tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7056618244024582852024-03-13T22:13:55.098-07:00For EshaFor Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-44456356736775923662009-11-11T23:44:00.000-08:002009-11-11T23:49:28.043-08:00A Note from Esha on the Anniversay of her Release from the Prison<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">One year ago, on a day like today, after 28 days in solitary confinement, I got my freedom back. One year ago, in the other side of the world, in one of the most notorious prisons on earth, in the section 209 assigned to prisoners of conscious held by an order from Security Ministry,</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;color:#0000FF;"> </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">the guard opens the cell’s door, hands me a piece of paper to sign. Silva Harotonian an aid worker and Negin Sheikholeslami a Kurd activist, my cellmates, are more experienced than me. They have seen a lot of prisoners come and go. They tell me they are setting you free. I can’t believe it. I sign the paper with shaky hands. When the guard leaves I don’t know what to say. I can not share my happiness. We all have mixed feelings. They are happy for me but at the same time my freedom adds to their disappointments. I can not look in to their eyes. I am ashamed. It is like leaving your squad behind in the middle of the war, betraying them. In Farsi we call it “rafighe nime rah” a half way friend…. Later Negin was released but Silva is still in prison.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">I change, wearing my own clothes and putting my All Stars shoes feels so good. I hug my cell mates and I say farewell. I say: “we will see each other sooner than you think”; at least that is what I want to believe. Another Bell rings, I put the blind fold on voluntary. My interrogator is waiting for me and for the first time I follow him eagerly. I don’t ask anything since I am afraid of hearing something that I don’t want to. Until the very last moment when I saw the happy faces of my family I didn’t believe that they would let me go. Tears of happiness roll down our faces and the warm embrace</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;color:#0000FF;"> </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">of my mom injects me with all the hope that I had lost in the past one month. I feel free not knowing that I still have a long way to go to freedom. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">When I was released I was completely shocked by the extent of the support I received from everyone. A ray of hope, hope in people's will, reminding me that we can still make a difference. It is your support that brought me out of that abysmal well. In today’s world even though the technology has given us the chance to communicate worldwide, we still know so little about other people’s culture, history and the</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;color:#0000FF;"> </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">truth. We still see the differences more than similarities. We still think others are far enough that their lives have no impact on ours and vise versa. But with your support, you proved that we are all connected and we can make a difference even on someone’s life on the other side of the world. The more we realize this connection the better our world will become</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;color:#0000FF;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">Thank you! Thanks to everyone who worked so hard on my behalf</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;color:#0000FF;">,</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"> many of whom I have never met, in particular thanks to my family and friends, Professor Wall, my comrades in One Million Signatures Campaign, my classmates at CSUN, and last but not least my dearest friend and supporter Hassan. </span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">I Hope for the day that there are no longer any political prisoners anywhere in the world.</span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">With love,</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">Esha</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">November 11, 2009</span></p></span>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-6013528786804709192009-10-27T13:54:00.000-07:002009-10-27T14:10:28.073-07:00Amnesty International USA- 2009 Southern Regional Conference Featuring Esha Momeni<div style="text-align: right;"> </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/Sudg1O8gqfI/AAAAAAAAAdc/vw71meGe4iw/s1600-h/GA.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 320px; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/Sudg1O8gqfI/AAAAAAAAAdc/vw71meGe4iw/s320/GA.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397389146088057330" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SudfkuGQhuI/AAAAAAAAAdM/widQ6YHOJv8/s1600-h/dignity.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 169px; height: 231px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SudfkuGQhuI/AAAAAAAAAdM/widQ6YHOJv8/s320/dignity.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397387762881038050" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />A weekend of workshops and panels led by Human Rights experts and community advocates. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Support Esha and hear about her experience </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When: Sunday, November 1st at 11 am.