Jahanshah Javid

To Capt-ayhab and JJ: your excuses are quite BOGUS

Capt-ayhab I have read most of your comments and I can honestly say that you have been attacking, jumping on everybody's back, labelling, badmouthing, ridiculing, putting down and resorting to some of the most vulgar vile methods to force, literally FORCE this idea into people's heads that they MUST go and vote in that sham of an election for the last few weeks yet you yourself have the audacity and gall to come here and declare your utterly LAME excuse of voting by proxy to justify your not voting yourself?!! what BS is that? Ajaba roo ro benazam! that is quite hypocritcal of your kind but I am not suprised!

I am sure where you live there is either an embassey or an IRI Interests Section where you can go and vote! besides, IRI government is resourceful enough to have set up many places across the world for Iranians of all sorts to cast their votes and choose one of the GC chosen candidates.

JJ, you can always go to Mexico City to find IRI embasey there, you are already running across Mexico anyway! your not being able to vote is just a bogus excuse!

Well done

A very clear and concise picture of the train wreck that is the IR.

But, I'm not being so selective. Down with each and every one of them. Regardless of for whom you cast your vote, it will only serve to further legitimize the IR and their sick ideology.

This sham election is an exercise in mental masturbation.

My Position

Not that it counts, but firstly allow me to compliment you JJ on your candor and your honesty in presenting your view and you position on voting.

In past few weeks I have read every single line that is written on the issue of election and seems like I can't get enough of them. However I have refrained from stating my personal position as to [vote or not to vote].

Whether we want to accept it or not, even though Ahmadinejad has , for all practical purposes, disgraced Iran internationally, placed the economy on the verge of bankruptcy, brought the nation within door steps of war, and curtailed every shred of liberty that there was or was not, but we can not ignore the fact that he successfully taped into the Islamic fundamentalism base of the regime. That has been his success, not to mention that with hooks or crooks, single handedly has demonstrated to some segments of some countries that [Yes you can stand up to the super powers]. Perhaps this might turn out to be his only legacy.

Does this make me a believer in his administration, NO by all means. As a leader he is nothing but a little Hitler in the guise of Islam. Another 4 years with his [Dis]Administration will spell nothing but total disaster for the nation. So what is alternative?

Seems like in this juncture IR resembles ever so minutely to a democracy, in a sense that the nation is faced to choose between LESSER OF TWO EVILS. 

In saying so, I personally WILL partake in voting through proxy[my family in Iran] and I will vote to fire Ahmadinejd. Hoping and praying that Mousavi can deliver bit more serenity to well deserved People of Iran.

Respectfully

-YT

Dear Darius,

I am full of respect for your opinion, and I know that we both want quite the same. But please let me ask one question: What does non-voting has in common with civil disobedience?

Civil disobedience is an active action, actually a subtle offence, with which you want to demontrate displeasure, for example when you go on strike. But sitting at home demonstrates only personified laziness and cowardice.

I wished something very different, something like a White Movement, all voting invalid whilst delivering a special message (for example We wanted another candidate). And still it's better to vote invalid than not to vote. But staying at home doing nothing? The halo is slipping.

-----

By the way, as long as we are living abroad, we are not part of the population of Iran (whole number of people or inhabitants living in Iran), therefore neither you nor I are entitled to choose the next president.

We can't sit here enjoying the different freedoms and giving advises to Iran-Iranians, because we don't suffer the pains they do. It simply is true, we are fair-weather Iranians. I believe, you suffer a lot seeing the circumstances in Iran as I do, but this is not enough, living in Iran is like living in hell.

I have no big head, I respect the opinion of my relatives living in Iran, after all they are the ones who are fighting that war, not you or me. Being affected of the elections is true, but not enough to act the voice of reason, we didn't deserve being such authorities. I vote for the person my relatives want me to vote for. They will vote for Mousavi, because they say, everything has become worse since 2005; they regret not voting 2005 and they don't want to do the same mistake again.

This sounds intelligent to me.

Ahmadinejad even elected would come out weakened ...

That is why I don't believe that his election victory or loss will make a difference.

Obama's administration has also sent a clear signal to the Iranians by saying that Iran has the right to have nuclear energy if it proves it is not pursuing the bomb.

//iranian.com/main/news/2009/06/04/obama-iran-has-right-nuclear-power

This is a clear signal that it would prefer a moderate elected in Iran but does that serve the Iranian cause for Freedom ?

By endorsing Moussavi's election at best you will send the wrong signal to the Americans that you endorse the regime.

Not voting would be on the contrary a clear signal that their is a public opinion in Iran that dramatically differs from its leaders and the entire establishment as a whole.

