Some of you will remember the jailed Iranian trade unionist Farzad Kamangar. He was the subject of a LabourStart campaign more than a year ago.

Kamangar was accused by the regime of “endangering national security” and “enmity against God”. He was convicted in a sham trial that lasted less than five minutes, sent to prison and tortured.

Teachers’ unions around the world campaigned for his release, backed by the labour movement and human rights groups like Amnesty International.

Last weekend, the Iranian regime executed Farzad together with several other prisoners. He was hanged secretly, without his family being informed, in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran.

As the one-year anniversary of Iran’s fraudulent Presidential elections approaches, we have reason to fear that the regime will become even more brutal in its crackdown. Other trade unionists languishing in Iranian jails now fear for their lives too.

We must act now to send a loud and clear message to Tehran — no more executions! Please take a minute and send off your message.

And afterwards, please make sure to spread the word in your union. We must act quickly to save the lives of our fellow trade unionists. At a time like this, we cannot remain silent.

Thank you.

Eric Lee

The Haitian disaster relief program is a thinly disguised military operation to secure the country for corporate interests. Sure, some people are getting food and medical attention, but not nearly enough, given the resources and capabilities of the United States and Canada.

Cynthia McKinney, the U.S. Green Party’s 2008 presidential candidate, captures the hypocrisy in an article published today at Global Research, when she writes:

President Obama’s response to the tragedy in Haiti has been robust in military deployment and puny in what the Haitians need most:  food; first responders and their specialized equipment; doctors and medical facilities and equipment; and engineers, heavy equipment, and heavy movers.  Sadly, President Obama is dispatching Presidents Bush and Clinton, and thousands of Marines and U.S. soldiers.  By contrast, Cuba has over 400 doctors on the ground and is sending in more; Cubans, Argentinians, Icelanders, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans, and many others are already on the ground working–saving lives and treating the injured.

Obama’s and Harper’s emphasis on a military response makes sense when you review the history of Canada and the U.S. in the region and factor in Haiti’s undeveloped petroleum reserves.

Haiti has been under a military occupation — ostensibly a U.N. program to stabilize the country — since 2004 when the U.S. Marines (with Canadian complicity) kidnapped President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and spirited him out of the country. The lead-up to the coup included years of economic destabilization brought on by IMF-imposed “structural adjustments” and covert CIA support for Aristide’s opponents (who yearned for the good old days when the Tonton Macoutes would keep the masses in line).

Aristide remains popular among the poor majority in Haiti for the reforms he tried to implement. Who knows what could happen in the wake of an earthquake that not only killed hundreds of thousands but also totally destroyed state and international infrastructure and control? The resulting instability offers an opening for Aristide supporters that must cause unease in Washington, Ottawa and corporate boardrooms that benefit from keeping the Haitians down.

Haiti is popularly understood to be the poorest country the Americas, and one of the poorest in the world. More sophisticated measurements can be found here. The fact is, 80 per cent of the population is dirt poor, living on less than $1,000 a year and often, literally, eating dirt. (If you want to see Haitians eating dirt, watch Inside a Failed State – Haiti, a recent film by Journeyman Pictures.)

Haitians are poor, in large measure, because wages are low and labour standards are nonexistent. According to Canada-Haiti Action, the Canadian firm Gildan, with nearly 8000 employees in the textile sector, is the biggest employer in Haiti, after the Haitian government. The Montreal-based company has been accused of relying on sweatshop labour.

While Haitians are poor, the country is resource rich. For example, Majescor Resources Inc., a Canadian mining company, last year partnered with SIMACT, a group of Canadian financiers and Haitian-American developers, to explore for gold and copper in Haiti.

But I doubt that Obama is dispatching the Marines to safeguard the interests of Canadian T-shirt manufacturers and mining companies. More compelling are reports of sizable, undeveloped petroleum reserves. There is credible evidence that Haiti’s oil patch makes Venezuela’s look tiny by comparison. Read Ezili Danto’s superb discussion of this, entitled Oil in Haiti – Economic Reasons for the UN/US occupation, published last October, on OpenSalon.com.

