- By Bahram Maskanian - October 16, 1987 - Edited, - March 17, 2005

For nearly thirty-five (35) years I have been a student of history, philosophy, social, political and economic sciences. I examined different political systems' successes and failures in search of a solution to the wide spread barbaric mafia-style governments ruling the world. I have read and studied a variety of political philosophies and debated many individuals with numerous political philosophies and beliefs, all the way from Communists to Capitalists and everything else in between. I lived through the political evolution and degradation of the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's. In 1979 I was shocked to see the criminal mullah, Khomeini return to Iran. I watched the Berlin Wall crumble. I watched Boris Yeltsin stand on an instrument of war and oppression, a tank, encouraging Russians to peacefully revolt and join him to end Communism.

On March 2005, at this joyous occasion while Persian New Year is approaching, after twenty-six years, I find it hard to celebrate Norooz, (New-Day) knowing our nation has been taken hostage and kept in chains for over a quarter of a century. I remember it as if it was yesterday. In complete state of disbelief, my beloved country Iran was handed over to the dumbest and most barbaric criminal mullah, Khomeini. All throughout Iran, university students, intellectuals, business and military officials simply gave the country, and the people away to a retarded criminal mullah like Khomeini. Why was that? Knowing Khomeini's background, and the destructive role of Islam in Iran's past history, why did they hand this mullah, Iran on a silver platter?

I am not discrediting the sudden international media bonanza around Khomeini in Paris, huge American-European influence and intervention that made it all possible. But the fact remains that the Iranians ultimately accomplished Iran's Islamic Coup d'état of 1979. So the question is, why did the educated professional Iranians, in all levels of Iranian society and government did this to themselves, the nation and the country?

When I was about eleven (11) years old, in 1964, Khomeini and his goon mullahs started an Islamic uprising in Iran. I am not sure but I think over thirty thousand (30,000) people were killed in the process. I remember when my poor tormented mother came to school to pick up my brother and me to take us home. What a hellish fifteen (15) minute walk. From school to our home we witnessed people getting blown to pieces, blood-thirsty mullahs with machine guns running around shooting everything that moved. At home I asked my mother if we were under attack by Arabs. She did not respond, she locked all doors, windows and took us to the second floor of our house. My mother is a very brave woman. She was holding the biggest kitchen knife we had, standing guard. We were scared to death after watching the senseless killing of so many people, young and old, men and women. This went on for a whole day. It took a few days for things to go back to normal. To everybody's dismay, Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, the King of Iran pardoned all of the criminal mullah perpetrators of the uprising, one of which at the head was the criminal Khomeini. They were all exiled and send to Iraq.

Obviously, I was not yet mature enough, nor capable of deciphering what was going on in Iran politically, but I was surprised when nowhere in the news and newspapers, was any mention of Arabs attacking and killing Iranians. On the day of uprising, as my mother was holding on tight to my brother and me, guiding us through the bloody mayhem and closed off streets, I heard many times the mullahs and rebel's loud verbal exchanges, all speaking Arabic. Why didn't anybody say anything about it? And why was it treated as an internal Iranian uprising led by mullahs like Khomeini? And why did the intellectuals and other officials, the supposed gatekeepers of Iran and the guardians of the Iranian people and society neglect or forget this crucial piece of history?

My grandfather at that time was eighty-five (85) years old. He was a very kind, giving and wise man. When I asked him about the Arabs and why they were here shooting and killing people in our streets, it brought tears to his eyes. Shortly after he regained his composure he said: - - Son, I am so sorry that you and your brother had to see that. I am also very happy that you are not hurt. Some day when you are old enough you shall see and learn about Islam and the dirty role religion plays in politics, dominating people's lives. Arabs had their eyes on transforming Iran into an Arab country for over thirteen hundred years now. It is a miracle that we have managed to keep some of our Persian tradition, culture and language. The Arab men that you saw are the helping hands mullahs have been using for centuries to keep Islam alive and the Islamic goons in power. They are members of an organization called Akhoan-Al-Muslemien, (Muslims Brotherhood). Since this is a very sensitive and dangerous subject you should not talk to strangers about any of it. Whenever you have any questions come to me, or your uncle (my father's older brother) and we can talk about anything you want. - -

My grandfather, still having teary eyes, kissed me on the top of my head and went to the bathroom. I loved my grandfather. I was crushed and brokenhearted to see such pain and sorrow on his face. I could never forget that moment and the names of those involved in the bloody uprising, particularly the heinous name, Ruholla Khomeini. I went to my room and wrote in my notebook everything my grandfather told me, word by word. That was a pivoting point in my life. I became an avid reader and began following news and current events as closely as I could.

