Take the street to the Streets!

You will have witnessed in recent months the mass uprising of the Iranian people. People who took to the streets with fear and hope and at one cried out for freedom. I write to you from Iran, a country that has more than 70 million noble and honourable people who want to live freely and equally alongside the people of the world with peace and sincerity. A people who have shown themselves countless times in different forms in the 30 years of government by the Islamic Republic. Perhaps for many of you the question remains, What does this vast torrent in the streets want? From where has it come and where is it going? Perhaps for many of you the question remains, For which crime did they cast Iran’s call in blood? And why are they brutally torturing and killing Iran’s brightest youth one by one in prisons worse than Abu Gharib and Guantanamo? The answer to all these questions, to us who spent the best years of our youth in prison and exile for this government, is crystal clear.

The Islamic Republic has for years considered itself God’s representative on this earth, terrorizing thousands of political and ideological prisoners with divine and celestial sentences to stabilize itself and survive in an atmosphere of fear and trepidation. The Islamic Republic that for more than 30 years has cast its heavy and foreboding shadow over Iran, not only does not represent its people, but is a product of institutional Islamic currents in collaboration with capitalist world powers. A government that openly kills and stones its people for millions worldwide to see. A government - whose inhuman face has become more and more visible these days with the help of the internet and popular awareness – that came to office by robbing the mass radical desires and demands of the people of Iran in the 1979 revolution. Ayatollah Khomeini as the founder of the Islamic Republic gained position with promises of social and political freedom and economic welfare for all. To the extent of announcing that the oil money and public riches should be at everyone’s table and that every person had the right to live freely by his personal values and opinions. And with this he called the Iranian people to the ballot boxes to vote “Yes” to the Islamic Republic for the creation of a prosperous, free and human life. But the people did not vote for Khomeini, or for the Islamic Republic, or for any dictator or other anti-human, and will not. People voted for human and liberal desires that were supposed to replace the autocratic government of the Shah. It only took a few months and a few days for the anti-human nature of this government to become clear for all to see.

To stabilize itself, the Islamic Republic began by eliminating local councils that the people had established to control affairs in revolutionary conditions, then throwing into prison thousands of statesmen and opponents and quickly placing oppressive security forces on the streets. In this situation, from those early days, people began their war with this government. In some places such as Kurdistan where the people and workers’ councils had tenure, this transformed into an unequalled and armed war, such that the Islamic Republic came with tanks and heavy weaponry and dragging people who cried Freedom! and Equality! to blood and dust took possession of the strategic bases one by one. At that time Kurdistan was important in this regard, for not only did it represent the people’s rightful desire in the ’79 revolution for a free and humanist government, but for its control of the area through people’s councils and the absence of security forces and the tools of oppression. It had become an area for the gathering of parties, organizations and political efforts. All these organizations had played a big part in laying the groundwork for revolution in Iran and in the organization of people against the despotism of the Shah, and had a special popularity among the people.

Following the oppression and killing of the people of Kurdistan and the setting up of one hour courtrooms for the execution of hundreds of political prisoners, the security forces of Sepah and the Committee and Hezbollah governed the streets with knife-wielding and baton-handling. With the intention of creating an atmosphere of fear and terror, they dragged women to patriarchal and hejab prisons and trampled on the desires of millions of human beings.

All this time, Iran had entered into a reactionary war with Iraq, that could have ended much earlier than it did, preventing the deaths, maiming and homelessness of thousands of human beings. But the biggest crime is currently underway as the Islamic Republic intends to send thousands more political prisoners to their deaths in the platoons and so count Iran among the most notorious records in history of crimes against humanity. In the summer of ’67, more than 1500 political prisoners were killed and their unidentified corpses buried in unknown locations. In all these years the Islamic Republic has abused people’s noble and humanitarian wishes. Iran has acted as a big representative of patriarchal petrification, religious capitalism and military dictatorship. Not only does the Islamic Republic not represent its people, but there must be a border allowed between the anti-humanitarian actions of its leaders and the defenders of those human rights according to the demands of millions of Iranian people. This disparity has existed for years in the cities and villages of Iran but these days the voice of the people is louder and clearer, resounding throughout the world. And people of the world have become aware that the abusive to women, militant, racist and anti-labour Islamic Republic not only does not speak from the people’s hearts, instead standing against society. The people of Iran revolted against this 30 years ago and cry out once again today.

The people of Iran poured onto the streets in their millions and in one voice cried for freedom. Something that today and in the shadow of many struggles and revolutions in Europe and America is considered a basic and undeniable right. Freedom of press, freedom of organization, freedom to protest and freedom of expression are among the basic rights of the people of Iran that for years have been crushed under the boots of the black cloaked professional oppressors. The people of Iran with a high level of class awareness and political knowledge are on the streets to firmly claim their rights and determine historical honour in their destiny. Circumstances today have gathered us all around a liberal and humanitarian axis so that this time we may go forth with knowledge and alliance to fight a government that with the most brutal systems of oppression and stealth is holding hostage a people who are among the most noble in this world. This movement is not only the action of “Iranians” within and outside Iran’s borders but, just as we witnessed in recent protests, the actions of each and every honourable being who feels humanity. The people of Iran have announced their message of peace and equality with their fellow men and women with a revolution against the status quo. And with this historic union, now is the time more than ever, to pluck the roots that remain of this medieval tyranny.

This journal is a bridge between the people of Iran and all those whose hearts have beaten with ours in this period, who shoulder to shoulder carried the flag pursuing the rights of the people of Iran in streets worldwide. We ask you, our dear readers to help in the publication and distribution of this journal in any way possible. This is our call to friends who can help us to continue in our path. “The Street” comes from the heart of the social movement in Iran and is written as a reflection of the rightful human desires of Iranians. The contents of this publication are available in Italian, French, Persian and English in various internet services.

Freedom and dignity