PRESIDENT

To radius of the persian cat:

You wrote:

“you must have learned very well to close your eyes, when Basidj thugs beating, torturing, raping people in Iran, simply for wearing the "wrong" dress, the "wrong" hair stile, listening to the "wrong" music, supporting the "wrong" politician or believing in the "wrong" faith.”

The above statement is simply not accurate.

For “wrong” dress, hair style and music they are fining people and giving them a warning. From what I see young people wearing a majority are constantly pushing the boundaries and getting away with outlandish fashion statements and the crack downs are only periodic because they know not to piss off too many people.

If by “wrong” politician you mean the protests of 2009 then you are accurate and the brutality the regime used will always be remembered and in my opinion was the beginning of the end of this regime.

If “wrong” faith you mean the persecution of the Bahai, obviously their treatment has been inexcusable. One of my close friend’s father was murdered simply for being a Bahai and I know of others that have managed to escape from Iran and are now living in America.

But when I compare Iran’s peaceful society to America’s I am referring to the fact that Iranians can go to the movies without fearing being massacred at the hands of some nut who has purchased a machine gun off the Internet. Just compare the statistics for armed robberies, rapes, murders, and other violent acts and you will see which country has the more peaceful society.

But let’s return to the issue of sanctions and the threat of war as the two methods being employed to force change in Iran. Besides causing a great deal of suffering to innocent Iranians the change that is being sought will not come about because the problem is rooted in Shiite Islam which is founded on many superstitions and on blind faith.

Iranians are now educated enough to recognize the difference between faith that is based on reason, and faith that is blind. And their education level is now high enough that they now know what superstition is and how it is being used to manipulate and brainwash the young.

Therefore through education and exposure to reality reformation of Shiite Islam is what needs to take place and once that is underway change in Iran will automatically follow.

Dropping bombs and causing suffering to innocent Iranians through sanctions so as to bring about change will only play into the hands of those who are using superstition and blind faith to remain in power.

what a peaceful society

what a peaceful society which allows stoning men and women to death, and public hanging are are a family get together; where people on rooftops in broad daylight shoot you or simply you're pushed from a window of a 10-story building; where any basiji in the street can stop you for Nahy be Maroof and nahy az monker because your hair is showing or your scarf is not the right color...What a peaceful society, indeed!

MA: I have seen your comments on other sites and you sound like an IRI official. Your feeble attempts would be more productive if you talked to your bosses in Iran...

You remind of Iranians Namaz jomeh where the leader of the 'Friday Prayer, when says in his sermon , "we want peace and justice",  and the Namaz jomeh ends with "Marg bar this and Marg bar that"? Do you see the irony? I think you can't because you are simply too vested in the preservation of the regime.

All Oppression Creates a State of War--Simone De Beauvoir

Sweet suffering

@ Follow up (MA)

You know exactly what these sanctions are supposed to do: To get rid of the stupid, criminal IRI regime. Nobody in the world would have an issue with a liberal, tolerant Iranian governmet being in posession of nuclear arms (Like India, China or Israel). 

And let me tell you one thing: In five years or so, after the regime in Tehran was send to hell, all Iranians will be proud to have suffered from the sanctions which accelerated the deterioration of this inhuman and oppresive system. Your friend might have buildt only a two-story house instead of one with three floors, cause the bricks are expensive, and he might use plastic tubes instead of stainless steel, because the latter are  embargo listed, and he might have to drink apple-juice, not pomgranates and eat more polo instead of Kebeb Koobideh. But this will taste so sweet, because it was for a good purpose.

Peace on the cemetry

MA, when you write " ... that living here [in IRI] these past eleven years has opened my eyes to what a
peaceful society feels like ..." you must have learned very well to close your eyes, when Basidj thugs beating, torturing, raping people in Iran, simply for wearing the "wrong" dress, the "wrong" hair stile, listening to the "wrong" music, supporting the "wrong" politician or believing in the "wrong" faith. And you just have also closed your ears from hearing people murning their imprissoned friends and relatives, which are beaten behind the bars, than refused medical care hoping they will die or commit suicide.  Than you seem to consider a cemetry as the perfect example of a peaceful society, right ?

