[FREE IRAN Project] In The Spirit Of Cyrus The Great

[Amber Pawlik]

The West Must Support the Iranian People
by Amber Pawlik
amp237@psu.edu

Most Westerners know very little about the psyche of the Iranian population. Those who think they do are usually nothing more than elitist leftists who are projecting what they want to believe about Iranians unto the Iranians.


I’ve gotten into many debates with leftist elitists who insist that the Iranian population is Muslim. I was on the phone with a man (who sympathizes largely with communist theory), and I brought up Iran. The first thing he said to me was, “They are Muslim.” Although he asserted that they are Muslim, he in fact revealed the opposite. The fact that as I brought up the Iranian people, he immediately defended the notion that they are Muslim proves that the issue is debatable.


Those insisting the Iranians are Muslim are leftists who fundamentally need to believe that the entire rest of the world is Muslim. They are of the naïve belief that people everywhere would just like a kinder, gentler version of Islam. They are wrong. Many people around the world, especially in Iran, are not Muslim and in fact hate it.


It’s time to shed light on the secular psyche of the Iranians. Ever since my work on Shirin Ebadi, I’ve been in contact with several Iranians from around the world – including phone contact with an Iranian living in Tehran. Let me tell you what they have told me.


I’ll tell you about my first phone conversation with my friend in Tehran. I said to him at the end of the conversation, “I hope and pray that Iran is free someday so I can safely visit you.” He said to me, “Don’t pray. Praying gets us nowhere and got us into this mess.”


Just today (Thursday Dec 4, 2003), four popular fast food restaurants were shut down in Tehran, Iran because the Iranian youth at the restaurants were behaving in ways that were “un-Islamic.”


“Young women, in particular, have incurred the wrath of hardline authorities by wearing make-up, short coats and colorful scarves pushed back to expose as much hair as possible instead of the head-to-toe black chadors deemed necessary by the country's ruling clerics to protect a woman's modesty.”


The Iranian youth purposely violate Islamic law in favor of going to fast food places to mingle with the opposite sex and let their hair down. Do they sound Muslim to you?


Most are shocked to learn that Iran, which is a theocracy, is made up of a population that is not Muslim. Surely a government that is the most vigorous theocracy in the Middle East would be filled with Muslims. But it is the exact opposite. The more un-Islamic the people are, the more insistent those who want to create an all Islamic society are in forcing Islam upon them.


It was the Iranians, not any other country in the Middle East, who did not only cheer on 9-11, but in fact have come to support the Americans. The Iranians favor the West and Western ideals in more ways than one.


For centuries, there has been a battle between reactionary mullahs and ancient Persian heritage. The mullahs have been doing every thing they can to force their culture down upon the Iranians. As an example, the mullahs have banned parents from naming their children ancient Iranians names and instead force Arabic names on the children.


It is difficult to tell how many Iranians actually support Islam because leaving Islam is punishable by death inside the Islamic Republic. But every indication tells us that a large portion of Iran's youth does not identify itself as Muslim. If the emails pouring into me are any indication, they tell me the Iranian people see Islam and its laws as a source of oppression and sexual apartheid. And even though an Iranian may consider themselves Muslim, they still consider themselves Iranian first and Muslim second.


If you want to see the secular psyche of Iranians, you really have to do little research on the internet to find it. You will find many Iranians who are downright hostile to Islam itself, with its advocacy of decapitations and floggings; Iranians who openly say they see no compatibility between Islam and human rights; or even Muslim Iranians, like Ebadi, who call for an ending of such Shariah-based laws like public stonings. Among the Iranian people, you would be hard pressed to find someone who wants to keep the government as it exists. They do not want a milder version of what exists (everyone except Ebadi that is). They want a fundamental regime change. And, I’d like to add – they would like a government minus religion.


The Iranian government poses the biggest threat to the United States and the Iranian people hold the biggest potential for setting up a stable democracy in the Middle East. It is where we should turn our attention to next. We should be focused on empowering the Iranian people. They need our support in every possible – including moral and military support.