Now, the question is why and how could the Iranian officials, intellectuals, military officers, the gatekeepers of Iran and the guardians of the Iranians forget Khomeini's criminal acts against the Iranian people, when came the 1978-1979 Islamic coup, little less than fifteen (15) years later and hand over the country to the bastard son of the British Empire, Khomeini?

When I was a teenager, I use to envy my father's highly educated friends who would refer to one another as Doctor this or Honorable that. I was very impressed with my father's friends, and studied hard to prepare myself to pursue a higher education, which entitled one to such distinguished titles and social positions. My father, on the other hand, thought of them as superficial and jokingly told them so. He never really respected them and made fun of them almost all the time and in their absence referred to them as intellectual morons. He used to say to his other friends. - - (Derakhet Barvar Sar Afkandeh Ast) - -.

My father's contention was that reading a few books about a particular subject in a controlled environment does not enrich anybody with wisdom, integrity and courage. He believed that one's merit, superior qualities and self worth stems from within and can only be nurtured by one's self. My father was a firm believer that one's noble deeds is what elevates one to the position of respect, not one's creed, qualities like wisdom, integrity and courage are earned and gained through unconditional caring, selfless generous acts and modest life style.

I was never allowed to participate in any conversation with the so-called adults. If I had the misfortune of losing control and saying something, suddenly silence took over and the attention of all of the adults would focus on me, with a, - - I can not believe this kid, how dare he speak, - - look on their faces. Needless to say, I didn't stop and continued testing my thoughts and ideas by speaking without permission where supposedly I had no place to speak. Judging by the reaction and facial impressions of my unwilling audience, I would determine whether or not to abandon my idea, work on it some more, or if it was fine, to keep it and develop it farther. You see, I never knew what it meant to give up. I was never the kind of person to let go of a problem before finding a plausible solution to it.

Seek and you shall find. I did. The following is a brief history of Khomeini. A few Iranians know about Khomeini's true origin, that Khomeini's mother was a Kashmiri from India, but sadly even fewer Iranians are aware who Khomeini's real father was, and his true origins. The late senator Moussavi, who represented the southern province of Khuzestan in Iran, at the time of the Pahlavi dynasty, knew Khomeini's father and his four (4) sons very well. The late senator looked after their wants and needs. He used his influence to obtain Iranian birth certificates for Khomeini and his brothers with fictitious dates and places of birth to avoid deportation and military service. Senator Moussavi was rewarded for his help and allegiance. Immediately after the success of the 1979 Islamic coup d'état and the return of Khomeini from France, Senator Moussavi was shot dead under direct orders from Khomeini. The chief of Savak, Gen. Pakravan, the man who saved Khomeini's life in the 1964 Islamic uprising, was also rewarded for his help. He was taken the same night onto the roof of his house and shot to death.

The criminal mullahs, unable to provide an acceptable paternal background for Khomeini, concocted a story to link his paternal heritage to that of his Kashmiri Indian mother and introduced a Kashmiri Indian father, but of Iranian heritage. In fact, no such person ever existed. But someone with similar and misleading characteristics certainly did, which could lend credence to this fiction of an Indian father.

Khomeini's real father, William Richard Williamson, was born in Bristol, England, in 1872 of British parents and lineage. This detail is based on a biographical book published in the early 1950s and also first-hand evidence from a former Iranian employee of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (later renamed as British Petroleum, and finally, BP), who worked with and met the key players of this record. This fact was also supported in 1979, by then-78-year old Col. Archie Chisholm, a BP political officer and former editor at The Financial Times, when interviewed on the subject at his home in County Cork, Ireland.

Khomeini's real father, William Richard Williamson's biographical life story was written and published in the early 1950s, by Stanton Hope, a British Journalist and writer who had met Williamson in his home near Basra in the late 1940s. The book title is: - - Arabian Adventurer: the Story of Haji Williamson - -

Again, the question is, why were the Iranian people kept in the dark? The very same Iranian intellectuals, business and military officials who supported the return of Khomeini and the Islamic coup d'état, were themselves the first victims of Khomeini's firing squad. Instead of rewards of power and treasure, they received hot piercing bullets. So why did they sell out and betray Iran and the Iranians? The answer is, simply lack of democratic measures, allowing public political education and participation, lack of information and oversight by the Iranian citizens and an enormous appetite for political power, blinding greed for wealth and finally total stupidity on the part of the officials to trust the likes of Khomeini.

