By Barbara Diamond
The first article which began my writing “career” was written in April 2015 and it was entitled “Iran; Tekiyah-The Big Lie.” It was inspired by a presentation to the Jerusalem Press Club by Ambassador Dore Gold which dealt with the religious Muslim culture of pretense in order to achieve one’s goals against the “Infidel.” The speech pre-dated, and was a warning in regard to the risks of, the eventual “Iran Deal” proposed and concluded by then U.S. President Barak Obama.
Today’s Press Club symposium was of a very different nature. Entitled “The gap between the Iranian regime and Iranian society” I went prepared to put a more “human face” on the “Evil Empire.” How easily we all become lured by clichés and over-simplifications.
The three-person panel, all experts in the day to day life of the average Iranian had much to share. Their most important core points on which they all agreed, follow:
- Two-thirds of the 80 million Iranian population are now in their forties or younger. They are disillusioned from the repeatedly broken promises of all their previous leaders.
- Today’s Iranian population is not religious. The Mosques are empty. Individuals are not embarrassed to convert to Christianity, to recognize their Jewish heritage, to be atheist, or to look elsewhere for spiritual fulfillment.
- Iran’s citizenry is not interested in war. Their only concerns are a better economy, a better life for their families and national security.
- There is a love-hate relationship between the Iranian public and its leaders. The public feels the last election was fraudulent. They also feel they have no recourse.
- The Iranian public is proud to be Iranian. They reflect a nationalist sense of honor as regards the best of Iran’s history and accomplishments. Nationalism in Iran is a source of individual self-esteem.
The above points are essential in understanding the dichotomy which is the 21st century Iran. While average Iranians do not want the government to impose its religious identity upon the public, they are still prepared to put up with this inconvenience as long as their leaders can show them that their behavior vis a vis their Arab neighbors, is necessary for Iran’s survival. Iranians consider being called “Arabs” an insult to their unique culture and history. Whilst citizens do not want vast national financial resources squandered as they are currently, for example- in Lebanon with Hezbollah, or in Syria in fighting ISIS – they also fear that ISIS might one day end up within their own borders. Hence their public will bow to the judgement that such financial expenditures may be justified in order to maintain secure borders and national identity.
The pride in their Iranian Nationalism super-cedes their will “fight to the death” against the Mullahs and Supreme Leader. This leaves the ultra-religious leadership with almost total power on all matters International. Their own hidden agendas can be pursued as long as they can present a cogent argument to the public as to why there are long-term benefits to them in the process.
The average Iranian today is schizophrenic when it comes to their feelings about the United States. While constantly being told that it is their enemy, they adulate everything American- from Nike shoes to American t-shirts espousing messages and images they may not even comprehend. Most Iranians speak English as a second language and dream of having the freedoms of the West.
At the moment, most of the Iranian public is very angry at President Trump. It has nothing to do with his desire to negate the “Iran Deal.” After his initial Middle East speeches which eloquently spoke directly to (and of ) the people of Iran in glowing terms, he then made the massive faux-pas calling Iran a “nation of terrorists .“ The man on the street was inflamed by this accusation. Then Trump infuriated its public by confusing the “Persian Gulf” with the “Arabian Gulf.” One might not think it was a serious error… but it was to the Iranian public. It was another example how sloppy preparation as to the sensitivities of a nation can bring disastrous reactions from the very individuals which one may want to inspire to rebellion. Clearly President Trump does not understand that the Iranian people could be his ally…and that they and their leaders are not one in the same.
At least 10 years ago I had the opportunity to meet an important leader of the underground movement in Iran. He and his associates ran pirate radio stations and had set a date for a massive overthrow of the Iranian government. The date came and went, and my contact has not been heard of (by my contacts in Israel) again. Overthrowing an Iranian government is not a simple task.
While the current Iranian government rules with an iron fist, it sometimes places it in a velvet glove. It uses “rappers” to try to connect with the voting public and while their police may demand an Iranian girl wash off her massive amount of western cosmetics from her face — it is still well aware of the demographics of a younger voting public. It cannot totally ignore their priorities. The smallest of concessions apparently help the rulers to remain in power. It well may be, as claimed by many, that the previous election was stolen from that public through an illegal vote count. It is unlikely that can be repeated for perpetuity.