The Iranian population is incredibly young. This means they are willing to fight but lack leadership. The West needs to provide it. The thugs working for the mullahs would turn their back on the government and support the people if only the people showed clearly that they will support them 100%. However, many Iranians are still waiting for a Messiah. This should stop. They need to know fundamental regime change is, ultimately, in their hands and their hands alone. The Iranian people need a whirlwind of support – a gusto – a fire under their wings to once and for all topple the Ayatollah. It should be quick, devastating, and therefore – relatively painless.


They are in dire need of our support. If most Western people understood the situation in Iran, there is little doubt in my mind that Westerners would support the Iranian people – which means, toppling the Iranian government.


The reason why America as a whole is hesitant to support others around the world is largely due to our corrupt intellectual leadership. Our universities, media, etc. is filled with anti-capitalist, anti-American dirtbags. I was in fact told by one leftist that we should be “cautious” about endorsing a free, capitalist society in the Middle East. He said, "I think it would be fine if civil society controlled the middle east, but I'm afraid it would turn into another stifling petite bourgeoisie modeled after the West."


I would like to take his concern to the Iranian people. Let them choose: a theocracy which stones its women for committing adultery or – oh the horror – a system with a middle class.


Leftists are reprehensible. They are Khatami apologists, insisting Iranians would like to just work with the system. A large part of the reason they won’t support Iranians is because it makes their complaints look petty. Western intellectuals complain the capitalist system victimizes people – Americans simply can’t turn down Big Macs at McDonald’s or Hershey bars at the supermarket. Meanwhile, in Iran, virginal women are raped before they are executed so they don’t die virgins – because some Shiite clergy a few centuries back decided that executing a virgin was unlawful. Regardless what political-economic system is ultimately set up in Iran or elsewhere, one thing is for sure: it will be far better than what exists now.


I am addressing this to you – a Western person, especially those on college campuses. Tell everyone you know about the Iranian peoples’ situation. Write letters. Send this article to your friends. Get the word out. I believe it is in the heart of every American to see people around the world enjoy the freedoms we do.

[guest]

I'm a leftist and I don't support the Iranian government and I don't know any leftist who does. So, please don't paint us all the same.

I would like to do what would be most effective in helping the Iranian people win a democratic government so they can always guide their own fate. But to whom are you saying we should write? What is it that we should say? I don't see any government covertly helping much. Right now, I am trying to write letters for political prisoners and trying to educate my friends, but I this this is too slow and don't believe it's effective enough. So if you have any other suggestions to those of us in the west who would like to help, I would like to hear them.

Thanks,
Mark Garcia

[Spenta]

I think writing the liberal media and the press and demanding that they cover the Iranian freedom movement is very important, especially with the upcoming demosntrations.

[stefania]

Great Article, Amber!!

You are one of the few people which really gets the point about the Iranians..
_________________
Referendum AFTER Regime Change

"I'm ready to die for you to be able to say your own opinions, even if i strongly disagree with you" (Voltaire)

[stefania]

Dear Mark Garcia, leftists support the people of Iran.. it's possible..
the FAR-leftists as well as the FAR-rightists DON'T.

It's enough to read Indymedia and what it says about the Iranian students..

"CIA-paid agents,only the 1% of the population,fanatic monarchists, Iran is a democracy,etc.....etc...."

Sorry, but whatever i hear from the communists and the fascists i will not believe..
They will never tell you what they think,openly.. It's clear that the "anti-war" crowd can't say that they protest the democratization of Iraq...

But visit their sites and you will know what they think..

There will be an ignorant demo in Italy on December 13th.. A demonstration in support of the Iraqi "resistance" and the iraqi people..

They are there to support the Saddam's and Al Qaeda's terrorists..Maybe they forget that the iraqi people they claim to defend,are the main victims of these fanatics.and surely,unlike the anti-war demonstrations,they will see no support from any iraqi.

I know some Iraqis which have recently opened new blogs since the Saddam's fall. They ask these people for an apology .

The demonstration is organized from some far-left and far-right wing groups.. For the first time,they are united in a common goal: the anti-americanism and the hatred for democracy.
So, there will be the so-called "anti-imperialists groups" (communists) alongside fascists from Mexico ( exactly those bastard right wing paramilitary groups which go in Chiapas ...)which support a pro-palestinian group called Al Awda.

