America’s Misguided Left
tehran bureau / Dr Sahimi
24-Jul-2009 (2 comments)

Iran’s rigged presidential election of June 12, 2009, has given rise to a very odd phenomenon. Some supposedly leftists and progressives in America have adopted the view that the Iranian election was not rigged. They believe that the Iranian reformists have not been honest about the election (they say the reformists knew they would lose). They allege that the demonstrations in Iran against the rigged election are mostly the work of Western intelligence agencies stirring up trouble. In taking such a position, these so-called leftists and progressives have firmly sided with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
As someone on the left side of the political spectrum, who believes in a progressive and enlightened interpretation of Islamic and Shia teachings, the author feels deeply embarrassed by such proclamations from so-called leftists, some of whom do not know the first thing about Iran and Iranians, yet speak about developments there with such absolute certainty. There are those who believe that with Ahmadinejad, Iranians have gotten exactly what they deserve. And there are others still who subscribe to odd and far-fetched conspiracy theories. They see a plot hatched by Western intelligence agencies (and now even the reformists), behind everything that happens. While such intrigues do exist in some cases, the present situation in Iran does not appear to be one of them. At the very least, there is no concrete evidence for it.

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Fouzul Bashi

Progressive?

by Fouzul Bashi on

The author's answering to Ommani who is not the voice of progressive Americans on the left.

I hope he reads it though.


Fred

"embarrassed"

by Fred on

You say:

“As someone on the left side of the political spectrum, who believes in a progressive and enlightened interpretation of Islamic and Shia teachings, the author feels deeply embarrassed by such proclamations from so-called leftists, some of whom do not know the first thing about Iran and Iranians, yet speak about developments there with such absolute certainty.”

One has to leave the definition and practical application of “enlightened interpretation of Islamic and Shia teaching …” to millions of Iranians who have paid for such dogmatic nonsense with their lives and broken dreams to explain to those who are still at this sort of enterprise.

But the part you feel “deeply embarrassed “about is also nonsensical as well. For the same lefty groups that you now are admonishing have been championing the cause that you are best known about and have facilitated and propagated your advocacy for the longest of time.

If your embarrassment is based on some “proclamations from so-called leftists” that do not match your line on a particular Islamist “candidate” you are being kind to your benefactors. The real embarrassment lay in their advocacy of your championing of the full cycle dual purpose illegal nuke program for the Islamist cutthroats republic.

When this Islamist cutthroat regime falls, and it will fall, that is the legacy of the “progressive and enlightened” interpreters and their accomplices.  Regardless of all their self deluding reinterpretation and progressiveness the ones who in the name of “equality and fairness” – with the real agenda of socking it to the Imperialists like their forefathers and mothers did with helping Communist nuke-tried their best to justify nuke for maniacal Islamist regime will be ultimately “embarrassed”.