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Where: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Holiday Inn Decatur Conference Plaza</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">130 Clairmont Avenue<br />Decatur, GA 30030</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Find more information on the conference </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/regional-conferences/south/page.do?id=1650029">here</a></span></span></span></div>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-67398967675404411842009-10-26T11:05:00.000-07:002009-10-26T11:11:13.213-07:00Esha Momeni: From CSUN to Iran and Back AgainCSUN- The Women's Research and Resource Center present a special event featuring Mass Communication graduate student Esha Momeni on Monday, Nov. 9, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the USU in the Northridge Center. Listen as Esha tells her story, discusses her research and answers your questions. For more information, call: (818) 677-2780.For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-73720620937179454772009-08-19T23:41:00.000-07:002009-08-19T23:48:16.490-07:00Audio files of interviews with Esha<a href="http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_13133437?source=rv">Daily News:</a><br /><br />Listen to Esha talk about her experience in Iran and the original goals of her project before she was arrested. (Note: Audio is in .wma format and you must have <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/AllDownloads.aspx?displang=en&qstechnology=">Windows Media Player</a> to listen)<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/esha_audio/part1.wma">Part 1</a><br /><a href="http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/esha_audio/part2.wma">Part 2</a><br /><a href="http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/esha_audio/part3.wma">Part 3</a><br /><a href="http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/esha_audio/part4.wma">Part 4</a><br /><a href="http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/esha_audio/part5.wma">Part 5</a><br /><a href="http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/esha_audio/part6.wma">Part 6</a><br /><a href="http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/esha_audio/part7.wma">Part 7</a>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-63871177633731058432009-08-14T12:27:00.000-07:002009-08-14T12:29:13.267-07:00Interviews with Daily Sundial- Esha Momeni Returns to US<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iyNSit8-yOo&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iyNSit8-yOo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uS-1yzgC6Ew&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uS-1yzgC6Ew&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/P8Yf8l2knd0&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/P8Yf8l2knd0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JOiI-QX5H3s&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JOiI-QX5H3s&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-5434201857599439562009-08-14T00:16:00.001-07:002009-08-14T00:36:52.535-07:00Friends, Family, Professors and Fellow Students Are Celebrating the Return of Esha Momeni to Los Angeles<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SoUT8c38buI/AAAAAAAAAc8/mVYOssSlOck/s1600-h/EshaAtAirport.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369720059973103330" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SoUT8c38buI/AAAAAAAAAc8/mVYOssSlOck/s320/EshaAtAirport.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial;font-size:15;"><br /><p align="left">After 10 months of travel ban, almost one month in Evin Prison, many false promises from the judicial system, several attempts to leave the country, many court hearings and continued harassing phone calls from the interrogators, Esha Momeni* was finally able to board the flight destined for Frankfurt and then Los Angeles on Tuesday August 11th. Her friends were notified early in the morning that she had been able to leave the country. Pleasantly surprised, thrilled and delighted friends and family rushed to LAX airport to greet Esha on her return home.</p><br /><p align="left">She is in good health and spirits and she was thankful to all of the wonderful people who followed her story, who made sure that the world did not forget her and to all who took action and demanded her release. She has many stories to share and we will continue to bring up-to-date information about Esha.</p><br /><p align="left">While Esha may be free, there are still countless other prisoners of conscience suffering in prison cells in Iran and we hope and continue our efforts so they can join Esha in freedom.</p><br /><p align="left"><br /></p><br /><p align="left"><br /></p><br /><p align="left">*: Esha Momeni was arrested on October 15th for an alleged illegal turn in Moddaress highway and taken to section 209 of Evin Prison, which is special section for those considered as treat against national security. Her lawyer, Mr. Dadkhah (who is now a detainee due to the post election arrests) was not allowed access to her during the interrogations. On November 10, after nearly a month in prison, Esha Momeni was released on $200,000 bail in the form of the deed to her parents' home. The California State University student was visiting Tehran to conduct an academic research on the women's rights movement in Iran.</p><br /><p></p></span></div>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-51486946467752762582009-05-27T16:50:00.000-07:002009-05-28T16:55:10.206-07:00The acceptance letter written by Esha Momeni for Kappa Tau Alpha Outstanding Service Award<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:12px;"><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The acceptance letter written by Esha Momeni and delivered at the May 1, 2009 award ceremony by her fiance, Hassan Hussein <br /></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I first would like to thank the department of Journalism for the honor of receiving this award and to the entire CSUN community, students, staff, administration and alumni for your support while I was in prison and even now while I am banned from leaving the country and returning to Los Angeles and my studies at CSUN. <br /></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I always thought being a woman growing up in a patriarchal society and fighting to erase its impact on my life would be the most difficult challenge of my life. However, during the past few years, I realized that being a citizen of two countries in conflict, Iran and America, and struggling against the biases resulting from their politics would radically change my life and put me on a journey of self identity that I could never have imagined. <br /></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In Iran I constantly had to struggle against being packaged as the Muslim Iranian woman that