The people’s uprising in our country not only resulted in the beginning of the end of the IRI regime, but it extensively changed the beliefs of not only some of us Iranians but also most people around the world towards the IRI regime. This is not saying that this uprising will succeed in overthrowing the regime, since the two crucial elements of any revolution has yet to see the light: strike and military rebellion. But what has happened is that by rejecting and exposing the previously thought miscalculations and misanalysis about this regime, its moral authority and its legitimacy and reason for staying is power has vanished.
Many old beliefs of conspiracy theorism and many outdated and cold war era type analogies and analyses were thrown out the window. Many misperceptions and misconceptions about Iran and its people and its government shattered in record time. After a 30 years delay and despite all the calls by Iranians during those 30 years, people are hearing about Basij and Khamenei for the first time. People are realizing this is not a republic for the first time. People have realized how brutal this regime is. People have opened their eyes, and this wake up call, will be the main factor that eventually result in the ultimate collapse of this regime.
So let’s examine some of the previously thought myths and see how they were rejected:
– The good ol pundits, IRI supporters among us Iranians, and the self loathing, Islamism enabling, conspiracy theorist Americans and some around the world, and the so called “Iran experts” used to say that “Iran has election just like any country, just like America!”. Those people who sometime pose as “anti war” and “exposers of Neo Cons”, tried to find similarities between the two to prove that Iranian system is no different than American one. They used the 2000 Bush – Gore dispute as an example of “unjust” and “unfair” election process in order to justify IRIs circus they call elections. Not even touching on the fact that the 2000 election was as democratic as it gets, we had true elections in America in 2008, and a circus called “elections” for a powerless position in a dictatorial regime in Iran in 2009, and the world saw the night and day difference between Iranian and American political systems. So that argument has proven its invalidity.
– The same folks justified and apologized for the IRI regime in the name of anti Israelism. Blind Anti Israelism which has recently elevated to ant Semitism among some of those folks, has been a vital tool for those folks and for regimes such as IRI’s propaganda. Even on this site, we saw individuals in the first few days after the elections when Iranians were (and still are) massacred by the regime, coming to this site and post anti Israeli news and opinions! At a time when the Basijis were murdering our people, they came on here and talked about how “Israel is beating up human rights activists”! The audacity is endless. Well, the regime has lost any sympathy anyone had for it, so anti Israelism just wont work anymore.
– Our lovely IRI supporters used to say everything in Iran is part of a “Western conspiracy”! The revolution was, the 1953 coup was, the current regime is, all nothing but a “CIA and MI6 conspiracy”! To them, millions of Iranians marching in the streets in 1953, 1979 and 2009 means nothing. It’s the “CIA” running the show! Shah, Khomeini and Student movements don’t have anything to do with those events! If it wasn’t for “CIA’s” involvement, none of those could’ve happened! Self responsibility means nothing. For obvious reasons, that argument has gone down the toilette.
– Our self loathing brainwashed misguided so called “experts” in NIAC, NY Times, Jon Stewart, and good ol Iranians here and there, used to say “rising for democracy is an utopian dream”. In reality, it doesn’t happen. It’s all about complex conspiracies in the corridors of MI6 and CIA and Exxon Mobil!! Its all about economy and oil. People don’t rise for democracy! That’s delusional! In reality, that doesn’t exist! If America doesn’t have something to benefit from these events, it will never succeed! Every war and coup and revolution has been about the benefits of a few “capitalists!!” in the West! People rising for democracy just does not exist in the real world! There must be a conspiracy behind it, and most likely it’s a conspiracy between Halliburton-Exxon Mobile and Dick Cheney! Well, brave Iranians showed there is only one thing they want: FREEDOM! And no “alleged” conspiracy can define their movement, and when there is a will, there is a way, and it has always been about democracy. They tried to say “Iranians are upset about things like “inflation” and that’s all!” They didn’t or couldn’t see that the root cause of all problems in Iran, including inflation, is the IRI regime itself. It’s the system they established. So that baseless delusional claim has been thrown out the window since last Friday.
– Our “elite” used to tell us people love the regime (!!) because the regime saved us from Shah’s tyranny and is standing firm in the face of U.S and “Zionists”!!! for them, sacrificing an entire country by shouting against countries that never occupied us nor attacked us, for absolutely no benefit to the Iranian people and for no logical reason other than satisfying a few leftist “elite”s twisted anti American and anti Israeli and anti Capitalist desires, is completely justified! As long as the regime is anti American, who cares if it kills a million Nedas? Who cares if it imposes medieval laws? Who cares if it destroys the country? They apologized for anti American regimes’ crimes in the name of Anti Americanism (and by the way, they didn’t do that only in Iran!). Well, the Iranian people for 30 years, and more openly the last few days, said a big NO to this sick mentality! They are friends of America, and even the ones who criticize America (not the ones who are obsessed with anti Americanism) will not justify crimes against humanity in Iran in the name of anti Americanism. So, there goes that one.
– Jon Stewart, Roger Cohen and antiwar.com and Amy Goodman and Khamenei’s of the world used to tell us “Iran has a form of democracy” by holding elections!! They criticize countries like Egypt who has social freedoms not even comparable to Iran and praised IRI for “holding elections”! I don’t think I need to elaborate on that one. I rest my case on that one. This uprising was not only about political freedoms, it was about Social, economic, cultural….freedoms.
– Fierce anti American “patriots!!” used to tell us “the world should shut up and let IRI does it’s’ thing”! As a tactic to close Iran’s borders and let IRI commit its crimes in obscurity and silence. Just like the regime is doing the last few days, its supporters used to tell us “no one dares talks about Iran”. They called neutral human rights organizations “Zionist tools” and part of a “CIA conspiracy”!! They were sticking their head in the sand. Our people are begging for International intervention. They don’t want to be bombed or occupied, but they want desperate International support for their just and heroic uprising. They have been always calling for that. Why would they hold signs in English if they are not asking for International support? Is it for illiterate Khamenei to read them?!
So what did we learn from all this? We learned that they were wrong, and the rest of the world was right! They tried to silence people in the last few years by immediately labeling everyone as “Neo Con” and a “Zionist” using their control of media and activism online and elsewhere. They didn’t bother to think freely and clearly. They didn’t bother admitting to the horrible conditions of our people in Iran. They posted pictures and told stories about how “young people are having freedoms in Iran because they go to parties and to Darband mountains and watch satellite” as if that negates the fact that they get arrested in parties and if they show signs of affection in public or that satellite is banned in Iran. They consider Iranian people’s attempt to exercise their basic rights in secrecy, as signs of some form of a democracy in Iran!
That all has been shattered, forever. People rose for one and one thing only: FREEDOM. They don’t care about IRI taking over the revolution and kicking the Shah out, they don’t care about IRIs war with Iraq, they don’t care about IRI shouting anti Israeli garbage everyday, they don’t care that IRI “momentary overlooks” some young people going to parties and to Darband, they don’t care that IRI threatens America everyday, they don’t care….all they care about is that IRI has taken away all they should have, their freedom, their dignity, their values and their country. IRI is evil. It’s barbaric. It’s un democratic. It’s Fascist.
IRI legitimacy has shattered forever, and that will be the base where the democracy movement in Iran will launch its final assaults on tyranny and Fascism.
Long live Iran. Neda and all other Martyrs of freedom..R.I.P.
