"What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and Pharisees. Hypocrites! They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch." (Matthew 15:16; 23:27) For the past week, our nation has been emotionally and racially ripped apart as a result of George Zimmerman being acquitted by a jury in the death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman's claim of self-defense has been unanimously rejected by most of the black community causing nationwide rioting and raging tempers. Ironically, ten thousand miles across the other side of the world in the heart of the middle east, the nation of Iran has also weighed in with their opinion on the controversial trial of the decade. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Seyed Abbas Araqchi said, "the murder of the teenage African American once again clearly demonstrated the unwritten, systematic racial discrimination against racial, religious and ethnic minorities in the US society." Araqchi went on to declare that the ruling, "seriously put under question the fairness of the judicial process in the United States." As I sit here preparing to respond to the statements made by Iran's foreign minister, I hardly know where to begin! The mullahs of Iran are accusing our legal system of being unfair and racially bias and that we are guilty of ethnic and religious discrimination! They are demanding justice for Trayvon! Are you kidding me, Mr. Araqchi? I think before you lecture us on our "sins" that you first need to clean up your own backyard! Your prisons are filled with thousands of journalists, bloggers, lawyers and political activists, unjustly imprisoned and silenced for disagreeing with the dictatorship of the Iranian regime. They are beaten, tortured, denied proper medical care and eventually executed. How fair is that judicial process, Mr. Araqchi? You accuse of us engaging in "discrimination against racial and religious minorities," yet your country has no tolerance for religious freedom. If a Muslim converts to Christianity, they are arrested and brutally tortured until he or she recants and returns to the Islamic faith. And you say, we are guilty of the sin of religious and racial discrimination? There is a very important Biblical principle that Jesus taught about being judgmental toward others, that before we condemn and criticize the actions of someone else, we first need to remove the speck from our own eyes. Then we will be able to clearly see the speck in their eyes. In other words, we need to first deal with our own sinful shortcomings before we lecture someone else about theirs. Jesus had some of the harshest words and rebukes
against the religious leaders of his time. He exposed them for religious hypocrisy and called them blind guides and false teachers that were perverting the law of God for their own sinful ambitions. Hypocrisy is a deadly sin that can effect us all and cause us to be blind to the truth. Iran wants Justice for Trayvon. But wait a minute, Mr. Araqchi. What about Justice for thousands of imprisoned Iranians, living under fear and oppression? I want justice for Neda Soltan, Mr. Araqchi, the beautiful Iranian woman who was peacefully protesting an unjust presidential election and was mercilessly gunned down by the basiji! I want justice for Sattar Beheshti, a young blogger arrested for disagreeing with the Iranian regime and tortured to death in Evin Prison! I want justice for Saeed Abedini, an American- Iranian Pastor, suffering from internal bleeding and imprisoned for Christian Faith! The list could go on and on, but I think you can understand my outrage and frustration! Hypocrisy is a deadly snare that can blind us from the reality of our own sinful condition. There is a remedy to this deceitful sin. We can do what is good and pleasing in God's sight. He is pleased when we "act justly, show kindness and walk humbly before our God." (Micah 6:8) I, too believe in fairness and justice, Mr. Araqchi. I, too hate racism and discrimination. But before we can begin criticizing, we must first remove the "speck" from our own eyes. That is the only cure for blind hypocrisy, Mr.Araqchi. May God open our eyes to clearly see!