You obviously also managed to stay ignorant to the reports showing that the mullahs regime in Tehran is the most hypocritic, cynical and and stupid gouvernment anywhere in the world, and history will soon get rid of this anachronism. And don't worry, not Obama nor Romney will start a new war adventure a la GW Bush. They understood that in a high-tech and informational world there are other and more efficient measures to get rid of a regime, in particular if it has already lost most of the support from their own people. I'm pretty sure that the Iranians themself will finally send the mullahs and their thugs to the waste-bin of history.

To get rid of the criminal regime in Tehran that keeps the Iranian people in political custody, unfreedom and fear for too long time, any future political system should be acceptable, pro- or anti-US, left, right, secular, islamic, monarchy. 

Your argumentation that geopolitical issues are the central issue in the world ("...Hegemonic control of the Middle East is the key central issue because
65% of easily recoverable resources of fossil fuels of the planet are
within either within Iran’s borders or within 300 miles of Iran’s
borders....") smells as one has to live with the IRI regime and stay qiet about its crimes for the sake of keeping the US away. Sorry, this is extremely cynical, geopolitical considerations can never be superior to human rights. 

And your "either - or" alternative throughout your article also neglects the reality of current international relationships: Nobody, of course, wants to have another war against Iran, the type of war on terror that was conducted by GW Bush against Iraq or Afghanistan. But between this type of conventional war and an apeasement there are various  possibilites of damaging a regime so sever, that it will collapse by its own weakness. The recent strikes against the IRI-funded missile factory in Sudan, the virus attacks against the plutonium centrifuges or the port infrastructures, targeted attacks against key-figues of the regime, all those represent a new type of war, which the majority of the population will hardly ever recognise. So don't worry, there wont be any war in the classical meaning, in particular not against the Iranian people, but the regime of the mullahs wont have many peaceful nights any more neither. 

Follow up

UN Official: Aspects of US Drone Program Clearly 'War Crimes'

//www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/10/26

_______________________

Both the sanctions and the mismanagement of the economy is creating a situation here that makes one feel as if the government has lost control of the economy.

A Pride now costs 13,300,000 tomans. A 206 Type 6 costs 40,000,000 tomans! These prices are close to double what they were only 18 months ago. Grapes go for 6,000 tomans per kilo. Bricks a friend purchased to build a three story apartment building has increased 100% in price within one month. Steel tubes have increased in price 100% within two months. I get reports of prices going up within days.

A very hard working steel worker I know that works as a plumber on the side has been forced to vacate the house he was renting because the landlord bumped the rent too high and everywhere he goes to find a new place wants "rahn", or security deposit, equivalent to TWO years of his wages! The working class is being crushed, the middle class is being badly squeezed, and those in power are doing just fine. Is that what these sanctions are supposed to do, make innocent, powerless, Iranians suffer?

هر چه می‌‌خواهد دل تنگت بگو..

Jenabe Alireza,

What you've written gives one a reason to Re-examine his own perception of what's unraveling and the dire situation at hand.

The sanctions on Iran are becoming increasingly worse than those imposed on Iraq. The more one spends time to read the details the darker it gets:

"The supposedly "smart" and "targeted" sanctions have been increasingly expanded to all areas, even if they are not part of the official sphere of sanctions. This is intentional, even if Western leaders tell us otherwise. To avoid criticisms of the type that they were confronted with after they imposed all-encompassing sanctions on Iraq in the 1990s, the US and its EU allies have imposed sanctions on Iran's Central Bank and practically all other Iranian banks that are involved in commercial transactions with the outside world. Since these banks open lines of credit for imports, and provide financial guarantees for commerce with the outside world, it has become very difficult, if not impossible, to import vital goods and products into the country, even those that absolutely have nothing to do with the military, or oil, or the nuclear programme. In effect, this is the type of sanctions imposed on Iraq, but in a supposedly more "humanitarian" way."

//www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/10/20121023101710641121.html

rrrezz you are entitled to your view and can believe what ever

you wish as am I.  I feel you misrepresent and misunderstand my sentiments.  The Shah or leader speaks not out of thin air but based on the words and works of an entire team, his vision is that of an entire leadership and a nation after much debate on various views.  This is in my view the reason the nation of iran needs to rally around the vision of the late shahs son, because it is the vision of his supporters.  Many of whom are highly intelligent and well educated Iranians from Humble origins.  It is the shahs supporters who do not want a king to return, but we seek the monarchy to either be elected or set aside.  And in the case the Monarchy is elected as the system, then for the king to return based on the principle of the Monarchy not based on an election. 

