Sunday, February 24th 2013

Rally against Iranian Foreign Minister Salehi in Vienna

STOP THE BOMB protests in front of the Hofburg on Wednesday against Salehi

The coalition STOP THE BOMB holds a rally against the visit of the Iranian foreign minister on February, 27, 2013 from 9 until 10 am in front of the Hofburg at Heldenplatz, under the slogan "No stage for the Iranian regime!". Ali Akbar Salehi, foreign minister of Iran and former chief of the Iranian nuclear program was named specifically in the EU sanctions. Nonetheless, he is invited to participate in the Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations on February 27th and 28th. The foreign office of Austria declared that the minister of foreign affairs Michael Spindelegger will hold informal talks at the conference with the top diplomat of the Iranian terror regime.
Simone Dinah Hartmann, spokesperson of STOP THE BOMB, explains: "Every dialog with high-ranking representatives of the Iranian regime thwarts the efforts for sanctions against the Iranian rulers and stabs the Iranian democratic opposition, both in Iran and in exile, in the back. Every appearance of the Iranian foreign minister strengthens the legitimacy of the policies of the Iranian regime, which encompass organizing conferences on the denial of the holocaust as well as repeated threats to exterminate the Jewish state."
 
Stephan Grigat, political advisor and co-founder of STOP THE BOMB criticizes Salehi's attendance of the "Global Forum": "This event, questionable in general for its cultural relativism, is transformed into a platform for radical islamism by Salehi's attendance. Salehi, who will be given a warm reception at an event championing the 'protection of religious minorities', represents a regime that bullies the Christian minorities, agitates against Jews and systematically represses the Baha'i minority."
 
Hiwa Bahrami of the Democratic Party Kurdistan-Iran, which is cooperating with STOP THE BOMB calls on all participants of the conference to speak out clearly against the appearance of Salehi and for the invitation of Iranian opposition members. The coalition STOP THE BOMB and the DPKI call on all EU member states and accession countries to follow Canada's example and discontinue all diplomatic relations with the regime of the Ayatollahs and the Pasdaran.