The Face of Iran Destroyed

Iran itself may have received an image boost from the pictures of peaceful protests counting millions of beautiful young protesters in clashes with brutal paramilitary forces and the release of balloons, flowers and 140 character long messages into the air and the virtual space of Internet, followed by many more millions on Twitter, Facebook and other social sites.

Women of Iran have been highlighted like never before in Western media, as heroes of the troubled revolution, as prophets of modernity, as thoughtful and poetic freedom fighters, crowned with non-violent resilience and astounding bravery.

The death of Neda, standing as a symbol of progress stopped in its tracks, has united liberals and conservatives around the globe, making everyone pause: It will be more difficult to sing "Bomb Iran" after the people of Iran was given such a lovely face.

Yet, the "radiant face of Iran", its national pride and its ability to assert itself internationally, has taken a tremendous blow.

Before, there would be Iranian experts, exiled and working for US think tanks, arguing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is no new Hitler. In spite of his Holocaust denial, his claims to "wipe out Israel from the map", and the obvious jeopardy of putting the nuke in the hands of a repressive regime, Iran was given the benefit of the doubt.

The benefit of the doubt no longer exists. The last drop of credibility and any appearence of reliability, was lost in the 12 days of relentless clamp-down on Iranian post-election protesters.

As the Sea of Green was dispersed, the government brutality was rigorously documented on Twitter, backed up photos on Flickr and videos on YouTube, so overwhelming in numbers and effects the Iranian government has spun itself into a seemingly endless series of lies and counter-accusations.

The brutality, particularly the authorization of violence against demonstrators by the paramilitary Basiji - a name probably unknown to most westerners a month ago - has left Iran's "radiant face" broken, its national pride in tatters, its future in the hands of certified madmen.

Oddly, there are two Iran's now: The Iran we love, represented by the people and their silent defiance, their Sea of Green and Sea of Light, their chants in the night and their soaring declarations of freedom and democracy - and the Iran we must loathe, oppose, sanction and fight.

Until 14 days ago the world was left with a choice, with a wide range of options, in doubt, conflicted, internally split about how to approach Iran.

Today USA retracts an invitation to Iranian envoys to participate in July 4 celebrations.

Russia is standing on the sideline, Mevedev cancelling on a meeting with Ahmadinjad while the Iranian leader was in Russia during the first days of the protest.

Op-eds in Arab papers, articles and videos and programmes on Al Jazeera, comments from state leaders in the Middle East and all over the world, all distance themselves from the criminal regime of Iran.

And it is obvious nobody believes what Russians called "an exercise in democracy" to have worked out to the benefit of the de facto rulers of Iran, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei and his wing of the clerics in The Guardian Council.

Credibility: Zero.

As Iran heads towards the complete lock-down of the nation, complete media black-out and total oppression along the lines of the strictest interpretation of Islamic Law, its leadership is identified with Al-Qaeda, with Taliban, the darkest forces operating from and in the Islamic world.

Shame is what Iran is left with, a shame so deep it leaves no other options for the corrupted rulers than utter denial. And in this denial they dig themselves deeper into what will become their well deserved grave, and none shall mourn them as they perish in it, for it was a grave they were digging for others.

June 26, 2009