What Khamenie Must Do To Save Iran

Making peace on the domestic front will ensure peace on the foreign front

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What Khamenie Must Do To Save Iran
by Mohammad Alireza
28-Jul-2012
 

Over the past couple of months ordinary Iranians, mostly the unemployed ones, have asked me whether I think there will be war as they know I keep up with the news on the Internet. I tell them, "No, but things will get much worse."

Last week a half a dozen of them gathered in my office and once again the topic of war came up. Specifically, they ask whether or not they would pick up a rifle, if Iran was attacked. These are mostly ordinary workers in their twenties that don't read newspapers, surf the Internet or watch the VOA or BBC. The news they get is mostly through the car radio and the evening news on the state-run TV channels. I thought they should see a video that I had downloaded. I showed it to them. It was of the helicopter pilot singing "Bye Bye American Pie" just before his Hellfire missiles splattered a "terrorist". You can see it for yourself here.

//www.liveleak.com/view?i=652_1341423015

I explained to them if a military confrontation takes place between Iran and America, it would not be like the Iran-Iraq war but would consist of drones, carpet bombing, and non-stop missile attacks - and none of them would have to go to the front lines holding a rifle because not one single American soldier would step foot on Iranian soil. The look on their faces when I told them this made it clear that this was information that nobody had ever given to them.

During our discussion one of them, Abbas, said something that I found to be very interesting. Abbas said he had gone to a mosque and noticed that a group of Basij members were sitting around talking about war, so he decided to ask them some questions to find out how they would react. Essentially, what the Basij members told Abbas was that the main reason they were Basij was because they were being offered motorcycles and various other financial incentives, and that these were the only reasons they were part of the Basij. As far as fighting for the regime, all of them had said they would refuse to fight.

I bring this up because the issue of war is on the minds of most Iranians in Iran, and what they want to know is why. They are trying to make sense of very complicated geopolitical forces, but have access only to state controlled media that they know can't be trusted, especially given the fiasco of the presidential elections of 2009.

So, if the Basij won't fight to keep the regime in power, and angry protestors are pouring into the streets either demanding cheaper chicken or their votes to be counted, how is the regime going to go to war and hope to defend the country? Firing off missiles in the desert and making unrealistic threats about closing the Straits of Hormuz are not going to fool anybody.

Almost everyone in Iran believes that Khamenie holds the key to this complex and extremely deadly situation. He has succeeded in becoming so powerful that no other power center in Iran is in a position to make decisions regarding war and peace. Once again one man's decisions affect an entire nation. This situation is the number one reason why the 1979 revolution failed, and so there has to be change. Already there are voices within the regime voicing alarm and attempting to find a solution.

The peaceful path is for the regime to come to terms with its failures and immediately begin the process of transitioning to a democratic system of government based on the rule of law, by allowing a real opposition to exist and not savagely crushed, as it happened three years ago.

When Abdollah Nouri, a former regime insider suggests holding a referendum on Iran's nuclear activities, it is indicative of the existence of a dammed up force in the country ready to burst. The regime has enough intelligence and security agents across the country and therefore knows how serious the level of discontent and anger is and how close it is to boiling over. It can wait for the dam to burst and flood the nation, or it can play a constructive part in the process of Iranians taking control of their own country and creating the society they want. And this means a revision of the Constitution, whereby the necessary tools are given to Iranians to manage their own affairs rather than being told what to think, to wear, to say, and to believe in.

The first few steps are essential in creating the necessary environment for revising the Constitution. One essential tool is a free press, because without a free press it is impossible to know where the problems are, and if you don't know where or what the problems are, how can they be solved?

There must be freedom for peaceful gatherings, creating political groups and parties, and holding peaceful demonstrations, because these are the essential means through which citizens can organize and create the society they want.

