Pro-reformist? Me? IRI spin?? Where did you get that? There are no more fervent an anti-Islamic Iran regime proponents than Alan and myself. However, there are repentents, like Montazeri and Boroujerdi (the latter, already an Ayatollah, never supported Khomeini) who turned against Khomeini as his weirdness turned ever more rapacious. And ruled by ignorance as does Obama.
That does not mean I forget and forgive, specially when Rafsanjani, Moussavi, Khatami and Karoobi etc., and their Green movement were all part of the Khomeini administration and all have rivers of blood on their hands.
Montazeri recanted and was set aside and basically lived thereafter under house arrest.
I was a witness to and reported the moment by moment seizure of Boroujerdi when he rose in opposition to the regime and tried to overthrow it.
Does not make him a good guy but he is less bad and when he and Montazeri realized what a huge Obama type mistake they had made, tried to take steps to correct it.
I look forward to all Iran’s street lamp posts being “trimmed” (like our Xmas trees) with mullah decorations hung by their necks including Boroujerdi but in a balanced analysis, I woud have a twinge of momentary sadness to see Boroujerdi strung up. Mostly because of his father being a fairly honorable supporter of the monarchy. As are Alan and I.
And the enemy of my enemy is philosophically my ally if not really my friend and deserves a modicum of pragmatic support.
I’m delighted by your fervor and fully support it but in a pragmatic world we have to find allies where we can - even within the hated Mojaheddin to achieve the overthrow of the mullahs we need.
You will agree that politics make strange bedfellows and like the matter of Mojaheddin, they are allies till the primary mission is accomplished and then need to be removed in phase two. Off the face of the earth if need be.
For now,like with Boroujerdi, they are a catspaw for the greater need, not a solution in themselves.
Nothing even handed or reformist about my attitudes or opinions about the clerics - only in the phrasing for practical reasons. I lost dozens of high ranking, close friends during the revolution while I was still trapped inside Iran, but as the Persians say there are times to stealthily cut off someone’s head with soft cotton wool.
cheers
Thanks for the ping!
I think you have had a very interesting life FARS.
Merry Christmas to you.
Here are two Kind prayers for Montazeri & those others who ‘recanted’, or who will eventually recant.
The first one in Persian:
Ghoor baabaash.
The second, in English, I really couldn’t post!