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Mehrangiz Kar - 2008.07.31
RoozOnline
The recent efforts in Tehran to normalize relations with Washington have been met with cynicism by some opponents of the regime. By pointing to the events and conditions that led Iran to accept UN Security Council cease-fire resolution #598 that ended the 8-year Iran-Iraq war in 1988, these critics interpret the recent efforts to normalize relations with the US to be a retreat for Iran from its “uncompromising” position and rhetoric, similar to what happened during the last years of the war with Iraq.
It is now many years that Iran is hostage to the rivalry between the two major political factions in the country, each vying to take the lead in normalizing relations with the US and claim the accomplishment as its own in Iranian history, and unilaterally profit from its benefits. But this race has been damaging. Not only have the factions not cooperated in the necessity of normalization together, each has actually engaged in sabotaging the efforts of the other.
Each faction has created a block to undermine any flexibility before it even emerged. Every time flexibility was in the air, the other faction created obstacles and by inciting the most radical elements and creating destructive opportunities, jumped into the arena of foreign affairs and destroyed the initiative.
The opposition and critics - regardless of their creed or ideology however - feel a different responsibility. At this sensitive time, while the world is under extra-ordinary circumstances, and as conditions are being paved by ill-wishers for war, Iran’s policies too are facilitating for war as it continue to believe that it’s policies are confronting the war mongers.
Under the current circumstances, for what national benefit are some of the opponents of the regime who have a reservoir of historic experience and political insight reminding the leaders of the state of a past whose conditions no longer exist and who incite Iranian extremists to overpower the efforts to normalize relations with the US? I am talking to all those who repeatedly announce that the steps that Iran is taking towards negotiations are signs of its defeat, and thus through such pronouncements send messages to advocates of war and crises in Iran calling on them to shut the avenues to peace. Closing the avenues of peace by critics and the opposition is precisely what Iranian war-mongers dream of.
If we love Iran, then we must either remain silent or encourage any efforts towards flexibility and negotiations so that they continue their work and not abandon the path to normalization. It contradicts the respect that the opposition and critics have earned because of their love for Iran to belittle the policy of negotiations - which is a national necessity – and thus reduce its importance and encourage the hardliners more and more to attack this initiative.
The comparison of the current circumstances with those that existed when the Security Council resolution 598 was accepted in fact distances the hardliners from the direction that they want to follow and it is not clear what goals they are pursuing by repeatedly making such a comparison. It is not clear what short-term hopes are these individuals and groups encouraging the apparent and veiled hardliners to continue their relentless drive towards war.
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