What will be the next move?

Resolution in favor of the republican side is a necessity for avoiding another upheaval

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What will be the next move?
by Ardeshir Ommani
22-Jan-2010
 

How the political leadership of Iran deals with the deepest political crisis following the tenth presidential election could be an important test for the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) in its three-decade history.  At the center of the crisis, apparently, lies the allegation of fraud by one of the presidential candidates, Mir Hossein Mousavi with 11.71 million votes or 34.07% of the total ballots cast against the incumbent winner President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who, according to Iran's electoral commission, received 21.78 million votes or 63.36% of the votes cast by a total 34.38 million, or 84% of the country's eligible voters. 

In the last six months after the election, Mousavi has not provided the Guardian Council, in charge of validating the election results, with any evidence of fraud or even significant irregularities.  On the contrary, Mousavi, over-zealous by his newly elevated popularity among the upper strata of the middle class with diverse political visions–-pro-western monarchists, Mojahedin Khalgh terrorist organization, Freedom Movement of Iran, an old pro-western organization, and a majority of unorganized mass with socio-economic and cultural demands–- periodically put his stamp of approval on the on-going riots which were gaining dangerous momentum, wasting lives and destroying properties in its path.

With a cue from its leadership on the sidelines, the actual organizers were using every occasion—religious, or days with politico-historical significance—to bring about divisions within the working class majority, the government, the religious hierarchy, academics, the university students, the service sector workers, the national security forces: the Basij (unarmed militia), the policemen, and the military forces, and the operatives in the national radio and television stations.  But more than any other audience, the leaders and the activists in the demonstrations, carrying signs and banners professionally made, with English-language slogans asking "Where is my vote?" and "Ahmadinejad is a Dictator" were trying to attract the attention of foreign media, the ideologues and the statesmen and women in the western countries, particularly in London, Paris and Washington, DC rather than the consideration of common Iranian citizens.

With Eyes on Obama

To fan the flames of unrest in Iran, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and Barack Hossein Obama of the U.S., on several occasions declared their support for the riotous activities of the opposition in Iran and expressed their intentions of taking advantage of the Iranian government's politically weakened position to pressure Iran to cease supporting the Palestinian liberation struggle, abandon its nuclear enrichment program aimed at production of electricity, and impose more stringent trade and economic sanctions on the country.  One of the key speakers for the Iranian opposition in Europe, Mr. Makhmalbaf and others in the U.S. was pleading with the European heads of states and the U.S. State Department to break their diplomatic negotiations aimed at dealing with the differences between Iran and the U.S., Britain and France.

As the protests in Iran intensified, and as a majority of the people, pro-Ahmadinejad and even those in the Mousavi camp realized that the true objective of the opposition is far beyond the presidential election results, and as the core of the protestors turned ever-more violent and as a greater number abandoned the theatres of fierce clashes and attacks by the opposition crowds on the unarmed security forces and the state and private properties with the ultimate aim of over-throwing the state organs, the liberal leaders of the mobs, Mousavi and Karoubi removed themselves from the daily activities of the protestors.  The greatest damage that Mousavi and Karoubi inflicted was not on the so-called Principalist, an ideological trend that Ahmadinejad represents, but ironically was on the ideals of the reform movement, which was for years in the making.  Such a bourgeois-liberal movement, if it had the chance to mature, and follow the path of reform as they preached, would have been able to strengthen the republican side of the state and soften its side of theocracy.  The negative feature of the reform movement, should it ever succeed, would be its strong belief in the tenants of neo-liberal economic theories and believing in free market concepts and U.S. rhetoric about democracy at its face value.

Time to Retreat

Belatedly realizing the strong opposition of a great majority of the Iranian people to the damages inflicted on Iran's international credibility and domestically, Mir Hossein Mousavi and his sympathizers have come up with the idea of  "national unity" to avoid facing prosecution for their role in the de-stabilization demanded by some key clerical, political and military figures of the Islamic system.  Given that the security forces have arrested and charged hundreds of individuals from stratas below the leadership with violations of civil and criminal codes, it remains to be seen if any meaningful charges will be leveled against Mousavi, Karoubi, and their backer, Rafsanjani, who were the ideologues and the strategists of the civil unrest that resulted in deaths and casualties of tens of people.

It remains to be seen if Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad, after a long period of solemnity and deliberation, have reached a point where they will bring Mousavi and Karoubi to justice or they exercise leniency with regard to these leaders of the opposition and put the blame on groups that the clerical leadership of the Islamic Republic consider ideological nemesis. For example, on January 10, 2010, an Iranian lawmaker from the Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Kazem Jalali told Fars News Agency "Those who were on the streets on Ashoura to foment unrest and riots were typical enemies of the country, including…Marxists and those who historically feel hostile towards the Revolution and the ruling system."  But it would be hard for Congressman Jalili to prove that under the rules of the Islamic Republic in the last three decades tens of thousands of Marxists have been nurtured and survived the periodic state investigations.  It is not hard to see that the Iranian lawmaker is deflecting the guilt from members of the ruling authorities and directing the charges at the easy targets of ‘Marxists and Socialists’.  After all, the leaders of the revolt were the old "family members" of the leadership and seemingly remain above the law.

