) was the first Achaemenid Emperor. He founded Persia by uniting the two original Iranian Tribes- the Medes and the ... all » Persians. Although he was known to be a great conqueror, who at one point controlled one of the greatest Empires ever seen, he is best remembered for his unprecedented tolerance and magnanimous attitude towards those he defeated. Upon his victory over the Medes, he founded a government for his new kingdom, incorporating both Median and Persian nobles as civilian officials. The conquest of Asia Minor completed, he led his armies to the eastern frontiers. Hyrcania and Parthia were already part of the Median Kingdom. Further east, he conquered Drangiana, Arachosia,Margiana and Bactria. After crossing the Oxus, he reached the Jaxartes, where he built fortified towns with the object of defending the farthest frontier of his kingdom against nomadic tribes of Central Asia.

The victories to the east led him again to the west and sounded the hour for attack on Babylon and Egypt. When he conquered Babylon, he did so to cheers from the Jewish Community, who welcomed him as a liberator- he allowed the Jews to return to the promised Land. He showed great forbearance and respect towards the religious beliefs and cultural traditions of other races. These qualities earned him the respect and homage of all the people over whom he ruled.


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 10:22 am    Post subject: Only a few minutes! Faghat chand daghighe! Reply with quote


Only a few minutes!

لطفا فقط چند دقيقه از وقت تان را به پاسارگاد دهيد
و اين جمله ی ساده و کوتاه را به موسسات زير بفرستيد

“Please save Pasargad The city and mausoleum of Cyrus the Great”


*****
Please dedicate a few minutes of your time to pasargad

And send this simple and short sentence to the following organizations

«Please save Pasargad The city and mausoleum of Cyrus the Great
*****

Lotfan chand daghigheh az vaghtetan raa be Pasargad dahid

va in jomle saadeh va kotaah raa be moasesat zir beferestid

“Please save Pasargad The city and mausoleum of Cyrus the Great”

يونسکو (فرانسه)
fax : 33-1-45 68 55 70

E-mail: wh-info@unesco.org
UN

سازمان ملل متحد (نيويورک):
Fax +1-212 963 8712
Email: ngls@un.org

ژنو:
Fax 41-22-917-0432
ngls@unctad.org Email:

سازمان هاي ميراث جهاني

در شهرها يا کشورهاي نزديک به شما:

نروژ:
fax: 47-24-14-01-01
E-mail: nwhf@nwhf.no

آلمان:
F.: + 49-89-30765102
E-Mail: info@welterbestiftung.de

کانادا :
fax : 1-418-692 5558
E-mail : secretariat@ovpm.org

انگلستان:
fax : 44-1223-277 136
E-mail : info@unep-wcmc.org



سازمان هاي حقوق بشر در شهرها و کشورهاي نزديک به شما:

شيکاگو:
Fax: 312-572-2454
chicago@hrw.org
نيويورک:

Fax: 1-(212) 736-1300
hrwnyc@hrw.org
واشنگتن:

Fax:1-(202) 612-4333
hrwdc@hrw.org
لس آنجلس :

Fax: (310) 477-4622
hrwlasb@hrw.org
سانفرانسيسکو:

Fax: 415.362.3255
hrwsf@hrw.org

انگلستان:

Fax: 44 20 7713 1800
hrwuk@hrw.org
بلژيک:
Fax: 32 (2) 732-0471
hrwbe@hrw.org
ژنو:
Fax: +41 22 738 17 91
hrwgva@hrw.org
برلين -آلمان:
Fax. +49-(0)30-259306-29
berlin@hrw.org

کانادا:
Tel: 416.322.8448
Fax: 416.322.3246
toronto@hrw.org


Video wrote:

Cyrus The Great's Declaration of Human Rights

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8731639737681670458&q=Cyrus+The+Great&hl=en

A short video on Cyrus The Great's Declaration of Human Rights accomapied by the music of Esfandiar Monfared-zadeh, especially compose
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 12:51 pm    Post subject: What Would Kourosh Say? Reply with quote

AmirN wrote:
What Would Kourosh (Cyrus The Great) Say?


When insanity took over, in the year 1978
And the streets were filled with lies, betrayal, and hate
When evil hid behind the mask of freedom
And the people were used as pawns, ignorant and dumb

How would Kourosh sleep?

When the innocents were shot, in defiance they would sing
Their crime: loyalty to country and to King
When every teenaged punk got a license to kill
And a vampire like Khalkhali spilled blood just for thrill

How would Kourosh weep?

When that embassy was captured, by Mahmoud and other apes
Was the day that honor died; civility and reason thus escapes
When the word “Iranian” became synonymous with shame
And the world viewed Iranians and terrorists as one and the same

What would Kourosh say?

When loving Iran became forbidden
And all traces of Persia's Poetic Past were cowardly hidden
When Islam again raised its ugly head
And except for Quranic babble nothing could be said

How would Kourosh lay?

When cutting hands, ears, and noses became fine
And barbarian laws shaded this Aryan land of mine
When the worth of woman became half of that of man
The worth of both became zero, result of an unfair plan

How would Kourosh lament?

When Aryan children were used as mules
To clear mines, running to their deaths, as mere pawns and tools
When the lie of Allah was again invoked, along with a plastic key
To dupe little kids: “Paradise is right there…past the mines…you see?”

How would Kourosh this resent?

When women and children were sold as slaves
Islam undersigned it; this is how it behaves
When child abuse, rape, and stoning were seen as just
Islam undersigned it; morality became but dust

How would Kourosh his wrath have sent?

When Iran was taken from Aryayi and given to Taazi
Iran lost itself to a barbarian, a Nazi
When Iranian law, civility, and honor were all lost
To Taazi’s way of life, too great was this cost

What would Kourosh think of this zoo?

When Iran became a commodity, by Taazi to be used
And fell prey to an Arab God, all evil became excused
When Iran became not the land of Aryans, but Islam
And to power came every con-man, criminal, and scum

What would Kourosh do?

