Once Upon a Time

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Once Upon a Time
by capt_ayhab
18-Aug-2009
 

Once upon time , not too distant, Iran was boiling in the heat of upcoming election. Clips and photos of young, beautiful and hopeful Iranian men and women attending campaign rallies had filled the airwaves and cyberspace. After a long and dreadful thirty years of isolation, demonetization by west, propaganda images aimed at defacing Iranians, finally the true images of a young beautiful country yearning for democracy and freedom was coming out.

People all around the globe were mesmerized by the images, video clip and huge rallies. At the same time something very profound and fundamental was occurring in a cyber community called Iranain.com. Voices were as colorful as the images of Iran. Pro this and against that, shouting literally from top of their lounges in order to have their voice heard from within Iran. Tempers high, patience's low, debates on the threads were getting more aggressive by days if not by hours. Everyone glued to the monitors, either looking for news from Iran or debating on their ideologies.

Then came the Election Day, and the announcement which for one moment resonated all around the world like a magnitude 8.5 seismic wave. They said Ahmadinejad has won! By an unimaginable land slide.  I did not want to believe it, you did not want to believe it. and the charges of huge election fraud took the airways.

Once the initial shock subsided, Iranian.com went through a transformation of a kind which seldom occurs. UNITY, hope of change in Iranian society, as minor as it might have sounded, but change nonetheless. Goal became to expose the fraud, to expose regimes atrocities and brutality in dealing with peaceful demonstrators. For once Iranian.comer spoke with one voice, DOWN WITH IR. Although some exception within the avid supporters of Ahmadinejad, majority of inhabitant of this community, from Monarchists, to communist, to Secularist  and even side-liners rose in support of Iranians. An amassing site to witness......

Once upon a time, when the tempers cooled off and hopes of reform faded under the brutality of the regime, Iranian.comers, ever so slowly went back to the old routine. Many threads tried to keep the attention focused on the events in Iran and plight of detainees and prisoners, ever so unsuccessfully.

Today, it so seems that we are back to where we were, before the June election, divided, aggressive and without hope!

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more from capt_ayhab
 
capt_ayhab

Rosie

by capt_ayhab on

I know baba, not to worry.

 

-YT 


rosie is roxy is roshan

ps Ayhab

by rosie is roxy is roshan on

I hope you know the post below was not about you. When I said hatred and despair are handmaidens here, I meant within the website in general. People could be in despair wihout hating, it still widens the old rifts. Also obviously you wrote the blog so people could try to find a way out of the aggression..


Hajminator

Capt'ne jan

by Hajminator on

Chashm, ma mokhlessim!


capt_ayhab

Master Q

by capt_ayhab on

Thank you kindly for the time and kind words, I do appreciate it sir.

You stated[75% of Iranian.comer, -- I don't mean Iranians in General -- were willing participants in the elections of the system.]

I clearly remember JJ's blog, and coincidentally I had written a thread along the same line and around the same time.

//iranian.com/main/blog/capt-ayhab/vote-or-no...

I could not agree more with you about the huge surprise to both regime and the proponents of the election boycott when the turn out in election day both in Iran and outside exceeded the expectation by huge margin.

As a matter of fact, you probably have noticed that the proponents of boycott were among the first groups who TRIED to claim some ownership of the green movement, despite their belligerence in opposing it.

However if I am not mistaking, the movement took totally a different shape after it was proven the magnitude of fraud, and brutality of the regime in dealing with demonstrators. One only needs to look at the progress and metamorphoses of the slogans, which went from [Where is my vote] to [Down with dictator] and to [Jomhori Iran].

Have I personally read too much into this progression of slogans? I seriously doubt it. With  that said, I must make it clear that I do not believe that there are ever any indication of demand for [No Islam] in Iran. As you said, and as I deeply believe that religion has been one of the important fabric and structure of any society, including Iran. I do believe that the demand have become more in lines of secularism than anything else.

Thanks again sir for your informative analysis. I always enjoy your threads and comments, even though I might not agree with some of your stances.

