House of Cards is a popular Netflix original production in its 3rd season, telling the story of U.S. Rep. Francis Underwood of South Carolina, a ruthless politician in a never-ending pursuit of power, devoid of any value and absent any moral. Rep. Underwood makes his way to the top and ends up ascending to the desired post of President of the United States of America. This is the unfortunate spirit of our times, as too many of us view modern politics, and politicians, as cold, cynical and mostly good for nothing. The inevitable result is that crucial decisions which impact all of us are taken by few,and not always the best of us, while we remain mostly unaware and in the dark, without even realizing the consequences of these decisions.
These are such crucial times. These very days, the West (represented by the "P5+1": the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, plus Germany), led by the U.S, is negotiating with the Islamic Republic of Iran on their "peaceful" nuclear program in Vienna, with the hopes of reaching "a deal". Coincidentally, as if a reminder from above, July 10 is the Islamic Republic's commemoration of "Al-Quds Day", an annual event on the last Friday of the month of Ramadan. This "holiday" was proclaimed in 1979 by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini "in solidarity against Israel and for the "liberation" of Jerusalem". This July 10 millions of Iranians took to the streets in anti-Israel and anti-US rallies across Iran, chanting "Down with America" and "Death to Israel".
It is easy not to pay attention to these risky and sometimes enigmatic negotiations. Iran is far away, and its danger is not imminently palpable in the West. Moreover, the "nuclear" negotiations involve many complex terms and complicated issues revolving around "centrifuges", "heavy water", and "enrichment percentages", not a common discussion topic around our dinner tables.
However, the "Iran Deal" as it is referred to, is about much more than "centrifuges". It is about Iran's re-acceptance into the "family of nations" after years of sanctions, in a deal which is eventually meant to "legitimize" this regime. Henceforth, if we care about the world we live in, it is only appropriate that we pause and remind ourselves of whom we are truly dealing with here:
In June 2009, masses of youth and others marched to the streets in Iran, demanding freedom in what was later named "the Green revolution" (reflecting presidential candidate Mousavi's campaign color), resulting in clashes in various major cities. Despite the relative peaceful nature of the protests, the brutal forces of the regime suppressed them by using extremely violent measures, with one of the most famous victims (Neda Agha-Soltan) was shot and her last moments were uploaded to YouTube and broadcast around the world. It was also reported that thousands more have been arrested and tortured in prisons around the country, with former inmates alleging mass rape of men, women, and children in the regime's prisons. The Islamic dictatorship was able to successfully suppress the hopes and desires of those masses, and the world stood idly by and just observed the quashing of their dreams.
As this regime "negotiates" with the West, it orchestrates U.S flags' burning on its capital's streets. Iran executes gays by the masses, mostly innocent people whose only crime was their love for one another. Moreover, it was former Iranian president Ahmadinejad, who stated in a speech at Columbia University in NYC that gays "don't exist" in Iran (yes he did!). Iran prohibits the free use of the internet (aside from the regime's propaganda tools, especially twitter). It is promoting terror and instability regionally and globally and is responsible for killing and injuring thousands of U.S soldiers in Iraq, Lebanon and beyond. Moreover, it unabashedly calls for a genocide against the Jewish state, in embarrassingly medieval and hateful statements using modern media. Only in March 2015, it was Mohammad Reza Naqdi, commander of Iran's Basij militia, connected to the regime's Revolutionary Guards, who said that "erasing Israel off the map" is "nonnegotiable" as "the Supreme Leader", Ayatollah Khomeini, tweeted 9 tips on "how Israel could be eliminated".
Is this a regime we want empowered? Are these the people we could trust?
There are those who hope that a deal would bring Iran "closer" to enlightened societies, create more opportunities for freedom and open Iran to the world. Really? Does anyone seriously think that the billions of dollars freed from sanctions would flow to create a high-powered national Wi-Fi system? Hospitals? Orphanages? Most likely, looking at the harsh cold reality, this treasure would only be used to strengthen and embolden this atrocious regime, taking hope farther away from the yearning masses and casting them under a dark and heavy blanket for too many years to come. It bears no hope but the promise of more pain and suffering by the hands of this dictatorship. This deal, which refuses to face the regime's vehement anti-Semitism and its perilous nature, undermines the very foundation we stand on as free and open democracies. Any deal which fails to address these vital elements is an anathema to morality and humanity. It's not about nuclear energy alone, but rather the just and conscientious nucleus of our societies.
It is time to show moral leadership and not settle for more of "House of Cards" politics.
It is time to stand by the masses in Iran, people like you and I, dreaming of a life, just like yours and mine.
We could still turn back from the abyss. It is not too late. This is our Iran Moment.
