PARTICIPANT

I personally felt exactly

I personally felt exactly what Midwesty described in his article. The atmosphere in Iran was like everyone expected something major to happen. I had a chance to hear Khatami's debates and feeling its effect on people. As Midwesty described, there was talks everywhere, in the bus, taxi, market, wherever you went you could see how people were motivated to vote for khatami whose slogans were openly against the norm in Islamic republic in those days. I also thought that this is democracy and why should we care for appearance of people who are running for different positions.

why not a mullah can be a president if he respects democratic process and wants to help in moving the nation forward? so I voted for the mullah...! and it did not take much longer for me to realize that who has the real power and what was the meaning of people's participation in presidential election which resulted in election of Khatami who made all kinds of promises to make many fundamental changes for the interest of the people.

In a friday prayer Khamenei declared the huge election turnout as a major indication of Islamic regime's legitimacy and warned enemies of this victory! A few months later, Khatami started his visits to western nations and became Islamic Republic's stamp on the foot of all kinds of contracts which were made by this regime for the interest of a few mullahs and western corporations from Iranian national resources while Iranians kept getting poorer and poorer. The capability and capacity of Iranians for progress does not have anything to do with Islamic regime and in fact this regime has paralysed the progress in Iran greatly because of the mafia style of their system. Iran will always be left behind and under threat if this regime continues and another 10 years of Islamic regime will mean will be left behind by Afghanistan and Somalia too.

Einollah We can agree to disagree ;0)

I don't have anything against your arguments but you can also add to the list Mohsen Makhmalbaf who has self exiled himself because he cannot make any films that correspond to his line of thinking today. He may well go back if Khatami comes to power. Bahman Ghobadi is another since Offside is not even allowed to be screened in Iran. Yes they are the filmmakers who worked under difficult circumstances in Iran but all I can say is that we can agree to disagree. In my opinion this regime cannot reform itself because of the inner contradictions. It will implose from inside. What politicians or would be leaders in the years to come have to take into account is economics and the true aspirations for freedom and democracy. I do not think that neo cons in the White House are the solution to Iran's problems nor do I think the so called reformers are the answer to it either. Dialogue is important if one can gain something in return. Why give more credit to the IRI in the name of timid changes. Iran is 2nd today in the World after China in the number of executions and Iran is the only country to execute minors. If Khatami can change that he has my claps but personally I very much doubt that with or without Khatami we will see radical reformes in Iran. As for Revolution that will happen but not in the way we may think or expect. The IRI will Implode like in the Soviet Union. What we have to hope for is that this won't lead to the same sad situation as in Russia today with internal wars like in Chechenia which has led to 200 000 deaths not to say a dubious democracy where military officers like Putin switched their uniformes for civil suits but have no particular democratic ideals nor are democratic in nature.

Beautiful promises won't change the economy and ultimately that will decide on the future attitude to adopt. Khatami or any other candidate should be aware that he cannot disappoint people with just a series of promises be them genuine or sincere. 

Also as far as Revolution is concerned, people do not want another one but they do want to see their dignity as a nation be returned to them.

Lets agree to disagree at least and thank you for your insightful comments.

Darius 

"کفش هایم کو"

"کفش هایم کو" ازآقای هادی خرسندی میباشد.

I Agree absolutely with Einollah

I am on the exact line of political thinking about Iran with Einollah. I think he said all that needed to be said. We really don't have much of an option in Iran. At this international political juncture we either want reform or revolution. If you ever lived in Iran you should know that people don't even think about a revolution, so that leaves us with the IRI and the gradual reform movement. Democracy is a cultural rather than political development, and culture in Iran is not really democratic. Iran like any other developed country in the world requires time to adjust its cultural and political developments and move to a better social laws. (It took france 50 years after the revolution to stabilize. We can't just reach something without the hassel and work required, if anyone tells you that you can then there must be a catch). As far as worrying about oil, fortunately I could say that Iran is a decent size industrial country and has enough agriculture and production to survive the lack of oil. Although I think that the oil will be there for another 80 or so years. Democracy, I loved your poem. Very funny.

DK you made my point.

