Support the Iranian Freedom Movement

I was amazed! These Iranians sound more like conservative Republicans than a bunch of insurgents in their open letter "To the Free People of the World" that can be found at their website, "Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran". Although lengthy, it's truly an enlightening message that is well worth reading.

Again, the old rubric "never assume anything" rings true. Before reading their communiqué of June 22nd, I thought of the Iranian dissidents as dyed-in-the-wool socialists that were thoroughly in sync with the pro-Palestinian, pro-Arafat drivel almost universally espoused throughout the Islamic world. Gee, was I wrong!

Don't misunderstand -- I would have supported the Iranian freedom fighters in their struggle against the crazed mullahs and their terrorist accomplices in any event. However, it was incredibly refreshing to discover that the Iranian pro-democracy activists are indeed insightful thinkers in the broader political sense. And this is even more impressive in light of a populace that is really quite young, with approximately 70% under the age of 30.

By way of further clarification, Iranian expert Michael Ledeen underscores that the majority of demonstrators are, in fact, non-students. Essentially, there is now widespread opposition to the current Islamo-fascist regime among the Iranian populace, which is generating significant strife in the Iranian streets. Ledeen believes that revolution is in the air. In response to the daily protests of the past month, there's been an ongoing government crackdown resulting in more than 4000 arrests and many deaths.

Significantly, the overall tenor has shifted from street demonstrations to the beginnings of armed resistance as the situation on the ground continues to escalate and dissidents are willing to strike back against government thugs. In his June 16th column at National Review Online, Ledeen states, "The protesters know that they are going to be attacked with guns, knives, machetes and chains, and they are responding with Molotov cocktails and guns of their own". Ledeen further notes that the regime has taken to importing "foreign thugs" to do the dirty work of beating down and terrorizing the populace. Reportedly, among the ranks of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, there is notable sympathy for the demonstrators and their cause.

In their open letter to the "decent men and women of conscience", the dissidents unabashedly skewer the Leftist elites and "self-promoting great thinkers" of the United Nations, the European Union, the State Department, academia, and the media that have consistently coddled Iran's Islamic Republic. And, of a more salient nature, they deplore and denounce Iranian-supported terrorism of any kind.

Regarding the incendiary Mid-East situation, the dissidents aver, "Palestine is not our cause; the Arab-Israeli conflict is not our fight. We are Iranians! That is totally between the parties involved. Nonetheless, as a peace-loving nation we should encourage and support a peaceful solution rather than interfere in their affairs and instigate terror and war."

Moreover, the insurgents explicitly despise Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and all other Islamic terrorists for that matter. And that's totally understandable considering the following -- the Iranians have been systematically brutalized by foreign thugs, which are the mullahs' henchman and enforcers. Iran is the epicenter of state-sponsored terrorism, and the mullahs utilize terrorist mercenaries to maintain the regime.

In their June 22nd message, the protestors state, "Torture and terror are the regime's proven methods of control; that is how they have sustained their power for the last two decades. To carry on their inhumane acts, as usual, they have at their beck and call their pillars of support -- The alien terrorists of Hezbollah and other foreign mercenaries; for no decent Iranian could be as barbaric as they are...In 1979, through deception and ignorance of the populace, intrigues and plots of Western powers, inept foreign policies of the United States and the support of hungry, backward and atrocious terrorists groups such as Hezbollah, and other Palestinian groups, our blessed land was handed on a silver platter to a gang of corrupt and Godless Mullahs".

As rightly noted by the dissidents, the Iranian government should be attending to the nation's terrible societal ills instead of providing monies and safe harbor to terror groups, and developing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs. Despite its considerable petroleum and natural gas reserves, the ayatollahs have managed to run the Iranian economy right into the ground, resulting in 57% of the people now living below the poverty level. Reportedly, child abuse, domestic abuse, disease, hunger, drug addiction and crime are rampant.

The insurgents name names, and take significant swipes at well-known figures including the United Nation's Kofi Annan and media liberals such as Charlie Rose,

In 1979, through deception and ignorance of the populace, intrigues and plots of Western powers, inept foreign policies of the United States and the support of hungry, backward and atrocious terrorists groups such as Hezbollah, and other Palestinian groups, our blessed land was handed on a silver platter to a gang of corrupt and Godless Mullahs".

In the late 1970s there were a number of Iranian students who attended the same college as I. They protested the Shah - but I don't think the regime change they got was the regime change they wanted.

I don't know how many of them went back and how many stayed in the U.S., but I'd suspect most of them stayed here.

I went to McGill University and I met quite a few Iranians there as well -- And I've thought of them often in the past few weeks. However, I remind myself this is a new generation of young people. They're only in their 20's. They must be commended for the outstanding job they are doing fighting the mullahs. This is life or death, and they have picked up the gauntlet.

They sound like a bunch of patriotic, pitchfork carrying, Iranian First, fanatics to me...

I doubt that they will get any support from that hemisphere OR this one...

I wish them all the luck in the world...

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