ELECTIONS

???

What is the point of commenting if it going to be censored. Funny how we critisize the islamic regime but follow their practices like it was inate.

LOLOLOLOLOL
KMPA
AK69

Hope

Now, on the 20th anniversary of the bloody suppression of the protesters, Zhao’s memoirs — painstakingly reconstructed from hours of tape recordings smuggled out by supporters — provide a unique glimpse of the deep divisions within the Chinese leadership.

I´m sure, IRI faces the same problems. We can knock them out.

//www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic...

To MiNeum71: Mr. Mousavi voter GIVE US A BREAK

Khatami had the FULL support of 22 and 17 million Iranians (according to IRI government's own official records), both houses of parliament and all the youth, women, liberal democracy thinkers of the entire world behind him yet he preferred to follow his Rahbar's orders and remain impotent.

He turned his back on all his supporters, stood by and watched quietly as they threw students off their dorms' balconies, as intellectual, writers and journalists were murdered one after another (e.g. the chain murders) and as Zahra Kazemi and countless unknown others were axed to death and YOU HAVE THE GALL TO COME HERE AND BLAME IRANIAN PEOPLE FOR IT and exonerate that spineless coward of a man.

PLEEEEEEEEEEEZ go vote for whoever you want to keep yourself busy and amused! WHO CARES? your vote does not count any way and deep down you know it.

Dear "Farhad Kashani",

Iranians like to quip that they have a population of 70 million — and as many different opinions. But Iranians are very strange and opiniated.

Majority of the population say, a non-Khamenei [means not supported by Khamenei] president will have only minimal powers. And they say, Khatami´s presidency was the evidence. Majority of the population say, the new president is a part of the ruling system. And they say, Khatami´s presidency was the evidence.

This is wrong. They forget: 12 years ago they voted for Khatami and then they thought, he would kick out Khamenei and friends without any further support. Who supported him? I can´t remember, that 1978 people said, Yes, we want Khomeini, he will fight Shah. No, they demonstrated for their own freedom every day for many months, because they were convinced of the change; and many of them were tortured or even killed, but still they fought. Not Khomeini kicked out Shah, the tremendous mass of Iranians did it many weeks before Khomenei arrived Tehran. 1997-2005? Weak performance of the liberal Iranians.

In 2000 Bush won (!?) the US-elections. And 2004 nobody wanted him again, but he won the next elections also. Why? It´s true, John Kerry was not that charismatic challenger, but still he was the only challenger. USA was not ready for a change. And you know what happened anyway in 2008. It was not Obama, who won against McCain, it was the society which wanted this change at any price. And they did a lot for it.

Iran? It doesn´t matter, who becomes the next president. If the Iranians don´t support him also after the elections, the change won´t work. Many people say, Don´t vote, show civil disobedience. But also civil disobedience needs commitment and involvement.

I know (I guess) that today the majority of the population supports the prevalence of modern ­ideological thinking in the context of Iran and Islam, and that the democracy movement seeks a balance of power between state institutions and civil society, to guarantee the rule of law, good governance, accountability, and collective and individual freedoms – as well as the role of religion in politics.

But also this needs a high involvement of the people. Of the Iranians? Iranians have poor social behaviour. Evidence? They are good in Ghar Kardan, Lajh-bazee Kardan, Nale Kardan, and if there is still enough air to breath, Foh'sh Dadan. This is the opposite of involvement.

1997-2005? Not Khatami failed, Iranians failed, they didn´t deserve the change.

I vote for Mir-Hossein Mousavi.

Re: to all revolution seekers (Well said Choghok)

Choghok, I believe you and I have different views on many issues, but I agree with your comment (subject: to all revolution seekers) almost word by word.

Mineum71 jaan,   I

Mineum71 jaan,

I understand where you’re coming from and agree with most of what you say and I believe also that we are both looking for the same outcome. However, if I may point out a couple of things:

1-     I agree with all the International pressure tools you mentioned except war, because it’s foolish, and would not produce the desirable results, and offcourse, will result in the death of innocent Iranians. Also, to clarify on sanctions, I don’t agree with the current types of sanctions and their methods of enforcement. Sanctions should be smart, effective, and enforceable and directed only towards the regime officials.

