Adventures of Mr.Behi

Monsters Inc.

These days the hard liners, who believe in more social limitation and stricter foreign policy, cannot hide their happiness for the election of the new president of their kind. Rumours are everywhere anticipating the upcoming retreat to the atmosphere of early revolution. Ahmadi Nejad himself vowed for a moderate government in his news conference but his supporters are insisting that it is time to get back to principals!
Frightening people looks adorable to them, as it seems. Having foreign enemies for defending them we should stay united (that mean shut up if you have something to say against us otherwise you are a spy). They need enemies to survive. Suppose if one day we make peace with the US, many of them have little to say in their speeches. I hope they discover one day that bringing peace and letting other ideas to talk happily can make a better world firstly for them, themselves. They are humans anyway. Oil is in price peak so I hope they can make some economic difference as they claimed in their campaign.

It Happened!

It Happened! What I was afraid of. Look who is leaving, Khatami, the intellectual that we were proud of, and see who is coming, a hard line conservative, who makes it humiliating to be Iranian. If Khatami had a landslide victory as a result of youth and student supports eight years ago, now with a huge poor population, Ahmadi Nejad is surfing on the sear of poverty and in absence of many of reform supporters.

The most radical portion of the population with the most dangerous Islamic fundamentalist ideas are now in charge. Bad days to come. I do not want to see myself as war blogger. But these guys will make it easier to happen if they insist in having this nasty nuclear technology the way they want. I think those who like US to attack Iran are loving this most. The stupid ideas of these conservatives will make it easy to justify it. What I should do? I am going to keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise and who knows what the next tide can bring? Well, this time it has brought something very nasty! But anyway, Shit happens!

Waiting!

Desperate! waiting for election results. On my way back from my short trip, I am hearing many news now about extensive fraud in many election sites. There are unconfirmed news about winning of Ahmadi Nejad and I am hoping they are not true. Very anxious, very worried I am. Can not imagine the horrible outcome of such results for the future of my nation. I voted in a very small city today not very far from Tehran and I was the only in the queue! Tonight when we were driving into Tehran from northern highways, I found the city as crowded as mid-day rush hours while it was after midnight. Do not know why. The bad news that I read in a blog is that apparently "Kayhan", the conservative newspaper that belongs to hard-line conservatives, has prepared the title for Ahmadi Nejad's victory! In the first round last week, Kayhan also Knew that he will go to the second round even before the complete counting of the votes. I HOPE this time that this is just a propaganda. Waiting... 

Ultra-Conservatives Vs Haphazard

While the summer and election are uniting to make a heated atmosphere in Tehran, I am in a small city two hours drive from it to make myself a short "Escape to the country".

You can feel it here from many of the educated people that they are truly horrified with the idea that ultra-conservatives supporting Ahmadi Nejad may come to power. In the last few days, many different social and political groups are taking refuge from this anticipation to the circle of Hashemi's supporters. From the beginning of this week, mobiles phones were stormed by SMS messages mostly joking about Ahmadi Nejad's character. His facial appearance made it easy for many to make fun of him but they are actually trying to forget the fear they have for what it is there in his mind! Many are terrified of social limitations that he could introduce. Even some who did not vote in the previous round are now dubious about the idea of boycotting. The same is true for some who wanted Moeen to be president and now cannot bother caring about the finalists.

The hard-line conservatives in parliament, revolutionary guard and Basij armed militia, can not fit in their bodies that they are so close to dominate the whole hierarchy of power.
Ahmadi Nejad campaign has been doing a good job to attract economically in trouble people, aiming his attacks to Hashemi's most weak point; Economic corruption and love for luxury. His ignorance towards the divergence in income of rich and poor in his presidency time, made the room for the conservatives to hunt the lower-class Iranians with the warning that they will be still ignored under his rule.

Ahmadi Nejad appeared on TV in the last two nights and tried to appear as a technocrat who loves working for the economy and denied all the allegation regarding his will for more social pressure. His campaign was doing it's best to present him as someone who lives like poor people. On my way today to east of Tehran, I noticed many wall written supports for Ahmadi Nejad suggesting that he will fight the rich and support the poor.

Not to forget those who did not vote at all and will not anyway. I have heard from many who called the whole thing a plot to make a big turn out for Hashmi Rafsanjani. I was talking to a friend last night and was explaining why I think Hashemi shall be our choice this time to obtain at least a room for more push for our right. I was explaining why I think we shall not wait and see a set back for reform. He replied that he can not discriminate between Hashemi and Ahmadi Nejad as they are both within the system and for the idea of having more room for change, he gave a nice example: "Do not think that by grabbing your hair and pulling it up you can take yourself higher!" This is in fact very true if you want to look at the big picture.

