We, the undersigned, feel compelled to take a clear position in response to the recent announcement by the US Administration to allocate $85 million in aid to groups opposed to the Islamic regime in Iran.

1. The independent Iranian opposition deems it indecent and politically immoral to accept any aid (financial or otherwise) from the United States or any other government and condemns such aid as a clear insult to the Iranian people.
2. The independent Iranian opposition has always waged its struggle without expecting financial aid from the interested foreign powers, both during the Pahlavi dictatorship, that enjoyed the direct and open support of the United States, and since the outset of the religious despotic regime of the Islamic Republic and it will not stop its efforts until the emergence of a free, independent and democratic Iran.
3. The objectives of such aid are evident, as it is offered by profit-seekers who have always supported despotism at all important moments of the Iranian history and have been, directly and openly or indirectly and secretly, involved in suppressing the patriotic and progressive movements. The Iranian people have not forgotten that the US government crushed their efforts to achieve freedom and independence by the shameful coup d’etate against the patriotic government of Dr. Mossaddeq in 1953 and pushed Iran into the abyss of the Pahlavi dictatorship.
4. The Iranian freedom-seekers do not need aid from the merchants of oil and blood – from those who aim at holding the people in bondage and plundering their wealth. Coveting foreign aid is a sign of dependence. The sad fate of the struggle of the peoples of Afghanistan and Iraq for liberation from the yoke of dictatorships should serve as a clear lesson of the consequences of such interferences. It is only through the dismantling of the Islamic regime that the true conditions can be established for freedom, independence and social justice. Only the people will determine Iran’s fate.

20th March 2006

Signatories: Abbas AGHELIZADEH (political activist, Germany), Majid AJANG (political activist, The Netherlands), Ms. Sorour ALI-MOHAMMADI (social scientist, Germany), Ms. Nasrin ALMASI (editor & journalist, Canada), Behrooz ASSADI (political activist, Germany), Ebrahim AVAKH (political activist, France), Amin BAYAT (political activist, Germany), Ms. Pouran BAZARGAN (political activist, France), Sohrab BEHDAD (university professor, US), Reza BERAHANI (writer, Canada), C. CHAQUERI (ZAND) (historian, France), Asghar ESLAMI (political activist, Germany), Shahram GHANBARI (social scientist, France), Torab HAGHSHENAS (political activist, France), Ali Asghar HAJJ-SEYED-JAVADI (writer, France), Amir HASSANPOUR (university professor, Canada), Hassan HESSAM (poet, France), Fereydoun HOSHYAR-NEJAD (official translator, Germany), Ms. Nahid JAFARPOUR (peace activist, Germany), Houshang KESHAVARZ-SADR (social researcher, France), Nasim KHAKSAR (writer, The Netherlands), Reza MARZBAN (journalist, France), Hedayat MATIN-DAFTARI (lawyer, France), Ms. Maryam MATIN-DAFTARI (women’s movement activist, France), Behrooz MOAZAMI (university professor, US), Ms. Haideh MOGHISSI (university professor, Canada), Nasser MOHAJER (writer & social researcher, France), Ms. Shahrzad MOJAB (university professor, Canada), Bagher MORTAZAVI (publisher & editor, Germany), Mehran MOSTAFAVI (university professor, France), Ms. Shayda NABAVI (freelance journalist, France), Alireza NADIMI (political activist, Austria), Bahman NIRUMAND (writer & journalist, Germany), Nasser PAKDAMAN (retired university professor, France), Mehran PAYANDEH (archivist, Germany), Saeed RAHNEMA (university professor, Canada), Ali RASSEKH-AFSHAR (M.D. & member of the Iranian National Front, Germany), Kamran SADEGHI (political activist, Germany), Akbar SAYF (political activist, France), Assad SEYF (writer, Germany), Hemad SHAYBANI (political activist, France), Nosrat TAYMOURZADEH (publisher, Germany), Majid ZARBAKHSH (political activist, Germany), Hassan ZEREHI (editor & journalist, Canada).