Respectfully

 

-YT 


capt_ayhab

Mr. Reza San Diago

by capt_ayhab on

Firstly thank you very much for your time and your kind words. I appreciate you.

Your are asking a very profound question[ I am just wondering how many Iranians (especially here) are willing to actually do something for Freedom and Independence of Iran and Iranians? Honestly!]

If we believe in the fact that true resistance will require certain level of social and political maturity, both within a person and society as a whole then we can ask whether hamvatans outside of Iran have reached that level.

Some argue that true spirit of resistance comes from exposure to brutality and oppression, as it is the case in Iran. With some exception, hamvatans outside the borders of Iran have not been exposed to the dictatorship in Iran. It is true that we read about it, we debate about it but it will never be the same as real life experience of what goes on in Iran. 

I recall during 1978-79 revolution many students who were outside the country migrated back to Iran and participated in the demonstrations and such. Those element were rather different from today's[Broon Marzi's] in this regard that most all of us have been outside Iran for years if not decades. Not to mention the newer generation who are borne outside of Iran.

This is not to say that we do not relate to the plight of young women and men  in Iran. But it is to say that we will never truly understand the pain and suffering they have gone through.

This brings us back to your question, which in all sincerity summarizes the entire blog! Accepting the fact that we might be rather irrelevant to the movement in Iran, question remains, What can we do and to what extend are WE willing to sacrifice our comfortable lives and go back to Iran and join the real movement?

Respectfully

-YT 


capt_ayhab

Jenabe Hajminator

by capt_ayhab on

You are missed a lot dear hamvatan, nazare lotfi hardam be inja biandaz!

thanks for comment, and you are so right, all we in diaspora can do is to make sure they in Iran know that we support them. 

As  Mr. MPD said, Iran will never be the same, no more FEAR!

Regards

-YT 


capt_ayhab

Ladies and gents

by capt_ayhab on

Sincere thanks for all the kind words, and apologies for unavoidable delay in response.

I shall read every single comment and reply appropriately in due time today.

You guys are awesome.

-YT 


rosie is roxy is roshan

Okay, when I wrote my first post, I said /(edited, sorry)

by rosie is roxy is roshan on

there were simplificatons in the blog. So I'll go along with Q. But I'll give my simplified version of where the simplifications are. LOL And from there go on to Part 2 of this post, which I think is the really important part. You could even consider Part 1 a satire, it's so simplified. But I think it's a fair satire..

PART ONE The sequence since the elections here, simplified

In Iroonam's poll there was a relatively slim majority for Mousavi. Of course Karroubis moved over to that camp after the election. But ten percent were for Ahmadinejad and thirty abstain  Some of those abstainers and Ahmadinejadists were nasty after the elction and the responses to them were nasty too. So there were all these thread wars after the election. You Ahmadinjadist bastard, you stupid voter...

The movement in Iran developed momentum, there was enthusiasm, some of the abstainers joined,  or became supportive, you didn't hear the nasty ones any more, they were overwhelmed. But the Ahmadinejadists, those fights were nastier than ever. This created a further sense of cohestion among the majority but it was hypocritical in a way because suddenly people who'd had alliance with the Ahmadinejadists before over many points,  suddenly these people could spit on them like the world began after the election, they had fought for human rights like cavalry on white horses forever, etc.

There were clear components all around of mob mentality. Actually it grew, not diminished in ways as the movement grew here..

Then the crackdown got worse, and then other events, Rafsanjani's Friday prayer sermon, the inauguration, the show trials, actually I think Obama's recognition was whenthe bubble really burst. So new/old arguments got louder, so  old ones popped up again within the expanded coalition. So things started going back to normal as the center-left coalition dependent on the Green movement regrouped, with the further left and right making reconciliations with their former allies, and so now there is you who are still Green are so stupid for not see the Light like I have...that is becoming the trend..  And the other way around, you are betraying us, you are the stupid ones...

So hate took a holiday for about six weeks within a majority, but really it was always here, now it is  funpacking its things and ready to go to work again full force. I said it in my first post. THERE IS A VERY DARK FORCE AT WORK HERE.  And at PLAY.

The name of the force is hate.