Its strange when the Japanese, the Dutch or British rally around their King/Queen and his/her team of people from each relevant country these are considered monarchies not autocracies, yet many people make the mistake of labelling the shah an autocrat.  The accurate definition is he is a King, if he holds the post for some period and shows success he can be considered authoritative.  Ultimately as Iranians we are choosing who is our master and based on what process, and the system we select will have profound consequences for Iranians and the world. 

In My Mind and based on my life time of experience and understanding of history if Iranians seek a more sweet and democratic society, Monarchies have shown and proven for me they do a far better job at " democracy " for their people than their counterparts Republics.  Living in the USA vs UK or France/Germany versus Holland well its crystal clear which people are happier and more tolerant.  Not the USA and Not Germany/France, The UK and Holland take the cake with out much of a contest.  Effortlessly if you see the nuance and have lived in each versus the other.

It must be a coincidence but I was reading that in the USA the Leader of the Green Party was not alloweed into the Presidential Debate and was arrested and hand cuffed to a chair for 8 hours for attempting to attend the debate and be heard.  

Of course in democracies like the UK / Japan / Holland where we have monarchies as the basis of the government and law we see the police are more representatives of the community and the people and not corporate interests that seek to narrow the debate and exclude largely popular ideologies that harm no one and the community wishes to express.  The media and party system in the USA is highly run by money and corporations and this is a real pity for Americans, but also serves as a wonderful example of what we do not want, Monarchists would rather pay for a king/queen and do a job based on culture and community.

On a side note please don't personally accuse me of things you won't want to be personally accused of.  Like "holocaust denier" if anything is the fruit of Republics are "Holocaust deniers" whether by members of the IRI or as a reuslt of the USA directly bringing Khomeini to power.

To shortly answer the questions you directed at me.

Do you think in this age of information
you can simply turn several decades of history into "mass propaganda"?

Yes in short.  Absolutely Yes, a little longer.  You may be too young but hitler did it in Germany. More importantly mass propaganda is how the USA functions today.  It is how the US goverment has been able to start wars in its miserable and short history with the support of the people because each time the masses are scared/frightened into choosing war.  The Iran Nuke Case is a similar example.  Mass Propaganda is the soft power that the USA USED TO FOOL ITS OWN PEOPLE AND THEN TO FOOL IRANIANS TO CREATE AND ALLOW 1979.

If Shah was that great why did he have to escape his country like
that? 

See above examples, FIRST OFF THE CHOICE WAS HIS TO MAKE & DYING FROM CANCER HE HAD BEEN GIVEN AND THE UNITY OF IRANS OPPONENTS HAVING WORSE PLANS I THINK HE MADE A WISE CHOICE.

On, he made many
mistakes.  As just one example take the single party (Rastakhiz) system.

So where was his team?  His entire team and their reports and requests lead to the idea of gradually moving towards a democracy by building democratic institutions over time, with one party to be organized to minimize foreign interference on Iranian decisions. 

On foreign Interference your posts completely miss out on this important subject and this brings to question your wisdom/intelligence , your comments come across as if handling interference was not the Number 1 concern for Iran in a world like we live in today and that is very strange to see after the 50 years of pahlavi history and their struggle against foreign interference within Iran, especially now after what the west did to the shah and his team, in betrayal of all signed pacts made with them.

On, Who but a despot sais either become a member of a single party or leave
your country? His audio still exists and one must be totally biased to
try to deny things like this.

Do you ever get a feeling you are speaking with a child and not a very clever one at that, but a slow, helpless, take care of me child.  Why do we have so much of this among Iranians who are supposed to be adults?  Do you know the real answer? It is because we don't look up words and definitions.  This is the basis of wisdom.  If the Shah says either do x or leave the country, those word does not make him a despot and you would know if you just were to use that novel invention called the dictionary!  Anyways, of course the late shah never acted on expelling people for not joining rastakhiz, his poorly chosen words just gave Iranians an insight not that the shah was a despot, but that maybe he wasn't the best speaker, even a foot in the mouth type communicator.  That is okay in my world, I can accept that, though i don't love the behavior.  What I do oppose is ignorant uneducated people misrepresenting him on the one hand as adespot and then supporting countries with leaders like GW Bush who say you are either with us or against us and if you are against him attacks/kills/harms/ undermines you coercively.  That is a despot/dictator.  The actions are what to look for rrrezz as you would know when you use that dictionary for the first time.  You may be right on me having developed a bias, however your example was not an example of my bias.  It was the example made by a person who doesn't appreciate the importance of education. 

