If a picture says a thousand words, this recently released picture of Mirhossein Mousavi and his wife Zahra Rahnavard with their shockingly and hardly recognizable aged features pretty much sums up what a disastrous decade it has been for Iran and Iranians outside the immediate circle of the people in charge of that country.
Three or four days before the famous Iranian elections of 2009, I was boarding a noisy and aged Caspian Airlines Tupolov t-154 plane from Abadan back to Tehran. Six years before that, an idealist and naïve young man that I was, having been encouraged by the somewhat relaxed and hopeful atmosphere that Khatami’s presidency brought about, I decided to move back to Iran and try my luck. It was a good time. Middle class was thriving again, and the economy was somewhat stable. Iran’s standing with the world was at its best point post revolution. I started working on water projects mostly in the south.
Then came the Ahmadi Nejad presidency and while during his first term Iran was still eating off the fat from the combined Rafsanjani and Khatami years, it became all too evident to most urban and educated middle class population that the populist Ahmadi Nejad admisitration, with the backing of the conservative elements of the regime, is taking the country back to the early post-revolution years. Nobody wanted that. That was the main reason people mobilized so overwhelmingly in campaigns (later known as Green Movement) leading to the fatefull 2009 election. It was initially ironic that the man who was heir-presumptive to that movement was the war-time prime minister and one of the icons of the post-revolution years. But the young revolutionary man with the unkept bushy pitch-black beard worn to intimidate, has been away from the innuendos and affairs of the Islamic Republic for almost than 2 decades, painting and reading poetry at home and thus have aged gracefully into a monk like character. I got a first-hand experience of his calm aura on that Tupolov plane. I sat down on one of the front aisle seats reading my newspaper which incidentally had a front-page picture of Mousavi, when a large young man sitting next to me asked if he can borrow parts of my paper that I wasn’t reading for his travel companion sitting on the window seat. I said of course and then a soft-spoken graceful elder man leaned over and thanked me. It took me a second, but I realized he was Mousavi returning back to Tehran from a Khuzestan-wide election tour and the young man was his bodyguard.
Mousavi explained his coming out of recluse to run for office as a sense of duty towards the country, and people connected with that. Everyone knew that Ahmadi Nejad and his band of rhetoric minded corrupt idiots are destroying all the momentum that was created over the past couple decades after the war. Everyone felt responsible to act. Mousavi’s reputation for the technocratic style of governance during the war, was only icing on the cake.
During my lifetime, I have only seen Tehran this jubilant and hopeful couple of times; the week leading to Khatami’s election in 1997 and Iran’s soccer World Cup qualifier win against Australia later that year. The atmosphere was that of street parties every night. People were kind to each other. And the regime, desperate to show case that atmosphere to buy legitimacy, was all more accommodating and took his rabid dogs off the streets.
Then came the election morning. Nation woke up to an unbelievable news. An anticlimax for the ages. A hangover to end all hangovers. Ahmadi Nejad somehow won in a near landslide. Everyone knew that was a lie. Everyone knew that he and his regime cheated. Mousavi called for a nationwide protest and the nation took to the streets. What happened over the next few weeks and the brutality that the regime showed in quashing the unrest is much reported on. What ensued was a great depression that continues today. Many, including myself (again), migrated and the country went into a downward spiral that saw its currency reduced into trash, its international relation back to pariah status, and its angry society on the brink of collapse.
Mousavi was forced into a house arrest and even the short-lived and hyped up Rouhani-Zarif double act could not do much for a regime that lost its way on that fatefull post-election morning of June 13th, 2009. Why did they act that way? I don’t know, but from history, I have learned that the doomed regimes are the ones that when presented with a golden opportunity, choose the path with the worst and most disastrously possible outcome.
I hope he continues to rot slowly and painfully. I am not a fan of MEK and opposed to everything they stand for but Moussavi’s words and his role in the mechanised murder of those young people will never be forgotten or forgiven. He and his ilk brought/taught nothing but hate and deserve no sympathy.
Their misnamed “moderation” is a ruse of factional fighting a myth to hide their natural conservatism and designed to prolong the life of this awful regime.
