Revolution in Iran

[ecantona7]

Don't get me wrong I sympathise with what the protesters are trying to achieve, regarding women's rights. I hope they manage to achieve meaningful change.

I'm just pointing out that where there's been protests of this kind in non friendly countries, the US is not far behind in sowing the seeds of discord through financial, undercover and editorial means.

And they would love a regime change and it is not always a good thing. Ask the Libyans if they're happy that NATO bombed the shit out of Libya in the name of getting rid of Gaddafi. Or the Syrians if they're happy the US funded the Free Syrian Army in the name of getting rid of Assad. New regimes and political systems are malleable to influence - it's part of why a lot of countries like China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran are so authoritarian.

Anything is better than the current regime. I say this as an Iranian myself living abroad.

This wave of protests in different than anything else we've ever since the mullahs took over.

@Hanks is correct, this generation is braver and more courageous than previous generations, especially my parent's generation that protested in 79. They will succeed. The Islamic regime will feck off soon.

 

[calodo2003]

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[hasanejaz88]

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Good to also see women wearing hijabs protesting, the west has an obsession with making Muslim women take off their hijabs and should realize these protests aren't specifically about the hijab rule (which is draconian in itself) but against the regime as a whole.

 

[sun_tzu]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-63188795

It's hard to be certain of too much from the outside but it does look like there is some signifigant momentum with the protests

I'm sure Iran will be blaming the USA and of course there will be huge chances for impactful (on a world wide basis) protests at the world cup in a little over a month

 

[VorZakone]

Don't get me wrong I sympathise with what the protesters are trying to achieve, regarding women's rights. I hope they manage to achieve meaningful change.

I'm just pointing out that where there's been protests of this kind in non friendly countries, the US is not far behind in sowing the seeds of discord through financial, undercover and editorial means.

And they would love a regime change and it is not always a good thing. Ask the Libyans if they're happy that NATO bombed the shit out of Libya in the name of getting rid of Gaddafi. Or the Syrians if they're happy the US funded the Free Syrian Army in the name of getting rid of Assad. New regimes and political systems are malleable to influence - it's part of why a lot of countries like China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran are so authoritarian.

Still banging this drum about the US?

 

[2cents]

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[groovyalbert]

Hard to gauge too much from the outskirts, but this appears to be an incredible movement by far surpassing all previous protest movements. Amazing to see women and younger generations uniting against the authoritarian and suppressive regime. Iran since it's revolution has been a sad story.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Iranian chicks rule.

 

[Hanks]

Some updates:

- On wednesday, the regime held a support rally in city of Ardebil (Ali Daei's city) , where schools were asked to send students on the bus there, some high school girls (school Shahed, no not the drone) started chanting "Death to Dictator" and "Death to Khamenei" and resisted going, and regime forces stormed the school and brutally injured 19 students. 10 were transferred to hospital and one died of internal bleeding. AT A HIGH SCHOOL !!

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Today there's been big protests around the country, but something. really dangerous is happening now. The infamous Evin Prison (where all political prisoners are locked up) is on big big. fire...god knows what sinister plan the regime has in burning them alive, they have history with it re: Cinema Rex tragedy in 1978 to fuel anti-Shah protests before this demonic revolution. So worried right now. the situation is developing. Thousands of lives are in danger....

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I can not stress enough that Islamic Republic is what Daesh would have been had they held the full country and had access to all its resources. No Iranian will sleep tonight until we know what's going on with Evin Prison, where thousands of people have been transferred to this last month, many of them the brightest students of Sharif University where the regime forces attacked 2 weeks ago.

 

[Sir Matt]

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[DJ Jeff]

It doesn't feel like it has the makings of a full blown revolution that will topple the Ayatollah yet, but hopefully.

 

[calodo2003]

Surreal seeing this while watching ‘Hostages’ in HBOMax, a very good multi episode documentary on the 1979 Iranian Revolution / embassy takeover. Both have young women at the center of each.

 

[VorZakone]

It doesn't feel like it has the makings of a full blown revolution that will topple the Ayatollah yet, but hopefully.

It doesn't? Feels like it to me.

