Mousavi: Iran Govt To Use 'Staged Disturbances' To Intensify Crackdown
Mousavi: Iran Govt To Use 'Staged Disturbances' To Intensify Crackdown
In a statement addressed to students across Iran, Mir Hossein Mousavi, one of the leaders of Green Movement, referred to Iran’s students as the “brave companions” of the movement who were “full of love” and called the Iranian month of Azar (22 November – 21 December), “the month of students”. The statement, posted on Mousavi’s official website Kaleme, was issued ahead of Iran’s Student Day on 7 December and addressed a number of key concerns raised by Iranians students regarding the Green Movement and the overall situation in the country. Mousavi said that Iran’s students were the “alert overseers” of the concerns of Iranian society.
Mousavi recalled the tragic murder of three students at University of Tehran on December 7, 1953 by Iranian police forces following student protests against then US President Richard Nixon's visit to Iran, shorty after the CIA-orchestrated coup of 1953. “On that day, the despots and tyrants believed that after the suppression and killings, the voice of criticism and protest would forever remain stifled; a mistake made by all those who depend on terror for [gaining] victory,” said the statement.
“The tyrants do not know that using money, force and fraud will further distance the people from them, and will drive them towards an imaginary and seemingly safe sanctuary which has been designed and employed by the profiteering eulogists and the enemies of the people, [in the hope that] they can [perhaps] forget the pain of having lost the support of the people,” Mousavi continued.
“The autocrats are becoming more isolated every day and are suspicious of everything and everyone; they drive away yesterday’s friends and consider any criticism or advice as a conspiracy aimed at their destruction. And even worse, they equate their own interests with national interests and under such conditions; they have no choice but to rely on those who carry weapons; they seek those who blindly follow their orders and do not doubt their thoughts and actions, not even for a second.”
The former Prime Minister warned that the rulers of Iran had “created a tight circle around themselves” and that they would be “prevented from hearing the murmurs of the collapse of the bastion of autocracy and despotism.” “They will wake when it is too late for them to return to the people.”
“They are not aware that the moth, ears and eyes of the people might be barred from speaking, hearing and seeing, but thought is a God-given gift,” Mousavi stated, while adding that there was nothing oppressors could to control the people’s thoughts.
“The secret to all this sense of danger towards knowledge, students and scientists; all this panic over the free flow of information; all this fear of free media; all this dread of assembly even when it is by calm and peaceful protesters; all these efforts to portray the friends of Imam [Khomeini] and the [Islamic] Revolution as pariahs; the continuous and endless campaign to dub the children of Iran as ‘outsiders’; all this phobia towards all that is linked with collective wisdom; and all the [attempts at to] avoid anything that’s connected to planning and knowledge-based management; are they all not [rooted] in this fact?”
Mousavi maintained that, similar to the pharaohs, the oppressors were using fear to achieve their aims. “By partitioning the people by regarding them as ‘outsiders’ and ‘insiders’, and positioning the people against each other, belittling the people by calling them ‘calves,’ ‘goats’ and ‘dirt and dust’ in order to force them into compliance, and finally giving sanctity to power, [and] thus [the Quranic verse], ‘I am your most exalted lord’.” [1] Mousavi explained that the authorities’ disregard for the constitution, [their] neglect of the people’s will and the shutting down of newspapers could only mean that “a few, considered themselves to be above the law and in no need of the people’s votes and opinions.”
Mousavi’s statement also pointed out the authorities’ resort to “buying short-term opportunities” by creating “successive crises,” had come at a “heavy cost” for the Iranian people. He once more stressed the effects of the mishandling of the economy and corruption on poorer and more vulnerable sectors of Iranian society, especially in light of the government’s controversial plans to cut subsidies on essential commodities.
“Those among the ranks of the military and police leaders speak openly of their fears about the anxious reactions of the people as well as concerns that domestic and foreign enemies will misuse [the situation],” Mousavi warned.
