YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION? (via Mike Daley):

Twenty-Four Years of Religious Revolution (SMCCDI: Public Statement, February 11, 2003)

Almost a quarter of a century ago on the 11th of February 1979 (22 of Bahman 1357) many Iranians of the time gathered around a man who had made promises to them such as Ali's Just Government, freedom, and basic commodities for free. With an unprecedented trickery, abusing their religious beliefs and their simple-minded understanding of politics, he brought about a fundamental change not only in the lives of the active generation of the time, but also in the lives of generations to follow. Thousands of Iranians with various beliefs, which in some ways were different and even opposed to one another, gathered around a "seyed" (descendant of Ali) by the name of Ruhollah Khomeini whom, by his own admission, felt "nothing" towards his country and nation, and whose only goal was to satisfy his personal vengeance and create a platform for spreading his Stone Age ideas within the framework of an Islamic world order.

These backward movements in a progressive society, which due to various socio-political reasons had encountered a crisis of legitimacy, turned into an unprecedented change that was labeled a revolution. A revolution that provided the conditions for creating the first religious government in the civilized world of the time. A government whose base and thought was formed upon the doctrine of "sharia" (Islamic Law), and whose rule, by refuting any kind of national rule, in their own words, was based upon the rule of God's representatives on earth; and, from the beginning, they would kill their opponents as they still do. A government in which the major issues of its technocrats whom had been to the West was the radiance from women's hair and the direction relative to Mecca that bathrooms should be aligned, and, whose subsequent actions, all, are evidence to the Stone Age beliefs of its founders. A sharia government that continues, despite the passage of 24 years from the movement of its founder, everyday, for the continuance of its illegitimate existence, requires the spilling of the freedom-lovers blood and the amputation of their hands and tongues, and, which continues to stone the women in Iran, so that it can pay large sums from the national wealth of the poor nation of this country to the foreign profiteers. A government, which for maintaining itself in Iran and for propagating its expansionist religious goals has not overlooked the use of any capacity at hand, in many parts of the world by utilizing the politics of terror has created catastrophes, and has sullied the good name of Iran and Iranians.

Without doubt, the result of the unripe action of the previous generation in Iran who had placed their hopes and fate in the story of a man and a belief from Saudi Arabia of 1400 years ago, could not have a conclusion other than the black and red report of the past 24 years in our country. Black to the extent of the calamity that befell the nation like a heavenly catastrophe, and red from the beflowered corpses of thousands of freedom-loving nationalists that for more than two decades have been sacrificing their lives to Iran for humane values and to make up for the mistakes of their predecessors.

In these 24 years, the wise have been witness to the daily destruction of more and more of the positive accomplishments of many generations of Iranians, and continue to bear witness to such; for, despite the claims of the deceiving mullahs replacing Ruhollah Khomeini, not only have the conditions of Iran and the Iranians not improved, without exaggeration, every day another life is taken away from the people and another ransom is taken from the country- only to continue the existence of the charlatan replacements of Khomeini and the Republic of charlatans.

Now, nearly a quarter of a century later, on the one hand the impatience of the Iranian people who are sickened by the continuance of the religio-fascist policies and attacks on the lives, culture, and wealth of their country and nation, and on the other hand, the international reaction under American leadership in confronting the fundamentalist and terrorist foreign policy of the regime, which roots out from the ideology of its leaders, the Islamic revolution and its sour fruit are faced with a dual crisis. The new generation of Iran, which constitutes more than 70% of the population, nowadays, due to a long-term and ripe thought, have tended to the reasons of the decline of the country and to finding a way for liberating themselves from the problems that have arisen I order to attain Liberty, equality, modernity, and a comfortable living standard along with defending their national and humane values and maintaining a proper relation with other nations of the world, and now it has been a while that they have seen to an in-depth approach to the problem. The unprecedented beliefs and reactions bode well for a blooming and bright future for Iran and Iranians. The speed of this socio-political evolving thought process, especially in the aftermath of the end to the dream of "reforms from within", and the expansion of access to modern communications and media, have intensified. The important understating of this point that ideologic regimes are un-reformable, and that only a democratic secular government can avoid sacrificing the national wealth to ideologic views. The Iranians have now understood that the foundation of any future regime must be democratic, responsible to the nation, and servants of the people.

Also, due to the present international conditions, especially in the Persian Gulf region and the Middle East, and the efforts of the free world under American Leadership to end the life of fundamentalist regimes on the one hand, and on the other hand the establishment of the new world order, which can be a great boon to the economic progress of tomorrow's free Iran. An Iran that currently possesses a great educated work-force and our fellow countrymen and countrywomen with their detailed observation have come to know the limits of the regime's oppressive capabilities and who utilize the international opportunities that arise. Yes, the Islamic Republic, now, almost every day is confronted with demonstrations, strikes, and various civil disobediences from millions of Iranians and sometimes encounters the armed confrontation of youth who have lost hope; and thus, the regime has lost another leg of its governance, after deity and sharia, and now, the Iranians, despite being aware of the very high price [in casualties] it will have to pay, is actively- not inactively anymore- confronting the regime and its lackeys. The new generation in Iran, particularly the students and the women, who constitute more then 55% of the population and despite the present environment of prejudice are more aware and modernized than the women of many modernized countries, during the past months and various actions, have shown over and over that they not only are not afraid of the Islamic Republic, but that they also greet any activity to show their rejection of the Islamic Republic and want the disappearance of its and its dirty legacy from the scene of our country.

Under such circumstances, the remnants of Ruhollah Khomeini observe the 24th year of their vile revolution. A revolution that can be compared to a bulldozer that has come to demolish Iran and has placed its soil and the bodies and spirit of its children in the depths of its digging, and now, its blades have hit the hardened trunk of the people's resistance, and bit by bit it breaks.

Now, at the beginning of the anniversary of the establishment of the religious government in Iran, it is not hidden to anyone that its end is near, and that Iran and its new generation wisened by the bitter experience of nearly a quarter century and devoid of ideologic and dogmatic beliefs, are moving forward to establish a civilized, modern, and intellectual government upon the ruins of the first theocracy in today's world, based upon national goals, so that they will be joined to other progressive countries in the world and regain their rightful place among the international society.

Long Live Freedom!
Established be Secularism!

February 11, 2003 (22 Bahman 1381)

The "Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran" (SMCCDI)

Though this seems a bleak time in world affairs, it's entirely possible that we'll look back on it as the moment when democracy finally blossomed in the Islamic world, leading millions of still devout Muslims into a better, brighter future. Established be Secularism indeed. Posted by Orrin Judd at February 12, 2003 10:45 AM