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I find it a privilege being on this planet at the same time as you, and believe we all are here at this time of humanity for a purpose. I hope you will find it interesting getting into conversation with me and my readers.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Elections in Iran

On Friday the Iranian people will cast their votes for the 10th time since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Mr Ayatollah Khomeini and then Mr Ayatollah Khamenei have always had to approve the participation of the various candidates. One of their primary and most vital characteristics had to be their approval of the Islamic laws set by the mullahs. This year only four candidates have reached the final stage of the elections. The run up to the elections was very quiet, then the last few weeks a whole nation have gotten involved in historic moments of Iranian politics. The candidates have for the first time in Iranian history had the courage to openly criticize each other, and not only as opponent candidates, but also the previous presidents, such as Mr Rafsanjani and his sons, who have openly been questioned by the sitting president on their vast fortune.

My interest in the elections are due to several reasons, firstly because I am Iranian, I am journalist and I am also a citizen of the world who cares about the 70 million people living in one of the biggest prisons of our time. Four years ago when Mr Ahmadinejad was elected many Iranians boycotted the elections, and now they believe that is why the current president was elected. The young generation don’t want to repeat the same mistake. Mr. Mousavi who is Mr. Ahmadinejads main opponent in this election has gathered a vast number of green followers who are doing all they can to get people voting.

I think people of all nations should participate in their countries politics, but they should also question the foundations of the whole ‘democratic’ system which is being promoted. The Islamic Republic of Iran is not based on democratic regulations! If it had been, all sorts of parties would be allowed to run for elections, but as we all know this does not occur in hard lined Islamic Republic run by clerics.

I do not live in Iran, so I might not know what people are really going through, but myself and millions of Iranians living abroad (due to this regime) can see things maybe clearly as we are standing on the outside. What I find hard to understand is when Iranians outside of Iran will actually go to the Iranian embassies in their countries and cast their votes. I know I am offending many by saying this, but I truly think if you cast your vote and see your desired candidate win this election then you might consider returning to Iran as you should experience the consequences of your vote.

In Iran people are choosing between ‘bad’ and ‘worse’, and they have chosen to go for the bad, rather rethinking and standing together for a major Change. Let us think about the Iranian prisons which are filled by political prisoners, journalists, and people from religious minorities. These are issues that must be changed and unfortunately another election has passed and these issues have not been addressed as the main worries of a ‘democratic’ nation. Democracy is not when we get to draw back our head scarves or freely go to various parties without any guards interrupting the fun we have. Just the name of current Iran, ‘the Islamic Republic of Iran’ says it all, it out rules a whole lot of religions and ideologies. Democracy is when I know I can live as the person I am and express my opinion without being afraid of the consequences of my thoughts.

7 comments:

Nooshi said...

you think, because we don't have the real election we shouldn't vote!!
And the candidates are just different faces of the same government ruling the country for over 30 years?

FozooleMahaleh said...

What Elham is saying makes perfect sense, boycotting the election is the only way Iranians can show their desire for a real Democracy, and also show their solidarity with all the political prisoners and persecuted minorites.

All the candidates are from the same boat, if you read this maybe you will understand.

http://www.fozoolemahaleh.com/2009/06/11/475

Unknown said...

the candidates have already been chosen by Khameneyi - how can this be democratic election?
they are all different faces of Islamic Republic of Iran - I am sorry that our people have ones more been manipulated!

Ted Leddy said...

Elham

I suspect you do not have much faith in Mousavi because of how Khatami ultimately failed to reform Iran. However the political climate is different now. With a moderate in the Whitehouse and a Moderate in Tehran it could be perfect timing for real change.

I love your blog.

Ted from Ireland.

Anonymous said...

I luv what u wrote.Its so true...democracy nd freedom is dead in Iran:(
Keep up the good work

Haamed said...