Hold the line Hobbits! Let's save the precious

Wired events are going on here. Mehdi karrubi, one of the candidates (moderate semi-reformist) wrote a letter to the leader criticising him, his supporters and his son for illegal support and fraud in favour of Mahmood Ahmadi Nejad (The ultra-conservative radical candidate). His letter is surprisingly new in style as it is the first time as far as I can recall that someone from within the system of power is complaining about the leader in such an open way and makes such straight criticism especially because he has been the leader’s nominee and ad-visor, the position he announced his reassignment for in the same letter. The crazy thing is that daily papers were ordered not to publish his letter and his offending on the leader and those did, are now closed. Eghbal daily is one of those and is close to supporters of Mostafa Moeen the defeated reformist candidate. There is a hope as it is in the news site that the ban will be short.

There are fears for extreme radical Islamic ideas to steer up in high-level management if Ahmadi Nejad and his supporters get elected. He as it is apparent now, has the support of revolutionary guard and in thus the leader. They have horrible plans for every aspect of our lives. So ridiculous that people know are making jokes about what will happen if he become president. They are so strict socially and will clash a lot with the youth who are already having problem with existing moderate government for the limitations it applies on their way of clothing and social mingling with opposite sex.

In economy, they are so horrible that today I read in a website quoting Ahmadi Nejad that stock exchange is not a good thing because it is like gambling and gambling is not permitted in Islam! Unbelievable! For a progressive nation like Iran with so many intellectuals, he is suggesting a damn plot of Taliban like system.

Now, hey out there. Those who boycotted with whatever idea (I respect all) We all know the flaws in the system, how unfair it is. We know how we hate Rafsanjani and his corrupted team. But this wall is our last to protection. If we show up little, they will cheat again and make the most logically impaired people to become the owners of our destiny and they will cut all the trees we raised in these years with our words and ideas so that under their shadow we can have better living and a more free society despite the barren desert of dictatorship around us.
They are powerful and prepared and use all illegal means to get what they want despite his claims of being religious and Islamic. We do not know what tactic they may use this time. I just remembered “Gladiator” the movie when they were all in the Colosseum waiting for their rivals to come and then the Spaniard said: “Whatever comes out from those doors, we have a better chance of survival if we work together!”

The Crunch Came

Very upset. It is hard to write. Everyone is in ultimate shock of these unprecedented, unbelievable and horrible results. When I voted yesterday, I would never imagine such outcome. Cannot comment about rumors of fraud in election but this is just wrong. Everywhere people are talking about this, biting their nails. This could really be avoided if those reformists who supported the boycott would have not done so. I received calls from friends who boycotted the election; they are now desperately calling for vote for Rafsanjani although they all dislike him (I can imagine his ear to ear smile if it happens) They are escaping from imagining the hard line, ultraconservative Ahmadinejad as president, busy with jeopardizing all of our passion for democracy within the past few years, ruining our desire for being a republic buy turning the cabinet a puppet for the non-elected individuals. Again, the clerics cornered us in a dead lock and it’s very unfortunate that we locked the last door behind us and surrendered our little chance to have our say and do some action to those who were ready to vote by the order from the conservatives. The game that conservative supporters are playing is not fair but they are prepared, instead their rivals decided to watch the massacre of their rights. Most of the undemocratic characteristics of the election were also present eight years ago but we made the conservatives believe that we can deny them and have our say. We voted for Khatami and what a day it was! Compare the two days. If we acted same as yesterday eight years ago, no reform would have been possible at all.
More: I have found this community in which this post is being disscused and there are negative comments I liked reading. I wish they would comment here. The comments are open and all welcomed!?

The anti-democrats

Link: Gains for Democracy Could Jolt Iran's Theocrats and America's Neocons

This fantastic article by Norman Solomon is a must read for many Iranians who love Bush to come and rescue them. It is really sensible here in Iran and the last case was yesterday when the national TV was so excited about Bush recent speech against the election (I am not implying that the content of his speech was wrong) but it was the biggest gift Bush could give the conservatives who are always waiting for such speeches to call the United States a number one enemy of the nation by heating up and misusing the sense of patriotism among the people.
See Norman's blog
See the post I sent some months ago about this.
Update: I have just read this article in Rooz online also about this issue.

