Presidential Election in Iran (5)
One week till the election. The question that keeps blinking in my mind: Should I vote for Dr. Moin or should I boycott this election and give up with the current reform move in Iran?
Me, an Iranian living far from home! Definitely with different dilemas, expectations and opportunities. But certainly an Iranian who have been given the right to vote. Ironically in LA!
For making up my mind, I have to look back. I have to think where we were and where we are and where we like to be. I look at the years that have past. I look back to the enthusiasm of 1997 when we were extremely optimist about Khatami. I look back to the hopes of 2001 when I convinced some friends that reform is the single chance that we have for our country. So much is changed, both inside Iran and outside. Failure of political developments at home, September 11th, Invasion of Iraq and the sad story of continuous violence. And the continous distorted story of democracy! Oh, I want to puke this word: democracy these days. How the information sphere is so distorted. In this distortion of discourse, how can I judge properly about what's going in my country and what's the right choice.
One thing is clear, that the election is crucial this time, as it was 8 years. With George W in white house, we're going to face though times, no matter who wins this election. What I hear from those who advocate boycott is mainly frustration, but not really any solution.
I don't know Dr. Moin that much, but I know him enough to look at hime with a bit of respect. In this political madness of Iran, he is some how brave to walk into a competition where each branch of mafia has one representative. He was brave to come and talk to a truly frustrated population about reform and patience. About a movement with an ex termly slow pace. This is a population who has been trashing Khatami over the past 1-2 years.
To be honest with you, I don't see that much of difference between Khatami and Moin. So we're practically choosing between Khatami's idea of reform vs. boycotting the regime and believing that reform is in its dead end in this regime! But what does that mean? What does the boycotting mean here? Am I pushing for another revolution? Does our society have the capacity of a peaceful revolution? Is there any small evidence that things won't be similar to the shit that we went through after 1979? If mullah's killed any non-islamic political activist based on fabricated court proceedings, how can I be sure that tomorrow the same thing does not happen to all the islamist? Can we truly afford another departure of billions of dollars (like the last revolution). Frankly, I see the internal social tensions of my countrymen more than what it was like in 1979.
I look around me and look at the potentials that I see in the wide range of Iranian political organizations that are active somewhere around the globe. How many of them even have serious understanding about our people, their dreams and their wounds. Which one of this groups can act truly democratically if it has the power? Mujahedin? Pahlavis? radical leftist groups in Europe? I don't have any hope about the political groups outside iran... Then I go back to Iran! What do I have there? Is that what I really want? or should I simply settle for the less, simply because that's the rule of the third world?
The question keeps blinking in my mind! Maybe I should look more to where we were, are and want to be...
Me, an Iranian living far from home! Definitely with different dilemas, expectations and opportunities. But certainly an Iranian who have been given the right to vote. Ironically in LA!
For making up my mind, I have to look back. I have to think where we were and where we are and where we like to be. I look at the years that have past. I look back to the enthusiasm of 1997 when we were extremely optimist about Khatami. I look back to the hopes of 2001 when I convinced some friends that reform is the single chance that we have for our country. So much is changed, both inside Iran and outside. Failure of political developments at home, September 11th, Invasion of Iraq and the sad story of continuous violence. And the continous distorted story of democracy! Oh, I want to puke this word: democracy these days. How the information sphere is so distorted. In this distortion of discourse, how can I judge properly about what's going in my country and what's the right choice.
One thing is clear, that the election is crucial this time, as it was 8 years. With George W in white house, we're going to face though times, no matter who wins this election. What I hear from those who advocate boycott is mainly frustration, but not really any solution.
I don't know Dr. Moin that much, but I know him enough to look at hime with a bit of respect. In this political madness of Iran, he is some how brave to walk into a competition where each branch of mafia has one representative. He was brave to come and talk to a truly frustrated population about reform and patience. About a movement with an ex termly slow pace. This is a population who has been trashing Khatami over the past 1-2 years.
To be honest with you, I don't see that much of difference between Khatami and Moin. So we're practically choosing between Khatami's idea of reform vs. boycotting the regime and believing that reform is in its dead end in this regime! But what does that mean? What does the boycotting mean here? Am I pushing for another revolution? Does our society have the capacity of a peaceful revolution? Is there any small evidence that things won't be similar to the shit that we went through after 1979? If mullah's killed any non-islamic political activist based on fabricated court proceedings, how can I be sure that tomorrow the same thing does not happen to all the islamist? Can we truly afford another departure of billions of dollars (like the last revolution). Frankly, I see the internal social tensions of my countrymen more than what it was like in 1979.
I look around me and look at the potentials that I see in the wide range of Iranian political organizations that are active somewhere around the globe. How many of them even have serious understanding about our people, their dreams and their wounds. Which one of this groups can act truly democratically if it has the power? Mujahedin? Pahlavis? radical leftist groups in Europe? I don't have any hope about the political groups outside iran... Then I go back to Iran! What do I have there? Is that what I really want? or should I simply settle for the less, simply because that's the rule of the third world?
The question keeps blinking in my mind! Maybe I should look more to where we were, are and want to be...
posted by Mahaan @ 4:46 AM
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