Capt Ayhab

Eplanation of my reply to Exir down below titled

Exir...Rosebud...

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'I DON'T THINK ANY WORD CAN EXPLAIN A MAN'S LIFE'.

(These words come from the video clip Exir posted. I chose it because terms like 'monarchist', 'leftist', all these ONE WORDS, EVEN Zionist (yep...sorry to disappoint..) have nothing to do with the totality of a human being. They say VERY LITTLE. It all depends on the person who holds the belief.

On this website, overwhelmingly, people share one common goal. Ayhab spoke about it eloquently below.The goal is a secular parliamentary democracy for Iran. All other differences are merely tactical, some even to the point of nitpicking. At times it is embarrassing for me to watch the venom generated between people so very close in their thinking on this issue polarize each other to the point of pixel tir baraan because of the ONE WORD, the name, which they both conflate with the entire person, or even just with the entire IDEOLOGY, which is actually a dynamic thing..it itself cannot be reduced to the one word which purportedly (but not truly) names it. Yes, it is EMBARRASSING to watch you because sometimes you are just so SILLY. Nevertheless it is also always painful.  

No one word, not Socialist nor Center-Right nor Reformist nor Apolitical can explain a man or a woman's life, character, ideology or ultimate goal. Even many Reformists who support an 'Islamic' Republic of Iran do so only for tactical reasons. They believe that it is still a necessary step which will need to a PEACEFUL transition to a secular parliamentary democracy in Iran WITHOUT FOREIGN INTERVENTION. Some of them have tried very hard to explain this to you but many of you don't HEAR them because of the simple word 'Islamic'. In turn, they become frustrated, then bitter, caustic, angry. They almost give up trying to explain.

NO one word can explain a human mind, heart, life.

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Into the fires that purify.

This is a concept basic to many religions. Of course I am often thinking of Mazdaism, which has greatly influenced me, with its eternal flame and complex purification rituals. It is one of the many things which called me to Iran.

Zendeh baad Ahura Mazdaa,

This is self-explanatory for most Iranians but this is for the non-Iranian readers. It means Long Live Ahura Mazdaa, the Lord of Light in the ancestral Iranian religion, Zoroastrianism, which has been a profound part of the foundation of Shia Islam, Christianity, even Buddhism and more. I should add that no one word, not Muslim nor Zoroastrian nor Christian nor Jew nor Bahai nor Atheist nor Anostic can explain a person's spirituality. Yes, Atheism and Agnosticism are also spiritual as long as they are 'Humanist'. Spirituality means a firm faith in the human spirit and the progress of humankind and commitment to the inter-relatedness, the Oneness, of all peoples and indeed all life on the planet. That is all it means.

I mention the fire because it is also part of the video clip Exir posted for me. The video clip is from Citizen Kane, considered one of the greatest classics of American cinema, directed by Orson Welles. It is about the search for the meaning of the word 'Rosebud' within one man's life after he dies. I am not going to say any more about it because you really should see the movie.

lord and lady of the Light of Knowledge.

The Light in Mazdaism (Zoroastrianism) is the Light of Knowledge. Ahura Mazdaa (Ohrmazd) will is predestined to triumph over Ahriman (Angra Maiyu), the god of the darkness of ignorance, through individual human choice to live a life committed to good thoughts, good words, and good deeds.

Ahura Mazdaa in traditional Zoroastrianism not surprisingly is male, but the future will prove this to be wrong., as with all patriarchal belief system. It is part of the current historical challenge and mission of Iran to prove this wrong.

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I have written this explanation of my post as it originally stood for Exir combining some basic information with my own personal ideas. Needless to say.

benross

In England, I have seen cartoons of the royalty comparing them, especially teeth, to horses.  I have seen monarchists hit the roof if RP is called Prince Chaabi or a remark of Yawn for RP's speech.  But, remarks like that can start a slew of insults between the two camps, much worse than Prince....

I think you meant Chalabi in your last comment.  If so, ask the person if they have any evidence for calling him a Chalabi-like.  I have also seen Prince Charles be called a lot worse.

I believe that a king needs to be officially coronated as a king, but could just be a technicality for your camp.  So be it.

dear MM, thanks for explanation

Dear MM, thanks for your explanation and you are right, on this commentators are more courteous to each other than many other blogs.

Oh no no MM. I joke about

Oh no no MM. I joke about him all the time. Look at the media and comedians in England. They always joke about their queen. We joke about our culture, our country as well. These are all parts of healthy mind, keeping in check who we are and who we should be. But you can tell attacks with malicious intent can't you? When the king of a country is compared to a nobody like Chabali, we are not joking around anymore. We are insulting a country.

benross

insulting RP is not good.  But I hope that you do not mean that RP is beyond criticism or humor.  If so, you are wrong.  No one should be beyond criticism and even cartooning.

Rosie

My harsh language was based on the wrong assumption of you being a male character. Please accept my apologies.

MM

You got it wrong MM. It's not about Reza Pahlavi. For a monarchist, insulting the monarch is insulting the country. Even for someone who doesn't believe in monarchy but believes in the constitution, Reza Pahlavi has a stature beyond his personal being. Criticism of monarchy as a system, or even cracking jokes about the monarch with inoffensive attitude is not the cause of anger of monarchists. They get angry when their country is insulted.

Getting rid of these worms like captain, as a bonus, will result in a less defensive attitude from monarchist and more healthy environment to discuss about the system preferences, without creating any friction.

Anahid

I take your word for it. But my conspiracy theory had two parts...

Forget it Anahid, we have to be polite.

Thanks anyway.

Anahid - I was talking in general - not you

Anahid, I do not remember a time you have not been courteous. 

But, here are some generic examples:

I know that Capt is not for IRI, but I have seen it so often that Capt or Marge will just pounce on RP-related blogs.  And, of course, the monarchists are very sensitive to anyone criticizing RP, even slightly, and the battles begin.  Even my friend David, although courteous, will put just a hint of condescension in his remarks that set off my friend DK like a rocket.  All that background "hostilities" just spill over to the next blog, and even see hints of it in this blog that has been more courteous than the others I can remember.

You are all both right and wrong.

Just as Louie Louie once claimed not to be either a he or a she, and would prefer to be called IT, so am I.

Actually...Louie Louie is my 'sockpuppet.'

(But don't tell anyone..)

lol

Exir, Rosie is female, I have seen her

Not only I but few other writers on IC know Rosie. I saw her and did not get to talk to her but she has friends on this site who have met her. Your conspiracy theory in this case is wrong.

benross

Fair enough, benross. Not everyone is as transparent as you are. And I don't believe:

rosie character, to be a female, and as eccentric as he wants us to believe.

But you are right, "who gives the hoot"

Exir

Leave green out of this. This is the movement Iranians inside identify themselves with, which of-course is not much of identification for obvious reasons. We are not carrying a monarchist movement. We are carrying a movement to undo Islamic revolution. The legitimate constitution happens to have RP as the monarch. That's all. And green is potentially a part of this movement. Keeping it's green colour or not.

As for Rosie, who gives the hoot which side she is. She is not Iranian.

We take good advice from anywhere it comes. But personally, I'm not in need of an advice just now. 

Exir...Rosebud...

'I DON'T THINK ANY WORD CAN EXPLAIN A MAN'S LIFE'.

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Into the fires that purify.

Zendeh baad Ahura Mazdaa,

lord and lady of the light of Knowledge.

Rosie, there is a difference

Yes, I participated in the revolution and did whatsoever I could to make it succeed. 90% of the population did.

But there is a difference between those who come forward and admit to their mistakes and those who continue on with those mistakes and prolong our country's misery.

There is not a day that I don't feel the regret and the pain for what ensued. Not just for Iran's fate, but mostly for the forgotten hundreds of thousands who died in the Khomeini-imposed war.

So I hold my head down.

But there are other times, that I whisper Dariush's song,

"Our good and bad were the same ones,

Your hands were in my hands,

My every breath's wish,

Was to become the same voice than yours"

In those days, based on the time's circumenstances, my and many other people's role and fate were already sealed. But there are also times that I can hold my head up, let out all sort of feelings of disgust toward those who deceived me, bide my time and let the wine of revenge age..., the older, the sweeter.

These Islamists may look invincible today, but you'll be surprised how the chaining of just a few simple events in the right time could lead to their quick collapse. And when that day comes, I shall drink plenty from my aged wine.

Oh, and in that day, the likes of Ahyab would become the "irrelevant fossils" of the world.

Rosebud

Couple of more exchanges, till one of your (ideological?) pimps, like the one who has chosen the name, and the avatar of a dead hoodlum for cover, show up...

Nice try Mr. Green...

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyJAytr1ebc 

Ben...hmmm...

clockwork... could well be... we shall c what we shall sea.

Exir....nope!

Mata HOURI.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxZQL_Is0mE

loKHEILIloud

Yes MM

I guess it was me. I wouldn't call it name calling though. Just being accurate.

was rosi, or is Matahari

Which makes you a hooko(?)-Green. Right? No lol. You B.

Watch out guys. Benross, Jamshid... Things you don't know...

MM, I have done no name calling on this thread

Dear MM, I have not done any name calling here.

Actually my position was

Actually my position was always more clear than anybody else, monarchist or not. We have one legitimate constitution according which RP is the monarch. When we go for a constituent assembly, you'll never know what I'll become. But anarchist I'm not. I'm very order conscious. Anarchist? my work here so far was a piece of clockwork.