Reminds me of this picture:
But the untold story of the "Green Movement" is that it was a Reformist movement. Its leaders were Reformists. Its victims were Reformists. And the people who were put on trial were Reformists. The same people came out 4 years later and voted for Rouhani, and 8 years later voted for Rouhani again.
Nothing wrong with that. But let's not call the "Green Movement" a move towards the secular democracy in Iran. Moussavi's "return to the golden age of Emam" and Karroubi, "Emam's Mordeh-Shoor" or Khatami, "The Tadorokaatchi", were not going to take us there.
Faramarz, true, but having experienced those days first hand, I can tell you that reform was perceived by the urban middle class to be the only available, practical and civil option. I agree that the result most probably would have been pretty much what we are observing today. But that was the general sentiment in those days. Like most everything else, the sentiment has since moved on.
One thing is for sure... Soros was not in direct contact with Mousavi...
Problem is , it is kind of hard to feel sorry for a person that even today talks about golden days of his emam,(you know the months and days that thousands of people were murdered in clod blood while this guy was still part of the ruling elite). I have yet to hear a regret or appology from this guy even a fake one!
I agree with Fozoli. This is the same guy who justified the mass executions of the 1980s as "necessary." Not to mention that he was also a high ranking government official when the IR was using child soldiers in the Iran Oraq war, which is a war crime Just because he acts saintly, does not take away from the fact that he is a brutal criminal who has not answered for his crimes. Hopefully he will stay alive long enough to be put on trial by a new government in Iran for his crimes against humanity. In the alternative, I wish him the same fate as he bestowed on thousands of innocent young Iranians: a violent and painful death. Incidentally, for all him ridiculous behavior, there is no evidence that Ahmadinejad was involved in mass executions. But we have plenty of documented evidence that Mousavi was. But that's besides the point. Even if Ahmadinejad was involved, two wrongs don't make a right. Mousavi needs to be held accountable for his crimes against humanity.
AR - As I have always said, the IR is a criminal organization / enterprise, like the Mafia, and it operates as such. In the organized crime world if you fall out of favor, or out of line for that matter, you get whacked. The higher you position in the organization, the more likely that you get whacked for the obvious reason that you know where all the bodies are (literally). Mousavi is no exception. He was a high ranking official of a criminal organization. He fell out of favor. He's extremely lucky that he's still breathing (sadly so). I guess part of the reason may be that he's a close relative of Khamenei. Whatever the reason is he should count his lucky star.
Mollafia!!! These rabble are a faction. The reform mirage has been exposed. This blog is a disgrace as AR said.
Ariane,
Since you were in Iran in 2009, but most of us were looking from the outside, do you believe that if Obama had come out and said the 6 magical words, “I am with you Iranian people”, what would have happened?
The Regime would’ve collapsed immediately and Khamenei and the gang were on their way to somewhere, and a secular/democratic government would have stepped right in its place, and everyone would’ve lived happily ever after. Or,
The Regime would’ve responded more harshly and would’ve called the protesters American stooges with more bloodshed. Or,
Moussavi and Karroubi would’ve thanked Obama and would’ve demanded a new election from Khamenei, which Khamenei would’ve accepted.
Faramarz, short answer is your second option would have been the more probable one.
Even without Obama's intervention, Mousavi and Karroubi and protestors were branded agents of the usual foreign suspects.
There is a tendecy from some keybord warrior folks on this site to brand millions of Iranians who struggle on daily basis with unimagenable challenges as fools and pawns etc, and that may be true to some extent, but I believe the 2009 protests died because the geneal public reached the maximum price they were willing to pay. Had they kept the momentum a few more weeks, things would probably have been different today. They will however pick it up again when the time is right and the cause is worth. It is in the hand of the people of Iranian.
The course of action that the regime took was a blunder though. If they made concessions, they would have guaranteed their life for anouther 50 years. Instead they killed any hope common folks had for reforms and that is coming back to bite them in the back.
2009 was a "Democratic movement". America, the leader of democarcy, was silent for democarcy in Iran.