There is a lot to know about Haiti that you won’t find in the mainstream media. Here are some alternative sources I highly recommend:

• Global Research: Crisis and Despair in Haiti
• Coalition Against the Arms Trade: A Very Canadian Coup d’état in Haiti
• Canada-Haiti Action (has recommendations for where to send your financial expressions of solidarity)

Canadians are responding generously and we need to redouble our efforts. However, our governments (Liberal and Conservative) continue to mislead us about the nature of their involvement with Haiti, prior to and following the quake. We can’t let them get away with this.

Haiti earthquake – U.S. aid mission under scrutiny

(Al Jazeera English, Jan. 19, 2009) Thousands of US troops have arrived on the island, trying to offer security and distribute what humanitarian aid there is.

And the UN Security Council is expected to approve the deployment of 3,500 extra UN troops.

But critics say before more security forces arrive, it is medical equipment, nurses and doctors that need to be allowed access to the country if aid efforts can really begin to reach those most in need.

Sebastian Walker reports from Port-au-Prince.

The ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation), EI (Education International), ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation), IUF (International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations) are forming a coalition for the event, which is the latest move in an ongoing campaign to secure justice and trade union rights inside Iran. Amnesty International has backed this campaign.

They are calling for:

• The immediate and unconditional release of all imprisoned trade unionists including Mansour Osanloo, Ebrahim Madadi and Farzad Kamangar;
• Unconditional recognition of all independent workers’ organisations in Iran and reinstatement of workers who have been disadvantaged as a result of their support for these organisations;
• Ratification of core ILO Conventions on freedom of association and the right to collective bargain by the Iranian government;
• Conclusion of collective bargaining agreements between the independent unions and the relevant employers.

This campaign, which has been ignored by the mainstream media, might be lost in the coverage of the popular opposition to the fraudulent June 12 election that returned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power. That would be a shame. Whether Ahmadinejad retains his grip on the presidency or not, Iran’s sordid record of human rights abuses will continue without fundamental changes.

Find out what you can do at Justice for Iranian Workers.

So what are we to make of Bill C-384 – “An Act to amend the Criminal Code (right to die with dignity)”? In one short page, it sets out amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada that will allow doctors to assist in the suicides of terminally ill patients who request it. With minimal safeguards against abuse, and no direction as to the means of dispatching the suicidal patient, it is chilling to think that this bill is even under consideration.

People with chronic disabilities are a growing sector of the Canadian population with a reason to be suspicious of the euthanasia crowd. The widespread sympathy expressed for Robert Latimer after he killed his severely disabled daughter, Tracy, in 1993 proves that too many able-bodied Canadians are willing to make lethal judgments about someone else’s quality of life.

Therefore, it is no surprise that the Council of Canadians with Disabilities opposes Bill C-384. While voluntary doctor-assisted suicide is not the same thing as murdering a disabled child without her consent, its passage would legitimize euthanasia and promote it as an acceptable response to illness and suffering. Over time, we can well imagine, euthanasia could come to be promoted by cash-strapped governments as a cost-efficient therapy.

Read the CCD’s news release, below. Read Bill C-384. Read the entrails of a chicken, if you must. But give it some thought and act accordingly.

While one may wish for the right to end one’s life, simply because “IT’S MY LIFE, DAMMIT!”, Bill C-384 should not be the legal vehicle for that last ride into the sunset.

Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) Opposes Bill C-384

Winnipeg—The COUNCIL OF CANADIANS WITH DISABILITIES (CCD) believes that everyone who supports disability rights should oppose Bill C-384 which would legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide and put Canadians with disabilities at risk! CCD is a national human rights organization of persons with disabilities working for an accessible and inclusive Canada.

C-384, the private member’s bill to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada received its first reading last month. Bill C-384 was introduced by the Bloc Québécois Member of Parliament – Francine Lalonde. This is Lalonde’s third attempt to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada.

