The Islamic Republic is in dire straits, and deservedly so.

Years of economic mismanagement (exacerbated by three rounds of UN-imposed sanctions), political repression, rampant corruption, and international adventurism seem to have taken their toll on the regime.

A good indication of the regime’s increasing vulnerability to external pressure was the inability of the hardliners to prevent, just a few days ago, massive opposition protests from taking place on the streets of Tehran and other major Iranian cities during the Ashura ceremonies.

In a sense, it may be said that what started as an election dispute in Iran more than six months ago has effectively turned into a grassroots democratization movement the reverberations of which have shaken the Islamic Republic to the core.

Having said that, there are a few caveats of which those participating in the movement must be aware in order to expedite the democratic process in Iran .

First, it would be wise for those participating in what is now known as the Green Movement to pursue Iran ’s transition to democracy through grassroots activism of a non-violent nature.

In other words, the hardliners in charge of the regime must fail in their sinister attempts to promote violence within the movement, for violent behavior will prevent many an ordinary citizen from continued participation in the movement.

Second, it would benefit the movement tremendously if its participants could focus on extending the ideological reach of the movement through elaboration of movement values.

It goes without saying that proper sloganeering is of utmost importance at this stage of the democratization process, for slogans that are reflective of movement values rather than feelings or emotions have the most capacity to attract wary individuals to the movement.

Third, it would be wise for those interested in the Green Movement to constantly remind themselves that the transition to democracy, once initiated, is a slow yet sure process, provided proper attempts are made to increase the movement’s resources (e.g., networks, sub-networks, channels of access to potential allies, etc.) over time.

Fourth, advocates of the Green Movement must take notice of the fact that while the Constitution of the Islamic Republic is not conducive to any sort of a democratic future in Iran , it could serve as a tactical instrument for limiting the hardliners’ ability to use violence as a means of continued repression.

Fifth, it would be wise for the leaders of the movement to appreciate the historical significance of the movement with which they are associated by not offering or attempting to reconcile with the movement’s enemies.

After all, internationally revered democratic movements like the one Iran is witnessing at the present are considered a rarity in a region plagued by centuries-old authoritarian structures.

What is more, for the leaders of the Green Movement to show weakness in the face of thuggish behavior by the regime runs the risk of empowering democracy’s enemies throughout the country (as well as the entire region) and thus facilitating a more massive crackdown on individuals and organizations linked to the movement.

Here, it would be beneficial to all those reformists who may be preoccupied with the thought of preserving the regime at the expense of the movement to recall the late Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri’s recent pronouncement that the Islamic Republic is neither Islamic nor republican in nature, and that its preservation at the expense of Islam would be an evil act.

Finally, it is expected of those active in the Green Movement to start setting the stage for nationwide general strikes as a way of crippling the regime further.

True, the combination of motivational statements by Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Mohammad Khatami and occasional outbursts of public anger on the streets of Tehran and other major Iranian cities has done a good job, so far, of keeping the movement alive and moving it forward.

This, however, cannot remain the case for long, since grassroots movements of a spontaneous nature have a tendency to lack continuity over time due to reasons beyond the scope of this brief essay.

Jalal Alavi is a sociologist and political commentator based in Britain .

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bijan n. said:

... it is very obvious that the western media which is a mouth piece for their regimes sees only what they want to see , and not what actually is ..... the real thing is that majority of the iranians voted for Mr. Ahmadinejad and out of the 42 million people who voted , only one million ( at it's highest ) were protesting the election results .... that means more than 40 million were satisfied with the election results ... this is the reality in iran right now and in the future ..... western governments should learn good lessons from iran ...

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January 09, 2010
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Project Humanbeingsfirst.org said:

Iran bashing is popular in the West - why? Is it because it is easy to do? Or is it because it is good for a career? Or is it because the people are misled? Or are they genuinely sick of their own nation and willing wish see it war-ravaged in order to bring it America's Democracy? I am not sure of the reason, but I suspect it is all of the above, except perhaps the last one - for how can that ever be true? While I can understand the Westerners being misled, I have never understood how the Easterners are misled - especially Muslims bearing the brunt of "imperial mobilization", but most specially the Persians about to face the full brunt of what has been experienced by Iraqis, Afghanis, and being experienced in Pakistan and now Yemen, never mind the raping of Palestine for the past 60 years - that they so trivially side with the hectoring hegemons. So I wrote a letter to the Iranian Expat - and perhaps I ought to have included those living back in Iran as well, for I perceive many who are actively engaged in destabilizing their own nation from without as well as within - as if they don't see any fabricated enemies, nor real ones, only the theocracy which some abhor. But abhor so much to see their beautiful land and peoples and infrastructure and DNA destroyed? This simply can't be true. So either people are tortuously misled, or I mis-perceieve. So please correct my mis-impressions if any: http://print-humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/2009/10/letterto-iranian-expat-by-zahirebrahim.html Thanks. Zahir Ebrahim Project Humanbeingsfirst.org

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January 11, 2010 | url
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Parviz Mirbaghi said:

Take your steps gingerly and wisely Who doesn't want to see progress and eradication of corruption and government serving people instead of cliques of self-serving oligarchs is obviously a traitor to the nation, especially a nation that has suffered imposed wars and sanctions and is constantly subject to grave threats. My position is that change for the sake of change, especially in a circumstance where US/UK and Israel are scheming to take away our hard-won independence and control us, in all likelihood will result in falling under the hegemony of the aforesaid agenda and interests. I am not suggesting immobility and acquiescence, rather, I suggest articulating a people's vision for our beloved Iran and policies that would realize this vision. For those who see US as a saviour, they need reflect on the fact that US Administration has shown no respect or concern for its own people, and judging by its track record regarding many other nations including our own(all well-documented), US is there to steal our public wealth, have its puppets running Iran, and exploit us in the way of its corporate/Zionist agenda and its New World Order. For the sake of Iran and humanity it is essential that we pay attention to privatization, the (corporate) Globalization, the supra-level monetary and commercial treaties that make our parliamentary sovereignty impotent, the single currency which would provide virtual control of our world to owners of the international banks...yes, all such issues must be considered in our vision of society else humanity is in danger of falling into a trap. So, once again, I emphasize, seek a fair and healthy society but beware of the caveat, az chaaleh beh chaah...and keep in mind that millions and millions are being spent on the path to the chaah!

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January 11, 2010
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