Iranian of the Day

Ms Ansari and Abarmard ...

Ms Ansari, you say ,"Whoever he is and whatever he has done in his past, since he became a presidential candidate in 2008, Mir Hossein Mousavi accomplished a lot for Iran.", correct me if I'm wrong, doesn't he have to have the full approval of the Guardian Counsel to even become a presidential candidate? What exactly did he accomplish for Iran, did he do anything but riding the waves of people's uprising and did he not ultimately become a tool of the establishment (IRI) to passify the movement all together (i.e. Ahura of 2009)? In my humble opinion this man, and Mohammad Khatami have extended the life of Islamic Republic by at least 12 years, and that in my book can be considered nothing short of treason to our nation.

Abarmard, you say, "I may be a man who has horrible views and have the opportunity to study, research, learn, teach, and with passing times come back once I feel that I can contribute.". All of this applies only to people who first of all don't have the blood of the inocents on their hand as Mousavi and other high ranking 1988 government officials of Iran do. Secondly, his master plan of passifying of the movement that was gaining momentum is in the best case scenario a disasterous political mistake and in my view since I suspect he and before him Khatami did this intentionally, it can only be considered "Treason".

Payandeh Iran, our Ahuraie Fatherland

ALL political prisoners must be freed. period

.

I agree with Mehrban

Despite the fact that we live outside Iran, we have our families, our friends and our nation there and we have every right to have a say in its future. It is not possible to shot off people on one breath, and blame them for their inaction in another.

A leadership outside Iran is also very desirable if not necessary when the dictatorship does not allow an internal one. Remember that the leadership of the last Iranian successful revolution was also out of the country.

Mir Hussein Mousavi shares the common denominator with other political prisoners that he is in trouble for his convictions. Although he is not treated as cruelly as others, he is a political prisoner nevertheless and it has been very wise of IC to feature him on this day.

Attention is good

"اینک ما خانواده آقایان کروبی و موسوی و خانم رهنورد از طرف آنان اعلام می کنیم که ما و عزیزان مان به این زندان هرچه که باشد خانگی یا غیر خانگی، معترضیم و خواهان پایان دادن به این اقدام ضد انسانی و ضد قانونی هستیم. مسببین اینگونه رفتارها به خوبی می دانند که با اقداماتی چنین، در اراده عزیزان ما در حق خواهی خویش و دفاع از آرمان هایی که میلیون ها هم وطن مان در خیابان ها ابراز کردند و خون خود را نثار نمودند و دهها شهید دادند و دچار حبس و شکنجه و انواع مسایل دیگر شدند و نیزهزاران زندانی که همچنان مقاوم و استوار در حبس اند؛ خللی ایجاد نخواهد کرد.

ما از حاکمانِ بر جان و مال و ناموس مردم می خواهیم از راه ضد ملی و ضد دینی و ضد انسانی که در سرکوب هر منتقد و مخالف خود در پیش گرفته اند و کشور را در لبه پرتگاه جنگ و ویرانی قرار داده اند به راه منطق و قانون و مصلحت مردم و میهن برگردند.

ما خانواده آقایان موسوی و کروبی، که برعهد خود با مردم در دفاع از حقوق شان وفادار واستوار مانده اند؛ اینک به خاطر حقوق از دست رفته آنها، به عنوان نمادی از حقوق از دست رفته مردم ایران و مخصوصا شهدای مظلوم و زندانیان بی گناه، از همه هموطنان مظلوم و رنج دیده و فداکار و از همه انسان های حق طلب و آزادی خواه و عدالت جوی، هم گام با هموطنان داخل کشور که خواهان تسلط مردمسالاری واقعی، و در جای جای جهان میخواهیم پژواک صدای حق خواهی ما باشند صدای مارا به گوش جهانیان برسانند که: “زندانیان مظلوم و مقاوم ما وهمه زندانیان سیاسی و عقیدتی را در سراسر ایران آزاد کنید. کشور وملتی با اینهمه سرفرازی و بزرگی شایسته این حد رنج تنگناهای اقتصادی و سیاسی وخدای‌ناکرده جنگ نیست ".

There are many forces in place

That forms people; also there is an element of people that forms the leaders. Mosadegh was in times of turmoil with population who were powerless and divided. The majority of the country did not have a sense of nationality and were more tribal in thinking and behaving.

