Walkout at Iran president's speech
Monday, April 20, 2009
Diplomats have walked out of a UN anti-racism conference during a speech by the Iranian president in which he described Israel as "totally racist". 
Dozens of delegates got up and left, moments after two protesters wearing coloured wigs disrupted the start of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech.
Diplomats who remained applauded as Mr Ahmadinejad continued his address.
France said it was a "hate speech" and the US called it "vile". Some countries had boycotted the meeting altogether.
The walkout is a public relations disaster for the United Nations, which had hoped the conference would be a shining example of what the UN is supposed to do best - uniting to combat injustice in the world, says the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva.
Diplomats who remained applauded as Mr Ahmadinejad continued his address.
France said it was a "hate speech" and the US called it "vile". Some countries had boycotted the meeting altogether.
The walkout is a public relations disaster for the United Nations, which had hoped the conference would be a shining example of what the UN is supposed to do best - uniting to combat injustice in the world, says the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva.
UN dismay
The walkout by delegates from at least 30 countries happened within minutes of the start of the speech.
The officials planned to return later to participate in the rest of the conference.
One of the two protesters escorted out of the conference hall managed to throw a red clown's nose at the Iranian president, as they yelled "racist, racist" as he stood at the podium.
Mr Ahmadinejad, the only major leader to attend the conference, said Jewish migrants from Europe and the United States had been sent to the Middle East after World War II "in order to establish a racist government in the occupied Palestine".
He continued, through an interpreter: "And in fact, in compensation for the dire consequences of racism in Europe, they helped bring to power the most cruel and repressive racist regime in Palestine."
French Ambassador Jean-Baptiste Mattei said: "As soon as he started to address the question of the Jewish people and Israel, we had no reason to stay in the room," the Associated Press news agency reported.
The officials planned to return later to participate in the rest of the conference.
One of the two protesters escorted out of the conference hall managed to throw a red clown's nose at the Iranian president, as they yelled "racist, racist" as he stood at the podium.
Mr Ahmadinejad, the only major leader to attend the conference, said Jewish migrants from Europe and the United States had been sent to the Middle East after World War II "in order to establish a racist government in the occupied Palestine".
He continued, through an interpreter: "And in fact, in compensation for the dire consequences of racism in Europe, they helped bring to power the most cruel and repressive racist regime in Palestine."
French Ambassador Jean-Baptiste Mattei said: "As soon as he started to address the question of the Jewish people and Israel, we had no reason to stay in the room," the Associated Press news agency reported.
British Ambassador Peter Gooderham, also among those who left, said "such inflammatory rhetoric has no place whatsoever in a United Nations conference addressing the whole issue of racism and how to address it."
Speaking to the BBC Radio 4's PM programme, he said of the Iranian leader's accusation of Israeli racism: "That is a charge we unreservedly condemn and so we had no hesitation at that point in leaving the conference hall."
The US, Israel, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and New Zealand had all boycotted the conference being held in Geneva, in protest at Mr Ahmadinejad's appearance.
His comments were described as "an absolute disgrace" by Israeli President Shimon Peres, attending a Holocaust Remembrance Day event in Jerusalem.
Israel had earlier recalled its ambassador to Switzerland.
Mr Ahmadinejad told a press conference after his speech that the countries boycotting the forum were showing "arrogance and selfishness".
The US Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Alejandro Wolff, said the speech was "inaccurate", as well as showing disregard towards the UN, and "does a grave injustice to the Iranian nation and the Iranian people".
Speaking at UN headquarters in New York, he said: "We call on the Iranian leadership to show much measured, moderate, honest and constructive rhetoric when dealing with issues in the region, and not this type of vile, hateful, inciteful speech."
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner had warned that French delegates would walk out if the forum was used as a platform to attack Israel.
Speaking at UN headquarters in New York, he said: "We call on the Iranian leadership to show much measured, moderate, honest and constructive rhetoric when dealing with issues in the region, and not this type of vile, hateful, inciteful speech."
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner had warned that French delegates would walk out if the forum was used as a platform to attack Israel.
Speaking after the walkout, he said: "The defence of human rights and the fight against all types of racism are too important for the United Nations not to unite against all forms of hate speech, against all perversion of this message.
"Faced with attitudes like that which the Iranian president has just adopted, no compromise is possible."