 

[Sir Matt]

It doesn't feel like it has the makings of a full blown revolution that will topple the Ayatollah yet, but hopefully.

My long-term hypothesis has been that the Ayatollahs would fall within the next decade. Hopefully it is much sooner, but demographically it doesn't seem sustainable to continue their control.

 

[RedDevilQuebecois]

It doesn't feel like it has the makings of a full blown revolution that will topple the Ayatollah yet, but hopefully.

Remains to be seen, but the next step of the unrest would be clerics faithful to the regime becoming targets for the angry crowds.

 

[DJ Jeff]

I do hope you are all right and that it does spiral into that, but I feel w Press TV etc the govt has a pretty strong propagandist stranglehold on the nation. I don't think this will be enough and I think they will play it down as western interventionism.

 

[Hanks]

I do hope you are all right and that it does spiral into that, but I feel w Press TV etc the govt has a pretty strong propagandist stranglehold on the nation. I don't think this will be enough and I think they will play it down as western interventionism.

No body in Iran watches Press TV or IRIB official channels, only their supporters....the regime is so desperate they are bringing relatives of those murdered teenage girls (or at least they claim they are their relatives) on gun point to national TV and get them to say their daughter died of natural causes / committed suicide / fell off the roof / etc...that's their level of desperation. Press TV is only directed towards Western audience.

Most Iranians follow the news on Iran International channel (London based) ... not to mention most importantly, the news spreads like fire on Twitter and Instagram and these are the platforms used now to spread word about the protests.

Even in our football team, only 2 players support the regime. Two players didn't wear black armbands in the most recent friendly or haven't posted anything in on instagram in support, the rest have. I'd say they have the support of max 10-15% of the population, but the problem is they have all the guns and all the power. So this revolution will be bloody, because the regime has zero respect for human lives.

 

[DJ Jeff]

No body in Iran watches Press TV or IRIB official channels, only their supporters....the regime is so desperate they are bringing relatives of those murdered teenage girls (or at least they claim they are their relatives) on gun point to national TV and get them to say their daughter died of natural causes / committed suicide / fell off the roof / etc...that's their level of desperation. Press TV is only directed towards Western audience.

Most Iranians follow the news on Iran International channel (London based) ... not to mention most importantly, the news spreads like fire on Twitter and Instagram and these are the platforms used now to spread word about the protests.

Even in our football team, only 2 players support the regime. Two players didn't wear black armbands in the most recent friendly or haven't posted anything in on instagram in support, the rest have. I'd say they have the support of max 10-15% of the population, but the problem is they have all the guns and all the power. So this revolution will be bloody, because the regime has zero respect for human lives.

How terrible that that is what it'll take to liberate a truly incredible nation steeped in so much of early human history. The cradle of life

 

[hasanejaz88]

It's interesting that I know Shia's who are in the middle when it comes to social issues, they are religious but they keep it to themselves and don't try to force it on others, but are not in favor of removing the Ayatollah. It's a geopolitical attachment that comes from being the only country that is majority Shia, and governed by one outside of foreign influence, surrounded by Sunni majority countries that have a history of being hostile to them.

Similar to Jewish people who would be very reasonable but still not go to the lengths to criticize Israelis government that others might, they too are a single Jewish majority country surrounded by those countries that have been hostile in the past so they want to protect it.

We've seen recently how countries have been destroyed with internal civil war.

Would be interesting to know if protests are occurring throughout Iran or only focused on the capital Tehran, there can be big differences in opinion between big cities, which will tend to be more liberal, and smaller cities.

 

[Hanks]

^^ The difference of lots of Iranians with other ME countries, is that our national identity comes way above the religious identity. We were zoroastrians before invasion by caliphate and forced conversion to Islam. That's why this regime has been trying for decades to remove and diminish our Iranian identity. It appears to me that Islamic Republic has more fans and apologists outside of Iran, compared to actually inside of it.

