From
Postcard from TehranFrom
Postcard from TehranTEHRAN—Memo to Secretary Clinton: Iran is neither a military dictatorship nor
or a police state...
Indeed, all is not well in the Islamic Republic, not by long shot. Iran
continues to suffer the same economic woes it has for some time, and there is a
palpable, simmering discontent in the capital over the state of affairs.
Inflation, unemployment, the lack of investment, anemic business opportunities,
and looming sanctions all contribute to a malaise among the population that the
government will have a difficult time curing...
From Tehran, despite the ambiguity of what the future holds, of what the Green
Movement might be or become, or how the government will deal with the
fundamental problems it faces, it is evident that neither debilitating sanctions
nor military action (nor continued threats) will accomplish the Obama
administration's stated and unstated Iran policy goals -- to induce Iran to
alter its nuclear course, or to lend support to an opposition that even if
successful in bringing about change in the leadership, might not do so...
Many Iranians can forgive Obama for his hesitancy to enter into serious negotiations with Iran in the aftermath of the elections of 2009, but given what they know now -- that barring a major natural calamity the government is here to stay -- it seems the U.S. president's only real option is to negotiate with Iran in good faith and reach an agreement that satisfies Western concerns about its nuclear program while also satisfying Iran that its rights as a sovereign nation have not been eroded. Perhaps only then might Iranians turn to seriously addressing domestic concerns; economic concerns about the gaping inequalities between the privileged and working classes, as well as political concerns about civil rights and the nature of the regime, which Iranians are perfectly capable of doing without outside interference. And only then will we be able to better judge whether Iran is turning into a reflexively anti-American military dictatorship, or is on the path to fulfilling the needs and wants, economic and otherwise, of its people.
Hooman Majd, a New York-based writer, is author of The Ayatollah Begs to Differ and the forthcoming The Ayatollahs' Democracy.
Global Day of Action: We will be the Voice!
On the anniversary of the disputed elections in Iran and the uprising that followed, Portland Stands with the People of Iran ( www.pswpi.org ) joins organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Nobel Women's Initiative, Reporters Without Borders, Pen International and more than 80 cities around the world for a Global Day of Action, demanding an end to human rights abuses in Iran.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
2 to 4 PM
South Park Blocks between SW Salmon and SW Main
(behind Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall)
In anticipation of the election anniversary, the authorities in Iran have intensified their oppression against the non-violent protest movement. Hundreds of men and women are in prison without legal recourse, several have been executed. Through our presence we wish to show that they are not alone. We demand democracy and human rights for Iran, the release of all political prisoners and an end to the violence. More information on global activities: http://12june.org
Parallel with other cities around the globe, we will symbolically adopt a Prisoner of Conscience, to tell their stories and make sure they are not forgotten. We will have information about human rights violations in Iran and offer opportunities for the public to become involved.
Abdollah
Momeni, our adopted PoC,
the spokesperson for the Alumni Association of Iran (Advar-e Tahkim Vahdat)
has been sentenced to 4 years and 11 months in prison. He has been detained
since his arrest on 21 June 2009 and was one of the more than 100 people charged
in a mass trial before a Revolutionary Court with inciting the post-12 June
election unrest in Iran. It is feared that he has been ill-treated in detention;
when his wife and brother visited him in Evin Prison on 8 August, they reported
that he was so weak he could not walk unassisted, that he appeared disoriented
and had bruising under his eyes. Abdollah Momeni suffers from a
gastroenterological condition and previously experienced kidney failure while
detained and required medical treatment. He may not be able to obtain adequate
medical care in prison now. (From
Amnesty International USA, Action Alert)
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