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From election boycott to revolution?
Opposition and resistance in Iran after the "Arab Spring"

Lecture and discussion (in German) with

Saba Farzan (author) and
Hiwa Bahrami (Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan)

Chair: Dr. Stephan Grigat (STOP THE BOMB)

Monday, March 5th 2012, 7 PM
Veranstaltungszentrum edu4you, Seminarraum 1
Frankgasse 4/Entrance: Corner Garnisongasse (Bookshop Pädagogischer Buchversand), 1090 Vienna

Saba Farzan is a German-Iranian author, articles in DIE ZEIT, Die Presse, Der Standard, Der Tagesspiegel, Wall Street Journal and die tageszeitung.

Hiwa Bahrami is the Austrian representative of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan and co-author of "Der Iran - Analyse einer islamischen Diktatur und ihrer europäischen Förderer" (Studienverlag 2008).

Organized by STOP THE BOMB

Escalation in the Persian Golf?
The new sanctions against Iran and the possibility of war

Lecture and discussion (in German) with

Dr. Matthias Küntzel (political scientist, Hamburg)

Chair: Simone Dinah Hartmann (STOP THE BOMB)

Thursday, March 29th 2012, 7 pm
University of Vienna, Neues Institutsgebäude, Lecture Hall II
Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna

Dr. Matthias Küntzel, political scientist in Hamburg; external research associate at the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; author of “Die Deutschen und der Iran. Geschichte und Gegenwart einer verhängnisvollen Freundschaft” and co-author of "Der Iran - Analyse einer islamischen Diktatur und ihrer europäischen Förderer". His book “Jihad and Jew-Hatred” was awarded the Grand Prize at the 2007 London Book Festival.

Organized by STOP THE BOMB and Studienvertretung Doktorat Gewi/Hus at the University of Vienna

OPEN LETTER
in regards to the event of the Iranian regime at Vienna’s adult education center, VHS Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus

To
Mayor of Vienna Dr. Michael Häupl
City councillor for Education Christian Oxonitsch
Mag. Eva Schröder (Director VHS Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus)
Dr. Michael Ludwig (Chairman of the board VHS)
Mario Rieder (Managing Director VHS)
Mag. Daniela Lehenbauer (Spokesperson VHS)

Vienna, February 9th, 2012

Dear Mr. Mayor,
Dear Mr. City councillor for Education,
Dear Sir or Madam!

On Saturday, February 11th 2012, an event of the Iranian regime is supposed to take place at the venue of the VHS Rudolfsheim Fünfhaus, the municipal adult education center. This time, the Iranian embassy does not make any effort to try to present the show as a harmless cultural event. It is a celebration on the occasion of the anniversary of the "Islamic Revolution" which has brought death and suffering to the whole country.

For the last couple of months, the city of Vienna, despite numerous protests, has insisted to rent out venues to the Iranian regime. While the regime is being provided with venues for its self-staging, the rulers in Teheran not only brutally crack down the opposition, execute homosexuals and persecute minorities, they also continue to work on their nuclear weapons and missile program, repeatedly deny the Holocaust and threaten Israel with annihilation. The latest IAEA report has made it clear how serious this threat has to be taken.

While Western states have decided to impose stronger sanctions, which are being supported by the Austrian government, the City of Vienna repeatedly reaches out its hand to the Iranian regime. Especially in view of the escalation during the last couple of weeks, it is unbearable that the Iranian regime can go on to spread its poisonous propaganda in Vienna. Only some days ago, the spiritual leader Ali Kahmenei called Israel a 'cancer' which has to be eliminated. And in preparation of the election to the Majles, the Iranian pseudo parliament, the regime is tightening its repression against the opposition.

We urgently ask you not to repeat your mistake of the last months and to cancel this event at a venue of the city of Vienna immediately.

Yours sincerely,

Univ. Prof. Dr. Mitchell Ash
Sogol Ayrom
Hiwa Bahrami, Demokratische Partei Kurdistan Iran
Mag. Klaus Bergmaier, MSc MAS, Musiker
Anneliese Blauensteiner
Timna Brauer
Prim. Dr. Hava Bugajer, Präsidentin WIZO Österreich
Dr. Ruth Contreras
Oskar Deutsch, Vizepräsident IKG Wien
BR Efgani Dönmez, PMM
Klaus Eberhartinger, EAV
Heinrich Ehlers
Mag. Martin Engelberg, CHAJ-Jüdisches Leben
Maryam Farzam, Integerationsreferentin SPÖ Favoriten
Mag. Raimund Fastenbauer
Johannes Grenzfurthner, monochrom
Dr. Stephan Grigat
Heimo Gruber, Bibliothekar
Univ. Prof. Dr. Peter Gstettner
Simone Dinah Hartmann, STOP THE BOMB
Dr. Rudolf Hellar
Ambassador ret. Dr. Kurt Hengl
Elfriede Jelinek
Rudolf Kaske
Prof. Dipl.-Päd. Mag. Albert Kaufmann
Prof. Topsy Küppers, Schauspielerin und Autorin
Klaus Leutgeb, Leutgeb Entertainment Group GmbH
Dr. Victoria Lunzer-Talos
Dr. Andreas Maislinger
Dr.in Anna Mitgutsch
Mag. Eva Mühlhofer-Gurion
Hon. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Neugebauer
Elisabeth Orth, Aktion gegen den Antisemitismus
Univ. Prof. Dr. Anton Pelinka
Univ. Doz. Dr. Ronald J. Pohoryles, Liberales Forum Mag. Werner Retzl
Erwin Riess, Schriftsteller und Behindertenaktivist
Negar L. Roubani, Obfrau Oriental Queer Organization Austria (ORQOA)
Dr. Bernhard Seyringer
Heribert Schiedel, Autor
Robert Schindel
BR Marco Schreuder
Günter Traxler
Dr. Peter Truzla, Henkel Personalmanagement Österreich
Fritz Verzetnitsch
Peter Weidner
Marie-Louise Weissenböck, Vorsitzende Christen an der Seite Israels – Österreich
August Werfring, Totalisatorleiter Wiener Krieau
Werner Winterstein
Josef Zeitlhofer, Chefinspektor, akad. Vortragender des Exekutivdienstes

