Could Iran's Protests Lead to a Reversal of the 1979 Revolution?

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

The Iranian youth and their allies in opposition to the Islamic regime in Iran tried to stand against their oppressors during the Obama administration, and they got no support from the American President.  Now, they are at it again, but this time, the American President supports them.

A friend of mine who is originally from Iran (he calls himself "Persian") once told me that the people are very pro-American.  It is the politicians and the Mullahs in charge that are the problem.  "In fact," he said, "people in Iran largely despise the Arabs, because it was the Arabs who brought Islam to Iran in the first place."

Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, which deposed the Shah of Iran, and gave rise to the Ayatollah Khomeini, the Iranian people have been living under a repressive regime that suppresses the freedoms of the people.  My friend told me that people who live in Iran, just to stay out of trouble should a government ally poke their nose into their business, have pictures of their leaders on the wall in their living room.  That way, if visited by the authorities, or accused of not supporting the current leadership, all they have to do is point to the pictures on the wall to show their loyalty to the government tyranny they actually resent.

On Dec. 28, 2017, protesters in Iran’s second largest city, Mashhad, took to the streets to voice their concerns over their country’s economic distress and rising food prices. These protests quickly grew, spreading to dozens of cities across Iran.

The unrest continues, and Donald Trump has indicated that the American Government, under his watch, supports them.

A gift of $1.7 billion in cash from President Obama did not fix a thing, and Iran will not be receiving a similar gift from President Donald Trump.  Despite the gift from Obama, which was likely used on military expenses, the funding of terrorism, and Iran's nuclear programs, in Iran the price of goods is on the rise and a rising unemployment rate is reaching critical mass.  The Iranian government has proven that funding terrorist groups, like Hezbollah and Hamas, is more important than meeting the basic domestic needs of the Iranian people.

The push back has begun, again.  The people are calling for change.  And the response has been as all tyrannies in history.  With brutality and merciless force.  Aside from physical confrontations, the government in Iran has also restricted the use of internet applications commonly used to communicate and share news.

With brutality the Iranian government has used gunfire to disperse crowds, killing more than 20 protesters, and arresting more than 450.  Reports have also made it out of Iran telling a story of brutal treatment of protesters who have been imprisoned.  The average age of the protesters is 25.

Under Obama's watch, anti-government protests surfaced in 2009.  Aside from living conditions, the protesters also questioned then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s reelection. The regime did as this regime has done, using terror and brutality to crack down on the citizens for daring to question the regime.  Thousands were imprisoned and hundreds wound up dead.

The Obama administration remained silent, giving no support of any kind, including any kind of verbal support.

In these latest moments of unrest in Iran, President Donald Trump has already vocalized his support for the protesters.  He is also working with Congress to establish new sanctions on five entities who are subsidiaries to the regime’s defense ministry. More sanctions could follow as a direct result of the treatment of these protesters.

The Iranian people are calling out for help.  They want freedom.  They desire liberty.  As the shining beacon on the hill, and the birthplace of modern liberty, it is American's obligation as a country to support their pursuit of freedom, and stand with the brave citizens of Iran.  Could you imagine what the world would become if there was a sudden reversal of the 1979 Revolution?  Remember, before Islam's reign of terror, Iran was pro-American, and very Western in their attitudes.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary