ABC News Looks into Esha’s case

The investigative unit from ABC News has written an update on my student Esha Momeni who has now been unable to leave  Iran for more than 100 days.  Esha’s communications are being monitored and authorities continue to refuse to return her passports (US & Iranian).

At CSUN, students continue to think about Esha and hold out hope that she will rejoin them.  In that spirit, the Journalism Department hosts a panel this  Monday (March) 2 inspired by Esha that will focus on Iranian women and rethinking stereotypes of Iran.  Speakers from the Campaign for Equality and Code Pink will be featured.

“Different Views of Iran & Iranian Women”: Beyond the Stereotypes

Photo by PAYAM PERSIAN / payam naserinezhad (via Creative Commons)

We’ll be hosting a panel discussion about Iran and Iranian women at Cal State Northridge on Monday March 2 inspired by our graduate student Esha Momeni who has been forbidden to leave Iran for more than 100 days.

Esha was interviewing members of the One Million Signature Campaign, a peaceful grassroots group seeking gender equality in Iran, when she was arrested and placed in solitary confinement in October 2008.  She was released after nearly a month, but has not been allowed to come home.

• Esha’s fellow graduate students Kara Lawton and John Daiquioag will describe how her classmates joined together to work to try to free Esha.
• One Million Signature Campaign member Roja Bandari will discuss what some are calling the most important civil rights movement in the world today.
• Code Pink activists Rae Abileah and Ariel Vegosen will detail their citizen diplomacy efforts and their visits to a country that the US does not have official relations with.

While Esha won’t be with us, the spirit of her ideas and values will be.

UPDATE:  See the video of this event.