On, ...And I see that you are all ready to bring
peole who think differently "to justice". baash ta sobhe dolatat
bedamad! 

No, No and No Again. People who think and speak differently are fine, those who's activities were to intentionally harm and create many victims which we have in Iran, by deceiving a Mass of people and propogating what they knew to be lies should be brought to justice, not people like you or the average iranian that allowed the deceit in.  Its not a crime to trust what you are being told.  You are a victim and benefitted in no way.  Count yourself lucky, because there were far worse victims than you, like a family that had to watch their father hung to death in his home because he would not help in the crimes of 1979 or help create the lies that were necessary to decieve the people of Iran.  With out addressing crimes there is no way justice is being served.  It can't be sweapt under a rug, it needs to be prosecuted and then people should decide if they want to give amnesty or not to people who walked a cold blooded and dark path.  I believe some peoples lying about savaki's and the shah for political purposes was a crime, it was so effective that today 33 years later in some iranian circles many people will say you are either crazy or a liar for saying otherwise.  i also believe it can be proved if the powers that did this did this in a coordinated way with an agenda or not.  If they were knowingly involved in the former and it can be proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, they need to answer to the people of Iran. 

Mohammad Alireza

People of Iran have been suffering for ages.  

Amir Parviz

"Its time the people got together and worked together towards the vision the late Shahs son, Reza Pahlavi has provided Iranians and sought for over 30 years, "

Sit down. A nation work together to materialize the vision of a single person? That's the dictionary definition of autocracy.  In fact it's high time for Iranian people to decide for their future themselves instead of their fate being sealed by somebody "with special god given rights" like Shah or "vali faqih". You and people like you need to wake up and realize that the tide of history is against those who think they are the shepherd of the herd. 

"Those internationally and within Iran who helped brainwash Iranians that Savak tortured political prisoners during the late shahs life, that he was corrupt, autocratic, despotic and a dictator all brought to justice and have the record and facts set straight on this filthy western conspiracy of deceit as these were the basis for why the last generation screwed the present generation, allowing this deceit in, in part due to mass propaganda." 

You are such a holocaust denier. Do you think in this age of information you can simply turn several decades of history into "mass propaganda"? If Shah was that great why did he have to escape his country like that? OK, I'm not saying that Shah was evil, but he made many mistakes. As just one example take the single party (Rastakhiz) system. Who but a despot sais either become a member of a single party or leave your country? His audio still exists and one must be totally biased to try to deny things like this. And I see that you are all ready to bring peole who think differently "to justice". baash ta sobhe dolatat bedamad! 

There are so many telemarketers on this site. 

To Maziar58:

There are thousands of examples of free speech not being free speech in the United States but here is just one recent example:

//www.commondreams.org/further/2012/10/23

Having been arrested and chained to a metal chair for nine hours during last week's presidential debate, Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein is suing the Presidential Debate Commission, Federal Elections Commission and both major parties for excluding Third Party candidates from the "closed-door masterpiece" that is the debates. With video from her running mate, Cheri Honkala, on her journey to that chair from a hardscrabble life as a homeless mom and housing activist.

Stein's lawsuit asks "that all future debates will seek one goal and one goal only: to educate the citizens of the U.S. so that they may knowingly and intelligently choose the presidential candidate of their choice from each and every eligible candidate."

Q

To the Blogger?

What part of freedom of speech here in America bothers you so much that freely can use the F** words?

Can we reverse that freedom to Inslt Iran ,its leadership and her Islam ?

Just a Q.

I do not believe USA want to wage a war

Maybe behind the scene causing some.............

 Maziar

To Reality Bites:

I have addressed this exact issue in my article entitled "What Khamenie Must Do To Save Iran".

//iranian.com/main/2012/jul/what-khamenie...

Alireza

I totally agree that it should be up to the Iranian people to decide how they should live, but the problem is the IR does not allow them the freedom to choose. People have no real control over the future destiny of the country.

But anyway, back to your point about Iran being under the threat of war. You have stated on many occasions what the US/West should do to remove this threat. What do you think the IR could/should do, from its point view, to remove this threat?

