Hamid Dabashi

"People matter"

GRITtv: Scholar and author Hamid Dabashi points out that before Iran's contested elections of 2009, no one paid attention to the internal politics of the nation, but now the world is aware of the struggles of people against their government.

25-Nov-2010
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Roozbeh_Gilani

Thanks for the correction on "mountains of Kurdistan".

by Roozbeh_Gilani on

 Rafigh Hoshang, per  recent kurdish general strike example you quoted. My use of this term might have been  because of my love of Kurdish mountains from my high school days when I used to travel to kermanshah and mahabad with my kurdish friends and hike up the beautiful peaks of mount Zagros. Fascinating place to visit, great people and there bis always this feeling that thousands of years of History is burried only half a meter under ones feet.

Thank you Masoud for explanation . I often wonder about this relatively recent mushrooming of interest in middle east and islam in US universities. You might know, in britain for example, due to their colonial link to muslim countries there are university departments (mostly older universities) specialising on middle eastern and muslim studies. Graduates of these courses typicaly end up working for British Foreigh office, secret service or military. Islamic regime has been also more recently providing grants for such courses (St andrews in scotland and Cambridge). I wonder where US graduates of these courses end up?

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."


masoudA

Who is Dabashi You ask?

by masoudA on

The Islamic Republic directly and indirectly (via entities such as the Alavi Foundation,...) has for years been providing grants to many universities in USA.   This money is the income of all carpet, caviar, ....sales in USA which were legalized during Clinton with the condition that the income does not leave USA.   The grants initialy started as a way to promote Farsi Language in American U's - but eventualy ended about being for new Courses such as: Middle Eastern Studies, Study of Islam, Women in Isam, History of Middle East, History of Islam,........ of-course to teach these courses - IR inserted some of it's own into the American U system......the rest is history.   So when you hear Columbia U professor - or U of Maryland, Stanford, Harvard,..........in any of them, those who teach the above, are actualy being paid via IR grants.......These so called professors, are also often invited to US Congress and Senate to provide expert opinion...... I hope that helps all of you - except Mast O Mousir - who is a propagandist.   


Hoshang Targol

Rozbeh jan, you're correct, as usual

by Hoshang Targol on

As far as the "other" blog , "it's best to leave it there," I couldn't agree with you more. The only reason I even typed those few lines was to just provide uninformed readers with some of the history. BEKHANAND O GHEZAVAT KONAND. 

I also agree with you that the only thing that really scares the bejesus out of IR is when we all get together ( without denying our individual identities) and form a UNITED FRONT agaisnt IR. This should be the task for each and everyone of us, and it should be pursued relentlessly. Elimination of subsidies ( as it's currently on the way) could well be the nails in the coffin of IR: if we are united, democratic and tolerant in our everyday conduct and discourse, and provide a truly democratic, eaglitarian alternative to the current Hell.

In the end I just had a very minor pick with you! And I'm sure you mean very well and it's a sincere statement, but, your continued referrence to " mountains of Kurdesitan" as a bastion of struggle against IR is a bit outdated ( at least 30 years). Although Kuredstan was in the forefront of armed resistance to IR, after 1981 and with all resistance effectively put down ( except a few areas like Kurdestan...) it became clealry evident that waging armed struggle in only one corner of the country is not a viable, feasible stratagem. Instead the general population and their parties have moved and gone beyond and above armed struggle( though we always keep that option and augment it). The General Strikes that have been organized in Kurdestan, point to the fact that urban areas and the working class are the key to overthrowing IR. Sorry for RODEH DRAZI, cheers


Roozbeh_Gilani

Thanks Hooshang for more data

by Roozbeh_Gilani on

and I agree with your comments. The real battle is being and will be fought on streets of Tehran, tabriz, isfahan, etc and mountains of Kurdistan after all. the rest, including this gentleman's is just talk. BTW, regarding the "other blog", if I may comment.  I think it's best to leave it there. maybe just not the right venue even! some passionate and genuine sentiments were expressed and conclusions made based on our personal experience and interpretation of events. I believe the intentions were all noble on this wing of the revolutionary movement. But mistakes were made and will be made as part of the learning process. Given the facts we can all make our minds about the events, learn our lessons and move on focusing on task in hand.

Thank you again

 

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."


Hoshang Targol

Rozbeh jan, HD is a half decent academician with some illusions

by Hoshang Targol on

about the "Green" movement, who is increasingly under the influence of Ganji and Co.

Prior to 1979 he was doing his graduate studies at Penn University, after that , he got a tenure in Columbia (probably thanks to Yar'shater). He's a very good writer and for me his high point was when he took on Arab intellectuals who were "questioning" the protest after the Coupe of 2009, in the pages of AlAhram, wher he has a column.

