It's a civil rights movement, not a revolution
FP / Hooman Majd
07-Jan-2010 (17 comments)

What is evident is that if we consider Iran's pro-democracy "green movement" not as a revolution but as a civil rights movement -- as the leaders of the movement do -- then a "win" must be measured over time. The movement's aim is not for a sudden and complete overthrow of Iran's political system. That may disappoint both extremes of the American and Iranian political spectrums, left and right, and especially U.S. neoconservatives hoping for regime change.

Seen in this light, it's evident that the green movement has already "won" in many respects, if a win means that many Iranians are no longer resigned to the undemocratic aspects of a political system that has in the last three decades regressed, rather than progressed, in affording its citizens the rights promised to them under Iran's own Constitution.

The Islamic Republic's fractured leadership recognizes this, as is evident in its schizophrenic reaction to events since the disputed June election. Although the hard-liners in power may be able to suppress general unrest by sheer force, the leadership is also aware that elections in the Islamic state can never be held as they were in 2009 (even conservatives have called for a more transparent electoral system), nor can the authorities completely silence opposition politicians and their supporters or ignore their demands over the long term.

It augurs well for eventual democratic reform in Iran that the green movement continues to exist at all. Despite... >>>

Anonymous8

Think Again: Iran's Green Movement

by Anonymous8 on Thu Jan 07, 2010 01:16 AM PST

Yes, I gree.


Balatarin
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Darius Kadivar

Chanson pour Houman: AH... Si tu pouvais fermer ta gueule ...

by Darius Kadivar on Thu Jan 07, 2010 03:09 PM PST

Et Son Compere MOOSIRvaPIAZ :

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSiKw5rgM_U&feature=channel

Ca nous ferez des vacances ...


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MOOSIRvaPIAZ

Darius is right

by MOOSIRvaPIAZ on Thu Jan 07, 2010 02:38 PM PST

leave the analysis to real experts like Darius Kadivar.

 

LOL!!!

 

 ;o) ;o) ;o) ;o) ;o)

;o)

 

Oh did I say LOL?


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marhoum Kharmagas

greens haven't lost Jaleh!

by marhoum Kharmagas on Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:25 PM PST

Jaleh, the original supporters of the green movement haven't lost. Those opportunists who joined the green movement later on (Monrachists, likes of Sazegara, ...., garden variety noisy extremists) LOST, which is actually better for the moderate and progressive greens, and the county for that matter.


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Anonymouse

JJJ not going2 say anything2 wildmoose crazy posting everywhere?

by Anonymouse on Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:10 PM PST

Everything is sacred.


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vildemose

Juan Cole's perspective on

by vildemose on Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:45 AM PST

Juan Cole's perspective on the article:

//www.juancole.com/2010/01/iran-and-goldilocks-principle-why.html

I should say that I know and admire them [the Leveretts], and share their conviction that the Obama administration should engage the government in Tehran, whatever it is. We had diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and face to face talks all through the 1980s, at a time when that regime really was on the verge of falling. You can't know the future.

But I do not share their dismissive attitude to the Green movement. I think it is big, nation-wide, multi-class and significant. And I fear that they have fallen for the regime's phony counter-demonstration on Dec. 30 as a sign of wide and deep support for the regime. I don't deny it has its supporters. But I think the ground is shifting against Khamenei and Ahmadinejad, which helps explain why they are becoming more and more repressive.


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Faramarz_Fateh

Well God Damn! I agree with JalehO

by Faramarz_Fateh on Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:32 AM PST

The leadership of the green movement IS corrupt.  Well thank God my agreement ends here.

But honestly JalehO I would really like to partake of the hallucinogenic substances you use.  If they make you think Green movement was foreign led or that people of Iran have already won, it must be some very powerful stuff.

 


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Louie Louie

Whatever it is, I want some!

by Louie Louie on Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:23 AM PST


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Jaleho

Iranian people WON, but Green movement LOST!

by Jaleho on Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:13 AM PST

WAKE UP ALREADY!! I know that Mr. Majd wore a Green cravat during "election fraud," but hey THE GREEN is symbolised now as a foreign attempted FAILED coup, and its leadership not only is NOT winning, it is LOSING by the day!

