[inaudible conversations] thank you to secretary pompeo. Ive a Pretty Amazing bus, right . That was a great speech. [applause] so as we just from secretary pompeo, the United States believes strongly in supporting the rights of the people of iran and in ample find their voices as they call for the freedom they so deeply deserve. To that end i am now glad to be joined onstage by my friends and u. S. Officials who are working to ensure we are able to continue a hope to hold the arena regime accountable for its humor its abuses as we Work Together to empower the iranian people. First well begin with assistant secretary to my left. We also have doctor bill ambassador brownback who we discussed earlier. And all three of them will be sharing some of their experiences working on this issue that relates to iranian human rights, what they learned this morning and now theyre putting these lessons into practice. We will after the session in q a will take questions on the audience as well. Lets first begin with observations from the assistant secretary. Thank thank you, morgan. We had a very interesting listening session this morning with representatives organized labor from around the world and from the iranian community. The rights of labor to organize are not often thought about usually as matters of international or even domestic human rights. And so i suggested to them that we have a series of working groups to plan on kinds of things we do to positively encourage the iranian government to engage effectively with its own labor people, and to livep to its own promises. Ill just leave it there and i will turn it over to my colleague here. Thank you, morgan. Id like to say thank you to all those here today, that reallyy your presence here, it does emphasize the boards of this great topic. It was my distinct privilege to sit in with brian this morning at represent him, unfortunately cant be here right now but to be part of this mornings listening session. I would want to thank the participants this morning for your insights, your poignant and really at times very personal and touching insights about human rights and iran, and then also touching on womens rights in the process. Your stories certainly confirm, and before and really a personal face on what many of us know on an intellectual level, but to really try to understand it on a deeper, personal level, the deplorable position of womens rights in a renter and hopefully today we can begin the process that will do justice for the dreams and aspirations of women in that society. Clearly, by all accounts women rights and iran are severely restricted. Iranian women face pervasive discrimination in the political, economic and social spheres within iran. The women and girls certainly face personal and legal discrimination in areas related to marriage, divorce, inheritance, employment, child custody that really a shocking to many of in the United States they really cant appreciate the restrictions that are placed upon that and how women are disproportionately treated in that. Let me just touched a couple of the areas. Serving in the political sphere, it seems evident that the regime used the oppression of women as a key pillar in its revolutionary agenda. If we look at how women have at their dignity attack for over four decades by this regime, and that theres a pervasive discrimination on all aspects of womens lives, education, economic freedom, it even areas of freedom of expression and inheritance that i think on one level we cant appreciate how deep does go down. Women cannot pass their nationality onto their foreignborn spouses or children like men can. Married women may not obtain a a passport or travel outside the country without the written permission of her husband. Women are barred from becoming judges. In court a womans testimony is worth half the testimony of a man. And so here in the United States when we believe in equal protection before the law, it seems shocking that we would allow, condone this kind of brazen affront to that. And in dozens of women, human rights defenders for, lawyers, women face harsh sentence today. I was encouraged by the incredible professional group that was from the ds per a ticket share their experiences diaspora, the perspectives you have i think are very enriching to me and it gives us a a view that sometimes here in washington we may not appreciat appreciate. As you know in the economic world, Government Policies really have affected the opportunities for women effectively limiting womens access to workplace. Women in iran make up half the university graduates, their participation in the job market is about 15 . So we we think of the incredible potential thats been constrained by these repressive policies, many jobs are on open to women and women are significantly underrepresented as managers of both public and private sectors. As you look at the World Economics forums, reporting, they place i ran 142 out of 149 countries in their survey, looking at economic participation and opportunity for women, education attainment where the iranian women have been quite high which i think raises them up about 149, to 142. Then two. The political apartment and then finally health and survival. In all those areas the pervasive discrimination has taken hold. And then lastly and social and legal areas as many of you know you heard from the secretary, whether its restrictions on women from age seven on required to wear the veil, the modesty requirements in public and how those are enforced by the volunteer members, the impact about how vaguely defined