There must be free and fair elections, conducted transparently and monitored objectively without taking sides, so that the voting process can not be corrupted, manipulated, and turned into a hoax. Amazingly, even the present Constitution allows these essential elements, but their implementation has been blocked by the hardliners.

Most important of all, Khamenie needs to make peace with Iranians. As a first step he must free all the political prisoners and journalists, and allow the banned newspapers that have been closed down. Making peace on the domestic front is essential for making peace on the foreign front.

There are no reasons for Iran to be interfering in issues that are not in its national security interests, with the most obvious being interfering in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The injustice being inflicted on the Palestinian people by Israel should be left for them to deal with. There are no reasons for Iran to be supporting Assad or the opposition to him; the problems in Syria are for Syrians to solve.

Making peace on the domestic front will ensure peace on the foreign front. But, unfortunately this is up to one man who most likely is surrounded by advisors that, instead of telling him the truth are making him blind and deaf to reality, just like the Shah. When Iranians shouted marg baar diktator [death to the dictator] from the roof tops in 2009, they were referring to Khamenie, not Ahmadinejad. If Khamenie refuses to address Iran's domestic problems at this critical time, or makes the wrong move on the foreign front, and military
confrontation does take place, Iranians will start shouting from the roof tops again, but this time the fate of Khamenie will most likely be similar to the Shah's.

Assuming the Constitution is revised and it is decided that there needs to be a separation of mosque and State, the clerics may want to reflect on where they went wrong. They will need to ask themselves why the best and brightest, numbering 200,000 a year, leave Iran. They will need to ask themselves why there exists rampant corruption throughout government agencies. Why there are so many drug addicts in Iran. Why there is so much "parti baazi" [nepotism and bribery] in the judicial system. Why a very large sector of society has developed hatred for the clerics and even considers the ruling clerics as being non-Muslims.

Blind obedience to ideas and writings that are from hundreds of years in the past has not worked and insisting on conformity has not lead to an Islamic utopia, which many thought they were voting for back in 1979, but instead has bought the country to the very precipice of war.

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Seyyed-Ali-Khamenei

به‌‌ به‌‌، خداوند سایه شما را از سر جمهوری اسلامی کم نکند

Seyyed-Ali-Khamenei


چه زیبا نوشتید فرزند راستین اسلام، جناب محمد علیرضا.  وقتی‌ که چندین سال پیش جناب محسنی اژه‌ای درباره آوردن شما از جنوب لبنان و استخدام شما با بنده مشاوره کردند، بنده کمی‌ شک داشتم که شما بتوانید وظائف کاری خود را به انجام برسانید، آنهم بیشتر به دلیل نا آشنا بودن شما به زبان فارسی، و اسمتان که عربی‌ است.  ولی‌ جناب اژه‌ای من را خاطر نشان کرد که شما کار خود را به نحو احسن انجام خواهید داد.  و من الان می‌دانم که برادر اژه‌ای بصیرت زیادی داشته اند.  جدیداً هم جناب مصلحی استخدام شما را برای پنج سال آینده تمدید کردند به اذن الله.

شما واقعا که فرزند راستین انقلاب هستید.  طوری که شما کلک میزنید و به مردم وانمود میکنید که در ایران زندگی‌ میکنید ولی‌ مخالف نظام مقدّس هستید، آنطور که بنده را با گاندی مقایسه میکنید (البته افراط نشود که این گاندی ملعون کافر بود) و آنطور که درباره آمریکا بدی مینوسید، واقعا که فوق العاده است.  شما نور العین جمهوری اسلامی هستید.  فقط ملاحظه بفرمایید که اسم ایرانی‌ برای خودتان انتخاب کنید.  ما محمد علیرضا در بلاد فارس نداریم.  