_________________

Part Two. We like to be a cyber-toilet bowl, because it's easy

The old timers, the ensconced people here, we like hate. C'mon, admit it, we do. Hate is COMFORTABLE. it's EASY in a medium that is essentially inhumane--plastic flat screen, writing black letters on white background linearly organized within boxes. No opportunity to see the human side, the facial expressioins, body language, tone of voice, interrupt and say excuse me what did you mean just now? before you've finished reading the whole long post and then you're already angry. 

But few attempts to go beyond this inhumane condition of the medium itself. Like let's talk by phone right now before there is a blow-up, there's no uh oh I see a blow up coming, could you, YOU specifically, mediate between us? Could we take it to the chat room? Uh oh a fight is coming on this subthread. Could we start a new thread before we ruin the old thread and where things will be clearer because there won't be distractions. Or....

Or guess what boys and girls, if you don't behave yourselves, I'm going to ask the Principal to take away your playtime and close the thread! Human things like that. Ah! but publisher must cooperate. But guess what, publisher blows with the wind. Publisher also has, professional and PERSONAL, his preferences. (I oughtta know. Oh, and  btw, how many  know the destructive impact this has had on my work, hence my behavior and that he refuses to talk to me about it for over a year? Did anyone offer to mediate? No. Did I ask? No. Yet, it has turned me into one of the biggest hatemongers onsite. Does this really bother most? Or do we just ike hate, it's easy). Does anyone prevail upon someone who does have influence with the publisher to lend a hand-when they feel it's necessary for something negative onsite to improve?

How many go the extra mile to push out the humane envelope instead of relaxing in the inhumane one? Most people are in denial about this. It's NEVER about the limitations of this awesomely perfect vehicle for peaceful communication. It's always BECAUSE of something. We got united BECAUSE of the Greens, now we are getting divided BECAUSE of the show trials or whatever.


This is true but ONLY IN PART. . It's the easy way out. Example: Just recently someone I'd always gotten along with HURT me here. REALLY hurt me. What were my options? Fight or ignore or blog on the extremity of the situation without naming names as an example of the hate..I cound do any/all except CALL THAT PERSON BY PHONE WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING. Those are the rules of C-space, of the reign of hate. Admit it, they are rules and we created and accept and further them.

So why do we stay on a medium that is so difficult and inhumane that it breeds hate (ask anyone who blogs on the I'net if it's just here...). Obviously we must stay because we seek communication and cohesion. And we do have it. We have cohesion in the hatred and the divisions. Until someone explodes and leaves but then people just laugh and say 'You'll  come back'.

And they do. One week, one month, one year,they do. Few have resisted the pull of the dark force at PLAY here. And well..you can always blame this dark force on Iran.

While incrementally Iran moves forward. Hate and despair are handmaidens here. Despair is a luxury they can't afford. So whether you want to keep lending them a hand, giving moral support, getting out the word, or not, Iran moves forward, with your unity or without you. Last month Sanei was a hero for speakng out. This month he is corrupt, no, he's a moron. It would be intelligent and pure for him to just shut up, right? And if you don't agree you're an idiot. No, you are!

____________________

Well guess what, Sanei will still speak out with or without you, and work from within to influence the clerics so when the time comes they will choose a better leader. He and others in the system will give practical and moral support to the kids. This generation, which is 80% of the populaton of Iran, will keep on walking. Despair is a luxury they can't afford. With or without you, Iran moves forward.

I thought I'd remove my green avatar today like most people have . But I JUST changed my mind. I will keep it BRIGHT green even if every one of you goes black. And see if I can do something to stop the hate.  If I can't I will leave. This time really. This is wasting my time and energy, corroding my humanity, and hurting me and others while I watch.

But if I leave, I'll go Green. Long live free Iran.


Hajminator

Ebi jan,

by Hajminator on


 

چنان قحط سالی شد اندر دمشق  که یاران فراموش کردند عشق

‫ولی ایرانیان را مگر میشه ول کرد ؛)


Q

Captain Ayhab, I admire the spirit of your post

by Q on

I don't think I can agree with it 100%, let me tell you why.