the regime wanted us to become, and in the United States I felt disabled as a woman by the stereotypes behind the terms Iranian and Muslim. I wanted to do something to break the chains of misrepresentation in both Iran and America that tie stereotypes and assumptions to being a Middle Eastern woman. <br /></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">At CSUN with the dedication and experience of my professors, a whole world of possibilities opened up for me. They gave me the chance to fulfill my dreams and serve both of my communities. Unfortunately, the Iranian government saw my American citizenship and my effort to break down entrenched stereotypes of Iranian women as a threat to national security. I was in Evin prison for 28 days, 25 of which was in solitary confinement. I had 19 interrogation sessions, sometimes starting from morning till night during which I was constantly trying to convince the interrogators of the truth, that I am a student working on my thesis and not part of a project to overthrow the government. Now I don't have permission to leave the country and the court decision is completely unpredictable as we saw in Roxana Saberi's case. The experience left me devastated and feeling hopeless. <br /></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">However, when I was released I was completely shocked by the extent of the support I received from everyone. A ray of hope, hope in people's will, reminding me that we can still make a difference. It is your support that brought me out of that abysmal well. In today's world, no matter what our nationality, our lives are interwoven with each other. The more we realize this the better our world becomes. The blue American passport that I had, never really made me feel American. But the love and support you have shown me makes me proud to identify myself as an American. <br /></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Professor Wall and Professor Blumenkrantz I especially want to thank you for believing in me. With all of the concern and all the worries you had in my doing this project I thank you for not limiting me and my dreams. Rather you gave the best tools and the hope I would need to realize them. To CSUN Journalism Department faculty and students, I am so proud to be <br />one of you. Anasa, John, Kara and the many others that I cannot thank individually now, being your classmate is such an honor. I am with you in spirit today and wish I could walk with you in our graduation ceremony, but my heart will be with you and I can't tell you how happy I am to be able to try with you to make this world a better place to live in. Even though I am so disappointed to lose the footage for my project, I am sure we all have started a life time project together. </span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />Related: <br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 26, 139); text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://for-esha.blogspot.com/2009/05/csun-to-honor-iranian-american-graduate.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">http://for-esha.blogspot.com/2009/05/csun-to-honor-iranian-american-graduate.html</span></a><br /></span></p></span>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-66610655006045439342009-05-13T18:20:00.000-07:002009-05-13T18:26:29.994-07:00The PRI's The World: Graduate student confined to Iran<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SgtypOKgnYI/AAAAAAAAAY4/CHasI_lzyrg/s1600-h/esha-03.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 228px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SgtypOKgnYI/AAAAAAAAAY4/CHasI_lzyrg/s320/esha-03.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335484236052864386" /></a><br /><div>"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;">Journalist Roxana Saberi has been released by Iran. But she hasn't left the country yet. We hear about the case of Esha Momeni, an Iranian-American woman like Saberi who served time in an Iranian jail and was later released. But Momeni is forbidden from leaving Iran. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with Momeni's fiance, Hassan Hussein, in Los Angeles."</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div>To listen to this interview please click <a href="http://www.theworld.org/audio/0511092.mp3">here</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Click <a href="http://www.theworld.org/node/26248">here</a> to read the transcript<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;"></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;"><br /></span></div>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-9187738022834607232009-05-01T12:55:00.001-07:002009-05-05T17:25:23.198-07:00CSUN to Honor Iranian-American Graduate Student Esha Momeni with its First Academic Freedom Award<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SftT9sQicbI/AAAAAAAAAYY/YEJx1SafDgM/s1600-h/esha_class1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SftT9sQicbI/AAAAAAAAAYY/YEJx1SafDgM/s320/esha_class1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330946903240765874" /></a>CSUN- <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px; font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;">Cal State Northridge President Jolene Koester will present an Academic Freedom Award to Esha Momeni, an Iranian-American graduate student who was held in solitary confinement in Iran for 25 days last fall while researching the women’s movement there, in a ceremony on Tuesday, May 5.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;">“Esha Momeni is being honored for her commitment to academic research,” Koester said. “Through her graduate research, Esha was working toward creating a cross-cultural dialog to help us better understand Iranian women. She believed that academic research would promote that goal."<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;">The Academic Freedom Award is being given by CSUN’s Department of Journalism in recognition of Momeni’s pursuit of truth, equality and social justice through academic research.