I will never forget when I was fourteen (14), one day we were watching the news broadcast on TV, announcing a large fare increase of the public transportation in Tehran. My grandfather said: - - How could they do this? They should make public transportation free for all. - - I looked at him and said: - - Why don't they understand to do what you just said? - -

My grandfather smiled and apologized for what he just uttered. He then said: - - Son, the truth is that there is no - THEY -. The - THEY - we are waiting for is actually all of - US -, the people -. We are - THEY - Those of - US - who are waiting for - THEY - to come and save - US -, will be very disappointed. Because - THEY - in reality is - US - and since - US - are waiting for - THEY -, which obviously will never come, thereby - US - will achieve nothing. Therefore we should never wait for - THEY - because - THEY - are already here, that is - US -. - -

My grandfather's favorite quote was: - - KASS NAKHARAD POSHT e MAAN - JOZ NAKHON e ANGHOSHT e MAAN - -.

Which literary means, no one will scratch my back, except my own fingernails. When for the first time I heard him say that, I offered to scratch his back, not knowing what he meant.

When we examine our day-to-day actions, in the most part, sadly, there is not much to be proud of. It's sad, pitiful and disgraceful to experience such a state of environmental degradation, political and cultural stagnation all over the world, waiting for a mythical - Robin Hood -, or the - Lord -, or a silver bullet to magically fix all ills. Not going to happen, as it never did.

It seems to me that we have become comfortably numb. We have become numb to the reality of our world, unfolding right before our eyes. We have become numb mentally to think for ourselves and determine what the obvious truth is. We have become numb to only complain about how bad things are and why aren't - THEY - doing something about it!

We have become numb to the point that we have completely forgotten that business and economic officials, intellectuals, politicians, military officers, the gatekeepers and guardians of any given society and their people did not come from another planet. They are after all, in the most part members of the very same society. By the same token, we, the Iranians / Persians must also realize that it is up to us, the Iranian / Persian people to make the necessary changes and there is no - THEY -.

We, the people have been fooled to believe that coming out to vote in rigged elections, and once or twice a year on special occasions going to political protests chanting a few political slogans and waving a few signs is going to bring democracy and give us a just and fair chance of determining our future. Well, has it?

Without a constant public political participation and persistence, there will never be any true change to bring about true democracy! We are the public and if we want freedom, human rights and democracy we must begin building it.

We have placed way too high of expectations on our government and business officials to be good and on their best behavior, when we give them such huge amounts of wealth and power with zero (0) oversight and accountability. We then naively expect them not to steal, cheat, lie and sell our rights to the highest bidder.

We must ask ourselves, what do we hold more precious, our wealth, or our freedom and human rights? The obvious answer, as far as I am concerned, is our freedom and human rights. We do not keep our wealth, such as money and other possessions unguarded outside. We store them in a safe place don't we? So why is it that we abandon our precious freedom and human rights unguarded outside the door? Hoping someone would guard them for us?!

High expectations will lead to debilitating disappointments and high levels of anxiety. High expectations causes political laziness and indifference, precisely the reason why tyranny has survived such a long time and still exists today, in the twenty-first (21) century. It is our moral obligation and duty to protect and defend our freedom and human rights. No one is going to give anybody freedom. Freedom is earned and must be guarded vigilantly.

We, the Iranian / Persian people are living in dangerous and yet promising times, as our moral and patriotic obligation and duty, it is crucial that we awaken the world's conscious to the unraveling of the terrorist ruling mullahs regime in Iran, and our upcoming referendum. We must understand that our courageous fellow Iranians / Persians within Iran have taken an enormous risk to initiate the thought process for a national referendum. The least we, the exiled Iranians / Persians can do is to support them and make sure that the democratic freedom loving world knows about their brave undertaking through widespread advertisements and peaceful political protests.

We shall not accept funds from any government or corporation. This is a grass-root democracy movement by the people, for the people, and therefore it must be supported and funded by the people.

We must come together, and stay together, united, create a committee to raise funds to buy full page advertisements in major newspapers in democratically-run countries to publicly announce and outline an alternative to the ruling terrorist mullahs in Iran, making our upcoming referendum a known fact to the world. We must invest in the future of our country for our children. I am far from being a rich man, but I will be glad to contribute one thousand ($1,000.00) dollars to start. Hand in hand, let's make history together. Please contribute time, or money, or both, our motherland Iran needs her children more than ever before in her history.