In spite of horrific proclamations against the State of Israel, Iran’s truly bitter enemy is in fact — Saudi Arabia. This makes the new alliance between the Saudis, the United States and Israel an even more interesting phenomenon to witness. As I have said in many articles before, the new Middle East implosions have resulted in very strange bed-fellows.
My goal in attending this press conference was to get my finger on the pulse of Iran. The problem is that there are two “Irans” living side by side in a form of peaceful co-existence. The Nation State is the largest sponsor of terrorism around the world. The public of Iran has nothing to say about this horrific situation. It is presented to them in totally different terms. The State tells them that these massive funds diverted elsewhere to overthrow enemy governments are simply a form of self-defense. If Iranians love their country, as they apparently do, they are told that they “need” to understand that their government is protecting them from infiltration…both culturally and physically. The cultural infiltration has already taken place as Iran adulates the behavior of freedom loving nations. The problem is that it is not one, Those who represent the population’s desire for change, have been sidetracked through very clever manipulations.
In essence a totalitarian regime controls all major decisions in Iran. Giving the people small concessions satisfies their basic needs and keeps them in line. It looks as though the “status quo” will exist for many years to come. Only an existential breach in their nation’s security could topple the current regime as things stand at present.
It is Ironic that such a tremendous “Nationalist” pride exists in Iran, in spite of the fact that the average citizen has no power to change the society and lives under a despotic government. By contrast- in Democracies such as the United States, in Europe and even in Israel- all nations where the Democratic rule of the majority changes the nation’s future…. “Nationalism” has become a “dirty “word.
This is yet again another example of a world in which very little makes sense. One and one used to “equal two.” It seems today that it makes “eleven.” The one and the one no longer come together to a logical conclusion, but stand side by side in direct contradiction!
Felix Quigley Said:
You have never learned to debate anyone based on facts and real history…. You are a pitiful creature but really irrelevant to any real discussion on these forums or any other i have read.
@ ArnoldHarris:
TY 😉
@ Felix Quigley:
Alawites are and have always been been well protected by Assad it’s his base support in Syria…. Sunnis would rip him and all Alawites to shreds if they could after what Assad has done to them…. You think Assad is less Barbaric than ISIS?? You are a dunb idiot !!! Assad has murdered over half million Syrians. made millions homeless refugees and Russia very complicit in those murders. Alawites are a Shia offshoot and not so secular. Syria is a Pawn of Israel’s most dangerous existential enemy -Iran and their Proxy Hezbollah. Even a conventional Arab army and militias like the Kurds could defeat ISIS and AL-queda and no big threat to Israel and certainly not in the level of Hezbollah. It’s not Israel’s responsibility to defend christian Jew Haters in Syria or any other place. Assad with Iranian and Russian help has won and now Israel has to face a much greater threat from the north with Iranian Revolutionary Guards and militias along with Hezbollah a few miles from Israel protected by Russian defenses and helped with Russian Intel. Iran has now near hegemony from Iran to Lebanon… A strengthened ISIS potentially could have stopped Iran and at least delayed Iranian advances. They could have exacted a high toll against the Russians raising the cost to a very weak Russia economically. Now we have a Trump admin who have left the Kurds and Israel out to dry and facing Iran their proxies and Russia along with what’s left of Syria. They still have some 100 k missiles and Hezbollah about the same some that can hit any target in Israel and some with chemical and bio warheads….. Those are the folks you wanted us to support??? You are not only stupid but dangerously stupid… if any fool were to listen to you and act on it? You still do not comprehend the principle of using one enemy against another for your own strategic benefit…… Even your Commie friends understood that principle and used it often. Vietnam and N-Korea, Cuba come to mind.
@ Felix Quigley:
Felix.
Yamit is almost as nasty as I am in our respective comments, but honesty and the forthrightness that I try to live up to compels me to say that Yamit almost certainly has a better handle on events and trends in the Middle East than you do, and he certainly has been more involved and personally affected by actions of the government of the State of Israel than anyone else I know of who haunts Israpundit’s comment pages. The situation in fact should impel — if not compel — you to cut the man an appropriate measure of slack.
