Al Razavi Heritage Foundation Calls for Trade, Diplomatic Sanctions Against Iran

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Nov 16, 2010, 09:09 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Characterizing the Iranian regime as a criminal enterprise, the Al Razavi Heritage Foundation (http://www.alrazavi.org) is calling on opponents of the Iranian regime to come together and impose trade and diplomatic sanctions against Tehran. The Foundation's goal is not only to stamp out corruption in order to allow investment into the energy sector in Iran, but to do so by bringing about democracy.

"The world is entering into another crisis and we cannot ignore Iran. To satisfy the world's energy consumption, we need to invest at least $400 billion in the energy sector in Iran," stated Seyyed Hossein Zabihollahi Shahidi (Al-Razavi), Trustee of the Mirza Muhammad Muhsin b. Ulugh Al Razavi Trust of 1055 HQ/1645 AD, one of the largest private land trusts in Iran. "The Al Razavi Heritage Foundation has been litigating the Iranian government and various organizations and individuals in Iran for 20 years. To our dismay, during that time, we have learned that the entire system in Iran -- including the Ministry of Justice and Tehran leadership -- is corrupt."

In response, the Al Razavi Heritage Foundation has pledged to continue putting pressure on the Iranian government and is now encouraging the international community to cease trade and diplomatic relations with Iran until a change in leadership occurs. The Foundation invites all opponents of the Iranian regime to cast aside their differences and work together at this crucial time in order to stimulate and accelerate the movement toward democracy in Iran.

"Only by working together can the world empower the Iranian people to bring secular and democratic government to Iran," Shahidi explained. "Engaging the current Iranian government will only serve to delay the democratic movement and create further resentment among the Iranian people. We are determined to keep that from happening, and we hope the international community will help us in our mission."

Shahidi warns corporations and countries that continue to support the current regime that when Iranian leadership does finally change, the Foundation will lobby the new government to exclude those corporations and countries from having any role in Iran's future economic development.

About the Al Razavi Heritage Foundation and Seyyed Hossein Zabihollahi Shahidi (Al Razavi)

Established in 2002 and led by Seyyed Hossein Zabihollahi Shahidi (Al Razavi), the Al Razavi Heritage Foundation is dedicated to identifying the Razavi trusts, trustees and beneficiaries and to determine the rightful custodianship of the Astan-e Quds-e Razavi (Mashhad, Iran).

Shahidi traces his direct male lineage to Imam Reza (AS). On his maternal side, he is a descendant of Ayatollah Mirza Habibollah Shahidi Khurasani; from her maternal side, he is a descendant of Ayatollah Mullah Muhammad Kazem Khurasani (Akhund Khurasani) and Ayatollah Mirza Muhammad Najafi Khurasani (Ayatollah Aghazadeh) -- both, like Shahidi, staunch supporters of democratic and secular political reform in Iran. Learn more at http://www.alrazavi.org.