السلام علیکم و رحمت الله و برکاته.   


ham1328

Best written piece I've read in a long time.

by ham1328 on

You are right on target, I wished Khameneie would come to grips with reality, but he wont. As the old saying goes" Dictatores lie to their people and they are lied to as well". Thanks for sharing your thoughts in such an eloquent post.


amirparvizforsecularmonarchy

FG on your ignorant views and beliefs

by amirparvizforsecularmonarchy on

todays news was supportive of my comments to you funnily enough though not as red hot as wikileaks which is still unreported. 

//www.rt.com/news/british-jihadists-fighting-...

Wikileaks was a better source, on muslim brotherhood and its usa and uk funding, political use and mercenary uses.  Late Shah had to deal with so many long eared, 4 legged professors among the public, it shocks the imagination what the media can cook up and manufacture, contrary to facts. by not reporting x and instead reporting y ie propaganda.

 

 


amirparvizforsecularmonarchy

bahmani, why say it that way?????

by amirparvizforsecularmonarchy on

on "The real fact is that given Khamenei knows all of this and still, yet,
to this day, abjectly refuses to give up his ill gotten, illegal power." 

You Know this is actually the kinds of people the USA wants for iran not a secular democracy, thats the point why skirt it? 

The only problem the USA has with the extremists it brought to power and has kept in power intentionally since 1979 to do exactly what they have been doing is because the USA can forsee they will not be a containable Power in the future. 

So other extremists are needed urgently, the green movement was about bringing other extremists and its toast, the MeK are waiting for a Republican President and until that happens the USA will wait it out, since it looks like Obama will likely win and the Left doesn't have any good ideas for how to bring extremists to power, without the use of US force they will have to play their dud cards for another 4 more years.  Either way the changes in iran if brought about by outside forces will be more of the same or worse. 

On: WE need to stop talking, and take action to save our country.  You must know that Secular Democratic Forces are being thwarted for now, are organized poorly and have zero political support from the west, the options they give are war with support of MeK or negotiations.

Lets at least laugh out loud togehter, at this rate with this perverted politics the USA/UK/France are pursuing, the chances of the Mullahs handing over power to religous supporters of the Monarchy are incalculably higher than handing it to religous supporters of the MeK. 

Only a power as mentally slow as America could create such a ridiculous situation which creates changes in a way that serve no one. 


bahmani

Naively Optimistic in So Many Ways

by bahmani on

There is absolutely nothing wrong with your suggestions and assertions and recommendation. Because they have been made repeatedly many times in the past 15 years that this site has been up, and even longer, before that.

The overwhelming response however is, Na Baba! No Duh!

First in your video attempt to suggest that war is somehow supposed to be honorable and humane. Newsflash! It isn't. It is supposed to be brutal, cruel, and unusual. The enemy, whether civilian or not, is supposed too go splat. That is the entire point of it. Actually, the footage you showed, proved that sometimes Americans miss.

What Khamenei should do?

What he should do has been already written 200 years ago when Democracy and representative governance and the abolishment of religion from government was established as the "right thing for all mankind"

The assumption that this is a new revelation to you and Khamenie, is insulting to me and anyone who happens to know this much history [].

The real fact is that given Khamenei knows all of this and still, yet, to this day, abjectly refuses to give up his ill gotten, illegal power.

The real truth and news is that it may very well take your first exhibit, namely a long range nightvision video of a well placed hellfire missile to convince Khamenei of the error of ignoring very apparent and obvious history.

YOU don't need to re-state what Khamenei "ought to do". YOU/WE need to stop talking, and take action to save our country.

Once we have done that for once, trust me, everyone knows exactly what we "ought to do" next.

To read more bahmani posts visit: //brucebahmani.blogspot.com/


amirparvizforsecularmonarchy

FG maybe you have a poorer memory than mine.

by amirparvizforsecularmonarchy on

I don't know who Samoza is or about him, show me a link of my comments google my name + Iranian.com + samoza or any comment you allege I made of this person who I do not even know who he is or what country he belongs to.  You maybe mistaking me for another amirparviz of which there are hundreds if not thousands or someone entirely different.

