Á
terre in Iran…
By: Koorosh Afshar
After
25 years of living under an ochlocracy, we, the Iranian people, have
quite
well learned the nature and the ways usual to the mullahs. Nowadays
almost
everybody in Iran believes that the ruling clerics are terribly busy
doing
something evil and nasty in the neighboring Iraq. In fact the mullahs
have
clearly perceived that, with a free and prosperous Iraq, they would not
have
any chances of prolonging their corrupted reign of terror and tyranny in
Iran.
Although the two countries of Iran and Iraq were engaged in an
eight-year war
against one another, which left hundreds of thousands killed, many more
maimed
and amputated and some totally disappeared, these two nations have a
long
history together rooted deep in the distant years of history. One can
still
find people in both countries who have their relatives in the other one.
The
difference between these two nations, generally, is the fact that –
unlike
our Iraqi neighbors – the Iranians have had the experience of a
short-term
semi-democracy in their country, and the process of modernization
started in
Iran proportionately very early at the time of Reza Shah. The people of
Iran
started their modern political life much earlier – nearly a century
ago – in
the constitutional movement (I wouldn’t use the term “revolution”
here as it
only reminds me of destruction and loss which is far from the objectives
of the
constitutional movement) when they raised against the traditional and
tyrannical government of the age, and achieved what they were seeking in
the
end. Although these achievements were not that long lasting, they had a
tremendous effect on the mindset of the Iranians. What our noble fathers
sought
and struggled for, if not fully achieved at the time, has left us with
an
honorable and glorious legacy. Unfortunately, not many Iranians are
familiar
with their own history.
Our
people have a long history of nonviolent and democratic movements. They
have proven that they can make a change whenever they decide to do
something.
But the same teacher – history – has taught us that, with blood
thirst leaders
like Ayatollah Khomeini and his like minded henchmen, the next thing
that could
happen after the desired change is only a big U-turn that can
potentially take
us back even years before the starting points. I, as an Iranian
university
student in Iran, fervently believe in these words of that British
dramatist:
“The humble and meek are thirsting for blood.” Our people are not.
Not anymore.
A quarter of a century of blood shed, war and persecution is enough.
Ever
since I had the chance to let the people of the world hear my voice, I
have
had the opportunity to befriend many brave people from all the corners
of the
globe. The message of freedom cried by the Iranian youth was so strong,
it was
able to bind the hearts of the people of various countries and ethnic
groups
together – Americans in particular. Only I would like to tell
everyone, one
more time, that we are NOT worried whether or not the politicians of
this
country or any other country say something in favor of our struggle, as,
unlike
you, they might not know that your freedom and ours cannot be separated.
What
we are concerned about is YOUR message of support. It is YOUR resolve
that
warms our hearts and gives us more hope and stamina to move forward
towards
that final free and secular Iran that all of us look forward to as the
future
of our beloved homeland.
“How
can we help?” a lot of you might ask. The answer is very simple: let
the
others hear our message. Tell the others who might not know that the
mullahs
and the ruling minority are a very small fraction of the more than
70,000,000
freedom-and-peace-loving-Iranians. Guide them to informative sources,
which can
give them a vivid and true image of Iran’s youths.
Throughout
the whole period of these 25 years my nation has never been this much
hopeful for her future, although we are standing with our clenched but
bare
hands, à terre. But please, remember that
every little thing helps.
I remember that once I read somewhere from Hartley Coleridge: “But
what is
Freedom? Rightly understood, a universal license to be good.”
We
OUGHT TO be “good” together. That is the only path to a bright
future for all
of us.
- Koorosh Afshar is a pseudonym for a
student in Tehran. His name has been
changed for his protection.
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