Forces Shaping the Events

The current unrest was the result of three forces joining hands:  the most visible of the three was the role of the foreign powers and the financial and logistical support they provided to the pro-western and well-to-do strata in Iran who received their ideological, political and practical directions from foreign, particularly the U.S. and British intelligence operatives, Iranian counter-revolutionaries acting as the long arm of the U.S.-U.K. organizations that channel funds into the accounts of anti-government links.  One of the critical components of the foreign factor is the $400 million that the U.S. has provided for broadcasting anti-government and anti-Islamic propaganda through dozens of TV and radio stations beamed into Iran.  Although imperialists and their partners need no excuses to intervene in the domestic affairs of Iran or any other country, but the essential weaknesses in the outcomes of the 1979 Revolution and the character of the state that emerged from it have been exploited by the foreign and domestic forces who were the direct targets of the Revolution.

The 1979 Revolution had two general objectives: Independence from foreign control and domination and secondly establishing a democratic society.  The revolution accomplished the first aspiration and freed Iran from foreign domination over the economy, the direction of foreign policy and the political organs of the state by removing the Shah of Iran who was a major link with Washington and London.

With regard to the second factor, establishing democracy, the abolishment of the rule of monarchy was the greatest achievement of the revolution.  But the biggest weakness was the establishment of a type of republic that is overshadowed by the preponderance of the theocracy.  Although the president of the country, the representatives of the parliament (Majlis) and the administrations at the city and town levels are directly elected by the people, but the most vital institutions of the country and their policies, including the supreme command of the defense forces, the intelligence apparatus, the foreign policy direction and even the character of the economy are the sole domain of the theocracy, formally headed by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.  As a result, the republican component of the state is undermined by the theocratic circles of power which dominate the organs of the state and the economy. This contradiction is a sore spot in the system that periodically erupts and gives rise to factions within the state apparatus and by extension causes schisms in the society.  As far as the political power is concerned, the resolution of schisms in favor of the republican side of the state at the expense of the theocracy is a necessity for avoiding another upheaval in the near future, which may threaten the revolution itself and the country's independence.

The third factor is an ever-increasing gap between the rich, those in the key positions of foreign and domestic trade, in the top layers of the government and theocratic circles, on one hand, and the majority of the population, workers in the private and public sectors and the small farmers in the rural areas, on the other.  In other words, the third factor in destabilization are the problems inherent in capitalist development, particularly manifested in high rates of unemployment among the young people, affecting college educated or otherwise, the high price of shelters and the bureaucracy of the government that generally disregards the rule of law.  The low rate of labor productivity in both private and state sectors, not to mention corruption and lack of transparency in government projects—contract auctions, and issuance of import-export licenses—no doubt diminishes the trust and confidence of the masses with regards to the character of the state.  

In other words, the laboring classes in Iran are doubly burdened: the theocracy on one hand and capitalist development on the other. 

AUTHOR
Ardeshir Ommani is an Iranian-born writer and an activist in the U.S. anti-war and anti-imperialist struggle for over 40 years, including against the Vietnam War, and now the Iraq-Afghanistan-Pakistan war.  During the past seven years, he has participated in the U.S. peace movement, working to promote dialogue and peace among nations and to prevent a U.S.-spurred war on Iran. He holds two Masters Degrees: Political Economy and Mathematics Education.  Co-founder of the American Iranian Friendship Committee, (AIFC), he writes articles of analysis on Iran -U.S. relations, the U.S. economy and has translated articles and books from English into Farsi, the Persian language. 

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Mehdi

Anybody wants to actually say something on topic?

by Mehdi on

OK, if you want to make you opinion known about someone, fine. But that should be a side note. The main part of your comment should be about what the writer says here. Why are you guys not discussing the write-up? I see a lot of claims about who is an agent of who but no discussion about the subject. I guess some people feel that if they psychologically discredit the writer in the eyes of others, then they don't have to actually answer the points he has raised. Well, I for one, am not fooled. Do you have anything to say about the writeup?


BehroozA

Dear commentators

by BehroozA on

I saw a banner on this site a couple of weeks ago. The banner had a picture of Israeli flag and was asking for donation to help Israel. I was wondering if that is any less shameful than taking money directly from governments?  Specially when Israel wants to bomb Iran.  No disrespect. I am just wondering.

