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Sometimes it feels like this

Sometimes it feels like this site and the leftists who post articles on it, are trying so hard to alienate the world community from the Iranian people and are trying so hard to lose the world sympathy towards Iranians and are trying so hard to put us in the same basket as the IRI, by supporting and defending the IRI in the vast majority of the opinions it posts !! We should work harder to say to the world who is watching the level of support or opposition of the people of Iran towards their government, that these mminority leftists allies of the IRI do not speak on behalf of majority of Iranians.

Siakia, you claim that

Siakia, you claim that “all Iranians will stand with their government to support them in the nuclear issue”. Thats absolutely false. The majority of Iranian do understand that if this regime ever gets its hand on any type of more advance weaponry, whether nuclear or not, the chances of its letting go of the grip it has on oru country will dramatically decrease. So, no, do not speak on behalf of the Iranian people. Second, Bush does not have a “colonial” mentality, it is Iranians like you who still live in the “colonial” era. Bush, like any president should do, is sincerely trying his best to defend his country, although I disagree with many of his policies, but I definitely understand the concern the U.S and pretty much most countries around the world have when it comes to the IRI. And there is only one loser party out of this, innocent Iranians

no, but what should be known about Parsi?

hmmm?

Impeccable source

Let me guess the source of this story/credintial is, Parsi?

President of NIAC works for IRI?

anonymousa:

cofounder of NIAC works for IRI?
Who knew?

What with him growing up in Sweden, and getting an education in US and all, and his dad having been imprisoned, twice, by IRI, we sorta thought, y'know, that the combination of "unpleasantly kicked out of my homeland" and "learned how to understand the world and try to change it by acting with strategic rationality rather than partisan thuggery" would have produced someone who could function in two or three different worlds in order to produce a better one.

I suppose you're right: he consistently defends Ahmadinejad. NOT

Looks like you're stuck in the Manichean part of Zoroaster.

To answer your question, Yes

To answer your question, Yes you are mistaken big time. The simple proof is that the creators and assigned operators of NIAC and CASMII all have strong Islamic republic connection and are regularly featured and praised by the government controlled, as there are no other kind, media. Besides Iraians are too savvy to fall for this hence despite overwhelmin desire to avoid military intervention not many ( show the list of members and not the fictional #) join your hullabaloo.

What Iranians should understand about US Activists

"Anonymous" wrote:

by Anonymouso (not verified) on Fri Dec 07, 2007 01:47 AM PST

Islamic Republic lobby, including its foot
soldiers in NIAC& CASMII and the independent contractors are all
culpable in ever single crime committed by the Islamists. The daily
hangings and rapings of Iranians are facilitated by this lobby."

I'm an American with no ties to any side of the Iranian community; no skin in the game. I work hard, every day, to try to prevent MY country from Militarily intervening or imposing Sanctions on Iran (CASMII). I and the people I work with have several reasons for doing so:

1. Because not speaking out to prevent a wrong would be a sin.

2. Because I believe the Iranian culture is unique, the Iranian people entitled to respect and dignity.

3. Because I believe my country, the USA, has lost its moral footing and is charging about the world bring death in exchange for economic advantage. I think that's wrong.

Especially for an American, defending Iran is complicated, it's dangerous, and for people like me it has no up side.

It's complicated because we outsiders know only what we can cram into our heads in a very short time then regurgitate in any venue, like this, that we can find; it's complicated because we think we understand that most Iranians do NOT wish to be ruled by mullahs & Islam, and at the same time, do not wish to be bullied by American and other western imperialists. That's what we think we understand.

It's dangerous for an American to advocate for Iran in the US because we are a small voice srying in the wind, and the powerful voices are well established, well financed, and have demonstrated that they are not above bringing harm to us or our families. Some of us have been imprisoned for waging peace rather than war; there are no exclusive franchises on suffering. Because we recognize that alone, we are ineffective, we peace activists seekout organizations to ally with, to stand with. We try to chose carefully; as comparatively ignorant as we are of the intricacies of foreign policy that are playing out, it would be very easy for us to ally with the wrong side, out of naivete or ignorance.

What an American stands to gain from defending Iran is the belief that they stood on the right side of history.

That is the ONLY thing peace activists like me stand to gain.

So a comment like the one repeated above is disturbing: Yes, we understand that the mullahs are doing horrible things to the Iranian people; we want it to stop. We believe the Iranian people have both the ability and the courage to change their own government in their own way and on their own timeframe.

As an American, I see my government as interfering with the process of the Iranian people changing their government. We think that is an even greater harm to the people of Iran, because it forces Iranians to rally around the leadership that they otherwise seek to reform or replace.

