Iran’s leader must know about guns and flowers

During civilian protests aimed at toppling a regime, the norm is for the security forces to not take sides and allow democracy to prevail. This picture taken in 2022 shows a young Sri Lankan girl offering a rose to police officers who are manning a barricade near Parliament in Sri Lanka

• Iran’s leader must understand that when the war ends, the people of his country will begin to start from where the campaign for freedom was temporarily halted.  Iran has a history of its people toppling the regime with rebellions

The Iran vs America-Israel war gives no signs of ending permanently, even though there is a temporary ceasefire agreed upon by the two main parties in conflict.  

We can safely say that there is huge potential for a full-scale war to resume until America’s Donald Trump is not taken out of the equation.  The American Constitution’s 25th Amendment provides for high-level officials to remove a President from office if the latter is unfit to hold the post. 

Donald Trump wants his ego massaged. Well that was the way with most American Presidents, baring a few in the likes of President Barack Obama. By the way, just the other day, when a Sri Lankan friend of mine, a right-thinking and educated fellow, now settled down in California, made a Facebook post wishing Donald Trump victory in this present war. That’s the American culture and anyone landing there absorbs it! Americans believe that their country is great and that they have a great gun culture. But my bets are on Iran to finish this war. I said ‘finish’ the war, not ‘win’ it. This is because Iran’s Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has the mindset to practice three things needed to understand the magnitude of any military challenge; logic, reasoning and the willingness to be an eyewitness. 

To begin with, Iran has witnessed the damage that a war could do. It knows the logic of both sides claiming victory in a stalemate situation. And Iran is ahead of America when the human mind has to reason about the lives lost in war and the after-effects of conflict. If you have followed social media posts on the war, there are posts seeking the public’s participation where opinion is sought whether Iran or America is the most likeable country. Almost all have thrown their weight behind Iran in this poll. However much the majority love Iran, the people of Khomeini’s nation urge for freedom. And this freedom for the people won’t be granted till the country is governed by a religious leader. That’s the next challenge awaiting the Iranian leader. 

When Iran is governed by a Khomeini (a cleric) that form of governance is associated with the title ‘supremacy’. That means the word of God reigns over the word of the people. Before America and Israel bombed Iran, there was unrest in the latter country. The people of Iran were agitating for a regime change. The people want to be ruled by a liberal leader who is not a religious leader. America grabbed the opportunity and intervened. They bombed Iran, thinking that the Iranian rebels would accept it as ‘helping the cause’. 

Fast forward the clock to recent times, the bombings also signaled the settling of an old score. For over four decades Iran was threatening America and calling for the defeat of and downfall of America. For years it remained a verbal threat and Iran had no plans of attacking America. 

Iran’s leader must understand that when the war ends, the people of his country will begin to start from where the campaign for freedom was temporarily halted.  Iran has a history of its people toppling the regime with rebellions. Iran’s people had a 37 years period of living in a regime that was ruled by a Shah. Iran’s leader from 1942-1979 was Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He took over the reins of Iran after his dad Reza Shah Pahlavi was forced to step down after being pressurised by allied forces. Just for the record, there was an invasion of Iran by the British and the Soviet Union in 1941.  As a result the British ended up managing the oil reserves for Iran and milked much of the profits. 

The new Shah was just 21 years old when he became Iran’s leader. Iran managed much progress under the new Shah. There was a coup in 1953, but it was defeated. This victory gave Shah much power. During the reign of the Shah, Iran took the face of a liberal country. Its people started to enjoy much freedom than before. But there was a dark side to this new ruler and how he ran the country. People who showed dissent were jailed. There was no opposing the Shah in any form. 

When the Shah was on the political hot seat, somewhere far away in France, a person by the name of Ruholla Musavi Khomeini was slowly nurturing himself to be the next leader of Iran. He spent much time studying the religious texts and prepared himself for leadership. 

Meanwhile, back in Iran, the people were rising up against the Shah. In reality, the people of Iran couldn’t keep up which the pace at which the Shah was working and developing the country. Hence the people turned towards an ‘institution’ that gave them security in their insecurity. There was a fast moving revolution. The Shah went in to exile. Political analysts opined that the Shah was a good leader during peaceful times, but not in ‘betroffen’ (when affected or impacted). Ruhollah Musafi Khomeini made a smooth takeover of Iran. It is reported that the people put flowers in the guns of the Iranian soldiers when the latter refused to shoot at those who rebelled.  Following the revolt against the Shah, the era of being ruled by a cleric was cemented in Iran. 

The nature to revolt against injustice and being bullied runs in the blood of the Iranian people. A few days ago there were reports from Iran that the Iranian people had lined up near their oil reserves in the face of threats by USA to bomb them. The people coming together to form a human shield to protect their assets is a show of courage which cannot be measured even by gold. 

This war will end soon because America has got entangled in a war they don’t much understand. On the other hand Iran’s religious leader must know that the biggest asset the country has is its people, who have tremendous power to for reasoning. Till the war is progressing the people will stand on the side of the Government. After the guns in the war fall silent, they are going to take to the streets and fight their own regime.  The people of Iran refused USA aid during their rebellion. Now that’s very intelligent. Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khomeini must soon understand that the country’s people cannot be told what to do and the ladies how to dress. People of Iran are demanding total freedom from the clergy, who condemns freedom; among them most sensual pleasures which are accepted as normal needs. 

At a time when Iran’s political ideology is for the religious leader not to be seen in public, the Iranian women are ready to drop their veils and show their beautiful faces to the world!

Mojtaba Khomeini must tread a middle path if Iran wishes to become a beautiful country to go and live.