Let Democracy Resound

"For example, because many Iranians believe Ahmadinejad imported Hezbollah thugs from Lebanon to violently repress the postelection protests, some Greens give voice to racist anti-Arab sentiments. Conversely, Arab nationalistic and anti-Israel sentiments have pushed some on the Arab street, including progressives, to embrace the Iranian regime's belligerence -- in spite of the threat the mullahs' militarism and meddling poses to Arab states."

First of all, it's been determined that the source for the Twitter rumor of Hezbollah antiriot forces being deployed in Tehran was actually Israeli intelligence.

Second, let's not beat around the bush here: the racist anti-Arab sentiments espoused by a number of Iranian diaspora subversives centers around Islam.

Third, what "militarism and meddling" are these authors referring to? Standing up to Zionist injustice? Promoting the rights and interests of Shia citizens?

Honestly, how do you expect political partisanship to be compatible between states like the Republic of Egypt and the Islamic Republic of Iran? That's sort of like expecting compatibility between the Social Democratic Party of Germany and the American Democratic Party. Really, it doesn't work that way.

Tehran Bureau, it's about time the editorial content of the site (periodically) contain elements of material more in line with the political mainstream inside Iran, that is to say non-subversive views representative- for example- of the Combatant Clergy Association and/or the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran. Objectivity and a sense of even-handed political representations are considered of value here- are they not?

Pirouz,
"First of all, it's been determined that the source for the Twitter rumor of Hezbollah antiriot forces being deployed in Tehran was actually Israeli intelligence."

Really?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uflLjI_AlMU

"Objectivity and a sense of even-handed political representations are considered of value here- are they not?"

Practice what you preach. Should you not?

No alliance - this article is ridiculous. The u.s. imperialists and the zionists are the unjust ones, not the Iranian Government.

Pirouz is right. Iran is not a threat to Arab states. Iran is a threat to the corrupt dictators ruling Arab states, who are supported and kept in power by the U.S. and Israel.

This is an interesting article and respectful thought process, but unfortunately, misguided.

Neither Iran nor Egypt will ever become democratic unless the people are allowed to fight their respective regimes on their own terms. The article fails to recognize that the principle reason for the lack of progress in these respects is outside intervention.

Ayatollah Khomeini gave Iran two principle gifts. First, the recognition that the Western interests are the eternal enemy of Iran. Second, independence. It is due to this independence that Iranians society has had more upheavals, and reform movements than the entire 30 year rule of the Shah.

What Iran needs now is the national confidence that can never be threatened by the outside world. That the IR would no longer be able to use the real threat of an American attack (the elephant in the room this article ignores)as an excuse to suppress peaceful civil dissobedience. Ironically, the path to full fledged secular democracy for Iran has become embeded in the successful conclusion of the nuclear program.

Unfortunately for Iran, both sides are correct. The public in Tehran (as demonstration were largely limited to that megacity) have a right to peaceful civil dissobedience, and, the IR is correct to have a limited tolerance for such demonstration when they are being used by outside forces to overthrow Iran's regime.

Iran must go nuclear for its secular democracy to have a chance. Egypt will benefit from the growth of a secular democratic Iran allied with Iraq, Turkey, and Lebanon. And eventually, the house of card will come down in Egypt too.

Niloofar

I did look at your link just as you asked us to. And it was interesting. I don't know what this world "picture evidence" created on the net is supposed to mean. Can pictures not be doctored up? How does the author, holding his camera in a western city pretending to be Iran as evidenced by the pavement, know this information? who are his connections? But most importantly, is it not plausable that these individuals are Iranians, who work for the IRGC, and have traveled to Lebanon too. In another words, is it not possible that the names are doctored up, that picture of Iranian agents are being used and are being presented as Arabs? This whole matching of individuals to names in several locations and in foreign countries appear too sofisticated for one innocent individual.

Regardless, the IR does not deny its connection to Hezbollah, do they? So, what's the point of "Hezbollahi's were in Tehran?" Are we to conclude no Iranian would ever participate in crowd suppression? Why would the IR need 3 Hezbollahi to suppress thousands of people? Were they 3 short? Are we to conclude that we should hate Hezbollah and what they have accomplished in their own struggle? So, they were in Tehran. They all admit they are part of a pan-islamic movement. There are IRGC's in Lebanon. So, what?

The real issue is should the IR have a right to suppress peaceful civil dissobedience regardless of how misguided it may be. Clearly, the answer is "no."

Pouya,

I agree and I am not claiming that 3 Lebanese or even a 1000 would make an impact against millions of Iranians, but to blame Israel for everything that happens inside Iran despite the horrors everyone witnessed on their T.V. screens, internet and every other means of mass media is simply ridiculous. They shoot and murder people right in front of the cameras, identify the killer and then point to foreign interference and Israel. My point is not Israel either, I am an Iranian and Iran is my concern. It is the lack of respect for Iranian people's intelligence that is troubling.
Thank you for your thoughts.

Great article.

Some of these comments are nothing more than screens for the support of Arab fascism and militarism being used against its own civilian populations.

Have any of these "Imperialist/Zionist" claims ever been proven as actually true? I notice they are conveniently employed whenever the dictators of Arab or Persian states are threatened by internal revolution, and when an actual intellectual opposition to the West is lacking.

Israel and the USA should not even be mentioned in such an issue, since it's not up to the Western world to decide the policy of the Eastern one.

One word: Oil.

Iranians are not made of gold, but the own "black gold", so the west will cater to them much more than to Egyptians.

The west will see to it that its clients get the oil at the best price. If the mullahs sell it to them at the best price AND in Dollars then they are happy. But, it has to be sold in Dollars. (BTW, best price is what makes the oil companies the most profit)

Before the elections there was a lot of talk of selling the oil in Euros, Yens, etc. But that died down when the US showed AN that he better watch his steps about the Dollar-oil relationship, in case he had forgotten Saddam's punishment for his attempt to break the Dollar-oil symbiosis.

So, get yourself a bit more oil my Egyptian brothers and you will be tweeting freely and will be picked up by birds of all feathers.

"First of all, it's been determined that the source for the Twitter rumor of Hezbollah antiriot forces being deployed in Tehran was actually Israeli intelligence."

Heh. hah. BUAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA.

You poor things, and people wonder why is the way it is now.

John,

"dictators ruling Arab states, who are supported and kept in power by the U.S. and Israe"

Is Iran supported by the US?

Is Syria supported by the US?

The US has no power to keep a regime in the middle east, or anywhere, in power. The people do, by supporting it or being apathetic or not opposing it enough. Those dictatorships existed long before the US (and israel, LOL, they're barely defending themselves, now they're masters of the middle east!) got involved in the middle east. It's absurd. What is this US 'support'? The rich countries don't get aid, and the poor ones that have a peace treaty with israel get aid money but you think if that goes the regimes go? LOL.

How about several million egyptions get out in the streets. And do it again, and again. That's the least it takes. Maybe then the world thinks at least some egyptions don't support living as slaves.

US 'support' for 'evil' regimes is just another excuse to hate and blame america, in the case of the people of the middle east to deflect away from the real cause of all their problems, and the western leftist, as always, is ready to make sure they stay ignorant.

Niloofar

I agree with your coments.

ultimately the Iranian government and its people hold the key to everything. Even in 1953, the coup occurred at the time when Massadegh had lost considerable popularity.