Summer of 88, a dark episode in the history of humanity!

 Javad Aslani

 The creation of the Islamic Republic (IR) and its survival to date has been made possible by an unprecedented level of brutality. The birth of the IR in a crisis stricken capitalist country was marked with a mission to rescue the country from falling into the hands of the leftist and socialists. Armed with the sward of Allah the IR embarked on one of the bloodiest episodes of state violence against its citizens.

 Only six months after coming to power Ayatollah Khomeini ordered a jihad against the people of Kurdistan in western Iran. F15 fighter jets were sent to bomb the civilians and inhabitants in a number of town and cities. The infamous hanging judge,  Khelkhali was dispatched to the area to purge the region from the infidels and the communists. A large number of innocent people were summarily tried and executed. In most cases the whole process of a trail and execution did not last more than a couple of minutes.

 In June 1981, in a campaign that could only be described as genocide, the Islamic regime massacred thousands of political activists, mostly leftists and communists as well as members and sympathisers of the Islamic organisation of Mojahedin.  

 In of summer 1988, following the ceasefire to end the bloody war with Iraq, the leaders of the IR perpetrated one of the darkest moment in the history of the Iranian society. Fearful of a public reaction to the calamity of a senseless war and the loss of a million lives, the authorities used the massacre of thousands of political prisoners to pre-empt any voice of dissent. Most of the victims had been in jail for many years, some had served their sentences and were awaiting their release. The full scale of these atrocities is not yet known. There is no record as to the exact number of those who perished. Families of the fallen prisoners were threatened against any public expression of grief.

 We must not forget the victims of summer of 1988 genocide. Those loved one were the victims of one of the darkest moments in the history of humanity. The names and memories of these victims must be held in high esteem and remembered with fondness. The survivors of this great tragedy deserve the warmest sympathy and support.

 We must not allow such crimes to be repeated ever again. The only way to safeguard societies against such atrocities is by trying the perpetrators of these massacres and brings them, one by one, to justice.

 On the anniversary of Summer 88 massacre, by reaffirming our pledge to bring down the IR and try its leaders for their crimes against humanity, we can put a fitting tribute to the lives of all those who have fallen victim to the crimes of the IR.