VIEW
به زبان فارسی
PICTORY
LATEST MUSIC
SEARCH
A Better Way
15-May-2009
The assumption that the Iranian theocracy is unchangeable leaves no room for any possible opposition groups to work together. After the revolution of ’79 and the power struggle within the undefined system, the Iranian people and political groups have become more divided for not wanting to be the pawns in yet another revolutionary movement, unless there are some power guarantees. Unfortunately there are no guarantees.
Essentially the issue goes deeper than normally is discussed. There are no unifying ideologies and/or attractive movements that are supported by the Iranian people. The experiences of the last revolution have put a bitter impression that will not vanish for a long time. Unlike the last revolution, the majority of Iranians are not satisfied with change for the sake of change alone. They want to make sure that their possible work or struggle won’t be taken to another undesirable direction.
One can claim that the people are not revolutionaries. One of the most important ingredients of any revolution would be the passion for an idea. The passion currently is absent and most people seem gloomily content with the way things are. Of course these are not facts and there are no numbers to prove my claim, these are sheer assumptions based on a showing of facade.
If the assumptions above are correct then what are the best methods to promote a more open and free governance? What can be the unifying factors for that change in Iran?
Iranian society is begging for modernity and acceptance. The dilemmas that most Iranians are facing are twofold. In one corner stands the government in front of the society that wants to move along with other developed nations; in the other corner is the other nations that turn their backs to Iranians. The predicaments of many countries towards Iran have been based on the political power struggle to gain an advantage in the regional geo-political riches than the Iranian plight for freedom.
Most Iranians have come to that realization that they are alone in their battle to reach their desired state of democracy and freedom. They do not trust the West and therefore feel closer to their government as their sole protector. This social conclusion is comprehensible.
The ethnocentrism is well and alive in all corners of the globe but no culture is superior to the other except that geography is the determinant of unique social behaviors. In Iran and her unique culture is based on her geography and history that values the national growth based on their own evolution. Iranians seem proud from a history that was advanced, Iranian, and independent.
In Iran today the society wants to pull the strings and direct the government. Unlike many neighboring states whose system stands for modernity, in Iran that mission has been transferred to the people. A closer look at the changes with the Islamic Republic provides the similar convincing layouts that the government is a few steps behind the masses. Equally the society has been shaping itself faster than the system could follow; yet the system is also forming itself based on some social demands, in a very slow pace.
The Islamic Republic has not brought forth the odium of the general public, as has been portrait in the Western media. Many people still assume the possibility of change within the system to a milder and less socially strict version. There are certainly diverse factions that exist inside the government to support such a claim.
The most important concerns of the Iranians are based on economy rather than politics. As many have mentioned in their analysis about Iran (and I concur), the sanctions have been the protracted reason for the Iranians to reach better social standards.
Currently Iran is a land that stands in the middle line of traditions and modernity. The society values her tradition because they realize the changes of time could vanish what they are accustomed to, just as they value the contributions that modernity brings forth. Many parts of the country are arguably conservative and in line with the ideas of the Islamic Republic yet they are not resistant to change, if that change is not dramatic. The same can be said for the government. We should not set that pace but instead let the Iranians themselves continue on that journey.
One simple method to assure the fair and sound thinking is to analyze any scenario independently. One of the greatest flaws in examining the Islamic Republic has been the packaging of the system as one singularity. Granted that the constitution designates a greater power to the leadership, but to say that there is one individual or group with the greatest power in the country is a mistake. As mentioned earlier, the country and its government have changed and they are variable and not constant. This perhaps has been the greatest misconception amongst the Iranian Diaspora that has lead to their failure to cope with the Iranian system.
The better way for the Iranians Diaspora is to help the Human Rights inside the country, and promote the anti war, anti sanction policies in their inhabitant countries. This strategy needs to be carefully constructed so that it won’t fall into political traps or empty slogans. If the structure of the strategy is not well defined, similar to the current condition, its effectiveness will never be realized.
The flow of the accurate information about Iran to the outside world will help the Iranian people, their political posture, and of course peace and security around the globe. We need to stand firm against the powerful organizations that benefit from destabilization in the region. United, we can neutralize their plans and win peace.