I’ll tell you what Kourosh would ask, do, and say:
“Abandon this false God, to whom you falsely pray
Abandon this false book, filled with ignorance and hate
Iran is too good for this; Iran is far too great

I’m still the King, your greatest King of Kings
I’m still the hero, of whom the bard still sings
I’m still the father, of this proud Aryan land
I’m still the overseer, of each drop of water and grain of sand

I am the founder, of your proud and noble clan
I am the champion of the weak, and those whom fear overran
I am the liberator, who fought for human rights
I am the vessel, with which Persia reached its heights

I am the one, who freed the Jews, Babylon, and more
I am the one, whom intolerance does abhor
I am the one, who paid homage to Marduk
I am the one, who forced no God, nor holy book

Who are these fools, to destroy Israel’s tribe?
Who are these traitors, to sell our land for a bribe?
Who are these bigots, to preach nothing but intolerance?
Who are these barbarians, to solve everything with violence?

Open your ears, and listen to your past
Your culture calls to you; go to it at last
The Taazi tried to copy, but didn’t get it right
The Persian Empire, its glory, or its might

Open your eyes, and just compare
Persian culture to that of Taazi, and let’s be fair
Where does each stand on justice, respect, and morality?
The laws of which are based on tolerance, and which on barbarity?

Open your mouths, and break this silence
Be sure, you won’t be alone in this defiance
Rise up and banish these foreign intruders
Expel Allah, the Mullahs, and the rest of the polluters

Why do you need Allah, or Mohammad?
Ali, Hassan, Hossein, and their buddies were all mad
You don’t need Allah or other lies, to tell you how to live
All you need is empathy and truth, no falsehood to believe

I say this, for soon you’ll have to choose
Iran and Islam are opposites, one will have to lose
Of which are you, my dynasty, which brought pride and fame?
Or of that of Taazi, which brought misery and shame?

Iran lost its way that day, in the year 651
And since has wondered aimlessly, confused by what was done
The journey home will be a challenge, a voyage through the night
But I’ll be your shining beacon; I’ll be your guiding light

I once had a vision, a dream that then came true
A dream called Persia, with tolerance as the glue
2500 years have passed, my body is now long gone
But my legacy, my dream, shall never be undone”




In the Spirit of Kourosh the Great
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 6:48 pm    Post subject: He is Awake: Close Up on Cyrus Kar Reply with quote



Even worse, the Sivand dam will forever engulf the site of one of Cyrus's most historic battles. But the Tang-e Bolaghi will be lost forever and this will be a devastating loss to Cyrus's legacy.
The entrance of Tang-e Bolaghi is the confirmed location where Cyrus won his decisive victory over the Median forces of Astyages. Cyrus considered his victory at Tang-e Bolaghi so important that Nicolaus of Damascus, Polyaenus, and Strabo all tell us that Cyrus chose the site of Parsagarda, just outside Tang-e Bolaghi, as his new capital, to commemorate his victory over Astyages. In other words, if not for Cyrus's victory at Tang-e Bolaghi, the Persian Empire would have never existed. This sacred battleground will be lost to the Sivand Dam forever.

Imagine if the U.S. Government decided to flood Gettysburg, the hallowed battleground where the North won its decisive victory over the Confederate army of the South during America's Civil War. Americans would be up in arms. Yet Iranians, unaware of the historic importance of Tang-e Bolaghi, allow their heritage to be slowly wiped away in the name of "progress."








1/29/07
He is Awake: Close Up on Cyrus Kar
By Darius KADIVAR


http://www.persianmirror.com/Article_det.cfm?id=1130&getArticleCategory=79&getArticleSubCategory=119

"Stay Awake you won't die today, Stay Awake …" – Cyrus Kar in Abu Ghraib Prison, Iraq ( cnn report)

"O Cyrus [Koroush], great King, King of Kings, Achaemenian King, King of the land of Iran. I, the Shahanshah of Iran, offer thee salutations from myself and from my nation. Rest in peace, for we are awake, and we will always stay awake." – Shah of Iran's historical speech at Pasargadae October 12th, 1971.

It's a fascinating story : That of a quest of an Iranian-American in search of his roots. Or is it a quest that every Iranian expat has somewhat undertook if not physically at least subconsciously in the past 27 years for anyone who has left Iran due to War, Revolution, or Terror that followed the Islamic Revolution of 1979? In the aftermath of September 11Th, Iran was labeled by US President George W. Bush as part of an Axis of Evil paradoxically in an equally religious terminology that has often been used by Islamic Fundamentalists over the years to qualify the US or Israel. A strange rhetoric unexpected to be used by the President of the most powerful nation in the world and oldest Democracy. A paradoxical designation also for a country like Iran whose ancient roots dig deep in the history of Humanity as a Cradle of Civilization and whose founder, Cyrus the Great, was to establish the very first Declaration of Human Rights nearly 2500 years ago. An act also recorded in the Bible and Torah for which a fragile mud-baked brick cylinder, today in display at the British Museum ( and also a replica of which stands in the United Nation's Building in NY) also is said to have inspired the drafting of American Constitution as we know it today. This is where this story of a personal quest gets into the big picture of international politics:

Cyrus Kar, an Iranian-American, became an identifiable face on CNN news reports for being wrongfully imprisoned and in violation of his Constitutional Rights. He went to Iraq to film a historical documentary on his Royal namesake Cyrus the Great hoping to shoot footage of ruins in Babylon and archeological sites. Kar was charged with being a terrorist and placed in the notorious Abu Ghraib Prison. Kar passed a lie detector test but was refused a lawyer. The FBI raided his Los Angeles apartment but found no evidence that he was involved in terrorism. Kar was held for 55 days, 53 in solitary confinement. After 49 days, he was given a hearing. Cyrus Kar is again making headlines for attempting to sue former US secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld. A lawsuit that Kar is adamant to pursue as much as finishing his very fascinating documentary on certainly the Greatest Persian King and Conqueror of all Time…



Darius KADIVAR (DK): Much has already been written on your dangerous predicament in Iraq followed by your arrest and detainment in Abu Ghraib. Was shooting part of your documentary on Cyrus the Great in war torn Iraq that essential to your film ?


