Dear Ghazal,
If there is really change to come in Iran, only time will tell. At the moment only names have been replaced by other names. But what is very important (I think Naj already mentioend this some days ago) that the people have expressed their desire for a change in policies. They gave their votes to the candidate who – in contrast to the other five candidates – based his campaign on change, freedom, less restrictive domestic politics and international relations based on partnership with its neighbors, with Israel, the US and the West.
But my concern is how free is the new president Hassan Rouhani to implement these difficult goals ? Will the corrupt regime, the basidj thugs and the mullahs stay quiet, when their privileges are threatened ? What can Rouhani do in a society with hundreds of thousands of subordinates of the established security forces, folks who have not learned much more in life than beating and harassing the people ?
Rouhani has a difficult job to do. I hope he has more fortune than Khatami in standing strong against the surpreme leader and against the Guardian Council. If the word democracy has any meaning, than to respect the peoples decision for Rouhani in these elections, and not allow the ayatollahs or self declared faith guards or a senile deputy of the 13th imam to overrule this vote.
Take Care, Michael
Hi Micha,
I hope the Iranian people use their chance this time to stay strong behind their new president. I hope they don’t mess it up again, like they did in 1979 (by blindly backing the mullahs) and in 2005 (by not granting enough support to Khatami).
Bertold Brecht paraphrased the tragedy of repeated failures in history by writing:
The great Carthage fought three wars against the Romans: It was still mighty after the first war, it was still habitable after the second war, it did not existed any more after the third war.
Take Care/ghazal