A dismal anniversary

Protests amidst celebrations as Iran commemorates Islamic Revolution of 1979

By Andrew Button

Undiplomatic Relations

Iran marked the 31st anniversary of its Islamic Revolution on Feb. 11 – the date Ayatollah Khomeini’s supporters ousted Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and successfully rid themselves of the monarchy. The anniversary was not, however, as pleasant as the honeymoon. While many gathered to celebrate, others gathered to protest the increasingly totalitarian tactics of the government, and faced the usual response from the Iranian government: Security was brought in to subdue the discontented.

The voices of Iranians who disapprove of a government whose actions have isolated the country from the rest of the world, were silenced. Haven't we heard this story somewhere before? When a national holiday is used to protest corruption and evil, which is then quelled unceremoniously, we have to wonder – where did things go wrong? It makes sense to look at the Revolution itself. Essentially a nationalist movement, it was supposed to bring Persian culture back to the Persian people. The idea was that by overthrowing a Shah influenced greatly by the West, the revolution would usher in a new era of freedom, prosperity, and culture. The reality – well, let’s just say it didn’t work out as planned.

In the 31 years since the revolution, lots of events have transpired in Iran. Some of these have been good – like the Academy Award nominated film, Persepolis, which was possibly the best ever screen adaptation of a graphic novel, the two-part autobiographical work by Marjane Satrapi. Then, in 2008 the Iranian men’s basketball team qualified for the Olympics. That was kind of a good thing for the Iranians, I guess. There was also…well, if anything comes to mind, let me know. Truth be told, most of what has happened in Iran since 1979 has been pretty dismal, for Iranians and for everyone else. Most of the past 31 years in Iran have involved oppression, tyranny, and violence.

I’m thinking about the Americans’ arming of Saddam, an indirect reaction to the Revolution. Then there was the election of the sexist, homophobic, and Holocaust-denying Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and let’s not forget the persistent pursuit of nuclear power in the face of UN disapproval. Yes, post-revolution Iran has been one big, massive headache for its own people as well as for everyone else.

Things have been especially dismal since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s “election” to a second term as president. Within days of the election, protests broke out. The world watched in horror as citizens were killed for protesting the (probably fraudulent) election results, while the glorious leader sat comfortably in his stolen office.

Shortly after his killing spree, Ahmadinejad brought more woe on his people by continuing to enrich uranium in defiance of the UN Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This, of course, brought heavy sanctions against the country. Of course, while many things changed in Ahmadinejad’s second term, many things stayed the same. We’ve still got the same anti-Israel rhetoric, condemnations of Western culture, and the same oppression of homosexuals and women.

Make no mistake about it. He may be getting closer and closer to getting the bomb, but he’s still the same old Mahmoud on the inside. As the world waits on the edge of its seat for the Iranian nuclear saga to play out, the people of Iran can sit comfortably knowing their country is free of homosexuals and that their football fields are free of women. Now, let’s take a moment to reflect. It’s been 31 years since the Iranian revolution. 31 years since the Shah was booted out, only to be replaced by an oppressive Islamic republican government.

It’s been 31 years since the empty promise of freedom and self-determination dragged a country hurtling down the path toward isolation, oppression, and destruction. It’s a dismal anniversary to say the least. No wonder there were protests.

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