The main group, "Iraq Libero",quoted by the front Page magazine,collect money for the "iraqi resistance"..

The FBI wish to investigate on this group..

Italy's Fifth Column
By Lorenzo Vidino
FrontPageMagazine.com | November 20, 2003


Even as Italy has come under attack in Iraq, some radical Italian leftists have begun collecting money to ship to the terrorists.

Last Wednesday’s massacre in Nassaryia, in which 19 Italian troops lost their lives, marked the largest number of casualties suffered by the Italian army since 1945. In Italy, where the word “patriotism” is often pronounced with a condescending grin and the national flag is nowhere to be seen, the tragedy provoked an unprecedented sense of unity, as thousands of citizens laid wreaths in front of the headquarters of the Carabinieri.


The Italian government’s reaction was predictably strong. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been one of the firmest allies of the Bush administration since 9/11, and despite strong internal opposition, one of the few European leaders who supported the war in Iraq. After expressing the government’s condolences to the families of the victims, Berlusconi announced that Italy will not recall its troops. In fact, 50 members of the Tuscania, an elite unit, left for Iraq on Thursday morning.

Like America on 9/11, Italy found its unity amidst the rubble of Nassaryia. Or at least, most of Italy did.

Interviewed by the Italian newspaper Libero on the day of the attack, Leonardo Mazzei, leader of an organization called Iraqlibero (Free Iraq) said: “[The soldiers] went to fight a war and they found war. The armed Iraqi resistance against Western invaders is legitimate and sacrosanct. We find this climate of mourning unity ridiculous. And it is unacceptable that [Italian President] Ciampi called this a terrorist act—it was an act of war.” Mazzei’s words came as no surprise to those who have followed the deranged actions of his group. Iraqlibero has been extremely active in supporting “the legitimate Iraqi resistance,” organizing massive anti-war protests and posting bulletins on their website about the evils of the “imperialist occupation.”

In early September, the beautiful town of Assisi—birthplace of Saint Francis—served as a venue for the Anti-imperialist Camp, a one-week meeting organized by militants from Italy's extreme Left. United under the banner of anti-Americanism and "anti-imperialism," an odd mix of neo-fascists, anti-globalization advocates, radical Islamists and hard-core leftists (the type who still worship the effigies of Lenin and Mao) gathered to proclaim their support for the Iraqi “resistance.” But the organizers of the Camp decided not to limit their support to sympathetic statements. They also collected funds, using a poster bearing the slogan, “10 Euros for the Resistance, Free Iraq,” and the picture of a Palestinian child lobbing a Molotov cocktail as a means of soliciting donations.(One wonders what a Palestinian child has to do with the Iraqi resistance.) Given the success of the initiative, Iraqlibero decided to continue its fundraising efforts on its website, where it provides a bank account (courtesy of demon capitalism) and a toll-free number.

According to the website, the money collected will be donated to the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), an organization led by Jabber al Kubaysi, one of the founders of the Iraqi Baath Party. The man in charge of collecting the funds for INA is Awni Al Kalemji, who, in the ‘60s, collaborated with Palestinian militant George Habash to start a movement that later led to the creation of the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). INA was made up mainly of Iraqi dissidents, but in November 2002, the Iraqi government met with INA’s leaders to reach a reconciliatory agreement. Desperate for allies, Saddam’s regime decided to make peace with all opposition groups, as long as they did not support the Americans. The results of this policy can be seen on a daily basis in Iraq, where dozens of loosely connected groups use hit-and-run guerrilla tactics against allied forces.

This unusual hodgepodge of Italian militants provide material support to an organization that is fighting against allied (that is, Italian) troops. Unlike charities whose assets have already been frozen for supporting terrorism, Iraqlibero does not even make an attempt to disguise the real destination of its fundraising efforts, and openly admits that it is collecting money for violent activities directed toward killing its fellow countrymen.