<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 48px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">Momeni, 28, a mass communication student, was arrested on Oct. 15, 2008 in Tehran for videotaping interviews with members of the Campaign for Equality, a gender rights group in Iran, for her master’s thesis. She was held in solitary confinement for 25 days in Evin prison and charged with acting against national security. Momeni has been forbidden to leave Iran since her release from the prison.</span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;">To read more click <a href="http://blogs.csun.edu/news/2009/04/30/freedom-award/">here</a>.</span></div>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-86083462264532714552009-03-12T19:49:00.000-07:002009-03-12T19:52:50.370-07:00Imprisoning Womens's Rights Activists Does Not Equal Imprisonment of the Women's Movement<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SbnKbkB4q3I/AAAAAAAAAXo/p8aSychsp6s/s1600-h/15-3-29e2d.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 161px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SbnKbkB4q3I/AAAAAAAAAXo/p8aSychsp6s/s320/15-3-29e2d.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312499810337074034" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:12px;"><p>The coalition of women's movement groups for the freedom of Alieh Eghdamdoost gave a press conference with the title, "imprisoning womens's rights activists does not equal imprisonment of the women's movement". <br />This press conference was held to protest against the carrying out of Eghdamdoost's sentence, and against other sentences of imprisonment confirmed against some of the activists of the women's movement. To this end the lawyers of some of th women's rights activists at this press conference requested that the head of the judiciary in Iran halt these sentences on account of legal irregularities in the rulings handed down against these activists. <br /></p><p>At this conference, Sara Sabaghian, Esha Momeni's lawyer, after a brief description of Esha's case, added that "although close to 3 months have passed from the time Esha was freed on bail, the heads of the judiciary have maintained a ban on her leaving Iran and contuining her studies" </p></span>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-28303364657238015752009-03-12T13:21:00.000-07:002009-03-12T17:10:22.528-07:00Iran and Iranian Women Panel at CSUN Report<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SbmjkOEXWcI/AAAAAAAAAXg/NQrC4uvDSXw/s1600-h/3324800532_0f6b557a6f.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SbmjkOEXWcI/AAAAAAAAAXg/NQrC4uvDSXw/s320/3324800532_0f6b557a6f.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312457078107232706" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">photo with courtecy of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Jenny Lee and the Daily Sundial</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As International Women's Day was approaching, California State University Northridge held a panel with the topic of "Different Views of Iran & Iranian Women" inspired by CSUN graduate student and Campaign member Esha Momeni who has been forbidden to leave Iran for more than 100 days. This panel, which was also broadcast on March 9th on local California radio KPFK, focused on three sets of discussions. Participants were "Free Esha" CSUN graduate student activists Kara Lawton & John Daiquoag, One Million Signatures Campaign member Roja Bandari, and Code Pink members Rae Abileah and Ariel Vegosen who had recently come back from a trip to Iran.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><div class="im" style="color: rgb(80, 0, 80); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For a full report on this event please click </span></span><a href="http://changeforequality-ca.org/English/IranandIranianWomenPanel-CSUN.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">here</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">To hear parts of the KPFK report please refer to Professor Wall's blog by clicking </span><a href="http://melissawall.wordpress.com/2009/03/09/iran-iranian-women-panel-on-kpfk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">.</span></span></div></span>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-51661044990473673592009-02-27T16:14:00.000-08:002009-03-02T12:54:55.157-08:00ABC News- New Hopes for Freedom Focus on Obama and Iranian Elections<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SaiCniZSt4I/AAAAAAAAAXA/VlaqYVIJzSY/s1600-h/ht_esha_090225_mn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SaiCniZSt4I/AAAAAAAAAXA/VlaqYVIJzSY/s320/ht_esha_090225_mn.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307635776615528322" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:10px;">Photo <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px; font-family:Verdana;">Courtesy of Sanam Dolatshahi</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px; font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px; font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">From a recent comprehensive </span><a href="http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=6964382&page=2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">article</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> in ABC news on Esha:</span></span></div><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">About her personal well being we read:</span></span></div><div><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px;font-family:Verdana;font-size:48px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-size:12px;"><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">At the beginning of her ordeal, Momeni was angry and frustrated that she couldn't go on with her life, her fiance told ABCNews.com. But, "at this point, she's sort of given up hope, but only in order to allow herself to maintain her self-dignity," Hussain [Momeni's fiance] said.</span></span></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"She has to imagine that she is going to be there forever mentally," Hussain added, "because each day she can't wonder if she might be released tomorrow." He said Momeni fills her time by working on art projects.