Bill C-384 legalizes euthanasia by amending section 222 of the Criminal Code and it legalizes assisted suicide by amending section 241 of the Criminal Code. “Called the “Right to Die with Dignity” Act, this bill threatens the lives of Canadians with disabilities. Its selling points are the notions of “dignity,” and “suffering.” However, the bill never explains what these terms mean. How do we measure dignity? What is suffering?” states Rhonda Wiebe, Co-Chair of CCD’s Ending of Life Ethics Committee. These terms are based more on social values than scientific ones, but this bill proposes that a “medical” and “legal” solution be the remedy for people whose lives are not “dignified” and who “suffer.”

“Living without dignity and suffering are common misperceptions that able-bodied Canadians have about the lives of their fellow citizens with disabilities. Bill C-384 does nothing to protect those who find themselves socially devalued in these ways,” states Dean Richert, Co-Chair of CCD’s Ending of Life Ethics Committee.

Social support and meaningful involvement in the community are more important for the well-being of people with disabilities than the severity of their disabilities. Assisted suicide is not a free choice as long as they are denied adequate healthcare, affordable personal assistance in their communities, and equal access to social structures and systems.

About 50 Winnipeggers braved -20 C temperatures and a biting wind to rally for Freedom for Gaza in front of the Canadian Grain Commission building on Main Street in Winnipeg Jan. 24.

The rally, organized by Peace Alliance Winnipeg, Canadian Muslims for Palestine and the Canada Palestine Support Network, was one of several held in Winnipeg since Jan. 3 that have mobilized hundreds of local citizens.

“Even though the shooting is ended in Gaza, the occupation is still on. So we’re calling for freedom for Gaza and an end to the occupation,” said rally spokesperson, Bassam Hozaima.

Shahzad Mussadiq, a member of Canadian Muslims for Palestine, addressed the rally with greetings of peace: “Salaam or shalom, whatever language it may be in, I wish you peace and blessings upon all of you here today. I wish you peace because this is not a war between Muslims and Jews. We’re here together, protesting the violent crimes of the Israeli state who has slaughtered so many innocent Palestinians.”

Bob Tyre, President of the Winnipeg Local of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, read a letter from CUPW National President Denis Lemelin to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, which said, in part:

“. . . as a longer term strategy, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers is asking your government to adopt a program of boycott, divestment, and sanctions until Israel recognizes the right of Palestinian people to self-determination and complies with international law, including the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes as stipulated in UN resolution 194.”

Speaking on behalf of Canadian Muslims for Palestine, Nadira Mustapha said:

“The question we face now is what next? Will we return back to our status quo and remain at ease? Dear people of conscience, let us remember we have yet to hold the Israeli government accountable for the war crimes perpetuated against the innocent civilians of Gaza as a result of Operation Cast Lead as with past operations, sieges and invasions. Let us remember that while Israel has called for a unilateral ceasefire, it is clear that the siege of Gaza continues with Israeli troops in Gaza. We must denounce the ongoing Israeli occupation in Palestine, which constitutes a violation of United Nations Resolution 242. We must condemn the direct complicity of the US and Canadian governments with the Israeli war crimes in Gaza.”

Israeli peace activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Jeff Halper, who heads the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions, was optimistic about the prospects for a free Palestine.

“I bring you greetings from the critical Israeli peace movement. We had about 10,000 people in the streets of Tel Aviv not long after the beginning of the invasion of Gaza. So, there are people in Israeli, as well, who get it, that are fighting the occupation, who are horrified at the massacres in Gaza, and are raising their voices.

“I think we are making the turn in our struggle. Until now, we were still minority voices. With the invasion of Gaza, Israeli really showed what it is after. It’s not after peace but the invasion of Gaza was really a campaign of pacification to try and pave the way for apartheid – an imposition of an apartheid regime on all of Palestine. And I think now people get it. Not only people on the left, or critical people, but I think the mainstream is starting to get it.

