Afshin Ellian

Afshin Ellian (born 27 February 1966 in Tehran, Iran) is a Dutch professor of law, philosopher, poet, and critic of Islam. He is an expert in international criminal law.

Biography

In 1989, Ellian came to the Netherlands as a political refugee.^[1] Having experienced first-hand the Islamic theocratic government of Iran, he writes often about how such issues are affecting the world and the Netherlands in particular. Due to threats on his life tied to such criticism, he is currently heavily guarded.^[1]

Ellian grew up in Iran.^[1] As a youngster, he was a journalist for Iranian political magazines aimed at youth.^[2] Three years after the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the communist Tudeh Party that he belonged to was outlawed, and Ellian was in danger of being arrested. He decided to escape to Pakistan.^[2] However, there he still faced extradition back to Iran so shortly afterwards he fled to Soviet-occupied Afghanistan. There he studied medicine in Kabul and met his wife.^[1]

After five years in 1989, at the same time the Soviets retreated from Afghanistan, according to Ellian he was invited to come to the Netherlands and was flown out of the country by the United Nations together with other dissidents, who feared extradition to Iran.

In the Netherlands Ellian started his studies of law at the Catholic University of Brabant (now the University of Tilburg). In 1996, he graduated with a degree in civil law, criminal law, and philosophy.^[1] He remained in Brabant as a researcher until he found a position with the Amsterdam Center for International Law, of the University of Amsterdam. He would obtain a PhD from the University of Tilburg in 2003, on the subject of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, where he focused on the tension between criminal law and reconciliation. He concluded that the commission was an acceptable tribunal worthy of international respect. Since November 1, 2003, he has been professor of law at the University of Leiden.

Ellian was a regular columnist for NRC Handelsblad, and makes appearances on political discussion programs on Dutch television. At first together with writer and columnist Leon de Winter, Ellian writes blog articles for the magazine Elsevier. He was also an advisor to the Committee for ex-Muslims, which has ceased to exist.

Following the 2009 Iranian presidential election, Ellian wrote an open letter to Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran.^[3] The letter was published by German magazine Der Spiegel and Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad.^[3][4] Der Spiegel subtitled the letter "Your Regime Is Finished" (not a direct quote from Ellian), while NRC Handelsblad subtitled it "The children of the revolution will accept the ayatollah's rule no more".^[3][4]

Quotes

• "The extremists are afraid that if Dutch society becomes a safe haven for an intellectual discussion of political Islam, it will be very dangerous for them" ^[1]
• "Free speech is in danger of being increasingly restricted by invoking “Islamophobia” and “racism”. And some intellectuals have already capitulated. For example, the opera Aisha was called off in Rotterdam in 2001, because the wife of the Prophet was depicted on stage. The production had to be cancelled because a number of actresses felt threatened. Recently a columnist on the national daily NRC Handelsblad, Hasna el Maroudi was forced to abandon her column because of threats of violence from the Moroccan community. What has happened to civil courage? Why do we hear nothing from the publishers, artists, media and colleagues of people who have capitulated about the consequences of this voluntary capitulation?
  We should expect civil courage not only from those who are threatened, but also from those around them, their publishers, producers, colleagues, etc."^[5]

• "Five years ago, my Afghan sister-in-law emigrated to the United States, where she now works, pays taxes and takes part in public life. If she had turned up in Europe, she would still be undergoing treatment from social workers for her trauma—and she still wouldn't have got a job or won acceptance as a citizen." ^[6]
• In an open letter to Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran:

"Excellency, the demonstrations attest that the people of Iran, the children of the revolution, will accept your rule no more. Your regime is no longer able to exercise sovereignty over the Iranian people without the recourse to violence -- extreme violence. I urge you to recognize that Iran is now undeniably at a crossroads: Either the will of the people is accepted and a peaceful transition to democracy is achieved or you plan to respond to these protests by launching a bloodbath, which will cause unprecedented chaos in Iran. Ask yourself: Can a regime, hated and rejected by a huge majority of the population, transform itself into a democratic administration that recognizes the rule of law? Has it ever in history been possible for a political transition to take place peacefully and without the shedding of blood?"^[3]

Bibliography

• Dialoog met Mohammed (ISBN 90-290-7332-2)
• Brieven van een Pers (ISBN 90-290-7522-8)
• Media en Strafrecht (co-author)
• Verrijzenis van woorden (poetry)
• Mensenherfst (poetry)
• “Political Islam and the Attack on Religious Freedom”. Telos 145 (Winter 2008). New York: Telos Press.

References

External links

• Elsevier, host of the duo-blog of Ellian and De Winter.
• "Afshin Ellian: an Iranian dissident offers a brave response from Holland to the murder of Theo van Gogh". Social Affairs Unit. http://www.socialaffairsunit.org.uk/blog/archives/000644.php.