We need to realize the possibilities and work closely to reach the most efficient utility while remembering at all times that our struggles are twofold.
| Recently by Abarmard | Comments | Date |
|---|---|---|
خواست | - | Oct 23, 2012 |
پیوند ساقه ها | 5 | Jul 26, 2012 |
رويای پرواز | 14 | Jan 24, 2012 |
RECENT COMMENTS
IRANIANS OF THE DAY
| Person | About | Day |
|---|---|---|
| نسرین ستوده: زندانی روز | Dec 04 | |
| Saeed Malekpour: Prisoner of the day | Lawyer says death sentence suspended | Dec 03 |
| Majid Tavakoli: Prisoner of the day | Iterview with mother | Dec 02 |
| احسان نراقی: جامعه شناس و نویسنده ۱۳۰۵-۱۳۹۱ | Dec 02 | |
| Nasrin Sotoudeh: Prisoner of the day | 46 days on hunger strike | Dec 01 |
| Nasrin Sotoudeh: Graffiti | In Barcelona | Nov 30 |
| گوهر عشقی: مادر ستار بهشتی | Nov 30 | |
| Abdollah Momeni: Prisoner of the day | Activist denied leave and family visits for 1.5 years | Nov 30 |
| محمد کلالی: یکی از حمله کنندگان به سفارت ایران در برلین | Nov 29 | |
| Habibollah Golparipour: Prisoner of the day | Kurdish Activist on Death Row | Nov 28 |
Abarmard
by Monda on Tue May 19, 2009 07:02 PM PDTYou have well articulated points. I agree with Mehranz.
Anonymous fish
by Abarmard on Mon May 18, 2009 05:01 PM PDTYou are not correct. Check the link for the FULL sanctions that are currently in effect for Iran. It is very specific to even a gift of $100!
Remember that the entire financial institution inside the country are also sanctioned. I am not sure how to spell this for you :)
Regardless, are you arguing here that sanctions are good? Then that's fine. I do not expect everyone from all countries to agree with me.
This is what you need to read: (For fun: there is a section that FORBITS Iranian publication!! Freedom of press? under
Publishing Activities Involving Manuscripts From Iran (Iran) )
The main site:
//www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/iran/iran.shtml
ok... so far so good
by anonymous fish on Mon May 18, 2009 04:18 PM PDTsorry for the use of the word "evil". it wasn't intended to speak directly to your blog, but was rather a figure of speech. ok... i did some reading and finally found something that lists the sanctions imposed currently.
The Basics of the Sanctions
Essentially the current U.N. sanctions as of March 3, 2008 make requirements against all member States:also.. and most importantly, it was stated that "Goods clearly singular in use intended for human relief such as food and medical supplies are exempt from export restrictions. Also exempt are services provided by an Iranian national who is already resident in the U.S."
is this not true? can you explain how the sanctions are not for military use but for simple farming produce and medicine.
and i'm not sure i understand this correctly or not. are the sanctions which are imposed by the US strictly between the US and Iran. or, for example, could iran import or export these goods with another country. are the sanctions inclusive of ALL countries?
anonymous fish
by Abarmard on Mon May 18, 2009 03:26 PM PDTFirstly since the sanctions do exist it is proper to value their effectiveness. It is you as an individual that need to find whether the sanction hurt the systems or the people. To think of it from another angle would be to say if the goal is to weaken a dictatorial/dangerous regimes, weakening rather than empowering the people is the proper action to take?
Are sanctions the root of all evil? This is not my argument and I am not speaking about anything evil here. The idea is policies and their results. Empowering the Iranians is a better way to go.
In Iran, sanctions has helped in isolating the Iranian cause. Along with sanctions have been loud and clear broadcast of the evil Iranians and their plot to take over the Universe. Please note that sanctions are not for the military equipments but simple farming produce and medicine also.
When we speak about the Iranian nation we can not only take certain portion of socio-class and forget the rest.
My argument is not based on sanctions alone here. The plot is what as Iranian Americans we can do to promote a better life for the Iranians inside.
