For Iranians and Their Revolution, Transparency Comes Before Unity

Written by
Moussa Afshar

The nationwide uprising in Iran sent shockwaves across the globe. Its persistence, despite ups and downs and the regime’s brutal crackdown, made the regime change a strong option on the table. The question is: who will replace the ruling theocracy? How to have a regime change? Besides, does the opposition need transparency or unity?

Iranians have shown their intention of having a secular republic by chanting, “Neither monarchy nor mullahs, we want democracy and equality,” and “Death to the oppressor, be it Shah or the mullahs.”

#iranprotests Chants of Death to the Oppressor, be it the Shah or the Leader (Khamenei)
Yet, the return of the deposed monarchy in Iran has made ambiguity in recent months. The decayed monarchy is being marketed by the son of the Shah, Reza Pahlavi, and remnants of the regime that millions of Iranians ousted this dictatorship in 1979.

Recently, Reza Pahlavi has been accompanied by several celebrities and some figures like Masih Alinejad, once a state reporter in Iran affiliated with the so-called reformist faction. This self-proclaiming opposition, headed by Pahlavi, speaks of unity and apparently promotes freedom and pluralism. Despite their deafening cries of “unity,” Pahlavi and Alinejad keep slandering Iran’s principal opposition group, Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), and its parent coalition of democratic forces, the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

Besides, Pahlavi and his ilk refuse to denounce his father’s dictatorship and past crimes and corruption of monarchy in Iran, they also refuse to provide an agenda or a program for the future of Iran. They dodge questions about crucial issues, saying that these issues should be resolved after regime change.

In his remarks on the Munich Security Conference’s sidelines, Reza Pahlavi claimed he “prefers republic” but believes “elected monarchy should also be weighed.” The latter is indeed an oxymoron. Iranians cast their votes against the absolute rule of the king in 1979 and still refuse any return to that time. Reza Pahlavi’s ridiculous comparison of Iran with constitutional monarchies in Europe is another blatant yet inept action and deliberate negligence of the geo-political and historical issues in Iran and the Middle East.

Another important issue that Shah’s offspring and his entourage refuse to address is the rights of Iran’s ethnic minorities and nationalities, who have been immensely suffering for centuries. Reza Pahlavi and his supporters accuse Iranian Kurds of separationism and attack them in broad daylight. The recent attack of Pahlavi’s thugs against MEK supporters and Kurdish Iranians at a rally in Brussels has not been condemned by any member of the so-called “opposition coalition.”

What else is expected from those who raised the posters of Parviz Sabeti, a notorious torturer of Shah’s secret police, SAVAK, in their rally in Munich?

For Iranians who have the bitter experience of Ruhollah Khomeini and how he hijacked the 1979 revolution, Reza Pahlavi and Co.’s approach to postpone everything to the future is indeed a grave concern. Khomeini didn’t start attacking and ranting about dissidents while he was abroad but began his killing spree once he arrived in Tehran. What will Reza Pahlavi do once in power in Iran when he keeps slandering the MEK and his supporters attack dissidents abroad? Khomeini’s famous motto of “all together” meant “all with me.” Now the self-proclaimed “opposition figures” are also saying us or chaos.

By limiting the Iranian people’s choice between evil and lesser evil, Reza Pahlavi and his entourage are sowing discord and negatively impacting the ongoing uprising.

Unlike the amalgam of reformists and remnants of dictators, the NCRI and its president-elect, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, have outlined their plan for the future of Iran. Mrs. Rajavi’s ten-point plan recognizes autonomy for Iranian Kurdistan as a model to be used for other ethnic minorities and commits to the establishment of a pluralistic and democratic republic founded on universal suffrage and pluralism.

In a nutshell, transparency comes before unity. Who would unite with those who advocate for the return of another tyranny or are in “bilateral contact” with the terrorist Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), as Reza Pahlavi said?

The Iranian people and their organized Resistance movement want and endeavor to realize their long-time goal of freedom and democracy. They are determined to achieve this goal using any means, at any cost, therefore making the change in Iran inevitable.

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