2-     I’m not clear on your point about non-Khamanei president, because Khamanei is not the president, and anyone “selected” by the regime to this position will have minimal powers.

What I’m trying to say aziz, we need a total overhaul of how we’ve been doing things. A fresh idea, fresh strategy. And by we, I mean, all Iranians who oppose the regime. This regime is “unfixable”. They have mixed the traditional Iranian traits of stubbornness, traditionalism, and extreme passion, with a fundamentalist ideology that has turned into a culture that welcomes, promotes and inspired death. It’s a lethal mix.

Democracy on the march...

I think it is actually good.

Let the labelings and name-callings continue, untill we reach a point where there is no more room for doing so and then we can taste and maze maze real democracy.

Be salamtie rahbare ayandeye iran Yek salavat...

چرا سالها سکوت کردید؟

آقای موسوی دلیل حضور مجدد در صحنه سیاسی را نارضایتی خود از وضعیت کنونی کشور قلمدادکرده.باید از آقای موسوی پرسید آیا طی سالیانی که فعالیت سیاسی نداشتند از دید ایشان وضعیت کشور بی نقص بوده ومردم در رفاه زندگی میکردند؟آیا در دوران آقای خاتمی نیز اینچنین بوده؟اگر بله!پس چرا با کاندید شدن آقای خاتمی با حضور خود صف متحدانش را شکستید.اگر خیر!شما که خدمت به مردم وکشور را وظیفه خود دانسته و به توانائی های خویش واقفید چرا سالها سکوت کردید وشاهد خرابی های روز افزون بودید.با امید اینکه شخصی عاقل ,عادل وتوانا زمام امور را در دست گیرد.

sound and reasonable

as always!

I just hate to see all the personal attacks and labeling that happens when people speak their mind... as one of the comments said:

for those of you who cannot respect opinions other than yours and resort to name-calling, fox news has openings in their "axis of evil" department.

Thanks Choghok

IRANdokht

Hope for a better Iran!

I know that all the people discussing here do love Iran and wants what is good for it. I talk from my experience and not from wishful thiking.

Comparing traffic I did not specifically meant Tehran, but some people here might think Iran is equal to Tehran. Every city or village it is the same problem, no matter if there are 1 car or 10 000 cars on the road you never feel really safe when you are in traffic especially if you are a pedestrian.

From the moment entering the plane to Iran untill you leave the country you are in chaos. People step over each others toes all the time. One example is the luggage belt in Tehran airport, if you have been there you know what I mean.

People complain about everything but do not do anything the smallest problem they encounter, and in many cases they are in their way of creating problems for others by their behaviour (driving for example again). Now I understand thatmuch of these is because of daily problems they encounter, but will all these problemsbe gone the dayafter revolution?

/Bidar bash ke ma bekhabim

Anonym 7 jan,

Ma mokhlesseim, jayeh shoma hameh azizan ra khali mikonam ta roozi que hameh, oonja ba ham yek party berim.

AIPAC kaftArs (Well said Hajminator!)

Ironically FK is in Fred's organization too!
Wishing you a good trip to Iran, Haj. Hope, Iranians find their way and keep these AIPAC kaftrArs (hyenas) out of Iran. excerpt: "The spotted hyena (crocuta) has the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom .."

--mokhlesim

Thanks choghok

Choghok’s explanation is very clear and convincing. There are not many solutions for the moment besides voting for the lesser evil candidate. Any quick and radical change of power will plunge Iran into chaos and confusion.

Four years ago, many educated, urban middle class Iranians both inside and outside Iran boycotted these elections and the results was that Ahmadinejad got to the second round and won against Rafsanjani (the most hated politician).

Of course, we can assume that a lot of rigging and cheating took place, but this was partially due to the fact that a lot of people did not vote and it made the cheating easier.

