Message from Shiraz
"Please let everyone know that most every
young Iranian supports George Bush"
November 2, 2004
iranian.com
Few can forget President Bush's State of the Union
speech in 2002 where he bluntly labeled the Iranian government
alongside Iraq and North
Korea as the
world's
leading advocates of terrorism. Not surprisingly immediately following the
controversial speech Mideast experts, journalists, and politicians
spewed forth an anchorage
of viewpoints regarding its effects on the battle for the soul of Iran.
Predominately
all leftist liberals contented support for democratic movements within the
country aided the hard-line Islamists establishment while American
conservatives strongly
dissented arguing the exact opposite. Contrary to various propaganda polls
inside of Iran drastically sided with the latter.
In polls stationed
by reformists within
the country, 75 percent of Iranians favor relations with the United States,
58 percent favor a separation of Mosque and State, 74 percent
favor a referendum
supporting a change of regime, and perhaps most importantly 52 percent of
Iranians feel that Bush administration policy on Iran is 'somewhat
correct'.
In 2003, President Bush once again renewed his support
for the Iranian people. This time with a deeper sense of urgency
and depth. "The government of Iran represses
its people. Iranian citizens are risking intimidation and death to
speak out for liberty, human rights, and democracy. Iranians have a right
to choose their own government, and determine their own destiny -- and the
United
States supports their aspirations to live in freedom."
In a message
separating the good natured people of Iran with the government, the President
won the
hearts and minds of many Iranians demonstrating for human rights, democracy,
and freedom
against a ruthless dictatorship. According to several publications several months
before departing, a group of 127 Iranian reformist MPs launched
a blistering attack on their powerful
hard-line
rivals, warning supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that the political
deadlock was threatening the very survival of the Islamic republic.
The
letter stated
that "Perhaps there has been no period in the recent history of Iran that
was as sensitive as this one," warned the strongly-worded letter, citing "political
and social gaps coupled with a clear US plan to change the geopolitical map
of the region."
Furthermore, "If this is a glass of poison, it should be drunk before our
country's independence and territorial integrity are put in danger," the
letter said in its call for "fundamental changes in methods, attitudes and
figures".
It also highlighted the Iranian people's desire for
fundamental changes within the regime including calls for democracy
and human rights. "Most
people are dissatisfied and disappointed. Most of the intellectuals are either
silent or leaving (and) foreign forces have surrounded the country from all
sides."
 According to the Iran Press Service, "perhaps
one of the most striking sections of the letter spoke of the possibility
of either internal revolution
or foreign
invasion if massive reforms aren't implemented. The unprecedented
direct and uncompromising tone of the warnings to Mr. Khamenei
reminded the last days
of the deposed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979, when many nationalist
personalities, forecasting the dangers ahead, would advise him
to return to democratic rules,
but he would not accept."
The President's support for freedom fighters inside
of Iran has fueled virus debate at home. While Pentagon officials
have been
pressing
hard for public
and private actions that they believe could lead to the toppling
of the government through a popular uprising, State Department
officials are
advocating supporting
the lamed reformers surrounding President Khatami inside of Iran.
But
then again
when has the State Department ever been correct regarding International
Politics. They were predicting horrible consequences following
our War on the Baathist
party in Iraq, consequences which never came to be.
While no one believes that the current status quo
can survive inside of Iran there is a lively discussion regarding
the possibility
of either an
internal
revolution or possibility of hard-liners relinquishing their power.
Whichever the outcome of the mounting debate on US policy towards
Iran President
Bush' unrelenting support for the demonstrators in Iran has had
an immensely positive
effect.
The majority of Iranians inside Iran stand strongly
behind President Bush while those ungrateful and those organizations
with
questionable
ties with the Iranian government stand with the oppressors of
the Iranian populace
and
John Kerry.
One young Iranian female in Shiraz eagerly told
me to inform President Bush that "those
who had visited Iran and spoken to the Iranian populace had consistently quoted
our desire to support George W. Bush's efforts and show our solidarity with his
unrelentess efforts for a free, democratic, Iran. We're quite aware, mainly due
to the Internet and Satellite television that John Kerry and his supporters are
apologists of the Iranian government and working to cut deals with the Iranian
dictatorship.
Speaking for Iran's
youth population, she addressed Mr. Kerry: "We refuse
to be your paid-off pawns and we refuse to allow you to allow
our slaughter for your selfish intentions in Iraq and Afghanistan.:
We know the truth and
the truth is that you, Mr. Kerry, are a great oppressor to our
people and an enemy
to a free Iran. Please let everyone know that most every young
Iranian supports George Bush."
Indeed the devoutly pro-Bush young populace in Iran
do, but how about the ungrateful pro-Kerry Iranian young populace
in United
States?
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