MM

Thanks Abarmard, Yolanda, CoP and VPK. So far, we have....

Thanks Abarmard, Yolanda, CoP and VPK.  So far, the suggestions are:

* A public discussion of what is wrong now and ways to communicate solutions

* A public dialogue to educate the masses on personal freedoms vs. intrusion into others’ affairs

* Reiterate and repeat discussions to maintain awareness of the benefits of  social/political freedoms

* Separation of religion and government, while respecting all religions

* Anti-discrimination laws (religion/sex/local language/…)

* Freedom to wear burqa or no head-wear (social freedoms)

* Abolishment of polygamy and seegheh

* Bill of rights (while acknowledging our own heritage of the rights bestowed on the masses by King Cyrus, adopt the charter of the UN human rights!)

* Democratically elected officials whose highest degree of loyalty is to the people (democracy, political freedom)

I would like to add:

* Discuss government strategies to set a strong Iranian agricultural and industrial basis that makes Iran independent of oil revenues

* Discuss government strategies to help forment highest levels of competency in education, science and technology in the government and the private sectors

* Respect for Iran’s neighbors and a strategy of non-interference (respect for humanity) 

* Stiff penalties for RESHVEH (honest wages so that people do not resort to RESHVEH to get things done)

* Social security / health insurance for all 

* I will not repeat all of the good points in David Etebari’s charter at www.iransecular.org, but if you do not agree with any of them, let’s discuss why.

What is good

From my point of view the most important things are:

• Getting religion out of the government. I already wrote elsewhere all the benefits and how it can be explained. I very clearly do not mean atheism or anything like that. I mean government should not favor one religion.
• A bill of rights. Without it a democracy will devolve into a tyranny of the majority. Imagine democratic laws having different tax rates based on religion or restricting minority languages. A bill of rights protects against that. 
• Power must be in hands of elected official who need to be periodically reelected. No president for life. No VF. No Guardian Council. No disqualifying people.

Thanks Abarmard,

Communication leading to a clear way towards democracy is what Iran needs going into the 21th century.

Good blog

Thanks. We should not have package mentality! as has been mentioned in this site for years now. Meaning that we need to (NOTE: this is general for companies, countries, and successful movements)

1) know our clear objective (Example: democracy for Iran is not specific, equal pay for men and women is)

2)  Outline the struggle in order of social acceptance (This happens only when we clearly understand our capabilities, which allows realistic planning)

3) Establish strategies and scope of the problems and the possible roots (Changing government is not an acceptable strategy/scope, Islam is the root of all problems will not allow to get to an answer BUT instead think: The part in the Islamic Thought that does such and such should be reinterpreted->Changing the law of the land->how to do so)

4) communicate the approaches in simpler and non-class base to general public->Note the benefits based on the current establishment-->What you get out of it

5) establish connections and communicate those benefits.

6) Start next on the list (Back to 2)

7) Start new Objective (Back to 1)

This will allow the society to properly evaluate the current state and investigate capabilities, which in fact is a realistic approach to cultural taboos, social shortcomings, and opportunities and strengths.

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Hi! MM,

Actually, if the conservative people choose to wear hijab (or chador), that is ok....just don't make it mandatory and I hope they abolish the 76 lash penalty...also don't force female soccer players and volleyball players to wear hijab....that is inhumane......I watched a lot of figure-skating last few days....apparently, Iranian women can compete in skiiing, but not in figure-skating because of Islamic dress code.......Make a long story short....there is no freedom.....too many fun things, you can't do....

thanks,

Yolanda - Conservative Jewish women still do wear "hijab-like"

In the US, many conservative MARRIED Jewish women still either wear roosari or have changed to wearing a hairpiece instead of the traditional hijab.

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Hi! MM,

     It is very interesting that hijab was invented in "Jewish" community, but Jewish women don't have to wear hijab anymore......but IRI imposes the hijab on its people....