So peace activists support organizations like NIAC and CASMII in the belief that they are trying to walk the fine line between endorsing the mullahs and preventing war.

Are we mistaken?

Nagging

Mehdi says: "Personally, I think the conditions in Iran are not as bad as some people claim it is. People in general like nagging."

Culpability in murders and rapes

Islamic Republic lobby, including its foot soldiers in NIAC& CASMII and the independent contractors are all culpable in ever single crime committed by the Islamists. The daily hangings and rapings of Iranians are facilitated by this lobby.

Awesome Article

I wish I could write like this! I think a major part of the reason we don't have many avenues for improving conditions in Iran is that every time there is a little room opening up, we get a number of hot headed individuals or groups who want to use violence and extreme force to supposedly improve things. Even if we assume that their intention is truly improving conditions and not simply gaining power, their methods are simply unwarranted and it only forces eveyone to back off because of the fear that things will get collosolly worse. For example, the danger of an imminent war on Iran caused many activist to back off because they didn't want to help George Bush's insane cause. They didn't want a disaster. They had to at least temporarily abandon their attack on problems in Iran.

While everyone agrees that conditions in Iran is less than desirable, we must also realize that we need to become mature enough to deserve a better condition. If there was a powerful government in the world that could be trusted to truly bring about a better condition through the use of force, maybe such an attempt could be justiufied. But it is insane to think that the current US government would have such a goal in mind.

Personally, I think the conditions in Iran are not as bad as some people claim it is. People in general like nagging. Even in the best countries, people always nag. And maybe they should. But let's not buy ourselves a disaster in a supposed attempt to improve conditions. Sometimes things take time and hard work. If all concerned Iranians outside and inside of Iran could become closer to each other in terms of their goals and strategy, we could change Iran in no time with practically no violence at all. But it is those with a hot temper that keep destroying the opportunities that sometimes present themselves. I think a lot of these people are just trying to grab a hold of power and gain something personally otherwise one cannot be that stupid.

so Fred, your critique is meaningless

Fred, by conceding almost all of the points in the Freddie Mercury rebuttal, your original points are moot. That's ok, cause your criticism consists of pretty tired, tunnel vision points that don't see the nuance of the situation. Freddie makes a good observation--an analysis that is grounded in examining the good, the bad, the ugly is should not be simply labelled as pro-IRI propaganda--this is a stock criticism of the neocon Iranians.

Also, your distinction between IRI and Iran itself suggests that you don't think the government of Iran is representative of Iranians. And the sky is blue. What is your point? Like it or not, that government calls the shots right now, and it is not helpful to paint it all the same color or to act like it is a group that thinks in lockstep. Doing so is why the discussions on Iran are so impoverished.

Finally, the author points out that he is critical of the regime and and that political change is a must in Iran. How you see this as a piece favorable of the government in Iran is mystifying. When did it become pro-Iranian to advocate dropping bombs on Iran? When did it become pro-IRI or "Islamist parroting" to advocate for more reflection on how to pursue meaningful change non-violently?

Iran is not Islamist Republic

I would have agreed with most of what you have said in rebuttal where it not that you use Islamist Republic and Iran interchangeably. They are two separate entities. What you outline is the views and that which is good for the Islamist Republic which more often than not and particularly in this instance is against Iranian national interest. Dragging other countries and specially Islamists’ nemesis, Israel, into this is not going to help the “analytical” outlook of what amounts to parroting Islamist views

Stock criticism

Fred, I disagree. I think that the upshot of this piece is that the Iranian people have as much right as anybody else to develop technology and depend less on the expertise and advanced resources of other countries.

Iran should not be prevented from developing nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

That being said, if the threats and irreverant, hypocritical violations of the NPT on part of the US, Israel and others continue, Iran will and should develop nuclear weapons. They are a deterrent against the repeated threats and blackmail of foreign governments who could not care less about the Islamic Republic's human rights abuses if economic and/or foreign policies favorable to the United States and Israel were in place. Case in point: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, China.

Your response is typical of a perspective which cannot reconcile opposition to US imperialism with opposition to the IRI. You omit all criticism of other parties involved in the repeated failed efforts at reaching common ground on this issue, as if the only uncooperative and dishonest country in this equation has been Iran. The author's piece is about as close to being pro-IRI propaganda as your response is original or genuinely analytical.

Start praying

The upshot of this long rambling piece is that the Islamist republic’s nuke business is not a danger to anyone and is only for the good of the Iranian nation which should not be inhibited nor any sanction imposed. What is left for the world and the enslaved Iranians is to start praying like they have never done before for a metamorphosis in Islamist Republic’s behavior from cutthroat to cuddly good. Close to being a sophisticated pro IRI propaganda, but not there yet.