Iranians, whose vote is stolen, whose dignity's insulted, whose young men and women are imprisoned, have chosen to seek silence, and take refuge in mosques, without doing and saying anything but reciting Quoran! These are the images of he men and women that Ahmadinejad calls "khas o Khashak" (dust!), these are the images of Iranians who have been true supporters of Palestine, while not even ONE single pro-palestinian blogger has bothered to lend them sympathy, but worse, has accused them of neoliberalism, Westernizm, and naivete!
14 comments:
These photos are wonderful!!!
I wish we knew the numbers. The increase in "e'tekafis" this year as compared to the previous years.
while not even ONE single pro-palestinian blogger has bothered to lend them sympathy, but worse, has accused them of neoliberalism, Westernizm, and naivete!
While we appreciate the scepticism that some people entertain about these protests, and understand the reasons for this, the condescending claims and gratuitously nasty language about them does not bear examination. It actually redounds to the massive discredit of those using such rhetoric when the protesters are being murdered in the streets, with far less money and social power to their being than any of those who are deriding them as yuppies. (Lenin's Tomb, )
Last night, just before I went to sleep, I saw a Facebook group (with hundreds of supporters) pledging support for Ahmadinajad. It mostly set up and supported by Arabs, some of whom are on my Facebook list of friends. I was naturally annoyed. I mean, supporting Ahmadinajad on sunny days is objectionable but supporting him now is rather most disturbing if not disgusting. When they support Ahmadinajad now, are they not supporting the shooting at demonstrators? ( Angry Arab)
In fact, doing just that is less difficult than it sounds, because the Islamophobic language of much of the Western press and the authoritarian language of Khameini (and Petras) are mirror image of each other. Both seek to portray the protests as 'Western' and foreign as opposed to Islam, albeit from opposing ends. Hence opposing both is quite doable, provided one approaches the task with decency and not just seeking to paint a fist on a wall with other peoples' blood. (Jews Sans Frontieres)
I wish I could have a lot more quotes, but sadly your statement is not too far from the truth, which still is not the same as true. It is a sad testament to the depth of pessimism and blind, stupid rage that informs too much of what counts as opposition to imperialism in the West, especially on the web.
Well the one that REALLY shocked me beyond belief was lespolitiques.blogspot.com; a friend of mine, someone who knows me in person and who ignores all the facts that i am holding on to her, to go off and draw her own conclusions (calling us yuppies, yeah!).
I am not surprised by Arabs supporting Ahmadinejad. It's been no secret that he has been running Iran's affairs to the taste of "Angry Arabs", such to create for himself the proxy-army he needs in fencing off Israel! In fact he started all that anti-Israeli rhetoric to BUY these bunch; also he has been paying them. Ironically, the one person in this fiasco who has been SEEKING foreign approval has been Mr Ahmadinejad; not the other way around!
It took Pulse Media, the images of Neda dying on vide to cry "crime" ... I feel so betrayed by all these friends ... yes I am taking it personal!
pedestrian, the numbers? I don't know, but it's been very busily advertised on facebook! I don't recall ever any pictures of etekaf, nor any public call to it! So for me, this is the first time I see this practiced in a public way!
That's what I miss about having facebook :(
Oh! YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN!
I take it PERSONALLY! VERY, VERY PERSONALLY!
I don't know anyone at Pulse, but they disgusted the hell about of me.
They need to start learning how to spell:
H.Y.P.O.C.R.I.T.E
Pederstrain
Remember, Arafat turned his back on Iran and fought against us with Saddam!
Remember, Arafat turned his back on Iran and fought against us with Saddam!
Naj, you have every right to be angry against those who earned that anger. But the quotes I posted above were to point that your sweeping generalization was unfair. There was, still is, a debate going on. And the web is not exactly an accurate representation of social activism in the West just as Twitter is not an accurate representation of the the same in Iran.
Now you are already moving from Western and Arab bloggers, to Palestinian leaders. And by doing this slippage, which is unjustified, because there is very little comparable between Arafat's location and motives and the "pro-Palestinian" blogosphere, you are I am afraid, whether intentionally or not, laying the rhetorical foundation for pitting "Iranians" against "Palestinians/Arabs". By doing so, it seems to me that you are in danger of reproducing the attitude that you are criticizing.
here is another statement from one of the most and most serious pro-palestinian publications on the web:
The stakes are nothing less than these: Should the protesters persevere, the limited traditions of political and civil rights and citizen participation in the Islamic Republic may be considerably strengthened. Should Ahmadinejad and his supporters prevail instead, the political system in Iran may lose all remaining meaningful traits of a republic. ( merip)
با تبریک اعیاد ماه مبارک رجب و همچنین تسلیت سالروز رحلت حضرت زینب (س) افزود: این شب ها جمع زیادی از جوانان و ملت عزیزمان در حال اعتکاف هستند که این توفیق را به آنها نیز تبریک می گویم.
Evildoer,
Point well taken! And to clarify, my "sweeping" statements are only sweeping some of those friends of mine.
Yes I am also well aware f the danger that rests in sounding the way you described me. But, it is also a HISTORICAL fact that Arafat abandoned Iran, and threw his support to Saddam!
Unfortunately "racial" divides in the middle east are a fact, not a rhetoric!
The feelings I get from the photos are complex. Sadness and awe (at their resilience). As Pedestrian wrote above, they are wonderful.
I dropped by to leave this link. This is a very pro-Palestinian blogger. He may not have written much about Iran but it's clear where his heart and mind are.
Kindest regards!
Gene, the MOST RIDICULOUS argument made by psudo-intellectuals is the one describing events in Iran in terms of "class struggle" ...
WHAT a total load of nonsense!
As far as I can tell, the upper class especially those with money and connections abroad are very well served by Mr Ahmadinejad! Didn't he throw a banquette for Iranian expats just before his election?
I also hear that he has been organizing these embassy-sponsored parties in Canada, inviting "Westerners" who are interested in topics such as "belly dancing".
Remember the gift-bags given to British soldiers?! Mr Ahmadinejad's been taking a good care of the rich and the powerful! This is why those who are against him today, are not capitalists!
That Iranians are fashionable doesn't mean that they are rich! Let's thank china for "democratization" of fashoin!!
As all things on earth, Naj, there may be a bit of everything in the events unfolding in Iran, including class struggles. As observed in this article, one of the main reasons that many 'leftists' are loathe to criticize Ahmadinejad seems to be because, for months now, he has presented himself as the champion of the weak and powerless against the big bad Empire, and they fell for it (including myself I must admit shamefully). Together with Chavez (who I recognize has done some good for his people), he represented the hope for a more humane world order. It's not easy to let go of one's dreams and aspirations.
One thing that I've come to realize (with a pit in my stomach) is that the Left can be as doctrinaire and inhumane as the group farthest on the Right.
Gene, see my new post!
Seriously, of all possibilities, this class struggle is the least credible one!
Look, Ahmadinejad lies! I used to believe him to some extent, until i went to IRan and listened to him talk about economy! he just lies through his teeth and does so SO SHAMELESSLY that you are left in shock of:
"did I just hear him say the sun sets in the east?!"
He is a dangerous liar! If there was any truth to his words, he woldn't be too bad, but he says something and does the exact opposite!
On the intolerance of the leftists, well i have known more leftists in my life than rightist and i have always known they can be even far more cruel than the right. Because, whereas the right, at least have a god to fear, the left considers themselves to be the gods! You see what I mean?!
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