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An Iranian Icon on Today's Protests
Your iconic photograph on the cover of The Economist became the symbol of the 18 Tir uprising, much as the video of Neda dying from a gunshot wound has become the symbol of the current uprising. What role do you think such symbols, seen around the world play, in pressuring the Iranian regime? Do they help or hurt the protest movement?
These images definitely help. The world sees what is happening and the regime cannot hide. The world saw my photo and realized that someone had been killed. They saw Neda dying and realized that she had been shot for doing nothing.
Of course, for the person in the image—Neda or me—it is not so helpful. I was in prison for 10 years. For Neda…well, she is now a spirit, an angel.
When I was in prison I used to regret that photo. I wished I had not been on the cover of that magazine. But I don’t think that way anymore. A person must stand proudly behind his actions.
How do you see the current crisis playing out?
The one thing history has taught us is that no government can defy the will of its people for long. The whole world is moving toward greater human rights and democracy. All people want these things. No one wants dictatorship. No government is powerful enough to stand against the will of the people forever. Chile, Argentina, Yugoslavia, etc. All of these dictatorships eventually collapsed, and the same thing will happen in Iran.
The people of Iran have turned on a light. The flame may dim a bit now and again, but it will never die. This is a long war, a gradual process. It may take another 30 years, but freedom and democracy will come to Iran.
Reza Aslan, a contributor to the Daily Beast, is assistant professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside and senior fellow at the Orfalea Center on Global and International Studies at UC Santa Barbara. He is the author of the bestseller No god but God and How to Win a Cosmic War.
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Reza Aslan, a contributor to the Daily Beast, is assistant professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside and senior fellow at the Orfalea Center on Global and International Studies at UC Santa Barbara. He is the author of the bestseller No god but God and How to Win a Cosmic War.
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Reza Aslan, a contributor to the Daily Beast, is assistant professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside and senior fellow at the Orfalea Center on Global and International Studies at UC Santa Barbara. He is the author of the bestseller No god but God and How to Win a Cosmic War.
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Reza Aslan, a contributor to the Daily Beast, is assistant professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside and senior fellow at the Orfalea Center on Global and International Studies at UC Santa Barbara. He is the author of the bestseller No god but God and How to Win a Cosmic War.
Ten years in solitary confinement in a room the size of a bathtub? I cringe when thinking of such horrors.
Please continue to write articles that help to understand the history unfolding in Iran today.
Wow, what a brave man. There's a true patriot for you. That was an excellent interview Reza, keep 'em comin'.
I rarely read an entire article on TDB.
I'm glad I chose to read this one.
Thank you Reza, thank you for your great work. We need more and more people like you to let the world know how wonderful and brave our people are. Thank you for letting the world know how dedicated, generous, and humble our young generation is when it comes to fight for freedom. My husband and I are so proud of you.
Please keep writing and let the world know how brutal the Iranian regime is.
Thanks, It's wonderful to hear from such a man, Hope Beast will keep up its excellent monitoring of Iran.
Thank you for writing this article, Mr. Azlan and Mr.Batebi for his comments. I do hope reform will come sooner than another 30 years for all Iranians.
Would that we could respect our own U.S. dissidents as well as we do foreign dissidents.
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/07/911-conspiracy-theorists-take-hit- 3.html
Conspiracy theorists are not even close to enduring what happens to people who speak out against the regime in Iran. Your comparison is shallow and self serving, at best.
Thank you for this! Its so informative and humanizing to read an interview like this one. It goes beyond the images and videos that are replayed on CNN, which do make an affect, but not quite like these honest, personal answers about something that seems so incredibly difficult, challenging, horrific as what these protesters in Iran are going through. This interview makes the struggles feel slightly less foreign, but no less shocking.
I earnestly hope for peace and democracy to find its way there sooner than later...
I still can't fathom our foreign policy right now. We hold our tongues against these Basij murderers, and then speak out against the constitutionally valid actions of others.
Where are our principles?
Reza Aslan has been out in front of events in Iran from Day One of this thing. Note especially his prediction that the scholars of Qom would take a stand against the government. Congratulations and thanks to Reza and TDB for surpassing the mass media print dailies on the biggest story of the year!
Reza,
If you talk to Ahmad again, you may like to assure him that it will not be another 30 years. With all the things that are going on and the determination that the people of Iran have seemingly made to defy the regime, the longest this regime can continue is 2 years. This is the begining of the downfall of one the most brutal regimes in Iranian history and the clock is ticking. Make no mistake about it.
Reza, please tell Ahmad he and those who lost their lives since past 30 years are in our heart. Tell him this time we won't let this criminal regime repeat what it did in 1980s under Culture Revolution and then 1999 Tehran U massacre.
And Reza, thanks to you again and again for connecting voice of Iranians to the world, you are a true hero to us. What you are doing is just invaluable.
The Guardian confirms assertions that the "Hidden Revolution" was well underway by "Khamenei Inc." long before the current protests made headlines. In my June 22 post, citing a NY Times Op-Ed, the pieces began to fit together in such a way as to indicate Iran has been raped and pillaged by a thugocracy. As the partisan finger pointing continues; the "rest of the story" goes barely noticed amid attempts to score political (and personal) points. Iran is bleeding and sophisticated attempts to obfuscate are ongoing nationally and internationally. I am certain some in Iran's clergy are aware of this and what is decided in Qum will signal to the power players in this corruption born scandal their time is over. I pray those holding weapons will learn the extent of their manipulation. The drowning of the regime has begun - and it can only hold its breath for so long.
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As this life and death struggle for the soul of Iran plays out in the streets, the battle for power continues in Qum. I pray the players listen with their hearts and resist any manipulation. Iran prays "Stand by Me"
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http://folklight.blogspot.com/
Thank you.
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