Author and historian Hamid Dabashi is in Blacksburg today to discuss the future of the recent Iranian government protests, also known as the “Iranian Green Movement.”
The Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, Dabashi has written several books, including “Iran: A People Interrupted.”Dabashi has been critical of the Iranian government following the contested 2009 election of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Dabashi will speak at room 300 in Whittemore Hall at an event entitled “The Iranian Green Movement: Historical Roots and Future Prospects.”
Before his speech, Dabashi took time to speak with Collegiate Times in a phone interview Monday.
COLLEGIATE TIMES: News attention about protests in Iran has dropped since reaching a peak last summer. Is that something that bothers you at all?
Dabashi: No, it does not bother me at all. This is a civil rights movement and it’s in the form of a marathon not a 100-meter dash. It is best compared to the American civil rights movement, which began in the late 1950s with the Montgomery bus boycott. In fact, when President Obama just managed to get the health care reform bill through Congress, he called it the Civil Rights Act of the 21st century.
In other words, when you’re talking about securing the civil liberties of the people, you’re not talking necessarily about toppling a regime, or harassing the government. You’re talking about a prolonged civil rights movement for securing civil liberties.
One day it may manifest itself in rallies, it may manifest itself in teaching, boycotts, etc. The struggle will be sustained and will proceed.
CT: You’ve called these protests a civil rights movement. What elevates this struggle beyond the level of, say, a government insurrection?
Dabashi: Because it began with a very simple question “Where is my vote?” Mainly we have always had rebellion, revolution, coup d’tet, things of that sort. This movement is definitively a non-violent movement.
We are into the 10th month of this movement, and not a single Molotov cocktail has been exploded … despite the fact they have faced incredible violence from the government, and also considering the fact the movement is taking place in the context that is infested by violence in the region. From Afghanistan, to Iraq, Palestine. Homicidal violence … genocidal violence.
In that context, we are witness to the growth of the non-violent movement. That is the indication in my judgment that what we’re talking about is a civil rights movement and not a revolution.
CT: There was some controversy about America’s response when the protests began last summer. Do you feel that enough was done to support this Green Movement?
Dabashi: I make the categorical distinction between the American government and the American people. The American peoples’ attention to this movement has been absolutely extraordinary, supportive. Feeling the reflection of their own civil rights movement in a different event, they have been excited and supportive.
As far as the administration of President Obama is concerned, I believe the president has been very cautious and judicious in his measured and empirical support for the movement. Because of the history of American government’s involvement and interference in Iranian affairs, the president has been very cautious — not whole-heartedly embracing the Green Movement, because it would have been counterproductive.
CT: So you think America had its hands tied in its interactions with the Iranian government.
Dabashi: Exactly. The other reason is that President Obama has inherited a very messy regional politics from his predecessor. As a result, in order to fulfill his campaign promises of withdrawing American troops from Iraq, and reconfiguring policies in Afghanistan, and proceed with the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis, the president needs the collaboration of the Islamic Republic, one way or another.
As a result, all these restrictions can hinder the president’s response to be partial and judicial.
CT: There were some protests at Virginia Tech about the results of the election from last summer. Is it exciting for you to see young people getting involved in the Green Movement?
Dabashi: Very much so. In fact, the overwhelming majority of people involved in the Green Movement are young people. Iranian population is 72 million, and 80 percent of it is under the age of 40. Seventy percent is under the age of 35, and 50 percent of it is under the age of 25.
It’s a very young population, and that means it’s a young movement. The involvement of young people, whether they are inside Iran or around the world, is definitive in movements.
CT: What’s the next step in the Green Movement? Where do we go from here?
Dabashi: I believe, for example on the second of April is a national picnic day, that people are going out of town to rural areas to celebrate with friends and family. What is important is the momentum that was created on June 13th, a spontaneous demonstration, has consistently continued on every religious or national holiday that Iranians had.
This will continue. The momentum will be unrelenting, the public displays have been effectively appropriate by the people. The government can only come and disallow peaceful assembly by show of force … by violence and kidnapping people off the streets … harassing, torturing, incarcerating, and in few cases even killing them.
The more these sort of demonstrations continue, the more we see the nature of the movement as quintessentially non-violent … and the more violent and immature nature of the Islamic Republic will be, for the whole world to see.