Obama speaks out
This strikes the right note -- telling the Iranian people we're on their side against the theocracy's brutal repression, and yet not offering any hint of a threat of intervention in the situation which would help the mullahs paint the uprising as foreign-inspired.
The mullahs will, of course, nevertheless tell any lie they think might help save them -- the point is that we not do anything to lend their lies credibility.
The mullahs will, of course, nevertheless tell any lie they think might help save them -- the point is that we not do anything to lend their lies credibility.
posted by Infidel753 at 4:52 AM
6 Comments:
I agree as well on all this .... even though I may not comment much on Iran ... and reason why ... is not because I havent kept up with it ... I am alway's hoping to not have to get so militarily involved as much as possible ... simply because it give's also inspiration to those other's as well who are terror group cell's ... because as I was stating before .... they are running their operation's like a football game ...quarter to quarter and love to wear us down militarily and financially espcially. My nephew Daniel who's dad (Sirose) was born and raised in Tehran, now a Texas high school soccer coach, and defense contract worker is stationed in Iraq on his second tour now and sergeant in the Marine Corp. My cousin Becky in Southern California, daughter Samantha just enlisted in the Army, graduate's high school 2010 ... and will be off to deployment, and like you say .... that regime also want's us to play into it's game as well. Now with all this new stuff escalating in Pakistan and Yemen, I hope we can deploy and act conservatively and sparingly as well. My wife and sister in law both (as well as Sirose) went through the 1970's Iranian revolution too ... they all were neighbor's in Tehran, and all here in Dallas now, thank goodness! BTW ... you mentioned before you would be curious how Sirose feel's about all this, well, he is 110% for the the opposition to the regime ... his brother's and dad are what he consider's as prisoner's, because they are still over there after all these year's. I dont know what his son Daniel think's(nephew) ... I am sure they got him busy in Iraq. I just hope to see the day when Daniel is back home here in Dallas for good.
Later Guy .......
I find it interesting that the authorities are using religious guilt as propaganda to try to make the protesters look bad. For instance, condemning them because they chose their uprising during a holy holiday. Religious propaganda is being used to turn the rest of the population against the protesters.
I'm thinking most of the population realizes by now that the mullahs are a bunch of liars.
But there seems to be so much more that holds sway over the Iranian population. As an atheist I abhor the thought of any undo religious influence. In a theocracy the influence permeates the whole like a bad poison(or so it would seem to me). No small feat to overcome that.
I'm thinking what they need is a Ghandi, a Martin Luther, or a Malcolm X,(after he denounced Islam).
Check out this link.
RC: Thanks for the info. Iranians outside Iran are, at least, free to speak up -- they're beyond the mullahs' reach.
Rita: The Iranian regime bases its legitimacy on religion and will exploit that as much as they can. The opposition certainly has secular elements (recall their slogans I cited here).
But I think the regime blundered badly by murdering Mousavi's nephew (a man claiming descent from the prophet Muhammad) on Ashura, a holiday which commemorates the killing of Muhammad's grandson Hussain in the 7th century by the Umayyad dynasty, a monarchy which Shiites consider the epitome of evil. They've created an obvious parallel between themselves and the Umayyads.
As for the pro-regime marches, the government certainly does have some support, especially in rural and more conservative areas -- much like the Christian Right does in the US. I think Iran's population is predominantly urban, though. It sounds like these marches were far smaller than the crowds of over a million at the anti-regime marches a few months ago.
But I think the regime blundered badly by murdering Mousavi's nephew (a man claiming descent from the prophet Muhammad) on Ashura ...
Very interesting comment, one that deserves elaboration in a stand-alone article. Imagine: If this were to go viral on the Internet, it would inflame opinion and rally the opposition in Iran. What say you, Infidel?
Iranians, and probably Shiites beyond iran, are certainly aware of the symbolism inherent in the assassination of Mousavi's nephew. I was only trying, in my capacity as an academic specialist in Islam, to explain to Western readers why it is significant.
Ashura is practically the emotional center of Shiite Islam. In the middle ages there were even "passion plays" in Iran which re-enacted the martyrdom of Hussein, like the ones in medieval Europe re-enacting the execution of Jesus.
The killing of Mousavi's nephew was clearly an assassination. From what I've heard, he was run over by an SUV, from which several men emerged who shot him multiple times as he lay injured in the street. The authorities then removed the body, refused to tell his family where it was, and ordered them not to hold a funeral.
Iranians don't need me to tell them that this is evil.
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