Protests against the Reception of Teheran's Mayor Pirouz Hanachi to the "Red City Town Hall" in Berlin

Open Letter to Michael Müller

Berlin, 6 September 2019

Dear Mayor Michael Müller,

we call on you to retract the invitation of Tehran’s Mayor Pirouz Hanachi to Berlin's City Hall "Rotes Rathaus".

Pirouz Hanachi was a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and is, as the mayor of Tehran, a representative of the antisemitic Iranian regime. This May, Hanachi participated in Tehran’s “Al-Quds-march” that calls for the reconquest of Jerusalem and for the annihilation of the Jewish state. Hanachi supports the terrorist policies of the Iranian government that has been destabilizing the Middle East for 40 years now, that has exiled millions of Iranians and that is known for its system of gender apartheid and its oppression of any opposition. In Iran, both homosexuality and apostasy are punished with the death penalty. Iran is the worldchampion of executions: it executes more people per capita than any other country.

The city of Berlin needs other partners, and they exist: Invite those Iranians to a reception at Berlin's City Hall "Rotes Rathaus" that worked together with Jewish and other organizations of the civil society in organizing the protests against the Quds-March in Berlin. They stand for a peaceful coexistence in solidarity, for democracy and secularism, for tolerance and against antisemitism. They are part of our society and they should be our partners, instead of those organizations that are influenced by the Iranian regime like the IGS, an Islamic umbrella organization.

The politics of dialogue with the Iranian regime that has been going on for 30 years now has failed. The human rights situation in Iran has deteriorated in the past years. The Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah, which is following Iran’s orders are threatening Israel and have destroyed and destabilized Iran’s neighbouring countries Syria, Iraq and Jemen.

Germany has historically supported radical Islam and Islamism: in first World War German Intelligence spread the idea of a „Jihad“ against infidels, and modern Jihad can be considered „made in Germany“. In the Second World War, National Socialist agencies supported Islamic antisemitism and Islamism in both the Arab world and Iran. The politics of dialogue with radical Islamic and antisemitic actors are part of a problematic tradition. All democratic politicians should be aware of it and try to break with it.

A democratic alternative is overdue. Berlin could lead the way and show that the city seeks dialogue with democratic and liberal forces in Iran.

Retract Pirouz Hanachi’s invitation and invite representatives of the exiled opposition instead. Set an example that freedom isn’t Eastern or Western but universal and that shared values have to be shared by everyone. We are open to support you in this endeavor.

With best regards,                                                                                       

Ulrike Becker and Dr. Kazem Moussavi 

STOP THE BOMB

Press Release: Protests against the Reception of Pirouz Hanachi to Berlin's City Hall

STOP THE BOMB: invite the Iranian opposition to Berlin’s City Hall

Berlin, September 6, 2019

The campaign STOP THE BOMB protests against the reception of Tehran’s mayor to Berlin’s City Hall “Rotes Rathaus” and calls upon Berlin’s ruling mayor Michael Müller in an open letter to cancel the meeting and invite members of the Iranian opposition instead.

The campaign’s spokesperson Ulrike Becker comments:  "If the city of Berlin wants to prove that Berlin's commitment to tolerance, cosmopolitanism and the fight against antisemitism is not just lip service, Berlin’s mayor Michael Mueller should invite those Iranians to the City Hall “Rotes Rathaus” who took part in the protests against the Al Quds march in Berlin this year and in the past years, together with various Jewish and other organizations. These demonstrations showed that living together in solidarity is possible. By contrast, it has become obvious that the policy of dialogue with representatives of the Iranian regime has failed after more than 30 years. The human rights situation in Iran has deteriorated in recent years. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah, a terror organization controlled by Iran, are threatening Israel and destabilizing and destroying Iran's neighbouring countries - Syria, Iraq and Yemen. It is time for a democratic alternative. Berlin can make a start here and show that the city seeks and promotes exchange with democratic and liberal forces from Iran. "

Pirouz Hanachi was a member of the Revolutionary Guards and participated in Tehran’s Al-Qods-March in May 2019.