Below you shall find my take, understanding and significance of certain key words I used to articulate my thoughts and introduce the idea of Political Spirituality in the above article, and the Building Temples Of Peace And Freedom, article.

Political Spirituality:
I invite you to reflect on the higher possibilities of the human spirit and intellect to discover and explore the soul and creative potential of humankind within a nurturing and supportive environment of Political Spirituality.

Political spirituality is inspired by humankind's (Womankind And Mankind) deep social desire and comfort of being part of and engaged in a community. In the absence of free and objective social and political spiritual community, people will tend to search for different sources of spiritual community, such as religion, to congregate around it. In essence, religion and superstitious myths of religion will replace the logical forces of reasoning and common sense that any society needs to ethically and justly govern itself.

Each society is comprised of different types of personalities: self-centered, selfless, wise, ignorant, greedy and compassionate. A soul of a society carries the blueprint of its highest and lowest purpose and ideals. A successful society discovers its soul by strengthening the higher and the noble purpose and ideals to embrace the wise, the kind and the truth.

The soul of any given society shall express its sense of wisdom and generosity of spirit or lack thereof. The soul of the society holds the purpose and the design for that society's development and fulfillment of its higher and noble purpose. This is precisely the reason why any social governing system made of, by, and for the people, shall not perish and will last as long as the soul of the society is the driving force behind it.

Politics is an inseparable part of our lives. Politics directly and indirectly touches and influences our lives. We are sent to war by politics, we are taxed by politics, we are forced to congregate around bad harmful policies by politics, we are informed and educated by politics.

There are good democratic politics and bad evil politics. Bad evil politics is where a handful of individuals make up self-rewarding and or any kinds of policies for nations, in secrecy behind closed doors. Good politics or true democracy is where the concerned public is deeply involved in every step of the way in making local and national policies, implementing and safe guarding them.

We must use politics every day in our affairs in order to live in our communities and societies at large. Politics is a spiritual force connecting people together. We must discover Political Spirituality and celebrate it. Political Spirituality is where good politics can take root and grow. Political Spirituality is the only means of uniting and peacefully solving our social, political and economic issues. Political Spirituality is the one and only way to establish and maintain democracy and human rights.

There are those amongst us who claim not to be political. I find that statement to be an unmistakable confession of laziness and as stupid as saying I am not into oxygen, I prefer carbon dioxide.

Definition of Democracy:
Democracy is a social form of governing system formed by the informed and involved people; exercised directly and also through elected representatives. - A true Democracy is where the common people, considered as the primary source of political voice and power. - A true Democracy is the set of governing principles of social, political, and economic equality and respect for the all individuals within a community / country. - The quality and the effectiveness of a true Democracy is directly depends upon the quality of the people, whom are the guardians of their democracy. - Democracy will only succeed and last if it is based on the rule of Law, not Men. - A true Democracy is based on the principles of Laws; - Rules and Regulations - prescribed in the Constitution of such Democracy, voted upon and approved by the guardians of the democracy, the people.

Definition of Constitution:
Constitution is a social contract, a system of fundamental laws and principles that prescribes the nature, functions, and the limits of government branches, the elected and the employed government officials, institutions, private and public entities, and their relationship with The Managing Public; The Iranian / Persian People, who have elect and allow the said officials to administer the prescribed fundamental laws and principles, approved by The Managing Public; The Iranian / Persian People, honestly, precisely, and in a good and honorable manner.

Definition of Unity:
To unite is to bring together so as to form a whole, or demonstrate in combination, or a combined group of people, sharing common interest, attitude, or action: “the love that unites humanity”. - - To become, or seem to become joined, formed, or combined into a unit, to join and act together in a common purpose, or endeavor, to be or become bound together by adhesion. - - To put or bring into an association, or relationship joined by common bond of humanity, to meet and merge with, to join forces, to connect, to become a part, or member of a club, or group, or a committee to participate with others in an act, or activity.

Definition of Politics:
Politics is the art and science of managing or governing one’s entire social and economic affairs interactively in conjunction with the rest of the community, especially the collective governing of a political entity, such as a nation, and the administration and control of its internal and external relationships. Politics is the activity and interaction engaged in by any given society’s citizens, to build community and establish communal services for all. Politics is the maneuvering methods and tactics involved in managing any given society or state government. A politician is an individual, holding an intriguing and rewarding career of public service that honorably discharges hers or his duties in an ethical and caring manner.