It is funny how some of my Iranian Jewish brothers and sisters on and off this site attack other brothers and sisters for being Muslim and call them Arabs and call them names, but when I ask them since they are such great people and have such a great religion and culture, to name some of the contribution Jewish community has made to Iran and Iranians from 2000 years ago until now, they have no answer.  No Ferdosi, Saadi or Hafez, No scientist No Architecture, No Hospital or school dedicated to Iranians general public, No Art, Nothing?  Can some of you who knows about any contributions by Jews to Iran inform me?  I have seen plenty of their lying, cheating, robbing and their contributions and support of Israel. I appreciate your inputs.

Is it true that US congress is passing a law that makes it a crime to criticize Israel?


FG

2 further observations on the banking crisis

by FG on

A total loss of public trust is the most important thing that limits Thugs 'N Thieves when it comes to slowing down an impending panic that threatens to accelerate the collapse of the banking but it is not the only thing.

Consider the regime's past and most recent treatment of economists.

--In the past Khamenei has warned journalists and politicians against reporting bad economic news, especially if it is accurate.

--The regfime hasn't hesitated since to arrest and prosecute journalists or economists who do so.

--In just the past week, at least eight economists were removed from their university posts for not agreeing with the regime's preferred "conclusions" about where the economy is headed.

In sum, under the Khamenei/IRCG regime, it is just as illegal to tell the truth about economic conditions as to tell the truth about the regime's many other crimes, however visible they may be anyway.  It is also wrong to protest against either.

No government can solve real problems when surrounded by "yes" men.  Openness, transparency and freedom to identify and criticize problems is critical.


FG

Bank riots reported in several cities and some shootings

by FG on

There are simply too many reports from too many different cities of bank riot incidents when people discover they can't get their money.  Is it really gone?  Will they ever see it?  And if they do, will it be worth anything by that time?  For people who have gone weeks or months without pay, this is another sad blow.

It appears a banking panic may have started and may be growing worse.  I've reported on some of these incidents in two SUBPOSTS under a blog I wrote today on Yazdi's clerical students assaulting Khomeni.   You can find them here:

//iranian.com/main/blog/fg/clerical-students-attack-khoumeini

Banking panics of this sort can be hard to stop.  Temorarily--for a few days perhaps--you can close the banks while you straighten out the difficulties (or pretend to in Iran's case) and build trust.  FDR did this during the Great Depression.

When FDT promised to address the problem quickly and when he said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," he was believable so it worked.  For a million reasons, the people's TRUST is impossible to come by now for leaders as deeply despised as Ahmadinejad and Khamenei.  

Even Herbert Hoover would have had a better chance of reassuring a frighened people. Everyone knows how much wealth Khamenei, his clerics and the Republican Guard have stolen--tens of billions!  Why should they stop now?  Why would anyone ever trust them now? 

Throw in all the other public crimes Iran's models of probity have committed as part of their unsuccessful but enraging "intimidation strategy.   Include in their Trust Polt so many amazing lies they have told--the Neda lies, the "we didn't rape or torture anyone" lies, the "election wasn't rigged" whopper, the "foreigners are behind all discontent" nonsense, and the latest one ("a USA earthquake bomb caused the Haiti disaster)." 

You can't close banks for more than a few days without confirming supicions.   Otherwise, the moment banks open, people will will try to recover what they can and reject all reassurances.  

A regime this corrupt, thieving and brutal can't expect foreign nations to bail it out with loans, except for Venezuela which doesn't have enough cash for an endless bucket.   That foreign investment is down 96% in the past year isn't due solely to sanctions but to a total lack of confidence in Bribe Land.    Everyone knows the regime's fatcats will continue to subsidize Lebanon's Hezbollah, stuff their wallets with more money and exchange Iranian currency for anything else.   Aside from moral qualms, would you toss away money on this bad bet?

When it comes to the Ahmadinejad/Khamenei/Yazdi/IRCG & Basilj regime, no government has ever inspired less popular confidence. Iran's people are deeply, deeply, deeply suspicious (and rightly so) of its honesty, its competence and everything it does. 

How much would the American people have trusted FDR if he had committed similar crimes and whopping lies in a very public intimidation campaign?   Would they have stayed at home when the banks reopened had that been the case.

CONCLUSION: FDR's model offers no formula that Thugs 'n Thieves can use for self-evidentr reasons.  

SUGGESTION: May I suggest that term, "Thugs & Thieves" be used henceforth as a more apt description than "Islamic Republic" when it comes to embodying the regime's essence?

 

 

 


Harpi-Eagle

Re: FG's Comment

by Harpi-Eagle on

FG,

Right on target and very precise.  So, JJ now you understand why I say Ommani is like Kianouri the 2nd ?!!  That is NOT bad o bira, that is caliing it like it is my sensitive, ultra liberal friend.  In the future, think carefully before wacking my comments.  You might want to read FG's comment twice actually !