You say:
Once the initial shock subsided, Iranian.com went through a transformation of a kind which seldom occurs. UNITY, hope of change in Iranian society, as minor as it might have sounded, but change nonetheless. Goal became to expose the fraud, to expose regimes atrocities and brutality in dealing with peaceful demonstrators.

I completely agree with this. Hope of change is exactly what it was.

For once Iranian.comer spoke with one voice, DOWN WITH IR.

I don't think that's true. Really, it isn't. Take a look at JJ's poll which was done before the election day.
//iranian.com/main/polls/2009/jun/who-wou...

75% of Iranian.comer, -- I don't mean Iranians in General -- were willing participants in the elections of the system. This must be a big surprise to some of the readers who are used to the loudest voices constantly saying "down with IRI" and "no compromise". There were people pushing boycotts and calling others traitors just for voting. But does that result really say "down with IRI"? Had Mousavi won, none of this would have presumably occurred, and he's not yelling "down with IRI", and neither is the rest of the Green movement in Iran. I should say so far, that has been the case.

Although some exception within the avid supporters of Ahmadinejad, majority of inhabitant of this community, from Monarchists, to communist, to Secularist and even side-liners rose in support of Iranians.

And while I know where you are coming from, in the previous paragraph you say most united in "down with IRI", and here you say the only exception was "avid supporters of Ahmadinejad".

This is certainly not accurate. It leaves out the majority of people in the streets and all reformists everywhere.

The fact is, at great personal risk to himself, Mousavi accomplished a great thing which is very rare in Iranian politics: he put together a broad coalition, probably the broadest since Khomeini himself. If you really want Unity, you must not break up this coalition which included religious nationalists, veterans, reformists as well as North Tehrani educated class that most people on Iranian.com are closest to.

People in Iran of all walks of life, and many diverse ideologies came together under the green banner. Are we capable of something similar?


Reza-Rio de Janeiro

Let's walk the talk! Shall We???

by Reza-Rio de Janeiro on

Capt_ayhab,  Nice writing Sir...

To all Ham-meehanaane azziz va mohtaram,

I would like to ask you all some serious questions! (by now, I think after so much crimes against our people and country, we can be a little serious here!) I am just wondering how many Iranians (especially here) are willing to actually do something for Freedom and Independance of Iran and Iranians? Honestly! 

We Iranians have been the masters of talking and writing for so long, but when it comes to actual work, either we are too passive or worse, we are scared... Even when we live outside of the hell and reach of the EVIL and criminal I.R. !!!!

For example, how many of us here on iranian.com and in front of our monitors tried to actually form a United Coalition against the tyranny and crimes of I.R.??? If you did or at least willing to do so, Raise your hands please!!!!

Outside Iran and in so many democratic countries that we have the privilege to have an extra citizenship and live in democracy, how many of us has tried to at least contact a single International Human Rights Attorney and inquire information about a possibility of filing an International Law-suit against I.R. and its criminal leader and officials in the "International Criminal Court" in Hague, Holland?

Sounds a bit too much, right? I think most people would consider this as first Impossible, Too much work, what, how, this and that. Any single reason to reject, decline and in some case make fun of even an Idea!!!

Well my fellow country men and women here, Until we at least UNITE here and everywhere else in the free world and form a serious Nationalistic Iranian Coalition, True, we can not do much on our own alone!!! But together and United (Just like The Jewish People) We can and we will and we must find ways to prepare our Rightful case and on behalf of all those Iranian people who have been beaten, imprisoned, tortured, raped and killed, we must hire some serious International Human Rights Attornenies and present our nearly demolished Nation's case to I.C.C in Holland!!!

Seriously, Does any one here think that this job belongs to a foreigner or is this truly our own Iranian responsibility??? Look, No body in the world with power really cares for Iran and Iranians, NO BODY! In fact , these powers consider I.R. as their best possible Economical/Financial Partner!!! This is not just my opinion, It is the absolute fact!!! please go and do your world economical research...

