Why I Am Boycotting Michael Moore
By Aaron Goldstein (07/03/07)
I had planned to go see Michael Moore's latest film Sicko, which is billed as an indictment of the American health care system. It was my intention to review Sicko as I had with Moore's previous film, Fahrenheit 9/11 back in 2004.(1)
There was every reason that I might have given Sicko a slightly more favorable review than I did with Fahrenheit 9/11. After all, given the first hand experience I have with the American, Canadian and British health care systems I can say the Canadian and British systems, notwithstanding their shortcomings, are not entirely without merit. Notwithstanding his stunt taking 9/11 rescue workers to Guantanamo Bay to receive medical treatment, I was entirely prepared to receive the movie with an open mind.
However, that all changed when I read a news release from the Iranian Students News Agency (2)(which receives financial support from the Iranian government) announcing that Michael Moore would be coming to Tehran to screen Sicko during the International Documentary Film Festival Iran between October 15-19 of this year. The release reads in part, “He then shook the world with his even bigger hit Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) – making fun of President George W. Bush. Michael is known for having the guts to give his opinion in public, which not many people are courageous enough to do, and for that is respected by many.” ( www.isna.ir/Main/Newsview.aspx?ID=News-952735&Lang=E ). Of course, when Iranians have the courage to give their opinions in public that are not to the liking of the government it is they who tend to get their guts spilled.
In light of these circumstances not only will I not view Sicko I vow not to watch any of his movies nor read any of his books. Simply stated I am boycotting Michael Moore and urge other people to join me in doing so.
I have reach this decision for three specific reasons:
1. The Iranian government is responsible for the deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq
For someone who professes to support U.S. soldiers, Moore has an awfully strange way of showing it.
On July 2nd, Army Brigadier General Kevin J. Bergner, spokesman for the multinational force in Iraq, held a news conference in Baghdad. During this conference Bergner said that Iran is funding Hezbollah operatives in Iraq. Bergner specifically blamed Iran for the deaths of five U.S. soldiers who were killed on January 20, 2007 on the Provincial Joint Coordination Center in Karbala. According to information obtained from Ali Musa Daqduq, a Hezbollah member captured in Iraq, this attack could not have been done “without the support and direction of the Quds Force.” (www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=46606). The Iranian Quds Force is an elite army unit that trains Islamic revolutionary forces throughout the Middle East and reports directly to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Simply put such a mission had to have been done with the knowledge of the mullahs.
For Moore to attend to personally screen his film in Tehran when its government is responsible for the deaths of U.S. soldiers is tantamount to treason. By legitimizing the Iranian regime, Moore has spit in the face of the families of the fallen soldiers. Specifically, I am referring to the families of Captain Brian S. Freeman of Temecula, California; First Lieutenant Jacob N. Fritz of Verdon, Nebraska; Sergeant First Class Johnathan B. Chism of Gonzales, Louisiana; Private First Class Johnathon M. Millican of Trafford, Alabama and Private First Class Shawn P. Falter of Cortland, New York. If you have an ounce of decency left you will cancel your appearance for this reason alone.
2. Iran’s Abysmal Human Rights Record
Where does one begin?
Michael Moore professes to support human rights. But what about the persecution of people of the Baha’i faith? The Iranian government has denied people of the Baha’i faith jobs, forbidden from attending university, destroyed their houses of worship, send them to prison for practicing their religion and an estimated 200 Baha’i have simply been executed for their beliefs.
Michael Moore is a self-described feminist yet is planning to visit a country which is truly repressive to women. Under Sharia law women are subjugated to being worth half of what a man is. They have no recourse if physically abused by their husbands or other male relatives. If a woman is not deemed to be properly covered she can be punished by being lashed in public. Should a woman be raped she is not viewed as a victim of a crime but as someone who has brought disgrace to her family and for that she can be put to death by stoning. What kind of feminist is Moore if he cannot bring himself to speak out against such cruelty?