Protest against event of the Iranian Embassy in Vienna

While the Iranian regime is brutally prosecuting the Iranian opposition and participating in the crackdown of protests in Syria, Vienna is providing premises for the regime's self staging. On Friday, February 11th, an event is taking place organized by the Iranian embassy at the Vienna Adult Education Center VHS Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus. Despite numerous protests, the City of Vienna sustains its plan to rent its facilities to representatives of the Iranian regime.

Please voice your protest against the City of Vienna hosting the Iranian regime:

michael.haeupl@spoe.at (Mayor of Vienna)
christian.oxonitsch@wien.gv.at (City councillor for Education)
eva.schroeder@vhs.at (Director VHS Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus)
michael.ludwig@vhs.at (Chairman of the board VHS)
gf@vhs.at (Mario Rieder, Managing Director VHS)
daniela.lehenbauer@vhs.at (Spokesperson VHS)

Facebook Page of Vienna Adult Education Center: https://www.facebook.com/vhs.wien

No stage for the Iranian regime!
Rally against the Iranian chairmanship at the OPEC meeting

Wednesday, December 14th 2011, 9:00 AM
Wipplingerstraße 34 (in front of Börse), 1010 Vienna

On December 14th, the Iranian Oil minister Rostam Ghasemi will hold the chairmanship at the OPEC meeting in Vienna. Ghasemi was commander of the Iranian Revolutionary guards, which is responsible for the violent crackdown of the opposition as well as the nuclear weapons program. Although he was subject to EU sanctions, he will be allowed to enter the EU and Austria. Despite pursuing a nuclear program, despite ongoing repression against the Iranian people and despite the run on the British embassy in Teheran, representatives of the Iranian regime move freely in Vienna and get the chance to initiate new business deals.

Representatives of the Iranian regime are using their appearances at international organizations to spread their murderous ideology repeatedly. The survival of the Iranian dictatorship of Ayatollahs and Revolutionary Guards is being sustained by oil and gas exports which are being discussed at the OPEC meeting.

Those doing business with the Iranian Regime support a policy ranging from the persecution of homosexuals, women and minorities, holocaust denial, annihilation threats against Israel, the nuclear and missile program, to the financing of global jihadist terror.

We demand:
- No stage for the murderers of the Iranian opposition!
- No stage for representatives of an antisemitic, holocaust-denying regime!
- Freezing all diplomatic relations!
- Crippling sanctions in the energy sector, sanctions against Iran's Central Bank and sanctions preventing exports of industrial goods to Iran!

Focus on Syria:
Implications of the fall of Assad for the isolation of the Iranian regime

Lecture and discussion with

Farid Ghadry (Reform Party of Syria) and
Jonathan Spyer (GLORIA-Center, IDC, Israel)

Chair: Simone Dinah Hartmann (STOP THE BOMB)

Tuesday, December 13th 2011, 7 PM
University Campus Altes AKH, Aula, Court 1 (Plan)
Alserstraße/Spitalgasse, 1090 Vienna

Reception with wine after the debate.

The event will be held in English. Please plan for possible checking at the entrance.

Will Bashar Assad's regime stay in power by using brutal force against the uprising that started in March 2011? Which chances has the opposition, and how is it composed? What role does the Syrian regime play in the region, and what would be the consequences of a fall or survival of the regime for the Iranian-dominated so-called "resistance camp" with Hamas and Hezbollah? What strategies should the West pursue to promote a democratic and secular development in Syria and the region, and to bolster the security of Israel?