If we truly want Freedom and Independance for Iran and Iranians, It is only our own responsibilities and if we become United with full power, it is possible and we can achieve it all together... For the sake of Iran, Iranians and Humanity... I beg you all to just think about the possibility... 

Until later, Good Night and Good day everyone! 


ebi amirhosseini

Hajminator aziz..

by ebi amirhosseini on

Long time no see!

Ebi aka Haaji


rosie is roxy is roshan

Okay, Cap'n, I was very unclear BUT

by rosie is roxy is roshan on

you projected the concept of despair. It's not there. Anyway, let me try to be clearer. I very badly wrote:

At the end of the day Iran is in the situation it is in now and the people here, who had pretty good confidence that they could effect some concrete change, at least some, even a little, something tangilble, sooner rather than later--they are here, not there. They have far more control over what happens on this website than what happens in Iran and no illusions about it either.

Here is a brief translation:]

People here and there expected concrete, tangible changes to come from this uprising, which has now moved to Phase 2.From here, looking at people n pyjamas many feel despair, so they figure why not go back to hating and killing each other on and behind these threads, it's easy, it's our base metabolism.

However in Iran things are moving forward. Nothing tangible has yet been gained, ,but the groundowrk has been laid. The change will be incremental, two steps forward, three steps backward, I give it one generation. At that time the old men will have died out and the 80% of the populatoin under 35, 50% unde r25, the ones who marched, will be just the right age to assume the mantle of authority.

Despair is a luxury. They cannot afford it. They will keep moving forward so tha tthings move with them. If people here want to sit here having fun hurting each other, that is fine, but then this website as a community will be able to contribute absolutely nothing to those tangible gains, to that forward movement.But that's fine. With or without you, they'll move forward.

_________________________

Here is an example of what I mean to say. Look at the blog from a just recently ardent Green. Look at some of the comments on that thread and look at mine:

//iranian.com/main/node/77397

Here's another.

//iranian.com/main/2009/aug/ayatollah-yousef-sanei

I hope I've made myself a little clearer. lol

.


yolanda

Oh My Gosh!

by yolanda on

The picture below my post cracked me up! Someone has vivid imagination! Sorry, I should not laugh, but I can't help it!


Hajminator

Capt'n jan

by Hajminator on

Don't worry, the most important fact is that the future of Iran is in the hands of young iranians living in Iran, not the theory makers, thinking that they are really smart and living in the US.

People in Iran don't wait that solutions to their problems come from here, so let it be and ... Mayazar moori que daneh kesh ast,

Something unrelated but awesome, Ahmad Khatami raped recently A.N. and it seems it really hurt:

//i25.tinypic.com/2zqscgk.jpg


Multiple Personality Disorder

After that day nothing forever will be the same

by Multiple Personality Disorder on

Nothing.


ebi amirhosseini

کاپیتان جان سلام

ebi amirhosseini


Well said.Sad but somehow true.

BUT:

I always cherrish the good/old memories &  hope for a better/brighter future!.

I know,I'm a romantic fool!!.

 

Ebi aka Haaji


capt_ayhab

Rosie

by capt_ayhab on

Either my english is first grade level, or I looked more deeply into what you said in this segment:

[At the end of the day Iran is in the situation it is in now and the people here, who had pretty good confidence that they could effect some concrete change, at least some, even a little, something tangilble, sooner rather than later--they are here, not there. They have far more control over what happens on this website than what happens in Iran and no illusions about it either.]

If this was more meaningful to me than you intended then bebakhshid ;-)

-YT 


rosie is roxy is roshan

Captain,

by rosie is roxy is roshan on

I do agree to one fundamental point you made. What we can do is to be a vehicle for the voice of despair in Iran. Voice of pain in the prisons and in the show trials.

What do you mean? I didn't make a point about being a voice of despair. That's something you're extrapolating from what I wrote. So what is it I wroet that you're extrapolating from? What are you riffing off of, from my post Captain? So that I can be clear.


capt_ayhab

Ms. Yolanda, Ms. Che Khabar e

by capt_ayhab on

Thanks ladies for the kind word. Voice must not be silenced and those brave souls in Iran must be heard. 