Payandeh Iran, Our Ahuraie Fatherland


Pahlevan

Mammad you are indeed out-of-touch

by Pahlevan on

You are quick to smear people based on what? rumors? so someone says that Sazegara is "cozy" with some guy who is supposedly a "neocon" and part of some other organization who is not AIPAC but has connections with AIPAC ... ? and then you conclude by accusing Sazegara of having a certain "thinking"!!??. I mean with this kind of "reasoning" one can easily connect anyone to any organization and accuse them of having a certain "thinking". Taking a quick look at your past comments it looks like you are defender of Trita Parsi. Well, with the same kind of "reasoning" you used to determine the "thinking" of Sazegara, I can easily connect Trita Parsi to Khamenei and conclude that he has the same kind of "thinking" as the Islamist Murderers in Iran ... you see my point?. 

Furthermore, You are the one who seems to have no clue about the green movement. you seem to have the notion that Mousavi and Karoubi are leaders of Green movement and that Sazegara and others are trying to take this "leadership" from them. This goes to show how out-of-touch you are with the people of Iran and their movement. This movement has no leader but the collective wisdom of the Iranian people. You think it was Mousavi or Karoubi who encouraged people to demonstrate in the streets on Ashoura? you think slogans like "Marg Bar Asleh Velayateh Faghih" or "Esteghlal Azad Jomhurieh Irani" have anything to do with Mousavi or Karoubi?. Sazegara was actually one of the first people to propose protesting on Ashoura day, but does that make him the "leader" of the green movement? hell no, real leadership of the opposition emerge from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, SMS, cell phone, website, digital camera, email, internet collective ... what I call collective wisdom of the Iranian people. Now go look for some holy leader whose picture you can see on the moon.

P.S. Magas, don't worry JJ deleted your comment as well as my response to it, because "hamaana JJ aadel va mehraban ast" (Avesta, Soureyeh Iranian.com, Ayeyeh 1)


FG

Actually Omani is right

by FG on

THE IRANIAN PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT FROM EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD 

Unlike so many other peoples in Europe, Africa and Asia the Iranian would normally have no intestest at all in human rights or democracy unless someone put them up to it.  Surely they would not want a free press, honest elections, a competently run economy, etc. unless some wicked outsiders put then up to such mischief.

THE OUTSIDE WORLD IS INDEED AT FAULT

Despite cameras and secret police other and despite the fact that western intelligence agencies possess very limited human resources, the number of western agents on the ground were both so numerous and so effective they MADE Iranians want such things.

How do we know that most opposition charges against Iran's omnipresent security forces are false?  All we need is the sacred word of people like Ommanni?   Though he righty dismisses all alleged crimes of Khamenei's security forces as bogus, he must surely admit they are guilty of at least one thing: Mass incompetence at catching spies.  

Given the required number of foreign agents needed to sway a whole people and given the number of security forces available to stop them, it's a mystery why they haven't even caught on, let alone hundreds. 

I admit to being puzzled by several things:

1) Where would the outsiders suddenly acquire agents? 

2)  Given all the other trouble spots in the world, how could the foreign enemy put so many resoueces into one country. 

3) Since Iranians are notoriously nationalistic and since they had so many great reasons to love the regime, how did they agents manage to become so effective?

4. Isn't it miraculous that they achieved such dissent overnight?  Or it they spent years stirring up discontent behind the scenes how did they manage it?  There must have been many sleeping security forces and broken security cameras for no one to spot this.

HONESTLY IRANIANS HAVE SO MANY THINGS TO LOVE ABOUT THE REGIME

1. It's death squads--the 1988-1998 ones and the current ones who dealt out well-deserved punishment to folks like Neda and Mousavi's cousins.

2. Its undercover intimidation squads and their lovely way of trash homes, dorms and mosques of anyone who criticizes including high Ayatollahs (we all know the latter are western agents, don't we?) 

3.  Its use of arbitary (preventive) arrests, its courts where trials are held in private, torture-induced confessions allowed, and defense attorneys barred or arrested in turn if they actually try to defend someone

4. Its lovely way of arresting relatives of journalists, human rights spokesmen and dissenting politicians, then torturing them in a cell next door to the Arrested One so as to induce confessions.

5. Its praiseworthy mass burials of victims, it's interference in their funerals and its beating abnd arrests of mouring mothers.

6. The nifty way it beats anyone who protests are the street (Women rightly seem to especially enrage)./

7. The way it teaches journalists, dissenting politicians and human rights workers a lesson in its jails by torturing, raping and murdering them.

