Current Events

Non Violent Resistance Did Happen

Millions showed their non-violent resistance in the eyes of the Ayatollahs by celebrating Sizdeh Bedar. They could not stop Iranians ... 70 million Iranians. That is a cultural event, not politics, and not religious. It has saved the integrity of our country for all these thousands of years. Yes it has. Why can't you all see the obvious. But more importantly, why is it that the media does not focus on this huge cultural event.

If this was done in the name of something Islamic, it would be all over the world news; helicopters with cameras would have it all piped to CNN and Obama would be making some political capital out of it. So folks the point is the biased camera. Political theatre is our problem. Even this site controls its front page. When you write something cultural but mentions Iran the politicos, just like their religious colleagues, get all worked up and not publish it.

The world knows full well the non violent force that is already in Iran and is winning. Once the old go naturally it will all change. It does not really matter as in the long run the old are the only people who love capital punishment and hate free will. Social networking has changed all that. People are free to express outside the world of biased journalism. Biased journalism is the curse of the modern world, and each one is getting hit by comments on the social networks. There is a quick way, and a very sure long way. Either way we win.

Ali Mostofi

//www.alimostofi.com

I agree with Non-Violent Resistance but....

I always wondered if this was a good and effective strategy, then why the big guys military (US, Israel, Russia, etc…) don't adapt it.

And I always thought just laughable when the army of one nation occupies another nation with lots of guns but ask the native people to resist peacefully!!!!!!

Mehrdad

Très intéressant !

Philosophers, Diplomates, Journalists (in other words les bien-pensants) can't promote violence, and noone is asking them to do so...but a the same time,I don't think iranians needs lecture about how violence can lead to something worse !!

 I don't see the situation in black or white, the mouvement can be non-violent (like it started in june 2009) and can show few fights against the armed militia! I see it more like european resistance against the guestapo !

 some violence, if necessary why not ???!! with keeping the global vision of a democratic aim ! après tout on n'a pas affaire à des enfants de coeur !

i like the example of Ukraine, where women used a bit of charms to destabilize the solders but it will not work with a theocratic regime, too bad :))

(i listened to one hour of it,after that kalamam soot zad lol but i loved it, so thanks for sharing )

Non-Violent Resistance?

Sounds good in theory.

The problem is, in reality one side commits violence regularly and vigorously and that side is not the Resistance.

So, what to do?

it was a very articulate

it was a very articulate discussion and somewhat convincing arguments by the panel for the case of non-violence. the most poignant comment was made by the italian ex-diplomat where he contrasted egypt's uprising with iran's.  the iranian sepah has nowhere to go while the egyptian military had a way out and that is why they swiftly removed mubarak and started to clean house (he also mentioned that the "verdict is not out" yet on outcome of egypt's military coup).

i just wonder how much damage the people can endure through non-violence and how long it would take (if ever) to topple this regime through this method.

Violent Islamists!

Violent Islamists who have taken tens of millions of Iranians hostage under their barbaric rule are the only source of violence in Iran. Iranians are generally peaceful and respectable people. It is the criminal regime which fears the rule of law and not vice versa. It is the regime's security forces and its hired foreign mercenaries who have resorted to violence to brutalize and murder peaceful protesters.

I hope all those who can't

I hope all those who can't write anything but rubbish on this site, listen very carefuly to what these guys say, and stop contributing to violence which brings us noting but failour

Had Forgotten!

I had forgotten that "Ramin" had voluntarily entered Evin and when leaving he also voluntarily put up his parental house as bail.

I agree with Ramin. Non

I agree with Ramin. Non Violence oposition is the only way. Any other way shall fail

You aint gonna get rid of khamenei by "political philosophy"....

Of any kind, let alone one preaching "non-violence".

History has taught us that these kind of fascist dicatorships such as islamist regime can only be toppled by mass actions of disobedience, such as well co-ordinated and planned strikes, street marches, acts of extreme violence by people against it's leadership and finally the knock out action of an armed uprising against a demoralised, divided security forces of the regime.  

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."

Civil non-violence requires the State to blink

As long as Iran doesn't blink Civil disobedience will never work.

Iran's current laws establish the government as having the moral right to put down what it can legally label as treason.

When they think they are right and you are wrong, it's a lot harder to get them to listen to you by holding a sit in.

United opposition, not the kind of disunited muted safe whispers from the wimpy, can point out the many legal and real flaws Iran has. Enough so, that policy by the rest of the world, can be focused to bear on Iran to cave from within.

The other problem is that no one dares to guess whether or not the collective majority will of Iranians inside Iran would necessarily wish this government to go away.

The other other problem is that like most mental patients, some people simply can't blink.

Nice People

These are very nice people. They have good intentions I am sure. They just do not know the Islamic Government of Iran. Non=violence sounds good but the Islamic Government will never go away if it does not become violent.

Excellent panel

Thank you for posting!

Anachronisms!

Are these guys talking about 2011 Iran? Such anachronisms coming from an Iranian is indeed "embarrassing!"

The Ayatollahs lost legitimacy when they started their massacres and purges of Iranians, even those who helped them come to power.

Claiming the poor is with the regime is tantamount to insulting the intelligence of the majority of Iran's population which lives under poverty line.

Debates of this kind have very little to do with the realities on the ground. These debates are only suited to the academic world where students are more concerned about getting their degrees and their professors about their paychecks at the end of the month than the inhuman and repressive conditions Iranians have had to deal with for more than three decades!

Only one solution

There is only one solution for Iranian left and that is millions of Iranian should come out to street with knives and axes and guns and anything they have and with no question start taking all Police and Basiji and Sepah bases and burn all mosques not the banks or any buildings only mosques and that is the only way to get rid of this regime otherwise there is no solution for it and Iranian regime is unlike any other regimes and I don’t care how brutal other regimes been, but no one ever seen this type of the regime before in their life time and comparing with soviets or the eastern bloc or south America or anywhere in world is completely discourse because  there never been any regime in world to compare to this. Violence not by gorilla style or the other kinds will lose the battle before they started, but by pouring millions of people in the city and attacking them from everywher and result would be win v v win, otherwise wait for the IMOM MEHDI to free you!

It is embarrassing to read

It is embarrassing to read this report, just after the whole of Iran defied the Ayatollahs' ban on Noruz. In fact the power of the ceremony is so great and non-violent; that the Ayatollahs have had to admit defeat, and create one of their own. Khomeini must be turning in his grave.

Ali Mostofi

//www.alimostofi.com