     Sigeh is a strange deal......I guess they don't call it "Islamic Sanctioned prostitution" over there, they call it "temporary marriage", the marriages are even officiated by mullahs.....it is so weird....I watched it on you-tube...

Well said, CoP

I am just tired of these Islamists that compare Iran to, e.g., PolPot rule in Cambodia, and then say, see, we are way way better. 

I completely agree: you gotta put people before religion.

You have to believe in the human rights before you truely practice your religious rights.

MM, you seem to think

that the Islamic Regime and those who support it (out of some sense of twisted belief about independence or perosnal gains) actually care about Iran. Of course they're going to compare themselves to all the terrible regimes this planet has seen until today. Do you really expect them to compare themselves to decent regimes who actually care about their people?

By the way, for the apoligist who would be asking just which regime, here's a the answer:

All the entire Western Democracies, and others who put the people in front of ideology and religion.

Notice that the resident apologist (sargord) reply is a kop out at best. He usually can offer some bogus stats, but not this time! How can he? He got nothin'.

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IRAN FIRST

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Yolanda, regarding your point about hijab....

In a National Geographic special, I saw that the head-cover for women was "invented" in small Jewish communities of the ancient world as a direct responce to the 7th (thou shall not commit adultery) and the 10th (thou shall not covet ....; .... ; covet your neighbor's wife) commandments. 

Like many other rituals, hejab was imitated after Prophet Mohammad, whose wife and daughter did not wear hejab.  Meanwhile, all these Islamists refer to the Noor Sureh as justification for hijab, which is hogwash.

As a means of rationally judging hijab, I wonder if there are folks out there that have any statistics / comments on comparisons of:

1. infidelity before and after 1979 in Iran when hijab was implemented

2. prostitution before and after 1979 in Iran when hijab was implemented. 

For now, let's leave seegheh (Islamic sanctioned prostitution) and polygamy (a means of female subjugation) out of these statistics, otherwise there will be no comparison.

Yolanda, morality police exists where religion & politics mix

All your points are well taken.  Keep them coming.

With the help of basijis, the morality police are there to intimidate the public to conform to a mold recognized by the Mullahs.  And, as you say, the morality police need to go and get a real job.

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Hi MM,

   I just want to add "C" to my last post......

C) We need to get rid of Morality Police, those people need to have some real jobs......I don't know any other countries have morality police besides Iran.....China, Cuba, and North Korea don't have morality police....

Thanks Yolanda

Your first category (executions) falls within the lack of political freedoms, while (b) belongs to the category of lack of social freedoms.  Hijab is a way for these Islamists to subjugate women and build second class citizens. 

While Hijab is not the only social freedom Iranian women have lost, the loss of political freedoms is what these thugs are really protecting within Iran.  we just saw two young innocent men executed just because they had communicated with the Monarchists outside of Iran.   What a sham & insecure bunch of 7th century poor excuse for a government. 

Regardless of the government that the people of Iran choose, in my opinion, Iran will get a big head-start towards the 21st century once it establishes:

1. Separation of religion and politics.

2. Full implementation of UN's charter of human rights

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Hi! MM,

    Thank you for your blog! A great topic.......if we compare Iran to other bad regimes, it is still pretty bad in at least 2 areas:

a) IRI's execution percentage ranks #1 in the world....so apparently IRI beats out other bad regimes in the execution business....it does not look like IRI wants to improve its record, it looks like IRI wants to shatter its execution record in 2010.....

b) Mandatory hijab law.....violators could face 76 lashes... There are 57 Muslim countries in the world......I am not sure which country other than Iran has mandatory hijab law and 76 lash penalty.....

Thanks, 

relative? yes, but compared to our own past, and future needs

Sargord,

Everything is relative, but why does it have to be relative to other regimes in distant lands? 

Relative? yes,  but we need to compare to our own past,  see where we are now and see what we need for Iran' future.

Well, MM, as one of the

Well, MM, as one of the oldest philosophical sayings in the world goes: "It's all relative."