Cyrus KAR (CK): Most people don't realize that I had already invested some $200K and two years of my life into this project by the time the war with Iraq began. My film was designed to take the audience on a vicarious tour along the footsteps of Cyrus The Great. Ancient Babylon, which is in present-day Iraq, was the site of Cyrus's most defining moment.

With so much time and money invested, we couldn't simply forgo Cyrus's conquest of Babylon. We waited for the situation in Iraq to stabilize. We expected the U.S. military to secure Iraq while we filmed all of our other locations.

So we literally retraced Cyrus's conquests through Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey. But the situation in Iraq had only gotten worse. To complete our film, we had to reach El Kasr Hill, the site of ancient Babylon. We feared that if we waited any longer, we would not get another opportunity.

When we entered Iraq, there was still a reasonable chance of returning in one piece. We went through great lengths to secure permission not just from U.S. military officials but also from Iraqi authorities, the Kurdish Democratic Party (PDK), and the Iraqi Ministry of Antiquities and Heritage.

But we never reached El Kasr Hill, our final filming destination. Something I will always regret.


DK: What is a typical day or night like in Abu Ghraib ? Did you have any contacts with your other crew members ?

CK: I was in Abu Ghraib for only a few hours before I was taken away to Camp Cropper. However, my cameraman, Farshid Faraji spent his entire incarceration at Abu Ghraib. His ordeal was far worse than mine.

A typical day at Camp Cropper consisted of 23 hours of solitary confinement and one hour of sitting outside in an enclosed cage. The only physical challenges I faced were adapting to the claustrophobia of my 2 x 3 meter cell and malnutrition. The prison served mostly meat, and as a vegetarian, I lost over 15 pounds.

But far more difficult was coming to terms with my feelings of abandonment and betrayal by my fellow-countrymen. The same military, which I had served honorably, was now dishonorably imprisoning me. They knew we were innocent, yet they made no effort to release us. They didn't tell us anything. So the same questions haunted me day after day. How long were they going to keep us? Is anyone doing something to get us out? Are we stuck here for the duration of the war?

I didn't see my cameraman again until my first court hearing 50 days later. I had requested him as a witness mostly to get him out of Abu Ghraib if even just for a day. The hearing was intended only for me. But I told the three judges that I would not leave without my cameraman. They informed me that there was nothing they could do for him. But a few days later I was told that Farshid would be released with me. Perhaps the pressure to release me had finally superseded the mind-numbing bureaucracy of the U.S. military.

We were reunited on July 10, 2005 at Camp Cropper and taken to the "Green Zone" where we were set free.

DK: Did you ever lose hope of not being heard of abroad or not to see your family again?

CK: I was allowed a phone call to my family in Los Angeles on the 7th day of our captivity. So I was relieved that my family knew I was alive. I also knew they would inform my cameraman's family in Tehran. I was confident that sooner or later I would see my family again.


DK: Was Cyrus the Great and his ideals in your thoughts while on detention in that remote and infamous Iraqi prison camp ?


CK: The irony was inescapable. Here we were, making a film about a man who many consider "The Father Of Human Rights" while our own basic rights were being violated. I compared Cyrus's invasion of Iraq to President Bush's invasion of Iraq and found several similarities. For example:

1. Both Sadam Hussein and Nabonidus, the king of Babylonia during the time of Cyrus, were unpopular with their people.

2. Both were minority kings, who ruled over a majority. Sadam Hussein, a Sunni, ruled over a majority of Kurds and Shiites, and Nabonidus, a follower of the Moon-God Sin, ruled over a majority of Marduk worshippers.

3. Both Persian forces and U.S. forces were initially received as liberators.

But here the similarities end. Unlike U.S. Forces, Cyrus managed to keep his image as 'liberator' from slipping to "occupier." We even know how he did it.

In his famous clay cylinder, Cyrus tells us in his own words that he did not allow any looting to take place: "I did not allow any troublemaker to arise. Marduk's city of Babylon and all his cult-centres I maintained in prosperity."

U.S. forces, on the other hand, consciously allowed looting to occur throughout Iraq. When asked why looting was permitted, one U.S. Officer replied, "Iraqi's are getting their first taste of freedom."

Cyrus granted amnesty to enemy fighters. According to Xenophon, Cyrus told Babylonian soldiers, "You shall dwell in the same houses and work the same farms; you shall lie with the same wives and have control of your children just as now. But you shall not have to fight either us or anyone else again."

The Bush Administration on the other hand embarked on a "De-Baathification" policy, which sent thousands of former Baath party members fleeing to their nearest insurgency group.

We also know that Cyrus spared the life of Nabonidus. According to Eusebius and Josephus, Cyrus even appointed him governor of Carmania in southern Iran. In contrast, the Bush Administration celebrated Sadam Hussein's recent death sentence as a "milestone for Coalition Forces."

These are but a few differences, which demonstrate just how far ahead of his time Cyrus really was. In other words, Cyrus treated the Babylonians with respect. Had U.S forces treated Iraqis with the same dignity, I'm quite certain they would be regarded today as liberators. But I can personally attest to their inhumane behavior, which is quite unusual for U.S. forces. As a veteran of the U.S. Navy, I know first-hand how decent American servicemen and women are. Their unfettered behavior in Iraq is the result of their Commander and Chief.

DK: You were born in Iran but raised in the US and I suppose with Hollywood films particularly Epics. You seem to share some frustration as to the lack of representation and even misrepresentation of Persians in the few films that were made on them, like Rudolph Maté's 300 Spartans or Oliver Stone's Alexander the Great. What explains this shortcoming in your viewpoint ?

CK: I'm not a conspiracy theorist. But something happened around the mid 19th century, which changed the West's perception of ancient Persia.

Before the 1850's, Xenophon was the West's main source for Persian history. Xenophon, a Greek mercenary in the employ of a genuine Achaemenian Prince, portrays the Persians as heroes who exercised benevolent power. This, along with the glowing accounts of the Old Testament, boded well for our Persian forefathers.