The comments I have made have been consistent with certain assumptions, which are based on certain scientific facts/studies which US/UK/French Decision makers use to explain why they are acting the way they do.  Their criminal actions, unlawful actions, which are made to look in support of one idea whereas they are not and follow the same formulation of important articles in the mass media their secret services are tasked to create in order to implement their foreign policies, which are unlawful/criminal/inhumane/opposite the idea they say they stand for publicly.

The Assumptions,

1) The USA/UK/France National Interest is to support both monetarily and orgaizationally/logistically, as well as give political aid to extremist & undemocratic forces. Who publicly claim to be democratic, like Khomeini/ now MeK in Irans case.

2) The USA/UK/Frances Natonal Interest is to thwart the democratic aspirations and progress of certain countries. 

On your comments on Mubarek.  Khaddafi.  Assad. Firstly, They are in an entirely different category and committ FAR LESS Harm, than the leaders of USA/UK/France/Russia/China/Japan/Germany, on their own people or others.  Secondly, the tears should not be shed for them, but for their people who are going to be under the direct control of far worse elements, backed by the USA/France/UK.  The Muslim Brotherhood is not loved for its humanity, sadly the Free Media, protects the interests of the powerful and did not publish much of the heavenly detailed info that was made public as a result of Julian Assange ad Wiki Leaks.  For example, we did not know until the Wiki leaks were released, that some of the people that the USA had captured and taken to Guatanemo, were released, because they said they were hit men for the british secret service and members of the muslim brotherhood, when their stories were found to be true, they were released.

The problem with Your Kind of thinking, FG, is its kept secure by dis-belief and rooted in false beliefs you are unware of, this problem then leads to an inabilty to connect the true macro big picture, with the true micro small picture, being blinded & mislead, out of your own cluelessness, maybe even niavely expecting to learn something from the Free Media, which is being used to implement policies within the context of making the west look as good as it possily can, in the process of committing crimes.  In your case having been effectively manipulated with help from yourself, you fit in well with what the late shah termed, An-tellectuals.  Yes you'll get all the cheers, but you are not being intellectual but more like the masses by being out of your element and depth, holding opinions and views substantially misleading and distant from the truth, while the West executes its policy with harm to many, Its iranians that are left to pay the Price.  Examples "Shah was a Dictator" "Shahs Savak Tortured" "Shahs Government was excessively repressive"

Though don't leave this community FG, because Awareness is a Process and this community gives you and me an opportunity to relive the past agai and again and learn to have fun in the present.  The natural consequence of nothing being sacred.


Teerdaad

Iran is saved only with demise of IR

by Teerdaad on

33 years of Islamic Republic has taught many historical lessons to Iranian people and the rest of the world. Among them: A brutal, repressive, corrupt to its core Theocracy, is not reformable. It does not have such a capacity. It must be overthrown. IR is the backed up sewer of Iran's history. First it infected Iran and now it is spreading throughout the Middle East and the world. It must be confronted and defeated in all fronts, political, social, cultural, economic, and military fronts. Once Mullahs are overthrown in Iran, the rest of Islamic Fascist infection can be defeated and eliminated.


FG

Yes Amir you did....

by FG on

...criticize the USA for dumping Samoza.   Somoza's fall came so long ago I had not thought about him for years until you brought him up as another example of a great man allegedly brought down by the USA. 

What covert acts against Mubarek?  Like many nations we did announce support for Egypt's protestors and did so openly not covertly.

As for Libya what was "covert" about the air campaign which came about when Khaddafi vowed to slaughter protestors like rats.  It was hardly under the table.  Also many nations were involved including Arab ones.

Our "covert" aid to Syria rebels isn't exactly covert--not like Iran's covet assistance to Syria in deveoping chemical weapons (See today's Washington Post story on that.   Our aid to the rebels was annouced and so far does not include weapons...unfortunately.

