June 12 was the first anniversary of Iran's tenth presidential election. I had a chance to discuss the development and challenges of the Green movement with Dr Mahmood Delkhasteh.*
BB In its contemporary history, Iran experienced three major social movements: the Constitutional Revolution (1905-1911), the oil nationalization movement (1951-1953) and the Islamic Revolution (1979). Despite this, we have been unable to establish democracy. What makes the Green movement different?
MD It is true that although the goal of all three movements was to establish freedom and independence, all failed to achieve this. Upon closer look, however, each of these apparent failures has brought us closer to establishing democracy. Despotism in Iran has historically had three interrelated internal bases: economic (big landownership in the rural economy and the bazaar in urban life), political (the monarchy) and cultural (the clergy). The Shah had to abolish big landownership in the 1960s, which, in combination with the weakening of oil income and the import economy, also drastically weakened the bazaar. The monarchy was abolished in the 1979 revolution. After this, the re-emergence of dictatorship was based only on its cultural base, the clergy, which made it fragile. In order to overcome this fragility, the regime implemented a policy of crisis making (the current one being, of course, nuclear). During the presidency of Ahmadinejad, the revoluti... >>>
Person | About | Day |
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نسرین ستوده: زندانی روز | Dec 04 | |
Saeed Malekpour: Prisoner of the day | Lawyer says death sentence suspended | Dec 03 |
Majid Tavakoli: Prisoner of the day | Iterview with mother | Dec 02 |
احسان نراقی: جامعه شناس و نویسنده ۱۳۰۵-۱۳۹۱ | Dec 02 | |
Nasrin Sotoudeh: Prisoner of the day | 46 days on hunger strike | Dec 01 |
Nasrin Sotoudeh: Graffiti | In Barcelona | Nov 30 |
گوهر عشقی: مادر ستار بهشتی | Nov 30 | |
Abdollah Momeni: Prisoner of the day | Activist denied leave and family visits for 1.5 years | Nov 30 |
محمد کلالی: یکی از حمله کنندگان به سفارت ایران در برلین | Nov 29 | |
Habibollah Golparipour: Prisoner of the day | Kurdish Activist on Death Row | Nov 28 |
Moosir
by cyclicforward on Mon Jun 21, 2010 02:21 PM PDTCan you elighten us as what he would see in Iran once there?
He has no idea what he's talking about.
by MOOSIRvaPIAZ on Mon Jun 21, 2010 02:13 PM PDTPerhaps he should go to Iran for a visit.
most analysts don't get it
by Sheila K on Mon Jun 21, 2010 12:04 PM PDTMost analysts who talk about Iran, don't live there or haven't so for a long time. The best commentators about Iran are those within the country--or have lived during post revolutionary era and have seen the worst of the worst.
Might I add, that there 2 major presepctives about Iran: One through the eyes of men;and one through the eyes of women.
Unfortunately most analysts are men. For those male analysts who believe this to be a "reform" I dare them to put on an Islamic Hejab in public (where ever they are)--for just one day. To experience the single most humiliating constant might just change their thoughts about Iran in drastic measures.
Finally
by cyclicforward on Mon Jun 21, 2010 09:46 AM PDTSomeone talks some sensible observation.