Why ?
Because one black man was sitting in the whtie house. Obama was sympathetic toward bunch of criminal rag heads in Tehran. He was sympathizing with them because criminal mullahs let the black hostages go and kept the white ones. Obama even refused to give "lip service" to Iranians. For example, in Nobel Prize ceremonty he said: "I give this nobel prize to a woman who whispere democracy with a mouth full of blood". The bastard refused even to mention the name of Neda Agha sultan. Not even simple "Lip Service" was given to Iranian people.
Obama behaved similar to other black folks behave in America. How do they behave ? Just go with a blonde woman in the black neighborhood after dark.You get robbed and blonde gets raped, then you will know how black people behave in America. Obama was NOT exceptional. He foolishly paid large amount of money to criminal mullahs on other occasion. Mullahs put half of that money in their pockets and sent the other half to Hezbollah in Lebanon. What Iranians got from the deal ? nothing.
Siavash - For the record, I have hung out plenty of times in a black neighborhood with a bolnde woman --walking from the subway station to one of my favorite vegan restaurants in NYC, eating there, walking up and down the street, hanging out, etc.... I didn't get robbed and my date didn't get raped. Harlem has some great night spots too. You ought to stop thinking like you're in the 1950's and give it a try. Black folks are nice and hosptiable people. What you wrote above is extremely racist and offensive. In any event, here's the link to the restaurant's site. Stop by if you're ever in the City. You'll enjoy the food. And perhaps you'll change your view of the world:
https://www.seasonedvegan.com/
Please, Let's stay focus on the issue.
When ruling criminal mullahs let the black hostages go and kept the white hostages in captivity for 2 years, it was an act of RACISM. They discriminate among hostages based on their skin color. NO, it was NOT in 1950's, it was in 1979.
When Obama avoid to mention the name of Neda Agha Sultan in his speech in the ceremony of nobel prize, it was an act of racism. If Neda was a black woman, he would have said her name. Again, the issue came from the color of the skin. No, it was NOT in 1950's, it was in 2009.
All Obam's actions during his presidency and his sympathy toward criminal mullahs triggered by the notion of racism because Mullahs let his black people go free. It is NOT coincidence he paid large amount of money to them which is commonly called "Ransom money". Half of that money went to Mullahs' pockets and the other half of went to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Funny part was Obama's claim of Unstablity in M.E. He was saying "Middle East is NOT stable" considering Syrian war and bomb explosions in Lebanon. Yes, because one idiot was sitting in the white house who didn't know what to do. As a result, the M.E was in kiias. If you don't want kias in M.E, Don't pay money to terrorists, then you will see more stability in the region, as we saw after Trump took office.
I am reading different Iranian sites since 2009. I never seen any literature or any comment to address the issue.
Generally, when people make baseless, racist remarks, they also say, "I have nothing against the black people. I actually have black friends."
It's sad to see that a blog regarding a relevant subject gets hijacked by ....
Overall I say the biggest mistake Khamenie made was to interfeer with this thing and taking side and let it boil to street protests and violance after. First of all chances were high that Ahdmainejad would have won any way, but let say he was not the winner and Moussavi was the real winner, what harm would have come having Mossuavi as the president? its not as if Moussavi was so far apart in thinking from Ahmadinejad, after all they are both believer and devote of this regime and they were both submissive to rahbar so no significant changes would have really panned out but it would have bought a legitimicy for the regime!!!!
MRX- In order to understand the dynamics of why Khamenei interfered you need to study how organized crime operates. Mousavi fell out of line. There's no forgiveness or kumbaya moments in mob operations. The guy was a rat. He had to be stopped. Again, I am shocked that he's still alive. My guess is that it's because he's related to Khamenei.
Dear AO you are giving this fossil too much legitemacy. You read the piece on sanctions busting and how profitable it is for factions of the regime and people close to them. Ahmadinejad represented the young plyster wearing Islamic Student Society IRGC types who are not of the turban and were losing out, and this faction wanted its turn to control the economy. The reason this guy has not been killed is not because he is a rat, that is insulting rats, it is simply because whenever Mollafia wants to play the reform card again they can produce him out of the proverbial magical hat. He is of the regime, his wife's family history is intertwined with Islamic terrorism and the Mollafia. He is serving the purpose keeping the ruse of reform alive for those who are fooled by it. The Mafia has much to learn from the Mollafia.
