The world is once again witnessing many brave acts by the Iranian people who have been protesting for almost week now against their own government. Tens of thousands of them have taken to the streets to rise up against the Islamist clerics and oppressed system of limited social, political and economic freedoms they are forced to live under.
At least 20 people have died already, a number sure to rise if the Revolutionary Guard comes on the scene as they did in 2009 when they brought those demonstrations to an abrupt halt by killing dozens of protestors.
What’s been most impressive in today’s protests are the women who have been taking the lead. Many are removing their hijabs in defiance of restrictive dress codes, and boldly shouting against Khamenei as shown in the video above.
Any one of these protestors can be arrested and charged with “Moharebeh,” which means waging war against God which is a death penalty offense in Iran. Yet they continue to march and their numbers are only growing.
It’s a very serious thing these protests and the danger level is high. The quintessential thirst for freedom and human dignity runs strong though and it’s inspiring to watch so many risk their lives for it.
It’s also good to see our government speak loudly in the defense of the people. They’ve been waiting 9 long years for this support which symbolically means a lot.
As the U.S. gears up for yet another Women’s March in a few weeks, it would be good for us to ponder what it really means to live in an oppressed society, where power lies in the hands of a few and women are treated as property.
Will anti Trump speeches by has-been celebrities wearing p***y hats help the Iranian situation at all? Or will it make us look like vacuous fools for moaning about oppression in a country saturated in freedom and opportunity that people half way across the world are literally dying in the streets for?
I’d rather keep my attention focused on the Iranian people. They need our support and prayers, not another Women’s March.
Freedom Through Empowerment 
Honestly, I totally understand where you are coming from in identifying with people wanting greater freedom, but (and you knew that was coming), there are some larger diplomatic considerations we (the States) need to consider on how “loud” we should get in their internal affairs. First off, this country’s (revolutionary) government was the one that ousted the Shah back in the 70’s (remember the embassy hostages?). The Shah was considered too pro-western and his secret police was running amok. The Shah, and us I am afraid by not making the Shah ease up, just asked for the revolution. The parents of the average current Iranian dissident in the streets was also in the streets back in the 70’s screaming for a return to a more religious-strict representation in government and culture resulting in Ruhollah Khomeini returning from exile. Now we are seeing the children and grandchildren of those first revolutionaries (those who became your “Islamist clerics and oppressed system of limited social, political and economic freedoms they are forced to live under”) clamoring for more freedoms that don’t fit the theological doctrines. My point here is that Iran has had their revolutions from time to time depending on their own theological winds. So to assume the 2009 or the 2017-18 demonstrations are going to be some grand fight for freedom and the end result will be a western-made Muslim democracy where women are treated equally is a stretch.
But until the current government is replaced, if at all, the U.S. has to balance the outward support for what amounts to an internal affair… for now. While most Trump supporters have been sold on this idea that the Iran deal is bad… it’s been working… and as usual there are no facts to support that it’s not working. So it doesn’t make sense to get the Iran government to change that over us getting loud for the dissidents at this early stage. What the U.S. should be doing is getting up a coalition or work through the UN.. for “human rights” purposes. Now.. this doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t use the CIA over there clandestinely. My opinion.. we should outwardly support the dissidents right to demonstrate as a representation of human rights, and call on the Iranian government to use restraint in engaging in violent repression. But no… the current occupant of the Oval Office doesn’t have any diplomatic brain cells.
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I could not disagree with you more. There is plenty of debate about what the 1970’s protests were about, some agreeing with your hypothesis, many not at all. But it’s no matter, as today’s protests are a continuation of what started in 2009, when President Obama could not even lift a pinky finger of support for the protestors. That was a shameful and embarrassing moment for the U.S. and thankfully we seem to be doing a 180 about face from this disastrous lead from behind doctrine.
This isn’t about Obama or Trump though, it’s about the indistinguishable flame of freedom and a people’s natural desire to obtain it. You should stop letting your feelings about Trump taint how you view things and recognize a good thing when you see it.