</span></span></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And her academic work and work with The One Million Signatures Campaign:</span></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Momeni's friends say her arrest and the confiscation of her research materials don't make sense because she wasn't attempting to make a political statement and was not filming in public without consent, which is against Iranian law. Instead, they say, Momeni was filming intimate interviews in volunteers' homes in her quest to show Americans how stereotypes of Iranian women as weak or helpless are wrong...</span></span></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"She was trying to bridge these two cultures that have not understood each other for a long time," said Momeni's thesis advisor, Professor Melissa Wall.</span></span></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And Roja Bandari, a volunteer with the One Million Signatures campaign in California, said the Iranian women who are working on the project in Iran should be considered a source of pride to the country instead of a threat against it.</span></span></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"They aren't doing anything covert or working to topple the Iranian government," Bandari said, adding that the grassroots movement does not contradict Iranian law.</span></span></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">To read the complete article please click </span><a href="http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=6964382&page=2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">.</span></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; ">Also on <a href="http://melissawall.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/abc-news-looks-into-eshas-case/">Professor Wall's blo</a><a href="http://melissawall.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/abc-news-looks-into-eshas-case/">g</a>.</p></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-36371945037159073312009-02-25T12:25:00.000-08:002009-02-25T12:37:12.606-08:00"Different Views of Iran & Iranian Women" panel at CSUN March 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SaWpjxV_fBI/AAAAAAAAAWw/WWuaOnzfIsQ/s1600-h/iranevent.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 219px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SaWpjxV_fBI/AAAAAAAAAWw/WWuaOnzfIsQ/s320/iranevent.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306834167932091410" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 22px; font-size:13px;">Cal State Northridge will be hosting a panel discussion about Iran and Iranian women at Cal State Northridge on Monday March 2 inspired by Esha Momeni who has been forbidden to leave Iran for more than 100 days now.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 22px;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 22px;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:arial;font-size:12px;"><p>Speakers: <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Code Pink</span></span>, the US activist women's group, will talk about citizen diplomacy trips to Iran (a new trend among faith groups and others including uber travel expert Rick Steeves.) Rae Abileah and Ariel Vegosen <br /></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">One Million Signature Campaign</span></span>, a grassroots group of Iranian women in Iran and the diaspora which seeks gender equality, and is one of today's most important civil rights campaigns. Roja Bandari <br /></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Free Esha student activists</span></span> at CSUN who will talk about their archival project to document their activities to free their classmate. Anasa Sinegal, Kara Lawton & John Daiquoag</p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Where</span>: at the Library Presentation Room- CSUN</p><p><br /></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">When:</span> 3-4:30 pm Monday March 2</p><p>Click <a href="http://melissawall.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/different-views-of-iran-beyond-the-stereotypes/">here</a> for more info on this event in Professor Wall's blog.</p><p><br /></p></span></span></div>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-20451592357143031622009-02-03T23:19:00.000-08:002009-02-23T21:20:25.046-08:00"For Esha: A Night of Music, Poetry and Reflection" - Friday, January 23, 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SYlFhvTUuhI/AAAAAAAAAWI/GuqrfVrcOpc/s1600-h/IMG_7942.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SYlFhvTUuhI/AAAAAAAAAWI/GuqrfVrcOpc/s320/IMG_7942.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298842882513615378" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><p><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This collaborative event between Esha's friend and family, CSUN students and the Campaign members was sponsored and managed by one of Esha's friends, herself a Campaign member. Thanks to two months of intense work, the group was able to put together an impressive and well-managed program and in so doing was able to pay a rich tribute to their friend Esha in the form of a peaceful night of art and music, highly appropriate since Esha herself is both an artist and a musician</span></span></p><div align="left" dir="rtl"><p><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A harmonious blend of musical performances and speeches, the event informed attendees about Esha's bright character and various activities, as well as the obstacles faced by the women's rights movement in Iran, all the while relaxing and soothing the souls of those present</span></span></p><p><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">You can follow the links to listen to talks from </span><a href="http://changeforequality-ca.org/inc/sounds/amani.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ms.Elahe Amani</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(from California State University , Fullerton</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">), </span><a href="http://changeforequality-ca.org/inc/sounds/omid.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Omid</span></a><a href="http://changeforequality-ca.org/inc/sounds/omid.