Mousavi and Rahnavard Visit Arabsorkhi’s Family

Source: Kalemeh
Date: Monday, November 2, 2009

Mir Hossein Mousavi and his wife, Zahra Rahnavard, have visited the home and family of Feizollah Arabsorkhi, a member of the Mojahedin [fighters] of the Islamic Revolution party who has been imprisoned for four months. Mousavi and his wife have promised to support the family’s struggle.

Kalemeh, a website close to Mousavi, reports that he has expressed grief and disappointment with the detainment of political figures: “Whether it be the descendants of the revolution who struggled for it or the youth who entered the movement and pushed it a long way with their pure and innocent intentions – these people never any objective other than to rebuild and support the nation.”

He insisted that “neither of the aforementioned groups was after devastation and anarchism.” Moreover, he confirms that their goal was actually a “rebuilding [of] the country” and expressed disbelief about the fact that this objective has been misunderstood.

He affirms that “those against the establishment never entered the movement.”
He also spoke about the difficulties currently being experienced [by the opposition]: “We have endured numerous hardships since before the revolution. We take the hardship we endure now simply as a continuation of our old struggle along the same path.”

Mousavi stated that “the process will definitely lead to better conditions.” He also revealed his conviction that, eventually, “everything […] will turn out for the benefit of [the] country.”

The former prime-minister, who was very close to the Imam, continued by alluding to political figures who have been imprisoned since the post-election incidents: “During their round-the-clock dialogue with the children of the revolution, the interrogators will find themselves in a crisis. It’s natural for them to undergo some self-reflection at night and reconsider their actions.”

He continued: “The information that we have received from the prisons tells us that the interrogations have already created a crisis between the questioners and the detained.”

Mousavi recalled that he had demanded freedom of the press and the media from the beginning and emphasized that had his request been granted, “we wouldn’t be [in this mess] right now.” He stressed that a restricted media is “one of the main problems we face today .”

The Imam’s prime minister further indicated that “people should be treated with dignity and respect, whether they are the children of the revolution, who have endured a lot to maintain its well-being, or the youth who have entered the movement with good intentions.” He added that “beating them up, imprisoning them, expelling them from schools and denying them further education are not [viable] solutions.”

He described a ‘solution’ as one wherein “people come to see that those responsible for the crimes at Kahrizak and for the campus beatings have been dealt what they deserve.” He also stipulates that political detainees must be adjudicated “publicly and fairly by a jury and according to the laws of the constitution” so that their defense can be accessible to the public. A failure to implement the stipulations of the constitution in whole would, in his eyes, “discredit it entirely and eradicate its status as a national and religious legacy.”

During this meeting, Zahra Rahnavard also alluded to the great role that women have played in the quest for freedom and praised their contributions to the green movement: “In the current situation, the women of Iran posses great intellectual, scientific and organizational skills, as well as the capacity for resistance. As such, they have been at the forefront of the green movement. Women have not only put their thoughts and efforts towards the benefit of the country and pushed to achieve democratic ideals – they have also persisted in their demands to end discrimination.” Furthermore, she stated:

“Imprisoning free-thinking women, – whether it’s those who fight against discrimination or those who were at the forefront of the green movement – is very detrimental to freedom and other Islamic ideals. Therefore, I demand the unconditional release of all prisoners, especially the immediate release of all detained women.” Moreover, she insisted that “imprisonment sketches a terrible public image of the Islamic Republic.”

Feizoallah’s wife was last permitted to visit him on Wednesday of last week, although their daughters were not. She condemned the current atmosphere of uncertainty and the absence of a trial despite the fact that interrogations were over. During the visit, her husband informed her of something he declared to his interrogator “I have so much faith in the path I have followed during these 30 years that if you execute me, I believe I will ascend to my martyred brothers.”