Farid Ghadry, born in Aleppo, is co-founder and President of the US-based Reform Party of Syria (RPS). RPS campaigns for the fall of the Assad regime but RPS also stands against the influence of Islamists in Syria’s future. Mr. Ghadry advocates reconciliation between a free Syria and the State of Israel. In 2007, the Assad regime revoked Mr. Ghadry’s Syrian citizenship after the Knesset issued an invitation for him to speak about co-existence and peace between Syrians and Israelis. (www.ghadry.com)

Dr. Jonathan Spyer, born in London, now lives in Jerusalem and works as a Senior Research Fellow at the Global Research in International Affairs Center (www.gloria-center.org) of the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya. He writes inter alia for the "Guardian", "Haaretz" and the "Jerusalem Post", and was featured as an expert by BBC, Al Jazeera and CNN. His book "The Transforming Fire. The Rise of the Islamist-Israeli Conflict "(2010) discusses the rise of Islamism and was named several times one of the best and most important books on the Middle East. (www.jonathanspyer.com)

Organized by STOP THE BOMB

The Pasdaran:
Inside Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Lecture & book presentation with

with Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi
(Senior Fellow with the Foundation for Defence of Democracies in Washington and long-term director of the Transatlantic Institute in Brussels)

Chair: Simone Dinah Hartmann (STOP THE BOMB)

Thursday, November 17th 2011, 7.30 PM
University Campus Altes AKH, Court 10.2, Lecture Hall D (Map)
Spitalgasse 4, 1090 Vienna

The event will be held in English.

The Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami) is more commonly known as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), or the Pasadran. Most recently, the IRGC draw international attention for its alleged involvement in the attack plans in Washington DC. Sworn by an oath of loyalty to Iran's Supreme Leader, the IRGC is the regime's Praetorian Guard, the custodian of its nuclear program, and now a juggernaut in Iran's economy. Since 1979, the Guards have played a key role in protecting the Revolution internally against domestic opposition while actively seeking to export it abroad. The IRGC has been at the forefront of repression every time ordinary Iranians have protested their lack of freedoms, including after the fraudulent presidential elections of June 2009. Iran's sponsorship of terrorism abroad is also executed through the IRGC's overseas operations' branch, the Qods Forces.
In „The Pasdaran: Inside Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps“, Emanuele Ottolenghi offers a detailed overview of how the IRGC came into being, how the Guards rose to a position of prominence in Iran's current power structure, how they have penetrated Iran's economy, how they are working to help Iran attain nuclear weapons.

Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi has taught at the Middle East Centre of St. Antony's College in Oxford. He has advised several foreign ministries in Europe, and testified before the Canadian and European parliaments. He has written for The Gurdian, Wall Street Journal Europe and Die Welt. Beside „The Pasdaran: Inside Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps“ he is author of „Under a mushroom cloud. Europe, Iran and the Bomb“, „Iran: The Looming Crisis. Can the West Live with Iran’s Nuclear Threat?“ and co-author of „Iran im Weltsystem. Bündnisse des Regimes und Perspektiven der Freiheitsbewegung“.

Organized by STOP THE BOMB and Studienvertretung Doktorat Gewi/Hus

Cancel the visit to Iran by European parliamentarians!

The chair of European Parliament's delegation for relations with Iran, Traja Cronberg (Green Party, Finland), has announced that a delegation consisting of five members of the European parliament will pay an official visit to Iran from October 30th to November 4th 2011. It is reported that the visit is a result of an initiative led by German MEP Kurt Lechner (CDU) and Barbara Lochbihler (former chair of European Parliament's delegation for relations with Iran, Green Party Germany). The European coalition STOP THE BOMB demands to cancel the trip and asks Jerzy Buzek as president of the European parliament to denounce the renewed courting of the Iranian regime, which has been already criticized by several EU parliamentarians.

STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Simone Dinah Hartmann opposes any steps that could be understood as support by the Iranian regime: "Instead of giving legitimacy to the Iranian regime by visiting them and offering dialogue - a legitimacy which the regime has lost amongst its people, the European parliament should call for tougher sanctions, especially against Iran's Central Bank and its oil and gas exports. The Iranian nuclear program and the export of terrorism have to be stopped."

German-Iranian author Saba Farzan views this trip as a slap into the face of every freedom loving Iranian. "If Mrs. Lochbihler and her delegation are not even interested in the Iranian freedom movement, at least they should consider the taxpayers money. Tax revenues pay for the scheduled talks with the murderers in Teheran namely. The only right position to take is to cancel the visit and reside with the freedom loving people of Iran."

Stop Abbasi-Davani,
father of the Iranian bomb!
No forum for the Iranian Regime!

Rally
Monday, September 19th 2011, 9:00 AM
Vienna International Center, UNO-City
Wagramer Strasse 5 (U1-Kaisermuehlen/VIC)

Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani was appointed by Ahmadinejad and became one of his deputy vice presidents in Febuary this year. On September 19th he is meant to be taking part in the annual IAEA general conference in Vienna. Abbasi faces UN sanctions due to his direct involvement in the Iranian nuclear weapons and missile program. His name is also mentioned in the EU sanctions resolution passed in 2010. Nevertheless, the travelling restrictions were lifted for his second visit to Vienna this year. During his last stay in Vienna Abbasi-Davani himself announced that Iran will tripple its capacities of uranium enrichment, in continued disregard of UN security council resolutions. Besides rather ineffective verbal protests, there were no reactions following his remarks. People like Abbasi-Davani are working on the technological means to realize the Iranian regime's annihilation phantasies against Israel.

