Santorum: Separation Of Church And State "Makes Me Want To Throw Up"

I keep trying to write about topics other than Rick Santorum and his religious extremism, but the man is making the task very difficult. He keeps on coming out with one insane and frightening statement after another. His latest batshitry is that the concept of the separation of Church and state makes him want to throw up. And this man wants to hold office where he is supposed to uphold the U. S. Constitution? Earlier last week I posted a cartoon comparing Santorum to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. After today's statement, the cartoon comparison is all too applicable. Here are highlights from Huffington Post followed by a video clip:

Rick Santorum on Sunday took on of separation of church and state.

"I don't believe in an America where the separation of church and state are absolute," he told 'This Week' host George Stephanopoulos. "The idea that the church can have no influence or no involvement in the operation of the state is absolutely antithetical to the objectives and vision of our country...to say that people of faith have no role in the public square? You bet that makes me want to throw up."

The GOP candidate was responding to comments he made last October. He had said that he "almost threw up" after reading JFK's 1960 speech in which he declared his commitment to the separation of church and state.

Santorum also on Sunday told Meet The Press host David Gregory that separation of church and state was "not the founders' vision."

This man is down right frightening!

Christianists and Islamic Extremists - Is There A Difference?

I often call the Christian Right the Christian Taliban. The similarities to the Islamic extremists are closer than most people want to admit. In both instances, they seek to merge religion with the civil law and inflict their hate-filled and fear based religious beliefs on everyone.

Will Virginia Democrats Meet the Cuccinelli Threat?

A column in the Washington Post asks an important question in light of the recent confirmation that Ken "Kookinelli" Cuccinelli intends to run for governor of Virginia in 2013: will Virginia Democrats get their shit together and take on Kookinelli head on and make sure he is defeated? As noted before, in my view Kookinelli is the Christianist version of Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He's totally crazy like Ahmadinejad and he's likewise an ego maniac. A very dangerous combination and something that ought to terrify every non-Christianist in Virginia of every race, creed and background. If Bob McDonnell has tried to move Virginia back to the 19th century, Kookinelli would strive to take Virginia back to the 11th century - with The Family Foundation in directly in charge of all social policy. The Democrats need to start the anti-Cuccinelli campaign now and help set the stage for Kookinelli and Bolling to mutually self-destruct. Here are some column highlights:

Ken Cuccinelli II’s announcement that he will run for Virginia governor in 2013 presages some interesting days ahead.

The controversial, hard-right attorney general has been a highly polarizing figure in state politics. Despite ample evidence to the contrary, he stubbornly insists that humans have little to do with climate change and has indulged in a months-long witchhunt against a former University of Virginia scientist who, like most of his colleagues in the civilized world, does see a link. Cuccinelli has trampled on gay rights by pushing to end legal protections against discrimination against gays in public universities. He has fought headlong against President Obama’s health-care reform, spending plenty of taxpayer money in the process.

Meanwhile, Cuccinelli hasn’t come up with much in the way of positive proposals or platforms. Perhaps that’s not his job as attorney general, but right now voters don’t have a clear idea what he’s for, only what he’s against. Given Cuccinelli’s obvious and robust reactionary ideas, it will be hard for him to remake himself into a moderate the way Gov. Robert F. McDonnell, once a hard-line social conservative, seems to have done.

The state GOP establishment has been pushing Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling as McDonnell’s successor, notably by calling him the “go to” guy on jobs. The fact is that Bolling is pleasant — and utterly forgettable.

Either way, the state’s Democrats badly need to get their act together. And fast. They are going to have to come up with a better candidate than Creigh Deeds, who was easily beaten by McDonnell last time.

The Democrats clearly need to find a candidate who is NOT from Southwest Virginia - the last three from both parties have lost. They also need to find a candidate who's not afraid to strongly campaign for a progressive agenda and who can put forth a vision for how Virginia can move prosperously into the future. Creigh Deeds was hopeless when it came to doing this and the Democrats need to not make the mistake of running someone who is basically a warmed over version of a weak, moderate Republican as the party's candidate again.

