[Reader-list] Iran-discussions on the readerlist

[Junaid]

Dear Shuddha,

I am surprised you could write with such rancor about the current situation
in Iran. Your broadbrush use of "Fascism", "Clerical-Klepto-Fascism",
"Islamist Thugs" etc. (I don't even have the patience to count how many
times you use "Hate" in your posts when it comes to the Iranian government),
goes counter to your measured write-ups about other issues that I usually
enjoy reading here.

I know that you are coming from "another" direction but your Iran posts
sound like regular Daniel Pipes garbage. Is that why you are citing him as
an aunthentic voice!

Much of what you say is totally unsubstantiated. For example, the way you
want to to portray Moussavi is just based on guess--lots of "mays" in there.
Moussavi was closer to Ayatollah Khomenie (not the Khamenie) than many
others. He served as PM during the time Mujahideen left-wingers along with
Tudeh were being persecuted. So where does this change of heart for Moussavi
come from?

In a reply to Taha Mehmood, you mention "Millions of Iranian protestors",
and in  fact specify "2 million" a little later. Where did you get that
number from? Are all the people who voted for Moussavi protesting?
Moussavi-the reformist-what is his reformist agenda? There seems to be no
discussion about that. Everyone calls him a reformist but what decisions was
he likely going to take to make Iranian society more liberal.

Why is it that if a people choose a leader, not liked by the West, then it
is either a flawed election or a "Repression"? Palestine (Hamas), Venezuela
(Chavez) and Iran (Ahmedinejad) are examples. Were you so furious about
Bush's election in 2000 (a truly stolen election) or his re-election? Why
did the Democratic Americans accept the recount in Florida instead of
annuling the results altogether?

Do you truly believe that Moussavi actually won the election? The so-called
"reformists" who represent the beneficiaries of the Iranian revolution of
the 1979 put all their force behind Moussavi and yet could not win. Why?
Because most of the rural peasantry (the largest section of the Iranian
nation) and the workers in Iran feel happier with Ahmedinejad, who doesn't
come from the traditional clerical elite background. Under Ahmedinejad,
poorer people believe that the fruits of the Iran resources have begun to
spread wider, than was the case earlier. And it is true that Iranians like
him for holding strong against the Western pressure, sanctions, propaganda,
as well as covert wars they have launched against Iran. And if it is really
the "people" of Iran you support what about the 65 percent who voted for
Ahmedinejad.

I have no love lost for any government in the world. When in power they
mostly get corrupt. Iran is no exception. But Iran stands alone in the world
today in defiance of the diktats of the West. Israelis hate Iran because it
is the only potential check on its unbriddled power in region. The way
Israelis have broken Arabs over all these years, hasn't worked in Iran,
which makes West bitter. The CIA-led coup against Mossadegh in 1953 and
foisting of the Pahlevis on Iranians by the West did not fragment Iranians.

The twitter campaigns and weblogs that are run by Iranian diaspora (and
others) from around the world are helped very openly by Western media as
well covert agencies. And loads of stuff that appears on these websites is
conspicuous by its sameness. The protests are more intense on the net than
on the ground (your 2-million strong protests notwithstanding).

It is not a conspiracy theory but believe me, many vested interests aren't
happy about Obama's overtures toward the Muslim world. That Obama took a
long time to respond to Iran election-related protests was just a reflection
of how much pressure has been put on his adminstration by conservative hawks
who suddenly felt their Muslim-bashing script has gone awry. That Obama
wants normalisation of relations with Iran is an anathema to hawks in both
the West as well as in Israel. That Obama called Iran "the Islamic Republic"
and that he said "US respects Iran's sovereignty" does not show he was weak
but a recognition of the over-scandilising of Iran protests Western media
and interests.

In Iran protests, around 17 people have been killed so far (a figure bandied
about by the darkest of the Iran-bashers). Last year in Kashmir's peaceful
protests against Indian rule, Indian forces killed more than 60 Kashmiris
and injured almost 3000. Thousands were jailed under draconian laws. Almost
three dozen journalists were beaten up by Indian troops at various places.
No Indian rose up, stirred by conscience. And you are giving a call to them
to rise up now in support of Tehran's elite, and the diasporic Iranians many
of whom are former royalists and are living cushy lives as fifth colulmnists
for the West.


Mohamad Junaid