Marzieh Hashemi Behind Bars in Fourth Deadliest Country for Journalists

A vocal journalist, outstanding intellectual and brilliant activist, this is Mrs. Marzieh Hashemi, aka Melanie Franklin, the American-Iranian journalist, who has been abducted by the FBI. Mrs. Hashemi is now incarnated by those who day and night preach on democracy and freedom. She is reportedly being treated as a criminal and her basic rights are being blatantly and deliberately infringed.

News ID: 443087

Date: 21 January 2019 - 09:13

RNA - One might wonder what sort of democracy is endorsed by Washington. Well, obviously it is the Machiavellian democracy of manipulation, of looting, of cunning and force. Mrs. Hashemi is meanwhile in [President Donald] Trump's dungeon for her anti-imperialist stance, for her loud voice in favor of those who are oppressed, who are colonized, who are marginalized, American Herald Tribune reported.

One who follows Mrs. Hashemi has scores of times watched her tears falling out for the children who were massacred in the past decade, for the refugees who fled Syria, Yemen, Kashmir, Iraq, etc. Hashemi is a courageous advocate of humans; whatever their nationality, religion, ethnicity, is.

The US dual policy of freedom has now been vividly exposed. While Hashemi is an indigenous American citizen, Washington has undermined this fact and treated her savagely just as her native ancestors were treated and subjugated by the colonialist. They are dubbing her as an "Iranian", which is an honor to her. Iran has been her homeland, in which she felt the true meaning of tolerance, freedom and equality.

On the contrary, Washington backs and finances an evil terrorist –supposedly Iranian- woman called Mariam Rajavi; the head of one of the most dangerous criminal movements around the globe. Rajavi who heads the notorious MKO has long been honored by the US, on the ground that she has committed hundred of atrocities murdering thousands of innocents.

I draw on this analogy to shine light how hypocritical the American administration is and how shameful its double standards of freedom are. Hashemi is one of the scores of journalists who are haunted by the US, merely because they have settled to challenge the mainstream media fake narratives by telling the truth, by exposing the heinous crimes, by critiquing the imperialist policies.

Mrs. Hashemi's persecution would never be manipulated by governments and intelligence agencies as the case of the murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Her case is quite different since she is a beacon of resistance. She is currently abducted for her opposition to the illegal and unethical practices by the empire that claims to be amongst the few governments that value human rights, multiculturalism and religious tolerance.

The most shameful is forcing off Mrs. Marzieh's Hijab, which is part and parcel of her identity. It is quite obvious who propel Islamophobia and why this piece of cotton on Muslim women's head is widely targeted in the West. Yes, they fear our Hijab before our words. They fear what this holy privilege embodies; the fact that Muslim women are queens, and never a commodity, according to authentic Islamic teachings that the Islamic Republic of Iran uphold.

Mrs. Marzieh has weaponed herself by this holy Hijab and what it holistically means, which the 7th Century's role models; Sayyedah Fatimah and Sayyed Zainab have inherited us, as Muslim women. The imperialist colonialist empire's orientalists have studied the significance of this symbolic Hijab and what sort of principles and keenness it ignites in us.

They are well-aware how Sayyedah Zainab, with this Hijab and enthusiasm, has firmly spoken against the oppressive, criminal and hypocritical regime of her time. They fear such exemplary women; they want women instead to fear, to weaken and to surrender. They failed and would always fail to silence us and assuredly Mrs. Hashemi would never surrender to this shameful oppression. They would never intimidate Mrs. Hashemi's colleagues and those would perpetuate her voice until she is freed soon.

Indeed, this cowardly abduction has caused tangible harm to the imperialist Trumpian administration, which is unequivocally complicit in killing the late journalist Khashoggi. Besides, and disgracefully, the likes of the US administration will turn blind eyes and deaf ears to Hashemi's plight.

Whatsoever, this case must eventually awaken those who are deceived by Trump's barbarian regime's promises of freedom and equality. This federal regime has already separated thousands of migrant kids from their parents, has its hands drenched with the Yemeni children blood and has embellished the bloody Macbethian face of MBS (Saudi Arabia's Crwon Prince Mohammad bin Salman). Now, people would realize the transparency and credibility of Press TV, which its journalist Serene Shim has been years ago assassinated in Syria for exposing the atrocities committed by the US-backed ISIS (ISIL or Daesh), which CNN and BBC ignore.

Where are Washington's female politicians and journalists? Is it normal to them to humiliate their compatriot? Is it acceptable to violate a woman's right to religious beliefs and political perspectives? Have not many American "feminist" activists revolted to maintain each and every woman's liberty, dignity and freedom? Who can guarantee that Mrs. Marzieh would be fairly prosecuted? Who can guarantee that she would have access to her fundamental rights? No one!

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