It is Sunday now – day two of the show trials. What a farce. We can’t believe what we are seeing! It reminds one of Stalinesque trials and trials held under the late Shah of Iran. The 1979 revolution is finally eating its own! It has been 30 years in coming if Iran’s revolution follows in the footsteps of the classical revolutions! But these days, even half-educated people in Iran do not believe the confessions. People remember that the Shah did the same thing during his time – hold show trials. Everyone is aghast and wondering what is going on in the minds of the people in power – whoever it is who is really in power – we aren’t sure at this point!
Maybe the Ershad guy (the book censor) was right. Maybe the culture here is low and the people can’t handle different ways of thinking. Only now it seems he was talking about the culture of the people in power – not of the general population. It seems those in power have not grown beyond threatening and torture – while the population as a whole is light years beyond them.
Our family went camping this weekend with some friends to a very remote area in the hills. It was a pleasant get-a-way for all of us as the atmosphere has been stifling here in the city. It was a much needed break for us all.
Of course it was also the weekend of Neda’s 40th day. We regretted being away for that, but we remembered her up in the mountains and remembered all of the people who have given (lost) their lives for the right to express themselves freely (demonstrate peacefully). It was a weekend of mixed emotions as we laughed and hiked and sang and played cards and spoke about our experiences these past few weeks. Lighthearted moments were countered by strong reactions to the negative experiences we have all endured in our lives in Iran.
When we returned to Shiraz yesterday afternoon, I noticed that all along Ghasrodasht Avenue the road signs had green check marks painted on them. Ghasrodasht is a VERY long, main boulevard in Shiraz. At first I thought that maybe the check marks hadn’t been cleaned up after the elections (they were a sign for Mousavi). But then today as I was driving to my mom’s house for lunch, we saw a huge ‘Mousavi’ up in the mountains, made with white rocks. It was unmistakable. Someone else told me that green symbols were popping up all over town.
I also came to find out that there was a sholoogh (gathering) in Azadi Park (the old Parke Farah) and Falakeh Gaz area on Thursday toward dusk in honor of Neda and the others who have been killed as a result of this election. People lit candles and placed them on the steps of the square. A lot of people were in the square and in the park; cars were honking horns like mad in that area and at Chencheneh area. And, a lot of police had gathered. One person told me that when she drove by the area at 8:30 pm it was very tense and active. She then went a ways away to pick up her husband. When she came back to the square, just 20 minutes later, everything was cleaned up and all the shops were closed. No one was in the area. It was as if there had been no activity at all that night. She was amazed at the training it takes to clamp down so effectively on such a large number of people in so short a time.
Yesterday an American lady was looking out of her kitchen window and noticed that someone had spray-painted “Death to Ahmadinejad” on the wall opposite her house in green. At the same time she noticed her neighbor holding up a black spray paint can. He is a judge who investigates fraud within the government. Anyway, he started painting in black over the green, “Death to . . .” And then he started painting an “A . . .” for America. At that point this lady went outside and in a frustrated, but friendly tone said, “What is this all about Mr. . . .?” He became flustered, as did his wife who was out there with him. He asked the lady where she was from (they have been neighbors for YEARS). She said, “America, of course.” He was very uncomfortable and, again, so was his wife. He tried to make excuses; he pointed to the green sign. The lady responded that while all governments had problems, the people of all countries could be friends. He said that he would fix the problem. So he spray-painted over both signs and left it at that.
Here’s the story of a professor and his half-breed wife when they were driving one of his students to the university dorms (the same dorms that were attacked ruthlessly by the security forces just weeks before). The guards gave them a hard time. Going, the guards told them that families were not allowed up in the dorms (you can only really get there by car as it is far up the hill). The professor is allowed unlimited access as it is university grounds and the library is situated up there– so he was incensed. Additionally, their manner was rude to a professor– which is a big no-no in the culture. On the return trip to the dorms, the guards once again gave the family a hard time, this time indicating that foreigners weren’t allowed up in the dorms. They took the professor’s ID card, which shows him to be a professor, and kept it until his return down. When the family came down the hill, the professor asked who the foreigner was in the car. They of course pointed to the wife, at which she responded that she was Iranian. They hemmed and hawed and half apologized. She then asked sharply, “Excuse me, but from whom have you learned your manners?” The security guard looked at her in shock as the family drove off. The last thing they heard from him was, “Write down their license plate number.”
What a world we live in these days! While I was not here during the Iran-Iraq War and the years following it, the rudeness and aggressiveness I am seeing from the security personnel and Basijis these days reminds me of stories I have heard throughout the years from people living in Iran during those times. This is a real regression! Iranian officials and bureaucrats were so rude for so many years. I remember going to the Iranian Interests Section in D.C. and having to deal with the rudeness! We’re hearing more and more of it these days. A woman I know was wearing a white manteau and a white headscarf the other day and two Basiji youths did the marriage trill with their tongues as they passed her as a form of soft harassment (conservatives here believe that good Muslim women must wear black). I have had my white manteau commented on in a low-class, suggestive and negative manner by a man I think was Basiji or at least very conservative! Another woman I know was made rude comments to in a bank by a guard for the armored truck. When she responded to his rudeness the bank personnel apologized profusely to her and tried to distance themselves from the security guard. She told the bank personnel that they should not tolerate such rudeness in their bank, no matter who it comes from.
During Khatami’s time the bureaucrats and security personnel were told to clean up their act. And for many years now, people have behaved civilly to one another and bureaucrats have actually been polite. But now the security personnel and others are exhibiting old, negative behaviors as a way to intimidate the population and put us in our places. Ugh!
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