Welcome Pakistani Prime Minister Who is coming to Tell the Truth to the World

Free Kashmir No Indian Army

PAKISTAN – USA FREEDOM FORUM 82-44 243 St., Bellerose, NY 11426 Tel (718) 343-1653 or (718) 763-3543 E-mail: pakusaff@hotmail.com

Stop Dividing Families End the Raids and Deportations

The Pakistani American community in the United States of America welcomes the Honorable Mian Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan; he will be telling the world how countries and regions are taken advantage of when colonial powers violate sovereignty and international borders. Pakistan is the real victim and model to learn from. We must learn the negative example of Kenya as well, which suffered from the hostage situation by playing the game of the imperialists in invading its neighbor Somalia.

You have concern and worry over the thousands that were killed and displaced in the recent earthquake in Baluchistan which killed many people, and also stress over the numerous separatist groups, who are preventing the rescue efforts of the Pakistani Army in the affected areas. Please make Pakistanis proud in telling the UN General Assembly, without any hesitation and with courage, how the Pakistanis are suffering without power, have a lacking and deteriorated educational and health system, a free-falling economy and extremism, the only one big reason behind the long-time dictatorships (Dictator Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz who was also a high Citibank official) and were backed by the US and other Western countries.

We are hopeful that, as a third-time Prime Minister (you were raised by the dictator General Zia) you can act as you did when you were Prime Minister of Pakistan for the second time, showing the world that you can take a stand for Pakistani interests, against the atomic power pressure of the USA under Clinton, and create good relations with your neighbors. Life teaches you to gain the peoples' trust, that openness and closeness is the best way to govern our beautiful country. We hope you will never allow ministers who have high civil positions to hold party positions. Also that intelligent Pakistanis will be appointed to key positions very soon, such as foreign and defense ministers and ambassadors. We are requesting the government to not appoint to any post those who are foreign dual citizens who have not lived in Pakistan for a continuous five year period. Educated Pakistanis deserve the fruits of their struggle for a democratic rule of law. Ask every member of the National Assembly and the army generals of the last 20 years to give a full accounting of the money they hold outside the country, and return it to the Pakistan treasury or leave their posts. There should be full cooperation and obedience to orders made by the courts and no special pardons should be made. For example as Mr. Zardari shamelessly disobeyed all court orders and abused the power of the position he held. 

You should encourage all Pakistani citizens and foreigners to come to Pakistan without hassle and bribes to gain entry. Please do not repeat your blunder when you act very badly to control the dollar accounts opened by Pakistanis living abroad because you said that Pakistan needed dollars to prevent default. You have same old advisors in your cabinet.

Attention should be given to the needs of the women, students and laborers who have suffered very badly for the last thirty years under Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz, Shujat and P Elahi and NRO President Zardari. Prisoners who were never sentenced or have completed their sentence must be released! Pay attention to the needs of the soldiers who are vital for the defense of our motherland; the differences in salaries and conditions from those of the officers must be fair. Prime Minister, we need improved infrastructure and safety throughout the entire country; other national interests need attention. These improvements should be based on the interest of the nation and not greedy money-makers (political game in Karachi & MQM’s dirty tricks, the selling of PIA, Steel, Railway, etc) who always find a way to influence the ruling party.

The Pakistan USA Freedom Forum (PUFF) asks you to pay attention to the new strategy of the superpowers, who are now talking to the Taliban and Iran (we hope this is very good news). Pakistan in developing relations with these forces and countries should base on its own interests and sovereignty. PUFF hopes you will raise the following concerns hemduring your state visit with President Obama in October: the status of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, the drone attacks, the situation in Kashmir and the secret CIA involvement inside Pakistan, the information related to abduction of Pakistani citizens and any information regarding safety and sovereignty of our country. Demand full reimbursement from the US, ISAF (International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan), NATO, which amount to billions, to help the poor economy of country; these are small steps for a real Pakistani leader who will prove that  the 2013 elections was not an NRO-2 government or a election devised by colonial powers.

Dr. Muhammad Shafique President

Mr. Shahid Comrade General Secretary (917) 280-0840

This article reflects the political ideas of the Pakistan USA Freedom Forum, which is a strong anti-war voice in the American Peace Movement. We post it for your knowledge and information about the struggle for democracy in Pakistan.