For clarification
by Ari Siletz on Mon May 18, 2009 01:03 PM PDTAbarmard
by anonymous fish on Mon May 18, 2009 01:08 PM PDTi'm picking at a thread hoping to unravel some of the complex issues you've brought up. to that end, i have a specific question (at this time). i think it will help me move forward in understanding the "whole" of your point.
do you (personally) think that sanctions against iran are the root of all evil? in other words... do you think that without sanctions, that iran would be in a different place? do you think that sanctions, rather than the current regime, is the current cause for failure of iran to successfully endure human rights issues in iran, etc.?
another question might be (but don't address it right now because i'd rather inch forward and understand 100% then misunderstand anything)... do you seperate "love" and "trust" that much? i hear it all the time. iranians love america and americans. but you're saying that iranians don't trust the US. it's confusing to me sometimes exactly what one means when they say things like that.
another point will be... how do you qualify the statement that the regime "has not brought forth the odium..." etc. just reading iranian.com gives me the definite impression that iranians are adamantly opposed to the regime. odium appears to be a very good word for what most people think of the iri. :-)
bottom line. i think i agree with much of what you're saying. i disagree with fred's extreme reaction that you're trying to pass everything off on sanctions. which then leads me to disagree with ari who's appears to claim that everything IS the result of sanctions. it's not either or. and "inlove" has done nothing more than disrespect your blog by bringing his racism into the discussion. fred's anti-iri comments are not racist. his are.
all in all, i enjoyed this. a different perspective to think about. and as i've said to you before, i appreciate the opportunity TO think about a different perspective.
Is there really "no unifying ideologies .."
by faryarm on Mon May 18, 2009 09:41 AM PDTDear Abarmard;
Question:
Is there really “no unifying ideologies and/or attractive movements that are supported by the Iranian people. " ?
Can one possibly seek some possibilities?
Iranian People are by nature spiritual and soulful and have always excelled and flourished by the influence of their noble of nature; that spirt however has been starved and poisoned by centuries of ritual, superstition dogma and so called religion, such as today’s representation of islam.
This has led to widespread distaste for religion. Such rampant distaste for religion however does not however rule out iranians’ intrinsic need for moral and spiritual sustenance. After all, spiritual wisdom and moral clarity is what has historically promoted and distinguished Persian culture.
Today, with our society in the hands of such corrupt and self serving charlatans; a regime that in itself the embodiment of hypocrisy and the promoter of all kinds of social ills, recklessly driving iranians to both material and spiritual destitute; The Iranian soul is craving .
Whatever the unifying ideology, it must have a deep and strong spiritual foundation; one that is in affinity with Persian soul and custom.
An “ideology” that is all embracing and inclusive of all Iranians whatever their ethnicity, race , class or religious belief.
A Spiritual path, a direction; one destined to raise Iran from its ashes.
The following was written as early as 1875, anonymously by Abdul Baha, addressing perhaps the same subject at hand.
“O people of Persia! Look into those blossoming pages that tell of another day, a time long past. Read them and wonder; see the great sight. Írán in that day was as the heart of the world; she was the bright torch flaming in the assemblage of mankind. Her power and glory shone out like the morning above the world’s horizons, 7 and the splendor of her learning cast its rays over East and West. Word of the widespread empire of those who wore her crown reached even to the dwellers in the arctic circle, and the fame of the awesome presence of her King of Kings humbled the rulers of Greece and Rome. The greatest of the world’s philosophers marveled at the wisdom of her government, and her political system became the model for all the kings of the four continents then known. She was distinguished among all peoples for the scope of her dominion, she was honored by all for her praiseworthy culture and civilization. She was as the pivot of the world, she was the source and center of sciences and arts, the wellspring of great inventions and discoveries, the rich mine of human virtues and perfections. The intellect, the wisdom of the individual members of this excellent nation dazzled the minds of other peoples, the brilliance and perceptive genius that characterized all this noble race aroused the envy of the whole world.”
“As attested by the annals of the world’s most illustrious peoples, the first government to be established on earth, the foremost empire to be organized among the nations, was Persia’s throne and diadem.”
