A New Day for Iran
By:
Amil
Imani
Compelled by the
inalienable right of the people to institute their government and
replace it when it fails to serve its constituents in the pursuit of
life, liberty and happiness, millions of Iranians representing the
entire spectrum of society are demanding change from the repressive
theocracy to an open secular democracy.
More than three
decades of rule by the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) has not only
failed to advance the security and well-being of the people, it has
ensnared the nation in a stifling theocracy where the rights of the
governed are routinely violated for the benefit of the governing.
The revolution of
1979 that brought down Mohammad Reza Shah’s dictatorship in the hope of
instituting a democratic government was quickly usurped by a religious
autocracy.
Endemic to
autocracies is the subjugation of the interests of the people to that of
the state and the IRI has been no exception. In order to maintain its
hold on the nation, the IRI has employed suppressive measures, some of
which are briefly listed here:
▪ The IRI has
replaced every protective provision of the Universal Charter of the
Declaration of Human Rights with theocratic fiats of the state which
govern all aspects of the citizens’ private and public life.
▪ The IRI has
abandoned the administration of justice in accordance with the due
process of law practiced in civilized societies and has adopted the
discriminatory laws of Sharia. The sacrosanct assumption of innocence is
discarded. Arbitrary arrests, long detentions without formal charges,
the administration of all forms of physical and psychological torture,
and summary execution of political dissenters and religious minorities
have became the standard behavior of the system.
▪ All forms of
freedoms, mankind’s precious legacy, were either taken away or severely
restricted. Freedom of assembly, of the press, and association were
taken away from the people and became the exclusive prerogatives of the
state.
▪ Journalists and
writers of all subjects were forced to serve the state or face merciless
punishment. Numerous journalists, writers and thinkers were imprisoned;
some languished for decades and some met an early death.
▪ The religious and
ethnic diverse groups of the nation, which has been a great source of
its strength and cherished heritage throughout the ages, were severely
repressed in an attempt to force the populace into a monolithic
religious mold advocated by the state. Religious minorities such as
Baha’is, Jews, Christians and others found themselves persecuted in a
variety of ways in their own homeland. Some abandoned their livelihood,
homes and relatives to flee to the four corners of the globe in search
of religious freedom and safety. In
Iran many ended up
as prisoners of conscience, some were forced to recant their beliefs,
and a number were executed and buried secretly in unmarked graves.
▪ Women, who during
ancient times were honored as equals to men, were reduced to the rank of
second-class citizens. Their family rights became severely constricted.
Their access to occupations such as judgeships was denied, in line with
the theocracy’s belief that women are incapable of rendering sound
verdicts, and allowed only a token presence in high-ranking government
positions.
Forward: Secular
Green Movement of
Iran
Delving extensively
on the misdeeds of the IRI diverts us from focusing attention on the
most promising development that calls upon both Iranians and the entire
membership of the human family for change. The
Secular Green Movement of Iran (SGMI), birthed by tens of millions
of liberty-loving, long-suffering Iranians, is squarely based on our
ancient triad of Good Thoughts, Good Speech, and Good Deeds.
The guiding
principles and objective of the SGMI, although presently focused on
Iran, can
serve as a universal template for every people in our common planet
home. Close examination of the SGMI’s proclamation reveals an
enthralling vision:
▪ Fundamental to
effective change is the replacement of the old faulty and destructive
beliefs with universally emancipating principles and behavior. Prejudice
of all forms has been the scourge of humanity forever. Prejudice of
gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs and more has tied humanity to
separate chains and has prevented it from living as the true family that
it is and from reaping the full benefits of its potentialities on earth.
It is with firm belief in complete and unconditional equality for all
people, irrespective of any and all considerations, that the SGMI
summons the entirety of the human family for a new beginning.
▪ Some 2500 years
ago, a farsighted and benevolent king, Cyrus the Great, issued an
historic proclamation to the varied peoples of his vast empire. He
granted every people their rights to dignity, independence, beliefs and
their way of life. The trailblazing king, considered as the first author
of the Charter of Human Rights, showed the justice as well as the
feasibility of diverse peoples living peacefully with one another to the
benefit of all.