"I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (Jesus: John 6:35) Once again, Cairo, Egypt has become the epicenter of tension, turmoil, violence and chaos. In the last few weeks, thousands of angry protesters filled Tahrir square, demanding that President Morsi be removed from office. Within a few days, the military stepped in and forced Morsi out of office and transported him to another location. Since taking office last June, Morsi began implementing many social policies to conform to a more stringent and radical Islam, making significant changes to Egypt's constitution. As a result, the economy began to plunge and angry Egyptians, fed up with the chaotic changes, took to the streets demanding Morsi and the Muslim brotherhood surrender their death grip on the government. Two years ago, angry Muslims staged radical protests in Egypt, Libya and Syria, demanding their governments to immediately stop oppressing its people and bring true democracy and freedom. After all of the bloodshed and violence, millions of hungry hearts are still left empty
anxiously awaiting freedom. The question must be asked, why has Islam failed? Why is it not working? Two thousand years ago, words of hope and freedom were uttered by Jesus to his followers who were also searching and longing for true satisfaction and peace. Jesus declared to his disciples, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." Governments, leaders, kings and politicians come and go. Their empty promises to desperate people go unfulfilled. Political deceit and corruption continues to flourish leaving behind millions of frustrated and angry hearts. Yet Jesus promises to satisfy the longing heart in a way that governments and politicians never can. The Bible proclaims that, "the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Who can cure it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) Jesus promises that He alone can satisfy and fulfill the spiritual cry of the human heart with his unconditional love and forgiveness. As I was preparing to write this blog, I had a brief online chat with Mahtab my Iranian friend who lives in Tehran. She lamented to me that since her mother died five months ago, she had been experiencing lot of depression and sadness. Then Mahtab asked me what Christianity taught about life after death. I explained to her that Jesus is the Resurrection and the life and that he forgave all of our sins at the cross and rose triumphantly from the dead. I went on to say that anyone who puts their trust and faith in him will never have to fear death. He or she can have confidence and assurance that Jesus has cleansed them of all of their sins. Mahtab was pleasantly surprised by my answer and said, "That is hopeful," but then she spoke about fearing the grave, because it is "so dark and scary." In Islam, Muslims are taught that they will be punished in the grave for forty days for sins they have committed in their lifetime. No wonder the grave is dark and scary! Muslims don't have assurance that they will be going to paradise. Their hope is soley based on how many good deeds they performed during their lifetime and on Judgment day, their good deeds must outweigh the bad. The powerful promise of Jesus is the only remedy for the restless and hungry heart. He promises to fulfill the longings of our heart in a way that nothing or no one ever can. This Ramadan, I am praying for my Muslim friends all over the world in Iran, Malaysia, and Indonesia to experience the wonderful promise of Jesus for themselves. Since I tasted the "bread of life" more than thirty years ago, I can say with absolute confidence that there is nothing else in the world that satisfies!
On Friday, June 14, Iranians went to the polls to choose the next president of Iran. It is an oxymoron to say that Iranians chose the candidate through a democratic process. In reality, the candidate has to be approved by the guardian council and must meet the standards of the Supreme leader. Therefore He is usually first hand-picked and approved by the Ayatollah. Hassan Rouhani emerged as the clear winner garnishing over 50% of the vote and at the end of the day most Iranians were celebrating in the streets. Thankfully this time there was no blood and violence like there was four years ago in the last presidential election. Instead there was a renewed sense of hope among most Iranians. Rouhani declared himself to be a "moderate" instead of a conservative hard-liner, willing to have more constructive dialogue with the West. The Iranian regime, realizing they could not afford another bloody confrontation like four years ago, used Rouhani's moderate claims to appeal to the masses and insure a more peaceful result. Elections in Iran are vastly different compared to what goes on here in the United States. Ordinary Iranian citizens are coerced or forced to come to the polls on election days or else suffer the loss of important government benefits. At the polls a government representative stamps their identification cards, noting who voted and who didn't. If an Iranian stayed home and boycotted the election, his or her card will not have the stamp on it and they will be considered "anti-government." I have a dear friend in Iran who has to remain "unnamed" for security reasons. She is a young Iranian girl that I met online through Facebook. She does not embrace the "Muslim Faith," as most her friends are required to do. Instead she tells me that she has a love for Jesus and not the traditional Imams or Mullahs (Islamic clerics). My friend shared with me a very amusing and interesting story about election day. She said that a lot of her friends embraced Rouhani's message and voted for him. Unlike her other friends, she protested and said, "Mullahs don't change, all of the candidates are the same." She held out little hope than any of them would make any difference in their desperate situation with the economy and the ongoing abuses of human rights. I want to share with you what my friend did on election day. I will quote from her own words with a few minor corrections to her English:
" I didn't want to vote. I stayed home on election day until 10 pm when the election was almost over. Then some close friends of mine urged me to vote or risk losing my government benefits. I freaked out and rushed to the nearest voting station. It was against my will to vote but I went anyway. They took my ID and registered me into the computer. Then they handed me a voting card and asked me to write the name of the candidate that I was voting for. Instead of writing the real name of a candidate, I instead wrote down the name of my favorite singer, Justin Bieber and voted for him because I didn't like any of the real candidates."