But after 1850, the West's official source for Persian history suddenly became Herodotus. So determined was the West in effecting this change, that it even called Herodotus, "The Father Of History." Herodotus was a Greek living in Persian-occupied Halicarnassus. As such, he depicts the Persians as barbaric tyrants who sought to overthrow Greece's fledgling democracy and enslave all of Europe.

This became the West's official stance on ancient Persia. It was taught thereafter in Western schools and eventually adopted by Hollywood. The newly released movie '300' and its forerunner '300 Spartans' is a fanciful tale about 300 Greek Spartans who hold 2 million Persians at bay at the Battle of Thermopylae and comes straight out of Herodotus' 'Histories.' Oliver Stone used this vilification of the Persians to make a hero out of Alexander, a feat not even Alexander's own scribes were able to accomplish.

I believe the sudden shift from Xenophon to Herodotus was a conscious and deliberate effort by the West to promote democracy. By opting for Herodotus, the West severed its ties with the East, solidifying its European identity and linking its history directly to Athenian democracy. At the same time anti-democratic Persia came to symbolize a monarchy from which America had fought to liberate itself.

The West's strategy worked. Today, democracy and human rights are seen as "Western Values, not only by the West but even by its detractors in the Middle East who dismiss democracy and human rights as the sinister trappings of Western neo-imperialism.


Unfortunately the truth has been the biggest victim in this Herodotian agenda. In fact, most historians know that the first practicing democracy and the first human rights legislation, in recorded history, both find their origins in Iran beginning with the Medes and Persians respectively. But when has Iran ever been credited for these invaluable contributions to human civilization?

Our film is truly revolutionary in that, for the first time, the world's leading scholars reveal the origins of what we have come to regard as "Western Values."


DK: What kind of Man was Cyrus ?

CK: If I had to describe Cyrus The Great in one word, it would be 'honorable.' All his other characteristics were built atop bedrock of 'honor' in the true Iranian tradition found in Ferdowsi's 'Shahnameh.'

Based on everything I've read, his unwavering honor made him a universally admired figure. His soldiers worshipped him. The Jews called him "Messiah" and Iranians called him "Father." He was even liked by his enemies. The Greeks called him "Law Giver," the Babylonians welcomed him as Marduk's elect. Some states such as Cilicia and Miletus even submitted to his rule voluntarily. He became the symbol of 'benevolent power.'

Dr. David Stronach, perhaps the world's foremost authority on Cyrus The Great, sums it up best: "For the first time in human history, Cyrus used his great power to improve the human condition rather than degrade it."

There have only been a handful of such leaders throughout history. But Cyrus was the first, which makes him a truly revolutionary figure.


DK: Having traveled for your film across the countries that were part of Cyrus' Empire how much of his historical legacy is still present today be it architecturally or philosophically?

CK: Cyrus's philosophical legacy survives today, more so in the West than in the country of his birth. Cyrus's philosophy of 'benevolent power' may well have shaped America's constitution. And since most of Western Europe modeled its constitutions after America's, Cyrus may well have helped shape Western civilization, as we know it.

Architecturally little remains of Cyrus's legacy. Cyropolis (The City Of Cyrus) in northern Tajikistan, still referred to by locals as "Kurkad" (short for Kurosh Kadeh), is but a mound of rubble today. We managed to film the last remaining brickwork visible on the mountain of dirt, which was once a massive fortress marking the northeastern-most border of his empire.

Furthermore the ruins of his capital city, Parsagarda, in southwestern Iran, are threatened by natural as well as man-made elements. The humidity resulting from the Sivand Dam, due to be inaugurated this Spring is expected to cause irreparable damage to Cyrus's palatial ruins.


Even worse, the dam will forever engulf the site of one of Cyrus's most historic battles. The rumors that both Parsagarda and Persepolis will be submerged under water are false and only empower those seeking to activate the dam. But the Tang-e Bolaghi will be lost forever and this will be a devastating loss to Cyrus's legacy.

The entrance of Tang-e Bolaghi is the confirmed location where Cyrus won his decisive victory over the Median forces of Astyages. Cyrus considered his victory at Tang-e Bolaghi so important that Nicolaus of Damascus, Polyaenus, and Strabo all tell us that Cyrus chose the site of Parsagarda, just outside Tang-e Bolaghi, as his new capital, to commemorate his victory over Astyages. In other words, if not for Cyrus's victory at Tang-e Bolaghi, the Persian Empire would have never existed. This sacred battleground will be lost to the Sivand Dam forever.

Imagine if the U.S. Government decided to flood Gettysburg, the hallowed battleground where the North won its decisive victory over the Confederate army of the South during America's Civil War. Americans would be up in arms. Yet Iranians, unaware of the historic importance of Tang-e Bolaghi, allow their heritage to be slowly wiped away in the name of "progress."

DK: Your film suggests that Cyrus' ideals may well have influenced Western Democracy, and even the American Constitution and Bill of Rights. Could you develop ?

CK: America's founding fathers took ideas from many sources. Aristotle probably provided the blueprint for America's democracy. But democracy does not necessarily guarantee human rights. In fact, it can lead to tyranny by the majority as it did in democratic Athens.

It is the U.S. Bill Of Rights, which makes America's democracy so powerful. And I believe Cyrus had a direct influence on America's Bill Of Rights.




Orson Welles Film Legend and narrator of Shahrokh Golestan's documentary
Flames of Persia directed in October 1971 in Persepolis.

In the Bible and the Cyropaedia, two of the most influential books read by the framers of America's Constitution, Cyrus exemplifies how granting citizens basic, god-given rights not only won't pose a threat to government but will even strengthen it.

But affording rights to citizens was risky business. Most rulers played it safe and followed Machiavelli's ominous advice that "It is better to be feared than loved." But America's founders broke with tradition and chose Cyrus's policy of 'benevolent government' for their new nation.

I reached this conclusion when I discovered five copies of Xenophon's Cyropaedia at the Library Of Congress in Washington D.C. Two copies belonged to Thomas Jefferson, the author of the U.S. Constitution (one in Greek, the other in Latin). Another would have almost certainly belonged to James Madison, Thomas Jefferson's closest confidant and another framer of America's Constitution. The curator told me that there were many more copies of the Cyropaedia before the fire of 1851, which destroyed much of the library.

