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Tehran born and raised -

It is hard for me to fathom how persecuting a cleric (whether credible scholar or not) speaks well of the strength of political institutions in Iran.
If indeed the man is a "charletan" as you say, would it not be the action of a strong system of government to either laugh it off as the words of a "charletan" or simply engage in honest debate if what he said..."I believe people are fed up with political religion and want traditional religion to return," ...has a following, which in fact it does....not all Shiite sects aprove of political Islam.
In fact it is a sure sign of fear and institutional weakness that disallows debate and opposing viewpoint within Iranian society.
Condemned some 50 times in the UN for human rights violations, leaders and former leaders of your nation now face inditement (Argentina's for one), lawsuits, sanctions and increasing pressure on multiple fronts from the international community, as well as from the Iranian diaspora's thirst for freedom.

After almost 30 years, what has political Islam given you? Khomeni's "Utopia"?

A hemoraging stock market, the flight of capital and the "brain drain" of intellectuals and the highly educated, the continued repression of centers of higher learning, teachers, students, and anyone else that is in any way seen as non-conformist to the mindset in power.

All the promise of the future traded for a plastic key to paradise, given to the children ( not even adults) of Iran that the leaders of your nation used to penetrate minefields in the Iran/Iraq war.

Not to mention attempting to be "more Palestinian than the Palestinians" in using that tragic conflict as an excuse to distract from the regim's own failures at home and in international relations.

Whether the press is good or bad, if it be accurate, it is not "blown out of proportion", but exists in context to what a majority of Iranians already know...the "revolution" has failed them.

What I see from their words today(the mullahs and supporters)is threats shrouded in niceties, the essential intellectual hypocracy of arrogent rightiousness in claiming to have any understanding of absolute truth, as manifest by a political sect of Islam wholy incapable of having an open and honest dialoge within its belief structure, let alone a "dialoge among civilizations"; and a pattern of criminal and sociopathic behavior that has been elevated to an "art form" by the leadership of Iran since the '79 revolution.

http://www.iranfocus.com/uploads/video.jpg

My answer to Ahmadinejad's wrong thinking-ness is that raising a family, growing old and watching your kids thrive and prosper in peace, and knowing the joy of this over time, having contributed to its manifestation , having created one's reality , a new generation, ....is the ultimate artistic endeavor.

La Familia, Solidarity, .....no question a man (or woman) would give their life to save one's family, but that would not be art, rather shear and tragic neccessity in extreme circumstance.

Antar (Ahmadinejad) is putting a cause above family to the extent that it appears that the leadership of a nation advocates national suicide on an artistic basis, for meglomaniacal ends, and those who advocate such lack of respect for life and Islam itself should be given a one way ticket to a padded cell in hell....the Islamic version of hell that is.....at the hands of the global umma itself.

This is the bit that really convinces me that he is a taco shy of a combination plate....Islam is already global....What exactly is this guy's major malfunction?....unless of course he is advocating a global purge of all non-Muslim people, then that is public advocation of Genocide on a global scale and will not be permitted to occur.
The incitement , inducement, rational, however you wish to characterize Antar's advocacy of Martyrdom in the context of this video... is in and of itself, evidence of, and grounds for inditement on charges of intent to commit mass murder, in an international court of law.

It is apparent to me that many supporters of this regime are sitting on a gaping hole in the carpet of their rhetoric.

Those of the Muslim faith, as well as those Iranians who read this have my great sympathy and support for the choice that you must now make in favor of freedom....as individuals, to preserve your families, nation and the umma itself from those who lead a great nation and people over oblivion's cliff.

The point about younger generation of politicians is important. Look at Saudi Arabia, where the new King Abdullah is of the same generation of King Fahd that passed away, 70+ years old. Or Egypt, with Mobarak being over 70 years old, or Emirs and Sheikhs in smaller Persian Gulf emirates. Same in France. No new faces, no younger ones that have come on the scene although UK, USA, Germany, Turkey, Russia, etc. have all seen younger generation leaders.

Another important point in the region is Central Asia. We have yet to see a peaceful change of power from the old Soviet party bosses to a new generation of politicians.

It is fair to say that Iran is mellowing out and growing. I have visited Iran and it is surprising to see how the stories about Iran are waaaaaaay too negative against the reality. All politics, I guess.