Definition of Ethics:
Ethics is comprised of a set of principles and means of right conduct embanked by reasoning and common sense. - Ethics is a set of built-in principles of moral values, concerned with the judgment of the goodness or badness of human action and character. Ethics is a set of rules and standards governing the conduct of a person as a member of an ethical society at large. The enlightenment of ethical behavior shall emerge when through our own conduct we teach and exhibit goodness showing virtue, especially moral excellence of character and behavior. - Conforming to standards of common sense, what is right, just in behavior and virtuous, to live a moral life. - Ethical politics is a result of the rise of conscience and the awakening of the sense of right and wrong as a moral obligation and ethical certainty. Ethics is based on strong and firm conviction, rather than physical or tangible effects.

Definition of Spirituality:
To be spiritual is to relate to what encompasses the nature of spirit, although spirituality is not and never has been tangible or formed by any material. It is the concern with the theoretical source of life and how it affects the unknowns, such as death, and if there is an after-life of some sort. Spirituality is composed of a need to relate to higher sources of all life and community. Since spirituality is also a theoretical science, which shall remain uncertain, would it not make more sense to argue and research for to find a common solution rather than destroy and kill humankind (Womankind And Mankind) in search of a resolution? - We are far from flawless, even in this day and age of the twenty-first (21) century. Due to the natural laws of evolution and improvement, every few years we learn that some or all of what we thought we knew in a variety of different sciences such as medicine, astronomy, physics, biology and more, needs to be modified or changed all together.

This natural law of evolution and improvement must be applied to everything. In the pursuit of our reptilian, gang mentality of theoretical spiritual science, we are effectively denying our offspring the knowledge and wisdom available today by replacing our known knowledge with dogmatic religious doctrines. We would be better off focusing on building a better tomorrow and searching for what remains yet unknown to humankind (Womankind And Mankind).

Definition of Faith:
To have faith is to have confident belief in an unquestioned and unexamined set of mythical values, or trustworthiness of a divine power, an idea, or a symbol. - To believe in what does not rest on reason, logical proof, or material evidence. - A mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust and confidence in superstition. - Loyalty and mental acceptance, conviction in myths as the truth, actuality, or validity of something. - Faith is also the theological virtue defined as secure belief and allegiance with those who claim to represent God, trusting and acceptance of God's will. - A set of dogmatic myths, or beliefs, or opinion, or doctrine held as being true by a group of persons. - Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and to be certain of the existence of what we would never know.

Definition of Culture:
Culture is the totality of socially transmitted behavioral patterns, such as, but not limited to intellectual, philosophical, political and artistic activities, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of humankind (Womankind And Mankind), activities and thoughts. The said patterns, characters, and behaviors resulting in the production of social products are considered to be the expression of a particular period, class, community, or population. These patterns, traits, and products are measured with respect to a particular category, such as a field, subject, time, and or mode of expression: Ethical Culture, Musical Culture and so on.

Definition Of Boycott:
Boycott, is an inherent right of the public to come together in unity abstaining from buying, using and or dealing with merchants of greed and perpetrators of destructive environmental, social, economic and political practices currently plaguing the whole of humanity. - Boycott, is an instrument of gaining political grounds and objectives. Boycott, is an expression of non-violent and constructive means of protest to peacefully correct and replace the destructive environmental, social, economic and political practices with wide-range of all encompassing prospers policies and procedures.

Definition Of Greed:
Greed is idiotically short sighted, greed is unreliable, greed is highly selfish, greed is blind, greed is destructive, greed is criminal, greed knows no limit, greed is endless and unethical. Greed's endless criminal selfishness, competition, Global Warring and Global Warming has brought humankind to the brink of self-annihilation. - Greed could be best describe as one’s excessive desire to acquire, or possess more than what one needs and deserves, especially with respect to material wealth and worldly possessions. - Greed grows in the absence of common sense, moral and ethical standards, which leads to suppressing the urge in one's conscience to prefer doing right, over wrong. - Many believe, as I do, and attach to competition, the stigma of selfish greed. Humanity must choose Cooperation for survival instead of Competition, in order to stop greed in its tracks and bring humanity closer together out of the danger zone of self-annihilation.

Sincerely,

Bahram Maskanian