This time, if more people vote,

In my opinion, Moussavi represents a lesser evil compared to Ahmadinejad in many ways.

Just the following statements should convince many of you to vote for him (taken from the following Wikipedia page: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mir-Hossein_Mousavi

(All sources and references are on that page)

“Mousavi has on numerous occasions indicated his wish to change the constitution to free all restrictions on private television stations (currently all state-owned in Iran), as well as handing over control of law enforcement/police forces to the President (so that they represent the people, since the people directly elect the President through popular vote), rather than continue to have it in the Supreme Leader's control as it is now. He has said that "the issue of non-compliance with Iranian rules and regulations is the biggest problem that the country is currently faced with" as he wishes to put in place ways to enforce the laws further, and that it's also important to bring an end to keeping people in the dark from governmental matters.”

WellWet revolution waiting for you, Kashani

Kashani says: "We need to give up comfort. That’s step number 1."

yes Kashani, carry on with step #1. WellWet (not velvet) revolution is waiting for you!

CASMII

stands for Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran. It's heart warming to see that people try, aside their real work, to prevent war in Iran. Isn't it?

But, Fred and warmongers like him have targeted this campaign and all other single thing which goes on the way of developpment of our country by their mockery and diminutions.

Perhaps Fred and his followers are simply jealous? They have their own organisation (Fred's Utopic Clan to make Kabob out of you - FUCK) and want that people here join it instead of other possible campaigns?

What is CASMII lobbyist?

Could you describe what CASMII lobbyist is please, what does CASMII stands for. What is its address and Where do I have to go to be paid for my lobbying work?

Just what system do you want to bring to Iran before people can start vote? G.W Bush System, the Mujahedin Khalq or what? Talk about a solution instead of personal attacks. You sound more like a mullah in friday prayers.

/Bidar bash ke ma bekhabim

Choghok

very well put!

The Sparrow & petitio principii

In a typical apologia on behalf of the Islamist republic, the  birdy shifts the blame to the victims of his Islamist republic, the Iranian people and in the process throws in a circular reasoning.

The birdy says the Iranian people have not been “brought up with democratic ideals and in democratic traditions” and presumably in order to learn and acquire the wholly lacking democratic ideals need practice by voting in the Islamist system. The birdy needs to familiarize himself with the logical fallacy of petitio principii. 

Shameless IRI supporters

Choghok --

I really want to know, do you really believe your lies or are you that diluted that you can't discern between truth and fiction?

Honesly, you practice deception with such facility that it makes me think that you're a professional, meaning that you get paid for it, and considering that the IRI spends millions of dollars each year on overseas propaganda, I'm truly not surprised.

Let me be more specific:

You write: "For... a democracy to take place it requires that majority of people in Iran are brought up with democratic ideals and in a democratic tradition..."

Of course, it would help if the IRI thugs had not been such dictatorial thugs all these years or we would've had a semblance of a democratic tradition by now. But more important, America did not have much of a democratic tradition back in 1776 when they revolted against a tyrannical monarchy and they seem to have done well for themselves.

All this nonesense is designed to fool the Iranian people into being "patient," giving the bankrupt mullah regime more time. As evidence, this clown sites Iran's chaotic "traffic" as a way of supporting his argument that, because of our hereditary makeup, we should be ruled by rapists and murders.

Have you ever been to New York City or London or Tokyo??? Horrific traffic behavior in the Bronx or Queens or even Manhattan is the stuff of legends!

Choghok continues his charand: "People calling to Komiteh when their neighbour has a party..."

Again, just so you know (I'm beginning to think you've never been outside of Iran) that sort of thing happens all over the world (neighbors calling the cops in protest to a loud party), in democratic UK and in democratic US. I've experienced it myself many times.

Mr. Charand continues his chert-o-pert: "... or even worse telling authorities about their families and friends. Peoples dogmatic beliefs... So even if you put the most liberal and democratic government on this people you would have a chaos."

Yeah, sure, so because of possible "chaos," you rather saddle the Iranian nation with parasites (akhunds), perverts (akhunds) and pedophiles (akhunds), not to mention rapists, thieves, terrorists, and tortureres.