“Our people’s great question from them [the leaders],” he said, “is that if you are aware of the realities and if you hear the opinion of experts who [all] agree that the implementation of this project [subsidy-reform plan], in the shape you have presented and are implementing, will lead to nothing but material and human loss as well as further injustices, then why all this insistence on turning a blind eye to the opinions of the country’s prominent economists and the Members of Parliament?”
“What happened to the promises of free education, creating jobs and [implementing] article 43 of the constitution? [2] Why don’t you inform the people about what you want to do with the money you plan to take from the people’s pockets as a result of the rise in prices and in the absence of the Organisation for Planning and Budget and with the weakening of the Majlis and uselessness of the councils and the supervisory organisations? Is it [really] possible to control the upcoming crises by exploiting the people’s needs and poverty by distributing a great portion of the wealth that you have robbed from them? What happened to the promises of bringing the oil [wealth] to the people’s tables and dealing with the corrupt? How is it that [now], you speak about the fate of the Twenty-Year Economic Outlook [3] in such whisper and so inaudibly? Don’t you realise that even if all the mosques as well as religious and traditional centres [in the country] are systematically utilised against the Green Movement, through the spread of questioning and critique, three million alert and intellectual students, can form strong bridges of communication with all ... oppressed sectors [of society] and explain to them the roots of backwardness, poverty and the drop in national production?”
The veteran reformist also cautioned Iranians that in line with their “victory strategy of fear mongering,” the authorities might seek to “eliminate all opportunities” to the point that it would finally cause “the regime’s destruction” and “create new crises in the country.” Mousavi explained that with the approach of the National Student Day in December, it was not difficult for the current rulers of Iran to “orchestrate made-up riots” and to use them as ways of “deceiving public opinion and distracting the supervisory bodies and to settle political scores.”
Mousavi also argued that despite the clampdowns on the massive demonstrations following the rigged 2009 presidential election, imprisonments and the various prisoner abuse scandals that surfaced in the aftermath of the election, there was no intention on the part of Iranian authorities to finally return to the people.
Calling for a continuation of the moral and non-violent path of the Green Movement and the implementation of the constitution, Mousavi went on to add: “Dear friends, you have asked ‘what can Green Movement members do these days when expressing opposition and criticism are not possible due to the harsh crackdowns and the security measures?’ The reality is that the answer to this question must also be the result of collective wisdom, and it would be suitable if companions and admirers of the Green Path of Hope participated in presenting appropriate solutions.”
The Green Movement leader once more stressed the importance of raising wariness among those Iranians who did not have access to cyberspace and reminded Iranian students of the significance of face-to-face contact in expanding social networks in the country.
“Let us remember, that the cause does not justify the means,” Mousavi noted. “Let us remember, that until each and everyone one of us has been cleansed of impurities and character flaws, it is pointless to expect to have a society based on morals in which human can reach the apex of flourishing as humans. And we must remember, that in this path, there is no defeat, but great patience, perseverance, not being afraid of having cases built up against [us] and other oppressive measures, are necessary. Let us not forget that we used to chant together, ‘don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, we are all together’.” [4]
In the end, Mousavi called once more for attending to the needs of the Green Movement’s martyrs, prisoners and their families as a “responsibility” while praising the role of students as well as their courage and resistance for the movement.
“And finally, who is not aware, that three million wise students are the Green Movement’s biggest asset? A movement whose members are countless and each one is in a way, a leader in people’s great movement.”
Endnotes:
[1] This is a reference to the Quran Surah 79 Al Nazi'at verse 24, “And said, ‘I am your most exalted lord.’”
[2] Article 43 of the Iranian constitution on Economy and Financial Affairs, states that the objective of the Iranian economy is to achieve “the economic independence of the society, uprooting poverty and deprivation, and fulfilling human needs in the process of development while preserving human liberty.”
[3] The outlook is a road map for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s economic, political, social and cultural development in the period of twenty years.
[4] A popular chant during the post-election unrest, aimed at countering the terror tactics used by Iran’s security apparatus to instil fear among the population.
