{"id":265838,"date":"2022-10-25T20:21:03","date_gmt":"2022-10-25T18:21:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=265838"},"modified":"2023-02-07T08:07:51","modified_gmt":"2023-02-07T07:07:51","slug":"iran-exclusive-interview-with-mohammad-mohaddessin-chair-of-ncris-foreign-affairs-committee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-protests\/iran-exclusive-interview-with-mohammad-mohaddessin-chair-of-ncris-foreign-affairs-committee\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran: Exclusive Interview with Mohammad Mohaddessin, Chair of NCRI\u2019s Foreign Affairs Committee"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Mohammad-Mohaddessin-Iran-Protests\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

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“No citizen shall enjoy any privileges or be subject to any deprivations for the reason of belief or non-belief in a particular religion or denomination.”<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Protests in Iran have continued for six weeks, catching observers by surprise because they did not envision the state of Iran\u2019s society to be so explosive.<\/p>\n

We sat down with Mr. Mohaddessin<\/a> to address the many questions Iran observers may have as they try to explain the cause of the recent upheaval in Iran, which is universally agreed to be the most serious threat to the 43-year existence of the theocracy that has ruled by an iron fist.<\/p>\n

In this interview, the Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman responds to a number of these questions, including whether or not the uprising is organized, has leadership, and staying power. And what accounts for the prominent role women are playing<\/a>, and what are the prospects in the weeks and months ahead.<\/p>\n

Mr. Mohaddessin is the author of \u201cIslamic Fundamentalism<\/a>, the New Global Threat,\u201d originally published in 1993, and \u201cEnemies of Ayatollah,\u201d published in 2004.<\/p>\n

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The full text of the interview:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Q: Protests in Iran have continued for six weeks. However, some believe that these protests are spontaneous, and unless there is some kind of organization, it will not survive the regime\u2019s repression. What do you say to that?<\/h3>\n

Obviously, protests were sparked by the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, while in custody, which was not planned. In that sense, one could say the protest started spontaneously.<\/p>\n

But, this tragic incident ignited a society that was ready to explode.<\/p>\n

What we are seeing is a protest movement that has for 39 days continued in all major urban centers and over 198 cities in all of Iran\u2019s provinces in the face of the most brutal crackdown by a ruthless dictatorial regime. There is no sign of the protesters backing down or the protests abating. This fact in and of itself suggests the existence of structure and organization. Those who see the protests as a spontaneous movement<\/a>, ignore the fact that absent some kind of organization, protests with a unified demand to end the regime could not survive the regime\u2019s brutal crackdown.<\/p>\n

In addition, the regime’s security apparatus, including the IRGC, is organized to prevent such protests from taking place. In particular, following the uprising in 2009, the IRGC was reorganized with the specific mission of preventing any protests demanding regime change. The MOIS also plays a key role in this respect.<\/p>\n

Therefore, ignoring the context of these protests and suggesting that they are spontaneous is a simplistic analysis of the situation. A false narrative could be due to a lack of understanding of the situation in Iran. It would be a misnomer to disconnect such persistence, such resilience, and such sharp political messaging in the protesters’ remarkably targeted slogans from its roots and the context in which it is taking place.<\/p>\n

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#IranProtests<\/a> in Karaj last night with chants of \u201cWe won\u2019t tolerate high prices & inflation\u201d & \u201cDeath to the dictator\u201d. @Maryam_Rajavi<\/a> said the regime has wasted the nation's wealth but the uprising in Iran heralds the dawn of freedom. #FreeIran2018<\/a> #IranRegimeChange<\/a><\/p>\n

— Mohammad Mohaddessin (@Mohaddessin) August 1, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n