It is known what the Iranian regime is aiming at. In the end of August Ahmadinejad repeatedly denied the Holocaust and called it a 'big lie'. Numerous regime officials demanded the annihilation of Israel during the so called 'Al Quds Day'. It is unacceptable that representatives of such a regime are moving freely in Austria. Again, Vienna is to give a forum to the Iranian regime, which persecutes homosexuals, women and minorities, organizes conferences on the denial of the Holocaust, finances worldwide jihadist terror and currently participates in the brutal suppression of the protests against its ally, the Assad regime in Syria.

We demand:

- No freedom of movement for the Iranian bomb-constructor-in-chief!
- No forum for the representatives of an anti-semitic regime of Holocaust deniers!
- Prompt and harsh sanctions against Iranian oil and gas exports to hinder the Iranian regime from continuing its projects!

Stop Salehi!
No Courting of the Iranian Regime!

Rally
Tuesday, July 12th, 2011, 11 AM
Minoritenplatz, 1010 Vienna

On Tuesday, Austrian Foreign Minister Spindelegger will receive the Foreign Minister of the Iranian regime, Ali Akbar Salehi, in Vienna. Before his current position as Foreign Minister Salehi was in charge of the Iranian nuclear program, which led to his inclusion in the sanction list of the European Union in 2009. It is paradigmatic of the current insufficient sanctions, that the travel restrictions of the EU have been lifted in spring in order to make it possible for the Iranian Foreign Minister to visit and continue the useless dialogue about the nuclear program.

For the third time within a month, Vienna is to give a forum to the Iranian regime, which persecutes homosexuals, women and minorities, organizes conferences on the denial of the Holocaust, finances worldwide jihadi terror and currently participates in the brutal suppression of the protests against its ally, the Assad regime in Syria.

The Salehi visit is yet another slap in the face of the Iranian freedom movement which the Austrian government will betray yet another time with this reception. Austria – whose exports and imports to and from Iran have risen again in 2010 despite all sanctions – continues to give valuable support to the regime. Receiving the Foreign Minister of a largely isolated regime will clearly improve its international standing and is a deliberate stab in the back of all international efforts to put pressure on the dictatorship of Ayatollahs and Revolutionary Guards.

We demand:

- No platform for the representatives of an anti-Semitic regime of Holocaust deniers!
- Immediate and tough sanctions in the energy sector in order to prevent the Iranian regime from pursuing its projects!

No freedom of movement for Abbasi, Father of the Iranian Bomb!
No forum for the Iranian Regime!

Pictures from the rally

Monday, June 20, 2011
Austria Center Vienna, Bruno-Kreisky-Platz (U1-Kaisermühlen/VIC)

Rally 9:00 AM
Information Desk 8:00 - 10:00 AM

This February, Ahmadinejad simultaneously appointed Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani as head of the Iranian nuclear program and as one of his vice presidents. Abbasi-Davani plans to attend the IAEA Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety from June 20 until June 24 in Vienna. Due to his direct involvement in the Iranian nuclear weapons program, he has been subject to UN sanctions since 2007 and his name is mentioned in the EU sanctions resolution passed in 2010. Nevertheless, the travel restrictions for his visit to Austria were lifted. No other than Abbasi himself declared publicly earlier this month that Iran is going to triple its capacities of uranium enrichment in continued disregard of resolutions passed by the UN Security Council. Apart from condemnatory statements, this announcement provoked no reactions.

Only a few days ago, Ahmadinejad renewed his threat of annihilation of the Jewish state and described Israel as a 'tumor' that needed to be 'surgically removed'. However, the Iranian bomb is not solely a threat to the Jewish state, it is a threat to the entire region, to the West, and to the Iranian population, which is being held hostage by the Iranian regime while it is pursuing its apocalyptic projects. Recently, a website run by the Revolutionary Guards speculated about "the day after the first successful nuclear bomb test" publicly for the very first time. The Iranian regime relies on people like Abbasi to acquire the technological means necessary for executing its fantasies of destruction.

For the second time this month, Vienna is to give a forum to the Iranian regime, which persecutes homosexuals, women and minorities, organizes conferences on the denial of the Holocaust, finances worldwide jihadi terror and currently participates in the brutal suppression of the protests against its ally, the Assad regime in Syria. Representatives of the Iranian regime routinely take advantage of their appearances at international organizations for disseminating their murderous ideology.

We demand:

- No freedom of movement for the Iranian bomb-constructor-in-chief!

- No forum for the representatives of an anti-semitic regime of Holocaust deniers!

- Prompt and harsh sanctions in the energy sector to hinder the Iranian regime from continuing its projects!

No stage for the Iranian regime!
Rally against the Iranian chairmanship at the OPEC meeting

Wednesday, June 8th 2011, 9:30 AM
Schottenring/at the corner of Wipplingerstraße (in front of Börse, 1010 Vienna)

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of the Iranian Regime, was initially expected to participate personally in the OPEC Summit on the 8th of June in Vienna, which will be chaired by Iran. Due to the internal power struggle in Iran, the antisemite and Holocaust-denier will send a minister instead. Representatives of the Iranian regime use their appearances at international events constantly to spread their murderous ideology. The initially planned participation of Ahmadinejad at the OPEC summit reveals the Achilles' heel of the Iranian regime: The survival of the Iranian dictatorship of Ayatollahs and Revolutionary Guards strongly depends on Oil and Gas exports. In any case, a high ranking official of the Iranian regime will be present at the summit in order to coordinate its business with oil ministers of Arab despotic regimes and of populist left supporters of the Iranian regime such as Venezuela.