Initial results

6:a.m: just got up. Still not sure about official results. Hoder suggests in Iran Scan that he heard good news from Moeen campaign but Shargh online is not suggesting a good place for Moeen country wide but the news is from 2:00 a.m this morning. I am suprised how Karubi could have fooled the small cities. He has been promising to give around 50$ to every one monthly if he goes to office. Many other persian websites are suggesting Hashemi and Moeen for the second round. More later.
14:30: Moeen votes is still very low. :-(

Election Day- Behi Coverage

10:20 p.m: The election is extended till 11:00 p.m. This is always happens regardless the number of voters so make it look big. The national TV has started in a silly way, the propaganda against the "enemies of Iran". It is like kids play. They make it in a way that all the reporters if international media are respecting Iranian regime! This is very stupid. There is a very nasty discrimination as if if you vote it means you are endorsing all the bad things in the system and if you have some words against the system you should not vote. It is hard to be in the middle.

9:00 p.m: The time for vote is extended till 10 p.m and now the noise signal on satellite TVs are gone so I can also track other news channels. BBC Frances Harrison is reporting constantly from Tehran and he interviews a guy called Mr. Ghizilbash who is a political activist. I have never heard of him but he is indeed a fair observer of the election issues here. Bush recent speech made Iran leaders and TV to gain a clue to repeat the stupid slogans against the west. I do not mean he is wrong but will he please try not to support our people by any chance? update: see what Iranian Truth had to say about this.

5:00 p.m: We headed north towards Ershad cultural complex where most of the media coverage both from state television and foreign reporters are coming from. The place was really much more crowded than the one we voted in but still less than the amount you would expect from scenes of the TV. This is the line in front of men's entrance. My wife had the chance to spot Masih Alinejad (The brave parliamentary journalist who was forced out of the Parliament as she challenged some of the conservative MPs) talking to the famous CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour. Mrs. Behi told me later than Amanpour had a little clash with administrators in the voting site because she was asked not to do the interviews in English. How do they expect someone from CNN to do the interview maybe because they knew she is half-Iranian. I do not see any point of putting pressure on journalists like this but seems that the fellows wanted to know what was being said (Go and learn English you lazy goofs!).

4:30 p.m: We hired a taxi to get toward the northern parts of the city. The driver asked if we voted and when we affirmatively nodded, he showed his frustration and got angry. He said "I respect your decision but I do not think it can bring any change". "What will happen if we don't then?", we replied. He said "ok, but people are not important for the system and it is already decided that hashemi should  shall be president". So we shall let him down by our votes, I insisted.

4:00 p.m: Me and Mrs. Behi went to vote. We spotted a mosque near our place in a major square in Tehran city centre. There were not many people waiting in the line. Approx 20 and I could not really tell for whom they were about to vote apart from some young couples like us who had nothing to hide that they were voting for Mostafa Moeen. This is the vote my wife casted.

12:30 p.m: Internet connection is back.

12:05 p.m: I am still home. The national television is covering the election in the way it wants. We are experiencing Internet outage. I tried various different ISPs and they are all out. I called one of them and they told me that it is cut from the root by the telecommunications ministry. Outrageous! Surprise! PMC (Persian music channel) that is run from Dubai is among the few we can get when they impose noises on satellite TVs and it is now showing Hashemi's campaign movie. The kind of music they play is very prohibited by Iranian authorities so how shall I explain that. BBC world covers the election as one of the headlined and kind of suggesting that Hashemi will win which really disappoints me.

10:05 a.m: Just got up. Now browsing the Iranian blogs and the national TV. This IRIB is disgusting. They select people and ask crazy questions from them in voting site: "What is your feeling now?" and the guy says: "I am hitting a feast on America's nose!". They are very famous of telling what they think from the mouth of their supporters and call it people opinion. Since last night there has been a huge noise casting by the government on satellite TVs so the only channel I can get is the BBC world, the one that is broadcasting for India. There are many who are hopeful for Moeen to win. I hope the wise people of big cities win. From many of the bloggers there is a sign of hope but fear for fraud and misuse of armed forces. Will have a little breakfast and will go out as soon as I can to see what is out there. check back here.