DK you made my point. Kiarostami is an exception, but I believe people like Niki Karimi and many actors, directors and producers like her do indeed owe Khatami's administration their careers. I think if you asked them, they probably would agree. Let's be fair, the films you mentioned would have gotten permission during Khatami's administration, but not before Khatami and after Khatami. Isn't that true? their films are the same, so what is different?! Just because we don't like these Mullahs, it shouldn't make us to be ashamed to admit progress and report it as we see it. I for one didn't know how looney Ahmadinejad would become. On the surface he wore suits, the first suit since Bani-Sadr. Khatami was in robe and I didn't like him for that, but I loved him for what he did with the robe. That's all.

For Einollah

Hi Einollah,

Thank you for your kind remarks and in response to your questions I think I answered to them in the previous email.

Indeed I don't wish anything like a War or even an Attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. As for some successful Reforms under the IRI during Khatami's presidency this is true but I do not think that Kiarostami or Iranian Cinema owe anything to Khatami or the Islamic Republic's leadership. Arts in general be it under the current regime or under the Pahlavi Regime have always developed outside political spheres. It is often the contrary it is the Regime or People in Power that need to flirt with the Arts to claim to some legitimacy. THAT is the Power of Art and Artists in managing to bend Authority. But I don't think that people at Farabi institute or Iran's Cultural Ministry are helping Iranian filmmakers much or even defending their work. Niki Karimi's film One Night has not been allowed to be screened in Any Theater. MAny Artists are striving to survive and even the film Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi that does not attack the principles of the Revolution but is critical of religious supremacy in IRanian society was undermined by critics by the Islamic Republic and the Farabi Insititute. The film was not screened at the Bankok film festival because the Iranian Embassy protested against it.

I think Khatami is better than any other candidate particularly someone like Rafsanjani who is an oppurtunist. But As I said this regime just is trying to gain time.

Again we won't have OIL for an Eternity. The Shah warned about this and that is why he wanted to develope nuclear energy in Iran. Was he write or wrong is another debate. But how do you want our country to become a respected and reliable nuclear power and partner if its leaders are not capable of being taken seriously by anyone and even less by their own economic experts. Ahmadinejad who speaks about a Divine Light and dubious mathematical equations that guarantee that America or ISrael won't dare attack Iran ... Well that is really scary to hear such superstitious people in power of a future nuclear power.

again 2015 is only a few years ahead.

I also wanted to Thank you Einollah for using arguments rather than insults to challenge my opinion. That is democracy and I respect you for that.

Stooges don't give up......

I heard the same type of hopefulness from my relatives in Iran during that period which culminated in Khatami's election. Khatami won handsomely unfortunately could not deliver.

What is comical is that Pahlavi cabal stooges (like DK) are warning Iranians not to make the same mistake again. Meanwhile the same stooges advocating return of this Moftkhore, incompetent specimen (RP). 

Hey Midwesty! We can see you

Hey Midwesty! We can see you are full of SHIT!

Progress during IRI

Dear DK, I follow your postings and am grateful for the information and pictures you provide of Iranians from all walks of life. Having said that I fail to understand why you don't care for any progress that has been made under IRI in the past 30 years. Of course there is no denying that Mullahs are constantly oppressing people in Iran but people are finding their ways to progress. Khatami's rise to power was a direct result of people wanting and needing reforms, whether IRI would allow it or not. What followed was an opening for many Iranians from all walks of life to exploit this opening. Cinema, music, sports and a new foreign policy in the international arena was progress, wasn't it? why do we have to dismiss it because it was done under the IRI rule? Don't you admire any of the actors and actresses who play and live in Iran? Children Of Heaven made it to Oscars only to loose to "Life is Beatiftul" when it won both the Best Picture and the Best Foreign Movie category. I also see in your postings that you are against bombing Iran and another war like the Iraq war. How else is Iran going to change if not from within? Of course there is going to be wholesale change one of these years, like it happened in eastern Europe countries and more recently similar changes or at least going back to Khatami's era. But it's not going to happen if we deny progress and reforms that continue to happen as people struggle for change. The shift in going back from Khatami to Ahmadinejad is glaring at us. Rafsanjani becoming leader of Guardian Council is a good thing. Would you have preferred Ahmadinejad's mentor? I don't like these Mullahs any more than you do and wish them hell. However, I believe denying these reforms and progress is ultimately denying the struggle of those who are actually doing something about it in Iran.

I will wait and see then ...but not beyond 2015 ...

I am not trying to give any lessons to you nor try to be paternalistic.

