We have two kinds of oppression. Oppression that is universal – everyone in Iran is subject to it. But everyone has also their own, unique way of experiencing this oppression.
AKBAR GANJIIf you look at the discourse before the revolution, whether it is the left communist, whether it is the right secularist.
More Akbar Ganji Quotes
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We see that the ecological movement, environmentalist movement, organizes all kinds of demonstrations against these.
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If you look at the discourse before the revolution, whether it is the left communist, whether it is the right secularist.
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I went to the front, but I never participated in the war itself.
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It began early in the revolution. It was a process that was unfolding on a daily basis. We expected the system to be dispensing justice, but every day that passed by.
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But I know one thing for sure: That we, the Iranian people, are much more in line of danger than the West.
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Whatever Iranian people have bought, they have bought in the black market.
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Even theories of secularism are constantly being revised and changed.
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[In] every revolution, there is a great divergence between what the revolutionaries expect and what the revolution actually accomplishes.
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There is no possibility of a public demonstration [in Iran] of such defiance, but these defiant acts are certainly going on.
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We must struggle for creating a democratic system that is dedicated to democracy and human rights.
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We should put away the militaristic outlook.
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There is more disgruntlement, but because there is no media, the voice of this opposition is not heard outside Iran.
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They obviously collected a lot of votes, but these monies could not solve the structural problems that these people face. But the only result, the only consequence, was that a big sum from the budget was wasted this way.
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You cannot bring democracy to a country by attacking it.
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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.
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All manners of freedom, including freedom of expression, freedom of conscious, freedom of thought…it accepts tolerance. But it is not an atheist society.
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The issue has two dimensions. One is the legal dimension and the other one is the issue at the realpolitik. [In the] legal realm.
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The ecological movement is concerned about this, and this is in here, where everything is public.
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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.
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I am only speaking of my own behalf.
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The most important dichotomy that I make for a society is between those who support democracy and human rights, and those who oppose it.
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Religion is the private affair of an individual…be present in the public domain, but state has to be clearly separated from religion.
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It was universal pressure on the regime to secure my release. International pressure was certainly helpful in my release.
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They lie on railroads, they tie themselves to the gates.
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I have spent six years in prison, the last six years. Even if I was outside the prison, how much actual space was there for an investigative journalist to do his work in Iran?
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Recently, we witnessed massive demonstration by Iranian woman in the 7th of Tir square, and it was brutally suppressed.
AKBAR GANJI