By GVF
GVF is The Green Voice of Freedom
source: Mousavi: Iran Govt To Use 'Staged Disturbances' To Intensify Crackdown
In a statement addressed to students across Iran, Mir Hossein Mousavi, one of the leaders of Green Movement, referred to Iran’s students as the “brave companions” of the movement who were “full of love” and called the Iranian month of Azar (22 November – 21 December), “the month of students”. The statement, posted on Mousavi’s official website Kaleme, was issued ahead of Iran’s Student Day on 7 December and addressed a number of key concerns raised by Iranians students regarding the Green Movement and the overall situation in the country. Mousavi said that Iran’s students were the “alert overseers” of the concerns of Iranian society.
Mousavi recalled the tragic murder of three students at University of Tehran on December 7, 1953 by Iranian police forces following student protests against then US President Richard Nixon's visit to Iran, shorty after the CIA-orchestrated coup of 1953. “On that day, the despots and tyrants believed that after the suppression and killings, the voice of criticism and protest would forever remain stifled; a mistake made by all those who depend on terror for [gaining] victory,” said the statement.
“The tyrants do not know that using money, force and fraud will further distance the people from them, and will drive them towards an imaginary and seemingly safe sanctuary which has been designed and employed by the profiteering eulogists and the enemies of the people, [in the hope that] they can [perhaps] forget the pain of having lost the support of the people,” Mousavi continued.
“The autocrats are becoming more isolated every day and are suspicious of everything and everyone; they drive away yesterday’s friends and consider any criticism or advice as a conspiracy aimed at their destruction. And even worse, they equate their own interests with national interests and under such conditions; they have no choice but to rely on those who carry weapons; they seek those who blindly follow their orders and do not doubt their thoughts and actions, not even for a second.”
The former Prime Minister warned that the rulers of Iran had “created a tight circle around themselves” and that they would be “prevented from hearing the murmurs of the collapse of the bastion of autocracy and despotism.” “They will wake when it is too late for them to return to the people.”
“They are not aware that the moth, ears and eyes of the people might be barred from speaking, hearing and seeing, but thought is a God-given gift,” Mousavi stated, while adding that there was nothing oppressors could to control the people’s thoughts.
“The secret to all this sense of danger towards knowledge, students and scientists; all this panic over the free flow of information; all this fear of free media; all this dread of assembly even when it is by calm and peaceful protesters; all these efforts to portray the friends of Imam [Khomeini] and the [Islamic] Revolution as pariahs; the continuous and endless campaign to dub the children of Iran as ‘outsiders’; all this phobia towards all that is linked with collective wisdom; and all the [attempts at to] avoid anything that’s connected to planning and knowledge-based management; are they all not [rooted] in this fact?”
Mousavi maintained that, similar to the pharaohs, the oppressors were using fear to achieve their aims. “By partitioning the people by regarding them as ‘outsiders’ and ‘insiders’, and positioning the people against each other, belittling the people by calling them ‘calves,’ ‘goats’ and ‘dirt and dust’ in order to force them into compliance, and finally giving sanctity to power, [and] thus [the Quranic verse], ‘I am your most exalted lord’.” [1] Mousavi explained that the authorities’ disregard for the constitution, [their] neglect of the people’s will and the shutting down of newspapers could only mean that “a few, considered themselves to be above the law and in no need of the people’s votes and opinions.”
Mousavi’s statement also pointed out the authorities’ resort to “buying short-term opportunities” by creating “successive crises,” had come at a “heavy cost” for the Iranian people. He once more stressed the effects of the mishandling of the economy and corruption on poorer and more vulnerable sectors of Iranian society, especially in light of the government’s controversial plans to cut subsidies on essential commodities.
“Those among the ranks of the military and police leaders speak openly of their fears about the anxious reactions of the people as well as concerns that domestic and foreign enemies will misuse [the situation],” Mousavi warned.
“Our people’s great question from them [the leaders],” he said, “is that if you are aware of the realities and if you hear the opinion of experts who [all] agree that the implementation of this project [subsidy-reform plan], in the shape you have presented and are implementing, will lead to nothing but material and human loss as well as further injustices, then why all this insistence on turning a blind eye to the opinions of the country’s prominent economists and the Members of Parliament?”