morality laws can be used against women, and ultimately women become censored in terms of their ability, in arts, music and other forms of cultural expression that all our freedoms that we come to take for granted here. And then i think with that, i will closer and i know know will have some questions on that. Ambassador brownback. Thank you very much. I want to thank everybody for being here today. I have worked over the years with a number of people in the iranian diaspora. Its such an incredibly talented community that just the speaks of the abilities that are there and that are lost and iran because people are penned up and they are not allowed to be free. I second what the secretary said about the incredible contribution that you make to this country, and thank you for it. People shouldnt have to leave their home country to be able to experience the freedom and opportunities. We had in beating today here at state department that is impossible to have under the current regime in iran. We had iranian muslims, jews, christians, all meeting in the same room to talk about religious freedom. And the lack of it that each of the groups are experiencing and iran. We had to make women in the room who were sentenced and spent time in prison, a prison that should be closed. That place shouldnt be allowed to continue to even to exist as a symbol of oppression it has become. [applause] had a number of very good suggestions. I do want to say to people here, he fetuses into us. The secretary mention the thousands of comments and evidence that youre sitting to us. Keep sending those in of specific examples. I got several of them today. One i want to call out in particular, its usually this time of year that the rainy regime start running up christians as a Christmas Present to them just so they cant practice their faith and celebrate the holiday of christmas. Dont do that. The World Community should put pressure on iran not to round up christians so they cant celebrate christmas. That seems [applause] appeared on its face, it is a tactic the regime often uses on these major holidays and celebrations apparent on its face. I also want to save the World Community is taking more notice. There are people in a group that said any sort of trade deals that are done with iran need to include a a human rights compot to it that when not going to trade with the regime that doesnt respect fundamental human rights like religious freedom but across the board, and we shouldnt just bifurcate those out and say will deal with you and trade but we will just talk but you would write. Those should be connected together to push and to push hard on the Iranian Regime. [applause] so thank you. The United States does stand with you and we will continue to do that. Thank you so much, ambassador. [applause] we will continue the discussion but i have to, what he said was Pretty Amazing but especially dr. Bell, you spoke about the iranian women and the plight of what they have to endure in this regime. I am so incredibly lucky to be able to work with secretary pompeo and to travel with him around the world and beat so many different groups of people. But i have to say, the women, they rhenium women, persian women here in the United States have just captured my heart. Like almost nowhere else in the world. [applause] thank you. The strength of the women in that Diaspora Community here, there press events, they are group of people that maybe should have hope. What im feeling hopeless about whats happening with the regime, iranian women give me strength to keep going, to keep pursuing our policies. I was very lucky thanks to our team that brian and doctor billy to be able to do a video on white wednesday, which is played around the world and it really captured the attention we hope of many iranian women. White wednesday and iran is if they were women protest compulsory wearing of the hijab. Weve also seen tragedies and iran. Too many of you remember blue girl that happened a few months ago . For those of you who dont know, this was a brave young iranian woman who died of self immolation after she is sentenced to prison for trying to watch a soccer match. So while i am incredibly, incredibly blessed to work with bright and talk to ended when here on stage on the policy of the trump administration, i just listed to say that will continue to keep womens rights at the forefront of everything we do on this policy and out of everyone in the world iranian women, you are just special. Really special. [applause] so to assistant secretary destro you help us focus on human rights at the state department and one of the questions we often get is, if we do end up negotiating a a new d better deal with iran, what happens to our push for human rights if that deal is reached and have human rights, how is it a part of our maximum Pressure Campaign . Well, i think the easy answer to a very hard question is that we have to remember to put the human back in human rights. And so when we negotiate a deal, we spoke this morning about labor and about the need of people to organize and to be able to rely on their own government to keep the deals that it makes well, if we had a government that doesnt keep deals with its own people, why are they going to be keeping deals with us . So we have to be very specific with respect to heres what we expect in the human rights field. Its not for us to tell the iranian people what they need by way of human rights. The iranian people with whom ive been privileged to deal over the last 17 years, and i been able to go to iran a couple of times dick so if