Those doing business with the Iranian Regime support a policy ranging from the persecution of homosexuals, women, and minorities, holocaust denial, annihilation threats against Israel, the nuclear program, to the financing of global jihadist terror. So does Austria: Despite sanctions, Austria's imports to Iran grew by nearly 400 percent during the last year.

We demand:
- No stage for the murderers of the Iranian opposition!
- No stage for representatives of an antisemitic, holocaust-denying regime!
- Crippling sanctions in the energy sector in order to prevent the Iranian regime from continuing its projects!

Supporters: Aktion gegen den Antisemitismus, Basisgruppe Politikwissenschaft, Christen an der Seite Israels, Demokratische Partei Kurdistan Iran, Die Grünen Andersrum, Hashomer Hazair, Liberales Forum, Misrachi, Queer Hebrews, SoHo - Sozialdemokratie und Homosexualität, Zionistische Föderation in Österreich, u.a.

If you want to support our rally, please send an email to info@stopthebomb.net.

Vienna as a stage for Ahmadinejad?
STOP THE BOMB announces protests during visit of Iranian president

The Austrian STOP THE BOMB coalition announces protests for the case that the Iranian President Ahmadinejad will attend the OPEC conference on June 8th in Vienna. STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Simone Dinah Hartmann: “If Ahmadinejad, who is responsible for the brutal repression of the Iranian freedom movement and the nuclear weapons program, comes to Vienna, STOP THE BOMB will organize protests. Together with exiled Iranian organizations like the Democratic Party of Kurdistan Iran, we will demonstrate in front of the OPEC headquarters.”

Hiwa Bahrami, spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan Iran (DPKI), points out that this won’t be the first time Ahmadinejad is coming to Vienna: “According to our knowledge, it can be assumed that Ahmadinejad was directly involved in the murder of Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou, former head of the DPKI, and two of his companions in 1989 in Vienna. We ask ourselves, if the Austrian justice system will finally be brave enough to prosecute.”

The STOP THE BOMB coalition prompts the Austrian government to prevent the holocaust-denier and antisemite Ahmadinejad from entering Austria and to inhibit bilateral talks. STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Simone Dinah Hartmann: “We will listen carefully whose voices will be raised against the visit of this representative of the Ajatollah and revolutionary guard dictatorship.”

Indignation over OMV participation at energy fair in Iran
STOP THE BOMB criticizes growth of Austrian business with Iran, as well as the OMV and OENB appearances in Tehran

The STOP THE BOMB coalition criticizes Austria's growing Iran business despite enacted sanctions against the Iranian regime. Austria's imports from Iran increased by 400 percent to more than 300 million euros, in 2010 according to Statistic Austria. Also, exports grew by 6.2 percent despite sanctions. This development is being continued in the first months of 2011. "The sanctions that were enacted have proven insufficient. In order to make the pursue of their projects impossible, the implementation of tough measures, especially in the energy sector, are necessary" demands STOP THE BOMB spokesperson Simone Dinah Hartmann: "The ongoing nuclear weapons and missile program pursued by the Iranian regime threatens to get out of focus because of recent major political events. That is what the antisemitic regime in Tehran wants, as it is financing its inhuman politics through foreign trade."

While corporations like Siemens deliberately withdraw from Iran and call for tougher sanctions in order to have legal security for the annulation of their old contracts, Austrian companies such as Voestalpine continue their business as usual. The Austrian exemplary company had a revenue in a double digit million Euro range, which they do not intend to change in the coming year. OMV is the EU's only major energy company, that will be present at the Iran Oil Show, which is taking place on Saturday in Tehran. The Iranian Central Bank is having an account at the Austrian Oberbank. Companies such as VADO-Group of which is being reported by businessmen in Iran that they show off by claiming that they could provide everything despite sanctions, do not raise any interest of Austrian politics or justice.

A cultural backing for the continuous trade relationship is being delivered by a visit of the general director of the Austrian National Library, Johanna Rachniger, who is traveling with a delegation to Iran to meet Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, Iranian minister for culture and Islamic jurisprudence, who is a major figure in the Ahmadinejad government. He is the one providing the guidlines for islamic "virtue terror", which is brutally implemented by the Basij militias. Hiwa Bahrami of the Democratic Party Kurdistan-Iran stresses that such visits are useful for the regime only: "The propaganda machinery of Ahmadinejad and Khamenei exploits this visit to present it as a big success. There is no 'unpolitical' cultural exchange. Meeting such people legitimizes the regime, which has already lost its legitimacy among its people and therefore backstabs the Iranian Freedom movement."

