ABS Community Research, Inc.

~ Draft for Commission Meeting with Constituents: June 6, 2011 ~

CITY OF BERKELEY PEACE & JUSTICE COMMISSION

Resolution to Condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran for treatment of religious minorities, treatment of ethnic minorities, treatment of women, censorship, massive number of executions, juvenile executions, gay executions, and pursuit of nuclear weapons coupled with genocidal incitement

WHEREAS, the Peace and Justice Commission advises the City Council in all matters relating to the City of Berkeley’s role in issues of peace and social justice(Berkeley Municipal Code(BMC) Chapter 369.070; and

WHEREAS Iran continues to defy the international community with a quest for nuclear weapons while making statements of genocidal incitement which could have desvastating consequences for the United States and the rest of the world,

WHEREAS Interpretations of Islamic law by the government have meant that women have systematically been refused education, have had their homes destroyed and have faced constant harassment.

WHEREAS, Iran 180, whose slogan is “human rights not nuclear rights”, and other human rights groups staged a protest seminar in front of the United Nations on March 3, 2011, one day before Iran was elected to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, in which a litany of human rights abuses that take place daily in Iran were highlighted, which was staged with the objective of raising awareness of Iran’s violations of women’s rights and protesting against the welcoming of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the newest member of the UN Commission on the Status of Women at its 56th session. Irwin Cotler, Canadian MP and chair of the International Responsiblity to Protect Coalition has warned that “Iran is on an execution binge, making a wholesale assault on its own people. In 2011 alone, Iran has executed at least 120 people. Many executions are in secret, taking place after arrests, detentions, beatings, torture, kidnappings, disappearances and brief trial at which no evidence is presented.” Iranian rights activist Fariba Davoodi told of her incarceration in Iran and the barbaric tortures inflicted upon her. “We hope very soon we will live in a free and democratic Iran, but so long as this regime is in power our hopes will not be realized.”

WHEREAS, United States Secretary of State Clinton testified to the Senate Appropriations Committee on March 2, 2011, that the leadership of Iran is “a human rights abuser”, and that “it is not possible to contain a nuclear Iran”, and

WHEREAS, Iran has brutally suppressed its own popular Green Movement, a pro-democracy movement which needs outside help, and

WHEREAS, In the face of massive regime violence, Iran’s anti-regime protesters are out in force in cities throughout the country demanding their freedom and a new regime. Secretary of State Clinton testified that, ” It will be much harder for any other pro-democracy forces such as in Egypt to build an open democracy with the current Iranian leadership arming proxies to increase influence in the entire region”,and

WHEREAS, no one has supplied Iran’s embattled revolutionaries with proxy servers when the regime brought down their internet communications, no one has given them arms, no one has demanded that Iran be thrown out of all UN bodies pending the release of thousands of political prisoners being tortured in the mullah’s jails, no one funds round the clock broadcasts into Iran to help regime opponents organize and coordinate their operations, and no one has discussed instituting a no-fly zone over Iran to protect protesters, and

WHEREAS, according to the testimony of Secretary of State Clinton, ” Iran is a primary engine of war, terror, nuclear proliferation and instability, and as long as the regime survives it will be very difficult for liberal forces in the region to gain strength and influence, and the only way to curb Iran’s danger to the region, the only chance of preventing Iran from plunging the world into war, is the overthrow of the regime. A secular democratic Iran would be far less dangerous to the region and the world”.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Berkeley condemns ongoing violations of human rights by the leadership of Iran as presented by Iran 180, a movement of people and organizations who have come together as a unifed voice to demand a 180 by the Iranian government on their pursuit of nuclear weapons and the treatment of their citizens.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Berkeley condemns the United Nations for electing Iran to the Commission on the Status of Women, which is a serious insult to the women of the world.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Berkeley supports the efforts of the United States in all relevant agencies to assist the Green movement in Iran, to assist torture victims, to assist prisoners, to supply proxy servers, broadcast communications, to institute a no-fly zone to protect protesters, and to generally indicate that peace will come not through appeasement but through resolve.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Berkeley send copies of this resolution to President Barack Obama, Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, Congresswomen Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Lee, President of the United Nations General Assembly Ban Ki-Moon, and United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice.


EVENT DETAIL:

North Berkeley Senior Center, northeast corner of Hearst & MLK, Berkeley, CA 7p.

http://atimetobetray.com/blog/city-of-berkeley-peace-and-justice-commission/