Free Ali! Free Alaa! Free Ramin! Free Fateh! Free US All!

And the list goes on. It’s pretty depressing really. The backlash against civil rights activists in the region seems to be in full force these days. Why is it a backlash? Because I believe it is closely connected to the US continuing troubles in Iraq and to the fact the Bush’s second term in office is drawing to an end. The regimes are taking a defiant stand in resonance with Ahmadinejad’s own stands.

With the Syrian regime being the weak link in the equation, the US (and France) needs to take a very strong stand against it. The new UN resolution needs to be very critical, and some serious action is required.

Meanwhile, the Alis, Alaas, Ramins and Fatehs of our troubled freedom cause will continue to face the music on our behalf. The least we can do in this connection is to organize better and more effective rallies than the one that took place earlier today, which was announced at the last minute with no preparations. Consequently only 6 people showed up, and I was not one of them, I am sorry to say.

I think we should organize one rally for the freedom of all prisoners of conscience in the region, and we should do so soon. We need to see if we can enlist the help of heavy-hitters in this regard, and try to enlist the support of well-known public figures from around the country.

Such moves might be symbolic, but symbolism is important. And the attention drawn to the plight of these figures might at least save them from being tortured, which will not be a small feat.

So, any ideas as to how we can proceed with something like this?