Kookinelli Makes it Official - He's Running for Governor

God help the Commonwealth of Virginia! The Virginian Pilot is reporting that Ken "Kookinelli" Cuccinelli has confirmed in an e-mail to the staff of the Attorney General's Office that he's throwing his hat in the ring for governor in 2013. Also - although it should be no surprise coming from Kookinelli - he's not going to resign from the position of AG in order to run for governor. This is a huge departure from previous AG's over the last decade or two who have all resigned to avoid any appearance of impropriety and/or that the taxpayers of Virginia are funding the campaign via the AG's salary. Kookinelli's ego is huge and exceeded only by his craziness. Having him in the Governor's Mansion would be the Christianist equivalent of putting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in office as governor. Here's the text of his e-mail to AG staff as per the Pilot:

OAG colleagues,

You have likely heard in the media the many rumors about an announcement of a run for governor. While I wanted to wait to announce a candidacy until after the General Assembly session, as the rumors swirl, I find it necessary to put them to rest.

After much prayer and consideration, I have decided to run for governor in 2013. I have always intended to let you know before the media. Shortly after you receive this email, I will be sending a statement to the media announcing my candidacy.

Being attorney general is the best job of my life, and working with so many bright and dedicated professionals in this office has made it a true joy.

We have protected vulnerable citizens from fraud, worked to get gangs off the streets through intervention as well as prosecution, saved taxpayers from millions in Medicaid fraud, fought for fair utility prices for consumers, provided our clients with official legal opinions that have never been overruled by any court, and stood up to the federal government when it broke the law and infringed on the sovereignty of Virginia and the liberty of her people.

We will continue this work together until the last day of my term. Just as I had intended not to resign as attorney general to run for a second term, I will not resign as attorney general to run for governor. The people of Virginia trusted me to be their attorney general, and I intend to give them their full four years. I also think it is important to see these lawsuits against the federal government all the way through, as they are unprecedented battles for liberty in our lifetimes.

I am committed to you and to the citizens of this commonwealth to leading this office and making this job my priority. I have no right to ask the voters for a promotion if I cannot continue to do my current job well.

I know many of you are wondering why I decided to run for governor instead of for re-election. As so many former attorneys general know from being legal counsel to every agency of state government, this job gives you tremendous insight and perspective on the inner workings of state government that no other job can provide.

Being governor of the commonwealth and all its agencies is truly a massive task, and with only four years to do it, there is little time for on-the-job training. That is especially true when Virginia and the entire country are facing unprecedented economic challenges, a bullying federal government, and financially strapped citizens who are demanding that we ensure every dollar taken from their families to pay for government is a dollar that is spent wisely. When Governor McDonnell finishes his successful term, I am convinced his successor needs to hit the ground running to keep the momentum moving forward in the face of federal and economic challenges.

I hope you have known me long enough to know that I do this out of my love for our commonwealth and to further the principles on which this country was founded. Although I originally expected to serve as attorney general for another term, my job is that of public servant, and I feel that two years from now, I can best serve the people of Virginia from the governor’s office.

Thank you for your dedication to this office and to the people we serve. I look forward to our continued work together and our successes during the remaining two years of my term.