you think the iranian women that you have met here are impressive, you should see the iranian women i have met there. These are not, these are not shrinking violets were talking about. These are very strong, very wonderful people. Anybody who is been as i have to the tomb of knows the incredible romanticism and artistic splendor of iran. I mean, we have to negotiate to let that become free. I mean, as my angela said [applause] he saw the angel in the piece of marble michelangelo he let it free. The negotiation has to be a comprehensive agreement that takes a humanity, not just the fence, not just anything else but it takes it all in, and we can do that. We have models. Were doing that with usmca today. And so i really do hope that they will come to the table and they will talk seriously. Dr. Bell, so theres people, plenty of critics and skeptics of the policies that we are pursuing and some people say were just trying to force regime change in iran by focusing on human rights. Or they claim we are promoting one group over another. Can you answer the skeptical questions . Thanks, morgan. I will address a couple aspects of the policy as well. Certainly no, were not supporting one group over another. And no, this is not a cover for regime change. Let me try to explain some of the aspects of that. The administrations policy consistently since 2017 and then when it was announced in 2018 has been the future of a ramp will be up to and decided by the iranian people. Ultimately though our goal is not to pick the winners and losers extra for iran. That will be up to the people of iran, but the idea is to set the conditions by which that will be done through free, fair, democratic elections. [applause] what weve heard in the listening sessions, it seems clear the voice of the iranian people is what the regime elites most fear, and that our conference, our faith is that in those free fair open elections that voice will come out. We are seeking in our policy fundamental changes to the character of the Iranian Regimes policies. I can talk up some of those because the max Pressure Campaign is really trying to change the policies of the Iranian Regime. Some of those are the foreign policies that are destabilizing the middle east, proliferating arms, advanced weapons to dangers proxies, transporting militant groups throughout the region and conducting illegal attacks in global trade and commerce. But also their policies at home, their endemic corruption on how they treat their own people. Thats what weve heard today. From our view the iranian people deserve a representative government, and our goal is to the campaign is to set the conditions for that, exposing the behaviors of the government that are reprehensible in the process. Our position is human rights are a navel. They are not subject to being negotiated away or ignored in a quest for a more comprehensive deal to replace jcpoa. The critics would like us to consumer rate conciliar rate iran, give more piles of cash in the process. Our view is appeasement is only going to fuel to a greater extent the reprehensible activities that weve already seen. If our goal is to foment more violence, perhaps thats an approach but our goal is quite the opposite. Our sense is the human rights record of the regime in itself should help us build diplomatic unity as in the International Community, to present to iran the conditions we expect them to adhere to. Not the concessions they hope to win from any negotiations in the process. And so perhaps thats the a onesided negotiation, but buti believe there exposing the human rights record, by exposing the regimes Malicious Behavior in the region, a violent destabilizing activities, ballistic missiles, the human rights abuses, the abuses of the various militia, that we can begin to create an International Voice recognition outrage and then finally concerted action against this. Our goal is not to return to the old iran deal, ultimately we seek a new and comprehensive deal would ultimately a government that represents the peoples voices and aspirations of the iranian people. Thank you. Thank you, dr. Bell. [applause] ambassador brownback, we talk about religious freedom and iran, sometimes theres the criticism we are singling out shia islam or that the United States x amount of war with islam. Can you give us your perspective on that . That is absolutely false. We stand for religious freedom for everybody everywhere all the time. Thats our policy. Thats our view. I would point out that my first foreign trip ended up in the rohingya refugee camps in bangladesh advocating that the rohingya were a Muslim Population be allowed to return freely and safely into burma. This administration has been the staunchest, most vocal group on whats taking place in western china in st. John to the muslims in that region. We advocate for everybodys religion freedom. The problem is that iran, and arrange government they want this absolute allegiance to their view of a theological regime here it doesnt allow for any deviance. So you cant practice your faith in any other, even another form of islam is persecuted. And thats what we have such umbrage at is this is a sort of effort to force everybody into one size, onesizefitsall and we believe this is a godgiven right that jeff to pick your own religious adherence, whatever might be, or no religious adherence at all, if you choose that route. Thats our problem with this regime. And by the way, they are in complete violation of article 18 of the u. N. Declaration of human rights where people have the right to religious