Also, the protest have been everywhere. They started in Kurdistan and ongoing for almost a month now (where Mahsa was from), then there was the bloody friday in Zahden, all the way in Balochistan province near Pakistan border, where the regime massacred 80 people on Sept. 30 during prayers....then there have been protests everywhere from religious cities like Qom and Mashhad, to north of Iran where people are naturally less religious compared to South, to middle cities like Esfahan and Arak, and Yazd and even Kermanshah. On top of that you have Tehran and Karaj which have been the heartbeat of the protests.

and of course today it was very intense protests today in Ardebil, near Azerbaijan....where the school girl was murdered at her school on Wednesday.

 

[2cents]

@Hanks could you say something about the Basij? Like what is the profile of a typical recruit, from what part of Iranian society are they drawn?

It's a geopolitical attachment that comes from being the only country that is majority Shia, and governed by one outside of foreign influence, surrounded by Sunni majority countries

Just to nitpick a bit, in terms of neighbors Azerbaijan, Iraq and Bahrain all have Shi’i majorities (although in Azerbaijan it’s not really a significant element of politics), while further afield Lebanon likely has a Shi’i plurality. But I do see your point in the grand scheme of things.

 

[hasanejaz88]

@Hanks could you say something about the Basij? Like what is the profile of a typical recruit, from what part of Iranian society are they drawn?



Just to nitpick a bit, in terms of neighbors Azerbaijan, Iraq and Bahrain all have Shi’i majorities (although in Azerbaijan it’s not really a significant element of politics), while further afield Lebanon likely has a Shi’i plurality. But I do see your point in the grand scheme of things.

Didn't know Bahrain and Azerbaijan have Shia majorities, though Bahrain's king is a Sunni, but with Iraq they do have a violent history (though it might be less likely with Saddam not there now). The bigger concern would be Saudi right now.

 

[Hanks]

@Hanks could you say something about the Basij? Like what is the profile of a typical recruit, from what part of Iranian society are they drawn?

O the Basijis. I've despised them since I was a little kid in Esfahan. So I'll take up this question and try to implore the mind of a Basiji and why he joins the Basij and does what he does.

Basij is basically the son organization of IRGC (Sepah). What the IR has successfully done in the last 43 years, is to create so many parallel organizations as extra defense layers for the regime. At this point for example, IRGC is more powerful than the Iranian army, and the Basij is basically the child of IRGC. Many of IRGC commanders and big-shots started their oppression career at the Basij.

You can join the Basij as a teenager. You'll receive a Basic-ID card that gives you benefits and opens some doors for you in all aspects of life. Most kids who join the Basij either come from religious upbringings, or poor families (the benefits are attractive) , and probably genuinely think they are THE GOOD GUYS and defending "allah" , "islam" or whatever else the Regime propaganda inserts in their head. It's like a community that grows and matures together and then you have more change of getting into IRGC which holds the most power in Iran alongside the Shi'a clergy of curse. In a way, Basij is a career.

Basijis are tasked to be unofficial morality police, the buzz-kill crowd (they'll go and break up parties if they get notified men and women are dancing / partying together ) , they go to fill in the crowd for regime-held rallies as they received free cake and juice (Sandis in persian), and as a whole enforce the narrative of Khomeinism , Velayate-Faqih and ensure and enforce the longevity and protection of the regime, but intangibly as explained above, and tangibly (tasked with oppressing anti-regime protests). If you want to see Basijis in action, this video is from yesterday....where they abduct a young woman in middle of the street in Karaj

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and this man in Tehran...

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I see Basijis are disgusting, low-life, scum prostitutes who've sold their soul and humanity. In Iranian Twitter / Telegram / Insta space, it's now very clear that Basijis and Sepahis and Plain Cloth agents are the enemy and if you get your hands on them in the protests, go ahead and neutralize them (you know what I mean), because they'd do the same to you, if they had you under their control.

As to what goes on in the mind of a Basiji, I think this tweet does it best...and it's said by a Basiji woman. This is their outlook towards women, towards human interaction, towards freedom...That's how low they are:

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As of how a typical Basiji looks like, well I saw this meme on Twitter today and it's on point:

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[VorZakone]

O the Basijis. I've despised them since I was a little kid in Esfahan. So I'll take up this question and try to implore the mind of a Basiji and why he joins the Basij and does what he does.