Ken

Virginian Pilot Once Again Prostitutes Itself to the Far Right

If one is a LGBT Virginian, few individuals have done more to harm out lives and relegate us to third class citizenship status that Delegate Bob Marshall. Indeed, the man has a religious mentality not much removed from that of the Taliban - you can believe whatever you want as long as it's what he believes. If one begs to differ, his approach is to try to make your life so miserable that you'll leave the state. Marshall has even admitted that he'd like gays to all move from Virginia. Despite this truly horrid political history and open contempt for religious freedom, the Virginian Pilot is once again giving the equivalent to journalistic fellatio to Marshall in a nauseating piece in today's issue of what has increasingly become a rag of a newspaper aimed more at selling advertising space than legitimate journalism. Indeed, the Pilot in true whore like behavior gushes over Marshall's possible run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Jim Webb. Why not do a puff piece on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad while the Pilot's at it. Marshall's respect for religious freedom is after all pretty much on a par with Ahmadinejad's. It's disgusting journalism and I suspected by the far right political leanings of members of the Batten family which controls the ownership of the Pilot's parent company. Here are some highlights that show Marshall vile record of intolerance.:
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In a legislature where many politicians carefully calibrate their moves to gain influence, Marshall seems content being out on a limb. When the Obama administration announced it was ending the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, he fired back with a bill to ban gays from serving openly in the National Guard. It failed. Worried that the Federal Reserve could collapse, he proposed a study to see whether Virginia could mint its own currency. That failed, too - but not before a blogger asked, "Dude, are you serious?"
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Yet three years ago, Marshall came close to winning the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, and he's considering trying for it again next year.
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Marshall's stands are nothing if not controversial, but he doesn't seem to mind the fuss. "Someone has to hit the beach first, to crack the opposition, to make an awareness," Marshall said. Others, he added, can "come and mop up later." There are a couple schools of thought about Marshall: He's a sincere, faith-based crusader shaped by personal tragedy; or he's an egotist with an intolerant streak.
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Marshall is perhaps best known for the push in 2006 to define marriage between a man and a woman in the state constitution, and for filing the lawsuit that led to the undoing of a plan to raise taxes for transportation projects in Hampton Roads and northern Virginia a year later.
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He unflinchingly endured criticism this year over his bill to ban gays from serving in the Virginia National Guard, a move even some Republicans said wasn't possible. When asked his views on gays, Marshall said they are "made in God's image" but disguise that through behavior he called a "disorder desire."
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Marshall and his wife have steeled their children to deal with the inevitable slings they'll encounter. "As a wife, it does hurt me when I see my husband made out to be a kook sometimes when I know he's anything but," Cathy Marshall said. "But that's the price you pay when you stand up for what you believe in."
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Marshall is a toxic menace in Virginia and the sooner he leaves the political scene, the better for all Virginians. As for those who try to sugar coat his nastiness by saying he can be charming in person, I'd remind them that the same was often said about Adolph Hitler. Public actions and hate based policies tell the true tale of what Marshall is really all about and it's a very ugly picture.

Is Iran Reaching the Tipping Point?

As a history major and avid reader on Middle Eastern history from the time of Alexander the Great and earlier, I have followed current events in Iran with great interest just as I did the 1979 overthrow of the Shah of Iran - a huge mistake, given the brutal regime that replaced his rule. The 1979 revolution also had a person connection since my uncle for whom I am named was heading up an engineering project in Iran when the Shah fell. Fortunately, he and other Americans with him were able to flee on foot across the border to escape capture by the Islamic revolutionaries. Things seem to be nearing a boiling point in Iran and now some are saying that the Islamic dictatorship is worse than the regime of the Shah. One of those saying this is Mehdi Karroubi - an influential Iranian reformist politician, democracy activist, mojtahed, and chairman of the National Trust Party. He was Chairman of the parliament from 1989 to 1992 and 2000 to 2004, and a presidential candidate in the 2005 and 2009 presidential elections. Via a YouTube clip, Karroubi stated today as follows:
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It's now seven months since they so shamelessly violated the Constitution, principles of the Republic and Ayatollah Khomeini's repeated mantra of: "the people's vote is the last word" on the day of the election. During these months they responded to the peaceful protests of our nation by illegal mass arrests, show trials, horrific violence in custody and killings. [...] Sadly these illegal actions were repeated in the last 10 days.
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Last night, they attacked the very spot Ayatollah Khomeini gave his speeches from for years when former President Khatami was giving a speech. And today from early in the morning, on the day of Ashura of all days, they acted with devastating violence, injuring many and killing a few of our fellow citizens.
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Those who were at the forefront of the struggle against Shah's regime, vividly remember the days of Ashoura in 1963, when even the Shah respected the sanctity of the holy day and only arrested the leaders of the opposition in the following days.
How is it that a regime born out of Ashura protests [like that of 1963] is now sending bunches of thugs to the streets and shedding people's blood on the day of Ashura? ...
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I can only cry out Imam Hossein's cry [killed in the day of Ashura in 7th century]: "Even if you don't have faith at least respect other's freedom!"
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More on the continuing unrest, possible defection by at least some of the dictatorships and Karroubi's statement can be found here.

