The Bloodshed in Paris Oozes
Out of the Body of Freedom
Announcement by
The Hub of Iranian
Secular Democratic Writers, Poets and Artists
(Payvand-Sara)
The insolent armed attack of a gang of masked extremists, claiming to be
Muslim, perpetrated on the offices of Charlie Hebdo Weekly in Paris, and the
killing of a number of well-known French writers and caricaturists, has plunged
the soul of the believers in unconditional freedom of expression in deep anger
and sorrow.
Throughout history, the frightened enemies of freedom have never stopped or retreated
from sewing the lips, breaking the pens, skinning alive and the physical
elimination of truthful and freedom-loving writers and artists. It is only in
recent centuries that, along with the expansion of secularism and recognition
of The Universal Declaration of human Rights, democracy has been given a chance
to take root in different countries, acting as the guardian of human freedoms,
including the freedom of expression.
Nevertheless, and regretfully, during the last four decades, alongside the
expansion of extremism and savagery that acts in the name of religion,
especially Islam, and against all the achievement in the realm of human rights
(a process that was shamefully initiated by Khomeini in our
Islamic-revolution-stricken country) the world has witnessed a number of such
inhumane incidents. Today, our country, Iran, is an exemplary witness to the
endeavors of a religious regime to massacre secular writers, artists and political
activists. This murderous effort that was previously expanded beyond the political
borders of our country, has annihilated a number of our known secular
personalities outside of Iran, and especially in Europe.
It is astonishing to see that the Western powers, whose countries are the
birthplace of secularism and human rights, have chosen not to show an effective
reaction to such atrocities and have rather elected a policy of supporting
fundamentalists of the Middle East and appeasing them to the extent of
releasing proven murderers and sending them back to their countries.
What has happened now in Paris, and what happened in New York in September 11,
2001, are but a small residue of that horrible storm that is enslaving, selling,
torturing and killing thousands of innocent people in the Middle East and
Africa. Obviously, as long as this satanic tree is nourished, one should not
expect anything but its growth and expansion.
The fact that secular writers and artists in Iran and other places are standing
on the forefront of such attacks' target is not an incidental issue. The
western countries are accustomed to seeing the world affairs in the light of
political and economic explanations. But the real substance of this savagery
that acts under the disguise of religion is made of a cultural aptitude. Yes,
we are facing a cultural war that is being waged against civilization and all
the gains of man who has created a secular society based on the provisions of
The Universal Declaration of Human rights. This is a war that now has opened
its fronts in Europe, firmly believing that what is being decided in the halls
of western governments is made of low expediencies that would not arrive at a
decisive reaction.
It is, in fact, the ever-increasing neediness and competitiveness of the world
powers, together with wrong policies such as giving way to religious extremism
that now has given life to Taliban, al-Qaida, Boko-Haram, the Islamic Republic,
ISIS and the like. This monster that not only has enveloped the Middle East in
blood and soil but is now presenting itself widely in Europe, threatening the
human freedoms and the fragile body of democracy in its birthplace.
During the recent years, France has witnessed some such incidents but, in the
recent case, killing French writers, journalists and artists in the heart of
their capital city, means nothing but the will to annihilate freedom of
expression. Unfortunately, it seems that the outcome of such happenings turns
out to be imposing harsher restrictions to the ordinary innocent people, giving
way to those opportunists who, misusing this situation, try to advance
censorship and limit freedoms, chipping away from the body of democracy - a
fact with regrettable consequences. Whereas, against any appeasement and
conservatism, reason dictates that it does not suffice to cut a few branches
that have intruded into a neighbor's space while leaving the "satanic
tree" intact.
The governing body and members of the Hub of Iranian Secular Democratic
Writers, Poets and Artists (Payvand-Sara), which is an institution within the
framework of Iranian Secular Democracy Movement and a member of Allied Iranian
Secular Democrat organization, seeking the establishment of a secular democracy
in Iran, strongly condemn the attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo Weekly and
invite all the secular writers, poets and artists who regularly use their
calling as a weapon to fight ignorance, superstition, cruelty and religious extremism,
to raise their voices with the aim of awakening the policy makers of their
countries from naive dreams of coexistence and appeasement.
The reason is obvious: They are standing on the
front line of a cultural war that threatens the very existence of human
civilization.
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