"The Enemy" Is Roaming Amongst Us
Once upon a time, Tehran’s sky was blue. Once upon a time, prison was a place for criminals and political dissidents were tried in military tribunals. Comprised of educated judges, the country’s judicial system would not allow for the unjust trial of dissidents in the civilian court system.
Once upon a time, average people despised and dreaded prison. Going to prison was socially undesirable. Prison was a place for criminals, thieves, smugglers and thugs. If a family’s young child ended up in prison, the entire family would have fallen apart. Sometimes, the entire family would pack and leave the neighborhood because of the shame associated with their young one’s imprisonment. Only 28 years have passed since those days, but society’s values have changed drastically.
Now, following a revolution that promised to turn Iran into heaven, we sarcastically call any young boy or girl who has not experienced prison “sissy.” In our family gatherings, we measure the worth of our youth with the number of times they have ended up in a police station or the number of lashes they have received. Who is responsible for this social disturbance?
Undoubtedly, the enemies. But who are the enemies? We have to ponder. We can easily find them. They are not far away. They are nearby.
We have to look for those who have placed the country’s security and national interests in danger through their violent and systematic treatment of the nation’s youth. The enemy is comprised of institutions that refuse to prosecute large drug smuggling cartels. The enemy is comprised of institutions that imprisons the youth for enjoying music and dance. The enemy is comprised of institutions that bicker over women’s clothing and would have started the third world war over Hejab if they could. The enemy is comprised of institutions that do not look after or care for poor, unemployed, drug abusing youth, but rather place the drug user in prison. The enemy is comprised of institutions that have pushed the nation’s youth to a place where they voluntarily commit crimes so that they can go to prison and sell their drugs. The enemy is comprised of institutions that fire prominent university professors and suppress freedom of speech in the academic arena.
The country’s elders always speak of the enemy in Friday prayer speeches, but they have chosen not to see the enemy that toys with the country’s national security behind their cover. They claim that Delaram Ali, Maryam Hosseinkhah, Jelveh Javaheri and other activists are manipulated by foreigners to demand equal rights.
The country’s young population, male or female, sees the enemy from under its blindfolds, and is certain that the enemy is domestic. If not controlled, it will shut all doors to progress.