freedom. This is in that basic its inmost basic documents. Even in the iranian constitution that they dont follow either for their own people and religious freedom. [applause] i might also add, its also in the quran that there is no compulsion. So now were going to give some of your chance to ask a question or im going to try to take one from the members of the Diaspora Community, some from the diplomatic corps and also a question from a journalist as well. Dave has the microphone. Do we have someone okay. Thank you so much. We saw systematic actually violence against protests and iran in all cities and iran from the rain regime. Whats actually [inaudible] open the case about this violence in United Nation council as Security Council . So the question i think is overtaking this case at the u. N. Security council . Is at the question . Dr. Bell. Im not aware that we are. Its a good suggestion and i will certainly follow it up. Do we have someone from the diplomatic corps would like to ask a question . Thank you. I want to thank you for your strong stand with the iranian people. I really appreciate it. Thank you. Many things have expressed the change in behavior of the Islamic Republic of iran and at the same time he supported iranian people. But iranian people want to have complete change, regime change. [applause] thank you. Dont you think there is a conflict between these two make deals the same time youre supporting our many people but you dont want, you didnt mention regime change . Thank you. Well, i think the short answer to your question is found in the name of the bureau that i had which is democracy human rights and labor. And so regime change in iran has to come from iran. [applause] President Trump has regularly talked about the need of governments to protect their own people. It is not for us here in the United States to change the Iranian Regime. For the iranian people to change the Iranian Regime. We can be supported but we cant interfere. Thats a fine line, different people to find that differently, but its a conversation well worth having and i thank you for raising the question. Dr. Bell. Thank you. Its a great question and i understand the challenge, that ultimately what we seek is how can we use all measures, short imposing our extra will on iran to try to encourage the changes a behavior, the change is a policy that we seek . And if you think back over the last 20 20 years since 9 11, or express with regime change really doesnt always produce the types of legitimate governments that are seen in the eyes of their peoples but you but to protect and serve the population that can really serve the entire group of the population themselves and what we seek is a a legitimate government that actually serves that responsibility and that role. Ultimately our sense is through diplomatic isolation, moral suasion, bringing International Community together and to include an extremely tough sanctions regime that we can avoid Armed Conflict but that we can also pressured the iranian government to change its policies and begin the process of change that would give voice to the iranian people in the elections going forward. I think we have from the media, some members of the iranian media perhaps here. I specialize in soft power and people to people diplomacy. Over 100 years ago commissioner commissioner went to iran and taught english and gave his life and constitutional revolution. Up to today there are still people put yellow rose on his grave. Those are some of the sentiments we need to have more and i would appreciate it if the u. S. Policy could incorporate more of his people to people diplomacy and perhaps use the away as most effective Public Diplomacy tool but it is being completely misused. To ambassador brownback, i have known you since 2003 when you sponsored iran democracy act and when i asked you why would a a center from midwest care so much about iran, he said because you care about freedom. Im glad you are following up on your promise to the iranian people, and my grandmother passed away to make his ego and she was a devout muslim and gave me a cross that she brought from a rented she said give this to someone whos a good christian. So as a symbol of friendship, and i know shes watching. I want to give that to you. [applause] i am very touched. Thats beautiful. My mother up on the property where john brown would stay when hes in kansas come at some you may not know the is history too much or kansas history of all or care, but john brown was kind of a guy that lit the civil war. He was the match that lick linn because he couldnt stand slavery. He was so passionately opposed to slavery, and our people at the time kind of, im against slavery but, i mean, lets just go on. He couldnt. Many days i feel the same way. Weve got to fight these things. Weve been given such blessings of freedom here. When people are in prison we should feel their chains and we should fight against it constantly. This is thank you very much. [applause] i think well go need some tissues on stage. Noah told me how that was really, really beautiful. And im sure youre right, your grandmother must be looking at you and is so proud of you whatever we are running behind on this paper will have to get to our next panel what will have survivors of religious persecution. So thank you to my three colleagues for coming today. [applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] okay. Lets get started on our last panel. We wanted to make sure that we had a chance for the iranian people to tell their stories themselves. Today we have three