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Iranian Nobelist Nixes Appearance At PAC Dinner
New York Sun - By Eli Lake
May 28, 2004
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Go To The New York Sun Home Page
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Date:May 28, 2004; |
Section:Foreign; |
Page:9 |
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Iranian Nobelist Nixes Appearance At PAC Dinner
By ELI LAKE Staff Reporter of the Sun
WASHINGTON — Iranian Nobel Peace prize-winning lawyer, Shirin Ebadi, canceled her appearance last night before the Iranian American Political Action Committee dinner, where she was scheduled to win an award for advocacy work in the Islamic Republic.
Her last-minute cancellation left members of the newly formed PAC scratching their heads.
“We really don’t know why she did not show up,” Robert Babayi, a trustee for the organization, told The New York Sun yesterday.“We are as disappointed as anyone.”
One volunteer for the group told the Sun that she believed Ms. Ebadi canceled because the organization raises money for candidates for Congress and she has to return to Iran, which would look down on any possible association with the American government.
A Washington-based engineer, Nasser Rahimi, said he would like to think a national campaign from democracy activists was one reason why she did not attend.
“She has been talking so much about the political prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. But she never says anything about the political prisoners in her home country of Iran,” he told the Sun. “She is representing the Mullahs.”
One of Mr. Rahimi’s associates, Ali Mohri, at one point tried to cross into the reception area of the hotel. Mr. Babayi quickly called over security guards and had him escorted away. “I have a problem with what IAPAC represent. They are basically trying to open up doors to the Mullahs.I can’t believe Ms. Ebadi would speak with them.”
IAPAC takes no position on America’s relationship with Iran and raises money for both Democrats and Republicans.
One of the PAC’s founders, Hassan Nemazee, is a close adviser to Senator Kerry’s presidential campaign and has sued Iranian democracy activist Aryo Pirooznia for defamation of character, after he published on the Web stories alleging Mr. Nemazee of having links to the Iranian regime.
“I asked my attorney to contact Aryo Pirooznia to say we have nothing to do with the Islamic Republic. I asked him to stop,” he told the Sun yesterday.“But he did not.”
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