While Italy should not tolerate such activities—which clearly compromise its national security—the problem touches America as well. Iraqlibero’s website posts a list of supporters of the group that have signed up for the massive pro-Resistance protest scheduled to take place in Rome on December 13. Several of those listed are from the United States. Moreover, the Anti-imperialist Camp in Assisi registered the presence of several members of al Awda, a radical organization composed of pro-Palestinian ultra-leftists headquartered in Connecticut. In another example of the new unholy alliance between Islamist and leftist radicals, al Awda has organized several events in the United States and Canada where speakers have advocated the use of violence against Israel.

The Italian and U.S. governments should not tolerate an organization that raises funds for a guerrilla movement that is killing Italian and American forces. The activities of the members of Iraqlibero follow within the most basic definition of treason and as such should be considered.

Lorenzo Vidino is an attorney and a terrorism analyst at the Investigative Project, a Washington DC-based counterterrorism research institute.
_________________
Referendum AFTER Regime Change

"I'm ready to die for you to be able to say your own opinions, even if i strongly disagree with you" (Voltaire)

[GoneCrazy]

For anyone who knows about the Free Ahmed Batebi Petition, do you try to send it out to your friends so that they can sign it? I have been doing that since I found out about the petition last week. Well, alot of my friends arent signing it; mostly just my pesian friends sign it. I just don't understand why they wont sign...some say "becasue the petition won't work" and "its not safe someone will the US government will investigate it and come after me" . Is there something I'm doing wrong?


( I know that there are alot of politial prisoners including the Mohammadi Brothers, but I figured that if we get one then we can get others. So that's why im pushing this petition)

And I also emailed fox news and msnbc. Anyone have any other contacts that they want me to send a letter to?

And is anyone sending anything to ambassadors around the world? Think they will listen. Before I spend 100 bucks on stamps, I wanna make sure that they just dont throw it away as soon as they read the word Iran.

I'm live in Annapolis Maryland

[Spenta]

I believe letter do matter and that they do make a difference, no matter what anybody says!

[Rumi]

GoneCrazy - I feel your pain - The problem is that many people - as you have already realized - don't believe the concept of petitioning, let alone - online petitioning works. Nevertheless, it is important to continue pushing the petitions and other things, because after a while of pushing and pushing it will create a DENT - also known as progress - and eventually the dent will lead to other greater things. Also, You can send emails to all the US Senators and congress people - that is probably one of the most effective ways.. Unfortunately the world leaders do know about the situation completely - but aren't doing anything at the moment.. it's possible they are waiting for the right time.. Although we can look at the State Dept - and we see that they are getting a bit tougher as of late and things look like they are changing.. Also have the Iranian Freedom Fund - only 1.5 million or something, but it's better than nothing - and is an admission that gov is funding democratic groups - although it should be more like 100 million, but who knows -- lets wait and see what the future holds.. The letter writing campaigns are a good idea as well as putting up flyers around universitys that provide info. to the public about what is happening..

best !

[guestgirl18]

I associate myself with the Democratic Party in the United States, and consider myself a moderate lefty. Please don't cruch Democrats, Independants, and Green Party people into the same little box as Communists and Socialists. We are NOT all the same thing. The constant Democrat bashing on this site is really getting to me, becasue I support the Iranian students in their quest for freedom and secular democracy, but I feel like I'm being porttrayed as an enemy of liberty! I have faxed and emailed people in positions of power here in the US about the plight of Iran's people, especially its young political prisoners like Ahmad Batebi. I believe the people who run this site are doing a diservice to the Iranian people and themseles by becoming so openly partisan. The whole point of thsi website should be to gain as much support from both sides of the political scene. Any movenment that is blatanly partisan has a much harder time reaching its goal. Please stop using "Leftists" "Democrats" and "The Anti-War Crowd" as the same thing. I did not support the Iraq war because I felt there were worse problems that needed to be tackled before blasting Saddam, such as undermining the Iranian theocracy. The language on this site is often too simplistic and offensive. We are not all air heads, terrorists, or dictator buddies. Don't push away those who could very well be great supporters of your mission....... lefties.