iranians with unique stories and experiences. At the sticky part where proud to be able to give them a voice here since iran is try to silence them before. First is an anticorruption activist who raises awareness of the victims of the iranian, the regime in iran of the acts of corruption and abuse of power. Shes been arrested for her activism and is involved with many of the fight for iranian women. Next we have who i actually interviewed during u. N. General Assembly Week whose father and mother were sentenced to prison and a rant for the crime of forming home churches, and heard the sector speak about her as well. And, of course, we have who is a journalist, film maker, photographer and human rights activist. He spent over nine years in an iranian prison where he was tortured before he came to the United States. Lets start with you. I would like to take this opportunity and take thank the u. S. Government for the first time in the struggle of iranian Freedom Security established democracy. United states support that many people and legitimately condemn Human Rights Violations in iran. Thanks to President Trump and thank you, secretary pompeo, for his speech and thank you for all the team. God bless america and god bless him aquatic iran. [applause] every morning i was going to school we start the class [inaudible] death to america, salute to khamenei. May god add to his lifetime. By many reps in addition such as starting and living in america. Today, as our families are held hostage by the regime, the son of are living in the United States and easily take advantages of this great country. They are coming to europe and United States. [inaudible] but today the iranian people and iran chance america is not the enemy. The enemy is right too. In 1980 it was a a family partd all the sudden we arrested by the Islamic Revolution agents with their heavy my mother and other women were arrested as well. Their crime was that the men and women were together. My mother was in dark anger because the regime it just killed her son, eight years old. She was death on you. I was crying and i was only eight years old and then if my mother was taken away, she might be sentenced to death. A man put his gun, ford and screened these kids are growing up in western civilization must be killed. From Early Childhood i learned that we were at war, with his brutal regime and asserted to be a soldier since today and we fight against regime. This regime is [inaudible] the first time i was arrested ii was 15. My crime was not the islamic way. My friends and i, were taken to the prison. They were taking us to self prostitutes and release for several hours. The women looked at us as pray. It was a few hours but for us the past like months. I dont know how they knew that it was an activist just a child and died 15 years and they injected me with drugs and is hospitalized for your and i couldnt go to the first day of my high school. My friend, they put her legs and the bag of and we were screaming. She was admitted to a psychological hospital for six months. Then her parents try to get her out of iran, but for she committed suicide. And last november was shot and had by Security Forces on november, last november and she had just 14. This story continued until the what for the minister of agriculture, and after my high school. Women with no jobs and were trying to provide them with opportunities to work, but thy had to be educated before. They had a job that the woman should work, and why should wk in society. Its not just about tailoring for a woman, and its not a problem for woman to work alongside men and be together. I was also arrested during a speech i have give to world women in western part of iran for the anticondition of [inaudible] after the disaster that happened, the Student Movement described this sad story better than me. I was fired from the university for a year and i left iran to france. Since after the movement and the movement in 2017, despite the operation of the people and iran and the persecution of all families and friends and iran, we continued this struggle. However, november protests in iran was different from other protests. These uprisings has a message from the iranian people, the slogan, never heard in the streets. Protesters altogether showed solidarity against the islamic regime. The islamic regime has tried to tell, maximum pressure on the iranian people. They said that the ring people are hungry. The reformists called it, this protest in 2017, they called it the revolution of the hungry. What this hungry people in november did not shoplift supermarkets. No food was stolen. The friday imam offices had burned. The islamic seminary for woman set on fire. November 2019 was iranian renaissance, the iranian people have shown the world that they are more thirsty than hungry. They are thirsty for dignity, for freedom and humanity. Political islam which began in egypt a century ago and officially recognized by establishing an islamic government and iran in 79 has lost its legitimacy by the iranian iraqis and others. We have witnessed the collapse of apartheid south africa, soviet communists in the last century, and today come in the future we will put an end to political islam and to the islamic regime in islam with the people of iran also solidarity with the people of iraq and lebanon. In the name of all people who were killed in prison for freedom, for the dignity and peace and iran we call with my friends here, we call upon the leaders of the United States and the free world who suffer the struggle for the people of a rant