To Eric Jette

Mr. Boroujerdi is in fact a low level uneducated clergy, and not an ayatollah as advertised. I know this because I know the man personally and the word charlatan best describes him. My father knew his father, who was a mere petty reader of Quran at cemeteries. But this man, Boroujerdi, has a very handsome appearance and has always attracted women to his "cause". He has no formal religious education and he never made any sense with his sermons. Just an opportunist. He has been living in our neighbourhood and all of this is first hand information. He also lived in our old neighbourhood, Amiriyeh in Tehran some 30 years ago.

At best, he was just trying to take advantage of muddy political waters. Amazing what a few Dollars can do to any one.......

To be fair, there are many respected non-political clergy in Iran and I tend to say that they are the majority, busy with their studies and lectures and writings.

Bad publicity against Iran has blown every thing at out of proportion, all because there is this grand regional rivalry between Iran and Israel..... two states that have a blend and whiff of religion with everything they do, and both use religion as a political tool.....few in the West seem to understand this rivalry!

Take it from me, not a very religious person.....

As to whether Iran's institutions are "getting stronger" as Ali Ettefagh claims, take the case of Ayatollah Mohammad Kazemeni Boroujerdi as food for thought....

http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php

-excerpts-

Iranian authorities had charged Ayatollah Boroujerdi with lacking sufficiently senior religious credentials to speak out on the matter. They also accused him of sacrilege.

"I believe people are fed up with political religion and want traditional religion to return," ILNA quoted Ayatollah Boroujerdi as saying.

and anothor link with some follow on detail....

http://regimechangeiniran.com/2006/10/intolerance-of-dissidence-cove/

(original source of reporting provided w/articles)

Aye then, if change is inevitable, and peaceful change is desirable; then I respectfully suggest the mullahs pack their bags, go back to their Mosques, and never participate in politics again.

So long as change is done peacefully, why not?

Change comes in all forms, shapes and speeds. The writer has made objective observations. Now if such changes are not to the liking of American statesmen, then that is a different issue all together.
But it looks like Iran is working on modernisation.

We should all have a positive attitude and go forward, confront the nay sayers....

To the poster NYC (from New York?) is saying that Iran is a backward country. Then why is it that the prisons in Iran are about 0.25% of the total population (about 180'000 in all, 65%+ are drug smugglers) but that figure in USA, including those on parole, is about 2.3% (almost a 10 times multiple)?
There are about 1100 murders in Iran of 70 million (15 per million) but more than 150'000 in USA, of 300m (500 per million).

If Las Vegas is advancement, then you are right. Otherwise the numbers above are quite a telling story!

What do these blind opposition commentators gain by insulting people, Iranians or the factual situation on the ground? Why do they not want to look at reality in the eyes?

All people, every where, must look forward and pull up their socks and resolve their local issues...gradually, peacefully and with a straight state of mind. For some, it may take longer. But it is important to see that today was better than yesterday and the direction is set to go forward. And there are always mistakes and over-reactions.

No need to close one's mind for the fact that a closed mind is an empty mind. I congratulate the writer for making such balanced observations.

It is important to go forward and have the least amount of destruction and fighting. Compromise and making a deal is an art. Hence the word diplomacy. However any half-wit dumb idiot can destroy...... Ask George W. !!!!

The writer makes objective observations. Comments above are very Americanised Us-and-Them and the most surprising is that a few Iranian abroad want to be the only voice. No matter how one looks at it, majority of Iranians are in Iran and on the scene. They are the ones that are making changes (in whichever direction).

History tells us that no exile group has ever made a difference in politics of their homeland. Forget about those one-sided romantic stories of governments-in-exile during WWII. That era is gone.

The poster in St. Louis indicates that he knows many Iranians. My question is how many are they, vs. the 70+ million? and how many are ordinary Iranians in Iran?

To acknowledge NYC is highly offensive to Iran and Iranians would be compromising their identities, class and intelligence by doing so.

If the topic is power shift, then are we to believe that a real shift is occuring to the next generation that really bodes well for Iran?

Dr. Effefagh indicates that it took a generation for Iran's post-revolution to institutionalize the forced changes to Iran's constitution.

