January 7, 2018
Since the early 20th century, a widespread struggle for democracy, freedom, and an end to absolute rule began in the region, spearheaded by Azerbaijan. This movement culminated in the Constitutional Revolution, which aimed to establish the people’s will as the basis for governance and transform submissive subjects into responsible citizens. However, this collective effort was thwarted by foreign interference and their domestic allies, who sought to reinstate autocracy in new forms. The defeat of this movement and the subsequent suppression of democratic and freedom-seeking uprisings, such as Sheikh Mohammad Khiabani’s movement, deepened the crisis of liberty and democracy in Iran. The failure of the constitutional system paved the way for the establishment of the Pahlavi regime, which denied the country’s cultural and ethnic diversity and stood in stark opposition to the spirit of the Constitutional Revolution.
The Pahlavi regime, with its authoritarian and centralized approach, introduced an artificial definition of a nation-state in Iran, laying the foundation for numerous problems whose devastating effects persist to this day. The assimilationist policies of the Pahlavi state, by denying and rejecting the country’s cultural and historical realities, did not lead to unity but instead reinforced the foundations of despotism in Iran.
The Islamic Republic, by adding a Shi’a element to the political ideology of the state, further entrenched the discriminatory structure of governance and accelerated internal exploitation. The new theocratic regime, in pursuit of its totalitarian policies, prioritized the suppression of individual and collective freedoms. Through its cultural policies, the Islamic Republic has demonstrated hostility toward justice, reason, and freedom, showing no tolerance for dissenting citizens. Arbitrary arrests, torture of opponents, sham trials, forced confessions, and ethnic, gender, and religious discrimination are hallmarks of the Islamic Republic’s policies. Citizens who do not conform to the ruling regime’s ideology face humiliation, persecution, and harassment under spurious pretexts.
The prevailing economic system has proliferated and imposed poverty and hunger on a massive scale. The nation’s material resources, which should be utilized to meet the public’s needs, are squandered on the sectarian adventures of the ruling system, with public wealth diverted to regional crises and the formation of paramilitary groups.
In the current regime, even the smallest criticism is not tolerated. International and even the regime’s own laws are blatantly mocked, and accountability to public opinion holds no significance. Despite all of this, the ruling regime has failed to overcome society’s determination to attain awareness, justice, and a free society.
Today, most parts of the country have risen against the oppression and corruption entrenched in the state’s structure, rejecting the option of reforming the government from within. Protesters, united in voice, are fed up with dictatorship, judicial corruption, and the looting of public assets, demanding an end to the arrogance and deification of the clerical class.
Although the flawed system has suppressed genuine opposition and created a passive opposition that aligns with its narrow framework, recent protests signify the public’s transition beyond the regime-manufactured opposition. The centrist opposition, which lies outside the regime’s framework, has also failed to lead opposition movements due to its inability to break free from its chauvinistic and centralist past. For fostering solidarity among opponents of the regime, any mindset that rejects diversity, pluralism, or democratic principles must be abandoned.
In our view, the recent uprisings are a continuation of past protest movements. We believe these protests will persist until the authoritarian regime is brought to an end. These protests have shattered the public’s fear and the regime’s intimidating façade, proving that threats and repression cannot suppress the people’s rightful demands. For this reason, we expect the regime to avoid escalating violence, listen to the protesters, and create conditions for a referendum and free elections.
Regarding the recent protests, several critical points must not be overlooked. First, to prevent disunity, it is essential to agree on a set of minimum demands while avoiding violence and vengeance. We urge participants in gatherings to turn the protests into platforms for addressing suppressed and accumulated grievances without prioritizing one demand over another, and to abstain from any action that undermines democratic principles. Protesters must act as the voice of the voiceless and of marginalized and discriminated groups. Additionally, slogans that contradict the principles of democracy and freedom should be avoided.
Let us believe that short-term reforms or the transfer of power from one authoritarian regime to another will only deepen societal wounds. The definitive solution to the current deadlock lies in establishing a legal system based on human rights that guarantees individual and collective freedoms, respects self-determination through the free will of individuals and groups, and represents the public will. Such a system must work toward the fair distribution and circulation of power among the diverse views within society. It must ensure equal access to welfare, education, security, health, and opportunities for all citizens, free from ideological and sectarian biases, and uphold accountability, participation, transparency, and oversight in governance at all levels.
In conclusion, we once again emphasize that the essential condition for achieving all these goals and preventing the country and the region from descending into chaos and turmoil is the recognition of the right to self-determination through a referendum and free elections, alongside the renunciation of all forms of violence.
Long live the nation that lives to keep freedom alive.
(Sheikh Mohammad Khiabani)
The link to the original article in Farsi on Asre-Nou:
از طرف جمعی از آزادیخواهان ترک خطاب به افکار عمومی آذربایجان و ایران