Yes it may lead to more sanctions but it would also raise discourse between the supporters of the regime be them moderate or not and they will be chewing each other up.

The Elections should be first and foremost an Opportunity to Send THE RIGHT SIGNAL to the REGIME and THE WEST as to the EXISTENCE OF A CIVIL SOCIETY In Iran in order to encourage civil dissobedience against the Regime's lies and pretexes to survive.

I would personally NOT VOTE ! OR at worst Vote for the Outsider Karoubi who is at odds with all the political establishment and a kind of subversive candidate at best.

AN ISLAMIC THEOCRACY IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH A DEMOCRACY AND I SHOULD EVEN ADD A REPUBLIC.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMvWKRtbs9A

IRAN HARGUEZ NAKHAHAD MORD -Shapour Bakhtiar

My Opinion too,

DK

JJ aziz I like your honesty

Dear JJ,

I have known you for more than 10 years  mainly form the iranian.com 

I think you are a great journalist, a philantropist and a good Iranian citizen and citizen of the world.

There have been times that I disagreed with you and times I agreed with you.

here I do both.

 I agree with you as far as down with Ahmadinejad but then voting for Mousavi I have to disagree.

 and I am explaining that in my blog shortly why I disagree?

FREE IRAN

CHEERS

JJ Jaan do not be decieved!

We would all love to see Iran looking respectable and be represented by someone who does not bring our nation shame; I think I know how you feel, but you shouldn't fall for the good Cop, Bad cop game that this regime plays. They are a brotherhood of thieves with all their candidates.

Come election they put on this facade to convince the world that the nation is taking micro steps toward a progressive democracy, Social pressure groups put on the squeeze and the candidates speak in a tone to let the steam out of the boiler and a month later go back to having their hands soaked in blood.

If I've learnt anything from their tactics it is that if they can't defeat a movement they try to own it and that is what they are trying to do here.

For the first time they talk about the 80s massacre, big friging deal! Do you think if Karoobee or Musavi win they are going to let the student and worker leaders that they have locked up and being tortured free?

The only true opposition group in Iran are the people, the only sensible way I see them winning is by continues social resistance.

It may have to get to taking action in taking away the Mullah's ability to export oil and gas, and if they start killing people in streets start an Arm's struggle but I don't think it has to go that far.

If the leader with a 5 line memo can override all the promises of a so called moderate candidate or if indeed it is true that they printed 5 million Birth certificates in Pakistan and had coaches of Basijs going round from one polling station in the last election and very likely do the same in the next election, then if you vote you are simply helping the regime play their game.

Che Sera Sera ... But You are Welcome to Join Me in Sherwood ;0)

I think people should follow what their conscience dictates them to do.

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

Voting or Not Voting is I think a personal matter given the dillema's in question brought up by these elections however fake and un democratic.

Personally I would vote for Karroubi just piss off all the others. Then I would Call Upon EVERYONE TO JOIN OUR CYBER-SHERWOOD FOREST ;0)

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

And TOGETHER Create a Solidarnosc Movement Against the IRI through NON VIOLENT CIVIL DISSOBEDIENCE !

My Final Point of View

To all the girls and guys who think that voting doesn't change anything, and from 1997 to 2005 the social circumstances were as bad as after 2005:

1) Read //online.wsj.com/article/SB124355320443064445...

2) You all deserve and I wish you the hell called IRI and Ahmadinejad.

MEK is backed by UK/EU

Mr. Javid,

ISLAM is a peaceful religion. I am not an MEK sympathizer as a Christian. MEK was lifted as a blacklist group last year. You have to understand something. The Iranian Revolution was hijacked but the Russian and Chinese Revolution were People's Republics. MEK is not dead but keeps reviving. At the same time, they are not pro-Western unfortunately. The problem is America facing today is lack of good foreign policy. AMERICA cannot fight anymore wars and the last administration's credibility was 10 times worse than Richard Nixon and Watergate. The world is changing. People have to decided themselves.

JJ you are being unfair...

I wonder if JJ showed the same level of contempt & scorn towards Bush, Cheney & co when he heard of their misdeeds, crimes, illegal invasions, illegal tortures, illegal secret sites, on and on and on? Did JJ write an article denouncing Bush & Blair as the two Western criminals perpetrated their crimes against the peoples of Iraq & Afganistan? So exactly what country did Ahmadinejad order invaded by shock & awe? What secret site around the world did he operate in which inmates were put thru medieval tortures? To what country did your contemptible Ahmadinejad outsource torture? He has a big mouth to be sure & is a gadfly to the Western thugs who have ushered a new era of neo-colonialism & degredation of Moslems. He has spoken the heartfelt wishes of millions who are sick & tired of Western racist bullying and Zionist state's crimes. He is free to speak out his mind & he has excercized his right to do so. His tirades against the sacred cows of the West should have earned him an honorary place at Iraniandotcom whose credo is 'nothing is sacred.' Or is it that sacred cows of the East are less sacred than the sacred cows of the West? Now you need to be fair: show your denunciation of the past 8 years of Western arrogance & atrocities, say something nasty about the idiot redneck from Texas who should be put on trial in an international tribunal for his crimes; will you please? Just be fair.

