Some welcome anti-dhimmitude at CAIR's Khatami bash Saturday night. "Families Of Kidnapped Persian Jews Sue Khatami In US Court: Law suit alleges visiting Iranian implemented anti-Semitic policy of torture and imprisonment," a press release, with thanks to Andrew Bostom:
NEW YORK, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven Jewish-Iranian families have filed suit in an American federal court against former President Mohammad Khatami over charges that he is responsible for the kidnapping and torture of their missing family members. The families, currently residing in Los Angeles and Israel, contend that Khatami instituted the policy of imprisoning their relatives without trials and refusing to provide them any information concerning their whereabouts. The Jews were arrested on different occasions during the years 1994 through 1997, as they sought to leave Iran across its border with Pakistan.On Friday evening copies of the complaint and summons were served on Khatami at a reception in Arlington, Virginia hosted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Khatami has twenty days to file an answer denying the allegations or default the case.
The plaintiffs, who are not U.S. citizens, brought the suit under special laws - the Alien Torts Act and the Torture Victims Protection Act - which permit foreigners to sue their tormentors for torture and kidnapping in American courts. The lawsuit filed in the New York District Court is being represented by attorneys Robert Tolchin of New York, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of Jerusalem and Pooya Dayanim of Los Angeles. The plaintiffs are seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages against Khatami for his role in the on-going disappearance of their loved ones.
Since the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979, millions of Iranian citizens have sought to escape from the Islamic regime. In normal circumstances when Muslim citizens are arrested attempting to leave without official permission, the established punishment is a small fine or a short jail term. However, in the instances where Jewish citizens have been similarly arrested, the Islamic government has instituted much harsher penalties. The Plaintiffs allege that Khatami has singled out the Jewish community and authorized the policy of secretly imprisoning the Jews indefinitely.
Over the years, the Jewish families have received reports from other former prisoners and guards that the missing Jews are alive and being held in different prisons. In the case of the Tehrani family of Los Angeles, a former Muslim neighbor has sworn out an affidavit testifying that he has seen their missing son, Babak Tehrani, in a Tehran prison two years after his disappearance.
"These Persian Jewish families are seeking to bring Khatami before an American court for his involvement in the torture and imprisonment of their loved ones in Iran," stated the families' attorney Nitsana-Darshan-Leitner, "It is shocking that the State Department would grant this anti-Semitic criminal a travel visa instead of joining with the families in the struggle to bring him to justice. The court case will establish that these missing Jews are indeed still alive in Iranian prisons and that the former President violated international law with his policy of arrests and torture which targeted the Jewish community."
One of the most distressing sights I witnessed during the Iranian Revolution was a Zoroastrian co-worker trying to get his parents out of that hell hole. He knew what was in store for them. He was eventually successful and grateful.
In 1979 I thought that Ruhollah Khomeini had actually hijacked Islam. Ignorance is bilss, huh? We all now know differently.
I hope they have a good Jewish lawyer.
I am amazed you people even let this man into your country. He would NEVER have got a visa into Australia. But maybe we dont have to play superpower and you guys do eh?
Hi Robert,
I think you might have deleted my posting! If correct, you would have to be kidding! There was nothing in it that was as described as unacceptable. Maybe annoying but come on!
Regards
Oh sorry... its come up now... Now im embarrassed
Payingattention: I'm also shocked that we let that disgusting blackhead named Khatami into our country. Too bad that he probably won't be arrested before he leaves.
Paying and Kepha:
Hard to say whether Bush is being stupid about this, or if he's trying to kill two birds with one stone -- shutting up the Jimmy Carters of the world who condemn him for not using "diplomacy" and letting Khatami set himself up for demonstrations, etc., by the large ex-pat Iranian community that had to flee the Islamic Revolution.
Yes, there are the Khomeini crazies of Dearborne and other locals, who are here as 5th columnists, but I suspect the vast majority of the Iranian diaspora have no illusions about Khatami the "moderate".