Twelve Men Face Execution for Sodomy in Iran

The horrors in Iran continue, especially for gays and those alleged to be gay. Applying a ridiculous rule of proof called ‘the knowledge of the judge’ - which basically allows a homophobic judge to find whatever he wants regardless of lack of evidence - and closed trials, gays are railroaded to death sentences. The perverted theocracy in Iran truly needs to be over thrown and it would be wonderful divine justice if in the process some of the sadistic and foul rulers were to experience some of the torture and brutality they so cavalierly inflict on others. Gay City News has a lengthy story on both gays organizing on universities in Iran and the fraudulent kangaroo trials use to condemn young men - a number of whom are in their teens - to death sentences. That religion is a terrible source of evil, one need only look at Iran and other nations where religion is one and the same with the civil laws. It makes one mindful that we in the USA need to speak out against such travesties and also understand what this nation could become if the Christianist ever fully had their way. The full story deserves a read, although it may sicken you. Here are some highlights:

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Ten young Iranian men, including eight teenagers, are currently awaiting execution for sodomy, and two more are being re-tried on the same capital charge. And, in an exclusive interview with Gay City News, an Iranian student gay rights activist confirmed for the first time the existence of queer organizing on multiple university campuses throughout Iran.
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The information about the ten youths currently under sentence of death for sodomy (lavaat in Persian) was released on November 25 in a joint appeal by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), the Iranian Queer Organization (IRQO), and COC of the Netherlands, the world’s oldest LGBT rights group, founded in 1946. The three organizations called on Western countries “with significant diplomatic and economic ties to Iran, including Germany, France, Canada, as well as the European Union, to pursue diplomatic efforts to cease these executions.”
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It is extremely difficult to obtain information about death penalty cases involving homosexuality under today’s repressive theocratic regime in the Islamic Republic of Iran, where the press is heavily censored and journalists, regime critics, and human rights advocates are routinely persecuted and arrested and where the subject of same-sex relations is officially considered a political and religious taboo. Defendants in sodomy cases are denied open trials. Last month, Human Rigths Watch, basing its finding on an Iranian newspaper report, told of the execution of two men for sodomy.
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Hesam Misaghi, a 21-year-old leading member of CHRR’s Queer Committee, speaking through a translator by telephone from Isfahan, Iran’s third largest city, told Gay City News that this committee had been established some five months ago. The establishment of the Queer Committee by CHRR “is the sign of a new cultural awareness, because a new generation of Iranians no longer share the reactionary views of the regime with regard to sexual minorities,” said Misaghi, who courageously insisted on using his real name for the interview with this reporter. He added that “while an important part of those with this new attitude are secular, there is even a new generation of conservative Muslims who want to recognize queer rights.” Most of CHRR’s activists are in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, and a number of them have been arrested and harassed by security forces for their human rights work.
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The joint statement on those facing the death penalty for sodomy by IGLHRC, IRQO, and COC noted, “In most cases, the Court convicts the defendants of sodomy charges solely on the basis of ‘the knowledge of the judge.’ According to the Iranian law, when there is not enough evidence to convict a defendant of a sexual crime, the judge may use his knowledge, in a deductive process based on the evidence that already exists, to determine whether the crime took place or not. Unfortunately, the excessive use of this principle means that rather than paying attention to evidence, the judge often sentences defendants to death based on his speculations. A number of prominent legal and religious scholars believe that such a broad application of the ‘the knowledge of the judge’ to issue death penalty for sexual crimes is in violation of the letter and the spirit of Sharia law.”
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A prominent Iranian human rights lawyer, Mohammad Mostafaii, who represented the four defendants, believes his clients were framed. In a post to his blog, he said that following a fistfight between his clients and a group of four young men who trespassed and damaged land owned by Hamidi’s father, the police intervened and arrested his clients, accusing them of gang rape. When his clients declared their innocence, the police officials subjected them to three days of beatings and torture, trying to force a confession from at least one of them. Failing that, the police referred the case to the court as a sodomy rape case.
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Tahmasebi explained that it was often very difficult for defendants in sodomy cases to find competent lawyers. “Because of the social stigma attached to sodomy cases, many lawyers are not willing to take on such cases because of fears of accusations that they might be gay themselves,” she told Gay City News. “And because of this same social shame, families often do not contact lawyers to defend the accused, so as a last resort the court assigns a lawyer pro bono, who often does not get the case until the day of the trial. So most of these sodomy cases are badly defended.”
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That means, Thamasebi added, that “the only real chance left for the defendant is international human rights pressure and protest against the application of the death penalty — but often this occurs so late that the window of opportunity to prevent these executions is very small.”
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Over the course of history, I suspect that religion has caused more needless and unjust deaths than almost any other cause. It makes me feel physically sick.