Michael Moore makes his living in film. So did Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi. She was arrested after taking pictures outside the notorious Ezin prison in 2003 (which the Iranian authorities had granted her permission to do). Kazemi was never seen alive again. Indeed, she was beaten and raped. Kazemi died of a fractured skull. Her killers have gone unpunished.
When former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami visited Harvard University in September 2006, he was asked about Kazemi and his government’s handling of the case. Khatami blamed her fate on Kazemi’s Canadian relatives. “Maybe if the relatives of Kazemi had not made into such a big political issue it could have been resolved a lot quicker and more to their liking,” Khatami replied contemptuously.
Moore can howl all he wants about the Bush Administration. Nothing will happen to him here. I wonder how far he would get if he were to practice his brand of journalism in the streets of Tehran? If he truly believes in the right of journalists to disseminate information he would speak out against Kazemi’s murder.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the four Iranian-Americans currently being held in Iranian custody on trumped up espionage charges: Haleh Esfandiari of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, former World Bank official Kiam Tajbaksh, journalist Parnaz Azima and businessman Ali Shakeri. It is nearly as bad for Moore to accept an invitation to Iran when his fellow Americans are being held hostage in that country as it for Moore to accept an invitation to Iran when they are responsible for the deaths of U.S. soldiers.
Sadly, I have only scratched the surface of legacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nearly three decade old tyranny. And Moore wants to whitewash it all for the sake of showing his film.
3. Double Standards for Iran & Israel
His trip to Iran is curious because Moore has long refused to travel to Israel to present his films. When Roger & Me premiered in Israel in 1990, Moore refused to attend. When speaking before the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Moore vowed not to go to Israel until it no longer occupied Gaza and the West Bank. It is also worth noting that Moore actually tried to prevent Fahrenheit 9/11 from even being shown in Israel.
Given that Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has threatened to wipe Israel off the map one wonders why Moore is eager to attend a premiere for his film in Tehran but not in Tel Aviv. Does Moore really believe the “occupation” of Gaza and the West Bank is worse than Iran’s systemic abuse against women, the murder of an Iranian-Canadian photojournalist, the imprisonment of Iranian-Americans, the persecution of the Baha’i and Iranian involvement in the murder of American soldiers?
I cannot say that Michael Moore is anti-Semitic. Michael Moore’s ire toward Israel might simply be a question of the friend of my enemy is my enemy. Israel’s is the United States friend and the United States is an enemy of Michael Moore. Conversely, since Iran is an enemy of the United States therefore Iran is a friend of Michael Moore.
Whatever the case given that Moore has chosen to boycott a liberal democracy but legitimize a totalitarian dictatorship I am left with no option but to boycott Michael Moore’s films, books and other works.
How Long Will This Boycott Last?
Michael Moore can remedy this situation if he so chooses. The boycott of Michael Moore will last until he meets all of the following five conditions:
1. Cancels his trip to Iran.
2. Condemns the Iranian government for its involvement in the killing of the five U.S. soldiers in Karbala this past January without equivocation. Simply put, Moore cannot then state it was the fault of the Bush Administration the soldiers were there in the first place. That would be disingenuous.
3. Apologizes to the families of these soldiers for the pain he is putting them through by going to Iran.
4. Condemns Iran’s human rights abuses without equivocation. Simply put, Moore cannot put the actions of the United States, Israel or any other Western nation on par with Iran. Again to do so would be disingenuous.
5. Ends his boycott of Israel and travels there. Moore must visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. Under no circumstances, can Moore liken the actions of the United States, Israel or any other Western nation to that of the Nazis.
If (and only if) Moore meets all of the five conditions will I consider seeing his movies, reading his books and possibly reviewing them once more. Until then, I hope you will support me in my boycott of Michael Moore.
1) http://americandaily.com/article/4367
2) Michael Moore comes to Iran: http://www.isna.ir/main/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-952735&Lang=E
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