The Honorable President of the United States
Mr. Donald Trump
My name is Mohammad Mousavi. I am a social activist and also the founder of the Disability Association of Tavana (DAT). Established in 1995, DAT is currently a member of Department of Global Communication (DGC) of the United Nations andat the same time, it has the consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). DAT has 12 legal and official designated representatives at the United Nations headquarters in NewYork as well as Geneva. in 2018, the DAT is honored to have been selected as the most successful non-governmental organization dealing with the affairs of disabled people in Iran.
Since 2001, I have been one of the shareholders and also managing director of the Firooz Hygienic Group, which is the biggest manufacturer of hygienic products for children in Iran and has created some 1100 sustainable jobs for people with disabilities.
Exerting pressure on a country through imposing restrictions for its people and challenging the lives of vulnerable individuals is inconsistent with human rights and principles.
Mr President,
The imposed sanctions against Iran by your government has made a lot of problems for DAT and the Firooz Hygienic Group, the most important of which are enumerated as follows:
- According to article 32 of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,states parties to the Convention have been committed to “recognize the importance of international cooperation and its promotion, in support of national efforts for the realization of the purpose and objectives of the present Convention, and will undertake appropriate and effective measures in this regard, between and among States and, as appropriate, in partnership with relevant international and regional organizations and civil society, in particular organizations of persons with disabilities.”
Since the government of the United States is one of the state members of the abovementioned Convention,from our point of view, however, your government is the biggest violator of this internationally accepted convention.
- Having seven legal representatives in the United Nations, DAT has been prevented from participating in the United Nations events in New York by your government.
Mr. President,
Excluding DAT from participation in the UN sessions is another preventing impact of the policies adopted by your government against Iran; while it is clear that destination of our representatives is the UN headquarters but not a part of US territory.
Indeed, prohibition of entering to the US and International Travel Ban for nationalities of the specified countries is an abuse of the US position as the host of the UN headquarters.
- Nowadays, supplying medicines and rehabilitation equipment which are necessary for persons with disabilities is affected by the recent US sanction policies against the Iranian banking system. It is clear that your actions have led some difficulties for the Iranian people and their daily lives.Indeed, these sanctions targeted the lives of Iranian ordinary citizens in order to materialize its objectives. Such a policy has mostly targeted women, children, patients, old people, and persons with disabilities.
- As a national brand, the Firooz Hygienic Group is one of the major producers of hygiene products for children in Iran and has a main market share in Iran. Firooz activities have contributed to the livelihoods enhancement of thousands of Iranians with disabilities and their families, as well as improvement ofthe standards for children health. While the policy of exerting the maximum pressure on Iran and forcing other nations to collaborate in implementation of such a policy has built some barriers in supplying raw materials for the company and has endangered the job security of its disabled employees, so, has threaten children health.
Recession in Firooz Hygienic Group will result in the decadence of a unique social value at global level and obliterates a “humanitarian value” regarding the “belief in the effectiveness of disabled individuals in their societies.” Certainly, future generations will make judgments about such an unfair policy.
Mr. President,
As a social and economic activist, and on behalf of the Disability Association of Tavana (DAT) and the Firooz Hygienic Group, I affirm that we attach the greatest importance to love towards all human beings rather than their nationality, color, ethnicity, and gender.
As the representative of Disability Association of Tavana (DAT) and Firouz Hygienic Group and also as a person who has spent all his life and energy for the enhancement of the lives of the people with disability, I declare that if the president of the United States continues to ignore the rights of the great community of Iranian disabled and sacrifices their wishes for the sake of his own policies , we will sue him in international arbitrating bodies and complain against his policies through intellectuals and advocates of human rights in the world.
Regards,
Seyed Mohammad Mousavi