Iran’s Revolution Is Not Over; It Has Entered A New Phase

Amir2018TaghatiAugust 5, 2023
Iran’s Revolution Is Not Over; It Has Entered A New Phase
On July 28, Mr. Hadi Roshan-Ravan, a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran,

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Written by
Moussa Afshar

On July 28, Mr. Hadi Roshan-Ravan, a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, conducted an interview with Simaye Azadi TV (INTV). In this interview, he provided a brief summary of the 2022 uprising, its characteristics, the impact of current developments, and the new wave of revolt on the horizon. Below are some key points from Mr. Roshan-Ravani’s remarks.

The complete video of this interview in Persian is available on the INTV website.

The uprising of 2022 marks a significant and unprecedented phenomenon in the history of our struggle for freedom. It began with the tragic death of Ms. Mahsa (Gina) Amini. However, the focus quickly shifted from protesting against morality police or mandatory hijab to addressing the fundamental issues for which the Iranian people have been fighting for decades. The core of the matter lies in confronting the oppressive regime of the mullahs and its supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

This issue has both quantitative and qualitative dimensions. Until the twelfth week of the uprising, there were as many as 2,345 protest movements in cities across Iran. This shows the widespread nature of the uprising, with protests and clashes between the people and the suppressive forces taking place in 246 cities. We experienced almost 200 protest movements on a daily basis over a period of 12 weeks or three months.

The universities also played a significant role in the uprising, with 992 strikes, sit-ins, rallies, or confrontations with security forces occurring during the same period.

Additionally, trade unions participated in the movement, with 635 strikes held in the first three months of the uprising.

Comparatively, in the 2017 protests, such movements lasted only 12 days. Similarly, the 2019 protests did not extend beyond a week due to the violent crackdown by the regime. However, the 2022 uprising not only surpassed previous time frames, lasting for several months, but it also entered a different phase even as the regime claims to have control over the situation. Currently, one cannot assert that the uprising has ended as the demands of the Iranian people and the underlying reasons behind their protest remain unaddressed and disregarded.

This uprising primarily targeted the main problem of Iranian society, namely the clerical regime. In previous uprisings, slogans may have focused on figures like the president alongside Khamenei. However, since Khamenei consolidated power in 2021, the protests have consistently targeted him whenever people have had the opportunity to gather and express their grievances.

The roots of this uprising can be traced back to June 20, 1981. Prior to that date, all attempts for civil and peaceful opposition to the religious dictatorship had been tested. However, all efforts of various Iranian groups seeking reform and non-radical change were met with brutal suppression. Then-Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini ordered security forces to open fire on a peaceful demonstration of 500,000 people in Tehran, which marked the end of peaceful endeavors, and his rule became illegitimate from that day onwards. The only path to change for the people of Iran became regime change.

From 1980 to 1988, Khomeini successfully suppressed the slightest indication of dissent and popular demands by attributing them to Iraq, which was then at war with the regime. But after a series of crushing military operations from Iran’s National Liberation Army, he realized that this war would lead to the regime’s demise. Soon after, in the 1990s, with uprisings in Qazvin, Islamshahr, and other cities, the regime felt the threat of internal overthrow.

In 1999, a protest began at the University of Tehran, continuing with the same demands for regime change, but it was severely suppressed. However, in recent years, following the uprisings in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2022, the last represented a qualitative and quantitative advancement over all previous movements.

Khomeini and Khamenei always tried to portray themselves as the leaders of the oppressed worldwide, claiming they aimed to uplift the marginalized classes within society. For decades, they sought to turn the deprived people into their own weapons and even enlisted some of them in their repressive forces.

However, the most significant feature of the 2017 uprising was that these people rose against the regime because of poverty, inequality, and discrimination, demanding the overthrow of Khamenei’s rule.

In this uprising, people also chanted slogans like “Reformist, principalists, the game is over,” sending a message to Khamenei that they were no longer deceived by political maneuvers under the guise of reform, and they were not satisfied with anything less than regime change.

After this uprising, Khamenei admitted that the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MEK/PMOI) had played a key role, referring to the Resistance Units, whose network started to expand in the country in 2013. Although the 12-day uprising may have ended, protests continued sporadically in various cities.

The Covid-19 pandemic turned into a “heaven-sent gift” for the regime and Khamenei effectively sought to exploit the horrible tragedy to postpone the inevitable by drowning millions of discontent people into more misery. However, as the pandemic was eventually brought under control globally, Iranians found even more reason to overthrow the rule that had caused the loss of their families and loved ones.

 

The regime and its affiliates abroad also tried relentlessly to divert the 2022 uprising and reduce it to superficial social strain. However, the Iranian people and their organized Resistance quickly advanced the movement beyond the initial demands and elevated the calling for regime change.

Slogans like “Death to Khamenei,” “Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the Leader,” and “I will avenge my brother’s blood” resonated throughout the country in the early days and it continues to echo until today. Contrary to those who claimed they should work with elements from within the ruling establishment and the IRGC, hoping for a power transition, the revolutionary youth in Iran proved they are ready to fight for democracy and freedom using any means necessary and at any cost.

Amir2018TaghatiAugust 5, 2023
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