Farhad Mansourian
Principle Research Analyst
Center for Promotion of Democracy & Human Rights
www.cfpdusa.org
Feb. 11, 2010
THE DNA of THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN AND OUR OPTIONS
President Obama inherited many challenges. Primary among them is the Islamic Republic of Iran and a few fundamental questions: what to do, how to deal with them and who to communicate with.
While the nuclear weapons issue has gained the specific attention of the president and for that matter the rest of the world, it is not the root of the problem. Nuclear weapons and enrichment of uranium is the symptom, not the disease. The problem is the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and what it stands for.
Modern Islamic Terrorism was born on February 11, 1979 with Ayatollah Khomeini and his new invention, an Islamic Republic. President Obama, like every other American president in the past 31 years, has tried covertly and overtly many “new” approaches in dealing with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s government.
The U.S. government has tried repeatedly to categorize the Islamic Republic’s leaders in different terminology: reformist, conservative, moderate, traditionalist and most recently pro democracy or anti democracy. Every U.S. administration, on both the right and the left, has tried to reach out to the Islamic Republic’s rulers and all have simply failed.
In this latest round and with no pre-conditions to talks, President Obama’s negotiating team on Iran used a number of measured words during their negotiations – significant, historic, and constructive. And yet again, the results have been the same. Nothing for us and the continued survival of the current Islamic Republic’s regime.
President Obama has at least three more years in office and he needs to learn from the past 31 years. The Iranian government wants to talk only so they can continue to survive longer.
In order for us to examine the various options available to the American policy makers, we must first truly understand the nature, the DNA, of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Is the current Islamic Republic of Iran’s government Islamic?
Attempting to point out how far away the current regime in Tehran is from Islam will take many pages. Let’s just note that the Islamic government’s best friends in the United Nations and top business and military partners are not only not a single Moslem State who don’t even acknowledge this government as Islamic but in fact include such states as Cuba, Russia, North Korea, China & Venezuela even though their political ideology opposes God & Religion entirely.
The ayatollahs in Tehran who claim that this is an Islamic Government in 31 years have not even once condemned what Russia has done to the Chechnya Moslems or what the Chinese have done to their rather large Muslim Community.
The Clergy in Tehran use “Islam” as a tool to oppose the “existence of little Satan (Israel) and the Great Satan (the United States)”.
Is the current Islamic Republic of Iran a republic?
Fundamental assumptions are that a republic would enjoy majority rule and free elections and that these would yield to a government by and for the people.
It is now demonstrated to the world that the elections in Iran are far from free. The non-elected, self-preserving political entity known as the Guardian Council whose membership is directly and indirectly appointed by the Supreme Leader decides which candidate can “compete” based on their Islamic and “Revolutionary” credentials. The results of the election will then be certified by the Guardian Council and must be approved by the Supreme Leader who, according to article 110 of the Islamic Republic Constitution, has the final say and can even override the election results. In fact, he can even and has at one time dismissed a president at his mid-term. The very existence of such a “Supreme Leader” whose judgment or fallibility is without question is contrary to the very foundation of democracy. the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic “speaks on behalf of God himself and his decisions are final.” This very idea is contrary to democracy.
Now, let’s examine the options that the powers behind the scene and their Iran experts are looking at:
1. The theory of evolution.
This theory believes that the Islamic Republic will slowly evolve overtime. The supporters of this theory hypothesize that the Islamic Republic is deteriorating internally, that internal power struggles towards democracy are taking place, and that democratic signs such as “free elections” are being observed. All we have to do is to give them time and let the Iranian people proceed at their own pace. The murder of unarmed civilians protesting peacefully on the streets, the torture and rape in prisons and the arrests of thousands will then continue. Is this acceptable to a country with a core principle based on Human rights? Can or should our policy makers watch this happening but simply ignore it as an internal Iranian problem?
- The theory that we don’t like this Islamic Republic but we could like some other one.
There are two issues with this theory. The first issue implies that there are moderates within the existing theocracy of the Islamic Republic who, though sworn to honor the revolution and the absolute rule of the Supreme Leader, are reformists at heart and ready to come out of the closet.
Secondly, the problem with the Islamic Republic is not Khomeini or Rafsanjani or Ahmadinejad. The problem lies with a religion as a basis of and unchallengeable authority of a government. Every time religion and government have been combined, both have suffered greatly as a result. President James Madison said it best, “Religion and government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are moved together.”
The Supreme Leader, claims that he receives his divine authority from God and that he is God’s representative on earth not just in Iran, but everywhere. He further claims that “in the interest of Islam, even Islamic laws can be altered.” With this as a foundation, democracy, civil law and people’s rights are an irrelevant feature in any Islamic government. Therefore, any version of a government based on their version of Islam – or any other religion – is by its very nature anti-democratic.