یک جمله کوتاه : همه کسانی که در این بازی بودن شیادی این رژیم را دست کم گرفت بودن

آن روز که جماعت متاسفانه قليل معتقد به تحريم انتخابات اين حرفها را می زدند و از همه می خواستند که دامن خود را از آلودگی مبرا نمايند متاسفانه بسياری از حتا روشنفکران و فعالان و مبارزان و منتقدان جمهوری اسلامی در داخل و خارج از کشور آنها را کوته بين و دگم و دور افتاده از اتفاقات و شرايط امروز کشور نام می نهادند .
آنروز که ما می گفتیم جمهوری اسلامی تغيير ناپذير است و هر برگ رای فقط و فقط ميخی است برای محکم کردن تابلوی نظام جمهوری اسلامی متاسفانه حتا در ميان بسياری از تبعيديان و مبارزان برعليه جمهوری اسلامی در خارج از کشور نيز می غريدند که بجای انفعال و قرائت های دايی جان ناپلئونی بيائيد دست بدست همديگر بدهيم تا کشور و نظامش را اصلاح کنيم و اينکه ملت هم ذائقه شان به همين است و از انقلابی ديگر و جنگ و خونريزی خسته شده اند و می خواهند کشور را با همين اساس سياسی اش اصلاح کنند و حتا حاکمان امروزی جمهوری اسلامی هم آدم شده اند ! و ديگر اين نظام و کارگزارانش آنهايی نيستند که در دهه های شصت و هفتاد بوده اند !
اما اين نتيجه وقاحت بار انتخابات که می دانيم نتيجه ای است مبتنی بر جعل و تقلب ضمن آنکه توهينی بزرگ بوده است به شعور همه کسانی که رفته اند و رای داده اند ، نشان داد که جمهوری اسلامی همانی است که بود نه کلمه بيشتر و نه يک کلمه کمتر ! و در اين ميان تنها چيزی که عوض شده است آنهايی هستند که کوته بينانه و ساده لوحانه به اصلاح جمهوری اسلامی هنوز ايمان دارند و يا متاسفانه مزورانه در صدد تبليغ آن هستند .
و باز صد افسوس که اگر فقط به يک هفته قبل برگرديم نام سازمانها و جريانهای سياسی و افرادی را می بينيم که سالهاست در مقام روزنامه نگار و هنرمند و فعال سياسی خارج از کشور هستند که بسياری به مخالف بودنشان با جمهوری اسلامی شکی نداشتند ، اکنون زمان حسابرسی است و همه آنها بايد بيايند همانطور که با استفاده از نام نيکی که از کنار مبارزه با جمهوری اسلامی بدست آورده اند و در قبل همين اشتهار مردم به آنها و صداقتشان ايمان داشتند و همگان را به شرکت در انتخابات رياست جمهوری دعوت می نمودند توضيح بدهند که چرا پس جمهوری اسلامی به آرايشان دهن کجی نمود؟ پس چرا اين نظام همانی است که بود ؟
ساده‌انديش نباشيد. دست خود را به سوی آنهايی دراز کنيد که برای فشردن دست‌های شما همواره آماده بوده‌اند و نه به سوی کسانی که دست‌های شما را همواره قطع کرده‌اند و از اين پس نيز جز اين نخواهند کرد. نکته اساسی تنگنا در اينجاست: رفتن احمدی‌نژاد به همان اندازه بد می‌بود که ماندنش! احمدی‌نژاد فعلا ماند. رهبر جمهوری اسلامی "صدای تغيير" را تا اين لحظه نشنيده است. چه کسی در اين ميان واقعيت را نسنجيد و به توهم دچار آمد تا واقعيت سياه بر توهم سبز پيروز شود. سياه و سبز اما هر دو رنگ‌های محبوب حکومت اسلامی هستند تنها حضور سازمان‌يافته و هدايت‌شده مردم می‌تواند معادلات حکومت را بر هم زند

اكنون نوبت ملت ايران است تا رأى خود را نسبت کل رژيم در انظار جهانيان ابراز كند

Anonymous said...

i donot agree with the comments about the elections, due iranians in exile not voting. because everything said above we all know... that all the candidates are chosen by khamenei and that it s about choosing between bad and worse and ... but there is somthing called as simple as solidarity and i hope that we all are familiar with that word, and how i see it is that as far as the people living there see it as the only option at this moment we all should respect that. in my opinion it is a very arogant attitude to say that we see it more clear because we are living outside the counrty, it is socialanthropology at its worse...and maybe we all should take one moment to make our intentions clear about if we are using this critical time for our own publicity or actually to support those who need it in the best way...