When my friend shared this with me
I burst into laughter. Justin Bieber for President of Iran! Out of the masses of people in Iran, Justin Biebers name appeared on the ballot for president! WOW! My friend did this for a very important reason. In essence she was making a bold statement against the corrupt political system in Iran. She was tired of the coerced tactics of the Iranian regime and was declaring, "This is who I choose to vote for, not who the Supreme Leader decides I should vote for!" She is very courageous and yet very desperate! My heart goes out to her. If she lived here in the United States she would not be coerced to vote but have the freedom to vote for the candidate of her choice without fear. I have said this many times before but it is worth repeating.."We take our freedoms for granted!" My friends story is a story of great courage in the face of fear and oppression. I pray that my friend will not suffer consequences for her brave act. I believe there are many more Iranians just like her but are too afraid to speak out. "Justin Bieber for President of Iran..hmmmm...He is very talented..has a lot of great songs..brings lot of fun, joy and happiness to millions...young girls and women love him...hmmm. Come to think of it, He is just what Iran needs. I think he would make an outstanding president!
"In a land where there's no freedom, If an election could change something, they wouldn't hold an election!" ..Mark Twain..
The mood and climate of my friends in Iran is one of hopelessness and despair. On Friday, June 14, Iranians will go to the polls to elect a new president, but most of my friends lament to me that it's waste of time and they won't be participating. They remember all too well the bloody and violent outcome of the 2009 election, when protesters took to the street outraged at what they perceived was a rigged election! Since January, the Iranian regime has arrested countless journalists and bloggers in order to silence the truth and prevent the mass demonstrations and violence that occurred in the last election. In addition to that, activists and journalists who were imprisoned during the 2009 elections are being systematically rounded up and returned to their captivity behind bars. One can understand the mood of despair among my Iranian friends. To them, the upcoming election is a joke! It has nothing to do with democracy and fairness, so why vote? Just recently, I read two emails from Iranians describing their feelings of despair and outrage about the upcoming elections. The first one is from Farhad, writing a brief letter to his friend, Bahman Nassiri. Bahman is the executive producer of the "The Golden Veil," a film exposing the truth behind the 1979 Iranian revolution. Farhad is an Iranian citizen living in Tehran. He writes: " As you have often said, a picture is worth a thousand words, but since I can't send you a picture, I send you these words and you can paint a picture with these words of the present day Iran. Depression, suicides, hunger, unemployment, hyper-inflation, corruption, rising crime, fear, executions, hopelessness. My young brothers sleep at night with hungry stomachs, hoping they won't wake up in the morning. THIS IS WHY I WILL NOT BE VOTING FOR THIS ISLAMIC DICTATORSHIP The second email that I received was from my dear friend Atefe who lives in Tehran. Atefe has an incredible way of words. Her stories and experiences have been the subject of many of my blogs, including the book, "The Rose of Nowruz," that I wrote for my friends in Iran. Atefe captures the mood of the Iranian climate in a way no one else can. This is her email in her own words:
"As we reach the date, I remember the memories four years ago at the same time..My friends and I were so enthusiastic and energetic about the upcoming election. We used to think that those dark and exhausting days of Ahmadinejad is going to end .We were so happy..We used to think Mousavi (Iranian candidate in 2009) means freedom..means happiness..but as it went by and the result was revealed, everyone was shocked! We couldn't believe our eyes! How could this happen to us? Now when I think about those damn days..I don't even give a damn to participate in this election. I am sometime afraid of this election..I'm afraid because of my people..they can't bear the power that stands against them..they are so weak! I'm afraid because of the young people who were killed, whose mothers are still mourning every weekend by their graves..I'm afraid that more young people will get killed and harassed I really don't care anymore about the result because I came to the conclusion that being a president here doesn't count and the election is just a democratic show! Mark Twain says: "In a land where there's no freedom, if an election could change something, they wouldn't hold an election!" This is really true about Iran. I just want to pass this week quietly and calmly without any more blood and broken hearts. I really wish that God would help us pass this stressful time more easily...." Wow! Atefe's words, Farhad's words,