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed dismay at the boycotts and the speech, saying Mr Ahmadinejad had used his speech "to accuse, divide and even incite".
posted by Goftaniha @ 1:27 PM,
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Foreign deposit (cash) of Iranian leaders
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Interesting, although I am not sure if it’s true.Supposedly in August Bank employees in Iran sent this partial list outside f the country, if it’s true, it’s sad that our people don’t have safe water or enough food and the oil money is being hoarded by these supposed men of Islam....What do u guys think??On August 2000, a group of Iranian banks employees revealed the financial frauds of most Islamic republic"s regime leaders and published part of their assets in foreign banks. Based on this report sent to outside Iran, which made start indirectly a series of Public statements printed in many Iranian and Foreign Newspapers, Millions of dollars of Public funds have been transferred during the last 15 years while the Islamic leader (on this list) is asking for an investigation on Official corruption and his regime for more loans to supposedly help the Iranian economy.Already and based on a scandal which shook the regime in 1997, Morteza Rafighdoost, brother of Mohsen Rafighdoost head of the Janbazan Foundation was indicted in connection with a Financial fraud of over 100 BILLIONS of Tomans (3 BILLIONS of US Dollars in official exchange rate and as most malversations were done based on Official rates which is a privilege of Governmental foundations). Irony is that Mohsen Rafighdoost still at the head of the Foundation nowadays.The partial list was as follow:
1- Ali Khamenei
- Sparkasse Bank (Frankfurt/Germany) ,Acct. # 234075617
DM 112.1 Millions
- Corner Bank (Geneve/CH) ,Acct. # 217824
US$ 97 Millions
- Banque Cantonale (Lausanne/CH), Acct. # 71713
US$ 73.2 Millions
2-Ali Akbar Hashemi Rasfandjani
- Union Bank Suisse (Geneve/CH) , Acct.# 223870390
SF 532.5 Millions
- Societe Generale (Zurich/CH) , Acct.# 30064183
DM 477.2 Millions
- Sparkasse (Ciborg/Germany), Acct. # 2957132
DM 238.2 Millions
3- Mohammad Ali Tasskhiri
- Societe Generale (Geneve/Ch) , Acct.# 500032654
DM 280.7 Millions
- Midland Bank (London/UK) , Acct.# 832-150270
BP 12.2 Millions
- Dressdner bank (Dusserdolf/Germany) , Acct.# 8354783
DM 48.3 Millions
4- Mohammad Golpayegani
- Credit Bank Suisse (Geneve/CH), Acct.# CEO7680
SF 85.7 Millions
5- Bijan Namdar Zangene
- Union Bank Suisse (Geneve/CH) , Acct.# 314380320
US$ 141.7 Millions
6-Habibollah Asgar Oladi
- Corner Bank (Geneve/CH) , Acct. # 3983BHK
US$ 180 Millions
7-Ahmad Jannati
- Midland Bank (London/UK) , Acct.# 92114016
BP 54.2 Millions
8- Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri
- Union Banque Suisse (Geneve/CH) , Acct.# 2102120321ND
USD 123.9 Millions
- Deutsh bank (Hamburg/Germany), Acct.# 03223486
DM 64.1 Millions
9- Mohsen Rafighdoost
- Union Banque Suisse (Geneve/CH), Acct.# 2183130687
USD 122.7 Millions
10-Mohsen Hashemi Bahremani
- Deutsh bank (Munchen 3/Germany) , Acct.# 1732736
DM 370.7 Millions
- Credit Bank (Geneve/CH), Acct.# 928530FC
USD 178.2 Millions
11- Abbas Vaez-Tabassi
- Corner Bank (Geneve/CH), Acct.# FAH7272
SF 97.2 Millions
- Sparkasse (Hamburg/Germany), Acct #. DFH72251660
USD 216.7 Millions
12- Hossein Shariatmadari
- Midland Bank (London/UK), Acct.# 34414011: BP 37.8 Millions
13- Mohsen Rezai
- Union Banque Suisse (Geneve/CH) Acct.# 442760430: USD 78.2 Millions
- Credit Bank (Geneve/CH) Acct.# FAH7967: SF 52.7 Millions
14- Massood Movahedian
- Commerz Bank (Koln/Germany) Acct.# 3528817: DM 287.8 Millions
15-Kamal Kharrazi
- Corner Bank (Geneve/CH) Acct.# AMF4567: USD 18.2 Millions
16- Ali-Reza Mo-ayeri
- Societe Generale (Geneve/CH) Acct.# 50024814: USD12.6 Millions
17-Hossein Kordi
- Corner Bank (Geneve/CH) Acct.#14710025: USD 14.7 Millions
18- Abbas-Ali Forooghi
- Corner Bank (Geneve/CH) Acct.# 12930034: USD 10.7 Millions
19- Mohammad Hashemi Bahremani
- Deutsh Bank (Munich 3/Germany) Acct.# 1734726: DM 177.2 Millions
posted by Goftaniha @ 4:40 AM,
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The Author
Amir Farshad Ebrahimi . Phd
My name is Amir Farshad Ebrahimi ,I was born in Gholhak(north of Tehran), I am a freelance broadcast journalist and a blogger.I have written many articles and blog posts related to Iranian politics. I have been working with an American organization as a consultant on Iran's human rights issues and against radical fundamental groups since 2005. This blog on Iran's politics, culture, and human rights news is designed to inspire young Iranians. I hope to one day return to my homeland, Iran. I have written (Persian) can be found under: www.goftaniha.org
About This Blog
This blog is a on Iran, Political and pop culture, art, and Human Rights. Its purpose is to inspire creativity by sharing links and resources. Albert Einstein said, “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources,” but what the hell did he know anyway? The site was conceived by Farshad , like all good ideas, while goofing off at work.
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