Washington keeps condemning Iran's government and making thinly
veiled threats. But in Iran, many people are in the midst of
challenging the country's rulers, in the streets and at the ballot
box.
The June 17 election for president could be a turning point or a
hollow spectacle -- no one knows which -- but the Bush administration
is eagerly trashing the whole thing. "The United States has not
waited for the first ballot to be cast before dismissing Iran's
presidential election as rigged," Agence France Presse reported over
the weekend.
But Iran's election is not rigged. There is a fierce electioneering
battle underway, with some significant differences between
candidates. Meanwhile, hindered rather than helped by the bellicose
statements from Washington, courageous Iranian activists have begun a
new wave of actions against the status quo of theocracy.
On June 12, in front of the University of Tehran, nearly a hundred
courageous women sat down to demonstrate for human rights in a
society where women literally and figuratively are compelled to sit
at the back of the bus. "Stop Bias Against Women," said one handheld
sign. "Stop violation," said another. And: "Freedom."
Across the wide vehicle-choked street, several hundred Iranian men
and women of all ages quickly gathered to augment the demonstration,
one of the only such public protests in recent years. "Political
prisoners should be free," they chanted. A sign declared: "First
Democracy, Then We Will Continue Living."
Some of the Iranian people who most strongly oppose the government's
theocracy are boycotting the election. Others will vote, primarily
for Mostafa Moin, the most popular candidate at the reform edge of
the spectrum. He's in sync with the current president, Muhammad
Khatami, "termed out" after eight years in office. Khatami wasn't
able to do much to undermine the power of highly conservative
clerics. Yet many young people, who have faced extremely puritanical
strictures, say that life in Iran has become a bit less stifling in
recent years.
The widely respected icon and hack Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani,
positioned midway on the spectrum of candidates, has been making
noises that are not only somewhat conciliatory toward the United
States but also indicate that he favors a move away from current
restrictive pressures on media and personal freedom. He might just be
blowing smoke to appeal to the youth vote, but he clearly realizes
that many in the nation's large population of young people are
especially eager for such changes.
Several of the eight presidential candidates are hardline theocrats.
Whether their outlook will prevail after the ballots are cast June 17
(or in the runoff scheduled for two weeks later if no candidate gets
more than 50 percent in the first round) remains to be seen. So does
Iran's path after this historic crossroads that could lead to more
fundamentalist repression or progress for elements of democracy in
Iranian society.
As I've learned more about what's at stake here for Iranian people,
I've become more angry at the deceptive rhetoric coming out of
Washington. When President Bush and his aides call Iran's
presidential election meaningless, it is wishful thinking. Some of
the Bush neocons have the delusion that they can overthrow the
Iranian regime with plenty of missiles. But the real means for
displacing Iran's theocratic rulers with democratic processes are
grassroots efforts of the sort taking root in Iran right now.
Evidently, the Bush administration would prefer that Iran's
presidential election be won by the most reactionary theocratic
forces in the country. Many of Bush's policymakers have a fantasy
that involves seeing Iran changed with military force. And a more
reasonable Iranian president could make Bush's agenda-setting for
warfare more difficult.
We should remember that the Bush team has much nicer things to say
about the far-more-repressive government in Saudi Arabia. And a few
weeks ago, Laura Bush -- with her husband's endorsement -- proclaimed
Egypt's sham election "reforms" to be an inspiration. Iran's election
process is very flawed, but it includes real aspects of democracy.
Compared to the current Saudi or Egyptian electoral setups, Iran is a
beacon of hope for the region.
The Washington officials who warn of Iran's nuclear intentions fail
to mention that the U.S. government has been encouraging the spread
of nuclear power plants for five decades. From an environmental
standpoint, Iran (like all nations) is ill-advised to develop nuclear
power. But there's no evidence it is anywhere near developing nuclear
weapons. And the Bush administration, with a solid track record of
winking at Israel's hundreds of atomic bombs and lying about WMDs in
Iraq, is in no credible position to lecture about Iranian nuclear
activities.
Bombast from the U.S. government helps to strengthen the hand of
hardline Iranian "theologues." For them, a missile strike against
Iran would be a godsend.
While in Washington there are fervent dreams of a military assault on
Iran, many people in Iran have boundless dreams of creating a society
that embraces human rights. Americans who want to help them should
challenge the dominant rhetoric of American media and politics that
is now setting an agenda for war on Iran.
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Norman Solomon, executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy,
is the author of the new book "War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits
Keep Spinning Us to Death," which became available this week. For
information, go to:
www.WarMadeEasy.com