Thursday, January 12, 2012

70,000 plus Raelians Mobilized to help Negar Azizmoradi stay alive! - actually only 257 Raelians

In 25 November 2009, the IRM published a press release announcing the arrest of the leader of the Raelian Movement in Iran, Negar Azizmoradi, in Turkey a few days ago after escaping from Iran, where she faced a likely death sentence for declaring herself an atheist.

 In the statement, Brigitte Boisselier, official spokesperson of the International Raelian Movement declared: "The 70,000 plus members of the Raelian Movement have mobilized to help her stay alive. They will be demonstrating in front of Turkish embassies worldwide and they will also alert international authorities about this brave woman's predicament." [1] Here the link to a RaelTV video of the campaign http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwJ-qTVjDy8 released on 1 December 2009.

Two days later, another press release announced that Negar had caught a bad cough from the less-than-favorable conditions of the detention center. Boisselier urged immediate action for Negar's health:

"Raelians worldwide are demanding her immediate release and her right to asylum in a neutral country. Protests are organized in front of Turkish Embassies in most major countries." 

"Every moment counts," she said. "Action needs to be taken very, very soon, because Negar's life is now in serious danger on two fronts rather than one. If she's sent back to Iran, she's certain to receive a death sentence. But if she stays where she is now, her health will continue to deteriorate. Her condition is of great concern to us." [2]

A press release on 30 November 2009 reiterated Raelian plans to protest: "In addition, Raelians and others sympathetic to Azizmoradi's plight will hold demonstrations in front of many Turkish Embassies early next week and will deliver their plea for her to be free and granted asylum to one of the many countries where fellow Raelians are ready to welcome her." [3]

Concrete protest plans were finally declared on 2 December 2009: "On December 3, Raelians will rally in front of a number of Turkish embassies to express their concern for Azizmoradi's situation and to bring it to the attention of Turkish diplomats." [4]

At last on 5 December a final press release Negar's release: "After 10 days in detention at an Istanbul facility, Negar Azizmoradi was released yesterday by the Turkish Government. Her release came just one day after hundreds of Raelians staged massive protests in front of Turkish Embassies and consulates around the world." [5]


Ottawa demo - 100 Raelians
Swiss demo - 30 Raelians
Well now, the 70,000 plus members have been reduced to an ambiguous hundreds over just 10 days. Could it be that the 70,000 Raelians don't actually exist? [6] In the 24 December 2009 issue of Contact (363), Negar's ordeal is mentioned with reports from several national movements ... the total count of Raelians reported who actually "mobilized" worldwide was only 257 active Raelians. [7] LOL 

Here's what appeared in Contact 363 about Negar:

Negar out of jail thanks to Wonderful glodal action

"The whole Raelian community was shaken to learn at the end of October that our sister Negar was in jail after trying to escape from Iran and then Turkey to get a refugee status in Europe. Being a Raelian, she obviously didn’t fit in the Iran theocracy and her political activism after the June elections made her in clear danger to be killed. Arrested in Turkey, she was facing the possibility to be sent back to Iran. When the news spread in the Raelian community, a wave of love brought all the Raelianson the net and a few days later in the streets to tell the Turkish embassies around the world that they couldn’t send her back to a certain death.

It was a beautiful enthusiastic event that showed how close the Raelian family is... we were one and we’ll stay one until our embassy is built..."

      Negar at Rael's feet, free?                13 Dec 2009
A "thank you" note is included: "Thanks to her feminine tenacity Negar made her dream come true to spread the words of the existence of our Beloved Creators, the Elohim, to this Muslim corner of the world, where renouncing the Islamic faith is punishable by death. Thanks to her, the messages were on all Turkish media and in Iran as well... and we felt all so united!!  Thank you Negar."


In the end, the media attention has made a terrifying personal ordeal into a beautiful enthusiastic media event for a very small delusional organization. : P




Advocatus Diaboli





[7] From Contact 363 (24 Dec 2009)  California 2; NY 4; Boston 2; Chicaco 7; DC 1; Texas 3; Ottawa 100+;Van 2; Portugal 1; Slovenia 1; UK 9; Swiss 30; Ireland 3; Holland group(?); France 54; Belgium 4; Romania 1; Italy 20; Germany 10+; South Africa 1; Middle East 2.

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