Good vs. Evil
Two decades has passed since the monarchy in Iran crumbled and was replaced
by an Islamic republic. During this period, Iran fought a violent war
with it's neighbor which claimed hefty losses on both sides of the borders.
The financial losses of which to Iran alone are estimated to be near one
hundred billion dollars. But for now, the country is fighting a political
war. This is the classic case of Good vs. Evil. One side is for freedom,
democracy and a civil society while the other promotes hate, violence
and extremism.
Faced with the challenge of freedom versus religious fundamentalism,
the President Mohammad Khatami has become the promise of a fresh breath
of air. Thus the people anxiously await his victory over the hard-line
clerics. Government policy once encouraging isolation of the country,
is slowly being replaced with openness and dialogue of civilizations.
More newspapers are being published faster than the hard-liners can shut
them down.
The mood of the country is very similar to that of 1979 which lead
to the revolution. People are talking about issues and openly question
the authority of the hard-liners to interfere in every aspect of their
lives. Can this be a new beginning for our people who have always struggled
for freedom while never getting a taste of it? Or will evil with his
call for hate and strict religious policy crush our dreams of a free tomorrow?
The latest killing of the Iranian dissidents and intellectuals by the
security agents, executions of two more Iranian nationals on charges of
armed robbery, cutting off the fingers of four more people recently, the
questionable death of Mr. Saeed Emami or (Islami) and the arrest of thirteen
of our Jewish countrymen on spying charges, warn of the strength of the
opponents of peace and democracy.
Understandably, we cannot expect Mr. Khatami to talk the talk and walk
the walk for us. We are going to have to find a way to emphasize personal
responsibility for all our people to contribute to a better tomorrow for
our beloved country. We must take a stand and voice our opinion as loudly
as we can, chanting for a free society. Only then, the Good shall triumph
over Evil and the serenity of freedom and liberty will cover us.
Sia M.
