Posted on 03/25/2007 8:13:53 AM PDT by grey_whiskers
Most FReepers have heard by now of the seizure of 15 British sailors by Iran. A number of threads have mentioned the possibilty of torture; and it has come out that at least one of the detainees is a woman. With that in mind, I decided to surf over to the website of a well-known group of women activists who are concerned with the treatment of prisoners, to find their take on the matter.
Yes, Code Pink. Or as I will call them from now on, Code Punked.
“CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the war in Iraq, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education and other life-affirming activities. ” So says their website.
Now I understand that living in a world without war, or the threat of war, would likely be a good thing. “Likely?” Not “certain?” No, because there are some things which are worth dying for, and not just living for. How comfortable would Medea Benjamin be in a burqua, forced to watch her daughter undergo a clitorectomy?
Given the above, I actually bothered to look through Code Pink’s website, to see what they had to say about things in Iran. Here is a current listing of some of their current ideas.
“Help Prevent War with Iran” – We are organizing a high-profile group of activists/analysts to meet with Iranian government officials and citizens about how to decrease tensions between our nations. This citizen diplomats delegation, led by CODEPINK cofounder Medea Benjamin and Colonel/Diplomat Ann Wright, will return to pressure Congress, educate the public and speak to the media about Iranian and American perspectives for preventing another disastrous war.
In the words of Dana Carvey’s Church Lady, “Isn’t that special?” Maybe Code Pink can tell the Iranians that capturing and holding hostage a bunch of British forces (Britain is a longtime ally of the United States, we have buried the hatchet over the War of 1812 a long time ago) is not a good way to decrease tensions.
For that matter, maybe the Iranian Ayatollahs can tell code pink directly what they have already said through other channels:
The commandant of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, said on state television. “God willing, the 21st century will see the defeat of the U.S. and the Zionists, and the victory of freedom-seeking nations of the world. The final goal of the [1979] revolution is to create global Islamic rule and a regime of law to be led by the Imam Mahdi”.
The Iranians President’s chief strategist, Hassan Abbassi, has come up with a war plan based on the premise that “Britain is the mother of all evils” – the evils being America, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, the Gulf states and even Canada, all of whom are the malign progeny of the British Empire. “We have a strategy drawn up for the destruction of Anglo-Saxon civilization,” says Mr Abbassi. “There are 29 sensitive sites in the U.S. and in the West. We have already spied on these sites and we know how we are going to attack them… Once we have defeated the Anglo-Saxons the rest will run for cover.”
And by the way, correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t Medea Benjamin Jewish? I’m sure the prospect of talking in public to a Jewish woman from America will really convince the Iranian leadership of the necessity of living in peace and mutual understanding.
“Can’t we all just get along?”
But don’t get me wrong. There are a couple of things that Code Pink does that I am in agreement with.
For example, they are opposed to the ongoing genocide in Darfur. (As the website says, “All Life is Sacred.” I must remember to ask Medea Benjamin if she’s pro-choice.) So here is a rundown of Code Pink’s action items for Darfur:
1) Sign the Petition to send in Peace Keepers through Amnesty International — includes a short video.
I approve of Amnesty International. But they didn’t end the Gulags in the Soviet Union. Neither did Mikhail Gorbachev. Ronald Reagan did.
2) Help Organize a UN Peace Envoy — also a neat video attached
This is about as useful as sending in the French.
3) Divest from Sudan
Historically, the Khartoum government has been responsive to divestment, in fact the only strategy which has worked. Illinois, Maine, Oregon and New Jersey have divested along with the Harvard University, Stanford, Brown and the UC system. Many church organizations, Methodists and Presbyterians have divested from Darfur. Find out what your state is doing. Contact your state legislators and ask them to sponsor or support legislation to divest all state money from Sudan.
And we all know what a great job divestment did in South Africa,or to get rid of Saddam Hussein.
Remember, that was the rallying cry of the left before the Gulf War—give sanctions more time!
4) Call President Bush.
It continues:
Call President Bush, 202-456-1111, or send him email, comments@whitehouse.gov, and ask him to:
- Condemn the Government of Sudan's (GOS) recent military build-up and intensification of attacks on civilians in northern Darfur. - Call on the international community—including the Arab League, the African Union and the European Union-to mount intensive diplomatic efforts, beginning at the opening of the new session of the United Nations General Assembly, to halt the GOS offensive.
- Urge other nations to join the US and France in pressing the United Nations to prepare to deploy the UN peacekeeping force authorized on August 31 by the Security Council, regardless of the acquiescence of the Sudanese Government.
That’s the problem, they’ve been calling him every name in the book!
Bush is the Great Satan, BushChimpyMcHitler, the greatest terrorist of all time. And now other nations are supposed to respect him when he calls for peace?
And the idea of calling in France? They can’t even keep Muslims from torching cars in Paris!
And “prepare to send in a peacekeeping force” ? Oh, the Blue Helmet Keystone Cops Security Forces, who aren’t allowed to shoot back? They’ll end up just like the British Sailors in Iran. They’re all *really* Western Hegemonic Heterosexual Imperialists, you know.
Genocide is news: Tell the media to cover Sudan
Oh, they will. If there’s a way they can blame Bush for it.
And that reminds me of one other little point. Given the recent capture of the British sailors, when will Code Pink be sending a crack investigative team to make sure the sailors are not being mistreated by their captors?
Oh, well. I guess that would be asking for just too much.
At least Code Punked is trashing Nancy Pelosi and Hillary.
Thank God for comic relief.
:')
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