GUEST BLOGGERS: two of Firuzeh Mahmoudi’s teammates from UNITED4IRAN.ORG

Dear friends of ZAHRA’S PARADISE. Last Friday’s blog entry contained offerings from Amir and a guest blog from the inspiring Firuzeh Mahmoudi. She sent us a couple of short entries from two fellow members of United4Iran.org, Tania and Shirin.

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From Tania:

I am not Iranian, but that never seemed to me the point. I am surprised that I have been asked by almost every city organizer across the globe with whom I work “how I got into this”. It’s obvious to them from my name and north american accent that I am not persian, and therefore they inquire. What happened and continues to happen in Iran at the hands of the current rulers is the deepest insult to being a member of the species homo sapien sapien–that’s all. It matters not to me what the ancestral background of those who are suffering–what matters is that we humanity must respond and stand up to protect our brothers and sisters. I have to say it makes me a teeny bit sad that people think it’s noteworthy that a non-iranian is involved in this work.

So–I have a regular occupation in addition to my work with united4iran, and in the last five weeks, a day for me consists in doing that work, and doing my city organizing work with u4i. So a chunk of fifteen minutes could look like a heated and acrimonious call about a case with an opposing counsel, followed by a warm, connected, and laughter-filled call with one of the almost twenty city organizers with whom I work. There is nothing–nothing so uplifting and life-affirming as working together with like-minded people on a common goal to attempt to eviscerate oppression and aid those who are suffering. I swear I am daily moved almost to tears by acts of commitment and decency I see from my colleagues both within u4i and across the planet.

It’s a lot of juggling–a call here to Dubai to check up on how things are going–but making sure I don’t call the contact in the middle of his night, to a call to a neighboring state who I owe information promised days earlier, to contacting the vendor from whom we ordered jewelry to make sure the font is right–then organizing a group phone call, to talking with an organizer about an issue they are having with a non-message aligned group, to assuring our fearless coordinator Firuzeh that I am not a flake even by all reasonable standards it would appear so.

I have been on this planet for 47 years and I can say without hesitation that working with united4iran has been the most rewarding, spirit-soaring, all around positive work with which I have ever been involved. While it is a tragedy that the work needs to be done, it is a blessing to me that I am able to try to help.

May peace and human decency reign over all the world soon. I thank whomever or whatever for the opportunity to do this work.

Tania

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From Shirin:

I have had the honor of working with United4Iran for its upcoming global day of action on June 12.  United4Iran’s goal of highlighting the ongoing human rights abuses in Iran using non-political means has brought a wide range of likeminded individuals, activists, and groups together.  By empowering independent local groups and guiding them through the process, United4Iran ensures creation of strong local groups working toward a common goal of addressing human rights violations in Iran. It is amazing to see groups in different countries from India to Brazil and South Africa to Poland utilizing the same means and working toward the same goal.

I am a Bahai and it makes me extremely proud when I see Iranians are all joining hands to address the human rights violations of ALL Iranians no matter what belief, ethnicity, and religious background they might be.

In the past, I have been extremely cautious not to closely associate myself with groups that might have political agendas behind them.  In United4Iran, I have found a cause that is both extremely close to my heart, a cause that is universal and based on the dignity of human being and is free from the limitations and narrowness of partisan politics.

It has been an honor and pleasure to work  with such an amazing group of people.

Ba Sepas, Shirin

United4Iran.org

twitter.com/United4Iran

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