against this kleptocratic regime, through this strong and firm action the following, as the following. The axis of our incumbent to satellite by any sort of service must be disconnected. This will create immediate problem for banking resources and the rent and also will stop the islamic regimes armed dissident from reaching iranian cities. The Islamic Republic of iran broadcast and its affiliates which hold state monopoly on broadcast news within a rant must man from operating in the free world. The iranian we hope the Iranian Ambassador in general must be summoned, questioned and admonish of the relations of human rights against iranian citizens, and to return to iran. In the end i dont want to talk about today is his birthday, 28th birthday. He was blessed in november, last november, and then they have broken his legs, his hands and they put him in the dam and his parents find him about last week. And today is his birthday. I wanted just think about every iranian that they killed and iran. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thats a beautiful message, nazila. Thank you. We were able to speak during the u. N. General assembly when we with ambassador brownback talking, and President Trump and secretary pompeo talking about religious freedom. And we do these figures around the world when i travel, and we can make them light and funny but this is a very serious week and had to tell you come out of all of it is within able to do, your video touched the heart of my parents so much. They thought the story of you and how you were standing up for repairs and what your family has gone through, so just wanted you to know that your story is having an impact and hope that you can share this now with the International Community. Like you very much. As secretary pompeo already mentioned, this Christmas Season is a very difficult season for christians and the rent. In 2014 plainclothes officers raided my families home and arrested all the entities. They arrested my father and took him to prison where he spent 65 days in solitary confinement and another week in a sweet as a color, with 20 other prisoners. In 2018, the same during this Christmas Season, more than 141 christians have been arrested. Now it is 2019. Just two weeks ago two christian men were arrested on the streets of tehran. When asked for arrest what the officers presented them instead with their guns and said either you come with the squirelly or we will take you forcefully. They were arrested, kept in custody, we are not allowed to contact their families. They went through days of interrogation, verbal harassment, were spat on, were bitten, threatened to be physically tortured. Finally, they were charged with acting against National Security because of the christian activities. This behavior has been a habit of Iranian Intelligence service. It are closely monitoring christians and iran, and together with revolutionary guard, rating christian gatherings, and praising them, arresting all the attendees, confiscating the properties, which is not legal. Those who are arrested are subject to ours intensive interrogation which are often brutal as well as mental and physical torture. Most of these arrested prisoners are converts to christianity, but also recognize christians, mainly evangelical christians who associate with converts are arrested, imprisoned if discovered like my own family. Article 18 of the londonbased Advocacy Organization focusing on human rights reported at least 14 14 christians currenty imprisoned facing sentences ranging from one to ten years in prison. And all deemed guilty as acting as National Security weather out is they were just gathering together to pray and worship, which is their right by the constitution and International Covenant of country which iran is a signatory. Ambassador brownback has already mentioned that iran has human rights and civil and look right which compel iran to provide total religious freedom for all of its citizens, including the ones share that belief with others. But this is not the reality. If you dont stand up to the shia islam according to the interpretation of their rule, you are not, those freedoms are not in existence for you. This year in 2019, 70 christians have been arrested. At least 48 of the christians who have been arrested and charged in previous years continue to drag on indefinitely with no resolution to the case. The case of my parents is the case in point. They were told time and time again in 2019 to appear in the court for the next appeal, only to go and find out that the case had been postponed. For unimaginable reasons, the court was too crowded. It was two and half years since my father pastor victor bettamraz was sentenced to ten years in prison while my mother is waiting to make years for her own fiveyear imprisonment appeal to be heard. This lack of process, the waiting time is a torture to these people come to my family, and to all the other families who have been arrested, their families have been arrested but a peaceful practice of their faith. In many aspects the iranian government asked acts in a wayt often contradicts itself, as well as the constitution and the binding International Covenant to which iran is a party. This contradiction is putting the future of christianity in iran in a great peril. