Iran: A date with freedom

Hussein Shobokshi

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This is not the first time that mass demonstrations against the regime have erupted in Iran, and it appears that they will not be the last.

The recent demonstrations continued for days in a number of cities across Iran, including the capital Tehran, all calling for an immediate withdrawal from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

The protesters called for the suspension of state spending on the regime’s adventures abroad, asking the government to rather combat poverty and corruption at home.

They condemned and insulted the symbols of the regime, such as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani.

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There are many good reasons for the start of such demonstrations in such an intensive form. The most important reason is that there is a whole generation which grew up in the midst of the revolution only to witness their country facing miseries while the influence of those in the circle of power increasing.

They were deprived of a decent living, employment opportunities and prosperity. They only saw the growing hatred of the world toward the Iranian regime and the increase of country’s enemies as a result of the continued export of extremism and recruitment of the evil militias in different parts of the world.

It is no longer possible to deceive the Iranian people with the revolution, which the regime has been promoting for more than four decades

Hussein Shobokshi

Masks of the resistance

The masks of the resistance, revolution and religion have all fallen, revealing to the people and the world that it is dealing with a repressive regime that takes advantage in the name of the religion and the Palestinian cause only to cause destruction, hatred and enmity from all sides.

Phases in history are not wrong and they always repeat themselves because they bring back the God’s established way. We have seen what happened and the way the Soviet Union collapsed from inside like a house of cards after decades of bitter infringements of freedoms.

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The citizens of the Soviet camp realized that in the name of revolutions, advocacy for the weak against the tyrants, they were only prisoners inside a large cage. They were robbed of their will and freedom, while living in fear and anxiety in an unprecedented way.

This is the truth and this is what is happening today in Iran. It is no longer possible to deceive the Iranian people with the revolution, which the regime has been promoting for more than four decades. The citizens have not reaped the benefits of any of the promises. The Iranians have migrated and been displaced all over the world as a result of a long war.

Neighboring countries

Their country’s bad relations with all the neighboring countries, its support to the militias who are causing bloodshed and terrorism, disturbing the civil peace, security stability of the entire region, reflect badly on the Iranian people, who are mainly youth. The demonstrations took shape and some of the protests were joined by policemen who helped the citizens.

In the universities, a group of students burst out with enthusiasm and violence, and some cars and public buses were destroyed in a clear sign that the barrier of fear had been broken. It is a snowball that rolls from the high peaks and takes it to the growth, shape and external momentum of the Iranian opposition with its various races, forming and interacting until the “typical typhoon” is formed, leading to the “turning point” that matters.

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These demonstrations are likely to be the point of no return in the relationship between the Iranian regime and its people to provide many factors and elements internal and external to support change, which was not available and promised before, which failed and aborted the previous movement.

In the next few days, it is very important to watch what happens in Iran because 2018 may be the year of freedom for the Iranian people, a freedom that is long overdue.

This article was first published in the Saudi Gazette on January 8, 2018.
Hussein Shobokshi is a businessman and prominent columnist. Shobokshi hosts the weekly current affairs program Al Takreer on Al Arabiya, and in 1995, he was chosen as one of the “Global Leaders for Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum. He received his B.A. in Political Science and Management from the University of Tulsa. His twitter handle is @husseinshoboksh.
