Faces of IRAN!
By Taylor Jones | June 27th, 2009 | PERMALINK
Well, so much for Barack Obama cozying up to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. At least in the foreseeable future. Still, I believe the Obama administration is right to seek dialogue with its adversaries, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney having shown the limits of America’s go-it-alone, my-way-or-the-highway “diplomacy.”
I suspect the hardliners in Iran were determined to keep Ahmadinejad
in power precisely because they are afraid to talk to the U.S. Perhaps they’re genuinely fearful of Barack Obama? After all, Iranians now know that Obama WOULD hurt a fly! And while the Iranian government rejects any “preconditions” for negotiation on America’s part, they’ve set their own precondition: If America wants to talk to Iran, it will have to be with the Supreme Leader’s grinning madman, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. His campaign opponent, Mir Hussein Moussavi, though very conservative himself, just couldn’t be trusted to follow the script. In other words, Iran is GOING to make that bomb!
…Of course, I could be way off base here. Maybe Ahmadinejad DID win a landslide re-election…in a four-man race? However, were this the case, it it would underscore deep divisions within Iran: Between country and city; between the educated North Tehran elite and the unwashed masses; and between Iranians under age 30 (especially women) and those older than 30. Resolving these differences will not be a pretty to watch.
…And, if anyone looks like he could appeal to the unwashed masses in Iran, it’s surely Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Those deep-set, ferret eyes, his seeming inattention to grooming, the maniacal smile, that schnoz, and the impression that he might have been plucked from a “Death to America” rally by the Supreme Leader himself.
As for the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he’s taller than might you think, is quite robust despite a paralyzed right hand, and has been known to smile on occasion. And, compared to his predecesor, the Grand Ayatolla Khomeni (a.k.a. the World’s Sternest Man)
, Ali Khamenei looks downright bookish — perhaps the world’s nerdiest theocrat.
But don’t be fooled. This “theonerd” won’t let go of power unless it’s pried from his cold, dead hand. Clearly, his regime only knows how to respond with brute force. One powerful ayatollah asserts that dissidents are guilty of “mohareb” (waging war against God), a crime punishable by death. But their brute force is wielded with a very clumsy club, aboard a motorbike. The cold-blooded murder of young Neda Soltan,
as she was getting out of a car, has created a martyr for the cause of freedom and democracy. The regime, of course, has ordered that she not be martyred by her countrymen. But it’s too late — Neda, her first name now as familiar as Hillary Clinton’s, has already been beatified the world over.
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Comments
Comment from Maryam
Time June 29, 2009 at 8:44 am
Daniel\’s right. the sentence doesn\’t really fit the situation. Most people won\’t understand it though but we Iranians can.
And by the way, Ahmadinejad doesn\’t know English!
But great anyway. Thanks 
Comment from Farid
Time July 1, 2009 at 2:32 am
Dear Mr. Taylor Jones
I’m from IRAN and wanna thank you about your nice cartoons about Iran . We need your activity and any other artists in all over the world to help us achiving freedom , democracy and right peace.
Don’t leave us alone. We want sending our voice to the world.
The ” GREEN WAVE ” will be victor.
Thanks again and best regards.
Comment from Farid
Time July 1, 2009 at 2:34 am
Dear Mr. Taylor Jones
I’m from IRAN and wanna thank you about your nice cartoons about Iran . We need your activity and
any other artists in all over the world to help us achiving freedom , democracy and right peace.
Don’t leave us alone. We want sending our voice to the world.
The ” GREEN WAVE ” will be victor.
Thanks again and best regards.
Comment from Glen
Time July 1, 2009 at 5:41 am
Reminds me a bit of Cuba. The educated, moneyed elite lost power in both Iran and Cuba. The relatively unschooled impoverished majority largely supported the resulting dictatorships. Many of the former privileged went abroad, some coming to the United States where they attempted to influence American foreign policy while sniping at the new regime(s). Siding with an obvious minority was not in our best interests in Cuba. We should be careful regarding a similar miss-step in Iran.
