Channels

'Entire world must rise against this regime'
Photo: Reuters
Ahmadinejad. To address UN General Assembly
Photo: AFP
Yoni Itzhak. 'Israelis showing responsibility'

Students to protest for freedom during Ahmadinejad speech

Series of Israeli, Jewish organizations join forces ahead of Iranian president's UN address. 'Young people there suffer more, because the adults are still afraid,' Israeli who emigrated from Iran tells Ynet

A new organization of several Israeli and Jewish student groups is working to help young people who are thousands of kilometers away – in Iran. Ahead of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming address at the United Nations General Assembly, Israelis have increased their PR activity in favor of Iranians being oppressed by their regime.

 

In recent months, following the waves of protest in response to the election results in the Islamic republic, Israeli students have been in touch with young Iranians seeking help and describing horror stories on the events taking place in their country.

 

At the same time, they are following reports on thousands of people hurt during rallies, and even tortured and raped in jail, all because of their opposition to the government.

 

During Ahmadinejad's speech, members of "Amenu" (the Young World Labor Zionist Movement) will protest in New York together with members of the "Habonim Dror" global Jewish youth movement and other social and student organizations.

 

"Young people in Iran suffer more, because the adults are still afraid," explains Kamal Penhasi, who immigrated to Israel from Iran in 1979. He is the editor of Persian-language newspaper Shahyad and is in close contact with the Iranian opposition and oppressed youngsters in the Islamic republic.

 

"The grownups are more established, while the young ones are exposed to what is taking place outside Iran – with satellite dishes, despite the prohibitions, Twitter and Facebook. The entire world must rise against this regime, and this is why we have decided to act now," he told Ynet.

 

Several weeks ago, he testified in Belgium in the trial of an Iranian woman, a child psychologist seeking political asylum.

 

'Want a democratic life like ours'

Behind this initiative is a group of youngsters and students, members of the World Jewish Congress, the World Labor Zionist Movement, the National Union of Israeli Students and other organizations. In a leaflet distributed in recent days across the world, they say, "Stop the terrorist regime in Iran!"

 

As is the custom these days, the message is being distributed on social networks. On Wednesday, hundreds of young Israelis are planning to change their status line for 24 hours into "Young Israelis fighting for young Iranians!" in Hebrew and in English.


 

Opposition protest in Iran. Authorities following youngsters (Photo: AFP)

 

According to Yoni Itzhak, chairman of the Young World Labor Zionist Movement, "We are launching this campaign in order to show the world that young Israelis are showing responsibility towards young people and students from another country who want to live a democratic life like ours, and are taking responsibility for their future."

 

Omid Sulimani, who emigrated from Iran several years ago, is also in touch with Iranian youths. "We have been following the foreign media and were shocked to see the many young people being threatened, abused and tortured," he says. "This activity of solidarity requires us, young people, to take part."

 

Among the horrors, the Iranian youths told those who spoke to them about a young woman whose tied up hair could be seen from under her veil, and who was therefore sent to jail, where she was raped and tortured.

 

At the Kahrizak Prison, located outside Tehran, there were reports of harsh cases of abuse against people arrested during the waves of protest. After this was revealed, the authorities closed down the prison "so as not to destroy evidence," young opposition supporters claimed.

 

The European Students' Union also sent letters of support to student organizations in Iran, and the Israeli union is attempting to help. "It's difficult for us to contact Iranian students, because they are being followed," says Lilach Meir, head of the union's external relations department. "We are constantly following the matter and trying to help."

 


פרסום ראשון: 09.22.09, 00:46
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment