Faramarz's Latest Rambling

All religions conflict with Democracy

Liberal Democracy (which we call demcracy for short) is based on individula freedom within the Human Rights charter with the will of Majority. Since Democracy is based on laws and religion is based on faith (laws can change and faith can not) therefor terminologies like "Islamic Democracy) or any other kind of religion democracy is an oxymoran term. Secularism is one of pilars of democracy and that is how you deal with religion.

Moreover, Faramarz

Once you go down the ultra slippery-slope of cultural relativism, i.e., a religious nation like Iran cannot function as a vanilla democracy, it needs a religious flavored democracy, then you open up a huge pandora's box where you literally place a choke-hold on the very fundamental component of a liberal democracy, namely freedom of religion. 

The term, "Islamic democracy," is a bastardization of the very definition of democracy. Sure, charlatans like Khatami tried very hard to sell us this cultural relativistic garbage, but let's be honest, if you can be a muslim in India and practice democracy, and if you can be a muslim in America or the UK and practice democracy, then why do we have to qualify Iranian democracy by calling it an oxymoronic "Islamic democracy."

It's utterly asinine. Religion should be kept far away from any form of government we adopt in the future. After all we've gone through, it would be a monumental shame for us to hyphenate our democracy with the label "Islamic."

Haven't we learned from our mistakes in the last 100 years? Akhund Nouri in 1906 was very successful in sabotaging our democratic movement, as were Ayatollah Kashani and Khomeini in their times. We don't want to give our opportunistic mullahs any chance to drive a freaking Mack truck through a peep-hole, even if that is all that would be left open by an "Islamic democracy" platform. 

More than anything, why shouldn't we be overtly trying to move away from Islam as a mode of thinking? Why not consciously steer our nation in a new and progressive direction? Why not try to deliberatly strip away some of Islam's influences, specially when it comes to governance?

With globalization and the information super highway, why not deliberately push the people toward a secular mode of thinking? Why not foster a political enviornment so that we can wake up to a new day, with a new outlook on life, EVEN IF change comes at a glacial pace? Why go back to the same old stale Shiite Islamic well, hoping to find Imam Mahdi and his mishmash jibberish after all that we've suffered over the last 30 years, if not 1,400 years? Why do we have to give up so quickly on the idea of a true democracy in Iran, free from religious trappings?

Simply put, democracy means freedom to choose, and qualifying our choice with religious overtones hugely compromises our struggle toward a secular government. We should be overtly trying to move away from Islam, little by little, as opposed to making it a cornerstone of the future. The Iranian plateau was non-Islamic for 7,000 years before Islam. It's been Islamic for 1,400 years. I choose to believe that history (and the future) is on our side. 

Faramarz

I appreciate your point of view, and you could be right, but there are logical reasons regarding the young people's response to Montazeri's death and logical reasons as well for their chantings of "Allah-o-Akbar," and not  necessarily religious reasons.

The salutations toward Allah gives today's protestors an Islamic  revolutionary "cover,"  which is important for many reasons. Perhaps one possible feeling could be that the true-believer muslims within the Basijis and revolutionary guards (like the recent basiji defector) may roughen people up for protesting, but won't necessarily kill them outright, because after all, by shouting "Allah-o-Akbar" they're shouting their loyalty to Islam and Islamic Justice, as opposed to shouting for Reza Pahlavi, for example, who would change the system entirely.

As for Montazeri, to the young people, he was the only mullah in Iran who was on their side, so-to-speak, regarding more basic freedoms. This affinity was gained because of Montazeri's firm and unbending stance against the IRI, including his progressive positions vis-a-vis the reform movement.

It was not necessarily a religious affinity. 

For people under 30, they only knew the reformed Montazeri, a man who was on the side of the people in their struggle against the forces of tyranny. The youth appreciated that very much, even if most did not know (or conviniently tried to not consider) the monumentally devious, murderous Montazeri, who practically invented the IRI.

Allah o Akbar

The fact that people say it means nothing. Many people here say "Jesus! you did ...". It does not mean they believe in Jesus. If is just a habit.  Some people say "Holy .s**t" it does not mean that they think that s**t is holy! It is a habit. You are confusing that with belief. No one with a brain can possibly believe in Islam. Plus anyone with a minimal knowledge of Iran would know that Ali was the biggest anti-Iranian bigot of his time. I repay him in kind with ever lasting despise. 

No to Islam or its mockery of Democracy

Islam is ramblings of an insane mind.  There never was not will be an Islamic Democracy. I just do not get why people try to salvage this piece of s**t. Islam does not need to be a part of Iran. We did very will without it for thousands of years. People like me ditched the garbage and proved it is possible to break free of it. 

Islam is build on fear. Initially of Tazi murderers like Ali and Hossain then of their pretend god. Now with the living proof of west we need not fear it..

Islam opposes Democracy!

Islam means yielding to the will of GOD (Akhoonds).  These barbaric, backward criminals know nothing about democracy. WE must be very careful & alert that these Arab speaking akhoonds do not fool people like the way that criminal did in 1997.

Payandeh IRAN & IRANIANS  

Dear Ramin

I am not sure why you think this topic is asinine. Youhave not given any reasons as why you think this way.

Islam is deeply rooted in Iran's culture.  Just look at the reaction of YOUNG people to death of Montazeri.  Even the cries of "Allah o kbar".

What I am saying in my blog is that the slate needs to be wiped fully clean.  In my opinion, its not only NOT clean, its far from it.

My friend, even in Germany today, there is a Christian Democratic party.  Its not a really far off idea.  These akhoonds are way more smarter than you and I when it comes to $ and power.

We have to be careful and think this thing through. 

Dear Farmarz

This is not one of your best blogs -- and I usually like what you have to say. But this topic is somewhat asinine and I suspect you know this. There is no such thing as "Islamic Democracy," and there never will be. It's like saying "Christian Democracy."

Or Shinto Democracy. 

We're way passed this debate, my friend. In fact, we passed this debate in 1999. It screams village idiot nonsense. Please don't feed the eaters with this junk food.

You can do better.

Islam(ism) and Democracy are Incompatible

The inherent definition for a Moslem is the one who surrenders to the way of the prophet and follows in the righteous course.  The clear answer for Democracy is Separation of State and Religion: a Secular State.   

For a sobering account of “Islam, terror and democracy”, see the linked article by Ladan and Roya Bouromand.  Also  see “human rights and Democracy in Iran”, by the same authors, which again talks about dismantling Islamism before we can even talk about Islam and Democracy in the same sentence.  As stated in previous blogs, every time the politics are handed to Islam, Islamism has dominated (Iran, Taleban, Sudan, Saudi Arabia,….).

BTW- Ladan and Roya Bouromand, along with Shadi Sadr, were the recipients of the 2009 Lech Walesa Foundation award “reward those who work for understanding and cooperation among nations in the name of freedom and the values of Solidarity”.

nadaareem

There cannot be any such thing as an "Islamic democracy"
 by definition.

In a state ruled by Islam, people are not allowed to question the authority(ies) from above, because it (they) are ordained by Allah.

Only solution: Separation of Church from State. 

another point

چون ايران نباشد تن من مباد

Also why are you talking to Iranians there why not to those who are in  Iran.,. who are in front of baton?

Your 2 cents is flawed

چون ايران نباشد تن من مباد

 The mere point that you make negates your whole paragraph to punish people by death if they get involved in politics kills your theory of democracy, regardless of who they are