Poor Mubarek.  Poor Khaddafi.  Poor Assad. Poor Samoza.  They  were such nice guys that their fall brings tears to your eyes.

Speaking of covert aid wasn't it Assad and the IRI who prolonged the war and caused so many deaths to Americans and Iraqs alike by training, arming and sneaking in radical Islamist militias?   Thus, if we had chosen to do the same, covertly or otherwise, it would be rediclous to complain about it.

 Fair is fair.  Ditto goes to the IRI who has murdered quite a few Americans going back to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.   You betcha that if Iran explodes and the Iranian people ask for help we won't need to think about it twice.  We owe Khamenei and Al Quds a ton of "payback."


amirparvizforsecularmonarchy

yes khayenei is similar to hitler, a pill for him will help Iran

by amirparvizforsecularmonarchy on

Sadly khol meini left us before we could give him recommendations


shushtari

khayenei

by shushtari on

can REALLY help iran and our people, by taking a a cyanide horsepill and joining his butcher brother- khomeini- in hell LOL


amirparvizforsecularmonarchy

FG Misrepresentation of Me Intentional.

by amirparvizforsecularmonarchy on

I never advocated Dictatorship.

I never commented or held any view on Samoza

I was and am "Appalled" by "covert acts against Mubarek, Gaddafi, Assad"  mis-using legitimate desires of people to achieve illegitimate and criminal ends.  I know those who acted this way, in the USA,UK,France, who do it and officially & publicly deny they are doing it, do it with no agenda to see the people or any of the extremist groups they are funding, supporting & backing to enjoy a democratic future.  Any person that studies the groups fighting knows they are incompatible with human rights, progress and democracy, I am also "Appalled" that so-called Democrats, are silent about this intentional mis-use of legitimate aspirations, by the powerful.

The Totalitarian penchants while hateful in my case includes specific details and actions and can be proven not just by the wests actions, but by their own scientific bodies which gave rise to these policies and so are not only not "blame" but are penchants shared by knowledgeable Democrats too.  The only fanatical quality unearthed here is yours.  Anti-Monarchist.  P.S. Stand in line behind other Blamers and those envious of Persian Culture (out of their own lack of knowledge and understanding).

 


shushtari

raoul.....

by shushtari on

I loved your comment- khayenei is NOT george washington!  I laughed my butt off....


Freemasons Exposed

Amir is 100% right

by Freemasons Exposed on

I might just add US/UK & other puppet governmentS INCLUDING IRI are ran by the banking ellite who controll all aspects of our life on this planet and until we realise this undeniable fact we will always be pawns in their game of CONTROL.


amirkabear4u

but then HE is NOT there to SAVE

by amirkabear4u on

Iran. That is why he and others are filling their pockets.

You may like to read this;

//iranian.com/main/blog/amirkabear4u/two-headed-snake

 


FG

Nice but not possible

by FG on

What you propose--in essence--is civil society--exacly what is constantly denounced by hard line ruling mullahs as a western idea and as thinking promoted by foreign agents.  The problem lies in a system that allows no change and hence no way to bring about what you and everyone else wants.

Hard liners don't just advise Khamenei but they control all the powerful bodies that can block change. None of those bodies and no branch of government can run counter to Khamenei's rule in any case while appeals to Khamenei are futile.  He is the man responsible for all these harsh measures, injustices and election rigging you want changed.

Khamenei's attitude are not was shaped by his advisors but reinforced by them.  He picks advisors who fit the way he already thinks or removes those who don't. To understand how extreme Khamenei is, check out his most recent speech in which he rails against the Khamenei presidency and it s mild reforms as he source of most "evil ideas" permeating Iran--by which Khamenei means exactly the sort of ideas you promote.

The only way to get what you propose is either through violent revolution or a coup.  The latter would require that younger officers in the IRCG oust Khamenei's puppet generals and then oust Khamenei.    I doubt that will happen because Khamenei has already taken steps to purge the IRCG either by retirement or, in some cases, the untimely and unexpected deaths of quite a few generals in their fifties in the last year or so. 