8. The wonderful way it brought the Khameni family ($36 Billion +) and other ultraconservative clerics (over 100 with $10 million or more) from povety to wealth.   (However, the people RIGHTLY despise clerics like Montezeri and Karroubi for refusing to take such money and then cricizing those who did).

9.  It's terrific achievements in making capita income has actually go down over 30 years while clerical income went up, up and UP and foreign investment fell (94% recently).

10. The joys of inflation which has provided so much play money to amuse the people. 

11. The pleasurs of massive corruption (Iran ranks in the top 10 there) and weeks or months of payless paydays.  They say an economic monopoly, such as the IRCG's stranglehold over the econony, is actually a wonderful thing.

MY CONCLUSION  

Yes, the Iraniain people truely are different and don't want the things that other people want. There are so many things to appreciate about this regime that its hard to make any case against it, just as Ommani argues.  His position is so easy to deend that to disagree with it is a joke.

To summarize, it's totally inconceivable that Iran's people wouldn't love it unless some dirty schemers put ideas in their heads.

 


Mammad

On Sazegara and Omani

by Mammad on

Sazegara is not an AIPAC agent. Saying so or implying it is wrong.

But, he was cozy with the American Enterprise Intitute and the neocon Michael Rubin, some of Israel's most ardent supporters. He participated in several seminars on Iran organized by Rubin at the AEI (remember that the AEI was one of the "intellectual" centers for invading Iraq), and was against voting last time, but as soon as the Green Movement began protesting and gathering strength, he changed colors yet again. He was also a "visiting scholar" in another pro-Israel institute, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, an offshoot of the AIPAC. Being cozy with such people and organizations does not make Sazegara an agent of AIPAC. It is wrong and unfair to say that. But, it does go to show the thinking of the man.

In one of most glaring signs of the man's ambition, he, together with Nourizadeh and Makhmalbaf, issued a statement a while ago saying that Mousavi and Karroubi may be arrested and that, if that happens, "the leadership of the Green Movement will be transferred to outside Iran." What do you think this means? Transferred to whom?

The Wall Street Journal recently said that senior leaders of the Green Movement in the United States are  drawing a list of sanctions. Who do you think these "senior figures" are? I have yet to figure this out, although I can certainly make an educated aguess.

As for Omani, he is clueless about the Green Movement. He just sees the hands of Britain and the U.S. in it, and in the process insults millions of honest Iranians that bravely go out, demonstrate peacefully, and demand a democratic society in which the rule of law is supreme.

I have no doubt that if the Western intelligence agencies could do it, they would try to manipulate the GM. But, in my opinion, attributing everything to them means one and only one thing: Being clueless and out of touch. 

But, Omani is also not an IRI agent, just as Sazegara is not an agent of AIPAC. So, labeling him as such is wrong, and his voice should be heard. Moreover, his points about the gap between the rich and the poor in Iran, and theocracy are valid. People like me applaud JJ for posting such articles, even though he totally disagrees with their contents. That is the true meaning of freedom of expression.

Mammad


marhoum Kharmagas

Fair

by marhoum Kharmagas on

I did laugh at your comment but will not entertain you anymore, as my debate with you was/is in another thread ( //iranian.com/main/blog/sargord-pirouz/irans-... ), and fortunately that thread is now a read only thread.

#take it easy-- 


Fair

MK Slander

by Fair on

Actually you could be taken to court for slandering people. You call Sazegara an AIPAC agent with absolutely no proof whatsoever, and you have the gall to claim "you have exposed him" and achieved "checkmate", when all you have achieved is slander and lying, and the only thing you have "exposed" is your dishonesty and/or illiteracy.

Furthermore, you accuse me of being willing to support an AIPAC agent without any proof whatsoever, and again, claim an empty "checkmate". I support NO enemy of Iran, AIPAC or IR fascist government, whereas you do, and do so openly.  So don't drag me down into your sewer.  I am Iranian and do not sell out my people.

They should make a special chess tournament (as in "special olympics") for mentally and logically handicapped flies like you, maybe there you can achieve "checkmate" under the relaxed rules.  In a real chess game you would be toast (or should I say fly-swatted).

 

-Fair


marhoum Kharmagas

It is not double standards by JJ (to Harpi)

by marhoum Kharmagas on

Personally I don't think your comment should have been deleted because it contained words such as Commi or apologist. However, JJ is not doing these deletes because of double standards. Yesterday he deleted my comment because I referred to someone as AIPACi, I think it was about the same time that he whacked your comment!

BTW, I have had my share of disagreements with JJ, and I think he is watching my comments like an un-bald eagle so that he can block me again, but one has to be fair and understand the difficult position he is at.

JJ, likening you to an un-bald eagle can theoretically be considered as a personal attack.