“What happened to the promises of free education, creating jobs and [implementing] article 43 of the constitution? [2] Why don’t you inform the people about what you want to do with the money you plan to take from the people’s pockets as a result of the rise in prices and in the absence of the Organisation for Planning and Budget and with the weakening of the Majlis and uselessness of the councils and the supervisory organisations? Is it [really] possible to control the upcoming crises by exploiting the people’s needs and poverty by distributing a great portion of the wealth that you have robbed from them? What happened to the promises of bringing the oil [wealth] to the people’s tables and dealing with the corrupt? How is it that [now], you speak about the fate of the Twenty-Year Economic Outlook [3] in such whisper and so inaudibly? Don’t you realise that even if all the mosques as well as religious and traditional centres [in the country] are systematically utilised against the Green Movement, through the spread of questioning and critique, three million alert and intellectual students, can form strong bridges of communication with all ... oppressed sectors [of society] and explain to them the roots of backwardness, poverty and the drop in national production?”
The veteran reformist also cautioned Iranians that in line with their “victory strategy of fear mongering,” the authorities might seek to “eliminate all opportunities” to the point that it would finally cause “the regime’s destruction” and “create new crises in the country.” Mousavi explained that with the approach of the National Student Day in December, it was not difficult for the current rulers of Iran to “orchestrate made-up riots” and to use them as ways of “deceiving public opinion and distracting the supervisory bodies and to settle political scores.”
Mousavi also argued that despite the clampdowns on the massive demonstrations following the rigged 2009 presidential election, imprisonments and the various prisoner abuse scandals that surfaced in the aftermath of the election, there was no intention on the part of Iranian authorities to finally return to the people.
Calling for a continuation of the moral and non-violent path of the Green Movement and the implementation of the constitution, Mousavi went on to add: “Dear friends, you have asked ‘what can Green Movement members do these days when expressing opposition and criticism are not possible due to the harsh crackdowns and the security measures?’ The reality is that the answer to this question must also be the result of collective wisdom, and it would be suitable if companions and admirers of the Green Path of Hope participated in presenting appropriate solutions.”
The Green Movement leader once more stressed the importance of raising wariness among those Iranians who did not have access to cyberspace and reminded Iranian students of the significance of face-to-face contact in expanding social networks in the country.
“Let us remember, that the cause does not justify the means,” Mousavi noted. “Let us remember, that until each and everyone one of us has been cleansed of impurities and character flaws, it is pointless to expect to have a society based on morals in which human can reach the apex of flourishing as humans. And we must remember, that in this path, there is no defeat, but great patience, perseverance, not being afraid of having cases built up against [us] and other oppressive measures, are necessary. Let us not forget that we used to chant together, ‘don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, we are all together’.” [4]
In the end, Mousavi called once more for attending to the needs of the Green Movement’s martyrs, prisoners and their families as a “responsibility” while praising the role of students as well as their courage and resistance for the movement.
“And finally, who is not aware, that three million wise students are the Green Movement’s biggest asset? A movement whose members are countless and each one is in a way, a leader in people’s great movement.”
Endnotes:
[1] This is a reference to the Quran Surah 79 Al Nazi'at verse 24, “And said, ‘I am your most exalted lord.’”
[2] Article 43 of the Iranian constitution on Economy and Financial Affairs, states that the objective of the Iranian economy is to achieve “the economic independence of the society, uprooting poverty and deprivation, and fulfilling human needs in the process of development while preserving human liberty.”
[3] The outlook is a road map for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s economic, political, social and cultural development in the period of twenty years.
[4] A popular chant during the post-election unrest, aimed at countering the terror tactics used by Iran’s security apparatus to instil fear among the population.
By GVF
GVF is The Green Voice of Freedom
source: Mousavi: Iran Govt To Use 'Staged Disturbances' To Intensify Crackdown
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