I agree that its better to vote than not. But I don't think that the empty promises of the current leadership will make any difference. Iran is at serious crossroads economically speaking. According to experts with some authority and independent of political preferences or manipulation by 2015 Iran will have NO OIL. 

A serious and long term policy is necessary to avoid Iran a more darker future. The current leaders know that they are sitting on a Time Bomb. If Khatami wants to be the next Gorbatchev as the Press of the time used to claim about him then he should not just promise reformes but simply put an end to religious domination in politics. That means Khamenei and the Velayateh Fagih to be dissolved in the constitution. He should also know that by starting a movement of change that there will be no turning back. The Islamic Republic whatever and whoever decides to take its reigns has only one future in front of it: IMPLOSION.

The real challenge is to assure that the end of the Islamic Republic in its current shape will be done without bloodshed. But this situation cannot go on endlessly. 

2015 is just 8 years from today ...  

کفش‌هايم کو؟ ..

کفش‌هايم کو؟ .. چه کسي بود صدا زد سيّد؟
اکبري بود صدا زد سيّد؟رهبري بود صدا زد سيّد؟ .....
............... هر خري بود صدا زد سيّد! .... من رفتم!

ميروم مثل قديم ......... بدهم کام رژيم ..........
نيش خود باز کنم ..... قتل زنجيره‌اي آغاز کنم!

من مسلمانم ....... حربه‌ام خنجر دين .....
قبله‌ام قعر اوين ....... لاجوردي عزيزم، تو ببين!

من وضو در آب حوض سيا ميگيرم
من نمازم را وقتي ميخوانم ......
که اذانش را بوش ........
گفته باشد سر گلدسته‌ي جنگ!

من رئيس تبليغات جنگ بودم پيش از بوش!!
دانش‌آموزان را من دادم ..... از کليد‌هاي بهشت! .....

اهل اصلاحاتم
تبليغاتم بد نيست
دکترا دارم از اسکاتلند
و به دانشجويان
زده بودم رودست.

و بزک بودم بر چهره‌ي منحوس رژيم
گاه ماتيک بودم
گاه سرخاب و ريمل .....

کار من يک دوره
شعبده‌بازي بود
رهبري از شوي من راضي بود
بعد دلقک آمد با معلق
جانشين برحق!
باز من ميآيم، شعبده‌باز
تا ز ملت بپرد برق سه‌فاز!

کفشهايم کو؟
کفش‌هايم اينجاست ...

and what should we do..?

I get the same rhetoric from my american cousins. They talk the same way you do--don't pave the way! don't take their shit! Listen buddy, the people who know the mullahs best are the people who are living IN iran, so don't talk as if we dont know what is going on. we deal with them on a daily basis. when you live in the IRI, your options are very limited (for khatami to even make the ballot in 75 was a big deal). When elections come, you either vote or you don't. Khatami is example of what you get when you do vote. no body said he is a freedom fighter. And if you don't vote, you end up with someone like Ahmadnejad.. and who said he is going to lose the bid for re-election. my friend, you have no idea what people think out here.. just wait and see. the next elections will show the results.

me too..!

Khatami was my first vote. I was 17 years old at the time. I will never forget that day. I won't ever forget the days that followed, and the day the announcement was made, the newspaper headlines,.. and I still remember the feeling of.. what was it.. the feeling of being a part of something.. something Big. something New. something that all my classmates were a part of, something that my parents were a part of, something that my neighbors and the koocheh were a part of, something that united us all. it felt good. it felt really good... and yes, i went to the university and i was one of the students who protested against him later. still you can hate him all you want, but since IRI there was no body like khatami and i don't think there ever will be..

Don't Repeat the Mistake ...

Thanks for this inside Campaign diary but Lets not make the mistake twice ...

Should we pave the way to Khatami another Islamic Republic Candidate with a smiling face just because Ahmadinejad seems to have lost the bid of being re-elected ?

The Mullahs and the IRI are like cunning fox's and you Iranians seem to fall for it each time.

Don't pave the way for another term of fake promises. I don't hate Khatami or the Reformers who have no blood on their hands ( except people like Ibrahim Yazdi and Rafsanjani  who should be tried one day for his crimes) and who are not fanatics unlike most of their colleagues. But that should not mean that we have to give them credit for anything. Khatami is a nobody. These guys are just gaining time through the same empty promises.

Don't Fall for it again !

My humble Opinion,

DK