It's reassuring to read the unique perspective offered here, since it doesn't leave any side off the hook.
As far as Khamenei himself and his credentials are concerned, a video of an "Assembly of Experts" [Majlis Khobregan] meeting back in 1987 was released last week, in which it is clearly shown that:
A) Khamenei himself insistently repeats that he is not eligible as the leader, and lack the required qualifications, stating that:
" خامنهای: باید خون گریست بر جامعهی اسلامی که احتمال رهبر شدن من در آن مطرح شود"
"The Islamic society in which there is a possibility of me becoming a leader should tear blood."
And even after he is positioned in that leadership post, it is clearly affirmed that such a position is only temporarily and valid up to the election of that year 1987.
This issue of historical legitimacy of the leader also brings us up to now, some 30 years later, when thousands of angry Iranians are chanting in the streets with slogans such as:
-We don't want Islamic Republic
-Reformist, Conservative the game is over
- Death to dictator
and many other vociferous antagonistic slogan against the regime as a whole.
History of dictatorships tends to show that any hint of Reform most often ends up in their demise, and Khamenei himself is very well aware of that, hence his attack on the protesters and calling them the agents of foreign powers.
Rohany on the other hand still has illusions about reformability of this Totalitarian Theocracy aka Islamic Republic, but true to his mullah character he is still pushing the parliament to pass the increase of Gas price, and intends to balance his budget through people's pockets, rather than cutting back on the enormous financial allocations for religious institutions and security forces, which essentially take 2/3 of his budget.
To make a long story short, Islamic Republic has exhausted all its options and reached a dead end. Due to its violently ideological nature it can not reform itself, and it simply can't continue to exist as it has done all along, since these nationwide protests are a blunt rejection of politics as usual.
It can't go forward or backward.
Or as we say in Persian:
"Nah rah pish, nah rah pas"
And now the demand for freedom of political prisoners has become a mass demand of the people. In contrast to pre protest times when it was mainly a demand raised only by human rights and social activists.
P.S. Various estimates put the number of people arrested around 3000, nationwide.
Thanks for this beautiful, timely intro to Persian poetry. Although I would have also included Rodaki, who preceded Ferdowsi and his cadence was greatly emulated by Ferdowsi and others.
Here's a sample:
زمانه ، پندی آزادوار داد مرا
زمانه، چون نگری، سربه سر همه پندست
Time, taught me a liberating lesson
Time, when pondered at, is full of lessons
Talking about the poetry of protests, it's worth recalling how modern Iranian protests movements have been influenced by progressive literature of other nations. Namely the poetry of Victor Jara, and his anthem "El Pueblo Unido..." which was translated into Persian as:
بر پا خیز از جا کن
بنای کاخ دشمن
Arise, overthrow
The palace of the enemy
Just check that title and you'll see many versions of it on the net.
This song is still a very popular protest anthem in Iran.
Due respect for Prof. Abootalebi, but if so called "Reformers" were able to do anything (in Rafsanjani, Khatami and Rohany administrations) the crisis would not have reached this stage.
"Reformers" stratagem all along has been to introduce neoliberal policies in Iranian economy, with the result of pushing mass poverty unto millions of Iranian workers and their families.
"Reformers" policies have failed.
Conservatives policies have also failed.
A third path has opened up in Iran. Would this alternative force be able to evolve and transition the country to peace and prosperity?
That seem to be the question.
Last week there were calls for demonstrations in more than 50 cities, today's calls for demonstrations covered more than 150 cities.
Asalouyeh petrochemical workers (phases 1&2) have gone on strike, plus Sugarcane Workers have also called for peaceful, non-violent demonstration on Sunday January 7th.
Has the state really succeed?
It's reassuring to read the unique perspective offered here, since it doesn't leave any side off the hook.
As far as Khamenei himself and his credentials are concerned, a video of an "Assembly of Experts" [Majlis Khobregan] meeting back in 1987 was released last week, in which it is clearly shown that:
A) Khamenei himself insistently repeats that he is not eligible as the leader, and lack the required qualifications, stating that:
" خامنهای: باید خون گریست بر جامعهی اسلامی که احتمال رهبر شدن من در آن مطرح شود"
"The Islamic society in which there is a possibility of me becoming a leader should tear blood."
And even after he is positioned in that leadership post, it is clearly affirmed that such a position is only temporarily and valid up to the election of that year 1987.
This issue of historical legitimacy of the leader also brings us up to now, some 30 years later, when thousands of angry Iranians are chanting in the streets with slogans such as:
-We don't want Islamic Republic
-Reformist, Conservative the game is over
- Death to dictator
and many other vociferous antagonistic slogan against the regime as a whole.
History of dictatorships tends to show that any hint of Reform most often ends up in their demise, and Khamenei himself is very well aware of that, hence his attack on the protesters and calling them the agents of foreign powers.
Rohany on the other hand still has illusions about reformability of this Totalitarian Theocracy aka Islamic Republic, but true to his mullah character he is still pushing the parliament to pass the increase of Gas price, and intends to balance his budget through people's pockets, rather than cutting back on the enormous financial allocations for religious institutions and security forces, which essentially take 2/3 of his budget.
To make a long story short, Islamic Republic has exhausted all its options and reached a dead end. Due to its violently ideological nature it can not reform itself, and it simply can't continue to exist as it has done all along, since these nationwide protests are a blunt rejection of politics as usual.
It can't go forward or backward.
Or as we say in Persian:
"Nah rah pish, nah rah pas"
And now the demand for freedom of political prisoners has become a mass demand of the people. In contrast to pre protest times when it was mainly a demand raised only by human rights and social activists.
P.S. Various estimates put the number of people arrested around 3000, nationwide.
Thanks for this beautiful, timely intro to Persian poetry. Although I would have also included Rodaki, who preceded Ferdowsi and his cadence was greatly emulated by Ferdowsi and others.
Here's a sample:
زمانه ، پندی آزادوار داد مرا
زمانه، چون نگری، سربه سر همه پندست
Time, taught me a liberating lesson
Time, when pondered at, is full of lessons
Talking about the poetry of protests, it's worth recalling how modern Iranian protests movements have been influenced by progressive literature of other nations. Namely the poetry of Victor Jara, and his anthem "El Pueblo Unido..." which was translated into Persian as:
بر پا خیز از جا کن
بنای کاخ دشمن
Arise, overthrow
The palace of the enemy
Just check that title and you'll see many versions of it on the net.
This song is still a very popular protest anthem in Iran.
Due respect for Prof. Abootalebi, but if so called "Reformers" were able to do anything (in Rafsanjani, Khatami and Rohany administrations) the crisis would not have reached this stage.
"Reformers" stratagem all along has been to introduce neoliberal policies in Iranian economy, with the result of pushing mass poverty unto millions of Iranian workers and their families.
"Reformers" policies have failed.
Conservatives policies have also failed.
A third path has opened up in Iran. Would this alternative force be able to evolve and transition the country to peace and prosperity?
That seem to be the question.
Last week there were calls for demonstrations in more than 50 cities, today's calls for demonstrations covered more than 150 cities.
Asalouyeh petrochemical workers (phases 1&2) have gone on strike, plus Sugarcane Workers have also called for peaceful, non-violent demonstration on Sunday January 7th.
Has the state really succeed?