Jahanshah Javid

Civil discussion

by Jahanshah Javid on

Harpi-Eagle, don't give me that. You said a lot more than "Pseudo Commie". If you look at the comments by people below they have said many things that are crude and distasteful but have not been deleted.

This is not a KKK demonstration. Ommani is using words, and reason, to express his views. I totally disagree with his opinion. All of his opinions, in every article of his. But those are his opinions.

If you think any person who supports a point of view, no matter how ridiculous, is an agent or mercenary, then the same applies to you and I and everyone else.

You can spend your energy replying to your opponent in a reasonable fashion, or you can act like a verbal hooligan. This is a place to discuss ideas in a civil manner. And I'm not interested in ideas that only agree with mine.

If you are outraged by people with views that offend you, don't read their articles. Or if you do and would like to respond, you are welcome to do so in a manner that helps us learn something, rather than engaging in fohsh o bad o beera.


Harpi-Eagle

JJ You have double standards ...

by Harpi-Eagle on

JJ,

I am not asking you to muffle the sound of Ommani or anyone else, but also don's delete my comments just because I call Ommani a Pseudo Commie, as I said this is merely stating facts and I or anyone else don't need any proof, we can get that from the context of his article.  Also when I say Brother Mehdi is an IRI propagandist, this is based on the body of his comments and comments history, I hope you show better jusgement and not delete this (My 3rd coment).  As far as your arguement about free speech, here in the US, when KKK wants to demonstrate, the government gives them that freedom, but they also don't prevent Anti-Klan demonstrattors from showing up and shout what they think of KKK.

So, that's perfectly fine to advocate free speech, I'm all for it, but be careful that in your over zealous free speech adovacy you don't side with the IRI or the Klan, becuase my friend when you delete 3 of my comments just for calling Ommani what he is and brother mehdi what he is, you are treading in that path.

Payandeh Iran, our Ahuraie Fatherland


Jahanshah Javid

Reminder

by Jahanshah Javid on

Khaleh Mosheh, how did you determine this is IRI propaganda? You're suggesting Ommani is a criminal, murderder and rapist?! May I have some evidence please? Or are you the judge, jury and executioner, IRI style?

If you don't like this article, write a comment and say this part and that part are totally wrong for this and that REASON. Don't tell him to shut up and call him names!

And may I remind you that in every free society EVERYBODY has the right to speak and express views. EVEN criminals, murderers and rapists! That's why those societies are FREE.

Next time someone defends the Shah or Reza Pahlavi I'm going to call him a rapist and propagandist for the monarchists and refuse to publish any such "criminal" views. Every time someone defends the Green Movement, no doubt she will be regarded as a CIA agent and banned. And every time someone opposes Iran's nuclear program, guess who she's working for? The filthy zionists.

Sorry. That's not my style.

I see no harm in publishing the views of someone I oppose, including Ommani. That is the essence of free speech. Free speech is not reserved for people who think the same way as you or I do. It's for everyone, most importantly people I cannot stand to hear.

If we don't learn to tolerate opposing views, we aren't going to get anywhere. You can end the life of the Islamic Republic tomorrow. But without you and I and others tolerating our opponents, we will have yet another dictatorship.


khaleh mosheh

Dear JJ-Reg Tolerating opposing views

by khaleh mosheh on

Whilst freedom of expression in an honest debate is fine- supporting criminal activity by propaganda is not. In no society criminals or their views are tolerated, in fact murderers, rapist etc are punished.

Tolerating IRI and their propaganda is misguided. They have expressed their willingness to kill 750000 people so IRI actions goes beyond freedom of speech and visibly enters the realm of criminality which no one should be expected to tolerate. 

Political parties who advocate racism or hate are not tolerated. Nazi Germany should not have been tolerated. This is clearly not freedom of speech but supporting criminal actions and murder in alot mor subtle and insidious way. 

As for my donation, it was a small amount and given that I have had many good moments on your website- I will consider it as token of support for what has been before and not related to such IRI propaganda being published here. However I will cease to comment here as a result to indicate my feelings that known IRI publicists (as opposed to general members of the public who want to exercise their right to free speech) should not be easily (at least not with my blessing)given a platform to spread their malignant views.

Additionally this is not all about freedom of speech as you deleted my 2 previous comments regarding this piece being a clear IRI propaganda.


Bahramerad

The 1979 Revolution Failed on all fronts !

by Bahramerad on

@ Ardeshir Ommani : As you say : The 1979 Revolution had two general objectives: Independence from foreign control and domination and secondly establishing a democratic society. 

Islamic Republic has never been free of foreign control. From the day that they signed the secrete Algiers accord to not nationalise the Oil & Gas assets of forgien ( AMERICAN & ENGLISH )companies and save them and cary on trading with the 7 sisters Oil company their fate was sealed.

