Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Musavi has published a charter that calls for reforms in that country while emphasizing the nonviolent nature of the opposition movement.
The goals Musavi lists are some of the demands expressed by members of the Green Movement during protests and elsewhere.
Yet some critics might say that Musavi fails to offer any concrete strategy on how to achieve these goals. It seems clear that by putting emphasis on the need to expand social networks and civil society, Musavi appears to be pressing for the Green Movement to go beyond street protests.
In his previous statements, the former prime minister has called for raising the awareness in society about the Green Movement and reaching out to different layers of the society, including workers and teachers.
Even networking and spreading news about the Green Movement and human rights abuses is becoming increasingly difficult for activists inside Iran, who are being carefully watched by Iranian authorities, often intimidated and jailed.
Musavi says the Green Movement will continue its efforts until a free, fair, and competitive electoral system that is guaranteed as transparent and healthy is established in Iran.
In the new charter, posted on the "Kaleme" website on the anniversary of Iran's highly disputed presidential vote, Musavi says the Green Movement that united after the disputed 2009 vote supports the values of the Islamic Revolution.
But it adds that "the only way to preserve the exalted status of religion in the society is to fight against the use of religion as a tool and to maintain the independence of religious bodies from the establishment."
Musavi says that while being committed to human, moral, religious and Iranian principles and values, the Green Movement seeks the reform and refinement of the course of the Iranian Islamic establishment after the revolution.
"The Green Movement is an Iranian-Islamic movement that is after a free, prosperous and modern and advanced Iran," he says.
He adds that the Green Movement is a movement "in the continuation of the efforts of the Iranian people to reach freedom, social justice and national sovereignty that had demonstrated itself before during the Constitutional Movement, the Oil Nationalization Movement and the Islamic Republic."
He insists that "the Green Movement is neither a centralized political party nor a group of unorganized and aimless people."
He cites "the vote and the demand of the people" as the source of the legitimacy of political power while adding that the Green Movement rejects and fights against the principle of "approbatory supervision" based on which election candidates are vetted by the powerful Guardians Council.
He says achieving justice in politics, economy, and society has a significant place among the values and ideals of the Green Movement and the movement should do all it can to achieve that goal.
"Achieving freedom and equality are among the goals of the Islamic Republic and a goal that the Green Movement emphasizes," he says, before going on to say that "the Green Movement believes that security is not just the security of the government, human security is the security of each Iranian citizen."
Musavi also calls for "the release of political prisoners, the removal of illegal limitations and security view regarding the activities of political parties and social groups such as women's movement, student movement, workers, and other social movements and also the fair trial of those involved in the rigging of the presidential vote, torture and killing of those who protested against the election results, and the trial of the theoreticians of violence and those who support violence in the different layers of the Iranian establishment."
Musavi says in the charter that "social networks, including real and virtual ones," should be expanded and there should be greater dialogue about the goals of the Green Movement. He also calls for the expansion of Iran's civil society, and says the Green Movement wants a "rational and honorable" foreign policy, a ban on "adventurous and populist diplomacy," and the elevation of the dignity of the Iranian nation in the world.
He says the slogan "Each Iranian, A Campaign Headquarters" should now become "Each Iranian, A Movement."
Musavi calls the charter a first step and expresses hope that the Green Movement will in its "evolutionary path" create "a more complete and more beautiful" text, while referring to himself as "a humble companion of the Green Movement."
-- Golnaz Esfandiari
The goals Musavi lists are some of the demands expressed by members of the Green Movement during protests and elsewhere.
Yet some critics might say that Musavi fails to offer any concrete strategy on how to achieve these goals. It seems clear that by putting emphasis on the need to expand social networks and civil society, Musavi appears to be pressing for the Green Movement to go beyond street protests.
In his previous statements, the former prime minister has called for raising the awareness in society about the Green Movement and reaching out to different layers of the society, including workers and teachers.
Even networking and spreading news about the Green Movement and human rights abuses is becoming increasingly difficult for activists inside Iran, who are being carefully watched by Iranian authorities, often intimidated and jailed.
Musavi says the Green Movement will continue its efforts until a free, fair, and competitive electoral system that is guaranteed as transparent and healthy is established in Iran.
In the new charter, posted on the "Kaleme" website on the anniversary of Iran's highly disputed presidential vote, Musavi says the Green Movement that united after the disputed 2009 vote supports the values of the Islamic Revolution.
But it adds that "the only way to preserve the exalted status of religion in the society is to fight against the use of religion as a tool and to maintain the independence of religious bodies from the establishment."
Musavi says that while being committed to human, moral, religious and Iranian principles and values, the Green Movement seeks the reform and refinement of the course of the Iranian Islamic establishment after the revolution.
"The Green Movement is an Iranian-Islamic movement that is after a free, prosperous and modern and advanced Iran," he says.
He adds that the Green Movement is a movement "in the continuation of the efforts of the Iranian people to reach freedom, social justice and national sovereignty that had demonstrated itself before during the Constitutional Movement, the Oil Nationalization Movement and the Islamic Republic."
He insists that "the Green Movement is neither a centralized political party nor a group of unorganized and aimless people."
He cites "the vote and the demand of the people" as the source of the legitimacy of political power while adding that the Green Movement rejects and fights against the principle of "approbatory supervision" based on which election candidates are vetted by the powerful Guardians Council.
He says achieving justice in politics, economy, and society has a significant place among the values and ideals of the Green Movement and the movement should do all it can to achieve that goal.
"Achieving freedom and equality are among the goals of the Islamic Republic and a goal that the Green Movement emphasizes," he says, before going on to say that "the Green Movement believes that security is not just the security of the government, human security is the security of each Iranian citizen."
Musavi also calls for "the release of political prisoners, the removal of illegal limitations and security view regarding the activities of political parties and social groups such as women's movement, student movement, workers, and other social movements and also the fair trial of those involved in the rigging of the presidential vote, torture and killing of those who protested against the election results, and the trial of the theoreticians of violence and those who support violence in the different layers of the Iranian establishment."
Musavi says in the charter that "social networks, including real and virtual ones," should be expanded and there should be greater dialogue about the goals of the Green Movement. He also calls for the expansion of Iran's civil society, and says the Green Movement wants a "rational and honorable" foreign policy, a ban on "adventurous and populist diplomacy," and the elevation of the dignity of the Iranian nation in the world.
He says the slogan "Each Iranian, A Campaign Headquarters" should now become "Each Iranian, A Movement."
Musavi calls the charter a first step and expresses hope that the Green Movement will in its "evolutionary path" create "a more complete and more beautiful" text, while referring to himself as "a humble companion of the Green Movement."
-- Golnaz Esfandiari
