Alain VIVIEN  - Former French Minister

As a general rule, dictatorships do not allow anyone to challenge their authority and, when they claim to be founded on religious ideology, they oppose any dialogue that would inevitably lead them to question it. Hypocritical leaders happily take the place of God, and set themselves up as his only spokesmen.  Any conflicting opinions are swiftly demonized as being sects.

However ambiguous the accepted meaning of the term “sect” is in all the different languages in the world, it is still viewed universally in a very negative light.  It is seen as masking social realities, something which is dangerous both for the individual and for social stability.

The etymological root of the word is the Latin word secare (meaning to cut, or to cut oneself off from someone or something), or the word sequi (meaning to follow a man or a doctrine).  The term sect does not have good press.  Even in the United States where, up until recently, the term was commonly used when referring to religious organisations, the media are now very careful to only use the term circumspectly.  Recently, an Evangelical denomination advised the journalists at the daily paper which they control, to avoid using the term henceforth.

Human rights in Iran, the legitimate opposition and a new western policy

December 11, 2012 - A day after the “UN Human Rights Day” cross party parliamentarians gathered in the House of Commons to condemn human rights abuses inside Iran. Amongst the speakers were a former Home Secretary and a former senior UN human rights official. They demanded support for Iran’s legitimate opposition movement and the recognition of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) as the future interim government of that country. While much has been made of the Iranian regime’s nuclear ambitions, the speakers were determined to highlight the continued suffering of the Iranian people. The conference was addressed by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President?elect of the NCRI. She told the gathered members of parliament via video link that, “...the West must make the continuation of their political relations with the regime conditional on the ending of hanging and torture of prisoners.” Mrs. Rajavi ended her speech by demanding an entire change in Western policy, to one which has at the heart of it regime change and the overthrow of the current regime by the Iranian people and their opposition movement.

At ISDCI, we wish all of our readers a joyous and prosperous New Year.

While protests following 2009 sham presidential elections are a part of history now, dissent in Iran continues to grow.  Following is a report of a memorial ceremony honoring dissident blogger Sattar Beheshti who died last month in custody of Iran's Cyber Police.

Mother Protests Son's Death Under Torture

Forty days past Sattar Beheshti's death under torture while in custody of Iranian police, family of the dissident blogger gathered along with a considerable number of Iranian citizens in Robat Karim cemetery near Tehran to honor his memory, yesterday.  The ceremony turned into a protest against the clerical regime.

"You killed my guardian, God destroy you," screamed Sattar's mother while walking through the cemetery holding a large picture of her son. "I'm proud of my son. Torturers said he laughed while they were beating him. I'm proud of him." Sattar's sister was accompanying her mother, holding a picture of the victim.  She was also screaming that she was proud of her brother.