Obama on Iranian Children with cancer

SOLIDARITY AT HOME & ABROAD

AIFC* REPORT ON DEC. 28 FORUM: GROWING RESISTANCE IN PAKISTAN and a REPORT ON SOUTHERN HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE

Eleanor Ommani, December 29, 2012

Two AIFC* members attended a NYC forum entitled: Eyewitness Pakistan – International Solidarity & a report on a special meeting called the Southern Human Rights Organizing Conference (SHROC) Report on Dec. 28, 2012.  Both presentations focused on the importance of solidarity with working class movements and struggles for economic and social justice both here and abroad.  

International Struggle:

One speaker of the evening was Ms. Sara Flounders, Co-Director of the International Action Center (IAC), who was invited to Pakistan along with Ms. Cynthia McKinney, former U.S. Congresswoman, because of their organizations' on-going support and continuing efforts to pressure the U.S. government to repatriate Dr. Aafia Siddiqui to Pakistan.  The invitation and incredible rallies in Pakistan, are a shining example of genuine internationalism, with these American progressives in solidarity with the Pakistani people demanding freedom for Dr. Saddiqui, kidnapped in Pakistan, tortured in Bagram Air Force base in Afghanistan, shot by F.B.I. agents and then falsely accused of being a 'terrorist' and convicted in a U.S. Court (of illegality and injustice!), and now languishing in a Texas prison with a death sentence of 86 years....

When Sara and Cynthia arrived at the Karachi Airport in Pakistan at 4:00 A.M., they were greeted by a crowd of nearly 100 people and showered with rose petals, in what proved to be only the first of many such welcoming crowds of tens of thousands of Pakistani citizens, young and old, in cities throughout the country – Islamabad, Hyderabad, Peshawar and Lahore – running along the motorcade with signs and flags with Aafia's picture and slogans such as "Free Sister Aafia" and condemning the U.S. government while thanking their American guests for their defense of Dr. Siddiqui. 

It seemed that at whatever meeting they attended, people had heard that it was SARA who stood up in the U.S. Court and shouted out, "Shame on this court! Shame on this Court!", when the verdict was read out.  Pakistani news agencies spread her words in the international media, which is a lesson we should take seriously: INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY IS A NOBLE DUTY!!  The tragic story of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, this young and brilliant Ph.D. graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and mother of three, became an international issue only two weeks after Press TV reporter Yvonne Ridley publicized the testimony of witnesses who spoke of being haunted by "a woman's piercing screams coming from Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan.  IAC's work with the Pakistan USA Freedom Forum (email: pakusaff@hotmail.com ) is what brought news and information of this case to the entire New York progressive community.  For background info about Dr. Aafia: http://muslimmatters.org/2011/01/15/dr-aafia-siddiqui-the-punishment-does-not-fit-the-crime/

The unjustified 86 year prison sentence has struck a deep emotional cord of anger in the hearts of millions of Pakistani people and Dr. Aafia's freedom has become a national symbol of resistance to the U.S. acts of aggression and the drone killings of innocents!  Sara rightly noted that International Solidarity in these cases, as with the Cuban Five and others serves several important objectives:

1)   Defense of political prisoners - publically standing up to the fear and intimidation –sends a message of outrage to the system that "We will not be silent!" and our struggle will go on.  

2)   It tells the human beings incarcerated that we support them, they are not alone and gives them strength to bear the pain they go through.

3)   Links their individual struggle with the mass movement for change, strengthens the international struggle for an end to racism, inequality, and wars!

Ms. Flounders pointed out in her presentation that Dr. Aafia's case is only one of many unjustly incarcerated persons, and cases of Political Prisoners tried in these U.S. Courts of Injustice – Mumia Abu Jamal, the Peoples' Attorney Lynne Stewart, Palestinian University professor Sami Al Arian, the Holy Land Five, Native American Leornard Peltier, and more…The U.S. government hopes that these harsh prison sentences will instill fear and deter activists from challenging the economic, social and political injustices rampant in this system, and that is one good reason to support these political prisoners – we are NOT stopping our struggle!! 