The Future of the Iranian Freedom Movement

Lecture with Saeed Ghasseminejad
(spokesperson of the Liberal Students Organization of Iran)
Chair: Simone Dinah Hartmann (STOP THE BOMB)

Thursday, February 10th, 2011, 7:30 pm
Museumsquartier, Raum D (Quartier 21, Electric Avenue)

On the eve of the anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, which established a terror regime that has been in power for three decades, the lecture will focus on the perspectives of the Iranian freedom movement. While the regime is going to stage celebrations in Iran and also in its European embassies that day, we want to discuss the possibility of the regime’s overthrow. At the same time, certain phenomena observed within the protest movement, which evolved after the fraud presidential elections in June 2009, will be subject of a critical review. To what extent are there reverberations stemming from the alliance of Islamists and authoritarian Marxists-Leninists in 1979 in today’s “reformist” Islamist wing of the protest movement against Ahmadinejad and Khamenei? What is the role of anti-Semitism and of the statements against Israel in this movement? Which concepts do exist for a future Iran liberated from the Ayathollahs’ and Pasdarans’ regime?

Saeed Ghasseminejad is a spokesperson of the Liberal Students and Graduates Organization of Iran (LSGOI). He is now living in Paris and director of the Centre Iranien d’Etudes du Liberalisme.

This event is organized by STOP THE BOMB

No deals with the Iranian regime!
Rally against the "Iran-Seminar" of the Austrian Chambers of Commerce

Rally & information desk

Thursday, December 2nd 2010, 8:15 am
Schaumburgergasse 20 (nearby Wiedner Hauptstraße), 1040 Vienna

The lecture will be held in English.

On December 2nd, the Austrians Chamber of Commerce organizes a seminar called "Iran - sanction regulations and their impact", which is designed to teach how to bypass the weak EU sanctions against the antisemitic Iranian Regime in order to sustain the Austrian-Iranian economic partnership, while the Mullahs are are working on their nuclear extermination program and brutally terrorize the people of Iran.

This does not only reflect the policy of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce. Such steps are obviously supported by the Austrian Government: Officials of the Economic, Finance and Foreign Ministries will provide the participating companies with everything necessary to bring Austrian Iran deals to a success. The Austrian control bank will inform about how to "secure commerce with Iran". Also, the head of the German-Iranian Trade Chamber and one of the leading German lobbyists against Iran sanctions, Michael Tockuss, who promotes a deeper relationship with the Mullah regime, will be present.

The Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile programs, which destabilize the whole region, harm the people of Iran and pose an existential threat to the state of Israel, have been financed by the profits made in Iran's external trade, which also provides the regime the financial basis for the oppression of the Iranian people as well as for the sponsoring of the global Djihadist terror.

We clearly reject this event and a policy aimed at deepening the economic and political relationship with Iran, instead of cutting the ties.

We demand to stop all deals which keep the Mullah regime alive!

We demand that Austria immediately stops its dialogue with the regime, but instead strengthens the democratic and secular opposition in Iran and in exile.

No deals with the Iranian regime!
Stop Switzerland's EGL Deal with Iran!
Instead of dialogue with the regime, support the opposition!

Rally & information desk

Monday, October 11th, 4 pm
In front of the Swiss Embassy, Prinz-Eugen-Straße 7, 1010 Vienna

Simultaneously rallies will be held in Zurich, Berlin, Düsseldorf and London. More information can be found here http://de.stopthebomb.net and here http://ch.stopthebomb.net.

While Austrian Foreign Minister Spindelegger still adheres to a dialogue with Iran, this day Switzerland is one of the main western partners of the inhuman regime in Iran, a regime which persecutes and murders oppositionists, national and religious minorities, women and homosexuals. The Iranian nuclear and missile program is a direct threat to its neighboring states, Israel, the West and the Iranian population. The Iranian regime supports the international jihadistic terrorism, denies the Holocaust and hunts down the freedom movement, whose proponents are risking their lives fighting for a secular and democratic Iran.

The Swiss EGL, a subsidiary of the cantonal AXPO group, has signed a billion-SwissFranc-deal on gas supplies with the Iranian regime. This mega deal and the intended gas supplies from Iran will make Switzerland a strategic partner of the regime for many years to come, despite the absence of Iranian gas supplies in the early phase of the Trans-Adriatic pipeline according to the operators. In supporting Iran’s efforts to join the World Trade Organization, Switzerland turns itself into an advocate for the interests of the regime. The lip-service paid by Switzerland’s „Human Rights Dialogue“ as well as Austria’s continued willingness to conduct a dialogue serve as a convenient smoke screen for Tehran to cover up its crimes.

By refusing to abide by the new EU and U.S. sanctions, too, Switzerland continues to act as backers of the Iranian regime. By conducting business with Iran, not only the EGL, but also companies like Holcim, Zeochem, Sulzer, ABB or Bühler are helping to keep the regime alive.

We demand:

- The cancelation of the multi-billion-SwissFranc-deal with the Iranian regime and the adoption of the EU and U.S. sanctions against Iran!
- No Swiss support for Iran’s accession to the WTO!
- No dialogue with the regime, but support of the secular opposition!