Yeah, we should all remain "patient" because if we made some noise, there would be "chaos," which would make life difficult for the mullahs. I wonder again, if that's the way you people thought back in 1978. I wonder if you preached "patience" then? I wonder if you were so worried about "chaos" when you were busy blowing up banks, cinemas and hotels trying to overthrow the Shah?

This Choghok, this merchant of misinformation, conludes: "Voting does not mean that we will have democracy in Iran tomorrow but it gives you the power to choose the less evil resulting that tomorrow a lesser evil would show up..."

Lesser evil??? When Khatami was elected in 1997, a lot of these stooges and phonies also said the same thing, that there would now be LESS EVIL under seyyed Khatami, but what really happened???

Students were tortured, harrassed and murdered -- some were thrown off 3rd floor balcanies in 1999, journalists and intellectual were murdered in their beds, Zahra Kazami was raped in Evin Prison, her fingernails were pulled and her skull was fractured!!!

All of this misery and mayhem under the watch of the most liberal president of the IRI, the smiling mullah Khatami!!!

And this is what they mean by "lesser evil." Sure, he allowed women to roll back their chadores a few inches, but the brutal, terroristic nature of the regime STAYED IN PLACE! That's because it is in the very NATURE of this evil regime to behave in a sadistic manner. Under the mullah regime, the presidents are like leaves on a tree, they come and go without relevance, but the root, the bark of the tree, which is permanent, is evil to its core and dictatorial at best!

I'm sorry, but you may have been able to fool us in 1997, but SHAME ON US if we let you fool us again!!!

I repeat, if you're against the mullahs and their tyranny, DO NOT VOTE IN THIS SHAM "election!" Send a loud message to the world that the Taliban in Tehran DO NOT represent your interests!

STAY HOME ON ELECTION DAY
AND HUMILIATE THE MULLAHS!

To All revolution seekers

Some people think that since the regime in Iran does not think and act as acceptable then all the problem in Iran is because of the regime, so if we do a revolution then everything would be alright.

For that to be true and a democracy to take place it requires that majority of people in Iran are brought up with democratic ideals and in a democratic tradition. I can give you an example here to show you just how much people in Iran are democratic: The behavior of people in traffic, People calling to Komiteh when their neighbour has a party or even worse telling authorities off about their families and friends. Peoples dogmatic beliefs and behaviour, even many educated people. So even if you put the most liberal and democratic government on this people you would have a chaos.

A reason for wanting revolution is that it is a quick and fast solution. People want to still be living when the change happens

For a fast quick fix Look at Iraq and Afghanistan for example. USA and its allied "liberated" these countries. What happens when the power is given back? Well in Iraq you have "parties" cross the ethnic and religious lines. Shia Party, Sunni Party, Sadr Party and Kurd Party. They are really clans disguised as parties. In Afghanistan you have a parliament where all the men tell the women that you do not have brain and should be left home cooking food and bring up children and not be here. They put a guy in jail for 18 years for printing a text from the internet about Islam.

The change cannot happen from top to bottom but has
to be from bottom to the top. A revolution changes the top, but the
main problem remains, you need to have leaders and the leaders come from the same people.

Voting does not mean that we will have democracy in Iran tomorrow but it gives you the power to choose the less evil resulting that tomorrow a lesser evil would show up. It could also lead to tension between different power houses and be a catalysator for change. Any how if you are interested in a healthy Iran I would suggest try to change the ordinary man in the bottom.

/Bidar bash ke ma bekhabim

Dear "Farhad Kashani",

I understand every single word of your comment, and I guess we both have the same opinion but are different in the way how to reach the aim.

I wouldn´t compare IRI with Shah era: 1977/78 people as the opposition could play the nationalsm card, today the opposition must do the opposite, and this is much more difficult. So as you wrote, we need the international support. But which support can it be? Money for the opposition? Economic relationships? War? Sanctions?