Arnold Harris, Outspeaker
Rufus thank you for your assessment of Iran. The film is on youtube https://youtu.be/HP6pLvf-FYM
This whole article and approach is a very useful excercise but what is left out as in all these such articles is a conscious effort to learn and bring into the present. I do pay credit to the writer Barbara.
Thus there is no understanding of the critical role of the Stalinist Tudeh Party and the destruction of the Marxist method under and by Stalinism, and other forms of revisionism, one of these revisionist forces came out of the Israeli Left, a Ted Grant, later a leader from London of a very damaging group called the SWP or Socialist Workers Party..
The Mullahs came to power not by chance or accident. Like in Germany in 1933 they gained power because the left could not and did not take it.
I note the continued silence of Ted Belman and of course Martin Sherman. The whole of present Israeli Zionist theory and practice needs examining most strictly but it looks as if these will not do it and it is thanks to them that this low life political person Yamit82 continues his damaging way.
@ yamit82:
But Yamit82…how you have no right to use that name…the correct road was to throw everything in to defend the Alawites, defend the Christians, defend the secular Muslims against Jihad, make it clear to the whole world that you oppose the barbarities of IS, fight to expose the Obama and Clinton ties to IS, join with the Russia and Assad governments in defeating IS, while maintaining complete independence of action which implied total war on any action in Syria of the Iranian Fascists.
Would Russia and or Assad have opposed the last condition? If so they were exposed and Israel was totally free to act.
But Israel betrayed Zion by giving medical aid to Al Qaida becoming ISIS barbarians to send them back recovered.
Belman silent thus facilitating
Sherman also silent thus facilitating
Thus all of you betray Zion
Iran under theofascist dictature.
Felix Quigley Said:
I don’t know that your comment has any relevance to the article here??/ That said, haven’t changed my mind… ISIS in Syria should have been supported by both Israel and the US provided they only oppose the Assad gov. Hezbollah and the Russians.. As a creation of the CIA and the Suds ISIS was the perfect foil and surrogate in preventing a complete takeover by Iran and their proxies. “THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY FRIEND” Based on what seems to be materializing on our northern border it appear I was correct and you as usual are full of crapolla. 🙂
Israel has some history in Iran, which may support this view of a country hi-jacked by dictators
1. Iran recognized Israel in 1950
Iran and Israel enjoyed mostly good relations up until the Islamic revolution that overthrew the shah in 1979. Iran recognized Israel in 1950, becoming the second Muslim-majority country to do so (after Turkey).
2. Iran supplied Israel with oil
Iran supplied Israel with oil during the OPEC oil embargo
3. Israel sold Iran weapons
There was brisk trade between the countries and Tadiran sold military radio systems to Iran
4. El Al flew regular flights between Tel Aviv and Tehran
There is an apocryphal story of when a Sheikh drove through Tehran and saw the ElAl office. He asked the Shah – “is there an office of ElAl in Tehran ?”
The Shah looked him straight in the eyes and said “No – there isn’t”
All that ended a week after the shah’s ousting, when Iran’s new rulers cut ties with Israel and transferred its embassy in Tehran to the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Even after 38 years of hostilities, however, Iranians have less antipathy toward Jews than any other Middle Eastern nation. A 2014 global anti-Semitism survey by the Anti-Defamation League found that 56 percent of Iranians hold anti-Semitic views — compared to 80 percent of Moroccans and 93 percent of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
For more on Israelis in Iran, check out the 2014 documentary, “Before the Revolution.”
Acknowledgements to JTA
This writer puts it correctly. Iran is a totalitarian regime. It is dictatorial. A dictatorship is in power . A dictatorship has captured state power.
If a power group goes to the trouble of capturing power do you think it is going to give it up.
That narrows the options.
The main thing is to rise up against such a power dictatorship requires a leadership. That narrows the issue even more.
On this very site Yamit82 and Bernard Ross without any opposition except from me wanted power handed to IS in Syria. Ted Belman was silent. Martin Sherman said nothing.
These are matters of great importance to me.
That matter is connected to this article.