Islamic Government in Iran Continues Barbaric Crackdown

I have not posted recently about Iran, but I continue to be sickened by news reports that the Islamic extremist government - with the help of its murderous thugs, far right clerics and kangaroo courts - is continuing to execute protesters, gays and minors. If these actions are the handiwork of religious individuals, then the world would be a far better place free of religion all together. Andrew Sullivan continues to be ahead of the curve in keeping focus on the horrific deeds being done in the name of the so-called Islamic republic in Iran. Murderers and butchers would better describe these foul, unholy monsters. The whole world needs to witness the barbarity that flows from unrestrained fundamentalist religious belief and pay head. Here are some highlights which are very disturbing:

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Iran's post-election turmoil and the ensuing human rights crisis entered a new phase this week, after authorities announced death sentences for four defendants following the mass trials held for more than a hundred people accused of fomenting unrest and challenging the election results. It has raised the specter of further political executions in Iran. Most ominously, the death sentences were announced on October 10th, the International Day Against the Death Penalty. On the same day, Iran put to death Behnoud Shojaii [pictured above], a juvenile offender, continuing Iran's distinction as the only country to execute juvenile offenders since 2008.

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The four defendants sentenced to death are not guilty of any violent actions and their indictments clearly state that the Intelligence Ministry arrested them "before they could engage in any action." Even under the existing laws, they could not be sentenced to death in fair trials. However, by using them as a front in a public relations ploy to justify death sentences in post-election trials, the government is pursuing two goals. First, the government is aiming to instill fear among reform-oriented Iranians, and raising the cost of participation in further protests, by signaling its power and determination to apply the death penalty at will. The second intent is to lay the groundwork for further political executions by desensitizing the broader population to state-sponsored violence.

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Behnoud Shojai, who was due to be hanged today, was just 17 when he stabbed a a boy with a shard of glass three years ago and sentenced to death. But charity Amnesty International say the killing was in self defence after Shojai, now 20, intervened to stop a fight between a friend and another boy and was threatened with a knife.

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I truly hope that LGBT citizens in the USA do not lose sight of the atrocities occurring in Iran and Iraq where gays are murdered and tortured at will due to religious based bigotry and hatred. It truly makes me sick - but we need to make sure that the world understands the evil being done in the name of religion. This is what happens when fundamentalist religion is allowed to run wild free of legal constraints. This is the type of theocracy that Pat Robertson, Bob McDonnell and other Christianist want to put in place in America.