Domestic Struggle:

Monica Moorehead, one of the managing editors of the Workers World weekly newspaper, published by the Workers World Party, began her talk by showing a video of 200 activists picketing in front of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in support of nurses who have been illegally dismissed for filing grievances against MUSC, a private medical facility whose management has ignored the poor working conditions, low pay and racist attitudes.  South Carolina is one of the "Right to Work" [for Less] states that hinders the ability of unions to freely organize new members, to automatically deduct union dues from the wages of their members, thus incurring costs to "get permission" for the deductions, and puts the employers in a stronger bargaining position when disputes arrive and can penalize the unions with fines and possible jail terms.  Nurses in training are over-worked, not compensated adequately for the work they perform and are immediately subject to being fired when and if they protest working conditions.  The factor of racism is real and present, since nearly all of the management is white and much of the nurse trainees are people of color – Black, Latino and Native Americans Indigenous workers. 

Another very important issue brought out at the biannual conference of the SHROC, held Dec. 7-9 in S. Carolina, in addition to defending the nurse's human rights to decent working conditions was the current and on-going struggles of the East and West Coast Longshoremen's unions.  The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), which represents thousands of dock workers on the East Coast have been on the verge of strike action over the Employer's attempts to eliminate the previously negotiated "container royalty payments", a fund that pays toward the loss of work by dock workers as a result of automation.   U.S. port employers want to cut more jobs and weaken/destroy the unions, long known for their militancy in labor struggles, using the age-old "efficiency" cry.  As reported in the World News section of the Financial Times in the Dec. 29/30, 2012 issue of the paper, a federal government mediator announced that a deal reached between the union and the employers averted a strike that had the potential of stopping goods and imports shipped from around the world from being unloaded and delivered to retailers.  Please see Last-minute deal averts strike at east coast ports on Page 3 of Saturday, December 29, 2012 issue of Financial Times (USA) for the full article. 

For background information in an article entitled see: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/451d1548-f085-11e1-b7b2-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2GOtcKkTE 

Following the two speaker's presentation, there were questions, answers and comments from the audience.  Below are pictures of the REPORTER, Ms. Sara Founders, and Ms. Monica Moorehead. 

*AIFC  stands for the American Iranian Friendship Committee (AIFC)  www.iranaifc.com 

Big Powers Meet Iran - Why is Iran Targeted for Sanctions and War Threats?

The U.S. and Israel purport that Iran's nuclear program is a threat to other countries in the region, but is this really true? Iranian nuclear physicists have been kidnapped and assassinated, recent Wiki-leaks cables revealed that last year the U.S. agreed to "quietly transfer" bunker-busting bombs to Israel, and on December 21, the United States Congress unilaterally imposed more stringent sanctions on Iran and its representatives. Who is threatening whom?
Come hear a panel of speakers who will discuss what these events reveal about U.S. and Israeli foreign policy and present up-dates on Iran's stance in negotiations.

Friday, January 14, 2011       Time: 7 – 9 PM

Place: Grace & St. Paul’s Church
123 West 71st Street (between Amsterdam & Broadway)
New York, NY 10023 (Subway very close)

Speakers:

Brian Becker is the National Coordinator of A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition, an anti-racist, anti-war organization working to prevent intervention and war, and defend civil and human rights of working people at home and abroad. Mr. Becker is an experienced organizer in the political arena of the U.S., which has given an impetus to broadening the anti-war movement.

Ray McGovern is a former Intelligence Analyst who worked for over 27 years in seven U.S. administrations. Ray, a native NY’er, graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University. In 2003, together with other former CIA employees, McGovern founded the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity or VIPS. In January 2006, in Atlanta, McGovern publicly challenged Donald Rumsfeld in what became a mini-debate on live TV (lots of coverage on YouTube). Mr. McGovern was recently arrested along with 134 other peace advocates and U.S. Veterans calling for an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nima Shirazi is a political commentator and writes the website WideAsleepInAmerica.com. His analysis of United States foreign policy and Middle East issues can also be found in numerous other online and print publications.