Also , In order to have some protection - They went under the umberalla of the Soviets and then the Russian Federation and the some extend to the Chines economic and political sphere.

Far from Becoming independent from the West - having been beholden to them to trade their OIL & Gas products - they had to give suker to every body else as well - from the Palestinian & Syrians to Arabs and African & South American countries which left the Iranian economy at the mercy of China, Pakistan, India, Europe & All the countris in East Asia.

And As Far as establishing a democratic society , Not only the country is not now a democracy and a law abiding & contant society but the the abolishment of the rule of monarchy was one of their greatest mistake and although after 30 years - most of the civil laws under the perivious regime are still on the statutury books and mainly responsible for what order there is in the runing and organisation of the civil service - having distroyed parts of it and not being able to replace them with laws that the people would adheare to - the country has became unlawful and ungovernable .

It is indeed the "domestic forces who were the direct targets of the still born Revolution of 1979 , that have now come into the streets demanding their rights and shouting - WHERE IS MY VOTE " - A REFERNCE TO ALL THE SHAM ELECTIONS UNDERTAKEN BY THE ISLAMIC FASCIST REGIME - GOING BACK TO KHOMAENI'S - YES & NO CHARLETANISM .... 

 


Jahanshah Javid

You can't tolerate your opponent's views?

by Jahanshah Javid on

Khaleh Mosheh, the author of this article is expressing a view that you don't like. If you wish to express your view without calling him names, please go ahead.

More than 90 percent of the material published in iranian.com is explicitly against the Islamic Republic. This site is banned in Iran. But this does not mean that those who support the policies of the Iranian government are banned from iranian.com.

If we cannot tolerate even a few people who express a different view, then what is the point of fighting for freedom and democracy? What is the point of freedom of expression if you don't want to allow your opponent to speak?

As for your donation: No one by the name "khaleh mosheh" has donated anything to iranian.com. If you wish to get a refund, email your name and address to jj@iranian.com and specify how much you donated. You will be sent a check. Baa kamaale meyl.


khaleh mosheh

I am not

by khaleh mosheh on

supporting IRI propaganda by my hard earned cash.

Kindly arrange a refund of my donation. 


Jahanshah Javid

Please

by Jahanshah Javid on

Stick to the subject of this article and express your views for or against. Please do not make any personal attacks.


Q

Mousavi did provide detailed evidence

by Q on

of irregularities, including but not limited to:

- Ahmadinejad using state money for campaigning for years prior to the elections.

- Guardian council campaigning for Ahmadi

- Mousavi supporters being kicked out of the interior ministry during the final tallying

- Hardliners cutting cell phone service at a crucial time for Mousavi poll-watchers

- Mousavi campaign being raided just prior to polls closing.

So, Ommani, you stand corrected. It's obvious you are heavily influenced by anti imperialist / marxist philosophy. But you are wrong in this case, and you don't come accross as sufficiently sympathetic to the millions of Greens.

But at least you are trying to have a conversation and communicate like a human being. This is far from the case of some of the commenters on this thread, who are just righteous blowhards.

Luckily these people are irrelevent to the future of Iran and always will be.


mehdi2009

You must be joking!! SPOT ON My Foot!

by mehdi2009 on

To the other Mehdi or what ever your real name is,

You talk about Super-emotional response. You bet we are emotional, because we care about Iran when somebody like you or Ommani speaks out of place.

Have you been to Iran in the past 6 - 7 months? Well I have been and I have seen with my own eyes the Destruction which your Murderous Regime has brought on to our country.

Let me repeat the crux of Larijani's speech yesterday for you. In it he said that the FOREIGN investment has decreased by 96% in Iran which prevents it from any growth, and add to that the 35% Budget shortfall which was the direct result of your Lunatic president's (Khameneie's MALIJAK) economic policies, and then we can clearly observe who is DESTROYING Iran.

I am also glad that there are TRULY Intelligent Iranians who can see the crap which is put out by people like Ommani and you. If any one has no counter-argument it is you.

Salutations to ALL The TRUE Sons and Daughters of Iran.

Mehdi2009


Mehdi

Spot on!

by Mehdi on

Even the super-emotional but empty of any logic comments by anti-Iran cheerleaders demonstrate that the article is so spot-on that they can't come up with even the slightest counter-argument. They can only throw mud and show their personality, which by the way, matches precisely what the author described here - violent (I would actually call them psychotic).

I am glad that there are truly intelligent Iranians who can see through the BS and are not busy cheering for the destruction of their country under the boots of foreign powers, like it was done in 1979. May 1979 never happen again.


Shazde Asdola Mirza

Shame on Ommani, shame on CASMII, shame on IRI

by Shazde Asdola Mirza on

Every voice counts! Every action counts!


