Iran is in turmoil because it's younger people are seeking freedom from religious tyranny. When the Islamic revolution took place in 1979 a corrupt secular regime was swept away, only to be replaced by a fanatical Ayatullah who imposed a form of religious fundamentalism that saw women whipped and beaten in the street by " the religious police " for the slightest infringement of an oppressive dress code.
Iranians are not rejecting Islam. What they are rejecting is an interpretation that drags life and liberty back into the dark ages. It seems that an election that held the promise of reform has been stolen by the religious rulers - who are determined to preserve the status quo !
It would be tempting to blame Islam for this subjugation of a whole country, but similar situations have occurred under Christianity.
Ireland and Spain suffered for centuries under the rule of the Roman Catholic church - where church dogma became indistinguishable from the edicts of those exercising political power.
They were priest ridden countries condemned to poverty, injustice and a way of life that saw their young people migrate abroad to escape religious persecution.
What happens in Tehran is yet to become clear. A very powerful swell of discontent is crashing against religious power and several outcomes are possible. The police and the Revolutionary Guard are also people - and they may join the protest movement and bring about change - or there may be a repeat of China's Tianamen square massacre and a new reign of religious terror imposed on the people.
Iran is desperate to cloak this protest in secrecy - but whatever the final outcome - we are witnessing history in the making !
No comments:
Post a Comment