Regardless to the tools, I think voting doesn´t legitimize the regime, it undermines the efforts of the regime to show democracy. Hajminator explained it very well, with a non-Khamenei president there are more possibilities to fight this regime. Unlike other opinions I think IRI is very weak and out on it´s feet.

فرقی نمیکند چه کسی رییس جمهور باشد

این انتخابات عرصه دعوا بین دو جناح جمهوری اسلامی است. بیاد دارم وقتی آقای خاتمی اول دوران ریاست جمهوریش برای کاهش قیمت پیکان سهم مقام معظم رهبری را از فروش پیکان توسط ایران خودرو قطع کرد و دو روز بعدش مجبور شد حرفش را پس بگیرد خودشان هم متوجه شدند بدون اجازه رهبر در این حد هم نمیتوانند تصمیم بگیرند. تا رژیم جمهوری اسلامی است فرقی نمیکند چه کسی رییس جمهور باشد.

Hamsade ghadimi jaan,  

Hamsade ghadimi jaan,

You’re absolutely right, the list goes on and on. It’s endless. I just brought up 3 of the infinite reasons why we shouldn’t bother with this monkey business they call “election”.

Hope to see more of your postings aziz.

Mineum71,

The solution is not to legitimize the regime and don’t even bother thinking about this scam. We have to be looking for other means of change. There are many options; civil disobedience is one of them, the same thing the Bus unions and our brave students are doing. We need to support the students. Remember the student uprising of 1998 (or 1997?) Well it didn’t succeed because folks didn’t wanna leave their comfort zone and participate and support the students. That mentality gotta change.  Same thing we did against the Shah. And off course we need to expose the regime and gain International support. We are simply unable to do it without International support. We need to tell the world about the atrocities of the regime so they can boycott it, sanction it (not the people), pressure it and force it to give in.

Bottom line is we need to see if we really care about our country. We need to give up comfort. That’s step number 1.

Hala

chera inghadar assabani shodi? Magar Periodi?

It wasn't me who talked about courage first...

So if for you, saying what one wants by using a false beard pseudonym like Hajminator is so dangerous because when s/he goes back home every summer, s/he may be caught; I have to be VERY COURAGEOUS as I have even made rhymes against mullahs using my pseudo.

So period jan, read again what I mentioned in my last post it seems that you were too angry and passed through.

Further, me too I plan to go back to Iran this summer and also to vote with my Iranian passport before. Whooo I'm scared...

Laughable retorics!

Empty words like: "People of Iran will not be fooled" chanted here could have been stolen right out of Mullahs scripts.

People using Iranian.com are Iranians and so part of "People of Iran", do we all support "Mazhake" and do feel like fooled if we go and vote? Have we given him or anybody else the right to speak on behalf of us? Has he studied and run statistics on what people of Iran want? Get of your high horse Mazhake, talk from your standpoint and not what you think rest of us want or don't want.

And BBC Mullah, what can I say. Your writing talk for itself. By hoping for a revolution you are actually doing something? Please don't break a sweat for our sake, I would not know how to repay you. Maybe if we all did what you do Iran would be paradise tomorrow.

/Bidar bash ke ma bekhabim

DO NOT VOTE!!

It is the height of hypocracy to accuse me of posting annynomyously as "BBC's Mullah," when you yourself post as "Hajminator."

Besides, I go to Iran every summer, the last thing I need is to be whisked away to a torture chamber just as I arrive at the airport. The criminal and sadistic mullah regime MURDERED Omid Mirsayafi just for writing to Khamenie, "Do you love me as much as you love a Palestinian."

We're dealing with sadistic animals! People, remember, voting for this corrupt system is a vote for Rafsanjani, Khamenei and the rest of the black brigade! Voting for EITHER candidate is a vote for the mullah regime, period!

Do not vote!

Send a message to the world that Iranians do not consider their seyyed regime as legitimate! Let the world know that we have been taken hostage by a bunch of terrorits and rapists!

Do not vote, as you would support our enemies!!! The enemy of Iran is the mullah regime, period!

Yes, full of courage

That's why you post anonymously!