Basij is basically the son organization of IRGC (Sepah). What the IR has successfully done in the last 43 years, is to create so many parallel organizations as extra defense layers for the regime. At this point for example, IRGC is more powerful than the Iranian army, and the Basij is basically the child of IRGC. Many of IRGC commanders and big-shots started their oppression career at the Basij.

You can join the Basij as a teenager. You'll receive a Basic-ID card that gives you benefits and opens some doors for you in all aspects of life. Most kids who join the Basij either come from religious upbringings, or poor families (the benefits are attractive) , and probably genuinely think they are THE GOOD GUYS and defending "allah" , "islam" or whatever else the Regime propaganda inserts in their head. It's like a community that grows and matures together and then you have more change of getting into IRGC which holds the most power in Iran alongside the Shi'a clergy of curse. In a way, Basij is a career.

Basijis are tasked to be unofficial morality police, the buzz-kill crowd (they'll go and break up parties if they get notified men and women are dancing / partying together ) , they go to fill in the crowd for regime-held rallies as they received free cake and juice (Sandis in persian), and as a whole enforce the narrative of Khomeinism , Velayate-Faqih and ensure and enforce the longevity and protection of the regime, but intangibly as explained above, and tangibly (tasked with oppressing anti-regime protests). If you want to see Basijis in action, this video is from yesterday....where they abduct a young woman in middle of the street in Karaj

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and this man in Tehran...

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I see Basijis are disgusting, low-life, scum prostitutes who've sold their soul and humanity. In Iranian Twitter / Telegram / Insta space, it's now very clear that Basijis and Sepahis and Plain Cloth agents are the enemy and if you get your hands on them in the protests, go ahead and neutralize them (you know what I mean), because they'd do the same to you, if they had you under their control.

As to what goes on in the mind of a Basiji, I think this tweet does it best...and it's said by a Basiji woman. This is their outlook towards women, towards human interaction, towards freedom...That's how low they are:

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As of how a typical Basiji looks like, well I saw this meme on Twitter today and it's on point:

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What does the last Basiji meme say exactly?

 

[calodo2003]

Poor woman will probably have the morality police waiting for her as she disembarks the plane...

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[Hanks]

What does the last Basiji meme say exactly?

How to identify a typical Basiji (based on appearance);

- Shitty hairstyle
- Shitty glasses
- Shitty beard styling
- buttoned top shirt (referring to the very first button)

word by word translation.

 

[Hanks]

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[calodo2003]

That was quick.

 

[TwoSheds]

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Sad. Hope she can get some help.

 

[Abizzz]

Thanks @Organic Potatoes for pointing me to this thread.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-63311605

Yet another girl killed by "security forces". I have huge respect for these girls standing up to power to demand a change from a medieval culture. All those men (and women) fighting against children may rot in hell please.

 

[Red the Bear]

USA vs England in the same group as Iran in Qatar... looking like that could be an explosive tie... wouldn't go anywhere close to there if you paid me

The football fans are actually pretty chill and I bet most of them are expats not on good terms with the current regime so if anything they'll be abnormally friendly to the opposition fans.

 

[Foxbatt]

It has to come from inside. The more other countries get involved the easier it becomes for the regime to blame foreign interference.

 

[Hanks]

The football fans are actually pretty chill and I bet most of them are expats not on good terms with the current regime so if anything they'll be abnormally friendly to the opposition fans.

Exactly. However, I know of quiet a lot of people around me who have tickets and have decided not to go to boycott Islamic Republic National Team.

Truth is, many Iranians don't want to sing their disgusting national anthem and the occupation symbol on our flag that will be on display. My own uncle and his friends had tickets for all games and were going to go from US and not going now for example.

If you go to Iran's NT official Instagram page, all top comments is people wishing the team a humiliating loss and embarrassment in Qatar. Calling the players servants of the regime instead of representatives of Iran.

Many slogans written on walls in Iran that Elnaz Rekabi (the woman rockclimber who competed without hijab) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "National Team of football".

I'm numb about it personally. I'll watch the games more in hope of seeing fans chant against regime or players do something super brave (I don't hold my breath) with the world watching, but I know Qataris won't allow Iranian fans to take real Iran flag (below) , because it's against FIFA rules....but I'm hoping if fans go in, they can use the stage to mass chant against the regime. They can't silence all of them.