Sponsored by: American Iranian Friendship Committee (AIFC) www.iranaifc.com Endorsed by: WESPAC Mid-East Committee, David Swanson, WarIsACrime.org, PakUSA Freedom Forum, Phil Wilayto, Author, “In Defense of Iran…”, Elliot Abrams - Veterans for Peace*, The Granny Peace Brigade, NYC Coalition to Stop Islamophobia  (List in formation) Email Contact: AIFC@optonline.net or call: 914-273-8852 *For Identification Only

Letter of Support to Turkish Ambassador

 AMERICAN IRANIAN FRIENDSHIP COMMITTEE (AIFC)
http://www.iranaifc.com/ email: aifc@optonline.net     Tel: 914-273-8852 or 917-853-8020


Executive Board:
Ardeshir Ommani
Eleanor Ommani
Kazem Azin
Azita Shafazand

June 7, 2010

Namık TAN
Ambassador, Turkey
2525 Massachusetts Avenue,
N.W Washington, D.C. 20008
Fax: 202-612-6744
Cc: Mehmet Samsar, Consulate General, Turkey
      Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General, United Nations

Your Excellency, Mr. Tan:


We are writing to express our condolences, salute your Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul and express our outrage at the recent events surrounding the cruel murders by Israeli commandos of nine outstanding Turkish citizens aboard the Mavi Marmara, attempting to bring aid to the impoverished residents of Gaza via the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. We regret and mourn very much the deaths of the Turkish citizens whose brave acts of defending the Palestinians and being willing to help break the siege of Gaza cost them their lives.


Sir, your compatriots who have given everything are now heroes to many, not only in the Muslim world but to Europeans and Americans who hunger for justice and peace in the Middle East. Our organization, the American Iranian Friendship Committee (AIFC), since its founding in 2004, has advocated dialogue, adherence to international treaties and laws and promoted multi-lateral discussion in resolving all international conflicts between nations. We have stated that the Israeli blockade against the people in Gaza is illegal, immoral and inhuman and must be ended. We honor the Turkish people and organizations who work to end the siege of Gaza, and we support Turkey’s efforts and stance at the United Nations and in international institutions calling for Israel to be held accountable to all international treaties and obligations.

On another issue, we are adamantly opposed to war, military invasion and occupation. Thus, we deeply welcomed the efforts of Turkey’s prime minister, Mr. Erdogan, and Brazil’s President Lula De Silva, in acting as a bridge between the P+5 countries and Iran on resolving the nuclear enrichment issue, and on reducing tensions in the Middle East. We applaud such diplomatic efforts as being to the benefit of the people in the Western countries and all the people of that region. We look toward a deepening of ties between the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Turkey. Our people share many cultural and historical ties.

On behalf of the Executive Committee of the AIFC, we once again express our unity and solidarity with the Turkish people and government.

Ardeshir Ommani, AIFC
Eleanor Ommani, AIFC
Kazem Azin, AIFC
Azita Shafazand, AIFC
Karla Hansen, Iowans For Diplomacy
Prof. Ismael Hossein-zadeh, Ph.D., Drake University

RESPONSE TO AIFC'S WEBSITE

In response to American Iranian Friendship Committee (AIFC) sending out a link to our website: http://www.iranaifc.com/, and inviting comments about AIFC's news and views, we received the following honest assessment from an American friend in the U.S. peace movement: "Not being a political analyst, I don't think I have anything to say that might enlighten anyone or change their position on any point. However, on the question of "nukes" I don't understand the reasoning that some can have and others not. This doesn't make sense to me. However, as I've said before I'm opposed to nuclear power as well as nuclear weapons worldwide. We're going to leave future generations stockpiles of nuclear waste. For forty years these stockpiles continue to grow around the world, and no one has a clue what to do with them.

Furthermore, in spite of claims to the contrary, the closer one lives to a nuclear power plant, the greater their risk for cancer. Indian Point [nuclear power plant in Westchester, New York State] is polluting the land and the water, kills millions of fish every year and poses a threat to the people of our own region. Because of the nuclear waste, it will remain a danger even if we're finally able to get it closed down. So, while I think Iran has as much right to place a horrible facility in their country as anyone else, I think it's a terrible idea and don't support it for the reason mentioned above.

