Iran in Crisis -- An Iranian Student's Live Thread (from inside Iran)

Freerepublic ^ | Jan 12, 04 | khashayar

[Khashayar]

The upcoming election will be an important point for both Iranians and their regime.

Most Iranians are against their suppressive regime. In the past few hours, around 80% of the so-called reformists have been banned from taking part in these elections as candidates.

These reformists are children of the Islamic Revolution and the people of Iran no longer support them. I would like to say that I believe this crisis is a fake. It is just to get the Iranian people involved in their phony elections. Trust me, I fear that the hard-liners are planning on letting these banned MPs to take part in election.

Once the reformers get people rally around them and they get people to once again vote for them, they will have gained legitimacy for the whole regime.

Remember that our one and only choice is a big NO to the Mullahs. That is why many want to boycotte this election here.

If you have questions about this, I will try to answer all honest questions.

[freedom44]

Thirsty,

Alot of people often make this mistake.

While no one can be from 'Persia', one can be Persian. In fact it is a big mistake to tell people there is no Persian.

"Persian" is the ethnicity of majority of Iranians, but there are also minority ethnical Groups like Azari which is about 25% of the population, Baluch, Lur, Kurd, and even very small group of Arabs.

So one can be Iranian Persian, or Iranian Kurd.

Ethnic groups:
Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

I hope the above explains things.

[Khashayar]

A hard and complicated question, but it is not easy as it hasn't been easy to topple a couple of dictators any where so far... Like Romania, Poland, Soviet union and in Iraq.

[Khashayar]

All we need is your support, Vote for George W Bush and he knows how to handle the mullahs.

[F14 Pilot]

Bump!!!!!!

[blackie]

Freedom ~ Now!

[nuconvert]

You're right. The only anti-Americanism in Iran comes from the regime, not the people. And the regime still has plenty of that. But the people have been pro-American for some time actually. When they've spoken out against us in the past, it was more directed toward our government, not our people. Now, the young people (who make up a majority of the population)can't get enough of things American. And they want to be able to be free as we are, to express themselves, and live their lives without the oppression that the Islamic fundamentalists offer.
Hey, these people, after the earthquake in Bam, had absoultely Nothing left. Yet Iranians greeted the American search and rescue teams with what little food they had and tea, and flowers! And thanked them over and over for coming to help. They're incredible. That's the kind of allies we want. Not the phoneys in Europe and Saudi, etc.

[PhilDragoo]

All we need is your support, Vote for George W Bush and he knows how to handle the mullahs.

Khamenei and Khatami, the puppeteer and the puppet, both tyrants.

I recall the street mob scenes in 1979--what a midwife for tyranny.

Now the young want freedom from the iron rule of the mullahs.

You are right to recommend Bush--Democrats would have retained Saddam Hussein.

Iran is poised at a historic moment, ready to slough off the mullahs like a snakeskin.

Just as America sent its royal rulers running with buckshot in their britches, let Iran dispatch its tyrants.

Hasta la vista, Khamenei and Mini-Menei!

[nuconvert]

LOL. Good caption

Here's a bumper sticker : Vote for George W Bush... he knows how to handle the mullahs.

[F14 Pilot]

Phil, You are wonderful... HARD LAUGH HERE!

[ThirstyMan]

Ethnic groups:
Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

OK, thanks. My daughter has been dating a fellow from Iran [2nd generation American really] who calls himself Persian. In Jesus' time there really was a place called Persia but I didn't know that today he means it as an ethnic term. I thought he was just trying to cover up the fact that he was Iranian, since we took it on the chin from Iran so badly while under Carter's rule.

[WOSG]

First it is a marvelous that you are fighting for your rights and freedoms and democracy. You are on the Front Lines of freedom!

Why not follow the steps of succesful 'people's revolutions' where you simply have a National Strike? Look at how Serbia and recently Georgia resolved itself. The election is such a turning point. Anything that forces the Guardian Council to back down would indicate the ability to project power, which will 'break the back' of the tyranny (which survive through fear alone).

And if as you say this 'crisis' is manufactured by the Mullahs, take it as an opportunity to "crack" the Theocracy by turning the crisis into a platform for your demands. This is how the 1989 student strike developed in Peking - it started with an argument over the removal of some 'reformist' Communists (like with Iran, it was a facade in a corrupt dictatorship, but ...). The students, by the end of the process, when they were finally brutally repressed, were demanding full democracy and freedom. (Hopefully, such protects in Iran wont end in the same way because you have more of the people sick of the regime.)

Your demand should be very very simple and easy for all the people to agree with:

Abolish the Governing Council. Have a real multi-party Parliametary System

Rather than boyott elections demand a right for the question of the existence of the governing council to be on the ballot.

Easy for me to advise from my comfortable place, but if you want to end tyranny, you will have to fight for it in the streets.

[WOSG]

"Candidates must also be approved by the Guardians Council, an unelected body controlled by conservatives which has the power to vet all prospective lawmakers. "

Note that this in the end becomes no different from the Communists "one-party" elections where the preapproved candidates would run unopposed. Stalin and Saddam did it the same way as the Mullahs.

Tyranny is as tyranny does. May it end soon.

[WOSG]

"Iran was the only Middle Eastern country never colonized by Western powers and it fought off the Romans at Carrhae. There is no reason Iran can't integrate the best of its past and the present faith of the Iranians to make a constructive contribution to world civilization. Iran bought us Zoroastrianism and Bahaiism. Who knows what will come out of your country in the next millenium."

Persian civilization goes back to before the time of Alexander the Great. I am sure most Persians/Iranians know this as this would be a source of pride. The Shah had a big party in 1973 at a famous place in Persian history (forget the name, the location of the old palace of ancient Persia) and used that heritage as a 'prop' for his power.

If Mullahs are mis-educating their people to ignore that, well, more's the pity.

[WOSG]

BTW, can you also warn Iraq not to let the Mullahs take too much power there as well?

[WOSG]

"But my point was that the uniting factor that we Americans see is the Islamic abusive, barbaric rule desired by so many of the middle east region."

You make the error of thinking that most Iranians like their Government. They dont. Iranians are the most pro-western of people these days.

[WOSG]

"President Carter was not aware of the dangers that these Mullahs may provide for the world security and he didn't back our Shah too. I agree with you!"

President Carter was an idiot. He came in saying we had to get over our "inordinate fear of Communism" then 3 years later expressed shock at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

I am sorry his perfidy lost Iran to the Mullahs. Iranians deserved better.

[geedee]

Remember that some of these so-called reformists were among those people who took your embassy staff as hostage for 444 days in 1979.

Perhaps they would like to attempt something similar now. I thought not. And they wanted no part of Reagan when he took over for the cowardly, idiotic Carter. It's amazing how zealots lose their steam when someone is willing to stand up to their bully-ish practices. Keep the taste of freedom in your mouth. Keep freedom as your goal. Freedom . . . there's nothing like it.

My prayers are with you and the brave souls of Iran. How can a simple, fat, old man in West Texas help?

[SauronOfMordor]

Then at the election pick your own candidate, either the election commission will publish the actual result of this election, or say that of the x million votes y % was disqualified as they voted for candidates that not was approved by the GC. This will do for the next step in the revolution.

Or they will blandly say that the approved candidates won 60% of the votes, and "disappear" anybody who openly challanges the count