Iran is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. Despite scientific advances in making buildings nearly earthquake-proof, almost all earthquakes in Iran leave behind preventable injuries and loss of lives, at times in tens of thousands.

In the recent devastating 7.3 earthquake in western Iran many lives have been lost in the newly built government housing projects, all due to extremely shoddy construction, lack of emergency help, water, food and medicine.  

On September 16, 1978, just prior to the Islamist Revolution, a devastating 7.4 earthquake in eastern Iran killed nearly 25,000 people; many victims were killed in their mud houses. 

At that time, Khomeini, the soon to become “Imam” and the father of the Islamist Republic, issued a public declaration asking people to revolt and specifically holding Mohammad Reza Shah responsible for the devastation and the lack of “water, food and medicine” for the victims. 

Atta Houdashtian, a philosophy professor in Europe and Canada, has published a copy of that 40year old Khomeini declaration. Houdashtian has asked the “followers of Imam's [Khomeini] way” who is to be blamed for the current disaster.

Airtight sanctions, a la against the despicable South Africa apartheid, works. U.S. lawmakers get to it.