Those who doubt the possibility of genocide should take
a look at the first-hand experiences of pro-Democracy Kurdish
guerrillas. The oppressed minority has been fighting with
the Islamic dictatorship for decades. Aaron Glantz interviewed
two Kurdish guerrillas who spent three months under severe
conditions of torture in Iranian captivity. One of the guerrillas
recounted his impression of the Iranian justice system:
"They told us that we could not
have a lawyer because the Islamic Republic itself represents
God on this earth. They said you were working against the
Islamic Republic. That means you were working against God,
so you will be punished by torture."
Words that shock the Western reader, resonate throughout
all aspects of the oppressed Iranian society. The oppressive
clerical dictatorship has subjugated the lives of millions
of pro-western Iranians. Iran suffers from the worst brain
drain in the world, has an unemployment rate of close to
thirty percent, suffers from one of the worst drug addiction
epidemics in the world, and houses one of the world’s
largest political prisons. Iran should be a first world
country with its massive oil and gas reserves, rather the
average Iranian can barely feed their family much less afford
the luxuries of a progressive state. The reigning clerics
spend millions funding terrorist organizations like Hamas
and Islamic Jihad, and billions buying off their trusted
circle that’s loyal to their terrorist cause both
inside and outside Iran.
Yes, Iran does have elections. These elections are a facade
behind which manipulations of power are concealed. In an
article in the National Review Online, pro-Democracy students
Bahman Batmanghelidj and Kamal Azari point out that even
if seventy percent of the people vote for pro-democracy
candidates, “clerical hard-liners ignore the voice
of the voters and continue to use their power to veto, repress,
and crush even a few modest efforts at a political opening”.
Anyone seeking to run for the presidency of Iran must first
be examined by a hard-line group of twelve clerics. During
the recent election, the Guardian Council disqualified over
ninety-eight percent of the candidates, including all female
candidates and virtually every single reformist. The seven
candidates that made it past the Council were all Islamists
loyal to the Islamic dictatorship. A dictatorship where
all authority is vested in an un-elected ‘Supreme
Leader’, currently Ayatollah Khamenei. Hence, although
the Iranian government has elections, these elections are
used as a propaganda tool directed towards the naïve
rather than a tool of democracy . A recent poll conducted
by pro-Democracy students in Iran shows that the current
President of Iran enjoys the support of about twenty percent
of the Iranian populace, likewise over eighty percent of
the Iranian student body supports a secular democratic government.
Still, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has disowned the Iranian
people’s call for modernization, choosing instead
to pursue a policy of irrational fundamentalism that will
trigger repercussions around the world. Ahmadinejad is the
head of a fascist anti-Semitic campaign, denying the reality
of the Holocaust and demanding the transfer of Israel to
Europe. As the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
points out, Ahmadinejad’s statements “reveal
him as a fanatic ideologue who despite criticism at home
and abroad, clearly prefers revolutionary Islamic considerations,
as defined by Khomeini, to pragmatic national ones”.
Some critics believe that the harsh words of the Iranian
leader are too emotional to be taken seriously, however,
if the majority adopts this approach, it may be too late
to suppress the wave of violence. If the possible violence
materializes, it will be felt by the world at large and
most importantly by the Persians themselves. After all,
the fundamentalist ideology of the current regime sharply
contrasts with the views of young Iranians that desire for
a modernized and prosperous state that enjoys friendly relations
with the world, without suffering the backlash from economic
sanctions. Ahmadinejad’s policies will also exacerbate
an already explosive relationship between the East and the
West, perpetuating the dictatorship strategically in a vital
region.
The Republican Party’s position of non-violent financial
and moral support for the pro-American people of Iran is
the best option available to stop these Iranian policies
from further damaging the world. President Bush recently
reiterated this support when he said that the “United
States stands with the people of Iran” and that the
“United States has no beef with the people of Iran,”
but with the government. Taking the non-violent approach
advocated by the Republican Party can be effective in stopping
the nuclear threat like the one averted during the Cold
War. Choosing non-violent action will help preserve stability
in the region and lead to the peaceful elimination of an
oppressive and unjust regime.