Good Article

A bit long-winded, but I agree with most of your views on the subject of waging war on Iran. As long as there are sanctions and threats of war looming over Iranian people's heads, there will be business as usual for IRI and its despotic rule over Iran. Take that Threat out of the equation and se how fast Iranians will rise and topple these fenatic bastards.

As the example of Iraq is there for all of us to see, war with Iran will bring nothing but killing of innocent people, destruction, and a puppet regime at the end, far from being democratic. Suppoting a war with Iran is betraying Iranian people, there is no other way about it!

To Adm:

First of all thank you for posting the above as an article and not shunting it aside as a blog post.

Second, please do not remove any flagged comments as given the content of my article I don't think it is right for any comments to be flagged or removed.

Thank you.

To m3r1:

You come across as a perfect candidate for a drone pilot.

To Reality Bites:

In many of my past posts on this site I have made clear what my stance is but it seems it is always necessary to repeat it.

My interest is the peaceful transition to a form of government that has the separation of state and mosque and the democratic process is applied for all levels of government; mayor, governor, president, local judges, local police chiefs, and also those running the schools. Alongside this there must exist the rule of law, open and free elections, freedom of the press and expression, and belief. Plus the end to prosecution of the Bahai and all other minorities.

I am also totally against nuclear power and weaponry. And I am not totally convinced nuclear medicine is that beneficial.

However, none of the above can be realized when Iran is under constant threat of war and has to function under harsh sanctions – these actions only strengthens the regime.

Basically it should be up to the Iranian people to decide how they should live and therefore must have the levers of power under their own control in order to do so.

Mohammad Alireza, let me understand your stance here

Are you saying that Iran being in "deep trouble and people are starting to suffer" is ALL the fault of the US/West and the Islamic Republic bears no responsibility whatsoever for the mess Iran finds itself in?

Because article after article, you post the same rants, attacking and blaming the West for everything and completely disregarding the 33 years of confrontational policies, actions and hostile rhetoric of the Mullas and their supporters.

Even if you don't mean to, you sound more and more like an IR apologist.

m3r1

Lol...

After three years of being a member on this site, during which time you have not posted one blog entry, not contributed one news item, or shown the ability to submit an article, you display your cultural abilities through the below comment?

Bravo!

Thank you

Everything you say is true but let us not forget that Obama is no better than Romney. After all, most if not all sanctions currently imposed on the Iranian people happened under his watch.

Either You want War or You Want Peace.... Perfect for Clarity

Either You Want Justice or You Want Injustice makes it easier totest where people are really coming from.

Peace can not exist without Justice.

War is Total Injustice.

So Do You Want Peace gives Justice Mohammad AliReza or Do you want War gives injustice, because I can not read your mind and your views did not clarify which you seek in the context of the truth this video exposes.  Are You really about Justice and the Pursuit of Peace Mohammad Alireza?  The Video is known to all iran Lovers, enjoy.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFlUT_6J4ts&feature...

Mohammed Ali Reza, who are you... if you want the following

The USA to stop sanctions and at the same time stop helping anti-secular extremists like the MeK and IRI?

If you want the USA to put its resources and media support behind toppling the IRI, bringing its members and basiji to justice with the help of the people of Iran by guaranteeing them the right to choose their future in a Free and Fair Referendum help by Iranians with UN Supervision on their form of Government. 

Its time the people got together and worked together towards the vision the late Shahs son, Reza Pahlavi has provided Iranians and sought for over 30 years, I agree with the F the USA angle after they brought IRI/Khomeni and kept them at Iranians expense for 33 years.  I personally want to see RP 2 Crowned and for those internationally and within Iran who helped brainwash Iranians that Savak tortured political prisoners during the late shahs life, that he was corrupt, autocratic, despotic and a dictator all brought to justice and have the record and facts set straight on this filthy western conspiracy of deceit as these were the basis for why the last generation screwed the present generation, allowing this deceit in, in part due to mass propaganda.

These lies repeated frequently was a crime and needs to be prosecuted as their aim was to unjustly trash the character of a great humantarian king and murder and steal from Iranians in pursuit of greed.  Its time the darkest days of Iran are behind us and the ALL IRANIANS who directly helped bring the corrupt islamic authorities to power are brought to justice.