Reformists and the Coup Government Cooperate in Keeping the Protesters Inline

By :Ramin Rahimi
Translated by: Behrooz Navaii

In the last days of the initial period of Anti Coup demonstrations (June 12th to August 17th, 2009) the slogan, “Independence, Freedom, Iranian Republic” began to echo in the demonstrations. This slogan of the people was a direct response to the reformists, whom by forming the “Green Path of Hope” Party, were intending to prevent the people’s demands to surpass the framework of the Islamic Republic regime, and the channels that can be contained by the regime’s inner-circles. However, the people, by chanting this slogan had bluntly declined the reformists’ proposed goal of the “Execution of the Islamic Republic’s Constitution in Totality” and showed that their aim is to replace the Islamic regime with a democratic order. (1)

After the August 17th, when the daily demonstrations turned in to an apparent “calm”, gave both sides of the regime (the Coup Supporters & the Reformists) an illusion that the street demonstrations will give way to more accepted forms and this slogan will fade away from the minds of the people. But, pervasiveness of this slogan in the Ghods Demonstration – i.e. Jerusalem’s day (September the 18th) – woke the statesmen out of their fantasy and showed that during the period of “calm”, not only the people have not forgotten the demand of over-passing the Islamic Republic, but also, they have combined it with the rejection of submissive and surrendering attitude towards the suppressing forces, replacing it with more aggressive street tactics of attacks and counter attacks to protect the protest lines. These defensive actions of our militant people and the youth in reaction to the police and thugs’ brutality, shook both sides of the regime in their foundations and alarmed them that if they do not change their approaches, there will be nothing left to compete for.

From the morning after the Ghods’ demonstrations, speakers of both wings of the Islamic Republic, frightened of what can happen on the “Pupils’ Day” (November 3rd) demonstrations, ascended to the top of their religious stands and tribunes to condemn this slogan and the “destructive” actions and call on the people to change the struggle’s direction by respecting laws and the Constitution of the Islamic Republic. Funny, is the fact that the first broadcasted statement in this regard came from the chief of security, Ahmadi Moghadam, clumsily admitting to the Special Units’ ineffectiveness and added: “We do not have a problem with the Green Movement or any other movement that would protest within the limits of the law, or even outside of it, as long as they do not act chaotically. But, if there will be commotions leading to disturbance, then the security forces will act firmly.”
With this speech, he offered the Reformists some leverage to convince the people that if they want to prevent repression, then, they must refrain from radical demands back into the framework acceptable to the regime. On the other hand, in two Friday Prayer sessions after the security chief’s speech, Ahmad Khatami and, Janati (2 coup supporters) directed their speeches to the people chanting the “Iranian Republic”, threatening them with the accusation of “War on God” and the verdicts of execution. Right along such threats, and the retreat of the security force chief, on the coup supporters’ side, the reformists also started to move along the same direction. First one who brought the matter under attention was Mir Hussein Mousavi during his 12th and 13th public messages. Here, we read in “Ayandeh” website, bonded to the reformists, reporting of the Mousavi’s messages: “Hearing caustic slogans \during the Ghods (Jerusalem) Day demonstrations from people who were presenting themselves as Mousavi’s supporters and members of the Green Movement has caused some of the country’s concerned elements to be worried; in his recent texts, Mir Hussain Mousavi has warned that the protesters might fall into a dangerous structure breaking traps and has explained about his move that: “These statements and the previous actions and statements were meant to keep people’s struggles within the system’s framework and not to fall into traps of these structure breakers… we cannot forsake our duties to prevent its happening in order to please the ones who cannot see this hazard, the same way that without proving our dedication to people’s demands and speaking on their behalf in our speeches we cannot invite them to calm.”