Today Iran after the revolution is another story. Two concepts here, first I may be good but in a bad situation. I may agree with the concept but don't approve of the methods.

Another is that once in power, the forces involved, internal and external forms my character. Internal forces include the people and their level of thinking, in a process of democracy, traditions, values, and social behavior.

Here is an example. In Zahedan a woman gets caught having an affair with a man. The secular court decides that she can go free but once she is freed, she is killed by the population! The cases of throwing acid in woman's face is not based on rules and policies of government, it's the people.

With that in mind, judging a character in a setting should be in the environment that individual resides. Can one sit a side and take no part of the flaws? Sure, but what if you bring things that you know and believe that you can help in small steps.

Here is another point to consider. Most people who took office after the revolution were simple minded workers, who lacked education and held high traditional religious values (Refer to the movie Persepolis). It took them thirty years to get some education at the cost of the middle and upper middle class. In those times they were more sophisticated Westernized group of the Iranian society. However, the rest were very different.

In 2009 election, if you view this debate you can see that was unheard of in Iranian society. Iranians had never, ever experienced such debate between two political parties. The history will be kind to this event as a whole as the people have politically and socially matured, at least one more step. That's good.

I may be a man who has horrible views and have the opportunity to study, research, learn, teach, and with passing times come back once I feel that I can contribute. Chaotic revolution is now over and people CAN change. I see Mousavi lacking the values of the majority of what I call, perhaps incorrectly, Westernized class of the Iranian society, yet still very close in after revolution settings to that class. It's a step up.

Note that it is better to look at parties based on social class settings. Rafsanjani is Bazar, Khatami is production, Ahamdinejad is poor and labor class.

They all represent, or have support from those segments of the population and try to bring policies, even in their limited role that supports their class. Social growth is a gradual movement with bottleneck being the most fanatic and traditional parts of the society. In my experience, in large parts of the country that class exists.

To increase the speed of social progress, the society needs to have more access to education and participations in debate, which to some extent it is happening and it will continue.

History shall not be kind

to elements of oppressive and dictatorial regimes who fall out of favor with their masters and find themselves on the receiving end of their former master's truncheon.  

"Good riddance" is what people say when they hear about Rohm's plight.  The same will be said about Moussavi's plight.  Food for thought:

//www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/7811996/Mir-Hossein-Mousavi-involved-in-massacre-says-report.html

Moussavi's famous remorseless words regarding the mass murder of tens of thousands of prisoners in 1988:

"We had to crush the conspiracy," said Mr Mousavi. "In that respect we have no mercy."

There is no ifs and buts about it

All people under house arrest must be release immediately, or else be indicted with committing an illegal act and put on trial accordingly.  House arrest, protective custody, or intimidation and harassment of individuals, to infringe on their right to move freely is a violation of human rights.   

Definition of house arrest

"...While house arrest can be applied to common criminal cases when prison does not seem an appropriate measure, the term is often applied to the use of house confinement as a measure of repression by authoritarian governments against political dissidents. In that case, typically, the person under house arrest does not have access to means of communication. If electronic communication is allowed, conversations will most likely be monitored. ..."

"Iran:

- Mohammad Mosaddegh , Former Premier of Iran was deposed by coup in 1953 with support of the United States. Following three years of imprisonment, he was placed under house arrest until his death.

- Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri was sentenced to house arrest from 1997 to 2003.

- Mehdi Karroubi an influential Iranian reformist politician, democracy activist, mojtahed, and chairman of the National Trust Party, Chairman of the parliament from 1989 to 1992 and 2000 to 2004, and a presidential candidate in the 2005 and 2009 presidential elections. He is under house arrest from February 2011 until now.

- Mir-Hossein Mousavi is an Iranian reformist politician, painter and architect who served as the seventy-ninth and last Prime Minister of Iran from 1981 to 1989. He was a candidate for the 2009 presidential election. He is under house arrest from February 2011 until now."

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_arrest

Anonymous Observer

I am sure there is an app for that

Nazi analogy? of course! It's called Godwin's law! :-)

"....given enough time, in any online discussion—regardless of topic or scope—someone inevitably criticizes some point made in the discussion by comparing it to beliefs held by Hitler and the Nazis."

