Letter from the Publisher
October 2009
Just over a week ago Muslims all over the world celebrated Eid Al-Fitr marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadhan. We would like to wish all our Muslim brothers and sisters Eid Mubarak and we hope that the coming year will be filled with peace and prosperity for all humanity around the globe.
For Iranians, this year’s Eid Al Fitr festivities are unfortunately marred by the disputed elections that brought President Ahmadinejad another four years in power and the ongoing protests against this government. On Quds (Jerusalem) Day on Friday September 18th, traditionally a day when fellow Muslims come out to show their solidarity for with the plight of Palestinians, supporters of the opposition Green Wave movement took to the streets in Tehran and other cities to hold rallies against the regime. People sneaked green ribbons and as the crowds swelled people became bolder and cries of "Death to Russia" and
"Death to China" replaced the usual chants against Israel and America. Furthermore there were shouts of "Not Gaza, not Lebanon, I’ll only give my life for Iran". These slogans do not represent a lack of solidarity by Iranians for Palestinians and their drive for a free and independent state. Instead they reflect the nationalist mood that is now prevalent among Iranians of all groups who are saying let us fix our country first before we deal with the problems of others.
The tension in Iran and the Middle East was further fueled by the customary bombastic speech by President Ahmadinejad to the United Nations' General Assembly last week. This was not the conciliatory tone from the Islamic Republic that some had at least hoped for. Instead it was a disappointing rampage filled with little substance and it made a lot of Iranians feel embarrassed by his rhetoric and posturing. It seemed that Ahmadinejad was simply playing up to Iranian national pride and the country's desire to stand up to the interference of foreign powers, which have served him well with his supporters in the past.
The most important event for Iran's future and that of the Middle East will be the direct talks that are to take place early this month between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States and the other permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany. Iran's new proposal for talks says that Tehran is ready to "embark on comprehensive, all-encompassing and constructive negotiations." These talks are supposed to lay the groundwork for lasting peace, and the United States is eager to seek Iran's willingness to engage. If these negotiations do not reach a satisfactory conclusion, Tehran will most likely face harsher international sanctions targeting its imports of gasoline. We really hope that the Iranian leadership has the wisdom to take advantage of this opportunity to resolve its crisis of credibility and open a new chapter for Iranians that fills the aspirations of this proud nation for human rights and freedom.