Ben, you're politically something like...

an anarcho-Monarchist, right?

lol

I see what you mean Rosie. I

I see what you mean Rosie. I understand why this logic exists but it's not mine. By understanding its existence, I mean Jamshid is doing his thing, I do mine. Everybody is taking his or her part. We are getting there! 

VPK, Ben, Jamshid

VPK, you quoted me:

I thought the reason why so many people were SO fixated...I mean SO fixated on RP....SO angry...was because they were angry at themselves for having participated in the Revolution. 

you replied:

You may be on to something. Most people I know who  really hate RP are ex revolutionaries. They are unhappy with the result but don't want to take responsibility. Therefore they trash RP and claim that they "did the right thing" by opposing Shah. I guess they have to justify their actions somehow!  

Well, yes, looking at it from the point of view of 'justifying their actions', the defense mechanism would be rationalization. Projection and reaction formation can be related, but they are different.

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I never participated in the revolution. Boy I am glad I did not fall for it!

Yes, but unfortunately one way or the other the majority of people here of that age did, on one 'side' or the other. At least by voting Areh on the Referendum. or by being in 'Shaahi' camp. I know Ali P. is one who didn't, I think Khar too...not too many people who weren't fully Monarchists have ever said they voted neh that I have read the several times the Referendum has been discussed. 

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 Ben, you wrote:

But unlike Jamshid, I don't think they are lost souls needing psychological treatment. They need to be pushed aside so that the healthy minds find room for breathing. Most of the people got over their self anger and reached a level of peace of mind. But these assholes don't leave room for them to regroup. 

It is a collective trauma. Different people have coped and recovered to different degree and in different ways. Here is a safe place where people can continue to help heal the wounds. Jamshid as an ex-revolutionary knows more than his share about those wounds.

Rosie

you make a very interesting point:

I thought the reason why so many people were SO fixated...I mean SO fixated on RP....SO angry...was because they were angry at themselves for having participated in the Revolution. 

You may be on to something. Most people I know who  really hate RP are ex revolutionaries. They are unhappy with the result but don't want to take responsibility. Therefore they trash RP and claim that they "did the right thing" by opposing Shah. I guess they have to justify their actions somehow!

I never participated in the revolution. Boy I am glad I did not fall for it!

SO angry...was because they

SO angry...was because they were angry at themselves for having participated in the Revolution.

Very observant Rosie. Very observant.

But unlike Jamshid, I don't think they are lost souls needing psychological treatment. They need to be pushed aside so that the healthy minds find room for breathing. Most of the people got over their self anger and reached a level of peace of mind. But these assholes don't leave room for them to regroup. 

Anahid / Capt - Re: rules of engagement

1. No condescending remarks & no name-calling.

2. Argue your point based on facts and only facts:

2a. If your point is slightly different than you debater, give consideration that he/she may be right and ask for clarification......  If you are still not satisfied, agree to disagree and be polite.

2b. If your point is very different than your debater, give a counter-argument and ....... finally agree to disagree.  This is a free country, and you are entitled to your point of view as much as the other one(s), unlike those poor folks back in Iran.

3. If #1 & 2 are ignored, politely point it out, ask for clarification ...... and there is no shame in ignoring the commenter. 

Unfortunately, I see that even those who are against IRI and its horrible treatment of Iranians argue for or against an ideology or a means of achieving it, and assume everyone else is wrong.  I just saw a blog on "Ten reasons why Islamic Republic will survive for another 50 years" by Mola Nasredeen and he forgot to put down #11 as the lack of unity amongst the Iranian Diaspora due to the lack of courtesy as well as a common goal we all agree on.

Rosie

There is nothing wrong with being inflicted by a personality disorder. This happens all the time. But it is a good thing to know about it! I am just trying to help this poor and lost soul.

Well, Jamshid, I dunno...

if anyone would find it helpful put forth to them in that manner. Because IF a person has a 'personality disorder', or...a neurosis...or...a psychosis...or any ingrained psychological condition, that's an illness. Mild or severe. And well...as they say...bedside manner...

but there is a political point I used to mention sometimes that someone mentioned down below in a different way. I used to sometimes say that it seemed to me like every time anyone posted anything on RP, like...god knows..RP eating Kentucky Fried Chicken in Delaware...there'd be 300 comments and most of them just vomiting rage...

I said a few times (this a while back of course, I haven't even been here since last summer...) that I thought the reason why so many people were SO fixated...I mean SO fixated on RP....SO angry...was because they were angry at themselves for having participated in the Revolution.

That is also known as 'projection' and/or 'reaction formation' (two defense mechanisms).

And mind you, this was WAY BEFORE the Uprising. WAY before. When RP wasn't trying to push himself into the forefront of much of anything, because there wasn't much of anything for him to try to push himself into the forefront of.