leave me speechless and in tears. They are both crying out for fairness, for justice, for freedom! After reading this I can feel the mood and the despair they are feeling. My heart aches for all Iranians and my only response is a prayer from Psalms. Today, I'm crying out to God to give them hope in the midst of despair. "He will rescue the poor when they cry out to Him. He will help the oppressed who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and needy, and He will rescue them. He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to Him." (Psalm 72:12-14)
"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." (Thomas Jefferson) "I feel we won't have a free country. I know that we won't! In this country every single action done by people must be monitored by the government! It is ridiculous! Should we ask the government's permission if we wanna die? I hate, hate, hate this government!" The above statement echoes the outrage by many Americans in reaction to the recent scandal of the NSA (National Security Administration) and their unjustified invasion of our privacy,through monitoring, collecting and storing our personal data. Our email, cell phones conversations and daily computer activities, are undergoing a stepped up surveillance by the National data center, a facility located 25 miles outside of Salt lake City used to combat cyber-terrorism and secure our nation against sudden attacks. Ironically, the above statement is not a quote from an American citizen, but rather from a personal friend of mine. Her name is Nahid. She is a an English teacher living in Tehran, Iran. She knows firsthand the reality of what life is like living under the scrutiny and surveillance of an oppressive government that are masters at fear and intimidation. The Iranian regime forbids any freedom of speech and arrests every journalist, blogger and lawyer that would dare to speak their mind or voice their opinion in opposition to any government policy. "Oh come on, Randy, but that's Iran! Everyone knows they are a dictatorship! We have the bill of rights and the Constitution to protect us." While that is certainly true, you could have fooled me! The present administration in Washington seems to ignore the protection and wisdom afforded by our forefathers who drafted these great documents to protect us from the reality of a tyrannical government. In the recent weeks we have all been shocked and offended by the arrogance of The IRS targeting conservative groups and denying them a tax exempt status because of their religious and political orientation. It seems like our government is spinning out of control and sliding down a slippery slope towards a tyranny. Thomas Jefferson, author of the declaration of Independence and third president of the United States, issued a warning that we need to pay close attention to, declaring, "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." Unlike Iran, we have the freedom to disagree publicly, write blogs, make videos, protest out on the streets and let our voice be heard everywhere. To remain silent is to invite a tyranny to slowly and subtley get its tentacles around our cherished liberties and suffocate them out of existence. Thomas Jefferson understood the "tentacles" of a tyranny, the oppressive power of a government out of control. As the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson served an ultimatum on the government of Great Britain freeing the colonies from an oppressive empire that prevented them from enjoying life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The NSA would have us believe that this type of surveillance is necessary to protect us from sudden terrorist attacks and in the end, its totally justifiable. But does the
end justify the means? Benjamin Franklin, another wise political thinker and american statesman, once said, "Any society that would give up liberty to gain a little security, will deserve neither and lose both." Have we become so arrogant to ignore the wisdom of our forefathers? They labored day and night writing our precious constitutional documents in order to protect our freedom and insure our liberties. We need to heed the warning of Jefferson and avoid the danger of becoming complacent and silent. We need to stand face to face with The NSA and proclaim our fourth amendment rights that protect us from the unwarranted invasion of our privacy. If we fail to defend our constitutional rights, we could end up sliding down the slippery slope to a tyranny. History sometimes teaches us bitter lessons that we wish we could forget. Iran learned a bitter lesson in 1979 and it didn't just happen overnight. Gradually, forces opposed to the rule of the Shah, decided they had enough of a secular government that had been too influenced by the west. Suddenly Iran was transformed from a Monarchy to a dictatorship, from the rule of a king to the tyranny of an Ayatollah. Secular freedoms were soon swallowed up by the oppressive policies of a cruel dictator who ushered in a new law under the guise of the glory of Islam. My dear friend Nahid is sending a message to you and me. She is desperate for our way of life and for our freedoms. She is trapped under the bondage of the government of Iran. Her cry for freedom is a warning to us. We must not remain silent. The time is now to stand up and defend our rights while we can!
