This is a tough yet possible task. It requires courage to deal with the accusations mounted by lobby groups and their proxies that are making a great effort to portray supporters of smart sanctions as warmongers. Unfortunately, many intellectuals as well as political and human-rights activists are more concerned about their image than the outcome of their inaction.
These "intellectuals" acknowledge effectiveness of a smart sanction to empower the Iranians in private. They do not dare to so much utter the word "sanction" in public. I have been told in private: "Do you want to know the truth? I am scared. Iranians are mostly against the sanctions and I cannot risk my reputation." The behavior of IRI cannot be changed by easing or removing the sanctions as bribes and incentives or by military intervention or coup [9].
Iranian people are up against the entire interest-driven world that pushes for a deal with their abusers and have never acknowledged their struggle for a secular democracy in a practical manner. All Iranian uprisings were crushed by the IRI without any consequences and they had no help from democratic governments. Their frustration was well demonstrated in March 2010 uprising when a large group of pro-democracy protesters in Tehran called on President Barack Obama to support their cause, chanting, "Obama, Obama, either you are with them or you are with us!" [10].
Imposing a smart sanction will empower the freedom-loving Iranians to resume their fight. A smart sanction that has the condition to release all political prisoners would have the heartwarming message that the world does not recognize their abusers. Iranians need to be assured that their battle is only with the IRI and not the entire world.
This is not going to happen by just appealing to the big powers. Those Iranian expatriates who have the courage to stand up against the orchestrated misrepresentation of smart sanction, must stand for the truth and humanity. We need to take part in the political process of our resident countries and show our policy makers that it is to the benefit of the entire world to stand behind the Iranian people versus the Iranian government.
We ought to break our silence. It is time!
Mohammad Parvin, Ph.D., is a former faculty member of California Institute of Technology and an adjunct professor at the California State University, an Aerospace Specialist, and Founding Director of the Mission for Establishment of Human Rights in Iran (MEHR).
References:
Foreign Companies Srike Hopeful Note at Iranian Oil Fair
Austrian's Deal with Iranian Regime
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