Meanwhile, More Gruesome News from Iran

It has been a while since I last posted on events in Iran, but my heart is still with those who seek democracy and an overthrow of the Islamic dictatorship that still controls the country. Disturbing stories of the brutality of the dictatorship officials and their thugs continue to seep out of Iran and - one can hope - will perhaps in time lead to the overthrow of these foul rulers. Stories like this one from niacINsight make me sick and remind me that it is critical to keep the stories of the victims alive:

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New information is emerging about another victim of the Basij’s post-election violence. Saeedeh Pouraghaei was arrested because of her chants of Allahu-Akbar on the roof of her house in Dowlat Ave, in north of Tehran. Saeedeh was the only child of Abbas Pouraghaei who died two years ago of injuries sustained during the Iran-Iraq war. Saeedeh was arrested by the plain-clothed agents, and about 2o days after her arrest her mother was summoned to identify her body. Saeedeh’s mother says that the body was partially burned, and she recognized her daughter with difficulty. She was asked to announce “kidney failure” as the cause of death.

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According the Saeedeh’s family it seems that the body was intentionally burned to hide the evidence of rape and torture. Her body was not even handed over to her family, and they were just notified that she was secretly buried in Behesht Zahra cemetery in one of the unknown graves in section 309. Mir Hossein Mousavi attended Saeedeh’s funeral ceremony on Saturday in a mosque in Dowlat Ave.

Karroubi Demands Probe into Rape of Detainees

I always find it ironic that those who claim to be the protectors of religious purity - regardless of the faith involved - are generally the ones that inflict the most heinous treatment on those who challenge their authority or espouse a different belief system (e.g., the Catholic Church's Inquisition which tortured and executed "heretics"). Recent events in Iran confirm this pattern as charges of rapes and torture of detained protesters by the thugs of Ahmadinejad and Khamenei have come to light. Now, in an effort to secure redress - and expose Ahmadinejad and Khamenei for their true colors - defeated presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi (pictured above left) has written to Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, head of the Assembly of Experts, demanding an investigation. Here are some highlights from Tehran Bureau:

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Defeated presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi called on the Assembly of Experts to investigate the sexual assault of a number of young men and women arrested in the post-election unrest. In a letter to the head of the Assembly, Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, Karroubi said,” Some of the detainees of the [post-election] unrest claim that the detained girls have been sexually assaulted with such brutality that they have all sustained intense vaginal tearing.”
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“The young men in detention were also sexually assaulted in a manner that some are now suffering from depression and other physical and psychological problems and are incapable of even leaving their homes.”

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Karroubi, the Secretary-General of the National Confidence party said, “The people who informed me about these events hold sensitive positions in the country… these officials told me that the things that happened in the detention centers [are so deplorable] that even if one count is true, it would be a tragedy for the Islamic Republic… and it would whitewash the sins of many dictatorships including that of the deposed shah.”

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“Given the importance of the issue, it is expected that an impartial and transparent committee be appointed by the head of the Assembly of Experts to investigate the issue until results are obtained and so that this will be a lesson for the future and hooligans will no longer dare to cause the Imam [Khomeini], the establishment and the Islamic Republic to lose face.” According to Mehdi Karroubi’s son Hossein, the veteran politician’s son had written the letter 10 days ago and due to the silence of Rafsanjani had been forced to make the letter public.

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I suspect that the rapes and torture and murder of detained protesters happened - and that it all was directed by Khamenei and Ahmadinejad. Nothing is more dangerous and lawless than religion fused with politics.

Murdered and Martyred and Show Trials - Part 2

In an update to my post yesterday, Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has accused the brutal Islamic dictatorship government of "medieval torture"to force protesters to confess to the litany of crimes that the regime is alleging. The whole situation seems like a flash back to the show trials in the old Soviet Union when Stalin purged those who were in the way of his personal ambition and/or opposed what he was doing to the country. One can only hope such nasty and brutal tactics will only harden the resolve of those seeking democracy in Iran. Those in the USA who fail to heed the insanity of domestic theocrats and the Christian Taliban should take note of how the Islamic equivalents of these people operate. Religious fanaticism combined with a lust for power (e.g., folks like James Dobson, Richard Land at the SBC and Pat Robertson) are a dangerous mix. Here are some updates from the BBC News:

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Defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi says opposition detainees put on trial have been subjected to "medieval torture". He denounced the trials, which started on Saturday, as fraudulent and said the prisoners had been forced to confess.