“Millions of people went out all over the world to protest this and still are. I think we have to take heart from that. Sometimes we look at ourselves as small groups of people on s street corner. But we should know that this is becoming a global issue on the scale of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. So, we’re winning, and I think that people are with us and I hope that soon we’re going to see a free Palestine.”

Halper is on a cross-Canada tour. Information on the tour is available at the Canada Palestine Support Network site.

Jan. 24, 2009: Members of CUPW Winnipeg Local at Freedom for Gaza Rally in Winnipeg. Photo: Paul Graham

This article originally appeared at the Peace Alliance Winnipeg web site.

No, he still hasn’t met them, but it’s not for want of trying by the Majority Agenda Coalition, which on Nov. 15 demonstrated outside of the Conservative Party of Canada Convention in Winnipeg.

The coalition drew eloquent and boisterous attention to the vast range of issues deemed important by Canadians across the country. If you missed it, set aside an hour, get a bucket of popcorn and enjoy the video.

More importantly, circulate the video link widely.

You can email the Majority Agenda Coalition at block.harper.winnipeg@gmail.com.

Kamangar, 33, is s school teacher and a member of the Kurdish branch of the teachers union in Kamyaran. Before the union was outlawed he was in charge of public relations.

He was sentenced to death by the Iranian Revolutionary Court on Feb. 25, 2008 after a trial which took place in secret and lasted only minutes. He was scheduled for hanging on November 26, but for reasons which have not been made public, he remains alive. He is, however, still under sentence of death.

Prior to his kangaroo court conviction, Kamangar was subjected to horrific torture. In a letter from prison, he describes the mistreatment that began with his arrest in July 2006. I’ll quote a few lines here, but you have to read his letter all the way through to appreciate fully his courage and the desperation of his situation.

Upon my arrival in Tehran I was arrested and taken to an unknown place, it was a very small, dark basement. The cells in this place were empty, there were no blankets or rugs or sheets.

They took me to a room and as they were interviewing me they asked me about my ethnicity. When I told them that I was of the Kurdish Ethnicity they lashed my entire body. They also lashed me because of the Kurdish music which I had saved on my mobile phone.

They would tie my hands, make me sit on a chair and put pressure on the sensitive areas of my body. They would also strip me naked and threaten me with rape by various objects such as wood.

My left leg was injured badly during this time. Also due to the beatings I received on my head as well as electric shock I would lose consciousness. I have lost control of my body and shake uncontrollably for no reason. They would chain my feet together and give me electric shocks on sensitive parts of my body which was extrmeley painful.

Later on I was transferred to Section 209 of the Evin Prison. From the moment I entered the Evin Prison they blindfolded me and took me to a small room where they beat me by punching and kicking me.

The next day I was taken to the city of Sanandaj. From the moment I entered the Sanandaj Prison I was insulted and beaten brutally. They tied me to a chair and left me there from 7 am until the next day, I was not even allowed to go to the washroom and I had no choice but to wet myself. After numerous beatings and torture sessions once again I was transferred to Section 209 of the Evin Prison. I was interrogated and tortured in one of the rooms on the first level of the prison . . .

That was just the first month. His letter describes months of solitary confinement, vicious beatings, hunger strikes, the arrest of his girl friend, the hassrassment of his family – a journey through hell that has left him physically crippled and psychologically damaged.

Join the campaign to save Farzad Kamangar

Whether or not his terrifying journey concludes at the end of a rope remains to be seen. Education International has mounted a campaign that is gaining momentum. If you haven’t yet done so, please join this campaign by sending a message to Iranian President Ahmadinejad demanding justice for Farzad Kamanger.

While EI hasn’t asked for this, there may be some benefit in citizens asking their own governments to intervene on Kamanger’s behalf. For Canadians, this means writing to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Why not give it a try? He may not be prime minister very much longer, and likely he has other things on his mind (such as his own political survival), but it is still worth the effort.

Sample Letter

If you are stuck for words, here are some you can use, or improve upon.

