Protests in Iran increase

[Ihatetomatoes]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7y0579lp8o.amp

Thank you for your post @Addybee

My question was to you, though, what do you want?

I don't mean to be controversial, but the tiktok video linked above does not indicate that the majority would take Pahlavi over the current government - there was a huge number of protesters shown who were apparently against the rioters who were wanting Pahlavi. And we have no formal numbers at all of how many were rioting and asking the US for help. I don't think it looked like a majority of the adult pop of Iran (population of 90 million)? If there were a referendum what do you think the result would be?

One thing I forgot to add-

We’re also hearing that families in Iran are not being allowed to receive the bodies of their loved ones unless they sign a paper saying that the person who was killed was part of the forces fighting the protesters. Essentially, this means that when the official numbers are released, it will be made to look like the protesters are responsible for as many deaths as the regime is causing.

On top of the unbearable pain of losing someone, families are also being forced to pay to release the bodies of their dead. One of the charges on their bill is even for the bullet that killed their loved one.

Now tell me, how does any other country treat its citizens like this and where are the human rights activists to talk about this

The army needs to turn against the regime. I know they are part of it, but...... they must really.

Can I ask who you are hearing this from? I thought all communication was down. Has it opened up again?

I think the main thing we in the West can do is not get involved. It is not our fight. Look how expensive it was for us to intervene in Afghanistan over a 20 year period - equivalent of every UK family paying £3000. This not our fight nor our country. However I can see why the 114,000 Iranians in the UK are very concerned about it. In fact it might make sense they went there to fight or at the least to give their talents to their homeland. I was disappointed when the Shah was overthrown (yes I am that old). I have also been to Iran twice on business.

As in Afghanistan where lots of people in the countryside support islamic extremists there is a lot of support in Iran for the current regime once you get outside the cities so I do not think it is as simple as everyone is against the regime.

The main thing we can do is not get involved and encourage Iranians to return home to build the country in the image they would like.

I personally do not want Pahlavi. People often compare him to his father, who was intelligent, experienced, and knew how to govern. Pahlavi has had none of that experience. Do I believe he’s the man for the job? No.

But right now, he is the only opposition figure who has spoken up during these protests and people have someone to rally arounf which they havent had in previous protests. All I can do is put my faith in his words that he will lead the people to a democratic country of their choosing. He hasn’t proven what he’s capable of yet, and I can’t know what he will do. The only thing I can take him on is his promise to allow the people to decide their future.

For me, it’s not about him. It’s about my people. I want freedom for them. I want women to be able to pursue any career they choose, travel freely without needing men’s permission, and leave domestic or abusive marriages without needing their husband’s consent. I want our male and female LGBT community to walk the streets safely, without fear of persecution. I want women to dress how they want. I want children to grow up without living in fear for trying to enjoy their lives.

I just want liberation. I just want my people to be free

Sorry posted too soon.

If there was a genuine democratic referendum, I believe people would choose any system where they are free to elect who speaks for them and who runs their country. What that government looks like exactly can only be decided once people are actually free.

Right now, people just want freedom. How that freedom is structured, what form of democratic and liberal life emerges, is something that can only come after. What we do know, with absolute clarity, is that people want this regime gone

Why should we provide any extra sources? It was a summary from Google.
You said in your previous post: „According to google the vast majority (over 90 percent) are Muslims“.
In response I posted a more nuanced Google result.
You then said what I posted wasn’t the first thing that came up on Google. Well, it was for me 🤷‍♀️

Landlines were briefly opened today and people were able to make contact. Some of what I’m sharing is directly from my family and friends who managed to get in touch. Other information comes from Iranians on social media with larger followings and platforms, who have received information from inside the country and are posting conversations and updates online

That sounds absolutely dystopian.
Thank you for your posts 💐

I don’t know a huge amount about Iran apart from what’s reported on the general media. I tend to be on the side of the protestors but then again I know nothing or little about the people being attacked.

However, I used to work for an Iranian immigration lawyer and met a lot of his clients whom I’m not surprised wanted to leave such an oppressive regime/country.

Wiki details the executions still permitted in Iran and the numbers being executed. They really are a backward, hardline fundamentalist Muslim society headed by the Ayatollah and boosted by his cronies. However, of course Trump is only really interested in oil and its price to USA and not interested in protecting the rights of the protestors. Will there be a WWIII? Doubtful. Too risky for both sides especially if you factor in Putin, Kim Jong Un (sp?) who although I don’t think have much skin in the game they’re both dictators with anger management issues.

Would anyone here be up for a protest march against this regime?

I think a demo is planned in London on Sunday afternoon. I can't post a link but I'm sure you can find it.

I really hope pp listen to what you’re saying

And you do get freedom. I really hope this happens.

The racism of those assuming that the Iranians cannot rebel against their own government
without outside help
is off the scale

as the inimitable @Xenia so rightly says
it is not for us to tell others how to change their governments

Unfortunately it’s entirely to be expected. The pro Pal cult is, and has always been, about spreading pro Islamist and anti semitic (and anti Western) rhetoric. As soon as anyone thought for more than one millisecond this was clear.

if it truly was about “the babies” where were the marches about Sudan, where was the condemnation of Oct 7th in these quarters?

Pro Islamism has been using the “be kind” dog whistle to manipulate the useful idiots of the Left as canon fodder to beat their way through the West.

Slowly though, the cracks are appearing eg the West Midlands police (which has been captured by the Islamist sentiment) has had to apologise for misrepresenting (ie using made up evidence) to stop the football match with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Birmingham last year-a move pushed by the Muslim council leaders and agreed by the police and Birmingham city council who have a history of acquiescence when it comes to “the Community”

I agree with the ridiculous racism thing, but the “leave them to it” stuff, I don’t know.
A country so bloodied and broken after losing so many people is going to need money, support, Infrastructure.
Russia is already heavily influential in Iran. The country is going to be extremely vulnerable, to interested bad actors as well as to neighbouring enemies.
I also worry about ethic and religious divides when Irans regime falls and hope to not see another Yugoslavia.
I hope the UK and other democracies will do all they can and not look the other way. Iranians desperately need our support.

I hope they can. But it’s hard when total clamp down and repression is the result. Still I am really hoping they can do it.

There are voices from in Iran begging for help. Of course they'll need help - how could largely unarmed protesters possibly overthrow a brutal, heavily armed dictatorship who are correctly using Iraqi death squads for mass killings?

Oh and bollocks to the "racism" accusation, that's just a nonsense.

I agree that doesn’t help.

Maybe racism is the wrong word? Patronising? As if millions of intelligent people would not be capable of protesting the apalling regime imposed upon them without being somehow coerced or tricked by evil Israel/ US. It denies them agency.

@Talkinpeace apologies, I think I got the wrong end of the stuck with your post, I see what you're saying now, you're responding to those saying it's outside agitators, not saying the Iranians shouldn't have help.

So sorry,stood late to edit now.

Thank you for sharing.

I hope the people of Iran get a much better leadership, with rights and freedoms and the end to the mass killing.

Thanks for your responses. It is interesting to hear what you think. For my part I am not Iranian and do not have personal experience but I am extremely, extremely critical of how the US and Israel have been dealing with things and extremely sceptical of Lindsey Graham's interest. Because i am born and bred in the UK perhaps my view of how our country is governed is less rose tinted than yours too.

You will be aware that there are a lot of people from Iran or who live in Iran who regularly post on youtube, showing real footage of people there, who disagree with you, who say different things from you.

But as said I am not from Iran and so I do not have personal experience and so can't comment further on that.