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The demands of the people of Iran
December 27, 2002
The Iranian
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- The People of Iran (TPI) wish to appeal the Government of
Iran to consider several respectful suggestions to improve and streamline its overall
governing process which has been criticized by many leading experts both inside and
outside Iran.
In the past weeks the Government of Iran has violently turned down the protests
of TPI requesting legitimate, reasonable reform and moderation in the application
of Islamic principles to the governing structure of Iran.
TPI call upon the Government of Iran to moderate its application of strict Islamic
Law and allow peaceful, open and free public discourse on determining the evolution
of Iran's governing systems towards all who are entitled to the human right to peacefully
express opinion, objection, and offer alternative ideas. History has proven time
and again that when government suppresses these basic freedoms it is detrimental
to the advancement of that society.
TPI further recommend that the Government of Iran focus its efforts on improving
human rights and economic conditions and cease all support for questionable foreign
activities that have no bearing on the advancement of Iran's rightful place as an
honorable nation in the world community.
Substantial accusations indicting Iran as an active supporter of various identified
world terror network organizations, is the best example of this kind of international
involvement that does not help the advancement of Iranian society and wastes valuable
resources that could be put to much needed better use developing Iran's infrastructure.
TPI call upon all individuals who wish to voice their objections and opinions to
exercise the utmost public safety and commit themselves to peaceful, non-violent,
effective and efficient methods with which to make their positions and points clearly
to the country's leaders, in order that they may understand them and hopefully see
the logic in improving Iran's overall political situation.
Furthermore, TPI wish to suggest that the current governing structure of Iran can
be drastically improved by allowing the collective wisdom of the free electorate
to control key structures such as the Armed Forces and the Judiciary via the office
of the elected President rather than the current system wherein the Supreme Leader
and Guardian Council control these functions independently without consequential
accountability to the people of Iran.
Because these entities are self appointed by a relative few individuals as opposed
to the collective wisdom of a free electorate, the risk of corruption and abuse is
high. This is the very root of the current opposition being voiced in the past few
weeks.
The Supreme leader and Guardian Council should self appoint and function as an
independent board offering general guidance and counsel on social and religious issues
as pertains to Islamic Philosophy and offer its opinions for the President to consider
when deciding on issues of moral concern. The Guardian Council should not vet Parliamentary
or Presidential candidates.
TPI are in effect recommending a separation of Mosque and State, which we believe
allows each to flourish in its most natural form. The Mosque must focus on the extremely
valuable moral issues of the self and the individual, while the State can focus on
the procedural and more mundane day-to-day governance issues of the general social
structure. If each does its job effectively, a forward thinking just society based
on guiding individual moral principles will emerge.
The Armed Forces should protect the country from any outside threat and fulfill this
duty under the leadership of the sitting President. The President would nominate
qualified candidates for the Cabinet and the Judiciary, to be approved by the Parliament.
The Parliament and President should be elected by a free electorate with appropriate
term limits based on the reasonable time to complete their duties as elected representatives
of the people.
The collective voice of the people of Iran is incorruptible. Should a President or
member of Parliament mis-perform, they will not be re-elected and may even be impeached
by the Parliament as deemed necessary. In this way all functions of the government
are entirely accountable to the people and their elected representatives.
END
Founded in 6000 BC, TPI are a borderless organization comprised of expatriate
and inpatriate Iranians. TPI are dedicated to improving opportunities for and promoting
the recognition of TPI from a wide range of disciplines, professions, arts and sciences.
TPI have a variety of political and religious affiliations. For further information
please visit: thepeopleofiran.org
(currently under reconstruction). Press Contact: dontshoot@thepeopleofiran.org
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