UNDOING WHAT WAS DONE

The Soviets and the Chinese, whose revolutions he finds similar in scale/scope, are in the process of undoing the changes at an increasing pace in the past ten years or so, something that is on tap prospectively for Iran, if we believe that many younger people are deeply unhappy with the Mullah oligarchy and a judicial tyranny (folks say "dictatorship", but that is probably technically incorrect).

FAITH IN THE NEW GENERATION(S)?

It's not clear (to me) that the shift to the young, by dint of time passing only, is sufficient to bring about substantial change. All one needs are several thousand who accept the "old-line" and get promoted up into positions of influence or power to maintain control, to perpetuate the Islamic anciene regime.

CAN ONE BE A REVOLUTIONARY AND AN ECONOMIST?

His assumption that progress can be a gradual process of change is one on which the jury is out. Both the Chinese and the Soviets faced crises that forced political reform and change. With a cursed flow of oil-revenue, what will force the hands of the ruling elite in Iran, except possibly an exploding population, which will require a fully functioning, liberalized economy.

Such a liberlized economy implies an Iran that can be integrated into the world diplomatically. As such, the economic imperatives to forestalling a potential crisis do seem to be at odds with a "revolutionary" approach to foreign policy, for lack of a more precise term.

Dear readers,
Ali Ettefagh wrote something he and many others see everyday and year after year in Iran: Change. Change for better or worse takes place everyday everywhere, in the Islamic world and elsewhere. Wish our Pro-Zionist friend, responder, could see that Ettefagh's news report has no controvery in it. For our pro-Zionist buddy to jump his throut and bash him for saying that change in Iran is ongoing is an uncivilized thing! If you don't believe what he says go there on your way to Holy Israel and see for yourself. If your anger and hate is because you believe it and hate to see any well being for Iranians and non-Jews, I must say that you are promoting Hitler's hate! Uncivilized/Hitler? Who is talking. Let invite a dear human being living in Gaza and West Bank Reservations and ask this question. Shalom

Way to go Mr. Ettefagh!
People like you, let me continue to believe that the world is not only made of crazy, one-sided, bias people, like some of those commenting here. I truly enjoyed your objective article. Thanks!

I am Iranian who wants nothing but my countries success. As a 21 year old off course I would love to see democracy in Iran and also have opportunist for my future. But we have to be realistic. There are lots of people who admire Cyrus the great and salute the shah. But you have to admit it Shah's period is over GET OVER IT. It's 2006!! Like it or not this is the way it is. Many talk of regime change or invasion. Let me be clear any revolution or invasion would strike Iran back even more. We have to be realistic. After the revolution the new Islamic republic went through a lot; covering from the revolution itself, 8 year war with Iraq, sanctions, US hostile and Isolation. Still Iran compare to other Middle Eastern countries is doing way better. Iran GDP ranking was 19 in 2005. Its GDP growth was 6.1%. It's getting less dependent on Oil (not so much like the Arab countries). Iran is getting more Industrialize and more independent. Iran is number one car manufacture in Middle East and has more influence in Middle East than any other countries. Yes I know we had half naked chicks and night clubs back in the shah. But the reality is during the shah there were no free speech, Savak tortured people and shah regime was very dependent from the west. US and UK had the complete control on our oil and resources. The only reason US and other countries hates this regime and with their propaganda made Iran an evil looking regime is the fact that they can't accept Iran as a Independent and powerful Islamic nation who doesn't accept to be bullied around.

Reply to Posted by: Tehrani | November 29, 2006 07:13 PM

Tehrani...you have got to be kidding!!!

For the record...in response to Tehrani's bull****(excuse my french) claims about widespread Iranian support for the "Peoples Mojahedin".

* The Mojahedin is loathed with passion amongst the majority of Iranians worldwide.

* Fact: Ayatollah Khomeini may have been the focal point of anti-Shah opposition, but the Mojahedin, a radical political group, provided the martyrs, the guns, the huge marches, and much of the written word that fanned the fires of Shiite fervor in the first three years of the Islam Republic of Iran.

THE MOJAHEDIN IS THE SAME IF NOT WORSE AS THE CURRENT ISLAMIC REGIME.

THE MOJAHEDIN HAS KILLED MANY INNOCENT IRANIANS. THEY ARE A TERRORIST ORGANISATION JUST LIKE THE CURRENT REGIME IN IRAN.

