The Criterion Of True Alternatives To Iran’s Regime – OpEd
By Matin Karim
On the internet, we witness a lively and dynamic scene of political, social, professional, and cultural activities by Iranians. A considerable portion of these diverse activities is devoted to the struggle against the mullahs’ dictatorship and sheds light on the regime’s crimes and corruption.
When we consider many of these valuable activities together, we arrive at a collection that is happening in parallel but lacks the characteristics of an alternative. For example, many articles, speeches, interviews, and podcasts are published with the theme of exposing and shedding light on the crimes, but their totality does not possess the character and features of an alternative that would pose a real challenge to the regime.
History of uprisings and revolutions has shown that an alternative carries clear signs and concerns from the dominant dictator.
An alternative is always at the center of the issue, the nightmare, and its activities pose challenges to the dictator at home and across the globe.
An alternative always prioritizes its activities in service of the struggle to overthrow the dictator.
An alternative never engages itself in fueling the contradictions within the opposition front.
An alternative always considers organizing the front seeking the overthrow as a necessary condition to negate the ruling dictator and commits to it.
These characteristics, in political and diplomatic activities and in setting the relationship with the opposition front, both highlight the sign of the alternative in the eyes of the regime and attract internal and international credibility towards the seriousness of their struggle for major transformation.
For years, the protests of social groups such as retirees, workers, and wage-earners have been ongoing and are increasing. These are ongoing movements to achieve their legitimate labor rights that the regime has plundered and looted. Although these protests are pursuing economic demands, their essence and core are political and against the incumbent management and authority.
Despite these persistent labor protests with political undertones, and despite the various political, social, and cultural activities of Iranians inside and outside the country, we must look to the main battle against the dictator, with the criteria and standards for recognizing the alternative; a battle at the center of the political arena in Iran; a battle that determines the fate of the two fronts.
Based on the characteristics being outlined alluding to the current political landscape of Iran from both domestic and international perspectives, we can see that the persistent battle at the core and center of the Iranian political arena, with the determining balance of political forces, is the comprehensive struggle between the People’s Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and the ruling clerical regime.
Based on the developments over the past one-and-half years following the 2022 uprising, a few key realities have become clear:
- By going through four major uprisings, it has become evident that neither demands, nor negotiations, reforms, engagement, nor protests are the ultimate solution to negate the totality of the mullahs’ regime.
- It has become clear that the rejection of this regime, a comprehensive break with it, and decisiveness in the struggle, are the only effective and national means to overthrow the regime.
- It has become evident that the organization and cohesion of the resistance movement is the indispensable necessity for advancing the above two pivotal points.
The above three pillars are the defining characteristics of the alternative to the clerical system. The reality is that currently, in the political arena of Iran, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), with the PMOI at its core, is the concrete and tangible embodiment and bearer of these three principles.
It was the realization of these three principles in the outcome of the 2022 uprising that caused the regime to focus all of its political, propaganda, and judicial power against PMOI, both inside and outside of Iran. This is because the PMOI is currently the enduring, organized, and capable force that can serve as the center of the ongoing struggle for the overthrow of the regime, given its internal and international credibility as an alternative.
This is a factual, critical, and transparent political assessment, free from any form of propaganda or specific ideological leaning. Any serious observer of the Iranian political landscape, even if they are opposed to the PMOI, can see the reality that Iran’s regime fears no opposition other than the PMOI, and considers them the only threat to its very existence.
The months-long mobilization of the entire political, judicial, and propaganda apparatus of the mullahs’ regime against the PMOI is indicative of a fateful struggle at the center of Iran’s political arena between the mullahs’ dictatorship on one side and NCRI and the PMOI on the other.
For nearly 30 years, the propaganda apparatus of the clerical regime has been engaged in a media blackout of the PMOI and, at the same time, has been perpetrating astonishing demonization and slander campaigns against them. Several Persian-language media outlets outside of Iran have also been carrying out this boycott and defamation in parallel with the regime’s efforts against the PMOI, and they continue to do so even now.
Now, what has happened that neither the 30-year media blackout nor the astounding volume of slanders against the PMOI have borne fruit? The spokesman of the regime’s Judiciary was recently forced to admit that the youth of Iran should “not be deceived by the PMOI.” Undoubtedly, the regime and its domestic and foreign allies have realized that the solution proposed by the PMOI for rescuing Iran from hereditary dictatorships, as well as the penetration of this solution among the youth and those seeking the overthrow of the regime, has become the central issue in Iran’s political arena. An issue that the regime is pointing to more than ever.
Every Iranian who cares about the fate of their country should always, free from any bias, prejudice or inclination, study and recognize the characteristics of the forces present on the Iranian political scene. For now, the characteristics of the center of the Iranian political arena indicate a fateful struggle between the PMOI and the totality of the ruling regime. Future developments, measured by the existence and recognition of an alternative, will further elucidate this reality.