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Earlier ex-President Mohammad Khatami criticised the hearings as "show trials" that would damage confidence in Iran's Islamic establishment. More than 100 people have been put on trial on charges including conspiracy. . . . Mr Khatami, in comments on his website, expressed hope that Saturday's trial would not "lead to ignorance of the real crimes", the Associated Press reports.

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The AFP news agency quotes Mr Khatami, who was president from 1997 to 2005, as making more outspoken criticism of the trial. "What was done yesterday is against the constitution, regular laws and rights of the citizens," his office quoted him as saying.

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Mr Mousavi's comments went even further, accusing the authorities of forcing the detainees to confess to the crimes. "The teeth of the torturers and confession-extorters have reached to the bones of the people," he said. "Witnessing such trumped-up trials, the only judgment that the conscience of humanity can make is the moral collapse and discredit of its directors."
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Mohsen Rezai, the only conservative to have challenged Mr Ahmadinejad in the election, also criticised the trial, saying people who had attacked the protesters should also be put on trial.

Martyred and Murdered - And Show Trials

I continue to watch events in Iran with a mixture of hope and dismay. Personally, I think in the long term the Islamic dictators are making huge mistakes. While they seem intent on making examples of protesters and have started the equivalent of the old Soviet Union's show trials, ultimately they are creating a whole class of martyrs the memories of which will help keep opposition alive even if it takes a long time to finally boil over. Then again, when one's motivations are power and religious extremism, logic and thoughtful analysis of the bigger picture often isn't even on the radar screen. Tehran Bureau has a story that identifies some of those murdered by the dictators' thugs which is very sad and moving. Here are some highlights (I urge readers to review the site in order to realize that brutality of the current regime):
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A massive demonstration had been called for today [this past Thursday] to commemorate the dead of “Bloody Saturday” — the violent showdown on June 20 in central Tehran during which Neda Aga Soltan and others were killed. Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi’s Facebook page announced he would pay homage at her grave at Behesht Zahra cemetery on the outskirts of the capital. Mousavi invited other mourners to join him for the Shia 40-day memorial ritual. Tehran Bureau is compiling profiles of those who died in the post-election turmoil, as confirmed by official news sites Mowjcamp, Ghalam News and other reliable sources. The list (chronologically ordered) will be updated.

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Today's New York Times has coverage of the trials of protestors that the dictators wish to use as examples to deter others from challenging its regressive and anti-democratic policies. Again, I continue to hope that repression serves merely to inspire more contempt for the current rulers and cause fence sitters to go over to the side of the pro-democratic opposition. As with all despots, the regime is making allegations against protestors that are fabricated and hopefully will be seen as such by the wider population. Here are some highlights:

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TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- More than 100 opposition political activists and protesters stood trial in Tehran Saturday on charges of rioting and conspiring to topple the ruling system in the country's first trial since the disputed presidential election, Iran's state media reported. The trial underlines the government's efforts to bring to a close anti-government demonstrations that have persisted since the disputed June 12 presidential election.

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The defendants faced charges that include attacking military and government buildings, having links with armed opposition groups and conspiring against the ruling system, Iran's official news agency, IRNA, reported. During the session, prosecutors read out an indictment outlining what they said was a yearslong plot by the top pro-reform political parties to carry out a ''velvet revolution,'' a popular, non-violent uprising to overthrow the Islamic Republic similar to ones that have occurred in Eastern Europe.

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Among the defendants were several prominent reformist opposition activists, including former Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi, former government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, former Vice Speaker of parliament Behzad Nabavi, former Deputy Foreign Minister Mohsen Aminzadeh and leader of the biggest reformist party, the Islamic Iran Participation Front, Mohsen Mirdamadi. The reformist Web site www.mowjcamp.com denounced Saturday's trial and said defendants had no access to lawyers and there was no jury.