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law 

I will remind everyone of this law in all the discussions! Reductio ad Hitlerum! :-)

Abarmard - Shifteh also has a 4D version of her comment

it tickles your feet with a feather.

I'm really not sure what that means BTW.  

Question: should people have felt sorry for Ernst Rohm

when he was arrested and imprisoned by Hitler?

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_R%C3%B6hm 

Mousavi the VIP prisoner

AO you are sport on! He probably has chelo kebab and kale pache and zabun sandwiches delivered on a daily basis. Poor soul. 

If only all Iranians political prisoners were treated like our dear Mousavi then no one will be complaining.

wow Shifteh Ansari

Note worthy comment. It is sad that some are so in hate or rather denial about the realities of Iran that only see one directional views. Thanks for your 3D comment.

JJ jan, don't bother with this crowd!

Oh, my mistake!

He's not a "prisoner"... only under house ARREST.

Thanks for the clarification :)

Barbarians Are Not at the Gate

Thank you Dr. Mohandes.

The Barbarians are not at the gate with their bombs and bullets trying to screw up Iranians' self determination.

They are already inside torturing and killing Iranians. If that's so hard to understand, take a look at Syria.

Re: JJ, SK, Vildemose ...

JJ, as Demo correctly pointed out, he is not a prisoner, but under house arrest. As such I would assume the only form of torture he may receive is having to sleep with Zahra Khanoom !

SK, you say, "most of these political prisoners are from the green movement ...". I have no problem with the Green Movement Activist / Sympathizer being a prisoner of the day on this site. They are honest people who fight for what they believe in. I don't agree with their strategy, but that's besides the point. This guy, Mir Hosein however, single handedly passified a significant movement of our people. Does anyone remember Ashura of 2009 when the people specially the youth had mobilized and in many instances were kicking Basiji butts in the street? What did Mir Hosein do? told everyone to stay home, and not come out pretending he was doing that to prevent bloodshed. In actuality he passified the entire movement because he didn't want his beloved "Nezam" to be completely dismantled at the hands of our freedom loving young people, because he's still dreaming about the golden era of his beloved Emam Khomeini.

Vildemose, you say, "That is phenomenon I have never seen in any other freedom movement. It illustrates to me that Iranians are not really ready for a secular democratic government." , I disagree, this is not a phenomenon unique to Iranians. Until recently all the leftists in the world including Iran called the murderer Joseph Stalin, "Comrade Stalin" inspite of all the atrocities he and Brea comitted, so people can become fooled and make a god out of anyone at any time, it is the sheep nature that some people possess more than others. Furthermore, you say, "If that is what they want, we need we can't do anything about it. They deserve what they get, which is Islamic republic light backed by USA.". I disagree, this is my Iran as much as it is theirs, just because I live abroad, doesn't automatically revoke my rights of citizenry or having the love of my fatherland in every breath. It is my duty as an Iranian to do whatever I can do to prevent another tragedy like 1979, in this case what little I can do is try and expose people like Mir Hosein for what they are.

Finally, the main point that I would like to make is that people like Mir Hosein, Karoobi, Mohammad Khatami are more dangerous to us and to any freedom movements than Khamenei himself, because at least with Khamenei, Basij, IRGC, Vavak, Savama, we know who the enemy is.

Payandeh Iran, our Ahuraie Fatherland

Shame on you people for belittling this man

He has been under arrest in his [posh] North Tehran apartment for more than a year now.  During that time, he has suffered from many life threatening diseases such as 
nasopharyngitis, acute coryza, viral conjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis and two severe epsiodes of trichoptilosis and schizotrichia.  

And he has suffered through these episodes while he was limited to only two family visits a month (one with chelo kabab, one without). Shame on you people.

Can a brother dream about the golden years of his Imam in peace or what?!!    

Dream...Dream...dream...Dreammm...

Okay. 

Oh god. This is just beyond entertaining. I mean Move over Jay leno!!!

A very respectful lady has included these lines in her comments!!! 

Her If they are spared from bombs and bullets brought to them proudly by warmongers, Iranian people will deal with this regime and tell the rest of us what it is they want to do with their future and which leaders they wish to choose for themselves.