Election Eve

Tonight, I was talking to Mrs. Behi about the decision we shall make for the election tomorrow; voting or not voting. We have been dubious about this since the start of the election campaigns we have been always having a good will for the reformists but still are not convinced about their capability to keep their promise in getting the non-elected parts of the country under control. This is a dream! We both thought. Then we decided to figure out why we like and why we dislike voting and what will happen if we do not vote as the other option (what will happen) is not very clear.
If I boycott, how shall I defend it? Well, I hate to see the leader to come to his balcony decorated with that ugly blue color and announces proudly "our beloved youth have voted for the Islamic republic and it's leadership and nailed the United states and enemies of the nations" and his supporters hooray. I cannot let that happen in my name. I may boycott because I no longer care what happens to the Islamic republic. Some friends say, let them get a president that fits them. Khatami was too educated for such people who think they are wiser than the entire nation. I shall boycott because there is rumor that Moeen has no chance so why I spend my vote to give credibility to this election? What happens if I boycott? Nothing, shall welcome Hashemi with his corrupted past who is hand in hand with the leader and is hard to question or to Qalibaf who is waiting with his military friends to deviate our days from normal, or for Larijani with the sniffing old clerics backing him. Will the Islamic republic wipe out if I boycott? Sure No so what?
Voting for Moeein, what do you think? I like the idea of reform and pressuring the totalitarian system from inside is one way of bringing change although it has been a very slow move in the last eight years. Preventing Hashemi from winning is by itself a very good reason. I cannot stand on this nightmare of seeing him as a president for four years. And if Moeen wins? We shall see how he can keep his promise but he is by far very different from other candidates and is best fit for my ideas and I see him honest. Mr.Behi is convinced and will vote for Moeen. Cheers for better days.

You snooze (or not) you loose (anyway)

It is hard for many to think of voting and I can find the above statement true in any combination presented except the orogonal form sadly! Reformists have very adorable promises this time and are trying to let people know that they are now very different and in fact are more persistent on their reformist demands. In this haphazard where empty promises is a common stock to sell by the candidates, reformists are felt as the most honest but honesty does not really mean capability. The idea behind the reformists is more or less the same as demands of many people but a reformist president with good will to change but not enough power to implement it, will make the idea behind the reform lonelier than it is now. This feeling that “you loose anyway” is felt by many in Iran for whom the divergence between their thoughts with the way politics work is becoming too wide to be filled

Election posters

These days in Tehran, walls are adopting new coverings and banners of different sizes are gesticulating for attention, praising different candidates and appealing for more votes. Examining the banners if one can manage not to get bored can bring an insight view of the current situation in the society as the election mottos are perfectly manifesting what is not there in Iran.
“Fresh air and hope” is what Larijani is promising with his artificial simile. Ghalibaf is doing his best to be good looking, dressing as a pilot on the deck of an Iran airplane, his banners are many with the promise of good life to Iranians showing jubilant youngsters cheering for national soccer team in stadiums (His police force was the key opponent of expressing joy in public). Rafsanjani is also very active and his supporters are voraciously attaching his posters are around the city, with the face that people are indeed tired of and his invitation “Together, let’s all work”. Moeen promises that he will "Build the homeland again".
The common phrases in all of the posters are “people”, “Iranians” and “Youth” about whom government has no clue but are in the center of attention now out of the blue!

IRIB interview with Mohammad B. Ghalibaf

I agree with what is done in former government while I also disagree so let me tell you what you already know! This is what I could gather from Ghalibaf's interview with IRIB tonight. He emphasized a lot on economy escaping from the debates that could lead to social and political questions that might debate his former role in the top management as police chief. Mr. Ghalibaf was on TV trying to be cheerful but his tone of voice was conspicuously like an army officer likewise the number of times he used "Should" and "Must" among his words. Read More below...

Military boots marching for more influence; A Red Alert for election

It is reported today that Iranian minister of internal affairs-which is the organizing body of the election- has announced a warning on what he mentioned as unlawful approach of military personnel for controlling the election process. With Ghalibaf and Rezaee, running for presidency, military is now using it's influence to persuade the council of Guardians to let them get involve in the supervision of the lection process. This is the issue that Minster Lari denounces as being against the constitution according to which military personnel are prohibited in getting involved in supporting of political parties and candidates.

Read more news in Iran Scan and here is the RSS link of my posts there

Trusting people, why it is so difficult for Iranian regime?