NO MOJAHEDIN. NO NUKES. NO DIPLOMACY WITH MULLAHS. ONLY REGIME CHANGE

The only hope for Iran's salvation is the only existing resistance group, the noble People's Mojahedin of Iran. They have fought for democracy against this regime for 2 decades. They have huge support among Iranians. The Clinton administration tried to appease the mollahs by listing the Mojahedin as a "terrorist organization" but they are Iran's only hope and Mrs. Maryam Rajavi is Iran's president-elect. ANything else is just mollah propaganda.

Amen

Ok, you guys want to know the truth?

The majority of Iranians WANT democracy. We and are not "uncivilized" as the previous post mentions. The Islamic Republic of Iran in NO WAY represents the Iranian people. Remember Iran's noble and grand stature before the revolution? That is what Iranians are really like, we are decendents of Cyrus the Great and Darius, proud children of the Ancient Persian Empire.

Iranian people hate these Mullah Islamic bastards, BUT we also do not take too kindly to being nuked. Imagine if America was nuked, how pissed would you be? We just want to topple this regime ourselves and thousands of Iranians have died and are dying for the sake of Iranian freedom. You have no idea what it's like to live under an Islamic terrorist regime. You can't speak or move or piss without having the hand of the Mullah waving about you.

I'm an Iranian-American, and I'll tell you something. If the rest of the world classified me as an American, by what George Bush thought and said an did, that would really piss me off, cause I hate that bastard. So imagine how the Iranians feel when you clasify what kind of people they are by what Ahmadinejad says.

Any nuclear strike on Iran will CRUSH ANY HOPES OF IRANIAN DEMOCRACY. Right now many Iranians like America, but are not allowed to say that publicly because they will be arrested or killed. As long as America supports the Iranian people and puts pressure on the Mullahs, Iran has a chance of becoming the great Persian nation it used to be by overthrowing this regime. If America nuks Iran, Iranians will forever hate America, and will have to unify with the Mullahs to repel foreign invaders.

NO NUKES. NO DIPLOMACY. ONLY REGIME CHANGE.

No issue is ever black and white.

The Iranian people see us as evil despots trying to control their future.

We see the Iranian people as uncivilized and full of hate.

The problem is that we are only looking at a few individuals when we make these judgements.

The average American is not evil, nor does he or she want to rule other people.

I am sure the averge Iranian is not uncivilized. Nor do I believe that they are full of hate.

Both sides are guilty of judging the other side because of the actions of a few individuals.

If we could all take the time to acknowledge that we are not stereotypes but actual individuals we could then move beyond this hate filled outlook that both sides have adopted.

Maybe then we could actually help each other to achieve greater heights. Then we could be friends instead of enemies.

Obviously, etefaghi is an apologist for a bankrupt regime. I know many Iranians who are opposed to this regime and I don't think if this regime was really legitimate it would need to be afraid of truly free elections. Why they monitor and eliminate so many of their own well selected and supervised "candidates" that nobody else dares to stand up so long as the bassij and revolutionary guards roam the streets. So its clear enough to any intelligent person that this is an illegitimate regime with its back to the wall. Etefaghi may have some observations here but not putting it into a political context serves to beg the question and apologize for the ayatollahs crimes.

Correction to above: And so they MUST accept and submit to the resolutions of the international community, led by the advanced democracies such as Israel and the US and UK.

The TRUTH of the matter is that the people of Islam-land including Iran have been held back from natural evolution (political, economic, social, etc) by their backward religion and so are unqualified to administer their own nations. Iran, like Iraq and the other Arab nations of the Middle East are only capable of producing fascist anti-Semite repressive governments. Therefore they are not worthy of being treated as sovereign states. They are in no position to complain about the use of interrogation techniques which are used by our advanced democratic states to protect themselves against crazed rabid Islamic terrorists. They are not qualified to assert any rights on the international community as long as they continue to threaten that same international community. And so they accept and submit to the resolutions of the international community, led by the advanced democracies such as Israel and the US and UK.

The comment from the NYC Jew is very much expected. Mr. Ettefagh's observations are are factual and real. So, to try to deny them is a clear indication of Anti-Iranian bigotry. Iran is no doubt on its way to becoming a World Power in all aspects; not just a regional power - se already is. Much to the dismay of her enemies.