All and all, he's more of a waste of time than anything else!


Roozbeh_Gilani

but seriously who is Mr dabashi?

by Roozbeh_Gilani on

I have not heard of him within the context of pre to 1979  Iranian secular (left or nationalist) anti monarchist activists (where I expected him to be given his age). Otherwise he is (based on my google search) a professor at colombia university specialising in middle eastern affairs. I did not hear him claiming any leadership role. So what is wrong with that? Are we so unsure of our right belief that the islamist regime must be overthrown before any good comes to our country that we get excited about a colombia university professor expressing his opinions? 

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."


afshinazad

DABASHI DABASHI

by afshinazad on

This man is lost in his small world, I have been going Iran from last 15 years and every time I go Iran just like everyone else I have felt and heard the anger of Iranian and because of repression of course never been huge street demonstration and 2009 was the year that public showed their anger and how much they hate these thugs and because of no leadership this regime survived and if there was a leader these thugs would of been long gone , Mr. Dabashi  should of said shame on western countries and American that they have been in bed with devil from last 31 year and never complained about human rights and they have been silent all these years because they don't give a crap about Iranian people, he is another expert who is just is Pro-IRI and  hate freedom and democracy for his country and every bloody time they have to blame American and Israel for every crap is happening and these people live in free countries and all of sudden they are expert in what is going on in Iran and they are working against own people.


G. Rahmanian

And

by G. Rahmanian on

Does he get paid for what he does or is he a volunteer professor? Of course, such "experts" are not few in the US colleges. Even Abdol Karim Soroush is an "expert" of some sort.


G. Rahmanian

Confused!

by G. Rahmanian on

He admits he had no idea what was going on for thirty years. I'm not sure about his expertise, though. He says: 'We all thought ...." Who are "we?" Does he really read or know much about Iran? I doubt it!


Darius Kadivar

FYI/Columbia Student's Dabashi Quiz ;0) ... No kidding ... ;0)

by Darius Kadivar on


Columbia Professor Hamid Dabashi is Famous ... Er ... Infamous it seems ... LOL

 Watch Video below:

 

MPI Moving Minutes - Indoctrinate U Dabashi Quiz


Bahram Gohari

Who is Dabashi

by Bahram Gohari on

This guy Dabashi is nothing but delusional and opportunist.


MOOSIRvaPIAZ

masoudA

by MOOSIRvaPIAZ on

... a Glenn Beck watching, Rush Limbaugh loving Iran war supporting Iranian thinks he knows when is being fooled! Very funny. People like you are too westernized and have lost your connection to Iran and your imagination of what is like to be an Iranian living in todays iran.  Right or wrong, you can tell Dabashi was born and bred in Iran. He is closer to the realities of today's Iran than most of the commenters here. 

I dont blame ordinary Iranian exiles for lack of academic understanding of Iran. They live  their lives consumed by orientalist thoughts and ideas. I expect more however from true experts on Iran and academics. 


masoudA

What is Sickening

by masoudA on

is the fact that he thinks he can keep on fooling people.   Get a job mr. Dabashi - before it is too late. 


Ferfereh

You again

by Ferfereh on

As Darius has written, this guy and Flynt Leverett support Islamic regime. Who is Flynt Leverett, watch this :Flynt Leverett

Do you want to know what this guy(Hamid Dabashi)do for Islamic regime, watch this : regime's lobby

The end of Islamic regime is near and nobody not even this guy's Allah can save him and his savage regime


Dirty Angel

I must be a masochist

by Dirty Angel on

Why oh why did I just listen to this guy again?Duh, Dirty Angel, duh!

" Thank god for botox; my facial expressions are wearing rather thin...."


Darius Kadivar

Really Hamid Jaan ? Then Why do You insist on Government and Not

by Darius Kadivar on

Regime ? ...Oh Right because I suppose YOU consider that YOUR Turbaned Dynasty is Legitimate ...

Flynt Leverett & Hamid Dabashi: Iranians do not want to overthrow the Islamic Republic:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJw7bGr6qvA

PS: Notice @ 0:31 sec in the above video Mansour Farhang ( Former IRI's Ambassador to the UN ) sitting next to Leverett.

More on him here:

//iranian.com/main/image/125783

And his hopes and dreams of seeing an Islamic "Napoleon" to Save his Republic before his death:

//iranian.com/main/news/2010/11/08/columb...


Fred

Dabashi knows it

by Fred on

The “conundrum” which clueless lefties are in, that he is pointing out is very true.

As one of them with long track record of backing Islamist Rapists for their supposed “anti-imperialistic” stands, he knows what he is talking about.

Of course, he is late in recognizing that which has been a long known sad fact by too many.