But for confirmation we only need to look at the U.S. Constitution itself. The laws which held together the Persian Empire such as the separation of church and state, freedom of religion, and the right to life, liberty, and due process are virtually reincarnated in America's Constitution. The similarities between the United States and ancient Persia are not coincidental and neither was their meteoric rise to power.

DK: Your documentary must have required a great deal of research. Which experts did you consult on the subject and what were your sources ?

CK: I drew on many sources for my research. First and foremost was Dr. David Stronach, who, despite his stature and fame in the field of Archeology, was the most generous and humble of scholars. Dr. Maria Brosius, Dr. Cliff Rogers, Dr. Jennifer Rose, Dr. Kamyar Abdi, Dr. Mathew Stolper, Dr. William Sumner, Dr. Shapur Shahbazi, and many others played a significant role in helping me develop a clear and credible picture of the man who was Cyrus The Great.

My research was further supplemented by many books most noteworthy of which were 'The Cambridge History Of Iran,' 'Encyclopedia Iranica' and Pierre Briant's, 'From Cyrus To Alexander.'

DK: Several directors hope to make a feature film on Cyrus such as British director Alex Jovey and Iranian American Kayvan Mashayekh (The Keeper : The Legend of Omar Khayyam ). Given your knowledge on this historical figure which Hollywood actor or from Iranian Cinema could best encompass Cyrus' personality ?

CK: Unfortunately I'm not familiar with any Iranian actors, many of who would undoubtedly do great justice to Cyrus's image. But among Hollywood actors, I agree with my good friend Kayvan Mashayekh, who believes Clive Owen would capture Cyrus strong yet gentle nature. My second choice would be Benicio Del Toro

DK: Your documentary is still in production, when do you hope it will be out and where will it be distributed ( Cinema or TV) ?

CK: My film has languished due to lack of money. I have, so far, spent over $250,000 to complete pre-Production and am in the process of raising another $400,000 to finish post-Production which includes editing, sound, music, special effects, etc.

Once we raise the necessary funds, the film should be released within six months. I'm hoping to broadcast it to the combined, worldwide audiences of PBS and BBC. They are the most respectable outlets and offer the most reach since they are not pay channels.

I'm humbled by how many Iranians have rallied to our cause. Every single one of them is recognized on our website www.spentaproductions.com. I am truly honored by the trust and hard-earned money working Iranians are investing in me and my ability to bring something significant to the screen. I'm hoping a single wealthy donor will come forward to bring this project to a speedy conclusion.

DK : What would Cyrus the Great think of Ahmaninejad's Comments on Israel being wiped out were he alive today ?

CK: If we put politics aside and consider this question from a purely historical sense, it becomes quite clear that Cyrus recognized Judah, which is present-day Israel, as the Jewish homeland even 60 years after it had been destroyed by the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar, who burned its capital Jerusalem to the ground and deported over 40,000 Jews to Babylon to serve as slaves.

60 years later, when Cyrus conquered Babylonia, he freed all its slaves including the Jews, whose numbers had swelled to almost 200,000 according to Pierre Briant and David Stronach. But it was what he did afterwards, which is in direct conflict with Mr. Ahmadinejad's comments. Cyrus sent armed soldiers to escort the Jews back to Judah, and even paid to have their capital, Jerusalem rebuilt.

In other words, Cyrus created a new Jewish state, where none had existed for over six decades. Mr. Ahmadinejad's seems bent on doing the exact opposite. He wants to wipe out a Jewish State, which has existed for almost six decades.

As a student of Persian history, I've learned that being Iranian is about more than just being born on the real estate, which comprises today's Iran. It implies a set of values. The name Iranian by definition means "noble" or honorable. In fact, pre-Islamic Iranians referred to those who behaved dishonorably as "un-Iranian."

Therefore, as a champion of truth and righteousness, its safe to say that Cyrus would have considered Mr. Ahmadinejad's denial of the well-documented Holocaust and calls to wipe Israel off the map as lacking in honor.

DK: Cyrus, before asking the following question I'd like to remind our readers that in October 1971, the late Shah of Iran proudly celebrated 2500 years of Persian Monarchy with hundreds of foreign dignitaries, Kings and Queens in Persepolis and delivered a historical speech in front of Cyrus' Tomb at Pasargadae. The ceremony was bitterly criticized in the Western Anglo-Saxon Press as a waste and was to some degree misunderstood in Iran dividing the intelligentsia between pro's and con's. Yet 27 years after the revolution the DVD of the film that was directed by famed journalist Shahrokh Golestan and narrated by the Legendary Orson Welles remains a favorite to this day as one of the best-selling Iranian films on that period. Recently the current Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmaninejad (See article ) claimed to even want to rebuild the royal tents identically to what they were back in 1971. Have Iranians and their leaders, during the past centuries, failed to see in Cyrus' Legacy, anything else than just a set of ruins rather than his humanistic message that could have maybe benefit them both ?

CK: I'm no expert on Iranian politics. But it seems to me that neither pre-revolution nor post-revolution Iranians ever understood the essence of Cyrus The Great. Cyrus was the vehicle by which Iranian values were spread across much of the ancient world.

The late Shah saw Cyrus as a means to showcase his monarchy to the world. Yet by excluding the common people from taking part in the celebration, he defied the very values Cyrus stood for.

Perhaps we are too critical of the late Shah because we expected more from him. We don't expect much from Mr. Ahmadinejad and his cohorts other than to leave their Father's house standing while they occupy it. Mr. Ahmadinejad, after all, is the product of a movement, which sought to level Persepolis and plans to surrender Tang-e Bolaghi to the deep waters of the Sivand dam. One of its founding members, Mr. Khalkhali even wrote a book titled, 'Kourosh-e Doroughin-e Jenayat-kar (The False and Criminal Cyrus).

So if Mr. Ahmadinejad is considering rebuilding the royal tents as they were in 1971, he should be commended for it. If he stops the impending inauguration of the Sivand Dam, he might even realize a level of popularity hitherto unseen in post-revolutionary Iran.


