Reactionary

My biggest concern about Iran is what if the regime were to go away? Activists inside and outside of Iran want it. But my question to all of them, specifically those that come out from the heart of the current government, those born-agains, those reformists, those women activists, those laborers, those that served years in prison thinking about it, from their writing, from their talking, I seek an answer that I have yet to find: what then?

I am afraid that though so much has been learned from the revolution, those that were part of it, those that are 40 and above, did not learn something essential. Creation. They are critical but they are not creative. They are reactionary. They know what they don't want but they do not know what they do want. If you ask someone what kind of government they want they will say democratic, just recently they have started talking about allowing minority rights, but do they know what an equality law is? Do they have one in mind? Or a law that protects citizen rights against dictators? Women that fight for equality, do they know what that should look like or do they focus on what it doesn't?

I am afraid Khomeini had his version of sharia to give him a vision. What vision do the democrats have?

When the moment of creating a new government comes, there is a huge responsibility to know what you want. I am afraid that essentially elite Iranians are scared of assuming that responsibility, and prefer, like many in the world, to defer to the leader.

Rights mean responsibility for regular citizens as well. I think Americans, Westerners and Iranians shirk from that responsibility. The responsibility of defining what your rights and desires are for yourself without a leader, without the media, without the church. Its hard.