Dear Prime Minister Harper,

I am writing to ask you to intervene on behalf of Farzad Kamangar, an Iranian teacher who has been imprisoned, tortured and sentenced to death by the Iranian Revolutionary Court for his beliefs. I ask you to support the campaigns of the Iranian Teachers’ Association and Education International to have his case re-examined through a fair trial that meets Iranian and international standards.

Mr. Kamangar was to have been executed on November 26, 2008. He remains alive, but Iranian authorities have not indicated what will happen next. He could be killed at any time. Therefore, your rapid intervention is essential.

While it is obvious that Mr. Karmangar is not a Canadian citizen, many Canadians are concerned about his fate. We would therefore appreciate it very much if you would use your considerable influence in supporting our campaign to save his life and restore his freedom.

Yours sincerely, etc.

Don’t stop there!

You might also try writing your MP. Here is a list of MPs and their coordinates.

But don’t stop there. If you are a teacher, get your teachers’ union involved. If you are a student, involve your students’ union. You get the idea.

An injury to one is an injury to all. There are more than enough of these to go around. But here is one where we might make a difference if we act now.

Teachers, trade unionists and human rights defenders around the world are mobilising in defence of Farzad Kamangar, an Iranian Kurdish teacher and trade unionist who is at risk of execution.

Education International received information from reliable sources that on 26 November Kamangar was taken from his cell 121 in ward 209 of Tehran’s Evin prison in preparation for execution by hanging. However, the latest information is that he is still alive and was able to meet with his lawyer Wednesday. His situation remains precarious nonetheless.

If you haven’t yet done so, please send a message to Iranian President Ahmadinejad demanding justice for Farzad Kamanger.

According to several reliable sources, he has been taken from his cell 121 in ward 209 of Tehran’s Evin prison in preparation for execution. Jail security officers are said to have told him he is about to be executed and they make fun of him, calling him a martyr.

The Revolutionary Court issued the death sentence against Kamangar on 25 February 2008. His lawyer has said: “Nothing in Kamangar’s judicial files and records demonstrates any links to the charges brought against him.” Kamangar was cleared of all charges during the investigation process. The last time Kamangar was seen, he was at the health clinic of Evin prison and his physical condition was poor. Witnesses testify that he has been beaten again. Kamangar has not been allowed to see his lawyer or family members for the past two months.

EI has been appealing the Iranian authorities to commute Kamangar’s death sentence and ensure his case is reviewed fairly. During the campaign, over 1,700 on-line messages were sent to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in support of Kamangar.

Now, EI is once again appealing to Iranian judicial authorities to halt the execution. EI is also asking members of the international community urgently to intervene.

Please go here to send an online message to the Iranian president to appeal for a review of the case of Farzad Kamangar. Every signature helps! Please do so today.

Source and More Information

Plan B

If Education International’s web site is too busy, you can write directly to Iranian President Ahmadinejad at atdr-ahmadinejad@president.ir or info@leader.ir or info@dadgostary-tehran.ir (or all three!)

Sample Letter

Dear President Ahmadinejad,

I am writing to you on behalf of Education International (EI) to deplore the confirmation of the death sentence of teacher trade unionist, Farzad Kamangar. I support the campaigns of the Iranian Teachers’ Association and of EI to have his case re-examined through a fair trial that meets Iranian and international standards. I also urge the authorities to immediately commute Farzad Kamangar’s death sentence.

According to Mr Kamangar’s lawyer, there is no evidence to justify that he has “endangered national security” or is “Mohareb” (at enmity with God). I also deplore that Iranian trade union colleagues and human rights activists who show solidarity with Farzad are being subjected to pervasive intimidation by the Iranian authorities.

The harassment, detention and condemnation of trade unionists because of their legitimate human and trade union activities are not only serious violations of trade union rights, but also create an atmosphere of fear prejudicial to trade union development in Iran.

In addition, I deplore that Mr Kamangar has been tortured while in detention and was denied medical treatment. I urge the Iranian authorities to investigate into the reports of torture and to ensure that, in future, no detainee is tortured or ill-treated.

I look forward to hearing about your positive intervention in this regard.

Yours sincerely.