DK: Given a quarter of a century of historical revisionism preached by the current Islamic Regime in Iran, do you feel that young Iranians today, particularly in Iran but also in the Diaspora, are aware of their pre-Islamic ancestry ?

CK: Today, most Iranians can name the wives of the prophets Mohammad, Ali, and Hussein. But most cannot name the wife of Cyrus The Great. Her name of course was Cassandana, and she bore Cyrus five children.

It seems to me that Iran's pre-Islamic history is just as important as its Islamic history. So why has Iran's Islamic alter ego never made peace with its pre-Islamic history?

History forms our identities. Iranians are among the lucky few who can truly be proud of their history. But they first need to know about it and understand the significant role their ancestors played in shaping human civilization.

Our film is a small but important investment in future-generation Iranians inside and outside Iran. Films make learning fun. They're faster and more entertaining than books. I believe a factual film about Cyrus The Great is important to complete the Iranian identity.



DK: Thank you Cyrus for your time and we look forward to seeing your film soon.



Cyrus' Cylinder: Considered as History's First Declaration of Human Rights
in Ancient Times is today displayed at the British Museum.
©British Museum, London



Author's notes:

Recommended Viewing:
A well documented website on Persepolis and Coronation Celebrations created by Portuguese Web Artists.

Cyrus the Great Memorial created by Artist Lewis Batros in Sydney's Bicentennial Park, Australia.



Recommended Reading: Persia? Ancient Persia's virtual absence in Hollywood By Darius KADIVAR



Recommended Reading: Two opposite yet equally respectable views in their own right on the Persepolis Celebrations of 1971:

We are Awake by Cyrus KADIVAR

Shah bee Shah by Jahanshah JAVID



Recommended Readings:
Iran to rebuild spectacular tent city at Persepolis by Robert TAIT (Guardian)

Ahmaninejad sets up international conference in Tehran to establish the Truth on the Holocaust by Robert TAIT (Guardian)



About the Author: Darius KADIVAR is a Freelance Journalist, Film Historian, and Media Consultant.

Please Help NOW Cyrus The Great Film Documentary By Director Cyrus Kar
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 2:59 pm    Post subject: Stonehenge workers' village found Reply with quote

Another Shame on The Islamic Fascist Occupiers Of Iran For Sivand Dam and All Past 28 years destruction to Iran .....

Quote:
Stonehenge workers' village found
Story Highlights• Village found about two miles from Stonehenge
• Eight houses excavated at Durrington Walls
• Stonehenge, village built around 2600 B.C.
• Scientists think Durrington Walls was for living, Stonehenge was a memorial
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/01/30/stonehenge.village.ap/index.html



WASHINGTON (AP) -- Archaeologists have uncovered what may have been a village for workers or festival-goers near the mysterious stone circle Stonehenge in England.

The village was located at Durrington Walls, about two miles from Stonehenge, and is also the location of a wooden version of the stone circle.

Eight houses have been excavated and the researchers believe there were at least 25 of them, archaeologist Mike Parker Pearson said Tuesday at a briefing held by the National Geographic Society. (Watch scientist describe big parties for Stonehenge builders)

The village was carbon dated to about 2600 B.C., about the same time Stonehenge was built. The Great Pyramid in Egypt was built at about the same time, said Parker Pearson of Sheffield University.

The small wooden houses had a central hearth, he said, and are almost identical to stone houses built at about the same time in the Orkney Islands.

The researchers speculated that Durrington Walls was a place for the living and Stonehenge -- where several cremated remains have been found -- was a cemetery and memorial.

Parker Pearson said remains of stone tools, animal bones, arrowheads and other artifacts were uncovered in the village.

Remains of pigs indicated they were about nine months old when killed, which would mark a midwinter festival, he said.

Parker Pearson said Stonehenge was oriented to face the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset, while the wooden circle at Durrington Walls faced the midwinter sunrise and midsummer sunset.

Julian Thomas of Manchester University noted that both Stonehenge and Durrington Walls have avenues connecting them to the Avon River, indicating a pattern of movement between the sites.

"Clearly, this is a place that was of enormous importance," he said of the new find.

Two of the houses, found by Thomas, were separate from the others and may have been the dwellings of community leaders or perhaps were cult houses used for religious rituals. Those sites lacked the debris and household trash that was common in the other homes, he noted.

Durrington appears "very much a place of the living," Parker Pearson said. In contrast, no one ever lived at the stone circle at Stonehenge, which was the largest cemetery in Britain of its time. Stonehenge is thought to contain 250 cremations.

The research was supported by the National Geographic Society, Arts & Humanities Research Council, English Heritage and Wessex Archaeology.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 3:17 pm    Post subject: Please help us keep the Persian historical monuments and her Reply with quote

IranPressNews wrote:

Please help us keep the Persian historical monuments and heritage from being destroyed by the Islamic Republic

http://www.iranpressnews.com/english/source/020272.html

Please help us save the ancient Persian capital Pasargadae and the tomb of the father of Pesia, Cyrus the great. The Islamic plans on submerging that area under water to destroy all traces of not only the heritage of the Iranian people but to deprive the world of one of it’s greatest historical treasures. Please help us put a stop to the Islamic Republic’s destruction of our history and culture…the way the Taliban destroyed the Buddhas of Bamiyan.