The Green leadership tried to ride on th back of Iranian youth's frustration (togther with many others like Shahis, MKO....) and indeed the Green leadership had the largest representation of the protesters by far in the beginning. However, very soon the moral banckruptcy of the Green Leadership by insisting on their personal agenda (I WON) rather than representing the grievances of 13 million strong opposition, made the leaders and a good chunk of what the protesters could have gained lose badly! And now, the Iranian people will continue to fight for more gains without the Green's failed and sold out leadership!!


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Anonymouse

Some say the revolution of 1979 started in 1950s.

by Anonymouse on Thu Jan 07, 2010 10:07 AM PST

Everything is sacred.


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vildemose

Iran Unrest Could Boil Over

by vildemose on Thu Jan 07, 2010 10:07 AM PST


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vildemose

  Nobody said this was a

by vildemose on Thu Jan 07, 2010 10:03 AM PST

 

Nobody said this was a revolution. This is certainly a prelude to one. It will take 5 years and I hope it does. The iranian revolution of 1979 started in 1974.

I think Kirekorian is right when he says:

"So, terrible as it is, it's actually in our interest for the Iranian regime to hold on as long as possible, and crack down as brutally as it can, so as to radicalize (i.e., de-Islamize) as much of the population as possible."
//corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NzQ4MTU0YjdmMWY3N2MyOWNkYWI2M2RmYzZlODY4YTQ=

//corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NzQ4MTU0YjdmMWY3N2MyOWNkYWI2M2RmYzZlODY4YTQ=


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azadi5

it was a civil rights movement till

by azadi5 on Thu Jan 07, 2010 09:53 AM PST

it was a civil rights movement till they started raping, torturing, and killing people, so it no longer can be just labled as a civil rights movement, this is a revolution in making, though it will not happen overnight.

 


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vildemose

No one said it was a

by vildemose on Thu Jan 07, 2010 08:49 AM PST

No one said it was a revolution to begin with. This movement will take at least 5 years to turn into a full fledge revolution. In the meantime, the regime will get weaker and more brutal. Stand by...!


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Anonymouse

His arguments are not entirely false. He admits its hard to tell

by Anonymouse on Thu Jan 07, 2010 08:35 AM PST

At the end of his article he says:

The truth, of course, always lies somewhere in between. The green movement is most definitely real, cannot be completely suppressed, and will undoubtedly have a long-term effect on the politics of the Islamic Republic. What began with the election of reformist President Mohammad Khatami in 1997 has finally culminated in a civil rights movement that by any name will continue to put pressure on the regime to reform, pressure that it can only ignore at the peril of its own demise.

Some ask why people wouldn't give Shah a second chance but are willing to give this regime more chances.  First of all people gave Shah a chance and he had plenty of time to correct course but that's an old story.

The newer story is after Shah's second (and more) chance, by the time Shah came around and ask for a "second" chance the revolution was in full swing and his demise imminent and everyone knew.  Shah had already tried everything else and saying he's heard the people was his last gasp. At that time no one wanted to compromise again.  Not to mention that we now know that by that time Khomeini had additional millions to play with.

If it comes to pass that we reach that point with this movement then yes of course who'd want to compromise or reform?  At that time we should kick this regime to the dust bin of history too! 

Everything is sacred.


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Anonymous Observer

Attack of the propaganda machine...

by Anonymous Observer on Thu Jan 07, 2010 07:00 AM PST

yes, we will believe you Houman Majd---IRI's spokesperson in the U.S. :-))))))


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Darius Kadivar

Oh Shut Up Houman ! ...

by Darius Kadivar on Thu Jan 07, 2010 03:28 AM PST

Double Talk from another clueless NIAC's Advisor As Usual ...

Go and enjoy your Hollywood Party Girls and go smoke your Pot but leave Political Analysis to Real Experts !


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