European-wide protests:

Berlin:
Monday, October 11th 2010, 4 pm
Otto-von-Bismarck-Allee 4a, between the Swiss Embassy and the German Chancellery, 10557 Berlin

Düsseldorf:
Monday, October 11th 2010, 4 pm
near the EGL subsidiary in Düsseldorf, Hammerstraße 19, 40219 Düsseldorf

London:
Monday October 11th, 2010, 3 pm
16-18 Montagu Place, London W1H 2BQ

Vienna:
Monday, October 11th 2010, 4 pm
in front of the Swiss Embassy, Prinz-Eugen-Straße 7, 1040 Wien

Zurich:
Monday October 11th, 2010, 4 pm
in front of Staatssekretariat für Wirtschaft SECO Zurich, Stauffacherstrasse 101, Zurich

No deals with the Iranian regime!
What is Voest doing in Iran?

Rally at Voest’s shareholders meeting

Wednesday, June 7th, 9 am
Design Center Linz, Europaplatz 1

STOP THE BOMB, a coalition calling for tight sanctions on the Iranian regime, is going to voice its protest at the annual shareholders’ meeting of Voest at the Linz Design Center at Europaplatz on Wednesday, July 7th. From 9am, coalition activists will inform the shareholders about the character of the Iranian regime and the business ties of this well-known Austrian company with Iran. Simone Dinah Hartmann, spokesperson of STOP THE BOMB, announces to ask critical questions during the meeting about the size and scale of Voest’s business with Iran: "We would like to know how an Austrian company justifies its ties with a regime that denies the Holocaust, runs an illegal nuclear program, threatens Israel with annihilation and brutally oppresses its own population. We will ask if Voest intends to continue its business operations in Iran in spite of new UN and US sanctions and the planned tightening of EU sanctions."

It was back in the 1980s, when Voest - by the way successor of the former Hermann-Göring-Werke - hit the headlines after shipping Noricum cannons to Iran. In 2008/2009, the company’s turnover in Iran was about 45 mil. Euro. Böhler-Uddeholm, under the name of Böhler AG a central actor in the National Socialist arms industry during the Third Reich and now owned by Voestalpine, is also active in Iran today with its subsidiary Böhler International. It supplies the country with special steel via its proxy Khaneh Foulad Co.

Despite massive international criticism and efforts for tougher sanctions, the Austrian Chamber of Commerce also continues to promote further business with Iran. On July 14th, Günther Schabhuettl, a representative of the Chamber’s Tehran office, will travel to Eisenstadt to hold an "Iran information day" in order to help Austrian companies to advance their Iran business.

STOP THE BOMB activist Barbad Farahani points to the fact that every company active in Iran has to answer the question of how they can be sure not to finance the Iranian Revolutionary Guards: "The elite troops of the regime, which are responsible for the nuclear and missile programs as well as for the brutal oppression of the freedom movement, today control large parts of the country’s foreign trade: from the border traffic, to the container harbour Bandar Abbas, to the airport in Tehran."

Protest Rally:
Stop Ahmadinejad & Mottaki!
Stop courting the Iranian regime!

Sunday, April 25th, from 10:00 AM
Minoritenplatz, 1010 Vienna

On Sunday, April 25th, Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger will welcome the foreign minister of the Iranian regime, Manouchehr Mottaki, in Vienna. The coalition STOP THE BOMB strongly condemns the courting of this prominent figure of Tehran’s anti-Semitic regime; a regime, which organizes Holocaust denial conferences as a part of its foreign policy; a regime that threatens Israel with annihilation and does everything to achieve the means to carry out its threats. Mottaki gave the opening speech at the Holocaust denial conference in Tehran, which was also attended by Austrian Holocaust deniers.

The reception of Mottaki is also a slap in the face of the Iranian freedom movement, which again suffers a serious blow by the Austrian government. With Austrian exports to Iran on the rise last year, Austria again proves to be a most reliable friend of the Iranian regime. The reception of the Iranian foreign minister is a clear political upgrade for the largely isolated regime and thus knowingly undermines the international efforts to exert pressure on the Iranian regime.

We demand:
- No dialogue with anti-Semites and Holocaust deniers!
- Support the democratic and secular opposition instead of courting the regime!
- Immediate and harsh sanctions against the Iranian regime!

Prominent Europeans call for sanctions against Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps

A petition signed by prominent Europeans was launched today as part of a European-wide campaign to put the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on the terror list of the European Union. The petition’s signatories also urge the EU and its member states to ban trade, and encourage their countries’ businesses to cease economic activity, with entities associated with the IRGC.

The petition, launched by the European STOP THE BOMB Coalition, was signed by prominent intellectuals and writers such as French philosopher André Glucksmann and Austrian Nobel Prize Laureate Elfriede Jelinek, and former and current policymakers such as Frits Bolkestein (former European Commissioner and Dutch Minister of Trade and Defence, VVD-Liberals), Dr. Denis MacShane (former British Minister for Europe, Labour Party), Gianni Vernetti (former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and member of the Italian Parliament, ApI), Gert Weisskirchen (former foreign policy spokesman of the Social Democratic Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag), Julian García Vargas (former Spanish Minister of Defense and former Minister of Health, Socialist Party), Claude Goasguen (Member of the French Parliament, UMP), Ursula Stenzel (former head of the Austrian People’s Party delegation in the European Parliament) and many more.

