Foil massacre in Camp Ashraf

I wrote about the story of my life in an article on August 2nd (American Chronicle) where I asked for help to save the life of my brother who resides in the camp Ashraf. He is the only member of family that I have left. Today, my brother and many others like him live in Camp Ashraf and are in a great danger.

The situation is highly critical now as the Iraqi government has stated that it is going to close the camp by the end of the year 2011. This ultimatum is a decision to carry out a massacre of the inhabitants of the camp, where 3400 Iranian civilians, including 1000 women live. The inhabitants have already experienced two similar attacks in July 2009 and April 2011, where 47 persons were killed and hundreds were wounded.

As for myself, I have already had six members of my family killed by the rule of the mullahs’ dictatorship in Iran. I now have only one brother left who happens to live in the camp Ashraf now. Many of the 3400 civilians in the camp have experienced similar situation as myself, and their lives are at danger now.

President Obama: The U.S. is responsible for securing the safety of the 3400 inhabitants of the camp, as the U.S. army accepted to protect their lives when they handed over their arms to the U.S. army. The fact is that by keeping the name of the MEK in the F.T.O. list, you are authorizing the Maleki government to carry out the massacre of innocent civilians

Is it right to call terrorist, those who have risked their lives to save their country from the mullahs’ dictatorship?

President Obama, is it not a well known fact that the U.S. administration decided to put the MEK in the FTO list in 1997, as a good will gesture to the supposedly moderate government of Khatami, and without having any legal grounds.

Is it not true that the DC's Appeals' court stated on 16th July 2010, that the Secretary of States needed to reconsider the decision to list the MEK, as the correct legal procedures had not been followed.

Is it not a fact that the Iraqi government has to date twice carried out deadly attacks in July 2009 and April 2011.

Is it not a fact that dozens of innocent persons were killed and hundreds wounded as a result of these attacks.

I am very worried over the state of my brother and the others in Camp Ashraf.

Why do you accept to pave the way for the massacre of our dear ones in the camp, by keeping the MEK in the FTO list.

Is it fine for the U.S. to collaborate with the mullahs and the Maleki government in Iraq in their crimes?

Mr Obama, as an Iranian woman, I ask you to delist the MEK and not allow the Maleki government and the mullahs to use the FTO list as the pretext they need to massacre the residents of Camp Ashraf.

I also urge Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to declare the ultimatum announced by the Iraqi government as illegal.

I urge all those reading this letter to pray for Ashraf and pray for freedom in Iran. Please let everyone know about my plea to save the lives of the civilians in the Camp Ashraf.

Zohreh Shafaei is a human rights activist and prominent figure in the Iranian opposition movement for freedom in Iran (NCRI)

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