The mullahs took my father away

Michael Ledeen was notified of the arrest of the father of Mehdi Khalaji, a scholar at the Washington Institute.  From the Corner at National Review online:

I have received a heartbreaking, but alas all too typical, e-mail from Mehdi Khalaji, the thoughtful scholar at the Washington Institute. His father, Mohammed Taqi Khalaji is a distinguished theologian, as befits a student of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri. Yesterday, goons from the Intelligence Ministry arrested him, ransacked the house, carted off his computer, satellite dish, and personal items, and seized all family members' passports, informing them that they cannot leave the country.



As usual in these disgusting matters, his whereabouts are unknown.


The best we can do — aside from working overtime to bring an end to the evil regime that afflicts the Iranian people and tirelessly works to kill Americans — is to make sure he is not forgotten by adding his name to the long list of political prisoners whose release our diplomats should demand in all appropriate fora. Mehdi has it entirely right when he writes, "I believe spreading the news is better than keeping silent. I deeply appreciate any effort to disseminate the news of my father's arrest and I am ready to discuss it this with media."


Let's hope he has every opportunity to do that.

You can read Mehdi Khalaji's biography here.  His personal website is here.