Sign This Petition!
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Needless to say, I don’t have a lot in common with Hossein Derakhshan (hoder) when it comes to our politics. This has become even more evident over the last few months as he has digressed more and more to the right (in my opinion, of course) to the point of declaring his hero to be the man who is responsible for execution of 35 of my friends, each of them younger than 18 and as young as 14, that person being Ayatollah Khomeini, and I becoming even more radicalized as middle-age has failed to soften my views.
I still consider him a friend though (and hope/believe he does to) and am not sure if this blog would have existed if it wasn’t for him. But this has little to do with being friends or disagreeing on our points of view and a lot to do with what is right and the need to speak out for it.
Hossein’s blog at hoder.com was recently shut down by his hosting service due to legal pressure from someone who felt he was slandered by his comments. If that was or becomes the norm, I am not sure how many of us will be able to say anything anymore. After all, there’s a system in place where any such complaints can be resolved and just suggesting a possible wrong-doing, backed by an expensive law firm, should not allow anyone to silence someone in the opposite camp.
Hoder, like all of us, has a right to express his opinion. Opinions expressed in a personal weblog are just that; the writer’s personal opinions. Limiting such right without due process is unethical, and even illegal. We should all fight for his right to speak, since it is also about our own right to speak.
I am starting by this petition. Join me.
UPDATE - Petition was closed at a friend’s request (Monday, August 20th, 2007)