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I was not aware there was some debate about the causes for the Iranian Revolution. While I cited a couple major reasons for brevity that revolution included a number of supportive reasons.. like being free from Persian rule. But be that as it may… this isn’t about Obama or Trump, I would agree. This is about hoping “MY” president uses some common sense before getting us involved in foreign internal affairs without understanding the ramifications (like maybe our soldiers dying after we get to the point of sending in “advisers”). Sorry.. this is indeed about “America first” and not about some knee-jerk toilet Tweet. We can’t just loudly side with dissidents in every country in the world just because they are pissed with their governments.
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No one is saying we are going to “loudly side with dissidents in every country.” You must have this post confused with someone else’s…;)
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President Trump is correct to announce our support of the Iranian protests of this horrible regime.
Be blessed.
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Their risk of protest is so much greater than the protesters face here, and it gives weight to their cause. I don’t know enough about the whole affair to comment at length, but it reminds me of Tiannamen Square in China when all those students died. People in the States often protest because they can, and not because they are truly passionate or willing to risk all for the cause they are trumpeting.
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It does give weight to their cause and I agree too that people here often just protest to protest. I’m all for standing up for a cause and all but the Women’s March has always bugged me. We are not oppressed in this country, yet so much time and attention is wasted on people yelling loudly that we are.
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I agree. I don’t appreciate self-victimization.
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That’s a great phrase and sadly all too accurate!
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Great information and presentation of another global powder keg waiting to blow Tricia….
And please see my eyes rolling as I had not heard about another stupid women’s march upon Washington…yes self-righteous pompous spoiled Western women whose focus no doubt will be once again the demasculinization of men—and whereas I get the growing “crisis” of the long entrenched sexual harassment climate in the work force and as we see very loudly, in the entertainment industry….as I know all about that having lived and taught in a small school system that had an entrenched good-ol boy system in leadership with many of us younger teachers at the time being fair game for fodder and whatever else…but this, this current global powder keg is not about that….it is something so much more and so much deeper. Which is something most of our western complaining gals don’t get or even want to understand—or more exactly, don’t know how best to go about a focus of solidarity for the oppressed but rather the merely “put upon”—-
Our western complaints and protests always seem to pale in comparison and look more whiney then truly about anything or real substance—-
I do not say any to be flippant or to make light of women who have been abused at the hands of a sexual predator—as that is very real—it’s just that our society and culture opened Pandora’s box decades ago and have failed to figure that out—but this is not about that—-as you note.
I am currently still reading and about to finish A Very Expensive Poison by Luke Harding about the poisoning death using polonium to assassinate the defected Russian Alexander Litvinenko who was living in England and had become an English citizen at the time.
With all fingers pointing right back to the door of Vladimir Putin.
The book is ending with the unrest and uprising which the world saw a few years back in Ukraine and Crimea. It was orchestrated to appear that “rebels” were at fault yet it was the Kremlin who’s hand was deeply involved in the crushing of the unrest and that became quiet evident with the downing of flight MH17—the Malaysian civilian plane and not, as was reported, a military transport—fingers pointed again back to Putin’s doorstep with the Russians never taking responsibility–again casting a pointing finger to rebels, separatists or the ridiculous notion that this plane which was filled with many Dutch families on holiday and or students returning to Kuala Lumpur was actually a spy plane—
scattered teddy bears among the wreckage was anything but spies—-Putin was going to retake Crimea back into the fold despite the protests of those not wanting to be “Russian” but their own sovereign nation—a sovereign nation that the Kremlin refused to recognize because it still considered it theirs….
So it was annexed back (and yes with some in favor as there are still many old school soviets who oddly miss that lovely lifestyle)
I say all of this because we see time and time again—the growing angst of an oppressed people by an oppressing form of leadership—stymied by the heavy hand of a ruling class of leadership not willing to bend or recognize what is truly happening. Holding on for holding on’s sake.
This latest in Iran ,with the people against the Iranian regime of which is a theocracy, will act much like the Kremlin in these sorts of situations by simply crushing the disgruntled with extreme force….for the leadership will not tolerate the change—
So we will have protests that will be allowed to go only so far before military action is sent in to crush the protests, crushing the people back into submission….and whereas there was a time when we had leaders in the form of Reagan, Thatcher, a Pope and a willing man of reason in Gorbachev who had seen the writing on the wall—who each worked painstakingly to actually orchestrate the change in a slow yet determined fashion….we don’t see that same sort of global unity reacting here as they did against Communism…
And until we do—places like Iran will remain Iran, and North Korea will remain like North Korea—-
I don’t know the answer for this latest show of unrest by an oppressed people…but to continue the fight….but when dealing with a theocracy verses other forms of government you have the added action that this is against one’s religion as well as government—a double whammy….