Please contact:
· UNECSCO Paris, Fax: 33-1-4568- 5570

E-mail: wh-info@unesco.org

The organization of the world heritage in cities or countries nearest you:

· Norway, fax: 47-24-14-01-01

E-mail: nwhf@nwhf.no

· Germany, fax: 49-89-3076-5102

E-Mail: info@welterbestiftung.de

· Canada, fax: 1-418-692-5558

E-mail : secretariat@ovpm.org

· England, fax: 44-1223-277-136

E-mail : info@unep-wcmc.org

· The United Nations, New York, Fax: 1-212 963-8712

Email: ngls@un.org

· Geneva, Fax: 41-22-917-0432

Email: ngls@unctad.org

The human rights organization in cities and countries nearest you:

· Chicago, Fax: 312-572-2454

E-mail: chicago@hrw.org

· New York, Fax: 1-(212) 736-1300

E-mail: hrwnyc@hrw.org

· Washington, Fax: (202) 612-4333

E-mail: hrwdc@hrw.org

· Los Angel es, Fax: (310) 477-4622

E-mail: hrwlasb@hrw.org

· San Francisco, Fax: 415. 362. 3255

E-mail: hrwlasb@hrw.org

· London, Fax: 44/207/ 713-1800

E-mail: hrwuk@hrw.org

· Brussels, Fax: 32/2/732-0471

E-mail: hrwbe@hrw.org

· Geneva, Fax: 41/22/738-1791

E-mail: hrwgva@hrw.org

· Berlin, Fax: 49/(0)30/2593-0629

E-mail: berlin@hrw.org

· Toronto, Tel: 416/322-8448 Fax: 416. 322. 3246

E-mail: toronto@hrw.org
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 9:58 pm    Post subject: THE IRANIAN RENAISSANCE Letter In Support Of Save Passargad Reply with quote

THE IRANIAN RENAISSANCE Letter In Support Of Save Passargad From Destruction

http://www.bamanook.com/page32.html


نامه یاران رنسانس برای نجات پاسارگارد

با شما هستیم ای مردم تاریخ دوست جهان!

آیا میدانید که در این روزها درکشور ایران کسانی شرایطی بوجود آورده اند تا یکی از قدیمی ترین بناهای باستانی و جایگاه سرود هستی و مهر و همزیستی را به نابودی بکشند!

مسئولین مربوطه، قصد دارند با ایجاد یک سد آبی کاملأ غیر ضروری در نزدیکی شهر باستانی پاسارگاد که آرامگاه کورش کبیر* نخستین پادشاه پارس در آنجا واقع شده، این مکان باستانی که متعلق به همه مردم کرۀ زمین است را به زیر آب برده و آن را نابود سازد!

بدین خاطر، ما مردم تاریخ دوست ایران زمین دست یاری و کمک بسوی جامعۀ جهانی دراز کرده و از شما خواهش میکنیم که به هر صورت ممکن جلوی این فاجعۀ عظیم تاریخی را بگیرید!

توجه!*

آرامگاه کورش کبیر، اولین پادشاه پارس است که پیام آور صلح و دوستی هم لقب گرفته و کتیبۀ صلح او در منشور سازمان ملل متحد نیز یافت میشود، در چند کیلومتری پرسپولیس پایتخت این سلسله بزرگ پارس قرار دارد.
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:06 pm    Post subject: My religion is Iranian By AmirN and Farsi Translation By Sia Reply with quote

My religion is Iranian By AmirN and Farsi Translation By Siavash Afshar

AmirN wrote:

My religion is Iranian
My God is Iran
My prophet is Kourosh
My Imams are Dariush, Xashayar, Ardeshir, Shapur, Khosro Anushiravan, Babak Khoramdin, Yaqoub Saffarid, Amir Kabir, and Reza Shah
My hidden Imam is Kaveh
My Apostle is Ferdowsi
My Holy Book is the Shahnameh
My commandments are written on the Kourosh Cylinder
My Mecca is Persepolis
My Holy shrines are at Pasargad, Behistun, and Naqshe Rostam
My Ashura is Qadissiyah
My martyrs are Rostam Farokhzad and Yazdgerd
My Holy Banner is the Derafshe Kaviyani
My Jerusalem is Ctesiphone
My Judas is Salman Farsi
My anti-Christ is Mohammad
My Yazid is Ali
My Shemr is Omar
My demons are the Akhounds
My Satan is Allah
My angels are the Iranian nationalists
My cross is the Faravahar
My Hell is Islam
My Paradise is Nowrouz, Chaharshanbe Souri, Mehregan, Yalda
My temple is my own heart
My religious conviction is knowledge
My faith is logic
My sermon is history




Not 100% Exact Translation (But Very Close) To Farsi From English By Siavash Afshar wrote:


http://www.bamanook.com/page11.html

من آریائی ام

خدای من ایران است
پیغمبر من کوروش کبیر است
امامان من داریوش کبیر, خشایارشاه, اردشیر,مازیار,
انوشیروان عادل, بابک خرم دین و رضاشاه
امان زمان من کاوه آهنگر ست
روحانیان من مولوی, فردوسی, حافظ, سعدی و ابن سیناست
کتاب مقدس من شاهنامه ست
دستورات دین من بر روی لوحه کوروش کبیر نوشته شده است
اصول و فروع دین من لوحه حقوق بشر کوروش کبیر است
عاشورای من 18 تیر و قادسیه است
شهدای من رستم فرخزاد, یزدگرد ست
پرچم من درفش کاویانی ست
یزید من خمینی ست
اورشلیم من مدائن و نقش جهان است
مراد من مولاناست
شمر من خلخالی ست
و شیطان من آخوند است
فرشتگان من زهرا کاظمی و اکبر محمدی ست
صلیب من فر و هر است
جهنم من جمهوری اسلامی ست
بهشت من آزادی ست
عید من مهرگان و نوروز است
محراب من قلب من است
دین من عشق و دانش است
ایمان من عقل و خرد ست
آینده من رنسانس ایرانیست
مرام من دموکراسی ست
خوی من سکولار و هخامنشیست
ذات من آریائیست
دوست من عدالت است
دشمن من ظلم و جهل است
ذکر من پاینده ایران ست
مذهب من آریائیست
من ایرانیم من آریائیم

امیر-ن




Victoria Azad Poem wrote:


