I was marching in the nostalgic Azadi Avenue this morning along with millions of Iranians nationwide commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Thirty years on the Revolution is still viable and moving forward in spite of all the pressures, obstacles and sanctions. The streets were filled with people from all walks of life, men, women ,young and old, had all taken part on the basis of their beliefs and aspirations for the future of Iran. The march was a display of the diversity that the Iranian nation harbors when it comes to defending their revolution.
The weather was mild in Tehran and everyone enjoyed the walk. We had marched this avenue during the Revolution and these demonstrations were probably the most effective method to topple the pro-American monarchial regime in 1979. Among the slogans that millions chanted under the threats and gunpoint of the Shah's regime, was " Independence! Freedom! Islamic Republic!".
Facing pressures from all corners of the country, former President Khatami has now indicated that in spite of his reluctance , he cannot remain indifferent and has decided to run for the third term. From what I know about his psyche , Khatami has no personal ambition or interest in running for Presidency. He has come to the conclusion that he should make a sacrifice to come once again for reform. A reporter from a Chinese satellite asked me what if Khatami did not win the elections. I told him Khatami had come to stand for the elections but he also had a religious and cultural agenda to bring back to life to the authentic values of the Revolution.
May your country, a "civilisation", continues to develop into a better and peaceful place for its citizens, without much culturally insensitive advices from foreign "societies".
ReplyDeleteI've been very good at predicting what's going to happen in America and in Iran politically, so I'm gonna attempt another prediction, this time about what's going to be the result of Israel's elections tonight!
ReplyDeleteI think Mr. Avigdor Lieberman will join hands with the Kadima Party to form a coalition government which WILL be in favor of the 2-state solution as opposed to the Likud Party who stands against such a pragmatic solution.
Mr. Lieberman the leader of the Yisrael Beitenu Party, although considered a very right wing politician, I think he sounds like someone who will argue for the old "Periphery Doctrine" and a "Rapprochement" with the 2 non-Arab powers in the region, i.e., Turkey and Iran who (theoretically) can help America succeed in the formation of a new Palestine alongside 1967's Israel, hence protecting Israel from the Arab threat of a third Intifada which is quite an "existentialist" one for a demographically shrinking Israel!
So I hope IRI politicians and their MEDIA outlets will know how to start introducing or defining the NEW Israeli reality to their masses who have been told to shout "Death to Israel" for 30 years!
Isn't it time to use the Iranian Council of Cultural Revolution to REVERSE the trend of the past 30 years in slogans which appear to have run out of their usefulness?
Isn't it time to "un-teach" the youth of Iran the so-called "revolutionary principles" of anti-West, anti-American, anti-Semite posturing that according to some of your radical Ayatollahs, Iran just HAS GOT TO keep showing??!!!!
Isn't it time for poor "mostazafeen" Iranians to unlearn the HATRED toward the "Great Satan" that has been used by Iranian leadership to keep people vigilant and on their toes in the face of foreign threats?
After all, today Mr. Ahmadinejad himself just declared that "the threats are gone"!!!
:-)
Long Live Peace!
Long Live Justice!
Long Live Mutual Respect!
I just posted a comment here making a prediction about another country's elections (Israel), which Dr. Ebtekar may read very carefully and even forward it to her old bosses and colleagues, but I think she might very well deem it inappropriate to actually post it for the whole world to read, which I quite understand! but if I may, I would like to describe my vision of World Peace here, so that it's clear where that prediction of mine comes from:
ReplyDeleteYou see? a long time ago, when I predicted President Obama's win even before he announced his candidacy, I did not have a crystal ball or I was not suddenly spoken to by God Almighty who whispered this into my ears!!!! I just had a genuine and pure HOPE in my heart, and I chose to BELIEVE in it soooooooo steadfastly that it became a CAUSE, a MISSION, a HUGE part of my life, so much so that I basically put every other aspect of my life on hold just to see THIS HOPE turn into REALITY!
The other HOPE that came to my heart as I was working hard for Obama's campaign last year, was the one about Iran's future, the HOPE that included the replacement of Mr. Ahmadinejad's hard-line government with a RATIONAL and pragmatic one which could HELP my Obama with his revolutionary vision for World Peace!
Last year, as the primary elections got heated up and I became 100% sure of my beloved Obama's eventual win over Hillary, I got worried about a possible October Surprise being orchestrated by the STILL persisting and stubborn Neoconservative Republicans who couldn't possibly be OK with an Obama presidency! So, that's when I started to act upon my own "Audacity of Hope", believe in the "Better Angels" of some leaders in Iran, and decided to APPEAL to Iranian politicians (either on this site or through email addresses I could find of them) and PLEAD with them to SAVE the genuine cause of Obama's World Peace!