[freedomforevernow]

Point well taken guestgirl - unfortunately the media portrays democrats as spending all t heir time bashing George W. Bush and trying to get re-elected rather than dems actively doing things in regard to foreign policy, etc.. However, I do know tons of dems that support the Iraniani movement for freedom.. Although they initially have reservations and are misled by comments from State Dept. that it is a democracy, etc.. Only reason I think this site lists a lot of conservative - libertarian leaning articles is because these are the best articlkes coming out regarding the movement and freedom. If you are a democrat and support the Irnaian people your support would be great by writing from that Angle - saying you're a dem that may not support Bush policy, which many of us do and don't - and that you support Iranian freedom.

[guestgirl18]

Thank you freedom. I was kind of afraid that someone would write an angry reply to my post. I totally support the Iranian people in their struggle for freedom. I wish I could do more. I've read some of the saddest and most horrifying things online about what's happening in Iran, letters from dissdents in prison describing being tortured, essays posted by people who lost loved ones in the summer protests, accounts of being beaten, whipped, etc.

For a while it puzzled me why the media does not shine a light on this situation, and why moral support for the movement is sparse, but then I realized how selfish and sensationalist the media is here. A trashy celebrity scandal gets ratings, stories about young people being killed for expressing themselves thousands of miles away do not. This needs to change. The news media should be a source of truth, no matter how disturbing or surreal it may seem. However, it seems like the line between tabloid and legitimate news has become indistinguishable. Real stories slip away without most peopel being aware of them. This is tragic, especially for Iran........

[Mark Garcia]

Stefania, I didn't say that no leftists support the Iranian regime, I said that not all leftists do and to please not paint us all with the same brush. Perhaps the better thing for me to do was first define left. Since I am a Democratic in California, USA, that is a little different than in other countries. Still, most people, left or right, think what is happening in Iran is horrible and feel for the people of Iran.

GuestGirl19, thanks for saying it better than I.

Mark

[guestgirl18]

What Mark said is true, and it gave me an idea. Since Republicans and Libertarians already ahve a good grasp on the dire situation in Iran, why not launch a campaign of letters, faxes, emails to Democrats who may or may not yet be working to support freedom in Iran? I think they'd listen.

[Spenta]

Guestgirl18

The article in this topic is not by the people who run this site.

I am also a democrat and a liberal, but even I acknowledge that the majority of the relevant and timely pro Iranian freedom movement articles and materials come from conservative and right wing institutes and the press. However, as I have stated before repeatedly, so far the best press coverage on Iran IMO is NPR and they've had Reformists on alongside RP, and representatives from all political parties. They have been fair, very detailed in their coverage and hosted great debates!

Individuals on this board have their opinions, and that is their right, but I don't believe the site itself has an official policy of democrat bashing. So don't mistake the conduct of certain individuals as representative of the site's official policy. Nobody has insulted me, even though I routinely bring up the fact that the opposition should be lobbying the Democratic presidential candidates etc. and have written extensively on that.

As for Amber's article, I do agree with some of her points, and I feel very frustrated by much of what she is talking about. Last June Indymedia totally ignored the student protests in Iran. Cynthia Goodman's Democracy Now didn't even mention it, and yet a month later she devoted an entire one hour show to Kinser's CIA Iran Coup book! The point is, if Democracy Now and Pacifica are willing to devote so much airtime to covering old CIA coup of Iran stories, how come they didn't even bother running anything on the massive student protests in June? This sort of thing does frustrate me.

But frankly, I almost puked last week listening to Tariq Ali VS Christopher Hitchins on Democracy Now. Goodman didn't moderate at all, except for letting Tariq Ali hog up the show with his usual Islamist ass kissing and preventing anyone from responding to his grandstanding nonesense, and Hitchins couldn't even get in a word, and Tariq Ali is the biggest Islamist excuser and genocidal ass kisser of all time!!! And Hitchins could have responded and really put Tariq Ali in his place, but wasn't allowed to, because Amy wanted Tariq Ali to have total monopoly of the whole debate. It pains me as a liberal to tune into Pacifica and hear this crap and this shameful defense of Islamist terrorist mania, so some of Amber's points are well taken and I agree with her! And heck, even Christopher Hitchins would probably agree with some of her points too!