As for the national team it self, all but 2 players have at least passively supported the protests .... most vocally perhaps Sardar Azmoun who even supported the petition to expel all diplomats and ambassadors of Islamic Republic from Europe. Mehdi Taremi of Porto has been playing with black wristband and refusing to celebrate goals for a month now. Funnily, he used to be a Khamenei-supporter 5 years ago, but looks like moving abroad and living in Portugal has opened his eyes to the brutality of the regime and he's changed since.

 

[2cents]

God he’s so painful to listen to, as always, but skip to 03:15 for the shift which, given his high profile, feels significant in the context of the often acrimonious debates among Iranian-Americans over the nature of NIAC and the prospect of the fall of the Islamic Republic.

Wonder if/when Trita Parsi will jump ship?

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[Red the Bear]

Exactly. However, I know of quiet a lot of people around me who have tickets and have decided not to go to boycott Islamic Republic National Team.

Truth is, many Iranians don't want to sing their disgusting national anthem and the occupation symbol on our flag that will be on display. My own uncle and his friends had tickets for all games and were going to go from US and not going now for example.

If you go to Iran's NT official Instagram page, all top comments is people wishing the team a humiliating loss and embarrassment in Qatar. Calling the players servants of the regime instead of representatives of Iran.

Many slogans written on walls in Iran that Elnaz Rekabi (the woman rockclimber who competed without hijab) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "National Team of football".

I'm numb about it personally. I'll watch the games more in hope of seeing fans chant against regime or players do something super brave (I don't hold my breath) with the world watching, but I know Qataris won't allow Iranian fans to take real Iran flag (below) , because it's against FIFA rules....but I'm hoping if fans go in, they can use the stage to mass chant against the regime. They can't silence all of them.


As for the national team it self, all but 2 players have at least passively supported the protests .... most vocally perhaps Sardar Azmoun who even supported the petition to expel all diplomats and ambassadors of Islamic Republic from Europe. Mehdi Taremi of Porto has been playing with black wristbhttps://www.redcafe.net/forums/current-events.13/and and refusing to celebrate goals for a month now. Funnily, he used to be a Khamenei-supporter 5 years ago, but looks like moving abroad and living in Portugal has opened his eyes to the brutality of the regime and he's changed since.

Incredibly unfortunate how the regime has managed to take the joy out of football, something that should bring the people together for a bit of fun instead of dividing them, apparently there are reports of a possible disqualification for the Iran national team due to the governments involvement in the Ukraine war and i wouldn't be surprised if that's the preferable outcome to the Iranian higher ups just to avoid the possible controversies.


Still wish you lot the best.

 

[Hanks]

Over 100k Iranians from all over Europe gathered in Berlin yesterday to show support and demand EU politicians to expel Islamic Republic diplomats and ambassadors. Amazing crowd!

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Not gonna lie. Never thought I'd get more emotional about being Iranian than celebrating a 95th minute world cup winner vs. Morocco in St. Petersburg at Gazprom Arena 4.5 years ago....but this has topped it a million times.
Tears watching this....and tens of millions are feeling the same.

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[VidaRed]

It has to come from inside. The more other countries get involved the easier it becomes for the regime to blame foreign interference.

Agreed.

 

[Raoul]

God he’s so painful to listen to, as always, but skip to 03:15 for the shift which, given his high profile, feels significant in the context of the often acrimonious debates among Iranian-Americans over the nature of NIAC and the prospect of the fall of the Islamic Republic.

Wonder if/when Trita Parsi will jump ship?

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I forgot he even existed since he got sacked by CNN a few years back.

 

[Hanks]

Ali Daei has travelled to Saqqez for Mahsa Amini's 40th day of passing memorial, and according to latest reports his hotel has been attacked by IRGC operators and he's been taken to an unknowin government hotel, so he won't be able to present at the event tomorrow.

They've kidnapped our greatest ever football player ...

 

[4bars]

If that ends with a true revolution, I hope (of course will not happen) that foreign powers will let Iran do it at their own pace and with their specificities. Doing it from inside is the only way to succeed