[Mitai-announce] Reminder: Two events this week

[Elan Pavlov]

Amnesty is hosting *two* events next week:
1. Combatants for Peace - panel discussion on the Middle East - TOMORROW 
in 54-100
2. Persecution of the Baha'i Faith in Iran - Wen Mar 11 in 4-231

Details:
1. Combatants for Peace is a group of Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters 
who have decided to lay down their arms and to realize their vision of 
resolving the conflict by peaceful means. Two Combatants representatives are 
coming to Boston to receive the "Courage of Conscience Award" at the Peace 
Abbey in Sherborne, MA on March 13, 2009.

MIT Amnesty International, MIT Grad Hillel, MIT Students for Israel, the Arab 
Students Organization and the Addir Fellows program are hosting a presentation 
by Combatants for Peace, followed by a panel discussion.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=52629909460&ref=ts

2. Persecution of the Baha'i Faith in Iran:
The Baha'i Faith (http://www.bahai.us/)) is the youngest of the world's 
independent monotheistic religions. Founded in Iran in 1844, it now has more 
than five million adherents in 236 countries and territories.

One of the largest communities of Baha'is in the world is still located in 
Iran. However, the Baha'i faith in Iran has long been persecuted as a minority 
faith in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

While the persecution of Baha'is is longstanding in Iran, it recently (Feb 11) 
reached an unexpected new peak with charges of espionage and insulting Islam 
laid against seven members of the Iranian Baha'i leadership who have been 
imprisoned for almost a year without any evidence supporting these accusations. 
The charge of espionage in Iran carries with it a potential death sentence.

In this talk we will discuss the history of the Baha'i persecution in Iran with 
emphasis on the current political situation and jeopardy of the Baha'i 
leadership. We will sign (optional) petitions calling for the freedom of these 
leaders.

This event is hosted by MIT Amnesty, MIT Baha'i Student Association and funded 
by a GSC grant.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/event.php?eid=52931457502&ref=ts

We hope you can attend one (or both) of these events.

Elan
----
A man can be forgiven a lot if he can quote Shakespeare in an economic
crisis.
 	- Prince Philip