I knew without Iran's help and positive contributions to the solutions that Obama is thinking up for world crises, GENUINE CHANGE could not come about and my beloved Obama would be reduced (by his enemies at Fox News and other idiotic outlets) to a one-term disappointment in the eyes of American people, just the way Jimmy Carter was 30 years ago! That's why I pleaded and have been pleading with IRI's Supreme Leader to tell his people that it's time they "unclench their fists", take hold of Messiah's extended hand, and do what Imam Mahdi would have done if Obama was REALLY Jesus Christ!
Obama is the world's ONLY chance for avoiding the Armageddon and instead, to FINALLY free Jerusalem from APARTHEID, making it available to the people of ALL the 3 faiths, putting an END to portraying one group of believers (those following Prophet Moses) superior to another group (followers of Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohammed) just on the basis of their RACE!
Allaho Akbar!
Obama Rahbar!
"chanted under the threats and gunpoint of the Shah's regime, was " Independence! Freedom! Islamic Republic!"."
ReplyDeleteWell you got one out of three, not a bad deal.
The one you got "Islamic Republic" is because Khomeini refused to allow the other choice which was Democratic government to be included in the referendum. If I remember correctly the referendum was: Do you want Islam or not. Do you think anyone dared to say they didn’t want Islam?
This is actually the anniversary of hijacking of Iranian revolution by Mullahs. I bet Dr. Mosadegh has been turning in his grave every day of these past 30 years.
hey! obviously I knew absolutely NOTHING about Avigdor Lieberman when I wrote that comment, but now I can see a bit more clearly who's who in Israel:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1064179.html
btw, ... if only Avraham Burg could be Israel's leader of the Liberal Party! ... if only! ...
http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/10074
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avraham_Burg
what a JUST and beautiful world that could lead to! too bad, he's not! :-(
again, in the tune of Professor Henry Higgins' song "Why can't a woman be more like a man?", I sing:
Why Couldn't Ehud Barak be more like Avraham Burg?
:-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6iktQ2y1Rs
:-)
I call my modified version of that song:
"Why can't a conservative be more like a liberal? Can't a hawk learn to use his head?!"
here is my lyrics to the song ;-)
-----------------------------
OBAMA sings:
What in all of heaven could've prompted them to fight,
After such a triumph as 1978?
What could've depressed them;
What could've possessed them?
I cannot understand the bunch at all.
Conservatives are irrational, that's all there is to that!
There heads are full of cotton, hay, and rags!
They're nothing but exasperating, irritating,
vacillating, calculating, agitating,
Maddening and infuriating hags!
[President Barack Obama to Senator Teddy Kennedy]
Kennedy, why can't a conservative be more like a liberal?
[Kennedy]
Hmm?
[Obama]
Yes...
Why can't a conservative be more like a liberal?
Liberals are so honest, so thoroughly square;
Eternally noble, historic'ly fair;
Who, when you win, will always give your back a pat.
Well, why can't a conservative be like that?
Why do all of them do what the hawks do?
Can't a conservative learn to use his head?
Why do they do ev'rything the racists do?
Why don't they grow up- well, like the Pope instead?
Why can't conservatives take after enlightened men?
Men who're so pleasant, so easy to please;
Whenever you are with them, you're always at ease.
Would you be slighted if I didn't bow to Israel?
[Kennedy]
Of course not!
[Obama]
Would you be livid if I had a TALK with Iran?
[Kennedy]
Nonsense.
[Obama]
Would you be wounded if I destroy the world's nukes?
[Kennedy]
Never.
Well, why can't a conservative be like you?
One liberal in a million may shout a bit.
Now and then there's one with slight defects;
One, perhaps, whose truthfulness you doubt a bit.
But by and large we are a marvelous sect!
Why can't a conservative take after a liberal?
Cause liberals are so friendly, good natured and kind.
A better political system you never will find.
If I put limits on Free Market corruption, would you bellow?
[Kennedy]
Of course not!
[Obama]
If I roll back your huge tax-breaks, would you fuss?
[Kennedy]
Nonsense.
Would you complain if I talked to another nation?
[Kennedy]
Never.
[Obama]
Well, why can't a conservative be like us?
[President Barack Obama to Senator Dick Ligar]
Mr. Lugar, you're a conservative...
Why can't a conservative be more like a liberal?
Liberals are so decent, such regular chaps.
Ready to help you through any mishaps.
Ready to buck you up whenever you are glum.
Why can't a conservative be a chum?
Why is thinking something conservatives never do?
Why is logic never even tried?
Stockpiling their weapons is all they ever do.
Why don't they stockpile some wisdom in their heads?
Why can't a conservative behave like a liberal?
If I was a conservative who'd been to a 6-day war,
Been hailed as a victor by one and by all;
Would I start killing like an Auschwitz overflowing?
And carry on as if MY home were in a blockade?
Would I use tanks and never tell me when I'm stopping?
Why can't a conservative be like me?
-------------------------
thank you! :-)
Long Live Jimmy Carter!
Long Live Barack Obama!
Long Live Teddy Kennedy!
Long Live Liberal Democrats Worldwide!