JJ

I think everyone should vote for Ahmadinejad so Iranian can have 4 more years of miserable time then they will rise against the IR and get rid of them all together.

but...

your blog raises some questions that need to be considered.  since you agree that "By democratic standards, [iran's] elections are a joke.", then how do you resolve the legitimacy of counting of the votes? is it possible that the outcome is already determined? one may assume that even hardliner rezaie won't continue the israel/holocaust rhetoric, then would you be happy with anyone other than ahmadinejad? or do you think that mousavi would be a better choice than the other 3 candidates?  if ahmadinejad is not (s)elected, do you think that there will be any reform, or any positive change, in iran?

on the side note: what do you think is the motive behind the urging of iri "agents" (including some that i think are on this site), in the wake of elections, who are pushing people to vote? (if you don't want to answer this question, you can answer the next) knowing that overseas ballots are usually not counted until after the winner is announced (including in the us), why are they urging people to vote outside the country? is it a show of force? are the voting lines outside the country, in a way, legitimizing the theocracy just as the israel/holocaust issue (among muslim nations), just as the nuclear issue?  should the outsiders boycott and at the same time not urge those inside iran to boycott?  their thinking is that the west will always portray the election inside in iran as a sham (that is) and can say people were forced to vote for various reasons. but iranians outside the country are not forced, they don't need a stamp on their shenasnamah. they don't need to secure a job or get into a school by voting. they are not bussed, or forced in the mosques.  iranian expatriates represent a demonstration of true free will (at least in the eyes of the west).

it seems so simple that we just don't want ahmadinejad. but when khatami first came on the national stage, we were not saying "we just don't want nategh nouri."  have we lowered our expectations? aren't we just playing some game the mullahs wants us to play?

and i'm sure (at least i hope) that iranians will not be fooled if a reformer wins the election and express their opposition the way they did after khatami got elected.  because they paid a heavy price for it.  instead, they'll just be on square one, same place they were 12 years ago.

You've convinced me to vote...but

Dear Jahanshah,

To this date, I've never considered voting for an Iranian election, since I didn't even know there was an election..:-) I confess! I don't follow the news...not really!

My Iranian passport should be expired and my birth certificate is not valid anymore. Anyway, I can't even find them since our last move. To prove that I'm Iranian I might have to pass a history or Farsi test (that I'm sure I will fail miserably)!

Now that you've convinced me to vote...I wonder how? Is there a way for me to vote? 

Thanks in advance! Azarin 

Well said JJ!

I enjoy JJs writings. He has a good command of English and he also did a good job communicating his feelings and his logic.

His views are representative of majority of Iranians abroad. Jews, Bahaiis, shahis, Mojaheds are not majority in case you missed it even though he is mindful of them Mojahedin are an exceptions cause they are traitors (I speak for myself on this one)!

Anyhow, those who boycotted the election last time are mostly muted now and perhaps ashamed. They realized no matter how bad a situation is it can always get worst and Ahmadinejad proved that!

Ahmadinejad is the Zionists dream. He needs to go. I have no love lost for Mousavi except that he is not Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad means war and isolation. We can't afford that. Lets put Mousavi in place and then we have 4 years to decide how to get rid of Mullahs altogether!

Force Majeure

As i always say, the only way to rid the world of the threat of the Mullahs is by force.  Hence the only way to save Persia is by force, of the American kind.

La-Di-Da...

Vote, don't vote. The damage you have done remains. The donkey is still on the poshteboon. How are you going to take the donkey of the roof is the only matter worth blogging about.

You said it perfectly

Jahanshah aziz I am so glad that you wrote this blog – you explained perfectly the way many of us feel (at least many people that I know). I know that you are in middle of Mexico and will be hard (if not impossible) to vote but maybe you can check with Iranian Embassy in Mexico just in case if they would have locations for vote. They will have locations here in US – www.elction88.org. I hope people would listen to you and vote if they can. Thanks Again – Shahnaz

Good!

Well said, JJ!

I have bad news for you JJ

There is really no god. Stop praying and just believe and hope the Iranian public make the right choice and their choice matters...