It will be interesting to watch….and I hope Trump will continue to show a loud disapproval in how the Iranian leadership responds…..
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Your eye rolling is forgiven Julie, as I share your annoyance with western protestors. Like you said, sexual assault via the “old boys network” was and is still real in some areas but that is not what these Women’s March protests are about, as I know you know. Even so, our country does not base it’s legal system around any such oppressive patriarchy, so while it’s good to call out the bad behavior it makes no sense to protest against our government about it.
Your other points about oppressive regimes and individual quest for freedom are spot on as well. Since the beginning of the world it seems it’s been the case that men will always seek to control others and weirdly enough there are plenty that also seek to be controlled which complicates things. Putin and Crimea are perfect examples of this and the whole Litvinenko scandal is just astonishing, really right out of a soap opera except, sadly it’s reality. And darn you now I have another book to purchase! 😉
Yes it will be interesting to watch how things play out in Iran. More than likely this latest “revolution” will be snuffed out with more lives lost and things will quiet down again for a bit. I can’t help but think though that each one holds significance; that the next one twill play off this one just as this one is a continuation of what happened in 2009, and the movement for freedom and basic human rights will only grow stronger and the common people will win in the end. That’s not at all a guarantee but it is my wish.
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The book is good—-sometimes it flows well— other times it bogs a bit- but it is rich in information and real truth— and what gets me- the world knows all of this but won’t do a darn thing about it. I think it is testimony to how far reaching the oligarchs and the Russian Mafia and the really really bad people are- and no I’m not implying that that reaches back to trump no matter what the henny penny liberals are clamoring whatsoever— but what I do believe is that mr trump is savvy enough to know that truth and shrewd enough to know how to finesse the key players —-much to the ignorance of most of the West— because the West does not, has not and will never think like a Russian—-especially a Russian who was forged in the fire of all things KGB and communist and who when all pretense is stripped away is nothing but a thug. Thugs cannot be reasoned with very well especially if their souls lie in bed with the devil himself.
And so we have just one more area of angst trying to rule the world—
Remember the cartoon not too far back Pinky and The Brain?? The one about those two nutty lab mice?? With the not so smart one asking the Orson Wells sounding mouse “what are we going today Brain?” With a sinister Orwellian reply being “ we’re going to take over the world”— luckily the plots are always foiled but try none the less they do….lot of truth in that cartoon
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I don’t remember that cartoon! It offers some truthful insight actually. You are so right about Russia and the western worlds lack of , oh I don’t know, courage in dealing with him. Not sure if that’s the right word but we are lacking in something essential.
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It seems the ignorance is bliss notion prevails cause we’d rather whine about little camels rather than looming gnats
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I meant to say I do remember that cartoon. Little camels indeed….
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😛
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I do not know what to pray about Iran. Freedom is better than tyranny, but many times the overthrow of a government has led to greater tyranny–the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, etc. I can only offer these words of prayer regarding Iran: Father in heaven, thy will be done. J.
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That is so true Salvageable and I too am concerned about that. It seems though that once people reach a boiling point that pushing back becomes the only option even though they know the risks. We shall see. Thy will be done for sur.
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You have certainly taken on a controversial topic that most Americans probably couldn’t care less about. How sad a commentary is this!
In my brief time on this planet (makes me seem younger when phrased this way 🙂 ) I have rarely witnessed long term positive changes resulting from “threatening” words describing potential actions. The days of mere diplomacy have proven relatively ineffective. It may have delayed certain outcomes, but diplomacy in and of itself, has not prevented foreign countries from developing dangerous resources capable of causing egregious harm. In my opinion, however, a quality leader of a nation should be able to instill fear and respect simultaneously. I am not convinced our President has demonstrated this skill consistently both domestically and abroad.
