Reformists - past, present and future

Balatarin
Share/Save/Bookmark

Reformists - past, present and future
by Esfand Aashena
21-Jan-2011
 

When you say Reformists the first person that comes to mind is President Khatami.  However, the reform movement is nothing new.  In our history I’d go back to the Constitutional Revolution of 1905.  Today even in democratic and secular countries we often hear calls of reforms and reformers and platforms of “Change”.

Reformers have been a big part of the Iranian politics since the 1979 revolution and true to its name – revolution – it made a full stop and reset of whatever reform was in the works.  Mossadegh was a reformer and his “followers” be it Bakhtiar or later Bazargan, Ghotbzadeh and others who didn’t want absolute rule of Mullahs in and outside the Government tried all they could to stop that trend.  Many lost their lives in the process and became the first ones to “confess” and be executed for being “spies”.  As we all know by now spies are everywhere in Iran and we have cornered the world market on the spy business!

People don’t want to live under dictatorships and they try to make changes however they can with whatever is available to them.   What is important is to keep the flame of freedom and justice alive so we know what our priorities are and who listens and values these just demands that have eluded us for so long. 

Just because the common argument is that Islamic Republic can’t be reformed doesn’t mean those who are in the Government and want a better future for their country shouldn’t do anything, lay low or just get out.  How many people work for or inside the Government?  Are they ALL rotten crooks and criminals?

These days in the diaspora circles it is fashionable to ridicule the reformers such as Khatami, Mousavi, Karoubi and others.  Inside Iran as you get older people know about everything and they ridicule just about anyone because they don’t think anything is going to change.  However, if you look at young people and how they get inspired and how they move their leaders and push them to their limits it is unreasonable to think ALL those who have served in the Islamic Republic have a hand in the rampant torture and murders.  Often those who were murdered were part of the reform movement.

If you want to know how a generation is moved and how a politician can move them and make changes see the documentary Our Times (2002) which is made by the world renowned film maker Rakhshān Bani E'temād who by the way graduated from Melli University during Shah and I think was also a class-mate of Mousavi, although younger than him.  The documentary is about Khatami’s campaign for his re-election, thus Our Times (Ruz-egar-e ma).

This documentary shows in great detail how a movement starts.  Who leads it (the young), who tries to ridicule, who tries to sabotage and who stands up and defend.   It is really interesting to see people get on camera and say derogatory things about how things are done.  One person says he is not voting and states his reason as; why should we vote so they can claim 20 million votes?

Basically everyone said what they wanted to say on camera.  Can people say these things now?  Or were those words not even worthy or appearing on camera making grand criticisms a hoax?  I often hear and read people’s response after they see a film or a news article asks how can people say these things and don’t understand how can regime allow it?  Well, they are courageous people with self-confidence who unlike you and me don’t just say these things in private.  They say it out loud and know how and when to say it.

The film itself actually covers 2 or 3 areas.  First area is the re-election and the young people who go out and campaign and get into arguments and thugs attacks and the camera follows them.  Second part is when they go to interview the women who applied as candidates but were disqualified for being a woman.   In these interviews you see a lot of demands and drama about women’s rights. Third part is about a young single mother (26 or 27 at the time, I think) who has to work and pay for her 8 or 9 year old daughter and her blind mother.  She applied as a Presidential candidate and that’s how Bani-E'temad found her and then the story and documentary takes on a life of its own.  She had such a hard time finding an apartment because they wouldn’t rent to single or divorced women “without a man” and she didn’t have enough money for rent, had two jobs to make ends meet and so on.  Very interesting real life drama.

So beating everyone with the same stick while the differences are evident is being unfair to our own history and those who fight for justice.  Many of us wouldn’t say a fraction of the things people said on camera during Khatami, yet many did.  They had the courage and Khatami provided that atmosphere.  He didn’t get most of the things people wanted but he accomplished enough where movies thrived, artists flourished and restrictions on hijab and women were eased.  As small as these achievements may seem they were things the young generation wanted. 

Now today we see Mousavi, Karoubi and Khatami virtually under house arrests.  I don’t know who is going to be the next person to take the reform flag and move it forward but it would be unfair to him/her if we ridicule him/her from the beginning.  Of course we can do whatever we want but those who matter have shown throughout history to have taken another path.  The reformists are always out there with or without our support.

I think the next milestone is the 2013 presidential election and believe this would be the first real test of boycotting an election in Iran and a milestone in the democratic/green movement.  Will the regime make it mandatory for everyone to vote or use other intimidation tactics or will the people decide to sit this out? What would be the outcome and what would be regime’s explanation for such a large drop in the voter turnout?

Photo caption: Baran Kosari Iranian actress with her mother Rakhshān Bani E'temād’ and Abbas Kiarostami (no relations).

Balatarin
Share/Save/Bookmark

Recently by Esfand AashenaCommentsDate
Goodbye the old iranian.com, I'm gonna miss ya ;-(
-
Dec 05, 2012
Persian parties are like Persian history!
34
Dec 03, 2012
In memoriam of i.com freedom fighters!
-
Nov 09, 2012
more from Esfand Aashena
 
Esfand Aashena

Vildemose praying and slogans are not enough.

by Esfand Aashena on Fri Jan 21, 2011 08:57 AM PST

Yes of course Islamic Republic has created an unjust society and rules by putting fear in people.  Whether people are in power or are ordinary citizens they try to do what they can to keep going.  Whether it is small reforms or wholesale change, like the 1979 revolution, they are changes non-the-less.

