In practice, many Iranians have problems with the first proposition set forth above as soon as we talk about groups they disagree with. For instance, many believe that we should not 'grant membership' to anyone who at any time has belonged to the Mojahedin Khalgh Organization (MKO) on the basis they had sided with Saddam Hussein and participated in killing Iranians. I believe the Iranian people will be the judge and that we cannot discriminate anyone at this stage. Once the first goal, meaning freedom for Iran, is reached, any Iranian citizen should be able to take the Rajavis or whoever to a court of justice for any charges including those of crime against the interest of Iran or against humanity. At this stage of the game, we need to choose our battles and keep in sight our goal at all times and under any circumstances.
Instead of being cynical about other groups' activities and accuse them of indirectly serving the interests of the Islamic Republic, we should give them the benefit of the doubt and use every opposition to the regime as one step towards the freedom of Iran. I am not being naà ¯ve and I certainly don't think that all factions have noble goals, nor do I believe that foreign agencies are not involved in influencing the future of Iran and the region. What I am advocating is to use everyone's help for our purpose and then be vigilant and smart in the second phase so the new revolution follows its popular path and does not get hijacked. I recently read accusations against National Iranian American Council (NIAC) claiming it indirectly supports the mollahs' regime. I do not wish to judge this association at this point, but the head of NIAC, Mr. Parsi's interview on CNN and other media outlets, in which he denounced the regime and defended the people's revolution is enough for me to count NIAC as opposition. Another point of contention is the subject of Reza Pahlavi. Monarchists should accept him as an opposition figure rather than a king at this point and non-monarchists should welcome him in denouncing the regime and as an active political personality. Once we reach the second phase, monarchists have all the rights in the world to defend their political agenda and push for a constitutional monarchy in Iran just as others may advocate another republic.
How to feel about potential "foreign interferences" in the new revolution? We must distinguish between support for people's revolution and actual interference in Iran's future political system. I believe we should welcome any help we can get as we absolutely need it to remove the regime in Tehran. Foreign powers and agencies naturally act based on their own interests. That is the history of the world and we cannot change it. However if their interests coincide with those of the Iranian people at this stage, there is nothing wrong with accepting their assistance. The United States freed Europe from Hitler's Germany and the Europeans certainly benefited from it. The regional rivalry between United Kingdom and the United States lead to American support for the nationalization of the Iranian Oil in the fifties. Again it will be our job to be smart and alert about any future interferences in the second phase of the revolution.
In my previous article, entitled 'Imagine a Free and Prosperous Iran', I set forth the idea that once free, Iran can enjoy fast economic growth thanks to its rich human resources. Unity is the necessary element, which will allow us to change the course of history and set Iran free.
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