“O people of Persia! Awake from your drunken sleep! Rise up from your lethargy! Be fair in your judgment: will the dictates of honor permit this holy land, once the wellspring of world civilization, the source of glory and joy for all mankind, the envy of East and West, to remain an object of pity, deplored by all nations? She was once the noblest of peoples: will you let contemporary history register for the ages her now degenerate state? Will you complacently accept her present wretchedness, when she was once the land of all mankind’s desire? Must she now, for this contemptible 9 sloth, this failure to struggle, this utter ignorance, be accounted the most backward of nations?”
“Were not the people of Persia, in days long gone, the head and front of intellect and wisdom? Did they not, by God’s grace, shine out like the daystar from the horizons of Divine knowledge? How is it that we are satisfied today with this miserable condition, are engrossed in our licentious passions, have blinded ourselves to supreme happiness, to that which is pleasing in God’s sight, and have all become absorbed in our selfish concerns and the search for ignoble, personal advantage?
This fairest of lands was once a lamp, streaming with the rays of Divine knowledge, of science and art, of nobility and high achievement, of wisdom and valor. Today, because of the idleness and lethargy of her people, their torpor, their undisciplined way of life, their lack of pride, lack of ambition—her bright fortune has been totally eclipsed, her light has turned to darkness. “The seven heavens and the seven earths weep over the mighty when he is brought low.”
It should not be imagined that the people of Persia are inherently deficient in intelligence, or that for essential perceptiveness and understanding, inborn sagacity, intuition and wisdom, or innate capacity, they are inferior to others. God forbid! On the contrary, they have always excelled all other peoples in endowments conferred by birth. Persia herself, moreover, from the standpoint of her temperate climate and natural 10 beauties, her geographical advantages and her rich soil, is blessed to a supreme degree. What she urgently requires, however, is deep reflection, resolute action, training, inspiration and encouragement. Her people must make a massive effort, and their pride must be aroused.”
Abdul-Baha
1875
from The Secret of Divine Civilization
Dear "Abarmard",
by MiNeum71 on Sat May 16, 2009 04:56 PM PDTThanks for the great article. I´m sorry that One can claim that the people are not revolutionaries, I guess the old revolutionaries are the ones who rule this country nowadays.
Excellent article thank you and many of the other commentators
by Ari (not verified) on Sat May 16, 2009 06:23 AM PDTUnfortunatel, we Iranians are not united and I don't know why. Whether we are outside of Iran or those living in Iran we seem to all have the same problem. We continue to speak of how the Arabs are disunited but we don't take a look at ourselves. As another commentator indicated we also cannot engage in a civilized dialogue without resorting to personal attacks. We have very little patience in trying to listen to another individual who has a different opinion without labeling individuals or raising our voice to the point that our discussions don't get anywhere and become ineffective.
We are great at pointing out issues and problems but very poor in providing constructive solutions.
Iran is facing major external threats and some individuals outside of Iran don't take this seriously and instead lash out at the IRI every chance they get giving the ammunition that Iran's enemies are looking for. Yes IRI has alot of problems but if Iran is attacked, or further sanctions are imposed "crippling" the Iranian economy and cutting the life blood that Iranians need for their survival (i.e. imposing sanctions on companies who are involved in importing refined fuel to Iran) what is there to talk about.
Without unity of protecting our motherland from sanctions and military intervention the rest of our talk becomes meaningless. At this juncture we must do everything in our power to prevent Iran's enemies to do to Iran what has been done to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon and the Palestinians.
And to those who don't believe this could happen, either you are asleep at the switch or you simply don't give a damn - so long as their is a regime change.
Iran so far has done an exceptionally great job of maintaing the independence of our country from the powers who once again aim at subjugating our people as they steal our resources and bring misery to the Iranian people. The Iranian people have fought very hard to gain this independence and have paid a high cost for this; the least we could do sitting outside of Iran is to help promote peace, security and prosperity for our compatriots living in Iran.