Comment from Tim Stocken
Time July 1, 2009 at 7:15 am
The fact that President Obama was quoting a greeting card ad just goes to show that he could be charming reading the phone book. Taylor Jones should feel no shame at being unable to find an Arabic translator since our entire intelligence operation in this country lacks the same.
Neda Soltan represents what has been long needed in the struggle for democracy in the Moslem world - a clear voice in the form of a martyr directed at women. Women are the key in this movement and I believe Michele Obama provide as strong an argument here as her husband.
That said, it was foolish for the US neocons to be critical of President Obama for not being more vocal during last week’s street protests in Iran. If not for these fools, having completely blown the reaction to our preemptive strike at Iraq, the Iranian theocracy may have already fallen. By taking Iraq out of the picture, Cheney, Pearle and company allowed unrestricted growth of Iran’s power in the region as well as a strengthening of the ayatollah’s base…
Comment from james
Time July 1, 2009 at 7:27 am
I lived and worked in Iran during the late 70\’s–pre revolution. Helped set up a center to repair modern aircraft and volunteered teaching English. Know the people I met at the time had a thrust for knowledge. Apparently the current young have the same thirst and have the internet to turn to gain factual knowledge as well as new ways of thinking. I applaud the mostly non-violent demonstrations of the youth, young adults, and even the elderly. The people in Iran lived with relative fear under Shah and apparently replaced that repressive government with another. The mass demonstrations show the people may still be fearful, but they will not be repressed. A giant positive step for a wonderful country. Hope the people continue this sprit. Very glad Obama kept his American nose out of the process. This is an Iranian process, not an American.
Comment from Deanster
Time July 1, 2009 at 7:32 am
Now we know, barack is a smoker and a real person.. and yes, he can kill flies… lets just hope he is a little gentler with the Iranians.. I mean, come on, we have put so much of our hard earned money into the country that we should see some gain eventually..?!
We dont wnat to govern it… that would be a grand mistake, as we dont even have a clue as to the who, what , when and why,… but come on! Time to let the little baby grow some teath already!!!
Comment from mehdi
Time July 1, 2009 at 10:02 am
hi.tanks for this cartons.i have cry for dark and killing my people.i liveing in iran .blood current in streets iran.we have dirty regim in world . to hope freedom iran or peoples iran .please help we to doing our dream .tank you very much.god is big
Comment from Pierre ML
Time July 1, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Yes, thank you for a decent cartoon.
We cannot make the current regime seem too too monstrous - if we do that there is NO talking to them, at all.
At the same time we must find ways of letting these old theocrats know that the world has changed and that the time for theocracies is long over.
Simultaneously, we must let them know that we are watching them. WE the entire western world.
But we must also let the young know that we are watching them too.
We must be careful not to look as if we are purposefully meddling and intefering in their affairs. This refers to the entire West, not just the USA. France, England, Germany, and other European coountries meddled in the Middle East long before the US did.
We can offer moral support to the young. If they want a country, and start working towards it, we can offer other appropriate support (which, hint, does not always include guns and violence), if needed, IF WANTED, when the time comes.
But we must not appear as if we want to meddle or take over. None of us would want them meddling in our affairs, right?
In the meantime, if we can offer the current theocracy a chance or a hand to \"liberalize\", to \"democratize\" to work their way out of this mess in a suitable manner, then, we should explore that.
At the same time, we must offer the young who seek change… any advice, moral suasion, what not, so that if they want to take over their own country and make changes… we must let them know we are open to that too, and when asked, will provide help, diplomatic relations, and so on.
I hope that Obama, and other western leaders are capable of walking their way through this Gordian Knot!
Comment from Daniel
Time June 29, 2009 at 3:23 am
The farsi (persian) sentence you used for president Obama means, “Nourooz is celebration day of kindness and union consolidation. Make friendship everlasting by sending a greeting card. To send a new year greeting card choose one from below”
I don’t know may be you chose this on purpose, but it really doesn’t fit the caricature.
Otherwise, great job and I really appreciate your attention to what’s going on in Iran.
Cheers