Almost 22 years ago Mr. Ali Akbar Tabatabai, an active outspoken critic of the Islamic government of Iran, was assassinated in front of his home in Bethesda, Maryland by David Theodore Belfield, an assassin.

Mr. Tabatabai, the outspoken diplomat killed 22 years ago in a cold blood by an assassin who was paid a sum of some $5,000.00; yet justice has not been served. If an American or English person was dead, justice would have been served long time ago and the killer would have apologized to the family of the victim in public eyes.

Following the murder the assassin fled through Canada and Switzerland to Iran where he has resided ever since. At the time Mr. Belfield was a student who had recently converted to Islam and adopted the Muslim name Daoud Salhuddin. Later he became Hassan Tantai which indeed is that same David Belfield, who is most wanted by the FBI and CIA. Mr. Tantai chosen by Mohsen Makmalbaf, to play a role in his film “Kandahar.”

Kandahar has been making headlines for a number of reasons--the most important being that the film offers a realistic look at the lives of Afghan refugees--but its director says the recent controversy surrounding the past of one of the film's actors is unwarranted.

"Even if I learn something about my actors' past, it's irrelevant. I choose them for the film because of their character, not because of what they've done," Makhmalbaf said, adding he did not regret casting Tantai for the role.

Mr. Makhmalbaf not only denies the fact of employing an assassin, he refuses to show his regret.

Evidently evidences clearly stipulate the resemblance of David Belfield and Hassan Tantai. Mr. Makhmalbaf knowingly or un-knowingly employed a killer.

If you think that; this is the most brutal and notorious act by another human denying the surfaced mistake. If you think that Tabatabai family and in particular the twin brother of the deceased person deserves an apology from the director, please vote yes to this petition.

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