What does Akbar Ganji want?

ارسال به بالاترین

Akbar Ganji, like his counterparts outside Iran, i.e. Mohsen Sazegara, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and Ebrahim Nabavi, was among the founders/co-founder and/or assistant of the most vicious organs of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). He joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shortly after its founding by Mohsen Sazegara and later on joined the Ministry of Intelligence (And Security of Land), also known as VEVAK, founded by Saeed Emami. Ganji was in direct contact with Emmai who ran this horrific ministry of systematic violence and torture against the opposition. During the 1980s, 100s of thousands were arrested, executed, tortured and buried in mass graves by the IRI, implemented in essence by these two horrendous institutions, IRGC and VEVAK (acronym of Minsity in Farsi).

Akbar Ganji is quiet about the first 20 years of the IRI except for his vague and Western-appealing references to “Stalinism”, although with a twist. In Ganji’s “Stalinism”, Khomeini is still the Imam (the praiseworthy leader) and that 80’s crackdown is completely just! Also, Ganji never addresses his own role in the so-called Stalinist apparatus of the IRI. We are only allowed to know about him after his claimed ‘dissent about something’ in 1995. In his recent writing in Newsweek International, November 19, 2007, he reiterates that elements in the government of Iran are interpreting ayatollah Khomeini’s theory of government (velayate faghih) in a fascist way to monopolize the power. He adds that a democratic interpretation of Islam should counter this fascist interpretation of Islam.

Despite the minor differences among the aforementioned 4 figures, their commonalities are very strong and homogenous:
1) Each and every one has a thick record of collaboration and/or assisting the vicious machinery of suppression.
2) Once there is an uprising in Iran against the IRI (the current one is not the only one but the biggest ever) they all drop the self claimed “author/journalist, film maker, satire writer” role and turn into “political activist of true Islam” role. For the record, once and each time they’ve been confronted with the atrocities they were involved in 80s, they all shield themselves with “I’m just a journalist/movie maker…” pose.
3) Since they can not deny their past deeds once they are confronted to the point of a need to respond, they boldly defend their past deeds and promise another round of atrocities if necessary!

The above characteristics serve them in achieving a common goal, that is, to manipulate and ‘tame’ the revolutionary uprising against the IRI. Although their approach is not identical, however, they share the same goal and the method to reach it. They are striving to be recognized political celebrities able to carry on their counterparts’ role within the regime, i.e. Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mir Hussein Mousavi, Karrubi, once the originals are no longer useful.

In their view, they need to find a common ground with the western governments, US in particular, in order to be recognized and to be highlighted by them and to play the role of the main figures of politicians in Iran. They hang on to the “democracy” buzz from this perspective. Their “democracy” has hardly anything to do with the concepts or practices of democracy, but is rather a codename to indicate that they are in agreement with the US policy in the Middle East and that they recognize its authority. In other words, they are posing for a Afghani and Iraqi model of ‘democracy’ for Iran, as per US policy in the Middle East.

Needless to say, the above is welcomed by the West that is not-so-influential-in-Iranian-dissidents-who-are-in-complete-agreement-with Western government policies. Therefore it is not a big surprise that these figures who “all of a sudden” emerged as “dissident journalist, film maker, etc” in the late 1990s received such immediate attention by the Western media and Western governments; they were immediately put on CNN, VOA and BBC as “expert dissident politicians”. Furthermore, Western governments are providing them with a “humanitarian” profile through the rewards they have some control over.

A hunger strike in front of UN from July 22 to 24, 2009 for freedom of political prisoners is the latest attempt by Ganji in his path towards highlighting and recognition by Western governments. Let me be very clear about this: I look positively at any attempt by anyone who brings the political prisoner issues to the surface. However, I refuse to be associated with an ex-jailer of political prisoners in a legitimate demand such as unconditional freedom of all political prisoners while Ganji hides his past deeds and while he has not distanced himself from his past by apologizing to the people of Iran for it. Let alone that Ganji drops the “unconditional” part of the demand for political prisoners and let alone that anyone who seeks some attention in a revolutionary situation must pretend to follow the revolutionary demands such as freedom of political prisoners.

The other exposing factor with Ganji is his attempt to ‘maneuver around’ the main current demand of the revolutionary movement, the overthrow of the IRI. Not a word on that!

Let’s remember, it is completely understandable that in a revolutionary situation everybody involved in politics pretends to be revolutionary, talks revolutionary and might appear as radical. After all, that is the only way to get on top of the events and try to ‘tame’ it if one wants to. Ganji’s eye on the UN door, Makhbalf’s EU parliament gate keeping, Ebrahim Nabavi’s London gate holdings, and Mohsen Sazegara’s CNN and VOA chair are already known to the people. Also, the US attempt to repeat the history of 1979, in which it encouraged and paved the way for the defeat of the revolution from within by promoting Khomeini is already known to the people of Iran. The current threadbare project is well known to all of us and is not going to work. We are only too conscious of it.

The US government has next to no influence in the ongoing revolution in Iran. It might be too much to expect, but I wish that both Western governments and the above figures had learned the obvious lesson: No civil-society Khomeini nor Khomeini-makers are allowed in Iran, period!

Abbas Goya
July 18, 2009

Some references

Akbar Ganji:
Ganji “served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps during… and joined the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akbar_Ganji

Mohsen Sazegara
“During the 1979 revolution, he returned to Iran with Ayatollah Khomeini where he served as a founder of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and the managing director of the National Radio of Iran (1979–1981).[1] During the 1980s, Sazegara served as political deputy in the prime minister’s office, deputy minister of heavy industries, chairman of the Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran, and vice minister of planning and budget.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohsen_Sazegara

Mohsen Makhmalbaf
A letter to EU parliament by a goup of well known artists, art related organizations and ex political prisoners – In Farsi. The document contains factual references to Makhmalbaf’s past, his role in prisons, in interrogation of artists and political prisoners and it is in objection to Makhmalbaf claim to represent “Iranian people” in his visit to EU parliament.

http://eshterak-matalbejadid1.blogspot.com/2009/07/blog-post_18.html

Ebrahim Nabavi
A picture taken in 80s in Evin prison, from a brochure that used to be published in Evin, it is on the occasion of “sizdeh bedar”, a national outdoor celebration event in Iran. Nabavi is sitting next to the known butcher of political prisoners Lajevardi in Evin, in an effort to promote Lajevardi

http://www.puyeshgaraan.com/ES.Notes/2009/032009-ES-PU-Nowruz.htm