Comments From Readers On "Look At Iran With Fresh Eyes"
I thought I would point out one reader's comments to our post "Look at Iran With Fresh Eyes", you can view the full blog post and this readers comments from this link.
This person had an interesting point of view on living in Iran. The comments have only been edited for readability.
I am fascinated by the exchange that we have seen on this blog recently on the topic of what Iranians think and feel about their country. Clearly there is great pride and love for their country and true historical importance of Iran and fine legacy that it has provided in the history of the greater Middle East. This is however not the first commenter that has mentioned that the government is not important to them or their generation. Unfortunately as the government of Iran is not a true reflection of its people even after the "old guard" are dead and gone, their legacy of government will continue and affect this new disenfranchised generation.
The Iranian President and parliament are elected by the Iranian people, but the Assembly of Experts or "Guardians" are not. What I am referring to specifically is that the religious leadership of Iran can veto, and has previously, any or all of the parliamentarian and even Presidential initiatives and laws if they do not feel that they reflect their views of Islam.
This unique religious governing body is not elected by the people and so not responsible to the people. In fact they feel that they are above the people as attested to by the title "Supreme Leader" given to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the status awarded of "Guardian" to the Assembly of Experts. Furthermore in this kind of leadership every decision is lawful only after approval of the Supreme Leader including the popular election of the President himself. Unfortunately this type of government is sanctioned by the Iranian Constitution and although the "old guard" will die off, new "Supreme Leaders" and "Guardians" will arise to take their place.
Americans know just how difficult it is to change a country's Constitution and so it is naive to believe that to change the Constitutional sanctioned government architecture of Iran to a more liberal theocracy or even a secular democracy will be an easy change or one that could ever even happen. It is clear however from our readers comments that the youth of Iran are becoming increasingly disenfranchised from their government, but whether their view of change can be embraced for the future remains to be seen.
This person had an interesting point of view on living in Iran. The comments have only been edited for readability.
"I just read Persian Girl' comments and I truly agree with what she has to say about people and Iran in particular. The Iranian people, especially the new generation, do not see eye to eye with the government and don't really care what they do. They [the new generation] have realized life goes on and you you can't miss the train.
"American is supposed to be a free country yet everything people do are monitored, where is the privacy??? Once the last generation of the Iranian revolution are gone, Iran will get back on top and people will start to come back to this amazing country like they did before the revolution. Its only a matter of time."
I am fascinated by the exchange that we have seen on this blog recently on the topic of what Iranians think and feel about their country. Clearly there is great pride and love for their country and true historical importance of Iran and fine legacy that it has provided in the history of the greater Middle East. This is however not the first commenter that has mentioned that the government is not important to them or their generation. Unfortunately as the government of Iran is not a true reflection of its people even after the "old guard" are dead and gone, their legacy of government will continue and affect this new disenfranchised generation.
The Iranian President and parliament are elected by the Iranian people, but the Assembly of Experts or "Guardians" are not. What I am referring to specifically is that the religious leadership of Iran can veto, and has previously, any or all of the parliamentarian and even Presidential initiatives and laws if they do not feel that they reflect their views of Islam.
This unique religious governing body is not elected by the people and so not responsible to the people. In fact they feel that they are above the people as attested to by the title "Supreme Leader" given to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the status awarded of "Guardian" to the Assembly of Experts. Furthermore in this kind of leadership every decision is lawful only after approval of the Supreme Leader including the popular election of the President himself. Unfortunately this type of government is sanctioned by the Iranian Constitution and although the "old guard" will die off, new "Supreme Leaders" and "Guardians" will arise to take their place.
Americans know just how difficult it is to change a country's Constitution and so it is naive to believe that to change the Constitutional sanctioned government architecture of Iran to a more liberal theocracy or even a secular democracy will be an easy change or one that could ever even happen. It is clear however from our readers comments that the youth of Iran are becoming increasingly disenfranchised from their government, but whether their view of change can be embraced for the future remains to be seen.