*** 

Amir, who writes below is an adocate of secular dictatorship who deplored the ousters of Samoza, Mubarek, Khaddafi and the uprising against Assad.  He has no more use for civil liberties than the ruling mullahs.  Note how he shares the usual totalitarian penchant for stirring up hate-rich xenophobia and blaming all a nation's internal problems on foreigners.   The man is obviously a fanatic.


Raoul1955

Mohammad:

by Raoul1955 on

Well written scenario, but Iran is NOT a Western society, although some Iranians are westernized many of them are still the 'allah-o-akbaring' type.  Also, Khamenei is NOT George Washington!
But it is a very nice piece. :-)
Cheers


amirparvizforsecularmonarchy

Really there is No Need To Ask Themselves,

by amirparvizforsecularmonarchy on

The Ruling Mollahs Need to Ask Intelligent people that have healthy and beautiful Minds which are functioning unlike theirs.  For such people The Answers have been Evident for 33 years.  The Kind of people who unlike the mullahs, are fully aware what was the reason the usa/uk/france brought the mullahs to power and what was and is the real and concealed reason the usa/uk/france chose to thwart Iran, by focussing on deceiving the people of iran to support elements that would betray the late peace loving Shahs team. 

1) The clerics may want to reflect on where they went wrong.  The USA/UK/France Wanted them.

2) They will need
to ask themselves why the best and brightest, numbering 200,000 a year,
leave Iran. This is one reason the USA/UK/France Wanted the Mullahs.

3) They will need to ask themselves why there exists rampant
corruption throughout government agencies. This is Another reason the USA/UK/France Wanted the Mullahs.

4) Why there are so many drug
addicts in Iran. This is Another reason the USA/UK/France Wanted the Mullahs.

5) Why there is so much "parti baazi" [nepotism and
bribery] in the judicial system. This is Another reason the USA/UK/France Wanted the Mullahs.

6) Why a very large sector of society has
developed hatred for the clerics and even considers the ruling clerics
as being non-Muslims. Because they are not Mulims, the corrupt Islamic Athorities live and act based on Hate, which is unislamic.  The late Shah who they hated was infact a true Muslim unlike them.

7) It would help the Mullahs if they studied how the UK corrupted and in doing so ruled India for hundreds of Years, or how they unleashed hard drugs on to China and ruled them for hundreds of years and how today the USA/UK/France have implemented elements of the same colonialism using unislamic extremist elements, supporters of Khomeini among the mullahs to thwart and ruin Iranian Lives.  Few iranians appreciate them as they are becoming aware the mullahs do not benefit them and will no benfit them even if they get out of poltiics, the system the west brought using them was developed so that Peace, Progress and Human Rights the way they existed with the late Shahs Team, do not take root in Iran once again. 

8) You can be 100% sure the USA will not attack the IRI, the USA/UK/France literally adore and love the IRI far too much, they are trying to control their leadership, because the west wishes to contain the IRI and painlessly keep them indefinetly.  While the USA/UK/France do not want to See the Pahlavi's or irans Monarchy back in Iran and this is their democratic right, the people of Iran need to be aware they have rights too, that if they are wise, they will make use of their rights free of the deadly deceit that brought the IRI to power and not forget those who worked towards Peace, Progress and Human Rights who were sent towards their graves and what team they were a part of serving the Iranian people above all. 

9) Awareness is a Process, it takes time, requires revisiting the past and overcoming errors with the help of others. 

10) the best option for khameneii, which he won't take, is to have the UN provide monitored Free and Fair elections in Iran as Reza pahlavi has been calling regarding the future of iran and use the democratic ideal for Iranians, in exchange for international amnesty for any crimes committed on his orders.  This is the best thing he can do for Iranians and shia islam in Iran.