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Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) is a group of academics, students and professionals of Iranian and non-Iranian backgrounds formed to
oppose sanctions or military action against
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
by the United States.
History
CASMII was founded on 1 December 2005 in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
by Professor
Abbas Edalat
Abbas Edalat ( fa, عباس عدالت) is a British-Iranian academic who is a professor of computer science and mathematics at the Department of Computing, Imperial College London and a political activist. In a 2018 letter to The Guardian, 1 ...
, and describes itself as independent of all political groups and governments (in particular the Iranian government), and adheres to no particular religion or ideology. Core values include respect for
human rights
Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
and a
democratic state
Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation ("direct democracy"), or to choose gover ...
, in particular
freedom of expression
Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recog ...
, freedom of press, an independent judiciary,
equal rights for women
Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...
, ethnic and religious minorities in Iran.
On 6 November 2006, the United Kingdom branch of CASMII joined with
Action Iran and
Iran Solidarity, forming a new organisation in the UK called
Campaign Iran, which remains part of CASMII international.
CASMII has been criticised by
Hands Off the People of Iran as being supportive of the
Iranian reform movement
The Reformists ( fa, اصلاحطلبان, Eslâh-Talabân) are a political faction in Iran. Iran's "reform era" is sometimes said to have lasted from 1997 to 2005—the length of President Mohammad Khatami's two terms in office. The ...
and opposed to the interests of "workers, progressives and democrats".
Members of the CASMII Board include academics such as
Professor Udo Steinbach, who was the head of the Near East Department of the
German Institute for International and Security Affairs
The German Institute for International and Security Affairs (german: Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik; SWP) is a German think tank in international relations and security studies. A semi-official organization with close links to the federal gov ...
from 1971 to 1974 and director of the Deutschen Orient-Instituts (which merged into the
German Institute of Global and Area Studies
The German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) is a German research institute. It analyses political, economic and social developments in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, and combines this analysis with comparative rese ...
) from 1976 to 2006.
The
human rights
Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
and
social justice
Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, Equal opportunity, opportunities, and Social privilege, privileges within a society. In Western Civilization, Western and Culture of Asia, Asian cultures, the concept of social ...
advocacy group Global Exchange
Global Exchange was founded in 1988 and is an advocacy group, human rights organization, and a 501(c)(3) organization, based in San Francisco, California, United States. The group defines its mission as, "to promote human rights and social, econo ...
recommends CASMII members
Foaad Khosmood and
Alex Patico as public speakers on
anti-war topics related to Iran.
In the US, CASMII is governed by a board of directors. CASMII has an international board of editors as well as an
advisory board. Among the members of its advisory board are Dr.
Behrad Nakhai, an Iranian nuclear engineer who worked as a research scientist at
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a U.S. multiprogram science and technology national laboratory sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and administered, managed, and operated by UT–Battelle as a federally funded research an ...
and is currently conducting
Nuclear Safety Analysis, and
Kaveh L. Afrasiabi, a
political scientist
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
and author of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
ian origin.
Actions
The group's campaign methods include participation in
media
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass e ...
, holding public meetings, lobbying members of parliaments, international campaigning and cooperation with all groups sharing similar aims.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty described CASMII as "a strong opponent to sanctions" against Iran.
Public talks
In November 2006, the group participated in a multi-state "Tour for a Just Foreign Policy" which was a series of speaking engagements as well as photographic displays throughout the Northeastern USA.
On 4 July 2007, Prof.
Pirouz Mojtahedzadeh of CASMII UK made a presentation regarding Iran's energy needs and its nuclear energy program at a conference at the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
organised by the
European Greens–European Free Alliance
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
.
Action Iran
On 6 February 2006, Roudabeh Shafie representing Action Iran participated in a
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is an organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nuc ...
demonstration outside of the headquarters of the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, claiming that the BBC presented biased reporting regarding Iran by not reporting alleged violations by nuclear weapons states of Article VI of the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation ...
.
On 10 June 2006, Elaheh Rostami Povey represented Action Iran at the
Stop the War Coalition
The Stop the War Coalition (StWC), informally known simply as Stop the War, is a British group established on 21 September 2001, shortly after the September 11 attacks, to campaign against what it believes are unjust wars.
The Coalition has c ...
's "Fifth Annual Stop The War Conference".
On 6 September 2006, an Action Iran spokesperson took part in a rally in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
promoting a rally called "Time To Go" advocating the resignation of British prime minister
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...
and later in the month, Action Iran together with CASMII organised a public rally with
Hans von Sponeck
Hans-Christof Graf von Sponeck (born 1939) is a German diplomat. He was born in Bremen, Germany, the son of Hans Graf von Sponeck. He served as a UN Assistant Secretary-General and UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq. In 1957 he was one of the f ...
, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq after
Denis Halliday
Denis J. Halliday (born c.1941) was the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq from 1 September 1997 until 1998. He was previously Deputy Resident Representative to Singapore of the United Nations Development Programme.Murphy, C.N.,
2006 ...
resigned from that post,
Street actions
In February 2007, CASMII carried banners and signs opposing war with Iran, as part of a demonstration of 100,000 people in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
in protest against the US government's relations with
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
and Iran.
Reaction to UN Security Council Resolution 1737
In reaction to
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737 was unanimously passed by the United Nations Security Council on 23 December 2006.
The resolution, sponsored by France, Germany and the United Kingdom, imposed sanctions against Iran for failing t ...
, CASMII issued a statement titled "A Terrible Day for International Diplomacy"
dated 24 December 2006. In the statement CASMII expresses grave concern over the UN resolution.
Letter actions and advertisements
In an action initiated by
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) is a physician-led organization in the US working to protect the public from the threats of nuclear proliferation, climate change, and environmental toxins. It produces and disseminates publications, p ...
in February 2007, CASMII co-sponsored a full page advertisement in a Washington, D.C. journal, the
Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combined ...
, opposing an attack against Iran.
In October 2007, CASMII together with the
National Iranian American Council
The National Iranian American Council (NIAC; fa, شورای ملی ایرانیان آمریکا) is a NGO based in Washington, D.C. The NIAC Action, the sister organization of NIAC, was formed in 2015 to build political power for Iranian America ...
and some other organisations sent a letter to the political leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom and Iran opposing military actions and appealing to the governments "to set aside all pre-conditions and resume direct and open negotiations on all issues of dispute, ..."
Media analyses, debates
In mid-2006, CASMII debated anti-war strategies with a group of peace activists (including
Michael Albert
Michael Albert (born April 8, 1947) is an American economist, speaker, writer, and political critic. Since the late 1970s, he has published books, articles, and other contributions on a wide array of subjects. He has also set up his own media ...
,
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky i ...
,
Michael Lerner (rabbi)
Michael Lerner (born 1943) is an American political activist, the editor of '' Tikkun'', a progressive Jewish interfaith magazine based in Berkeley, California, and the rabbi of Beyt Tikkun Synagogue in Berkeley.
Biography Family and educatio ...
and
Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922January 27, 2010) was an American historian, playwright, philosopher, socialist thinker and World War II veteran. He was chair of the history and social sciences department at Spelman College, and a politica ...
) associated with the generally
left perspective media group
Z Communications
Z Communications is a left-wing activist-oriented media group founded in 1986 by Michael Albert and Lydia Sargent.Max Elbaum''Revolution in the Air: Sixties Radicals Turn to Lenin, Mao and Che'' London, England, UK; New York, New York, US: Vers ...
.
In early May 2007, the BBC apologised to CASMII for having used the words "abducted" and "hostages" in relation to the
2007 Iranian arrest of Royal Navy personnel
On 23 March 2007, fifteen Royal Navy personnel from were searching a merchant vessel when they were surrounded by the Navy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and detained off the Iran–Iraq coast. In the course of events, British forces cl ...
.
CASMII member Abbas Edalat was not satisfied with the apology, stating "We do not accept that because a story is at an 'early stage' misleading reports are therefore acceptable. The BBC has a code of practice and is very aware of the power of language. Using the word 'abducted' instead of 'captured' and the word 'hostages' instead of 'detainees' is a clear example of linguistic manipulation of the facts and there are no excuses for it."
In May 2007, the British media analysis group
Media Lens
Media Lens is a British media analysis website established in 2001 by David Cromwell and David Edwards. Cromwell and Edwards are the site's editors and only regular contributors. Their aim is to scrutinise and question the mainstream media' ...
pointed to an article by a ''
Guardian'' journalist
Simon Tisdall discussing alleged plans by Iran to fight against United States soldiers in Iraq. Media Lens asserted that the article was mostly based on anonymous official sources from the United States government.
CASMII in turn complained to ''The Guardian'' about the article.
CASMII member Abbas Edalat stated, " ''The Guardian'' has reported, without any challenge or any critical analysis, highly incriminating but unfounded and unsubstantiated statements by an unnamed US official in such a way that they appear to the reader as facts."
See also
*
Sanctions against Iran
There have been a number of sanctions against Iran imposed by a number of countries, especially the United States, and international entities. Iran was the most sanctioned country in the world until it was surpassed by Russia following its inva ...
*
Anti-Iranianism
*
The UN Security Council and the Iraq war
In March 2003 the United States government announced that "diplomacy has failed" and that it would proceed with a "coalition of the willing" to rid Iraq under Saddam Hussein of weapons of mass destruction the US and UK falsely insisted it poss ...
*
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747 was a United Nations Security Council resolution, written with reference to some IAEA reports, that tightened the sanctions imposed on Iran in connection with the Iranian nuclear program. It was ...
Notes
External links
Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII)StopWarOnIran.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Campaign Against Sanctions And Military Intervention In Iran
Anti-war movement
Foreign relations of Iran
Political organisations based in London
Sanctions against Iran