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Koohi</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> (a friend of Esha, and a volunteer of the One Million Signatures), and <a href="http://changeforequality-ca.org/inc/sounds/wall.mp3">Professor</a><a href="http://changeforequality-ca.org/inc/sounds/wall.mp3"> </a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://changeforequality-ca.org/inc/sounds/wall.mp3">Melissa Wall</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(California State University, <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 55px; font-family:Arial;">Northridge</span></span></span></span></p><p><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 26, 139); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a href="http://changeforequality-ca.org/English/ForEshaEvent.html">>>Read More</a></span></span></span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 26, 139); text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://sundial.csun.edu/a_night_of_music_and_performance_in_support_of_esha-1.1313824">Also Read Report From CSUN Newspaper</a></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 26, 139); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></p></div></span>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-91424195135123518102009-01-18T15:44:00.000-08:002009-02-04T11:09:43.817-08:00Statement from Esha Momeni's thesis adviser, Melissa Wall<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SYnn6cAXBSI/AAAAAAAAAWY/9jRMTEHgRWY/s1600-h/MsWall.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SYnn6cAXBSI/AAAAAAAAAWY/9jRMTEHgRWY/s320/MsWall.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299021427714229538" /></a><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:12px;">"Classes begin next week and still the Iranian government has not allowed </span><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:12px;"><p>our graduate student, Esha Momeni, to return to the United States. Esha was <br />first arrested and jailed in October for conducting video interviews for her <br />master's thesis about the Iranian women's movement. Although she was <br />released in November on a $200,000 bail, she was not allowed to leave Iran <br />and missed the entire fall semester. If she does not return within the next <br />few weeks, she will miss spring semester as well. As 2009 begins, everyone <br />is paying close attention to Iran. The government of Iran has said that it <br />wants educational exchanges with the United States, yet it will not allow <br />Esha, a dual national, to do exactly that – to return to the U.S. to <br />continue her academic work, which aims to present a positive image of <br />Iranian women to the West. In the spirit of supporting cross-cultural <br />understanding, we are asking that Esha be allowed to return to California <br />this month to resume her studies." </p></span></div>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-36066912066428145512009-01-16T17:31:00.000-08:002009-01-20T13:33:05.447-08:00For Esha: A Night of Music, Poetry and Reflection<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SXFGFOh3JnI/AAAAAAAAAVg/RR1gWfz1p3I/s1600-h/ForEshaflyer.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ffbCiGJWWS0/SXFGFOh3JnI/AAAAAAAAAVg/RR1gWfz1p3I/s320/ForEshaflyer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292088092750456434" /></a><br />We, as friends of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Esha</span>, students and faculty of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">CSUN</span>, members of the Million Signatures Campaign in Southern California, academics and fellow <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">artists</span>, are delighted and honored to invite you to an evening event that seeks to highlight <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Esha's</span> continued restriction under a travel ban.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;font-family:arial;"><p></p><p></p></span><div>We would like to acknowledge the unity displayed to secure her release and to highlight what can be accomplished when we join hands and work together with a common purpose and unified goal.</div><div><br /></div><div>Please feel free to bring family and friends. We look forward to seeing you there.</div><div><br /></div><div>Time: 8:00 pm (Doors open at 7:30 pm)</div><div>Date: Friday January 23, 2009</div><div>Admission: Free</div><div><br /></div><div>Place: </div><div>United University Church</div><div>University of Southern California</div><div>817 West 34<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">th</span> Street</div><div>Los Angeles, CA 90089-0751</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://melissawall.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/music-poetry-and-reflection-a-night-for-esha-momeni/">http://melissawall.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/music-poetry-and-reflection-a-night-for-esha-momeni/</a><br /></div><div><br /></div>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-35371233465057805282009-01-15T15:50:00.000-08:002009-01-18T16:24:52.740-08:00Esha, dressed in white<object width="200" height="150"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PUNZtPsg_Q4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PUNZtPsg_Q4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="200" height="150"></embed></object>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-15673669905212736762009-01-14T09:28:00.000-08:002009-01-14T09:29:34.542-08:00Esha Momeni, banned from leaving the country<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-style: italic; ">(January 13, 2009)</span><br /></p> <p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">According to AFP, Judiciary spokesperson Ali Reza Jamshidi said on Tuesday that Esha Momeni, has been banned from leaving Iran. "Ms Momeni was banned from leaving Iran a week ago," Jamshidi told reporters. "Her passport had been given to her but a new issue has opened and the examination of this issue will take about one month," he said, without giving further details.