The war in Afghanistan is a nightmare. I doubt that it will ever come to an end unless the citizens of the U.S. come out in the millions and demand that it be stopped. As a group, our spirits are broken and minds too distracted by debt, loss of employment, homes and invested savings, for the peace movement to regain the necessary momentum. Meanwhile, our young people, our money and our reputation goes down the drain and our enemies grow along with loss of life and the national debt. I think it's an immoral war that cannot be won, and I don't need any particular website to influence that feeling.

While I certainly don't demonize Ahmadinejad, I don't applaud him either. It seems as though he makes statements that diminish his credibility and don't help dispel the falsehoods that are bandied about in the media. While I question the right of our government to arrest and incarcerate certain individuals, I also question the right of Iran to arrest and incarcerate certain individuals.

You may call me a cynic or a fool [or both], but I can't think of any current world leader that I believe to be above reproach or that I fullt trust at the present time. Worse yet, I don't think that there is any reporting which is straighforward; it all seems to be slanted one way or another. It's disheartening as well as confusing. "

Ms. C.A. in New York

Iran at a Crossroads

February 8, 2010

By Ahmad Aleagha

In the current era, the political and economic systems of all countries around the globe, maybe more so of Iran, are in the buffer zones. These transitions in and out of different political and economic systems are happening faster now than ever in human history. This is due to availability of information, and the speed of its transmission to every country in the world. Also, more importantly, there are precedents of different political and economic systems which have been experienced somewhere in the world, i.e. dictatorship or democracy, capitalism or socialism, parliamentary or kingdomship, communism or oligarchy, etc.

Similar to democracy, advancement in political and economic systems is a process within a country. Unfortunately, these advancements can be reversed, opposite to the classical education, as an example.  Russia circumvented this process, jumping up three steps, going from feudalism or tsarist autocracy to communism. Russia is now back, going through capitalism and democracy. China has mixed capitalism, democracy, and communism. The Scandinavian countries are going through this process better than most other countries (social democratic systems).

From the early 1900's, while the rest of the world was trying different systems by hitting each other on the head (World War I and World War II), and hitting the heads of their own people (revolutions), the United States progressed. The United States experienced democracy, industrialism, capitalism, and even socialism. Now, it is back to an oligarchy, way back to the Pharaoh-type oligarchy. The U.S. was the best candidate for socialism, starting in the early 1900’s, and probably would have been ready to advance to communism by now.

There are many socialistic-type programs in the United States’ social texture: social security, unemployment benefits, unionized workers, food stamps, welfare, Medicare, etc.  . These advancements were easy and fast, especially after World War II. This caused Americans not to progress politically, similar to their ancestors in Europe. These naïve, innocent people were taken for a ride by a few people for their own benefits. The oligarchs were in the Democratic party up until the Reagan era, and since then, has been taken advantage of the Republican party.

The U.S. oligarchy has been responsible for the destruction of humanity in the past 60-70 years. They have participated in over 150 wars, directly or indirectly, killing millions, according to one of my intellectual friends, Ardeshir Ommani.   

Members of the U.S. oligarchy call themselves neo-conservatives, or “neo-cons” nowadays. A “neo-con” is defined as a person who is super-rich, with an ego as big as the world, and mostly (but not all) Jewish. Zionism is one of their tools. Joe Biden, a non-Jew vice-president, said, “You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist”. This oligarchy phenomenon goes back to the Pharaoh’s time. The Pharaoh’s oligarchy built those gigantic pyramids for their minute (by comparison) coffins.   Moses freed those oppressed in Pharaoh’s time, similar to Jesus freeing people from the Roman Empire.

Iran, being an ancient civilization, has seen it all.  If it was not due to the powerful British Empire and the U.S. oligarchy, Iran would have had an advanced social and democratic system. This is probably true with most countries in the world, as we see how these evil forces control the world, including the Americans themselves, for the worse. Right now, Iran is a melting pot of all the possible economic and political systems. Religion in an adhesive force to keep Iranians united against the U.S. oligarch, similar to other countries in the Middle East. Is it a coincidence that the U.S. oligarchy is misusing 80 million evangelists as a driving force?

Iranians need to stay united against the dark force, and be patient in going through the economic and political process step by step.