freedom4all

U.S. Sanctions to Support the Courageous People of Iran state.gov/releases/offic…

Here's a list of things I think @PahlaviReza should have done in the last few weeks, if not in the last few decades. He did not do these things because he is incapable of leading a political organization, let alone a political transition: • Structuring his communications around a daily broadcast at a set time to give the protest movement a tempo while using consistent visuals to impress a sense of control • Proving the existence of an actual political organization by foregrounding staff and surrogates in external communications • Rejecting “Javid Shah” as a political slogan and ensuring messaging creates a basis for broad solidarity • Prioritizing the longevity of the protest movement by calling for non-violent resistance, disciplined mobilization, and reiterating that protestors should remain safe, including by using methods such as “stay-at-home” strikes or gatherings outside of city centers • Showing contrition for the huge loss of life and honoring slain protestors sensitively to avoid instrumentalizing their deaths • Condemning infighting within the diaspora and insisting on a political culture based on inclusivity and tolerance • Establishing a new membership-based political organization with an elected executive body to coordinate activities across opposition groups • Disciplining or ejecting members who do not adhere to a code of conduct • Adopting a title that relates to his elected role in this political organization, de-emphasizing the title of “crown prince” • Reaffirming a commitment to the principles of the Women, Life, Freedom and uplifting the leaders of that movement • Highlighting the compatibility of his proposals with those of Iranian opposition figures within Iran, calling for their release from prison, and underscoring his readiness to work with them, especially those on the left • Rejecting a political vision based on nostalgia while privileging members of the recent diaspora over those whose families left Iran decades ago • Fundraising to provide emergency support human rights groups so they have enough capacity for documentation of unprecedented state violence • Fundraising to pay for legal expenses and medical bills for families impacted during the protests • Lobbying the Trump administration and European governments to continue processing Iranian visas to enable individuals to escape prosecution or to seek medical attention in the United States • Lobbying the Trump administration to enable Iranian Americans to send remittances to Iran to support family members facing economic hardship • Demonstrating real leadership rather than groveling for Trump and Graham and other figures to act There are other things I wish he would do, but know he cannot, such as disavow the support of Netanyahu (a war criminal) and reject military intervention. But the point of this list, which is far from exhaustive, is to highlight how far we are from having an effective political opposition. This is largely because of Pahlavi’s failure to foster the necessary political culture and to build the necessary political institutions. He is talking about his readiness to lead a caretaker government before he has even formed a political party, committee, or congress. I suspect that any US intelligence assessments about his capacity to lead will note this failing. If Machado, with her deep organizing experience, couldn't win the trust of the Trump administration, how can Pahlavi? Moreover, the overwhelming focus on his prospects has clouded the international community’s understanding of the Iranian opposition and crowded out support for other leaders and forms of leadership within Iran. Pahlavi has been so fixated on his position, he forgot the process, and that is deeply unfortunate.

Geen woord vanuit @gl_pvda over de demonstraties die al dagen plaatsvinden in Iran. Niet vanuit de partij, de fractievoorzitter of de woordvoerder. De Iraanse bevolking hoeft niet op hun steun te rekenen. Zwak en alles behalve progressief.