President strays out of bounds on Iran unrest
Rouhani, has responded to the protests in a measured tone.
“People are absolutely free to criticize the government and protest, but their protests should be in such a way as to improve the situation in the country and their life,” Rouhani said. “Criticism is different from violence and damaging public properties.”
And no, this Iranian activism isn’t about women being tired of wearing hijabs. (Tehran’s police chief announced last week that women won’t be arrested for failing to wear one in public.)
The unrest is reportedly due to economic conditions — not exactly a shock for a country that is still reeling from years of U.S.-led sanctions. Maybe if America would join Europe in engaging Iran in business activities and treating it like any other global market, the Iranians would have less to complain about.
Here in France, there are protests on a near-weekly basis, and they don’t result in Trump or other world leaders calling for regime change or suggesting that France stop sending its armed forces abroad in defense of its national interests.
No one has said that the French authorities have no right to respond to violence. No French protests have elicited comments suggesting that the country’s leadership is under a microscope.
It’s really not in the best interests of Trump, America or Europe to encourage the destabilization of a Middle Eastern power, particularly one whose armed forces played a critical role in eradicating Islamic State terrorists.
You don’t think that those same terrorists would love to get their hands on power in Iran now, much like they’ve managed to fill power vacuums after regime changes in other nations in the region?
If the people of Iran want to assemble and demonstrate in an attempt to shape the policies of a moderate president reelected just last year, they should be able to do so without other countries butting in with yet another pretext for potential global security and migratory chaos.
How about we give regime change a rest already?