An Appeal to Humanity...

An Appeal to Humanity to stop the Atrocities, Committed against Defenseless Iranian Refugees at Ashraf Camp in Iraq
For more than a quarter of a century ago, since the advent of the Islamic Republic in Iran, as a culmination of a longer struggle waged by the Iranian toilers and masses to unseat the absolute dictatorship of the Monarchy of the tyrant Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, the country was and still ruled by reactionary and ruthless Islamists who had set up a theological system of government which alienated the rules of law and suppressed freedom, and installed a reign of terror and wars; internally, against freedom loving Iranian people who had been considered infidels, and externally, against neighbors, on the West, Iraq, in particular, when unnecessary war continued for eight years, taking the lives of over a million of both Iraqi and Iranians, for unbelievably trivial reasons. Though we do not intend to indulge on tracing the responsibility for that destructive War, not just in economic terms but also in terms of human lives and all individual and social liberties; this can be found in mountains of historical documents and UN Resolutions, etc. Yet, the Mullahs regime in Iran insisted on continuing that ugly War for eight years.
Among the vanguards of freedom fighters in Iran there was Mujahedeen Khalq which was in the forefront of the popular Iranian organizations that helped topple the Dictator Shah of Iran. Yet it was the first to be uprooted, persecuted and expelled from its homeland. Naturally, the Saddam Regime in Iraq, being the staunch enemy of Iranian Mullahs, would accommodate them, and accept them as refugees on Iraqi soil. In 2003 the Saddam dictatorial regime was toppled in its turn through an invasion led by the United States of America. Ever since pro Iran Islamists came to power in Iraq, hence the Iranian Regime was and still able to exercise influence on the Iraq Government, not only to expel the over three thousand Iranian Refugees in the besieged Ashraf Camp, but was hopeful to extradite them to Iran. Iranian pressures on the present Government in Iraq led to the recent atrocities, being committed against the defenseless inhabitants of the Ashraf Camp, near Baaquba, North of Baghdad. The recent assaults against innocent men, women, children and some disabled people aim at uprooting these people who enjoy refugee status. The savage methods used, contrary to international Human Rights, and contrary to their internationally recognized rights as displaced people, the present Iraqi Government police and military forces killed several people and brutally injured, ruthlessly, hundreds of innocent, men, women and children. The Camp is now totally besieged; food, medicine and even first aids were prevented for several weeks. Furthermore, some 36 persons were, recently abducted, and some were jailed under hard conditions. And, despite the ruling of the local Court in Baaquba to release them, yet the Iraqi security forces are still keeping them under harsh and torturing conditions.
Now, as an Iraqi advocate of human rights, I condemn this inhuman handling of the innocent and defenseless Iranian refugees at Ashraf Camp. Thousands of liberal and democratic Iraqis are with me in that. Yet, it must be made clear that the refugees in any country must abide by the host country sovereignty over its entire land, and uphold its policy to pursue peaceful relations with its neighbors; it should not use its presence to provoke conflicts with Iraq`s eastern neighbor. Needless to say, that they should not interfere in the internal affairs of the host country. The Iraqi Government, on the other hand, must provide protection and human treatment to these refugees. And, must never surrender them to the Iranian authorities; they should be given sufficient time to rearrange their lives; since in the long run, they certainly want to return to their homeland. It must be emphasized, though, that as eternal neighbors, Iraqi and Iranian generations who have many historical and cultural ties, as well as common economic interests, have every reason to coexist and cooperate to live in peace, harmony and brotherly humanist relations; it is our mutual interests to avoid strife and conflicts.
As a liberal Iraqi I appeal not only to the Iraqi Government, but also, to the USA forces in Iraq and all the United Nations Human Rights Agencies, and to all countries and humanists in the whole world to stand up against all atrocities and infringements on the human rights of the Ashraf Camp Refugees in Iraq.
Kamil Al-Adhadh, PhD.
An Iraqi Academic and Human Rights advocate.

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