Now, it has been over two weeks that political observers are convinced that on November 3rd – Pupil’s Day – there is going to be yet another mass demonstrations in the capital city and, all over the country by the people. Genuine and influential groups have announced their support for demonstrating on this date with calls of participation to their supporters. As of today, only few days more than two weeks is left to this action. Both wings of the regime are aware that asking people not to attend is futile. Hence, as we get closer to this event, both of the regime’s Coup Supporters and the Reformists, increase their efforts to effectively impress the people to limit their struggle and demands to the framework of the Islamic Republic Constitution and to a tolerable level of action. The Coup Supporters’ stand is quite clear. Verbally they have retreated in front of this slogan and the radicalization of the tactics used by the people in Ghods (Jerusalem) day, and as Ahmadi Moghadam indicated they are ready to respect popular right of assemblies under the condition of keeping them within system regulations. Although we know better than to believe such claims. The repressive forces on November 3rd – be it people’s chanting is limited in saying “Allah o Akbar” and “Ya Hussein, Mir Hussein,” or they escalate to the level of saying “Death to Khameneyi (The Leader)” and “Down with Islamic Republic” they will act as they have previously done. Meaning, wherever they are stronger than the people, they will brutally take the offensive; and, wherever confronted with a mass concentration of the people, they shall hide in allies and passageways.

However, on the Reformists side, day by day, they will expand their activities, relying on their mass media, and that of their Western Countries’ supporters’, propagating even greater lies and empty promises to fool the people in to submission.

The most shameful lie is the claim that if slogans such as “Iranian Republic” and, other slogans that indicate a departure from the Islamic Republic dictatorship is chanted, then, the repressive forces will find an excuse to violently attack the demonstrations. As if when these slogans were not used and people’s actions and demands were within the autocratic regime’s laws, then the suppressive forces did not attack the demonstrations. Even a single primary school student cannot be fooled by such a lie. The repressive forces were murdering the people when their slogan was only “Where’s My Vote?”, , they killed , tens of individuals, such as Neda and Sohrab, using sniper shots from the rooftops of the buildings, just to create terror to discourage peoples’ participation in peaceful protests. There are many more individuals that their whereabouts are unknown since the very first days of the protests. They are sacrificed for believing in reformist illusions. Khameneyi (The Leader) ordered shootings in the crowd when Mousavi and Karoobi’s suggestion of “Silent Demonstrations” was carried out by the people. With further research and investigation we can see that the retreats in suppressions and killings and finally verbal retreat of the coup government began after the slogans and demands were elevated to the levels of rejecting the totality of the Islamic Republic and the change of tactics to confronting the repressive forces. Making such fallacious claims are the evidence for insincerity of the reformist forces and its leadership toward the people, who count themselves as members of the Green Movement. Since, the others were already aware of their ill wills, as individuals and a group, and had no illusions of their leadership to follow their directives. Thus, such sayings are only to deceive the people who have faith in their veracity. We advise that group of people to come out of this illusion and influence and stand beside the majority of the people, taking decisive steps toward democracy.

But the most important of these lies is the claim that people who chant “Iranian Republic” are only a small number of the people and political activists whose line is dictated from abroad and chant incompatible slogans. This lie is intended to deceive the new comers to the movement, since whoever that was in the Ghods day demonstration knows that how widely the slogans calling for Islamic republic’s downfall and specially, call for “Iranian Republic” was chanted. This also indicates how these liars are on the same boat as the coup supporters. Since, until yesterday, and even now, they have been making such allegations against the reformists themselves. The story of Ahmadinezhad calling the demonstrators as “Twigs and Dusts” dependent to the foreign powers is still young and fresh in everybody’s mind.

Another one of these false claims of the reformist media and their mercantile writers is that chanting the radical slogans causes schism in the ranks of the people and will lower the number of participants in the protests. This is the complimentary propaganda to their last claim. Then again, to whoever participated in the demonstration on Ghods day, it was clear that these slogans were chanted by almost all the participants, and not only did it not cause division among them, but raised the level of the unity of the people against the current regime’s forces. There is only a very few number of the ones in power and their bought out reformist cadres and agents, who have separated themselves from the people’s majority through opposing such slogans. Our suggestion to them is that to prevent disunity and tension among the masses to stop their false propaganda and respect people’s will and demands.

Anyhow, as we are getting closer to the November 3rd Demonstration, the false claims and lies of the regime leaders (Coup Supporters and Reformists) and their lackey writers will become more disgusting in nature and diversity. Therefore, through relying upon experiences we have gained during these struggles, we must strive to broaden its popular base; by calling out to the oppressed classes, the toilers and popular movements, which are already involved in their separate struggles, to join ranks in these central and national political protests. We should go forward with more organized steps and clearer demands, rejecting all calls to compromise by the reformists and coup supporters.

Down with the Islamic Republic!
Bread, Housing, Freedom, Soviet Republic!