"in response to Mr Derakhshan's comment:


Dear Derakhshan!

I am writing to you in response to your unjust comments against Association of Iranian Blog writers (Penlog) and Iranian refugees based in Europe. I strongly believe that your nasty description of Iranian refugees in Europe is nothing more than repeating lies and myth against refugees and does no good except serving Iranian regime and their agents abroad!

It is sickening to see some one who is an immigrant himself is expressing the lies against asylum seekers and refugees, you are repeating the same nasty propaganda against refugees as right wing politicians in Europe do such as refugees are lazy and they are criminals and burden on society.

Iran has been one of the major sources of refugee outflow over the years. In the past, many were granted asylum. Today, however, asylum seekers including Iranian asylum seekers are being defined as "illegal migrants", "bogus" or "economic immigrants". The Islamic Republic of Iran under the rule of fundamentalism has become the capital of the world for executions, torture and stoning to death. And yet the rate of recognition of Iranian asylum seekers has fallen dramatically. One of the main reasons for this is that the European countries have been expanding their economic and political relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran which in spite of it being one of the most notorious and repressive regimes in the world.

Although European countries benefit from refugees as cheap labour, but in recent years they have stepped up their war against the right of asylum. This is not a new policy but it is in fact a continuation of old policies that have been implemented gradually to further criminalize and isolate the asylum seekers and to all intents and purposes do away with the right to asylum which had lost its usefulness after the end of the Cold War. They needed it then to show they were pro-human rights in relation to the Eastern Bloc. In reality Human Rights never played a part in the immigration policies implemented by western countries. Now, in order to justify their policies, they play on people's real concerns about the rise of the far right in European countries. Thus the asylum seekers are being scape-goated for the EU’s right wing and failed policies.

You have also tried to link the Penlog members to terrorism! What ridiculous and blind hostility towards a group of blog writers who try to defend human rights and freedom of expression. This proves nothing except your ignorance and attempt to distort and independent association. For your information Penlog is an association of Blog writers with different political and ideological background and has not linked itself with any ideology. I invite you to read what we stand for before blindly attempt (without any success) to make any false accusation.


We do represent what we stand for which is Human rights and freedom of expression and we welcome all bloggers to join us to build a strong movement against violation of human rights in Iranian society.


Amir amaani
http://www.javaan.blogspot.com
Email: shoraee1917@yahoo.com