by Navid Felker
With the current unrest in Iran, some commentators have said that the situation there could become like the one in Syria. The biggest problem facing the Iranian regime is its lack of legitimacy which is becoming even more evident with the wave of protests that is spreading across the country.
The regime relies on repressing the people to contain public discontent. It also relies on the export of terrorism to survive. It has been proven that the Iranian regime does not respond to appeasement and diplomacy – decisiveness is needed.
Regarding claims that Iran will become the next Syria, it is impossible to say with certainty, but it is very likely that this will not happen. For one, the Iranian regime is the source of instability, particularly in Syria.
Furthermore, the people of Iran are not going to let fundamentalism enter their lives again after already experiencing it during the anti-monarchist revolution when the progressive groups were repressed by the Shah’s regime. Khomeini filled the void that was left and led the fundamentalism in the country.
Also, the uprisings in Iran are spread across the whole country. The people are calling for the overthrow of the ruling regime from all corners of the country.
The people of Iran benefit from a strong, organised and progressive opposition movement. The opposition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), is working towards freedom from oppression, rule of law and democracy. Just like the people on the streets are crying out for.
The protests and anti-government demonstrations that started at the end of last month involved people condemning the price increases and widespread corruption, but they soon turned into protests against the entire political system.
The people are taking to the streets and are bravely risking everything to ensure that their future is brighter. They know that they face being arrested, tortured or even killed, but they are still there, doing their bit, to try to get rid of the corrupt, brutal and cruel regime that is ruining their lives.
In 2009, the major uprisings in Iran were so close to toppling the regime. However, the people lacked international support. This time, things are different. President Trump has voiced his support for the people of Iran on a number of occasions in the past few weeks and the US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley reminded the regime that the world was watching. Haley also commented that human rights are not a gift granted by governments, but an automatic right.
This is something that the West needs to think about. The West upholds human rights and this should be extended to the people of Iran. These people are trying to take the future into their own hands because their pasts have been marred by suppression.
They want to get rid of the evil and make sure that their country no longer spreads misery to other nations, namely Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon. If the West values human rights then it has a responsibility to ensure that the Iranian regime stops violating those of the people of Iran.
