Patriotism in the most elementary sense of the term (the word derives from the Latin patria or “fatherland”), suggests the loyalty that all citizens owe to their country or nation.
Therefore, I am a Lebanese Patriot
Monday, June 15, 2009
Iran's Second Revolution!
Be brave & have faith, you will not die today, Tyranny and oppression will die today...
Iran - the street protests pit people who want everything from a little more room to breathe all the way to outright Western-style democracy. The elite politics are even more confusing, pitting clerics very comfortable with their privileges against war generation neo-conservatives who think their moment has arrived against more thoughtful clerics who, still comfortable with their privileges, nevertheless think a bit of electoral politics is a good check against outright military dictatorship (that would strip the clerics of their power and probably of their privileges as well). Iran for the last century is clerics (the old rural elite) against military modernizers (be they Revolutionary Guards or the Shah's men) against masses who want civil liberties and intellectuals who believe in democracy. That's three groups (not counting the people), so at any moment, two have to team up to defeat the third, hence the constant instability.
Now, what are the lessons and parallels of all this for Lebanon?
I think the Cedars' revolution in Lebanon (2005) gave the middle east an opportunity that people can make a difference.
You look at the demonstrators, you will see the similarity between Iran and Lebanon. They are mostly young and they want a serious change.
In 2005, over one million Lebanese went down to the streets against the Syrian military regime in Lebanon. They achieved a huge change, the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.
I think what most Iranians want is a change. They want freedom. They cannot live under this regime any more. Mousavi gave them an opportunity for that change.
I think it is not going to stop at this stage. Such regime in Iran will do more arrests and spill more blood which will push Iranians to be on the streets again. I think it is a matter of time.
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Iran - the street protests pit people who want everything from a little more room to breathe all the way to outright Western-style democracy. The elite politics are even more confusing, pitting clerics very comfortable with their privileges against war generation neo-conservatives who think their moment has arrived against more thoughtful clerics who, still comfortable with their privileges, nevertheless think a bit of electoral politics is a good check against outright military dictatorship (that would strip the clerics of their power and probably of their privileges as well). Iran for the last century is clerics (the old rural elite) against military modernizers (be they Revolutionary Guards or the Shah's men) against masses who want civil liberties and intellectuals who believe in democracy. That's three groups (not counting the people), so at any moment, two have to team up to defeat the third, hence the constant instability.
Now, what are the lessons and parallels of all this for Lebanon?
I think the Cedars' revolution in Lebanon (2005) gave the middle east an opportunity that people can make a difference.
You look at the demonstrators, you will see the similarity between Iran and Lebanon. They are mostly young and they want a serious change.
In 2005, over one million Lebanese went down to the streets against the Syrian military regime in Lebanon. They achieved a huge change, the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.
I think what most Iranians want is a change. They want freedom. They cannot live under this regime any more. Mousavi gave them an opportunity for that change.
I think it is not going to stop at this stage. Such regime in Iran will do more arrests and spill more blood which will push Iranians to be on the streets again. I think it is a matter of time.
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