Vets for Peace organized this event, it was in a Unitarian Church in downtown Cambridge. A friend of Mohammad Kheirkhah , one of the photographers sharing images from Iran, came to the event and said she wanted to receive photographs of the event to send to him back in Tehran. This reminded me of how small the world is. She said she had heard about the event and wanted to come and see her friend’s photos in person. She was so happy someone she knew from back home was having their work on display.
This event was really special for us as we shared it with Bob Watada, the father of Lt. Ehren Watada the 1st commissioned officer to publicly refuse deployment to the Iraq war and occupation. Ehren faces court martial and up to 6 years in prison for refusing and publicly speaking out. Bob and his wife warmed the stage. Bob spoke about the injustice of the Iraq war that Ehren helped him to see. He explained that Ehren was motivated to enlist to support the US in its time of need, and after educating himself about the US intervention in Iraq, learning about the lies, manipulation and the destruction, corruption and torture taking place in Iraq he decided the war in Iraq is illegal, and thus participation in the war is also illegal. Reading the speech the Lt. gave on August 14, 2006 shows how honorable he is and shows that he deserves all of our support, as he faces penalty for saying what the many Americans believe to be true, that the war in Iraq is illegal, unjust and immoral.
Thank you Bob, Ehren and the Watada family for helping to end this war!
