Kourosh Zaim _letter to Iran Foreign Minister

International Committee to Save

the Archeological Sites of Pasargad

18 ارديبهشت 1387 (2547 سال پاسارگارد) 7 مه 2008************************** کميته نجات پاسارگاد هيچ گونه وابستگی مذهبی و سياسي ندارد

Unwise and damaging policies, including useless and unintelligent combative behavior of the Islamic Republic on the international scene, of which you have been the symbol and executor, have put us in such an humiliatingly weak and isolated situation that even the little neighboring countries who must depend on us for their own security are now threatening ours.

Iran, owing to its impressive history and civilization, and the unequalled strategic importance, is rightfully the cultural, economic and political gravity center of the region, and must have been by now the most powerful and influential country in this part of the world; not so helplessly weak, isolated and ignored to the point that its people in defense of their sovereignty have to gather before embassies of those new little countries that owe their very existence and prosperity to us.

Your performance as the representative of the country’s external relations, not only has caused disgrace for our nation, your words ridiculed by foreign diplomats, your incompetence barred you from meetings on Iran issues, little countries, who’ve always been dependents of others, developed such impudicity as to treat you as their junior; but some of your own inappropriate and undiplomatic public statements concerning matters of our national security and interests too have been totally unacceptable and some can only be interpreted as treason.

Your statements concerning our sovereign and ownership rights in Caspian Sea, our sovereign, cultural and strategic interests in Persian Gulf, our strategic interests and legal rights in Arvand Rud, your positions on the UN Security Council resolutions and UN powers all stem from your lack of knowledge of international law and the responsibilities and powers of the international organizations, and even our own history, failures which cannot be easily forgiven.

Some three years ago, in a round table discussion with Richard Murphy and me, in a 180 degree difference with my opinion, you expressed surprise at EU human rights resolution against the Islamic Republic and stated decisively that Americans can never take the Iranian nuclear issue to the Security Council. This lack of knowledge and erroneous analysis, caused issuance of the first ever UNSC sanctions against Iran during your tenure as foreign minister; and, as if you have not woken up, further two tougher and more destructive resolutions were issued rendering our economy ruins, bringing us to the verge of military attack, reviving land grab greed in some of our neighbors and raising evil hopes of social chaos and anarchy in the mind of separatists. As the result of poor performance of your foreign ministry, a family click, Caspian Sea littoral states do not pay least attention to our interests, Persian Gulf states humiliate us as region’s second rate citizens, little sheikhdoms try to change Persian Gulf name, invest in production of insulting films and literature, and claim sovereignty over three of our strategic islands. Arab countries continue to vote against us and have now become united against Iranian interests and security and, on the other hand, clever countries such as Venezuela, Bolivia, North Korea and the like, in return for worthless lip service, milk us of our oil income while our own people sink daily deeper and deeper in poverty. As if these are not enough, Iranians as a whole have lost total respect around the world and are treated as if they carry the plague.

Today, on this National Day of Persian Gulf, thousands of Iranians in Tehran and other cities demonstrated their dissatisfaction with your foreign policies and have, in effect, relieved you of your duties. Therefore, in order to prevent further destruction of our national prestige, interests and international position, I, in the name of an Iranian citizen, demand your immediate resignation and your formal apology to the Iranian people and begging of forgiveness. Although your resignation is no guarantee of a better replacement, it may somewhat compensate for the incredibly low quality of the Islamic Republic’s foreign policies and declare to the world that you do not represent the wants and wishes of the Iranian nation and that you do not symbolize Iranian wisdom.