Presentation of the book
"Verratene Freiheit – Der Aufstand im Iran und die Antwort des Westens"

With the editor Thomas von der Osten-Sacken (Wadi e.V.) and the author Wahied Wahdat-Hagh (European Foundation for Democracy)
Chair: Stefan Schaden (STOP THE BOMB)

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010, 8 PM
Urania, Terrassensaal
Uraniastraße 1, 1010 Wien (U-Schwedenplatz, tram 1)

No deals with the Iranian regime!
Protest at the shareholders meeting of Andritz

Friday, March 26th, 9:30
Congresszentrum, Albrechtsgasse/Ecke Schmiedgasse, Graz

NO SUPPORT FOR THE IRANIAN REGIME!
Protest rally against the celebrations for the 31st anniversary of the "Islamic Revolution" in Iran

Wednesday February 10th, 6 pm
In front of the residence of the Iranian ambassador to Vienna, Lainzer Strasse 28, 1130 Vienna (Tram 60)

On February 11th, the Iranian regime celebrates the 31st anniversary of the “Islamic Revolution”. As each year the Iranian regime will use that day to celebrate itself – also in Vienna. On February 10th, the Iranian ambassador will host an official reception at his residence. In our opinion, however, there is nothing to celebrate on this day apart from 31 years of resistance against this inhuman regime. 31 years of the “Islamic Republic” mean 31 years of internal and external terror: Persecution of unionists, of national and religious minorities, of student activists, homosexuals, women and oppositionists.

Austria still a sponsor of the Iranian regime

The coalition STOP THE BOMB strongly criticizes the reception of an Iranian economic delegation, headed by the president of the Iranian Chamber of Trade, Industries and Mines, Mohammad Nahavandian, in Vienna. STOP THE BOMB accuses Austrian companies to expand their activities in Iran while international efforts for tighter sanctions to end the Iranian nuclear program have recently been growing. The reception of Nahavandian in the Austrian Ministry of Economics in Vienna clearly shows that Austria remains a sponsor of the Iranian regime. If his statement in the Austrian daily "Wiener Zeitung" proves correct and the trade volume between Austria and Iran in 2009 adds up to "nearly 600 million Euros", this would mean a 150 million increase compared to last year. STOP THE BOMB activist Hiwa Bahrami of the Democratic Party Kurdistan-Iran calls for Austria’s support of the Iranian freedom movement instead of courting the regime: "It will be hard to find partners in a free Iran in the future for those involved in deals with the present rulers in Tehran."

How to deal with the Iranian Regime?

Tuesday, December 1, 2009, from 5.30 p.m.
Haus der Begegnung Mariahilf, Königseggasse 10, 1060 Wien
(between Otto-Bauer-Gasse and Loquai-Platz, U3 Zieglergasse, Bus 13A, 14A, 59A)

Contributions by:

• Amir Taheri (Journalist, London)
• Ilan Berman (American Foreign Policy Council, Washington)
• Jana Hybaskova (former MEP, Prague)
• Simone Dinah Hartmann (STOP THE BOMB)

Austria as willing audience for Ahmadinejad

While about 300 people protested yesterday at a rally organized by STOP THE BOMB in front of the Vienna Opera House against the UN speech of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Austria continues its policy of appeasement and cooperation with the Iranian regime at the UN General Assembly. Right before the rally, head of 1st district and former head of the Austrian People’s Party delegation in the European Parliament, Ursula Stenzel, expressed her hope that the Austrian delegates would follow numerous other delegations and leave the hall during Ahmadinejad’s speech. In his message to the participants of the rally, the spokesperson for foreign policy of the Green Party, Alexander Van der Bellen, called upon the Austrian delegation to deliver a clear message of protest during Ahmadinejad’s speech. All these hopes were spoiled, however.

Report about rally "Stop Ahmadinejad!"

Occasioned by the address of the holocaust denier and President of the Iranian terror regime to the general assembly of the United Nations, about 300 people gathered in front of the opera house in Vienna on September 23. Their protest was directed against the policy of appeasement towards the Iranian regime and against the economic support of the dictatorship of the Ayatollahs and the Revolutionary Guards. The rally in one of the host cities of the United Nations coincided with a number of international protests. STOP THE BOMB, an alliance that has been urging harsh sanctions against the Iranian regime and the support of the opposition since late 2007 had organized the rally which attracted a remarkable number of protesters by Viennese standards. The event was supported by the Liberal Forum, the Greens “andersrum”, the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde, the Democratic Party Kurdistan-Iran and numerous organizations of students, Iranian exiles as well as Christian, Jewish and anti-fascist groups.

The Austrian-Iranian trade relations

• Austrian exports to Iran are secured by government guarantees from the administration. According to the Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG, Iran ranked number 5 in 2005 among those nations which profited from such guarantees. Since 2004 an Austrian-Iranian protection of investment and a double taxation agreement exists.
• On April 21st 2007 the OMV signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Iran concerning the completion of a joint natural gas project. According to the OMV the company will invest in parts of the natural gas field South Pars in the Persian Gulf, in a liquefaction plant and in subscriber agreements for liquefied natural gas. The company has not publicized any figures regarding the financial scope of the investment, but the Austrian daily newspaper “der Standard” reported that the contract with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) amounts to nearly 22 billion euros over the next 25 years. The OMV is Austria's top listed industrial company, the biggest oil corporation in Central Europe.