Iranians are intelligent, they are smart and once this threat is removed they can with their own will bring about change according to what they believe suits them and at their own pace - not ours.
magic word
by cyrous moradi on Sat May 16, 2009 05:29 AM PDTI think the most vital issue for our backwardness is lack of common language between all walks of people, especially intellectuals.We as Iranian don't know how to compromise. In Persian " sazesh" has meaning near to surrender not reaching to some kind of agreement. I can remember in the " Rome: the open city" film a priest and a member of Italy Communist Party were allied for fighting against Nazi and fascist forces. Few years ago in Germany "grand Coalition" between Social Democtrats and Christian Democtrats took place. I think for finding any solution first we have to learn how to manage some kind of dialogue. It is clear that we don't have such skill. I afraid to say that even in our private life we can not do such compromise.Doing compromise needs long term and whole life rehearsal. Actually we don't do such. The last coalition government in Iran goes back to 1940s. It means during last nearly 70 years there was no real change in our thinking structure and polito - social behavior.
In Short You are For Reform ...
by Darius Kadivar on Sat May 16, 2009 04:57 AM PDTWell Some including I, Beg to differ ...
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=layXgOD6bnA
For I am afraid the Divorce between Real Democrats and the clerical regime is inevitable ...
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb9HqJbUIYU&feature=related
Dear Abarmard, thank you
by MEHRNAZ SHAHABI on Sat May 16, 2009 03:02 AM PDTfor this good article. You are one of sane voices here that makes coming back to this site worthwhile.
Very Accurate
by Dariush (not verified) on Fri May 15, 2009 03:21 PM PDTThanks Abarmard, I think you spoke for the majority.
Too bad some people cannot differentiate a nationalist from an IRI supporter.
Western sanctions are not designed to reach peace. They are designed to pave the road for war. They use sanctions to weaken a nation prior to attacks, to maximize the nation's casualties and minimize theirs. weakening by creating chaos, civil disorder, breaking their unity and spirit, creating divisions. This has been the case in many countries.
If Ahmadinejad didn't have the balls in his yard, that would have probably been the case with Iran as well.
As Ahmadinejad said, this is it, enough is enough, we must stand for our international rights.
Too bad he hasn't been able to make the same stance domestically.
A revolution cannot be faked, it irrupt naturally from within, like a volcano.
If sanctions and pressures are lifted, the IRI can not blame west for her short comings. In which case, conditions change for much better or people blame the government and they will rise again.
Fred's post rewritten
by InLoveWithFred (not verified) on Fri May 15, 2009 01:30 PM PDTYet another gobbledygook with the upshot that if only U.S. keeps paying Israel $3 billion a year (or more) in time all will be rosy in the Promise-Land and the ghettos created for Palestinians will be replaced by homes similar to the Chosen People's homes. Israel has been stealing money from everywhere and yet after 60 years has NO friend in the region and only corrupt politicians support it from the West.
This sort of creative writing essay which takes shameless liberties with the truth is only good for briefly lifting the sagging spirits of the proponents of Jewish-only-democracy supporters.
Israel is heading headlong into the brick wall and regrettably taking the nation along the doomed journey. The latest estimate gives it only a mere 20 years before the whole concept disappears from the face of the Earth, as Ahmadinejad correctly stated.
You are right. This is the only way unity is possible.
by unity-guy (not verified) on Fri May 15, 2009 01:23 PM PDTI think you are on the right track. I think we can all see that this is really the ONLY way that Iranians everywhere could start to unite. We may not know exactly what is the next step but this way of thinking allows for a unification to begin. I think anyone who decides to follow this path, can very immediately find a lot of things he could do to improve Iran, without the need for a revolution.
Gobbledygook
by Fred on Fri May 15, 2009 01:12 PM PDTYet another gobbledygook with the upshot that if only U.S. lifts its unilateral sanctions all in time will be rosy in the Islamist-land. The Islamist republic has been under no sanction with the rest of the world and has still managed to only enrich foreign terrorist organizations at the expense of Iranian nation.
This sort of creative writing essay which takes shameless liberties with the truth is only good for briefly lifting the sagging spirits of the Islamist republic supporters.
The Islamist republic is heading headlong into the brick wall and regrettably taking the nation along the doomed journey.