"You are neither dead, nor will you die You will always remain alive You have eternal existence You are the voice of the people of Iran." .....a poem for Neda Soltan....... Simin Behbahani Iran's national poet On June 20th, 2009, the world witnessed the gruesome death of a young Iranian woman through a cell phone video. The video graphically showed a beautiful young woman lying on her back bleeding in an alleyway in Tehran and surrounded by friends desperately trying to save her life. Despite their heroic efforts, she tragically died after being fatally shot in the chest by a Basiji officer nearby. Through a two-minute video, the world was introduced to a young Iranian woman named Neda Soltan, who had joined thousands of other protesters in peacefully demonstrating the results of a corrupt presidential election in Iran.
This intense and graphic video was the turning point in my life. It had a dramatic effect on me as it did on the millions of others who watched it. I was in tears watching Neda gasping for life with her eyes wide open in fear. Something inside me snapped as I watched it. I immediately felt a "calling" to speak out for Iranians. I was outraged that their basic fundamental right to protest and disagree was being met with such violent opposition by an oppressive government. I was astonished to later discover that Neda's
name means, "calling." It was then that I realized that God was using this video as a "calling" for me to be a voice for Iranians. Now four years later, I have authored six books and written several blogs about the plight of Iranians for peace and freedom in their country. One of these books "The Rose of Nowruz: dreams of hope and freedom, " is dedicated to Neda, for her courage and conviction to be a voice for her people. I have been blessed to become a friend of Neda's fiance, Caspian Makan, a human rights spokesman living in Canada and have shared my book with him. Caspian has dedicated his life to keep Neda's dream for a free Iran alive through postings, pictures and articles on his webpage. "The Rose of Nowruz" is now being read on pdf files by many of friends in Iran and giving them hope that one day, a Free Iran will be more than just a dream. In my book, Bahareh, a concert violinist, witnesses the Ghaste Ershade beating a woman outside of her apartment window because she wasn't wearing her hijab properly in public. It was this event in Bahareh's life that motivated her to be a activist and voice for her friends suffering under a corrupt regime. There is a special song in my book, written by Bahareh, a song dedicated to the day when Iranians can once again walk down the streets of Tehran without fear. As I remember Neda today, I want to share this song with you. They are words of hope, dedicated to a woman, who through her tragic sacrifice, has illuminated the darkness of Iran with an eternal spirit of courage and freedom. The Rose of Nowruz There is a rose that was silenced that was crushed, but it will grow again, the sun will shine again. You gave us hope, gave us freedom, gave us life. You life will never end. The rose will live again. The sun is gonna shine again. The rose is gonna live again. Give me wings of freedom so I can fly. I wanna fly high. I wanna soar. Give me wings of freedom or let me die. I wanna touch the sky. I wanna soar! (Dedicated to the angel of Iran: Neda Soltan)