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">Contrary to the recent statement by the Judiciary spokesperson, since Esha Momeni's release from Evin Prison in mid November 2008 her passport has not been returned to her, and she has been unable to leave the country. An earlier statement that was released by Judiciary spokesperson Mr. Jamshidi early December 2008 stated that there are no travel restrictions for Ms. Momeni; however, officials continued to hold on to her travel documents and prohibited her from coming back to California even when the travel ban was legally lifted. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">No details have been released regarding the claimed new issue.</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black"><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090113/wl_mideast_afp/iranusrightswomen_20090113114653" target="_blank"><span style="color:#2A5DB0">http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/<wbr>20090113/wl_mideast_afp/<wbr>iranusrightswomen_<wbr>20090113114653</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black"><a href="http://www.iranvnc.com/floater_article1.aspx?lang=en&t=floater_censoredculture&id=7219" target="_blank"><span style="color:#2A5DB0">http://www.iranvnc.com/<wbr>floater_article1.aspx?lang=en&<wbr>t=floater_censoredculture&id=<wbr>7219</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black"><a href="http://www.arabia.msn.com/channels/msnnews/article.aspx?CatID=1&ID=686356&S=Hl" target="_blank"><span style="color:#2A5DB0">http://www.arabia.msn.com/<wbr>channels/msnnews/article.aspx?<wbr>CatID=1&ID=686356&S=Hl</span></a><br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.csun.edu/news/clips/2009/01/13/us-iran-student-csuns-esha-momeni-banned-from-leaving-country-for-one-month-3/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#2A5DB0">http://blogs.csun.edu/news/<wbr>clips/2009/01/13/us-iran-<wbr>student-csuns-esha-momeni-<wbr>banned-from-leaving-country-<wbr>for-one-month-3/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-8222513310133248532008-12-17T15:10:00.000-08:002008-12-17T15:12:37.184-08:00Human Rights First - Iran Must Respect Defenders' Right to TravelHuman Rights First :<br />" On December 10, women's rights activist andattorney Nasrin Sotoudeh and her family went to the Imam KhomeiniAirport. Ms. Sotoudeh's passport was confiscated by securityofficials at the Imam Khomeini Airport as she was about to leave for Italy,where she was to receive the 2008 Human Rights International Prize. Ms.Sotoudeh's travel ban is a continuation of a policy of sustained repressiondirected at human rights defenders.<br /><br />Ms. Sotoudeh is not alone. At least four other women's rights activistshave gone through the same experience: Parvin Ardalan, MansourehShojaee, Talat Taghinia, and Sussan Tahmasebi. Furthermore, EshaMomeni, member of the One Million Signatures Campaign for genderequality, is still unable to leave Iran, as the Ministry ofIntelligence continues to hold her passport."<br /><br />Please sign the following petition and spread the word: <a href="http://action.humanrightsfirst.org/campaign/Nasrin/">http://action.humanrightsfirst.org/campaign/Nasrin/</a>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-24502209291461776542008-12-11T13:21:00.000-08:002008-12-12T14:30:18.221-08:00Professor Wall's Statement about CSUN graduate student Esha MomeniIn a statement Esha Momeni's academic adviser Professor Melissa Wall urged the Iranian government to allow Esha Momeni to come back to CSUN:<br /><br />"It is December 8th, and we are still waiting after two long months, for Esha to return to the United States and her academic program. The last few weeks have been wrought with confusion. At first Esha was banned from leaving Iran. Then, Iranian officials said that she was free to come back to the United States but they wouldn't give her back her passport. Clearly, it appears she is not free to leave. This is a problem because it leaves her months behind in her academic work. Esha has not submitted any of the work required to earn her thesis, because her video was seized. She is now months behind in her academic work, and the deadline to file to graduate will soon pass. Her other professors and I are asking the Iranian government to lift her travel ban, give back her passport and allow her to return to California in time to enroll for Spring semester."<br /><br /><br />Professor Wall further expressed these concerns in a radio program on <a href="http://www.kpfk.org/programs/115--indymediaonair/1350-indymedia-on-air-for-dec-8-2008.html">KPFK's indymedia</a>. You can listen to this program <a href="http://melissawall.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/let-esha-come-home/">here</a>. Below is a quote from Esha's classmate Anasa Sinegal in this radio program:<br />She is still not able to leave the country - not only are we continually worried about her well-being, we are also worried about her standing in our program. Is she going to be able to come back here and finish her degree? . . . And we also just really want her to graduate with us, to stand on that stage. We've become a tight knit family. We're worried that's not going to happen. We want her back as soon as possible so that we can talk to her and see her again and we can all graduate come May 2009.<br /><br />To help Esha:<br />Write a letter asking the Iranian government to drop all charges and allow Esha to return to California to complete her degree. Based on the recommendations of the Observatory for Human Rights Defenders, consider the following text:<br />Please guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Ms. Esha Momeni, and immediately drop all charges and allow Ms. Momeni to return to the US without conditions to complete her academic work. Her arrest was in connection with her peaceful activities in support of equal rights for women in Iran and in the context of her graduate research.<br />Send to:<br />Leader of the Islamic Republic, His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader, Shoahada Street, Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran, Faxes: + 98.21.649.5880 / 21.774.2228.<br /><br />Also read:<br /><a href="http://melissawall.wordpress.com/2008/12/08/esha-still-unable-to-leave-iran/">http://melissawall.wordpress.com/2008/12/08/esha-still-unable-to-leave-iran/</a><br /><a href="http://melissawall.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/let-esha-come-home/">http://melissawall.