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According to Gooya News, an Iranian woman who is an open supporter of Mir-Hossein Mousavi has written a sharp letter in response to Mir-Hossein Mousavi’s where he discussed the late Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The letter was published by Gooya News and translated by Persian2English.com
Mr. Mousavi, the Imam, an I
By Semaneh
Translation
June 19, 2010
To err is human, but “error” covers an entire spectrum, from minor and forgivable mistakes to crime, murder, and bloodshed. Remaining loyal to the truth is valuable and it is a sign of nobility. However, loyalty to what has resulted in thousands of people being hanged from gallows, not only is vain, but also is void of any wisdom and fairness.
Loyalty to a father who is ostensibly holy but in reality is power thirsty and evil-natured is the Achilles’ heel and Esfandyar’s eye** of our political history.
The father is a fundamental model in the subconscious of humanity. We have sought the father in mythological heroes, messengers, kings, and saints. Humanity’s need for a kind, strong, supportive, and wise father cannot be denied. But what price are we supposed to pay for this deeply emotional and mental need? Humanity has gone as far as clinging to saviours who were ruthless murderers and tyrants in order meet its need to be saved from pain, suffering, and misfortune. There are many examples in history and I do not see it necessary to point them out here.
Dear Mr. Mousavi, about a year ago, I and those like me who believed there is still some hope left came to the ballot boxes and voted for you or Mr. Karroubi. We were romantics, but our ship was stuck in the mud. We envied the right wind to set it afloat again. Now, after the passing of tumultuous months, after victims and physical and psychological harms, we are more determined than ever. We know that we are countless. We are not afraid of the difficult and uneven roads. We have started a movement without a leader, a Sheikh, a guide, a guru, or a mentor. We are not waiting for a miracle and appearance of a prophet. This time, we move forward with the realities around us and we do not claim to know everything.
The root of ideological movements of which the Islamic Revolution [of 1979] was the fruit has fortunately and obviously rotted and decayed. Now, a collective deep look inside is necessary for a long journey. Our provision and luggage for this journey is not our past, but it is what we have learned in this depraved year of difficulty and doubt, and what we have stored in our aching hearts.
My friend, I shall not call you by any other title. [I want you to] know that I respect your sentiments toward Mr. Khomeini, but I do not approve nor accept such blind and unconditional loyalty. This is the point where our worlds are separated miles from one another.
Do you know why?
The last time I saw the smile of my mother was before the “imposed” war [with Iraq].*** One of the most horrific chapters of my life and many others was this very “Imam’s era”. I remember how my mom had her black chador with orange flowers on as she would run to my elementary school panting each time the red sirens went off. She would find me among the hundreds of children and drag me by the hand. I was confused and did not know the reason behind it. To be honest, I had no understanding of death at the age of seven. This is perhaps my fault and not the adults. When we ran toward our home, I would see tears running down my mother’s cheeks. There was chaos in our alley because all the neighbours had come to the street with their children.
A woman neighbour held a radio in her hand and provided us with minute-to-minute updates on the death of our future. In front of all the trembling and pale children, she advised everyone to take refuge in basements. We were also told to have shovels and picks on hand so in the case that we survived the bombings and were trapped under the rubble, we would be able to dig ourselves out. Then she addressed all the children. She said that all the kids needed to be careful to stand next to their parents so that if a bomb hits, they would all die, God willing, together, so that no child would be left an orphan! Of course, these were all signs of our obvious mistake: the mistake of “being born”.
This is only a very small example of the events of those years when my attire was fear and my headscarf was terror. I would like to know where your Imam was during this period. What was he doing? In other words, in his “luminous” years, what did he do for us? Let me start from his arrival [to Iran] and the fact that “he had no feelings”.**** He belittled all Iranian women by imposing on them a compulsory hijab law. Finally, the mass executions of imprisoned dissidents in the summer of 1988 [were carried out under his order].
I do not know, or rather, I think it is again my fault that the “light” of his presence in Iran blinded me to his prominent human virtues. However, from what we generally know of humanity, goodness and honesty is considerably different from his [Ayatollah Khomeini's] record of conduct.
I would like to know how this eminent, knowledgeable, and kind father was able to ruthlessly get his children killed? If the assumption is that he “did not know”, then what kind of knowledgeable, learnt, enlightened personality is not aware of the blood spilled under his nose? If the assumption is that he “knew” but did not approve [such acts] and was not able to prevent such vicious acts, then what kind of leader has no power? And if the third case holds true where he “knew” what was going on, and he was doing it and ordering it, then I have to say welcome to the definition of the “disordered family” and the “disordered father”.
Iran is our family who suffers from disorder. My friend, I was your little sister; like many sisters and brothers who you had and have. I have experienced the father you sanctify with flesh, blood, and bone. I have never and will never like the father who you like to this day and who you celebrate. Such differences of views between family members is very common and psychological science has well proven it.
Sometimes a despotic, dictatorial, and ill father is sanctified by his family members so much that even if this father has raped a child in the family, the mother of this child and the other family members do not criticize the decadent and disturbed father. Instead, they support him openly and sincerely. Who is the real victim of such a family? I hope our answer is the [abused] child.
My friend, we and those like us who are countless resemble the victimized defenseless child. We were abused and raped in the “Imam’s era” through war, imprisonment of our fathers, murder and execution of our brothers and sisters, violence toward our mothers, and as people who have the right to life, our humanity was debased; not once, but over and over again. Our knowledge and the results of today were conceived from those assaults; an awareness that we all had to pay dearly for. I see you, but apparently you do not see me.
I see that your unconditional moral commitment to what is false is the consolidation and fixation on your old methods and conducts, the fear of collapse, and reconstructing what should have been born. Mr. Ahmadinejad might want to, as you claim, deny the primary objectives of the Revolution through distorting the “Imam’s years”, but he is not a member of this green-bodied collective effort. He is a nil in this equation because he is foreign to concepts such as seeking justice, honesty, intellect, and thoughtfulness. Our movement, however, is about knowledge and analysis of the facts. The thoughts of illogical and narrow-minded fundamentalists and bigots are not the concerns of the realities of today.
I reserve the right to impeach the holy fathers of this family regardless of the fact that they were prone to making mistakes, for if I do not do it today, other tyrant fathers will commit acts tomorrow that our children will pay in a yet more catastrophic way. We will not let anybody belittle our discoveries and our thoughts again. Nowadays, we trust our eyes and ears more. We raised our voice to say, “Where is my vote?” Nobody can kill the moon, the sun, and the stars; not the intellectuals, the Imams, the fathers, and not even the angels and the Gods of the seven heavens.
My friend, we voted for you, but we will not give up our knowledge, reasoning, logic, conscience, and consciousness to others. As Aristotle said, “Plato is a friend of mine, but the truth is a greater friend to me.”
With kindness and respect,
Samaneh