The current popular struggle in Iran, under tremendous assault, wants to let the world know that their movement is a genuine democratic movement and is not willing to settle for anything less. The children and grandchildren of the “icons and founders” of the 1979 revolution as well as over one dozen senior ayatollahs (the most senior title in the world of Islam) have joined this popular movement and issued condemnations of the government . The fact is that the violent crackdown has backfired. Atrocious crimes carried out in jails, detention centers and on the streets have only hardened the resolve of the Iranian people. Those taking to the streets believe the DNA of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its leader doesn’t allow for self modification and behavior change. You can’t modify a cancer cell not to attack a good cell.
The Iranian people have been risking their lives and have been paying for their courage with their lives. They don’t want any new version of the Islamic Republic simply reorganized; they are demanding fundamental change.
The theory of regime change.
First of all this is the decision of Iranian people and theirs alone. Any military interference by any outside force for any reason, even one legitimately provoked, would only assist Iran’s clergy’s to consolidate their powerbase, unite the people and give the government the excuse to unleash covert brutality against any known critic the regime. Secondly, as seen since June 2009, the Iranian people have spoken and are demanding regime change and, furthermore, it appears that what they want is a secular democracy.
What can or should the U.S. Government do?
The Iranian people say that if we truly believe in the principles of human rights, then we should support human rights in Iran and not just concentrate on the nuclear issue. They are wondering why Iranian government officials are not severely limited in their number and scope of visits to the western world. Why the red carpet treatment?
Many Islamic Republic of Iran government offices abroad are coordinating money laundering, illegal trade and directing and funding anti-American and anti-European activities. Why are these “cultural”, “religious” and “business” centers allowed to operate freely?
The interests of the U.S. and Iranian people are the same. Abuses of human rights, support for domestic and international terrorism, poverty, corruption – these issues are what Iranian people are chanting in the streets and paying for with their lives. Is this not what the American people and the U.S. government want? The Iranian people don’t understand why the Iranian “business” delegation entirely owned by the Revolutionary Guard or the ruling clergy are welcomed like royalty.
The Iranian people don’t know why the personal bank accounts of these Iranian government officials are not frozen, assets seized and their travel privileges to the “Great Satan” are not restricted. The Serbian officials guilty of human rights abuses were treated internationally as criminals. Iranian officials are invited to Ivy League Schools to lecture us on our abuses and denial of any wrong doing on their part.
Iranian people do not understand why the western world in general and the United States in particular do not declare the principal figures responsible for Iran’s internal repression personae non grata. Why are we not denying them visas? Iranian people do not understand why the issue of human rights abuses in Iran is not even on the agenda, much less at the top of the list.
The Iranian people, regardless of their ethnic and religious background, are committed to create a new Iran, a democratic Iran and a secular Iran; a country that is free, which in ancient Persian tradition; an Iran that is waiting to be born as they chanted in the streets.
A common slogan in the streets of Iran is “death to the Taliban, whether over there or in Tehran.”
Finally, to President Obama and the United States Congress, here is what I would ask:
You must note that any agreement reached with the current rulers in Iran are only short term gains since the legitimacy of this government has been questioned by the Iranian people .
Any short term gain will only result in long term losses with the Iranian people who appear to be adamant about the legitimacy of the current Islamic Republic system and its government.
- Be vocal in your support of the Iranian peoples’ aspirations for a democratic secular Iran.
- Provide economic assistance to Americans and to European companies who would ensure an open exchange of information so the Iranian people can continue their struggle to counteract Iranian government censorship and interruption of internet services.
- Fund alternative methods of communication so the Iranian people can dialogue among themselves and abroad.
- Enact laws and enforce sanctions against American and European companies that provide filtering and monitoring tools to the Iranian regime. While we have no leverage against the Iranian government, we can make sure our companies do not sell the Ayatollahs terrorist tools made in America.
- Iranian people have family members in the Revolutionary Guards, Basij Forces, Ministry of Intelligence, all historical pro clergy institutions. Many are informing their family members that they are NOT united behind them and many have or are ready to join the people’s side. Recently more and more Iranian Diplomats have been resigning their diplomatic posts abroad in protest of the action of their own government and have sought political asylum in the countries they were serving in.
President Obama you must note that the Islamic republic of Iran, a religious dictatorship still in the revolutionary stage, cannot compromise or reach an agreement with us on any issue. Any compromise is against their twisted version of Islam, against their constitution and against their revolution.
If they do compromise, they know that they are finished. And that is why for 31 years they have successfully convinced American and European administrations that they are loved at home, that they are a stable regime and that they are a democracy with free elections which in fact allows expression of differences of opinion. Finally they would have you believe that for all these reasons they are here to stay so get used to it!
Mr. President, staying neutral in this historical moment makes no sense. In fact we urge you to pick the side of the Iranian People in their struggle against their Ahreeman (devil) in their Persian land.