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/let-esha-come-home/</a>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-50056182538570080202008-12-08T15:11:00.000-08:002008-12-08T18:51:32.711-08:00Delegates from Association of American Universities (AAU) during a meeting with Iranian Officials expressed their concerns regarding Esha's arrestAccording to the Cornell Daily Sun, while in Iran from Nov. 14 to Nov. 20, David Skorton, President of Cornell University, along with several other delegates from Association of American Universities (AAU), met with Iranian Minister of Science, Research and Technology Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi. Skorton said that during meetings with academic faculties and with Zahedi, the issue of roadblocks to scholastic freedom were brought up. <br /><br />The article further states that:<br /><br />"The general issue and specific issue [of safety] were brought up on numerous occasions, with faculty, with university administrators and with the minister of science," Skorton said. AAU spokesperson Barry Toiv stated in an e-mail, "Now, a very high percentage of the country receives a college education. Interestingly, 60 percent of that student population is women, despite the severe limits placed on women in Iranian society as a whole."<br /><br />According to Leebron, the delegation expressed their concerns to Minister Zahedi regarding "what [the delegates] would call interference" with academic freedom. They were particularly concerned with American-born Esha Momeni, a graduate student at California State University at Northridge, who was arrested in Tehran in mid-October while researching the Iran's women's movement. He called this case "one particular point of difficulty."<br /><br />Read more>> <br /><a href="http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2008/12/01/skorton-meets-iranian-official-science-exchange ">http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2008/12/01/skorton-meets-iranian-official-science-exchange </a>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-13255818178979037582008-12-08T10:57:00.000-08:002008-12-08T10:58:25.676-08:00Interview with Iranian Woman Activist and Campaigner: Hoda AminianInterview by: Sussan Tahmasebi, Change for Equality <br />I am 25 years old. I have a BS in Surveying and am currently working on my <br />Masters in City Planning. My focus is on women and the use of public <br />spaces. The Campaign has been an enormously empowering experience for <br />me. Prior to entering the Campaign, I had lost hope and had become <br />disillusioned. I felt like I needed to do something to positively improve <br />my society and to positively impact the lives of women in my country, but <br />I was constantly faced with closed doors to this end. I could not find a <br />place to go and be active on behalf of women's rights and my own concerns. <br />When the Campaign started it changed the environment of the women's <br />movement and younger women were afforded an opportunity to get involved. <br />From among the 50 volunteers that I follow up with, none have been <br />dissuaded from involvement in the Campaign because of security pressures <br />or at least they have not expressed their concerns to me. I share news and <br />info on developments in the Campaign with the group I am responsible for. <br />When I shared the news about sentences issued in the case of Campaign <br />activists, like the sentence issued for Delaram Ali, most activists wrote <br />back expressing their support and concern and asked what if anything they <br />could do for us. Or when we shared news about Esha's Momeni's release from <br />prison, we received a lot of supportive messages from volunteers. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.payvand.com/news/08/dec/1072.html">http://www.payvand.com/news/08/dec/1072.html</a>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-81994541942713625272008-12-04T16:10:00.001-08:002008-12-04T16:10:54.665-08:00Iran urged to halt "crackdown" on women activistsAccording to a report by the U.N. Human Rights Council, Iran is among 163 countries to have ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which guarantees fundamental freedoms including the right to opinion and peaceful association. "Women's participation in public life to promote an equal treatment of women and men in the Islamic Republic of Iran should be encouraged as a means to build a stronger and healthier society," the investigators said. <br /><br /><a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE4AQ6MR20081127?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0">http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE4AQ6MR20081127?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0</a>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-57510436017206881112008-12-03T13:39:00.000-08:002008-12-03T13:41:34.969-08:00Bring Esha Home- A Video by Friends of Esha<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/X-GnTNdaGiw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/X-GnTNdaGiw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705661824402458285.post-90166705453200224912008-11-26T23:24:00.000-08:002008-11-26T23:28:23.587-08:00Esha was not able to leave Iran on her scheduled flight back to LAEsha had a flight back to Los Angeles scheduled on November 21, 2008. Although the officials had given her a glimpse of hope that she would be able to use her ticket, she did not receive her passport and therefore was not able to leave the country. Friends were looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with her. "We're all spending time with friends and family this week and we were hoping we'd be giving thanks for having Esha back in L.A.," CSUN mass communication graduate student Vanessa Mora said in a statement sent to the press:<br /><a href="http://changeforequality-ca.org/English/Docs/neweshathanskgiving.pdf">http://changeforequality-ca.org/English/Docs/neweshathanskgiving.pdf</a><br />Also:<br /><a href="http://laist.com/2008/11/25/csun_student_freed_from_iranian_jai.php">http://laist.com/2008/11/25/csun_student_freed_from_iranian_jai.php</a>For Eshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581061811057716809noreply@blogger.com0