Thirty years ago on November 4, 1979, the new regime in Iran made a strategic choice- to take off the gloves and confront the US directly against all international law. When Khomeini gave his stamp of approval for this act, he sealed the fate of millions of Iranians. We are still payng for this choice up until today.
On this day, we Iranians, the descendants of Kourosh, Xerxes, Ferdosi, Saadi, Hafez, Kaveh, Babak, and so many other giants, became known in the world as terrorists.
And life was never the same after that.
When we went to foreign countries, we were looked down upon. Hundreds of thousands of us lined up at foreign embassies for visas, and were mistreated. Every border we crossed meant humiliation.
And when one of the worst madmen of our region attacked us with our guard down on September 22,1980 (another day of infamy), the world did not shed one tear or have one bit of sympathy for Iran, as a country that flaunts international law cannot then use that same international law in its defense and be taken seriously.
8 years, 1 million dead men, hundred thousand chemical victims, millions of broken families, and a whole wasted generation later, the war ended with both sides losing. Once again, mullahs wrote checks which were cashed with the blood of young innocent Iranians.
When those students climbed the embassy walls, did they think of any of this? When Khomeini approved of this crime, did he consult the Iranian people? Or did he and his clan just unilaterally decide what is “best” for us? Or did “us” even matter to him?
There are those who justify this action with another day of infamy — August 19,1953 — when the CIA and MI6 helped overthrow Dr. Mohammad Mossadeq, the democratically elected prime minister of Iran. While this was also a strategic mistake by the US for which the Iranian people paid dearly, it serves as absolutely no justification for taking US diplomats hostage 26 years later. Taking hostages did not gain anything for Iran and Iranian people, other than more suffering. It did not protect the regime in the least from any similar coup attempts, in fact if the US wanted to take hostile action in Iran it would have been more justified since it had been attacked (the US embassy is sovereign US territory under international law). Furthermore, there were indeed coup attempts during this very period that the new regime put down brutally, hostages or not.
Today, after 30 years, it is time to move on. The youth of Iran have made clear that they would like to do so, and have no interest in saying death to America or any other country anymore. American officials have twice acknowledged and apologized for the mistake of 1953. It is time for Iranian leaders today to also apologize to the USA and to the Iranian people for the mistake of 1979, and declare our country’s desire to work together with all countries in the framework of international law. As an Iranian, I accept America’s apology, and apologize for my country’s leaders inexcusable behavior 30 years ago as well as today.
We the people of Iran shall overcome dictatorship. We have been trying for over 100 years, and nothing has stopped us so far. And there is no stopping us now. To Khamenei and other Revolutionary Guard terrorists I have this to say: You do not speak for Iran, and the world knows this. Listen carefully to those chants from people’s rooftops, from the streets, from the jails, and from all Iranians around the world. You cannot shut us up. All your rapists and torturers will be useless in the end, and you will be held accountable for your crimes against the Iranian people. Do not make the mistake of all dictators before you, your power is finite and nothing compared to that of the people.
We Iranians have too many days of infamy. Only when we have taken control of our own future and our destiny can we be hopeful that there will be no more days of infamy. We will not rest until that happens.
I join my fellow Iranians fighting for freedom today when I say:
Irani Meemerad
Zellat Nemipazirad
Long live Iran. Long live Freedom. Death to NOBODY.