It is always a wonder for many who have been in favor of reform that why reformists are facing such decline in public support while need for change has gone even far beyond to what it was eight years ago. The desire for peaceful change now goes way to radical, impatient actions and that is very unfortunate. Not all of this issue is about the people although it is obvious that we, Iranians have been always desperate for change in our recent history to become free from totalitarian rulers but the point is that we want it fast. This feeling is so strongly embedded in our character that both the rulers and the nation are following it. It was quite sensible eight years ago when people elected Khatami that they wanted something bigger that what he as a cleric and a figure in the Islamic regime could bring. His reform actions were slow but this view that “every opposition is enemy” led the radical extremists of the Islamic system to march against those in favor of reform alleging them as those supporting the overthrow of the regime. Now we have in one side, a nation anxious for change with no big desire for reform which is becoming hunted by those who blow in the horn of another revolution and on the other side a system of power that is actively increases the number of supporters of radical change by it’s lack of care for wishes people have been crying out for. Visit other articles on Iran recent election at Iran Scan

Endorse or reject?

That is hard to think what Moeein should do considering this situation. Hoder has made a very interesting survey ( Link to Iran Scan) with the e-pool he designed that gives a clue that many of those who have read his post do not like Moeein to endorse the approval for candidacy after "ORDER" from the supreme leader (That is out of the realm of democracy). I think the reason behind this is that people expect Reformists to heal the trust and prove that they can make those changes people have been expecting since eight years ago and this way of running certainly can not fill that gap to change the impression of many ordinary Iranians that I talk to: "They are all the same! Reformist or conservative". For the reformist to do anything, it is not really important how they may continue their campaign but it is how to win the trust that they lost! and in what price.

Ordering democracy, a huge contradiction!

Iran’s supreme leader has requested (better say ordered) the Guardians Council to revise the decision on sacking reformist candidate Mosfata Moeen from presidential candidacy. You can read excellent account by Shahram Kholdi here that contains translation of official letters. How come the leader became so open minded out of the blue? And why he did not ask the council to revise the thing before the announcement? Some say because there were treats for demonstrations by students (They knew this even before!). I believe his request is to hit many targets by one arrow and mainly:

Having Moeen back can breach technocrats/reformists who may vote for Rafsanjan in Moeen’s absence.

The letter may look in favor of Moeen but in fact it is somehow against him. Reformists have been always criticizing the way supreme leader orders others and announced before that this is not a democratic way of ruling. Getting things done upon direct order of the leader has been a way for conservatives to overrule the democratic needs (The major incident happened years ago when the sixth parliament-which was reformist- was trying to change press law to a more democratic version but was ordered to stop by a same kind of letter from the leader). When bloggers met Moeein last month, he was obviously detesting this way of “ordering” and said he will not be accepting such if he gets elected. Now he is in a big challenge, if he runs as a candidate he is obviously endorsing a non-democratic game that he has theoretically been condemning and if he does not, nothing comes out. Conservatives are targeting theoretical backbone of his campaign now!

Apart from that, the funny thing is that it is the same every where here, if you want to get a simple thing done in a government building and even if you pursue all legal actions according to written procedures, sometimes you need a friends or relative there or some one you can bribe to get what you want. We can call it fractal corruption!

Guardians Council, Gangrene of democracy

Link: BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iran 'bars pro-reform candidates'.

When a country cannot trust a person who has been among its top managers for many years, whom it can trust? The Guardian’s council disqualifies Mostafa Moeein to prove once again that the geometry of the circle of trust in the Islamic Republic of Iran is not represented by the borderline of the country but by the shape of governor’s skulls!

To waive or to waste; what shall I do with my vote?

I just read this fantastic article by Brooding Persian about the strange things in the history of presidential elections in the Islamic Republic. We are indeed as it is mentioned there, strange nation and I would like to add that some parts of this strange behavior is due to the fact that we forget our past as easy as our perception of a leaf drifting away by a stream! And no wonder, our governments imitate us in this regard. Islamic republic is a child of a revolution against a system that could not stand oppositions and wasn’t letting them to openly discuss their views in public accusing them as enemies of the nation. I wonder why the Islamic republic is somehow following that doomed path even with wider strides? I enthusiastically voted for Khatami eight years ago and many others did like me. I saw old folks were coming for voting on their wheel chairs just because their young grandchildren and Khatami’s great promises for a better society convinced them. Islamic Republic can only see such turn out in dreams. They should learn that people are not just for election times; they should be listened to as well. Casting my vote will not change anything. If I vote for reformists and in case they get elected, they are already appeared so vulnerable when attacked by conservatives. If I don’t vote and conservatives get the chair, that will be same all shi… anyway!
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P.S: Just got this report in The Guardian

Election news package

Observing the Iranian presidential elections from Iran and beyond

I am very excited to see these great fellows are doing this.