Baha’i UCLA Student Tasered in Library

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You’ve probably seen this video on the news or on the internet. And you’ve probably heard the student being described as Middle Easter, or Iranian-American. In fact he is. His name is Mostafa Tabatabainejad.

But what you probably did not know is that he is a Baha’i.

There is still some confusion as to what really happened. He claims that he refused to present his student ID because he felt that he was being singled out because of his appearance. What is not clear is whether he complied with the campus police when they asked him to leave or not, whether he was acting belligerent or not, etc. But after seeing the video, what I clearly doubt is how anyone can be expected to stand up when they are repeatedly tasered!

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  • http://kaweah.com/ Dan Jensen

    Yikes. I’m guessing that Tabatabainejad was not fully compliant, and may have earned himself a resiting arrest charge. It sounds like he may have had a political motive to do so. Even given that, what I don’t understand is the use of pain (torture) to compel a person to comply. Is this policy? Can’t they cuff him, get some back-up, drag him out, then book him for resisting? Be afraid. Be very afraid.

  • http://kaweah.com/ Dan Jensen

    Yikes. I’m guessing that Tabatabainejad was not fully compliant, and may have earned himself a resiting arrest charge. It sounds like he may have had a political motive to do so. Even given that, what I don’t understand is the use of pain (torture) to compel a person to comply. Is this policy? Can’t they cuff him, get some back-up, drag him out, then book him for resisting? Be afraid. Be very afraid.

  • http://www.bahairants.com Baquia

    If this goes to trial the real truth may come out. Until then, it is conjecture and one side against the other.

    Interestingly, the Iranian govt did let out a supportive grunt… I surmise before they got wind that the young man was a Baha’i. Apparently he was not born into a Baha’i family as most Baha’is of Iranian origin are. But he converted in the US. Since the conversion of Iranians is given special treatment, the NSA has not yet confirmed nor denied his status.

  • http://www.bahairants.com Baquia

    If this goes to trial the real truth may come out. Until then, it is conjecture and one side against the other.

    Interestingly, the Iranian govt did let out a supportive grunt… I surmise before they got wind that the young man was a Baha’i. Apparently he was not born into a Baha’i family as most Baha’is of Iranian origin are. But he converted in the US. Since the conversion of Iranians is given special treatment, the NSA has not yet confirmed nor denied his status.

  • http://www.geocities.com/ejhadley_1999/ Eric Hadley-Ives

    Tasers are dangerous weapons. Some local police in my area of the country have been using tasers to torture prison inmates.

    See http://www.ucimc.org/rss.xml

    If anyone tells you Tasers are safe and don’t really hurt, refer them to these sites:

    http://www.yourlawyer.com/articles/read/11606
    http://www.spokesmanreview.com/sections/zehm/?ID=126584
    http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special43/articles/0504taserdeath04.html
    http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/1486

    The police in this video show by their approach to this situation that they are badly-trained idiots. I wonder if they earn more than the assistant professors and adjuct professors who actually do the teaching at UCLC. Students at UCLA and taxpayers of California, take a look at why college is becoming unaffordable.

    I know some law enforcement workers, and I’ve been along with police on ride-alongs as part of my community work. I have a hard time imagining that the men and women I’ve known could be capable of the stupidity and brutality shown in this video. Obviously, the UCLA security forces need better training.

    – Eric

  • http://www.geocities.com/ejhadley_1999/ Eric Hadley-Ives

    Tasers are dangerous weapons. Some local police in my area of the country have been using tasers to torture prison inmates.

    See http://www.ucimc.org/rss.xml

    If anyone tells you Tasers are safe and don’t really hurt, refer them to these sites:

    http://www.yourlawyer.com/articles/read/11606
    http://www.spokesmanreview.com/sections/zehm/?ID=126584
    http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special43/articles/0504taserdeath04.html
    http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/1486

    The police in this video show by their approach to this situation that they are badly-trained idiots. I wonder if they earn more than the assistant professors and adjuct professors who actually do the teaching at UCLC. Students at UCLA and taxpayers of California, take a look at why college is becoming unaffordable.

    I know some law enforcement workers, and I’ve been along with police on ride-alongs as part of my community work. I have a hard time imagining that the men and women I’ve known could be capable of the stupidity and brutality shown in this video. Obviously, the UCLA security forces need better training.

    – Eric