▪ Pivotal to the
emancipation of the people, their well-being, and prosperity, is the
enshrining of liberty as the birthright of every individual, group, and
nation. Without freedom of thought, belief, and conduct within the
bounds of the law, both the individual and the collective will be
stifled resulting in a human enterprise unworthy of the name. The SGMI
is unalterably committed to freedom in all its forms. It is freedom that
energizes the flourishing of mankind’s best ideas and achievements in
all spheres of life. It is freedom that sets humanity apart from other
species that are captives of their nature.
▪ Indispensable to
the exercise of freedom and protection of the rights of all people to
choose their government is the complete separation of religion and
state. The merits of this principle are self-evident. Religion and civil
governance are two separate realms and intrusion by one into the other
is fraught with great harm. Hence, iron-clad provisions are needed to
keep the two domains apart.
▪
Iran is home to a
religiously and ethnically diverse people and each and every one is an
equal shareholder of the homeland. Guaranteeing equality to all its
citizens, therefore, demands no less than full adherence to the
principle of unity in diversity, a unity of purpose that draws from the
strength and uniqueness of its constituents.
▪ Fruition of
mankind’s perennial dreams is not possible without permanently
renouncing wars and the development of its cataclysmic instruments. The
SGMI renounces violence of all kinds, be they execution of minors for
alleged crimes, stoning of sexual offenders and killing people for
commitment of victimless crimes, genocidal campaigns against groups, or
aggressing against other nations.
▪ The non-violent
position of the SGMI transcends its pragmatic value. It is inspired by
the longstanding Iranian belief in the organic oneness of humanity as
expressed by the classic Persian poem—“Bani adam azaye yek paykarand;
ke as adamiyat ze yek joharand; cho ozvi be dard aavarad roozegaar;
degar ozvhaara namaanad gharaar. In English, “the children of Adam
are members of one body; their creation is of the same essence; when a
member suffers; other members have no peace.”
▪ Transition from
the present failed Islamic regime to a secular democracy is the central
objective of the SGMI. In pursuance of this objective, a Constitutional
Assembly, elected by the entirety of eligible Iranian voters under the
supervision of international monitors could be the means to usher in the
new system of governance. The SGMI, without reserving any special
privilege for itself, would gladly serve as a sponsor and a
clearinghouse for any and all preliminary consultations and actions that
are needed to implement the transition.
▪ Vital to the
success of the effort is the abandonment of old suspicions, parochial
thinking, and scheming for special privileges for any individuals or
groups. Goodwill and work for the common good is required of all. This
new beginning is a paradigm shift from the destructive ways of the past.
There is much to be gained by all when justice and equity are not
exclusive to the few. Justice in all its forms, as is the case with
freedom, must be the guiding principle of the new
Iran, recalling the
warning of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Injustice anywhere is a threat to
justice everywhere.
▪ This is the dawn
of a new day for our homeland,
Iran. Over three
decades of darkness has reached its inevitable end. People on the
mountaintops are clearly discerning the rays of the new sun that
inevitably will chase away the gloom of darkness. And these witnesses
make up the Secular Green Movement of Iran which, with open arms,
welcomes every Iranian into one unified, free democratic nation. It is
time to celebrate the new day by enlisting all of us in the work of
ushering in the light of freedom and insuring that never again will it
be replaced by the darkness of oppression. The SGMI is calling upon all
Iranians, whether at home or abroad, as well as all individuals and
nations to join in ushering in the new day and to contribute whatever
they can to make it a truly magnificent change of fortune for Iran as
well as for the entire home of humanity, the global village earth.
January 20, 2010
http://www.newmediajournal.us/staff/imani/2010/01202010.htm
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/19220
http://www.rightsidenews.com/201001228283/editorial/a-new-day-for-iran.html
http://www.losangeleschronicle.com/articles/view/137765
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.5335/pub_detail.asp
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