I am against revolution and am proud of it. Democracy cannot be created through revolutions.
AKBAR GANJIWe believe in equal rights for all people in all nations. If Israel, the United States, Russia, Pakistan, other countries, China, have the right to have a nuclear program and nuclear bomb, Iran, too, must have that same right.
More Akbar Ganji Quotes
-
-
What I’m worried about is that, in case that happens [nuclear explosion], then the Iranian people are the ones who are going to pay the heaviest price. But none of the Western countries have seriously talked about this.
AKBAR GANJI -
The number of the opposition has certainly increased [in Iran].
AKBAR GANJI -
Religion is separate from the institution of the state.
AKBAR GANJI -
I could witness that as a result of Ahmadinejad, they lived in a dream. They believed that paradise is around the corner and that all their demands shall be met.
AKBAR GANJI -
I, too, am against the dismantlement of Iran.
AKBAR GANJI -
The most important dichotomy that I make for a society is between those who support democracy and human rights, and those who oppose it.
AKBAR GANJI -
The Revolutionary Guard was created to help defend the revolution, but it soon was diverted from its initial path.
AKBAR GANJI -
Whatever Iranian people have bought, they have bought in the black market.
AKBAR GANJI -
It was universal pressure on the regime to secure my release. International pressure was certainly helpful in my release.
AKBAR GANJI -
He never made economic promises to people and as a result, he never led to dissatisfaction in this perspective. Because they need to get votes, they use misleading slogans. And this leads to rising expectations. I had a personal experience.
AKBAR GANJI -
We should put away the militaristic outlook.
AKBAR GANJI -
The Shah’s regime was an incorrigible regime and after a while, when the revolution happened.
AKBAR GANJI -
The ecological movement is concerned about this, and this is in here, where everything is public.
AKBAR GANJI -
Khomeini obviously had many problems, but he had one clever side to him.
AKBAR GANJI -
[In] every revolution, there is a great divergence between what the revolutionaries expect and what the revolution actually accomplishes.
AKBAR GANJI -
There’s all kind of evidence that there is enormous corruption in the distribution of that money. For example, they gave about $100 to $150 dollars to each of the teachers. They gave about $500 dollars to those who were getting married. Through this process.
AKBAR GANJI -
The issue has two dimensions. One is the legal dimension and the other one is the issue at the realpolitik. [In the] legal realm.
AKBAR GANJI -
When I say that I am opposed to this budget, everyone says, “Well, what do you think the United States should do?” My response is, “Why should the United States do anything?”
AKBAR GANJI -
We used to say that this is all lie, that we are lackeys of the United States.
AKBAR GANJI -
Well-to-do classes are using all kinds of obvious and not-so-obvious benefits that this regime has created for it.
AKBAR GANJI -
There is more disgruntlement, but because there is no media, the voice of this opposition is not heard outside Iran.
AKBAR GANJI -
Why did the regime put me in prison in the first place? I was put in prison for six years and it has been all illegal.
AKBAR GANJI -
Today, as a result of a miraculous set of circumstances,
AKBAR GANJI -
When I talk about secularism, I’m talking about theories today. To give you for example, one example: Those who consider themselves followers of Mosaddeq today are adamantly against federalism.
AKBAR GANJI -
In a totalitarian state, the state views any act of an individual to be political in nature. For example, the clothing that a person wears in a modern state is a private affair whereas in the Islamic Republic all women are forced to wear the hijab (Islamic attire).
AKBAR GANJI -
And amongst the lower strata in Iranian society, we are witnessing an increasing rise of the expectation and it’s clear that the regime is incapable of satisfying these demands.
AKBAR GANJI