By Hooman Majd
"One of America's so much astute revealers of Iranian tradition and identity."-Reza Aslan, The Atlantic
Hailed as one of many year's top international coverage books, Hooman Majd's newest deals dramatic standpoint on a rustic with international pursuits, an complicated political tradition, and rules with huge, immense implications for international peace. Drawing on privileged entry to the Iranian strength elite, Majd "gives a harrowing description of the aftermath of the 2009 presidential elections in Iran" (Haleh Esfandiari). This "nimble tackle Iran's fraught political panorama" (Kirkus Reviews) "sounds a dire caution to these within the West who need a democratic Iran. . . . allow us to desire the President is listening" (Reza Aslan, The Atlantic).
Read or Download The Ayatollahs' Democracy: An Iranian Challenge PDF
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Extra info for The Ayatollahs' Democracy: An Iranian Challenge
Congratulations! ” he additional. Why, puzzled my father’s buddy, the felicitation? “Votre president! ” spoke back the neighbor. “Iran is the one nation that dares problem the USA and Israel, and is the single kingdom on this planet status up for the Palestinians! ” a couple of months later, an Iranian ambassador from the present regime informed me that when the post-election unrest begun in Iran, a fellow ambassador from an Arab kingdom stated to him, “Congratulations! ” considering why he used to be being congratulated in the course of a brutal crackdown, whereas unfavorable photographs of his nation have been broadcast on tv twenty-four hours an afternoon, the Arab ambassador spoke back to him, “Because what’s taking place on your nation might by no means occur in mine. ” What he intended was once that during his and lots of different Muslim international locations, fairly Arab ones, a political competition isn't allowed to exist, not to mention march at the streets. it's tough to visualize that any one will be green with envy of Iran’s political method, yet because it is with Iran, one is usually stunned. 5 months later, in October 2009, Iran seemed to have agreed in precept with an offer by way of the West to solve the nuclear main issue. lower than the contract Iran may ship its inventory of low-enriched uranium (a explanation for challenge since it may perhaps conceivably be extra enriched into bomb-grade fabric) outdoor the rustic for conversion into gas rods, which might be despatched again to Iran and will in basic terms be used to strength a reactor. quickly after Iran balked at giving a proper solution to the concept, and whereas either conservatives and reformists decried Ahmadinejad’s tentative contract, my father, a former ambassador fired by way of the Islamic regime thirty years earlier and never predisposed to sympathize with Tehran, requested me even if i presumed Iran may, or may still, settle for the main of the deal. I advised that Iran used to be most probably anxious that the West could be atmosphere a capture to get Iran’s enriched uranium provide overseas after which hold up or refuse supply of gasoline again in till the Iranians agreed to Western phrases. “They’re correct to fret! ” he exclaimed. “Let’s face it: Iran is doing definitely the right factor in being cautious. Why may still they belief the West? ” TO OUTSIDERS—even to many Iranians—President Ahmadinejad and his clique might seem to be unrepresentative of Iranians usually, a perimeter aspect, relatively for the reason that his questionable re-election. yet there have continually been thousands of Ahmadinejads in Iran, definitely nowa days: Iranians from occasionally humble backgrounds and from disparate cities and villages who've fought for equivalent entry to strength and to have their voices heard in its corridors, which till the 20 th century have been limited to a handful of elite households within the capital. (The final Shah’s father himself got here from a humble historical past, from a village within the north close to the Caspian, and had he been profitable in ridding Iran of an ineffectual dynasty, in a later age he may have selected republicanism rather than coronation as his due. ) There are differing ideologies between those Iranians, to ensure, as are there alterations in social attitudes, yet they've got in universal a very Shia resistance to despotism and a fierce decision to make sure that Iran by no means back turns into the susceptible and exploitable kingdom it turned after the empire.