No one here supporters the regime in Iran. The choice in the upcoming election is simple. Either, one doesn't vote or vote for Ahmadinejad, OR one votes against Ahamdinejad.

It is true that in a velayateh-faghuih (VF) - like regime it is effectively obsolete to think that any organ or person except VF has any real power to make final decisions. In this case any vote is considered as an agreement to the status of supreme leader rather than to the candidates running for a given post.

This time things are different for at least two reasons:

First, Ahmadinejad is the first president since Rafsanjani who had the full backup of Khamenei. The notion of VF was questioned many times when Khatami was president. But since Ahmadinejad, the supreme leader is settled as an absolute definition of IRI. Further, Ahmadinejad belongs to the same circle of influence than Khamenei, there were much more oppressions, executions and restrictions on every day freedoms of Iranians. Pro-VF mullahs inside the regime will take the re-election of Ahmadinejad as the consent of the ordinary people to all these exactions and, I also think, that it will fortify Khamenei’s position as VF.

At the international level too, if you look at all the provocations spread by Ahmadinejad you see that Oosoolgaryan prefer a confrontation to any mediation. In one hand they want to be accepted as a regional power in ME and enjoy this status. In the other, Iran is feared at the international level but not respected; sanctions that the country is confronted will at least end to a North Korean like isolation that the regime is trying to avoid by all the means. I see two choices left for mullahs if sanctions become harsher, either they change by inside in order to show a softer image of IR or they prefer a confrontation in order to use the patriotic sense of Iranians as a protection against the foreign invasion. The group of Oosoolgaryan to which Ahmadinejad belongs to has preferred the second way and I think that Ahmadinejad’s provocations will end up to a war, strengthening the regime’s grip on the country and the vicious circle in domestic affairs will continue.

A massive vote against the candidate of the regime, will in my sense send a frank signal to Mullahs that the society is fed up of their behavior while no-voting, ending to another 4 years of Mahmoud, will comfort them in their choice.

Dear "BBC's Mullah",

Silent Revolution?

I´m not sure which message is clearer, voting unvalid or voting for the most liberal candidate, but I´m sure abstaining from voting without any supporting programme is counterproductive.

Besides, calling me IRI supporter is just silly.

IRI Supporters

are the most deceptive kind anywhere to be found.

They know that the akhunds have completely and categorically failed as a governing agent, and yet, they say, let's be "patient," what are the options, "war or revolution?"

I wonder if that was the way you people thought back in 1978? Yes, I am brave enough. And there are plenty more like me who will NOT vote, and NOT hope for war, but rather, revolution.

If you know your wife is cheating on you and will keep cheating on you, you're the fool who will say to yourself, let me be "patient" and she may change her ways. You're the one who keeps your head in the sand and tries to not think about at all her indiscretions.

Well, I'm not an ostrich and and I don't want to give this barbaric regime another chance to humiliate me. If Iranians abstain from voting, it will send a clear message to Whitehall and the White House, namely that the people want nothing to do with this cherade, this sham "election," this incompetent, sadistic regime.

And I wonder if you people were Iraqis under Saddam Hussein, if you would still say to people to go and vote in his bogus "elections." Because there is ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE between Saddam's "elections" and the mullah "elections."

I've written about this before, but if we follow Dr. King's civil disobedience mantra, we can be rid of this regime in ONE YEAR!

And so what if Rafsanjani became rich "before" Khatami, he still stole all of his BILLIONS "since" the filthy akhunds took over in 1979. So what difference does it make that he made his billions from 1979 thru 1997? The IRI is still liable for all that stolen money. And by the way, Rafsanjani did in fact steal from he nation while Khatami was president, as did Ayatollah Yazdi and a LONG LIST of other disgusting and perverted mullahs.

I repeat, people should NOT vote in this asinine mullah exercise designed to fool the world. If you vote in this "election," you have no one to blame but yourself!!!

Job Opportunity (2)

For those who just criticise but want to be a part of the educated stratum, the schools begin again in September, after 4 years you can finish the primary school.