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] know when warm how emotional this day was going to be. We have people celebrating christmas and hanukkah, kwanza next week in the United States, and it breaks my heart that you wont be with your parents on christmas next week. Mine will be in debt and im going to give them a big hug and will say a prayer for your family. You look so young, its hard to believe you spent almost a decade of your life in an arena prison and tortured by this regime. You are an incredibly pray for coming here today, so please tell us your story of what the International Community can do to a people in iran. Of course this is incredibly timely given the protests over the past few weeks. Weve been getting a lot of questions at the state Department Around how many people are in prison, how many people have been killed during these protests. And my message is one is too many. What iranian that is killed for peacefully protesting is too many. One iranian imprisoned is too many. [applause] tell us your story. Thank you so much. Appreciate it for this great event, and my story is one of the old story of iranian Student Movement. 20 years ago when i was 20 years old student, Iranian Regime arrested me for political activity. That time we had a big protest against police and some armed progovernment forces who were responsible for killing students in dormitory. Thats how i ran Intelligence Services had planned for us, scenario for us. At the beginning you said you have to come in front of the state tv and say i am a spy of United States and israel. You have to say i got money from them too, you know, start these protests. That time the picture changed my life and separated me from other students. A picture with a bloody tshirt and hands, front page of economist magazine. I know of a lot of you saw this picture before. They said that you have to come in a tv and say i made this picture with ketchup sauce or with animal blood. And this is fake. They said you are representative of the god on the earth, that this picture you show a bad image from our government to the world. So based on islamic rules and iran, they called Like Fighting or enemy of god, something, i dont know. The punishment is death sentence. I was lucky because after International Pressure on government and they changed decision from Capital Punishment to 15 years presentence, and i had this chance nearly one decade i escaped prison to iraq and iraq to United States. It i think this situation, my story isnt that much more important. We know we have a lot of activists in prison in same situation, a lot of people who cannot tell all of these names here. I think its important that this crime not for iranian people, why we are political dissidents. Which values they have so i grew up in berkshire, unfortunately i grew up around actual books and i found an English Version of that at the library of congress, another copy and i bought the information in this book in the library, if you want, check thiscontent. You can go there and illgive you this information. The book is, [inaudible] all of you what is thecontent of this book , this book is very important book of ayatollah khomeini, this first Supreme Leader of iran. The first leader of the Islamic Republic of iran and im going to show you an example of these people values in this book. Im going to describe the ideology of the Islamic Republic of it ran by way of example. Please read this line. Which part do you want me to read . I think thats a little graphic so maybe not. Its graphic, lets justput it that way. Its not polite. My mother might be watching, i cant. Come here, please. Is this allowed in the state department . Its graphic content so if you want to just closeyour ears. Okay. Should i read it . Okay. Im glad that the state department is rrated. We dont talk about that inpublic. This is the book of Supreme Leader of iran. This is one of many books that the irani and government used for islamic growth, who are these people . What is their plan for us . Im talking to you, to policymakers, topoliticians , to both leaders, you can trust thisgovernment. You can negotiate with them. But these people do not have the minimum of morality for negotiation and they are [applause]. Thank you. And they are a danger for civilization. Trust me. Thank you. Weve reached the conclusion of our program. I want to thank the three of you for being so willing to come here and tell your stories and i want to thank everyone for attending today and even under the circumstances that are dire i hope today is giving us all hope and that we can be as brave as all of you to tell our stories and stand up against that in this world. In dubai you compare it to being on the jetsons, its not there yet but thats the vision. The vision is to have flying airships early in this coming decade and not just a few of them carrying around rich people to golf courses and luxury hotels. Want to have these airships carrying all kinds of people and they want to have a flying network like a metro system with littlestops all over dubai with flying machines carrying people back and forth. Stephen baker whose latest book hop skip go looks at how technology is trained changingtransportation. On the communicators tonight at eight on cspan2. Tonight, we take a look at books on business. We will begin with Charles Schwab in his book Charles Schwab invested. Ranging forever the way americans invest. And its Tyler Collins big business and an stack on its how weplay the game. Enjoy book tv in prime time this week and every day this weekend on cspan2. Next, i hearing examines National Paid family and medical leave. Witnesses offer their ideas on making it a national requirements. This hearing by the House Oversight and Reform Committee is about three hours
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