Letter from an Iranian dissident to Angry Arab

I post and cite with his permission: "Dear As'ad:

salamun Alaykum ( peace be on You)

I am an Iraninan and a supporter of Sabz movement and have been reading your website occasionally from the Summer 2006 war in Lebanon which I discovered you by accident from the aljazeera English or Arabic websites.   As'ad the answer is yes and no and things are more complicated.  This slogan was shouted in streets of Tehran.  But,... 

 the complete form of the slogan  which was shouted this Last Monday February 14  in tehran, as part of greenmovement demonstration was

Not Gaza, Not Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia and Iran 

As you can see it rhymes in Farsi, english and Arabic,...

But this slogan has a history this is the newer version of the slogan which I disliked more and was shouted not this Last Ramadhaan but the Ramadhaan before that in 2009 in the last Friday of that ramadhaan on the so called international quds day by some of the pro-green movement  supporters,... and that was 

Not Gaza, Not Lebanon

My life be sacrificed for Iran ( Jaanam Fadaye Iran- which again rhymes in Farsi). 

Many people including the leaders of sabz movement, and myself in the small circle of my emailing list  objected to this slogan. 

In my opinion this eldrer version of the slogan has a hidden  Iranian  nationalism and racist anti-arab  agenda  in it at least it can be understood that way,...  

The one shouted on this last Monday at least  acknowledges solidarity  with  the democratic movement of Egypt and Tunisia,... 

But how and why that slogan was shouted by some people in street of Tehran is what  I want to explain? 

But before that many at the same time including myself supported another slogan,...

Ham Gazeh Ham Lebanon ( Yes to Gaza, Yes to Lebanon)

Janam Fadaye Iran (My life be sacrificed  For Iran) 

or the other slogan

(Che Gazeh, Che Lebanon, Nank Bar Zalemaan)

Whether Ghazeh, Whether Lebanon, Shame on The oppressors 

Please see the attached Green Handhala ( the Nadji Ali icon, combined with Green Shaal ).

which was used by many pro-green  demonstrators in both 2009 and 2010 ramadhaans,..

which clearly reflects the solidarity between the two  Green and Palestinian movements 

I 100% gauranttee you no one exists in Iran that supports the palestinian people and their rightful cause  miore than the leaders of Sabz (green) movement in Iran that is Mousavi, Karrubi, Khatami and Rafsanjani. Remember Rafsanjani  went to prison first in the time of shah for translating the book Palestine the Black record of Colonialism by a palestinian author. 

But the so called Green Movemement is not monolithic. It is consist of a religious and secular wing. Religious wing is consist of a traditional and more modernist  sections. The secular wing is consist of tolerating secular and militiant (anti-religion) parts. 

 After the Greenmovement  started everyone which somehow is against the present regime or condition in Iran from monarchist ( including reza phalavi), Mojaheddin Khalq organization  up to the reformists or former members of IRI of parliaments and cabinets, considers itself part of it. 

The Green is comming from the shii religious symbol of the Family of Prophet which their color was Green as oppose to Abbasid color which was black. It was started  during the campaign to emphasise the siyyadat ( desecndency from prophet) of Mir hossein Mousavi, which definitely in religious Iran was a positive factor getting votes in face off  all the negative propaganda of the establishment,... and as I read it was suggested by an 18 year old to Mousavi in one of the provincial cities why you do not wear a green shaal.   In my opinion Now this immoral slogan

Not Gaza, Not Lebanon

My life be sacrificed for Iran  

was a curve ball which some of the secular elements outside Iran, possibly connected to pro-zionists elements and frequent guests on VoA dropped into the Sabz movement. 

For a while AliReza Nourizadeh (Based in  London and frequent guest on al-arbiyya)and Mohsen Sazegara (based in washington Dc- a former deputy minister in IRI and working for a while at washington Institute for Near East policy-Dennis Ross and Martin Indyk institute)

through their VoA ( TV) program had  good channels of communication to people iniside Iran with relatively  large audience via satellite channels, due to limitation of other modes of communication. Sazegara a few days before 2009 Ghods day demonstration  on VoA program stated  youth in Qom has suggested this slogan,... then he emphasised  it is a very good one,.. this is bogus,.. it was made by him and Nourizadeh. 

the strategic goal of Israel is separating Iran and Iranian people from Resistance in Lebanon and Palestinian movement. This kind of slogan produces  a sharp wedge between the two side.  Nourizadeh is clearly connected to Pro-zionist  and Saudi elements. even he was attacking Al-jazeera arabic in Egypt demonstrations that people in Egypt are angry what business this Aljazeera based in tiny qatar has in Egypt? His son recently has become a director in a major Hollywood program.   But why this slogan suggested by them was picked up by some?  It was picked mostly by more secular or anti-religious elements.  But also it was pickled up as a backlash to the instrumental use of the Palestinian Plight by the Ahmadinejaad.  In one  sense this slogan  is not  as negative  towards palestinians as it is felt in translation,..  At least sentiment of those who shouted it is not that they are hostile or indifferent to Palestinian Plight or Lebanese resistance,...they meant mostly ok we have done as far as we could do for those  people and we cannot do much more and we have had paid for it,.. all these embargo and sanctions on Iran, which drastically effect the economic life of ordinary man in Iranian streets, is happening   because of the hostility with Israel,..  the moment Iran become friend with Israel these will go away and all doors will become open on Iran.   Believe me no people in the world has paid as Iranian people for the support of Palestinan cause, although in no way was their direct concern,...   This has been done for the sake of God and human  and moral values. I  am proud of this sacrifice,...But for some this sacrifice has become too much,... specially when has not been seconded by many Arab countries or people and in occasions was not even appreciated by palestinians ( like their support for Saddam Hossein).  This is not my personal opinion,.. but  the  sentiment of those who had shouted this slogan,..There is a proverb in Persian that says that "The Lamb which is needed for home is forbidden to be donated to the mosque".  Kind of this proverb is a restatement of the following Quranic verse

17:29 Make not thy hand tied (like a niggard's) to thy neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach, so that thou become blameworthy and destitute.


Unfortunately I am out of time,... but Both Moosavi and Karrubi have come strongly against the slogan

Not Gaza, Not Lebanon

My life be sacrificed for Iran 

one  of the leading religious Intellectuals Mohsen Kadivar ( Hojjatulislam-Ph.D.-visting professor at Duke University,...)  came under severe attack by the militant secular wing of  Green movement  in US when objected to this slogan and supported the version of 

Ham Gazeh Ham Lebanon ( Yes to Gaza, Yes to Lebanon)

Janam Fadaye Iran (My life be sacrificed  For Iran).

 

Attaolah Mohajerani a former minister in Khatami Cabinet and another leading intellectual and Brother in law of Kadivar was invited to washington Institute of Near East Policy to give a speech,...they were testing him,... but he clearly stated and defended anti-oppression instance of green movement whereever it is including in palestine.

 

Sincerely

Farhad"