Paykar

Good Job Ommani

by Paykar on

in deceiving yourself and attempting to do the same to others. Pseudo
Marxist analysis Vis a vis the burden working class feels, does not wash
away the outright sophistry you not-so-skilfully display regarding the essence of the current movement. People are now correcting what went wrong in 79.

Getting satisfaction from a false independence that you maintain was the fruit of Isalmic revolution is awkward, at best, when your whole identity and culture is put through one of the most backward and cruel experiments in our history.

 

Freedom

Independence

Iranian Republic

 


INFIDEL

Such a shame.

by INFIDEL on

Such a shame seeing Iranians saying the protests are being directed and manipulated by western media and intelligence agencies. Such a shame. this is why Iran is the way it is now, this is why the islamic republic is the best Iranians can do now. There are so many reasons why I think this is shameful but it's so sickening that I want to just stop here. 

Before I do though, I'd like to ask the 'anti-imperialist' fellow writing this - does he protest Iranian imperialism? The one agitating civil war in Iraq? The one threatening neighboring states? The one dominating Lebanese society? Is that the independence Iranians wanted with their revolution, the independence to be bullies themselves? What hypocrisy. 

And unlike the Americans the Iranians are leaving nothing but death and destruction and misery in countries they're meddling with, while the yanks are spending billions on development and betting on open society and democracy. If I were an Iraqi or afghan I'd support the US wars. I wouldn't if I were Iranians, but for Iraq and Afghanistan yes. 


Fred

This or that

by Fred on

When even the Capitalist living, Communism preaching, Islamist Rapists backing speak of some anomalies in their last best hope for the egalitarian paradise, it might mean it is time for new client-based cause

Then again it might just be an extremely rare appearance of conscience, nah, it is the former.  


mehdi2009

Too much nonsense to respond at once.

by mehdi2009 on

Mr. Ommani,

I can tell that the Great Movement of Iranian People against the Murderous Regime has hit a Raw Nerve within you to spew so much garbage at one article.

First of all let me make ONE THING CLEAR FOR ALL OF THE APOLOGISTS of the MURDEROUS REGIME; Ahmadinejad DID NOT WIN THE ELECTION. You were not obviously in Iran during the election as I was, because you have no clue how it was conducted and otherwise you would not blurted out all of the crap that you have written about Khameneie's MALIJAK's alleged victory margin of 63.36% to 34.38%. This claim is so Ludicrous that every one with half a brain knows it is MADE UP by the Murderous Regime's Propaganda Machine. The name of the candidate whom one was voting for in Iran was written by HAND of the Voter, and the IRIB on the day of election even reported that because of this fact and the large number of participants it would take between 3 to 7 days to count all of the ballots, and not the 6 hours which the Murderous Regime announced Khameneie's MALIJAK as the victor of the election. In another words to put in layman's terms so you and your fellow apologists can comprehend, the ballots were never counted (Wow what a shock for a bunch who lies for a living).

Now for the rest of your absurd and illogical claims (such as UNARMED BASSIJ), either go to Iran and see it first hand or take your head out of the sand for a change and read articles which is not your liking. 

The Regime with the help of Khameneie's MALIJAK and the IRGC have ruined Iran's economy and any minimal international reputation that was enjoyed before. Did you listen to one of your master's henchmen, Larijani's speech, where he said that Iran had 96% less foreign investment last year. Have ever noticed the 35% Budget SHORTFALL, 30% REAL INFLATION and 40% REAL UNEMPLOYMENT in Iran??? How about more than 5 million addicts and half a million prostitutes??? These were not created by the Great Iranian People's Movement. It is due to CORRUPTION, INCOMPETENCE, IMMORALITY and UTTER STUPIDITY of this Murderous Regime. 

You are part of that Fast Shrinking 5-10% Strong Support that Murderous Regime enjoys, and when the money runs out you too will change your colors like a Chameleon!!!

Salutation to ALL THE TRUE Sons and Daughters of Iran. 

Mehdi2009


Anonymouse

Mousavi doesn't need to show "evidence". Regime needs to account

by Anonymouse on

If Ahmadi won by such a large number why not show the accounting to all 4 candidates and their reps and others so it can be examined and approved?

When the whole world is watching, not just Iranians, this would have been the best opportunity for Khamenei, Ahmadi and regime supporters to show the ballots and count them.

In all precints there were dozens of observers, I was there I know.  WTF are they good for if they can't put together a good counting of the votes?

They f****d it up and they were caught red handed and now this.  If they were not so zealous and gone through at least a 2nd round, maybe just maybe things wouldn't be so f****d up.  They didn't even wait for the polls to close or even give time to count and counted 40 million votes in one hour! 

No count = no soup for you! 

Everything is sacred.