You can't expect to run before learning to walk.  Taking shots at reformers while they're under virtual house arrests is not helping the cause. 

Everything is sacred


  •  
vildemose

The Islamic Republic is

by vildemose on Fri Jan 21, 2011 08:48 AM PST

The Islamic Republic is immersed in an ethical and moral sewer, batlagh. Unless, there is a fundamental change in social and cultural norm of this cesspool, nothing will change from within this swamp.


  •  
Esfand Aashena

فری جان

Esfand Aashena
Fri Jan 21, 2011 08:43 AM PST

There are many factions in Islamic Republic and as they move forward more factions are added and old ones disbanned.  Ahmadi was the "lead singer" of the osoolgaraa (principalist) faction who thought by clinging to the name and spirit of Khomeini they'll be invincible.

I don't agree the Larijani brothers are in the position to do anything!  They have powerful positions but they lack real support either from Parliament or Khamenei himself.  They don't have charisma to help themselves either and will be gone with no trace left behind.  The judiciary Larijani looks like a prototype hated Mullah!  Remember the Mullah in Shahr-e gheseh? The Parliament speaker Larijani may have a shot of becoming the next president when there is no strong or even known competition but he is such aloof.

I think it'd be easier to divide the whole apparatus into reformists and hardliners since god knows we're desparate for reforms!  There are always people who change sides but as a whole the voice of change needs to get louder and louder. Perhaps a strong boycott of the next presidential election is the loud alarm that can go off.  I believe this is the first "election" where people have matured enough to realize how hollow the concept has become having gone through the 2009 campaign and it's aftermath.  

I agree and believe we're headed to a Military rule like Pakistan but even in such a rule the reformers will still live.  Iranians are hard headed and despite the atmosphere of fear, they don't stand still! Never have, never will! 

Thank you for your comment.

Everything is sacred


  •  
Faramarz

اسی جان

Faramarz
Fri Jan 21, 2011 08:23 AM PST

I believe that the events of the recent past all point to one conclusion at that is the consolidation of power by Sepah and Basij and the cleansing of the IR from its “more moderate” elements. The final chapter of this saga will be written in 2013 when Sepah will come to the forefront and will try to run Iran like a military dictatorship.

There are currently two factions in IR. One is the “muscle” of the Regime which is Sepah and Basij and the entire mafia that completely controls all aspects of the Iranian oil, telecommunications, aviation, etc.  These are the people that got their training during the Iraq war and are now in charge of the activities in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and trouble-making in Bahrain and other places. They are not Western educated and do not have family ties to Khomeini or Khamenei, Musa Sadr, etc.

The other faction is the “intellectual engine” of the Regime which is led by Larijani brothers and is still interested in some sort of a relationship with the West, including US. This bunch has ties to the West and is somewhat tolerant of the Reformers. They are open to some kind of compromise on the nuclear issue as was demonstrated by Larijani-Solana meetings. The fissure between the two factions has become deeper and Khamenei is generally siding with the Sepah/Basij. Ahmadi is just an accidental figure and can be sacrificed at any moment, if needs be.

Thanks for your blog.


  •  
Esfand Aashena

It's not just about voting, it's about wanting change, ambitions

by Esfand Aashena on Fri Jan 21, 2011 07:41 AM PST

COP jaan I really recommend you watch this documentary Our Times (2002) and order it from Netflix.  I think you'll get a different perspective.  Panahi tried to make a similar movie, albeit a different situation, and he was imprisoned and banned for life!

It's not about anyone being able to make wholesale change under Islamic Republic.  Some would argue it's not even about "gradual change" it's about not getting worse!

Many sat out Ahmadi vs Rafsanjani and Dr. Moin who was the reform candidate wasn't even well known.  I believe the reason people voted by the millions in 2009 was to get rid of Ahmadi!  They saw things has gotten worse and they thought it couldn't get worse!  Now we have the cash subsidies and massive inflation that these cash subsidies can't equalize!  Well that's a whole other subject.

The point is, there are good people everywhere and working in and for this Government and they don't approve of all the stuff.  If everybody thought like you we wouldn't be having all these problems.  So you wait for people to change, help them change, one person at a time.  Not everyone has access to all the news and analysis or even cares.  

Anyway, did you see Heiran (2009) last year in the Washington Film Festival?  Baran Kosari played in it. 

Everything is sacred


  •  
Cost-of-Progress

It's good to be optimistic, esfand jon

by Cost-of-Progress on Fri Jan 21, 2011 07:26 AM PST

"I think the next milestone is the 2013 presidential election and believe this would be the first real test of boycotting an election in Iran and a milestone in the democratic/green movement.  Will the regime make it mandatory for everyone to vote or use other intimidation tactics or will the people decide to sit this out? What would be the outcome and what would be regime’s explanation for such a large drop in the voter turnout?"

In a country with hardambil government, hardambil "laws" and hardambil everything, having elections as in vote-for-those-you-believe-will-make-your-life better means didely squat. Even if a bizzilion voters vote for the most favorable candidate, the ruling clergy and the so called hard-liners can quietly negate the results and claim a whopping 90% turnout and claim victory for the next appointed monkey to become "president".

This entity and these people ruling Iran now are NOT reformable. Both the "true" Islam and whatever it is that these people represent is incompatable with democracy as proven time and again throughout the muslim world.

Over and out.

CoP

____________

IRAN FIRST

____________


  •  
« first‹ previous12345