You have a point Fozolie. To be clear, I'm not saying that this guy is some kind of a hero who stood up to the mob. What I am saying is that for whatever reason -- mob in-fighting over territory, position, control, money, etc.-- he fell out of favor. Hence, his demise.
A.O,
If I am not mistaking Eric Gardner was from the same neighborhood that you referring in your comment. He was a luckiest black drug dealer who died in the process of getting arrested by N.Y.P.D. The family received about 6 million dollar from NYPD. That money is your tax money plus many other hard working people. The family members probably spent it all on crack cocaine similar to Obama. Obama was smoking dob during his youth. Obama was very vocal, ourspoken to mention names of Eric Gardner, Michael Brown..Rodney king... Oscar Grant... and many black folks who were violent and got bashed by law enfocement, but he was ashmed to speak out the name of Neda Agha Soltan. He didn't want to pissed off criminal mullahs who let his people go during hostage crisis.
Oscar Grant was another black dude criminal who just released from San Quntin Prison. The guy was on parole. All the sudden his girl friend received about 2 million dollars from these poor american tax payers. Oscar and his girl friend were living in ghetto and making living by selling drugs. She was not even his wife. Now they're honoring that criminal by making movie "Fruitvale station".". Why ? because there was a big protest for his death. I can imagine Obama was sitting with Maesoomeh Ebtekar's son and padding his shoulder saying ... "give my regard to your mother Maesoomeh. .. They did a good job, keeping white M.F in captivity for 2 years and let my black people came back to America... white people are the ones who took us slaves and now is the time to pay for it ... taking white hostages was good job Maesoomeh .. go ...girl ...go." and all the mullahs lobby N.I.A.C keep taking photo with Obama. That is what happened and the name of Neda Agha Soltan never came to surface.
Siavash. You really need to do some more research on topics that you opine on, especially when you want to make racist comments. Eric Gardner was neither from the "area' that I was talking about, nor was he a drug dealer. I was talking about Harlem, which is part of Manhattan. Gardner was from Staten Island, and was killed there. Staten Island is a different part of NYC. It's one of its five boroughs. It's an island on itself (as its name suggests), and happens to be the only Republican part of New York (mostly). It's filled with Italians, Irish and Jews. It's also the trash capital of NYC. There's a huge dump there that. Harlem on the other hand is a great part of Manhattan. It's mainly African American, although there's a sizable Hispanic population, and white folks are moving there in large numbers these days too. Great culture, food, and people. I hang out there every chance I get. One of my favorite parts of the City. The Apollo Theater is there. Great place. I've been there many times. You ought to go there and see for yourself. Historic place. Anyway, Eric Gardner was not a drug dealer. If you had taken a minute to Google it you would've known. Gardner was selling loose cigarettes on the street. For that he was literally choked to death by a bunch of racist cops on the sidewalk in broad daylight. He was murdered. I believe that Gardner's death was one of the saddest things I have ever witnessed in my life. I couldn't get over it. I watched that video over and over again. How sad....that's why I went out and took part in the protests following his death. The guy got killed on the street for selling loose cigarettes at the time our current president was bragging on radio about walking into underage miss teen America's dressing rooms while they were naked. And when banks were defrauding their customers of billions of dollars. I'm glad that his family got 6 million. They should've gotten more. I much rather see my tax money go to these folks rather than being spent by trillions in never ending wars, 'foreign aid' to countries that don't need it, and in bailing out big banks. And Oscar Grant was not a drug dealer who was released and got money. He was a guy who got in a fight on a subway train in California. He was arrested when the train stopped. He was handcuffed, put face down on the ground, and then shot in the back and killed - execution style- by a white cop. Im not familiar with what kind of compensation his family received, if any, for his senseless death, but whatever they got they deserved, and I'm happy for them. Nossh-e-jan. Do some basic research before you post racist rants please
"Garner had been arrested by the NYPD more than thirty times since 1980 on charges such as assault, resisting arrest, and grand larceny."