به کوروش، به کاوه، به بابک قسم

از: ويکتوريا آزاد

آهای…. ای غاصب سد شکن

ز خشم خدايان بابل ترا باک نيست؟

به کوروش، به کاوه، به بابک قسم

به تنگ بلاغی، به دشت پاسارگاد قسم

به کوه کلات و به خون سياوش قسم

چو بر سد سيوند خسران زنی

عذابی سخت بر جان خری

تو را گر فزونی بگشته غرور

بدان که غرورت به زيرت کشد، ابلهی

چنان خواری و پستی و ذلت کشی

که از سد سيوند ندامت کشی

تو را هشدار باد ای سفيه

که تاريخ ما را ميازار بيش از اين

به ايران، همان مهد عشق آفرين

چنان ظلم و جوری روا داشتيد

که بار گناهانتان پاک نتوان مگر

ببوسی مزار کوروش عدل آفرين

بگويی ز کرده پشيمان شدی

از آن جور و ظلمت هراسان شدی

به دروازه سد سيوند چون رو کنی

پشيمان ز کرده سجودی کنی

که تا آن غرورآفرين شاهراه

تو را در پناهش همی جا دهد

و از زجر جانکاه تو کاهد و

حماسی ترين دشت ايران ما

زچنگال توباز گیرد به ایرانیان وا نهد !

http://victoriaazad.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=88&Itemid=31


Last edited by cyrus on Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:11 pm; edited 7 times in total
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:58 pm    Post subject: Cultural genocide in the name of Islam Reply with quote


Cultural genocide in the name of Islam
By Amil Imani

http://www.americanthinker.com/2005/09/cultural_genocide_in_the_name.html

The Islamic Republic of Iran has renewed its war of destruction on Persian antiquities. Its intention is to build up an Islamic empire and to change the whole face of Iran into a backward purely Islamic nation. The Islamic Republic of Iran sees its Persian heritage as a formidable enemy of its conquest. It aims at turning Iran into a pure form of an Islamic nation. Hence, they have waged a war on Persian antiquities in the hope of suppressing Persian pride and nationalism.

"Cultural genocide" is a term sometimes used to describe the deliberate destruction of the cultural heritage of a people or nation for political or military reasons. Since its inception twenty—six years ago, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been in a state of constant war with the Iranian people as well as the Iranian heritage.

Over its life span, the Islamic Republic zealots have tried many times to cleanse the pre—Islamic Persian heritage in the name of Islam. First, they declared war against the Persian New Year or 'Nowruz', and then they attacked other Persian traditions and customs. At the beginning of the revolution, Islamic zealots rushed to the site of the Persepolis, the magnificent palace of the Achaemenid kings. Fortunately, the total bulldozing of the relics of the Palace was averted by Iranian patriots who wished to preserve their heritage.

In their latest attempt in the war of destruction, the Islamic Republic has been insidiously planning to obliterate some of the most cherished places in Persian history. They intend to eradicate the Pasargad, the Bolaghi gorge and the Persepolis. Most of all, they are obliterating the memory of one of history's great rulers, Cyrus the Great.

In Pasargad is found the tomb of Cyrus the Great, the King of Kings and the founding father of Persia. Cyrus the Great, who is mentioned twenty—five times in the Bible, is known for his passion and compassion and his unprecedented tolerance. Cyrus the Great's Charter of Human Rights is known to be the first such charter written, and refers to the concept of humans as having universal rights, regardless of legal jurisdiction, ethnicity, nationality or religion.

Cyrus the Great's most notable reputation of a great leader stands high as a Persian king who freed the Jews from captivity by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
Cyrus the Great, not only allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple, but assisted the Jews in this endeavor, something which was followed by his heirs.

Cyrus the Great proclaimed more than 2500 years ago,

"Today, I announce that everyone is free to choose a religion and free to live in all regions and take up a job provided that they never violate other's rights."

Cyrus the Great declared himself not a conqueror, but a liberator.

It has been said that Alexander the Great set the torch to Persepolis in a drunken rage, regretting it the following day. Alexander the Great plundered Persia. He destroyed and burned Persepolis, the magnificent palace complex of the Achaemenid kings. Yet, Alexander the Great paid tribute to Cyrus the Great at his tomb. This shows how much the king of kings was respected, even in the eyes of his fierce enemies. What Alexander came to set on fire to more than 2200 years ago, the Islamic Republic intends to submerge today.

In its war of construction and destruction, the Islamic Republic has been building "Sivand Dam" near the Persian antiquities. The construction of the Sivand Dam on the Polvar River began in 1992 without consultation with or the knowledge of the World Cultural Heritage Organization officials. The dam's opening was planned in March 2005, but the Iranian energy ministry has delayed it to early 2006 to give the archaeologists more time to examine the sites.

This dam will flood the entire Tang—e Bolaghi (Bolaghi Gorge) mountain pass and the surrounding region. That would lead to some 8 kilometers of the Bolaghi Gorge being submerged and lost forever. Thus, experts of ICHCTO and the Pars—e Pasargad Research Foundation quickly undertook a project to study the area. So far they have identified more than 100 archeological sites there

The Islamic Republic's ulterior motive in building "Sivand Dam" so close to the archeological sites was to intentionally flood the vast archeological area of Pasargad, including the tomb of Cyrus the Great, Bolaghi Gorge, the King's path and the main historical road of Persia, which was constructed by order of Darius of the Achaemenids and the relics of the magnificent palace of Persepolis.

Although the Islamic Republic's records speak dismally for itself, there are numerous reasons for this cultural genocide by the Islamic regime, in Iran.
The Islamic regime's decision to destroy Cyrus the Great's tomb is due to their inner fear of the personification of Cyrus the Great in the heart of every Persian. Since Cyrus the Great released the Jews from captivity some 2500 years ago, the Islamic Republic's intense hatred of Jews has fueled their mission of destruction. Also, fear of Persian nationalism is so immense that it stands in their way of creating an Islamic Utopia. These fears are justified, especially following the news on the future release of a British movie on the life of Cyrus the Great.

Today, we are up against a truly malignant force in radical Islamism that is breeding, sheltering and financing its terrorist armory. This new enemy of humanity and world heritage is far more radical and dangerous than the Nazi Germany or the old Soviet Russia ever were. The Islamic Republic's ultimate objective is the destruction of everything in the world that is good and leaving behind a network of Islamic terror around the free world.

Let us hope that people of the earth become united against the forces of evil and evildoers of radical Islamism. Let us hope that the free world applies pressure to the Islamic Republic to prevent them from purging the Persian heritage.
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