Right after this fatwa the mock summary trials leading to executions began in prisons across Iran. A committee of three people called the "committee of death" by the political prisoners was in charge of enforcing this edict. In speedy two- to three-minute "trials," the political prisoners were asked about their ideological beliefs.

If the committee sensed the slightest indication that the prisoner was still supporting the opposition groups, specifically the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), s/he was sent for execution. Within a few months, thousands of men and women of all ages were hanged and their bodies moved outside via trucks to be buried in mass graves. Those who escaped this bloodbath revealed the shocking stories later.

For the past 20 years, the theocratic regime has kept silent about the slaughter of 1988, unquestionably crimes against humanity. None of the leaders of the Iranian regime have mentioned, let alone condemned this brutal violence against the innocent political prisoners. Ayatollah Montazeri, who was earmarked to follow Khomeini, was the only one in the ruling circle who revealed the mass executions of 1988 in his book along with Khomeini's hand-written fatwa. At the time Montazeri was Khomeini's deputy. Montazeri was immediately dismissed and put under house arrest. Even the so-called reformists have never exposed this bloodbath either. In fact many of them were active or silent partners to this crime.

Amnesty International has declared Sept. 1 as "a day to remembrance of the victims of political violence including political prisoners, prisoners of conscience and all other victims of human rights abuses whom we, and humanity as a whole, have failed to rescue because they were executed, massacred, murdered, or kidnapped and killed…." Amnesty International has also renewed calls to hold accountable and bring to justice all those responsible for this crime.

Another crime of the same proportion is about to happen by the mullah's regime and their proxies in Iraq. Members of Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) in Ashraf city who have resided in Iraq for more than 20 years hold the refugee status issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Since 2004, the MEK members have enjoyed the "protected persons" status under the Fourth Geneva Convention. Their compound has been protected by the coalition forces in Iraq. They are very popular among the Iraqis. In June, some 3 million Iraqi Shiites signed a declaration supporting MEK and demanding an end to the Iranian regime's meddling in Iraqi affairs. As opposed to the Iranian regime that has brought death and destruction to Iraqi citizens, residents of Ashraf have worked closely with them on mutual interests and projects. Women of Ashraf are considered role models by Iraqi women. They have taught them to stand up to Islamic fundamentalism and extremism. They have demonstrated that achieving equality between men and women is no longer a myth among Muslims and political leadership of women is attainable.

As a result of all their success, the Iranian regime is exerting a lot of pressure on the Iraqi government to obtain the security of Ashraf from the coalition forces. In other words, to hand over Ashraf to the proxies of the Iranian regime! This action will undoubtedly result in another massacre of large magnitude.

The regime in Iran has no shame of killing its opponents. The history of their past 30 years is a testimony to this fact. Tens of thousands of political prisoners from teenage girls and boys to grandparents in their 70s have been tortured and executed by the mullahs. The transfer of protection of Ashraf is against the rights of refugees and the principles of the Geneva Convention.

The world did not and has not recognized the extent of the 1988 massacre by the Islamic fundamentalist government of Iran. It is never too late to bring the perpetrators to justice. The Nazis who committed crimes are still being hunted and tried in international courts. Instead, the world has chosen to "engage" and appease the murderers of Iranian people.

The crime of 1988 happened behind closed doors and in secret. The executors have concealed it for years. The massacre that could happen in 2008 can and must be prevented. If anything happens to the unarmed refugees of Ashraf, the conscience of the world will be held responsible.

As we honor all of those who were so unfairly massacred by the vicious mullahs, we have a responsibility to protect all the thousands who could become their potential victims. Handing over the protection of Ashraf from the coalition forces to the Iraqis must be stopped.

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Jila Kazerounian is Executive Director of Women's Forum Against Fundamentalism in Iran (WFAFI)

http://www.wfafi.org