We need a fresh, powerful ideology

By Delshah
August 5, 2002
The Iranian
http://www.iranian.com/


Sometimes for the sake of change towards development and progress we need to construct new ideologies.

New ideologies either come from outside or from within. If new ideologies from within do not succede to change society, then ideologies from outside can get easily be imposed on crisis-ridden societies (look at Sassanid Iran and modern Afghanistan).

These imposed foreign ideologies are so parasitic that for a long time will become the major disease for societies and gradually destroy societies into parts. This can be examplified by the myth of Azhi Dahak in Ferdawsi's Shahnameh.

Azhi Dahak may not be real, but really symbolises the hegemony, the exploitation of the Iranian mind in general and the youth in particular (as Azhi Dahak used to eat the brain of young people just like the Taliban and the Islamic regime) or simply, the source of destruction of younger/fresher minds/intellects. Azhi Dahak is a symbol of the imposition of foreign rule and foreign ideology upon Iranians. At the same time, it is the imposition of old ideas upon the youth.

The message of Ferdawsi is to uplift the banner of liberty (Derafshe Kaveh) by the PEOPLE and the struggle against foreign cultural and political exploitation of the mind, especially of the young people by reactionary ideologies.

Now Iran has a similar situation. For a thousand years Iran was under foreign torture and exploitation both physically and mentally. Iran did not have its own image and like the faces of the statues of its heroes in historical-archaelogical sites, they used to destroy the image of Iran and the Iranian nation as well

Western democracy could never suceed in Iran because of nomadic and uncivilised rules and powers, because of the hegemony of old minds. It will never suceed if we believe that someone else will bring it.

Iran needs an ideology which arises from within her heart with a strong "khodi" sense and a true systematic logic. Yes, without systematic logic we can not move a single step. The Islamic regime would sacrifice Iran for the sake of Islam and its last revolution was the last the Islamic society's last breath against the invading Western civilization. Keeping or standing up for such an ideology would result in far more disintegration and partition of Iran and elimination of Iranian nationhood.

We need to critically examine the mistakes of the past, especially the Pahlavis who had a chance to free Iran from reactionary minds and establish ideas of a young, fresh Iranian nationhood. But Pahlvi sacrificed Iran for the sake of his crown and then sacrificed the crown to save himself.

Iran needs a true and powerful ideology based on nationalist values which manifest the whole history of its existence. An ideology which manifests real Iranian doctrines of political philosophy.

Iranian nationalism should not be of the Kemalist kind or like the nation-states of Europe. Iran has to learn a lot from Indian and Chinese perspective. All Iranian ethnic groups including Kurds, Persians (Tajiks), Pashtuns, Baluchies, Taleshies, Luries and Bakhtiaries etc... should share common interests and power.

For all this, we need a fresh, powerful ideology which has roots in the core of the Iranian civilization. It seems there is no ideology which can threaten the Islamic regime. Neither monarchists nor communists, neither Shia-oriented nationalists nor democrats can influence the mind of Iranians.

The imposition of greater secularism and democratic rules from the outside is likely. Although again this would strengthen the foundations of the Islamic ideology rather than weaken it. Without internal control this would result in another partition of Iran something which the West is very much interested in.

One way is to talk about new ideas regarding the establishment and foundations of a Khshathric Society. Is it possible? Yes, but not just yet. First its ideology should be created and brought on paper. It should seek its legitimacy through all Iranian political thoughts and doctrines imaginable -- from pre-history to modern times.

Its first task should be to re-establish the notion of Iranian Nationhood as based on Iranian Culture, as existed for the long history and as dreamed by the leaders of Nationalist Iranian ideologies like Ferdavsi and then Freedom-fighters since Kaveh, Spitamen, Babake Khorramdin, Mahmude Tarabi, Abumusleme Khorasani, Hashem poure Hakim (Muqanna'), Ostad Sis, Hasane Sabbah etc...

The idea of "Khshathric society" or "Jaame'eye Khshathraayi" should be conceptualised -- "ideologised" -- as an Iranian perspective of democracy . It would mean that Iranians would not accept what is imposed (both Islamic or Western ideologies) but rather establish and develop their own notion of a democtaric society based on Iranian cultural values and the Iranian behavioural/moral/ethnic system.

Iranian world-view never accepts any extremes. It has always had and should keep its modern perspective. Once more you can refer to the story of Bahram Gur and his orders as described in the Shahnameh. It says "Baa yek sokhan deh veeraan va baaz baa yek sokhan deh aabaad" and this speaks about the power of ideologies in bringing about the birth and death of a nation. Later it says, "Hokm bar haraam budane mey va baaz bar halaal budane aan" speaks about keeping a moderate policy for all times.

Looking forward to your responses.