Iranian Doctors Speak Out Against War
In Tehran, last December, I met some of the staff and supporters of the Tehran Peace Museum, which is a project of the SCWVS, Society for Chemical Weapons Victims’ Support, and Iranian NGO that supports victims of chemical warfare, educates the public about the consequences of using chemical weapons, and promotes world peace through international dialog. They have been touring the US under the sponsorship of PSR, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and CASMII, Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran. Their presentations have all been in big cities, Boston, New York, Los Angeles and Washington DC. In each city, doctors from SCWVS have conferred with US Physicians about treatment and diagnosis of long term symptoms of Chemical Weapons Victims. These people have dedicated their lives to the treatment of war victims and the prevention of future use of weapons of mass destruction. The talk and exhibit will take place in Georgetown at the George Washington University Marvin Center in a meeting room on the 3rd floor across from the “Grand Ballroom”.
I arrive a few minutes before the talk is to begin. A series of posters have been displayed around the room with photos and stories about the use and effects of chemical weapons. Flyers and other informational materials are displayed on a table in the back of the room. Leaflets have been placed on about 70 chairs present, and Dr. Khateri sits at a front table, working on laptop computer. Ten people or so are in the room, walking around or sitting and waiting. I approach the front of the room where a small, frail looking woman, sitting in the front row, invites me to sit. I tell her that I had been to the Peace Museum in Tehran, and she beckons to Dr. Khateri, speaking to him in soft Farsi.