Western media has portrayed the release of Roxana Saberi as perhaps the softening of the regime and perhaps a smart move on the part of Ahmadinejad hoping to gain election votes. Rather than highlighting the irrational and idiotic judicial process practiced in Iran. Western media should really question how is it that a journalist accused and jailed for spying and espionage charges, which are considered very serious by any government standards, would be denied basic legal representation, quickly charged, jailed, allowed proper legal representation under pressure, tried again and rather quickly released. And just how many innocent Iranians are detained almost weekly if not daily for similar baseless charges who do not enjoy Roxana Saberi or Hale Esfandiari’s visibility.
In reality, Ms. Saberi’s release should be viewed as an indictment of a corrupt regime and its judicial system and process. If Ms. Saberi was in fact guilty as charged and as claimed by the judicial system for such a serious crime, then why was she released? And if she was innocent, why was she arrested in the first place? Hopefully, Ms. Saberi will share her experience with the world as a responsible journalist should as soon as it is safe for her to do so, unless mullahs have cut a deal with her not to discuss the details of experience, as one of the conditions of her release as they so masterfully did with other Iranian-Americans arrested, jailed and released in the past. That would be very unfortunate indeed. Only time will tell! Mrs. Zahra Kazemi was not so fortunate, having been raped and tortured and killed under the presidency of uncivilized president who fooled the West by his so called Dialogue of Civilizations.
Nonetheless, Ms. Saberi’s release reveals several points about the Islamic Republic:
* Iranian-Americans beware, the regime is watching you and is very suspicious of your trips to Iran
* Reporters, you cannot conduct objective reporting in a country such as Iran, save yourselves the trouble.
* The Mullahs justice system is flawed to the core.
* You can only negotiate with the mullahs from a position of strength (translated as zoor in Iran).
* Reporters, you cannot conduct objective reporting in a country such as Iran, save yourselves the trouble.
* The Mullahs justice system is flawed to the core.
* You can only negotiate with the mullahs from a position of strength (translated as zoor in Iran).
Last point is noteworthy, zoor is what mullahs know and understand. You cannot appease the mullahs and attempt to negotiate with them by showing any weakness. Russia knows it, Arabs are beginning to realize it and Brits have known it all along. That as was the case when British soldiers were arrested in the Persian Gulf, again for very serious charges, but quickly released with new clothes, gifts along with other customary Iranians courtesies. Hopefully, Americans are catching on and perhaps that was the case with Barack Obama, resulting in Roxanne’s abrupt release, and hopefully will be the case with Israel.
Arash Irandoost