The author made an observation about the institutes. To see so many unrelated responses and also to see so many "Iranians" making this such a black and white political issue and equating Iran with Nazi Germany is shameful and ignorant. Nazi Germany and today's Iran have nothing in common historically and is just bad propoganda.

What would have Mr. Ettefaghi thought of Adolf Hitler's amazing economic growth plan for Germany that made the Nazi state go from a war ravaged country to the strongest economy of Europe just before 1939 when he embarked on genocide? Mr. Eteffaghi's comments on Iran's economy and institutions are besides the point. The point is that in Iran a religious tyranny rules with a fist and club and whose values are diametrically opposed to humanistic values of the 21st century (stoning and suppression of women, politicial suppression and executions, savage torture, export of evil ideology and whipping up of hatred, support for terrorism, meddeling in neighbors affairs, etc). So Mr. Ettefaghi's essay is fine but beside the point. He looks like a scholar standing in a torture room and just observing about how good the prison is built while people are being tortured in from of him. It's all so hideous.

I as an iranian in no way need your (american's) help to improve my country. I can assure you there are 69.9 million iranian out of 70 who are of the same opinion and long for the same. You have to realize that the world doesn't need a father especially one who doesn't do any good to her.

Do you think you are the only intelligent creatures on the earth? So please leave us alone and let us see if we can develop ourselves or not. Whether we can repeat the history and show the world what a real civilization means, or not. Of course, that is exactly what you (american rulers) don't want and that is exactly why you are making us LOOK like what you ARE, namely, the root of terror. Pick a history book find out who has been invading other countries kill their people in last centuries and who not. So please don't label us with what you are. Can you imagine how fresh one should be to do that?

Yes, you are in power now and doing your best in getting most out of this advantage. But again pick this time a history book a little older than yours, if you can ever find such one, to see what happens to powers who rely on their powers.

The NYC commentator must be kept away from the rest of the world....immediately!

The NYC writer must be overthrown, if only to make this world safer.

The last overthrow project in Iraq is a stiff reminder that these kind of redneck attitudes must be locked up.

the comment from NYC is nonesense. the only backward country in the world that i know of is united states. they foolishly get themselves involved in matters that they know nothing about and claim they are the only ones knowing the right path. they get themselves into a deep mess like the most recent one Iraq and Afghanistan and start crying out for help from the rest of the world powers that they never listened to not that they know much either.

The Previous post by "NYC, USA" is willing to nuke millions of people for what??

To save the state of Isreal from a crazy quote??

From the mouth of a person who says things to draw attention to his polical party!

Instead of using nuclear bombs, why don't you help the Persian people to overthrow their Mulla gov't??

Why don't you support the unions, students, gov't employees??

But, that would be too hard.....
It's much easier to bomb them..

Nonsense. The belief that Iran can develop into anything better is simply Mullah propaganda designed to mollify the terrorist appeasers who caution against the use of pre-emptive self-defense measures against Iran. In fact everyone knows that Iran is backward country ruled by a repressive Islamic Dictatorship led by a crazed Fundamentalist Terrorist with a Messiah Complex who seeks nuclear weapons to destroy Israel, Europe, the US and other Civilized (Western)Countries which refuse to submit to their evil Allah and backward "religion of peace" Islam. Iran represents an existential threat to the entire world. Rather than appeasing the Evil Mullahs, it is the duty of all nations to stand up to the Iranians and topple this evil regime, as they should have done with Hitler in 1937. This regime should be toppled by all means necessary, including war and the use of nuclear first-strikes against Iran's hidden and hardened nuclear weapons factories. We must strike now, for we cannot afford to wait for Iran to consolidate its position any further. The Iranians only understand force, they cannot be trusted or negotiated with. Every encouragement should be provided to the people of Iran to liberate themselves, and for long-repressed ethic groups within Iran to rise up and separate themselves from their repressive Persian masters. The people of Iran have repeatedly indicated that they would welcome support to topple their regime, but if they people of Iran refuse to take responsibility and rid the world of their evil rulers, then they cannot expect the world to look kindly to their own suffering under international sanctions and the use of pre-emptive military force against them.

As the writer indicates, it is the same story all over the world. The attitude of being positive makes all the difference and the speed of things is a very local issue.