Alexander sent me this (I cite with his permission): "As an Iranian and avid reader of your blog, I wanted to share my thoughts on your "Iranian developments" post with you. First of all, your point about Western coverage of Iranian democracy vis-a-vis other countries in the region is spot-on. I think you are right to criticize the impact of Ahmadinejad's rhetoric on Palestine, and I would like to explain a little about that. In the past, Palestinian liberation was a cause championed by the Iranian secular left, but nowadays it is strongly associated with the religious right. This is not due only to Ahmadinejad (every Iranian leader since Khomeini has expressed the idea that Palestine is a "Muslim issue" that Iranians should be concerned about) but it has gotten worse under Ahmadinejad. It's not just the statements he makes in international settings, but more importantly the way the issue is used domestically in order to distract people from their own issues. People are told not to protest economic stagnation, repressive government, etc. because they shouldn't complain when Palestinians have it so much worse. "Pray for Gaza" is shoved down their throats in the same breath as "fix your hijab." In addition, many people resent the fact that the Iranian state spends so much money on Palestinian and Lebanese affairs when there is such poverty and underdevelopment at home. Incidentally, one of the popular (and hyperbolic) chants at the protests that are going on right now is "mardom chera neshastin, Iran shode Felestin!" (People, why are you sitting down? Iran has become Palestine!").
Finally, I am glad that you are defending neither Ahmadinejad nor Mousavi. It is frustrating that everyone I talk to from Pakistan to Egypt loves Ahmadinejad and is shocked to hear that many Iranians think he is ineffective and embarrassing. Meanwhile every Westerner seems to think that Mousavi is a great reformist or revolutionary, and some kind of saintly figure beloved by all. He's an opportunist crook. That being said, I support the students and protesters in Iran, even the ones chanting Mousavi's name. I believe they are putting their lives on the line to fight for greater freedom, accountability, and democracy within the Islamic Republic, and they have to couch that in the language of Islam and presidential politics in order to avoid even greater repression than that which they already face. A friend who is in Iran right now confirms: "half the kids throwing rocks at the police didn't even vote." To me, that means that they are not fighting for a Mousavi presidency, but for more freedom, which they must hide under a green Mousavi banner in order to have legitimacy in the eyes of the state."
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Obviously as a religious person, I do not always agree with the Professor or his Leftist atheist colleagues and friends take on things, therefore I sent him the following email response to the above post:
ReplyDelete<h3 class="EC_post-title EC_entry-title">Professor,
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</h3>
<h3 class="EC_post-title EC_entry-title">With all due respect, I understand that you and your friend Alexander are not religious and belong to the Leftist atheist movements, therefore your perspective on the Islamic Republic of Iran will most definitely be biased in that sense...</h3>
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</h3>
<h3 class="EC_post-title EC_entry-title">I have also witnessed that you tend to like to promote the belief that the Leftists such as yourself have been the only ones to champion the Palestinian cause with no strings attached, while everyone else in the Arab world and beyond have basically only used it for political or personal purposes, which I personally contest as not being an accurate assessment and not helpful whatsoever to unifying people behind the cause of resistance to the Zionist agenda.</h3>
<h3 class="EC_post-title EC_entry-title">
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<h3 class="EC_post-title EC_entry-title"> It is not a good practice to label the different individuals and groups of people who support the Palestinian cause and place them into suspect categories, which is not helpful whatsoever to the Palestinian cause and only gives the enemies of the Arabs and Palestinians, such as the Zionists and their Arab lackeys, the idea that we are all too divided to ever be able to work together. As a religious Muslim woman who very much cares about the Palestinian cause, I place no strings to my support and I am willing to work with non-religious people as well, as long as there is a mutual respect and the non-religious people do not make it a practice to constantly put down religious people and portray their support as being suspect.... </h3>
<span style="">Sincerely,</span><span style="">
</span><span style="">
</span><span style="">Marion</span>
REPOSTING:
ReplyDeleteProfessor,
With all due respect, I understand that you and your friend Alexander are not religious and belong to the Leftist atheist movements, therefore your perspective on the Islamic Republic of Iran will most definitely be biased in that sense..
I have also witnessed that you tend to like to promote the belief that the Leftists such as yourself have been the only ones to champion the Palestinian cause with no strings attached, while everyone else in the Arab world and beyond have basically only used it for political or personal purposes, which I personally contest as not being an accurate assessment and not helpful whatsoever to unifying people behind the cause of resistance to the Zionist agenda.
It is not a good practice to label the different individuals and groups of people who support the Palestinian cause and place them into suspect categories, which is not helpful whatsoever to the Palestinian cause and only gives the enemies of the Arabs and Palestinians, such as the Zionists and their Arab lackeys, the idea that we are all too divided to ever be able to work together. As a religious Muslim woman who very much cares about the Palestinian cause, I place no strings to my support and I am willing to work with non-religious people as well, as long as there is a mutual respect and the non-religious people do not make it a practice to constantly put down religious people and portray their support as being suspect....
"To me, that means that they are not fighting for a Mousavi presidency, but for more freedom, which they must hide under a green Mousavi banner in order to have legitimacy in the eyes of the state."
ReplyDeleteFighting for mor freedom? How can that be? I thought it was a Zionisty/Great Satan conspiracy to destabilize Iran?
"To me, that means that they are not fighting for a Mousavi presidency, but for more freedom, which they must hide under a green Mousavi banner in order to have legitimacy in the eyes of the state."
ReplyDeleteFighting for more freedom? How can that be? I thought it was a Zionisty/Great Satan conspiracy to destabilize Iran?
No, the Zionisty/Great Satan plan is to control the "freedom fighting" and exploit it afterwards, by both direct and indirect activity. Get it straight vza, there is a great difference between unprovoked uprising and internal activity and subversion. Of course, you do not recognize the difference, that is why you and some others here constantly post fetid propaganda that is "supposed" to be "natural" activity.
ReplyDeleteGot it! =-X I won;t tell anybody. Promise.
ReplyDeleteGot it straight! =-X I won't tell anybody. Promise.
ReplyDeleteOh, on the contrary vza, you prove absolutely nothing with your condescending comments. You are either a consummate idiot or a hag with an agenda, why even post anything if you refuse to enter the realm of reality? What nonsense, put a clown nose on and do a dance
ReplyDeletev actually said: "with your condescending comments."
ReplyDeleteHahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha :-D Absolutely hysterical. The ultimate case of the pot calling the.......
Well vza, this far down the road what do you expect? You might as well have written nothing but asterisks here - but you have made sure everybody knows your ignorant agenda by removing all doubt and posting. LOL
ReplyDeleteThey fight for freedom, they get Mousavi. 'Twas ever thus.
ReplyDeleteIt is bullshit
ReplyDelete