There are tactful ways to support the Iranian dissidents without backing the regime into a corner. Although I understand President Trump’s emotions, his words ALONE (expressed the way he chooses to express himself) could result in unnecessary fatalities to brave people representing the need for change. I do believe he should support the Iranian people, but in a meaningful manner. Using Twitter to antagonize without having a well prepared PLAN OF ACTION (created by the professionals he has placed in crucial positions) appears to be more like a “game of chicken” than a clear and effective policy decision.
The Iranian people do not need President Trump to be a “quick draw with the gun.” They need him to be a leader and a friend that can effectively support their goals in a manner that produces the best possible outcomes with the fewest fatalities possible.
As I stated earlier, diplomacy by itself has failed to achieve a long term meaningful outcome. Name calling and antagonism is likely to be just as ineffective LONG TERM.
Presidents have to LEARN on the job. Reading about past presidents is not enough to understand the complexities of sitting in the oval office. My concern is President Trump is not willing to LEARN. He tends to lead by belittling and insulting those individuals opposing his views rather than effectively creating coalitions to unite a divided country and support as much of his agenda as possible. The blame is surely NOT solely his. As president, however, it is his responsibility to earn the respect of the nation he has sworn to defend.
If we are going to successfully avoid war with N. Korea while simultaneously removing its nuclear capabilities; if we are going to have a positive impact on the protests over in Iran without causing unnecessary bloodshed, we need a President more capable of LEADING than expressing pride in “counter punching.”
It’s time he recognizes his leadership should force the media to focus their commentary on policy decisions and their implementation rather than personal vendettas occurring among his family and his staff. He has accomplished a great deal in just under one year. These accomplishments, however, lose their impact when a nation loses its ability to see beyond the ego of a man.
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“In my brief time on this planet…” I like how you phrased that! I do share your concerns about Trump. While it’s so refreshing to listen to him speak bluntly about these authoritarian regimes, especially when compared to the paralyzing meekness of our past president, he is missing a sense of tack and grace that needs to accompany a show of support for the protestors. If it’s just about Donald Trump’s ego than our support will only end up hurting in the long run. While I do also agree that he doesn’t seem to be learning on the job, I think he has also been underestimated since day one and he is certainly smarter than he’s given credit for. I know my views have changed about him. He is no Ronald Reagan though, that is for sure.
You are right about diplomacy too. It is always welcome as a first and second option but it means nothing without a threat of force to back it up. To many in the west have forgotten that and it’s causing all sorts of mayhem.
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Glad to see the Iranian folks protesting their repressive government.
Wish the Mexican people would do the same in Mexico instead of taking the easy way out and protesting a government that gives them almost everything they want.
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So true Dennis!
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Reblogged this on Citizen Tom and commented:
Here is a lesson for you and for me. Iran is what brutal tyranny looks like, but a video like this tells very little. What we have seen, however, should greatly concern us.
Brutal regimes keep most of what they do hidden. Why? They want to make it possible for the men and women who might object to fearfully pretend they do not know what is happening. So most of the suppression of dissidents, those with the courage to object, is done when no one is watching, under the cover of darkness.
When thugs rule, good men must object. Even though we do not live in Iran, when thugs rule, those thugs threaten us too. In fact, Iran’s has said us as much. Those thugs have threatened us repeatedly, and we know those thugs are responsible for the deaths of many of our people.
So should we support the protesters right to protest? Of course! That is the least we should do.
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Thanks Tom, I appreciate the reblog!
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Something that made an impact on me long,long ago, before the Taliban really took over in Afganistan, women were working as doctors, teachers, driving cars. It was all somewhat modern, westernized, there were even women working in government jobs wearing miniskirts and bell bottoms,and head coverings too,but no burkas. I remember protests too, some pleas for the US to help that pretty much fell on deaf ears. Those women weren’t fighting for equal rights,they were fighting to maintain what they already had, to prevent a forced roll back into what we see in Afganistan today.
Iran too has been living in this forced, oppressive culture that doesn’t really honor who they are,their traditions and history.
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That’s a good point IB and something I remember as well. Women in Egypt too I believe had much more freedoms in the 1950’s and 60s before extremism took over.
Forced, oppressive cultures really honor no one. They are just another excuse for people in power to increase it and feel important.
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