I had this response via my email from my nephew in UK. The young man hit a cord with me, as he always does and I like to share parts of his email to me:

[...... if brutality was the answer to the crowds and calmed them down, we
shouldn't have witnessed the falls of the dictators. It just looks like a steam cooker at the moment, it might look calm but has a lot of potential if you know what I mean......Luvsss
]

Regards

 

-YT 


che khabar e

lovely words

by che khabar e on

And heartfelt sorrow.  I doubt there is even one who would disagree with your pain.  But I think it's important to remember HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE the support of the diaspora AND the world has made to these brave men and women.  And for that, you should be proud, AND hopeful.   The rest is trivial.


yolanda

Thank you!

by yolanda on

Thank you for the great summary of what happened last 2 months! Great job! I felt like it was an emotional roller-coaster! It looked like a real democracy at 1st, and then IRI showed its true nature! It is so sad! The good thing is that the whole world has learned how brave and cool the Iranian people are! Hopefully people can win in the near future!

yolanda


capt_ayhab

Rosie

by capt_ayhab on

Am glad you liked the humble piece. Thanks for the kind words.

I do agree to one fundamental point you made. What we can do is to be a vehicle for the voice of despair in Iran. Voice of pain in the prisons and in the show trials.

BUT!

Are we on target, are we, as iranian.comers on target to make this ever so small contribution to those brave young women and men who are fighting?

OR

Are we back to our usual bickering and name calling and divisive tactics in alienating everyone we do not see eye to eye with?

 

-YT 


sima

Captain, I'm not a young one either

by sima on

nor excessively optimistic about the world or Iranian people. I know what you mean. But... everything comes to an end. IRI is spent, that's all. Things crash on their own after their time is up.

The question is, what next? I just hope this time people go into that phase with more foresight and clarity of mind. I do think more of that is happening now than perhaps ever. Hey, better than nothing...!

Anyways, sex will always outsell everything. It doesn't mean that Robespierre won't get guillotined when it's his time to fall!


capt_ayhab

Ms Sima

by capt_ayhab on

Allow me to talk to you from deep within my soul. I am not a young one, and hopefully this will be the second and the true revolution that I will witness, if I ever so lucky.

But having closely monitored the trends in this community, along with many others that I participate it is getting rather scary to see how we are forgetting the plight of people in Iran.

Just browse through the blogs and news threads and see for yourself how little attention the news from Iran are  getting, often many of them with any feedback. Yet one little clip from a porn star wanna be getting cover 5300 hits.

 

Respectfully

-YT 


rosie is roxy is roshan

First of all..

by rosie is roxy is roshan on

this is the best written piece I've ever read of yours (of course I don't read the Persian ones); it's beautiful. Second of all, needless to say there's simplification here but overall I agree, that was more or less the trajectory.

At the end of the day Iran is in the situation it is in now and the people here, who had pretty good confidence that they could effect some concrete change, at least some, even a little, something tangilble, sooner rather than later--they are here, not there. They have far more control over what happens on this website than what happens in Iran and no illusions about it either.

You wrote:

divided, aggressiv and without hope.

Remove the agresson, there is less division.lessen the division then there is hope that at least there can be peace and progress  onsite. Achieve peace and progress here, then there is hope that the site, with its massive global outreach iand potential, can be a vehicle to effect some change in Iran, even a little. Maybe it will, maybe it won't, but if you don't follow the order, the answer is definitely 'won't'.

___________________________

There's a very dark force at work here.. One can choose to fight it or not, but it's dark.  I'm sorry but I had to say it. I always knew it, but it's a lot darker than I thought. So why be here if you won't fight it? Unless...you love...the dark..

My two cents..


sima

Ain't true, Captain

by sima on

We're here. We're not going anywhere.

Every period of silence now is time for reflection, revelation, and sharpening of the focus. I am weary of times when a lot of dust is kicked up. These calmer periods are absolutely necessary for some clarity to emerge. We need clarity now more than ever.


Abarmard

Thanks for the post

by Abarmard on

Very true. however we have gained some experiences from all this. We now know that when the time is ripe, we are all together. Life must go on for now...