I did my research and found out above statement. The guy was life time criminal for more than 30 years. He started his anti social, criminal activities when he was 10 years old.
I just said some names as example, so you could catch up with general feeling about blacks in America. There is NO subway in California. it is over ground train. Oscar Grant had been imprisoned in San Quentin prior shooting and he was on parole. You probably don't know what type of prisoners are in San Quentin. San Quentin is in Island like Alcatraz. It is meant to keep prisoners with capital crimes such as serial killer Charles Manson. Oscar Grant was living in ghetto with his girl friend and a child. She was Latino and got knocked up by another black dude and had a baby out of wed. lock. .. What a beautiful family tree !!!! She received compensation of 2.8 million dollar from your tax money.
Have you ever asked yourself why this type of life style never happened to Iranians ? only it happens to blacks in America ?
Anyway, when I describe the situation, that doesn't mean I am making racist remark. I say exactly what it is. What should I do ? NOT to say the truth ? . It is very transparent. It has been documented regardless of what I say. When criminal mullahs released black hostages and kept the white ones, that is racism because they discriminate between hostages based on their skin color.
Here is another piece of article that you were misinformed.
"Initially there were rumors that Grant was handcuffed before he was killed. But court filings by the district attorney's office say that Grant's hands were behind his back and that he was "restrained and unarmed" but do not say he was handcuffed."
If it is good or bad, it is up to Americans to decide. As far as I am concerned Obama acted the same way other black folks behave in America. He foolishly paid large amount of money to criminal mullahs on which it were sent part of it to Hezbollahs in Lebanon to expand their terrorist activities. So if there were bomb explosion in Lebanon, please don't blame it on me, blame it on Obama who acted similar to his buddies in Rhode Island and train station in California. Obama became friend with Mullahs' lobby (N.I.A.C) and finally he was cause of imprisonment, torture and exection of thousands Iranians for his inaction during "Democtratic movement" in 2009. All came from the fact criminal mullahs let the black hostages go and kept the white one for 2 years in captivity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Eric_Garner
Oscar Grant was 22 years old when he was shot by the police. How much time did ge spend in SanQuentin, and for what crime? Murderers and serious criminals don't get released on parole within such a short period ot time. If he was 22 that means at most he served 4 years after became an adult. Doesn't make any sense. And yeah...he had his hands behind his back while he was un-armed and face down on the ground when he was shot. He wasn't handcuffed. I guess that justifies it. And so what if Garner had a long arrest record? When you grow up in poverty like a lot of African Americans you commit petty crimes to get by. That's how things are in the real world. It's not like the Iranian doctor, for example, who defrauded Medicare out of millions so that he could buy and rent houses in north Tehran. That's white color crime. They deserve to go to a country club prison while the guy who sold loose cigarettes should be stragngled to death on the sidewalk. Give me a break with this racist BS.
AO,
Here's the raw footage of the execution of Grant by BART Police which is the security for the Bay Area Metro. I live here. I know all the details. When somebody jumps in here totally clueless and makes big statements about the racial issues here, I just shake my head. You are wasting your time arguing with this character. He is no longer welcome in my postings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo0d6Q4RVno
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo0d6Q4RVno
Siavash, as this my post that you’re trolling, I’m going to ask you to stop posting your none sense. If you want an outlet for your racists rants, create your own blog. One more response from you and you’re blocked! Thanks
p.s. San Quentin is not an island like Alcatraz. It's on the eastern edge of San Rafael in Marin County near the Richmond -San Rafael Bridge, about 15 minutes from Tiburon where many Iranians live.
Faramarz. I had seen that video before. Horrible. Same thing with Garner. I can never get those images out of my mind. The guy was strangled to death for selling loose cigarettes when a criminal like Paul Manafort who defrauded taxpayers and banks out of tens of millions of dollars gets 47 months in prison. Disgusting.