For a few years now I have been hearing a call, an inner and a Divine calling but it wasn't until a couple of days ago that I received the guidance to write about it.
Iran and her socio-political journey is at a critical point at this moment in her history. The government of Islamic Republic of Iran was formed because people allowed it. But those same people and their children are questioning the socio-economic and political direction of this government.
Why did people want an Islamic Republic in the first place? Because they(*) didn't want communism and they were tired of copying the West from its clothing fashion to its democratic government structure.
Because Persians are poetic and mystical at heart, God chose the Islamic Republic as part of our healing journey. During the revolution. when posters and pictures of Khomeini were everywhere and articles were written about him, I too, as a Zoroastrian teenager, was atrracted to that holy man who had very little money but promised holiness and goodness.
After years of self-reflection, contemplation, and education we find ourselves at a crossroad. We want to remain poetic and mystic but we also want to live in this world of matter at a certain level of having-ness, and activism. God has given us challenges that are unique for our growth. We need to deepen our surrender to the Divine Will. Let go of the mind that wants to take control of the future.
Emotions need to be dealt with one at a time within small communities. With forgiveness and compasion we need to heal our hearts. Let small communities take back their power to create a self-sustaining economy and social structure with connection to the spirit and the Divine woven into its fabric.
No one person has the ultimate solution but we each have a contribtion to make and hold a piece of the puzzle. As my Divine Calling, I invite the Iranian people, leading political, religious, and spiritual figures of Iran to embrace Spiritual Republic of Iran as the next evolutionary step for Iran and the planet.
Changing the name of the country and the government will show that you are taking steps in your growth and openness as a nation. The details and the direction will be clarified and take place gradually and organically with more contemplation, study, and dialogue.
Iran is an Islamic country and it will remain an Islamic country because the majority of people believe in Islam. The degree of devotion varies in different parts of the country and the different parts of the cities. Let the small communities decide to what extend they want to be spiritual or religious.
The focus for healing and growth needs to be from ground up as well as top down. Top being the heads of the government and the top of the hierarchy and by ground I mean the small communities, and the community structure. It is important to have capable, clear headed, compassionate, and honest people with good vision for the country and the world to manage the government. Leaders who can allow people in communities to be empowered.
Not only in Iran but also around the globe we need to create empowered communities that have more say in their lives. For example from something as basic and important as having a say in where our food comes from and what was use to fertalize the soil to something as sacred as the spiritual discipline that we want to practice. This will not happen over night. It is an evolutionary developmental process. We need to overcome our personal shortcoming such as greed, selfishness, unhealthy selflessness, and destructive shame and anger.
Mass protests in the streets need to be the very last resort. It is the mass consciousness that brings in change. The consciousness of the people, politicians, and the religious leaders has changed during the past 15 to 20 years. There is more openness, and freedom of expression. But the Islamic Republic of Iran seems to have come to a wall in trying to resolve issues of openness and freedom.
Embracing the name, Spiritual Republic of Iran, will remove that block without creating disturbance that might set the nation back and cause hardship and grief for families. Iranians have shown that we can be martyrs. Martyrdom is a sacred act for special times.
This is a time to surrender deeper to the Divine Will. A time to go through our inner revolution to find a quiet place to hear God's message for us. If you happen to hear a message let it be known. And if you go within to that quite place and hear the same message as I have, then take gentle and peaceful action and let your voice be heared.
Note
(*) When I lived in Iran I did not like what Mohammad-Reza Pahlavi and the government led by him was doing. But I moved to the Untied States for my studies one and half year before the revolution. So at times I do have difficulty saying that “we” instead of “they”. This is mainly in respect for those who stayed in Iran and went through the challenges.