So. Correct me if I am wrong but have we NOT been spared those bad boys , The bombs since the war ended and Have we Really gotten down to the buisness of DEALING with this thing we have ??? The same iranians who are leaving the country in Flocks not wanting to ever return?

When are you people going to stop sloganeering and see things for whatthey are.

Look. There have been no BOMBS / Bullets for sometime now. That should be pretty obvious particularly for those who have been covering the news coming from iran steadfastly without missing a beat. So...why have we not done anything??? What was holding us back?  

Obviously, there is a

Obviously, there is a reform movement with a large number of adhrents to Mousavi. For whatever reason, this group does not see anything wrong with Mousavi's actions during his PM reign.

That is phenomenon I have never seen in any other freedom movement. It illustrates to me that Iranians are not really ready for a secular democratic government. If that is what they want, we need we can't do anything about it. They deserve what they get, which is Islamic republic light backed by USA.

Let them have it.

A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Attn: IC Peers!

House arrest is not the same as 'imprisonment.' Such 'luxury confinement' is reserved for the 'buddies only.' As the 'glorified subject' was once a PM himself, it is noteworthy to remember that in Power Mafia systems, nobody would ever hear about the any 'real opponent' if he/she is not one of them. Otherwise, there are always doors open to all others to repent, to bail out, to sauna & jacuzzi, to furloughs, & to you name it!

What the...!

Only prisoners I like should go free! Everyone else should be locked up.

We can vote can't we Shifteh?!

Therefore we matter just as much as any other citizen does.   

Shifteh Jan

Although I am not a fan of him but I do admire your honest comments.  The so called patriotic people on this site who stop by daily before the morning coffee to solute the political prisoners are just using this platform for their own agenda otherwise most of these political prisoners are from the green movement ... 

This  new daily ritual on IC reminds me of my school days after revolution where we would be forced to say a few slogans before we start the classes and who even would have dared not to do so.....  no matter if she meant it or not...  

ق

قرار دادن عکس این نامرد در پنجره یاد آوری زندانیان سیاسی یک توهینی است بتمام زندانیان سیاسی ایران.  این کارها را کنار بگذارید و بروید دنبال مشق و درس و تحصیلتان

Only followers of Emam (or followers of His followers)

have any credibility in the real political scene of Iran. There: I think that's much better now.

Could you please stop this nonsense

"none of us have any position or credibility in the real political scene of Iran."  Is pure nonsense!

Stop silencing voices that do not want to go back to the not so golden era of the Emam.   

Prime Minister during the 8 most repressive & murderous years

Of recent Iranian history. And to this very second, still fanatically devoted to his Emam. I couldn't think of a better "leader of a pro-democracy movement".

I voted for Mir Hossein Mousavi

I participated in the 2009 elections and I am glad I did. My vote went to Mir Hossein Mousavi, not because I liked him, but because I hated Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I was not alone in that decision. Millions of Iranians like me went to the polls and made history. Those votes rocked the very foundation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and no amount of cheating, suppression, murder, imprisonment, and torture has been able to restore it to its previous state again. That is the true significance of what happened in 2009 and its aftermath.

Whoever he is and whatever he has done in his past, since he became a presidential candidate in 2008, Mir Hossein Mousavi accomplished a lot for Iran. He mobilized and moved Iranians and gave them a cause and a reason for which to come to streets and demand their rights. He was no revolutionary leader, because he was a reformist at best, but whatever he was and he is today, he did and does have his own followers and supporters, no matter how hard some try to say that he has ceased existing and the Green Movement has all but disappeared.

Writing him off and dismissing him is easy, as he remains in prison and his followers continue to be intimidated or kept in prisons and persecuted, so I am not surprised with some of the comments I see here. I would just like to remind all of us that none of us have any position or credibility in the real political scene of Iran. If they are spared from bombs and bullets brought to them proudly by warmongers, Iranian people will deal with this regime and tell the rest of us what it is they want to do with their future and which leaders they wish to choose for themselves.

Some may be following agendas in bashing Mousavi. But denying Mir Hossein Mousavi and his wife and Mehdi Karroubi recognition for their position as political prisoners and respecting their rights to their freedom of conscience by west-residing Iranians is really rather interesting. It just goes to show that we are not yet ready to do anything constructive for Iran and Iranians inside Iran would be better off dealing with things themselves.