I cannot think of anything more offensive to Iranian women than Whoopi Goldberg's claim that her luxurious life in a safe Western democracy, with her mega-millions, able to go wherever she likes and do almost whatever she wants, is worse than that of a woman living in Iran. I cannot imagine the despair that Iranian women would feel hearing a Westerner making such a claim. Whoopi Goldberg is either a paid agent of some organisation with an agenda or she is mentally ill. The West needs to wake up too, one day soon it might be too late.
Just like Dawn French, unable to remain current so tries to win fans by making stupid statements and then realises what a totally plonker you really are. Shame really, I used to enjoy Dawn French comedy and thought Whoopi was kind of ok , but now I’ve cancelled them both.
I have never understood the modern Western Left with their obsession for all things Islamic being good and all things Western and/or Israeli being bad. No rational thinker could say this has anything to do with being victims of oppression or other intersectionality concepts, as Islamist groups are invariably the most oppressive rulers to live under. The plight of socialists in Iran should be a wake up call, yet it seems so many of them would prefer history to repeat exactly. Can anyone understand the thinking here? The common fashionable example of bright-haired rainbow people advocating for Hamas against the modern liberal western social constructs of Israeli society seems to be the height of incomprehensible foolishness.
The only know a handful of Persian people (as they self-describe) in NZ, and without exception they are some of the nicest and most intelligent people I have come across. Not sure that Golriz did the identity group any favours though!
I would have thought even a village idiot who was trying to argue Iran is a good kind country that only wants nuclear power for electricity generation, would have 2nd thoughts when it was pointed out how far underground the facilities have been located - for what possible reason...???
It sounds like a nuclear bomb might be required to "reach" that far down....
Ani your inspiration runs like a freshwater stream, an unending source of realities etched on your writings. Wonderful article....should be beamed across the world!
An excellent and comprehensive coverage Ani about the extremely serious situation in Iran over all manner of human rights abuses. The blind ignorance of the brutal reality of what is happening to many Iranian citizens, under such a repressive regime, by those like Whoopie Goldberg, is appalling and reprehensible. In this attached NCRI Women Committee article, are the names and faces of the many women and girls who have unjustifiably been persecuted, tortured, raped, beaten and killed in Iran by the Morality Police and security forces: https://wncri.org/2024/09/11/the-list-of-women-and-girls-killed/?
I think the blind spot exhibited about Iran etc by Western apologists of is another example of not being able to be rational about anything that does not fit their world-view. A similar example here in NZ is the mainstream media's inability to have any understanding as to why trust in the media has taken such a nose-dive over the last few years. I've read endless analyses and explanations, all having a small bearing on the matter, but most are unable to accept any culpability for their own contributions.
The Middle East is in a state of flux, as are many other nations, moving away from Western control towards the inevitable multi polar co-operative world of the great majority of people.
It's an ongoing and violent upheaval which will take time to sort out, but is well obvious once you 'see' power in play
That is a very good analysis and summary of what is actually a very nasty, evil regime. The German Chancellor (Merz) has just pointed out the obvious (to anyone with a brain), that 'Israel is doing the West's dirty work' with its work in Iran. This brutal theocratic dictatorship is a significant world threat and I am ashamed that some fools cannot see what needs to be done. And now I see Trump has had the decency to actually do it. Israel deserves support.
If they are not trying to build a nuke, then why are they enriching Uranium to such high levels? Well beyond that needed for nuclear power. If they get a nuke, then first stop for it is Tel Aviv. The IDF will never let that happen, and if that were to be an imminent threat, Teheran would be turned to glass. So Israel and the US are doing the Iranian people a solid here. This is why so many expat Iranians are speaking out in support of Israel.
Ani, frankly a very disappointing and distorted analysis that fails entirely to recognise the actual history of Iranian recent history. You seem the think history starts just before the 1979 revolution. You need to read "All the Shah's Men, An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror" by Kinzer, Stephen for starters. In summary Iran used to have a democracy but the people of Iran had the "audacity" to elect Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1951 on a platform of nationalising the Oil industry that was at that time run by UK British Petroleum (BP). The UK and US were outraged and undertook regime change to install a "friendly"government - the Shah was the result. What you state is a time of enlightenment was behind the scenes terrorism - hence the revolution. These things tend to happen when unpopular authoritarian regimes are in control. Unfortunately in the anarchy that inevitably occurs with revolution the Islamists managed to seize power (they were the best organised) and Iran got what it got. The US and the UK are in LARGE part responsible for this. SO why do you think trying it again in 2025 is going to do any better. Has the US ever proved with its regime ops that it has any clue about how do anything other than DESTROY things? Think Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria.
Secondly, the Israeli and now US attacks on Iran are classified as preventive wars or aggression and as such fall completely outside International Law. There is NO legal justification of these attacks whatsoever. You can't seriously make the claim that Iran are secretly producing a nuclear weapon and when they succeed they will use them to destroy Israel. That is simply not a serious or credible argument. The doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction is what has kept things reasonable stable between nuclear power since the first cold war and there is no evidence to why this logic is no longer valid.
While there are a huge number of additional points I could make I'll finish with the observation that you spend some time demonising the regime based on their treatment of women and LGBTQ+ and this is of course to provide yourself moral cover to justify, in your own mind, a war of aggression. This is fundamentally, however, a rascist and western exceptionalist view. If you really supported the process of democracy and national sovereignty you'd accept that, while the legal and political situation in Iran is distasteful by your own standards (while also acknowledging that the West's previous interventions are in large part responsible), it is up to the Iranian people to evolve their system of government. It is NOT up to us to interfere as that fails the universality principle. Would you accept another country undertaking regime change in NZ because they made some justification of it. Of course not. You can only justify this to yourself if you can convince yourself that your perspective is superior to their's; that's a peculiarly Western view of civilisation. If you doubt this read some history.
Very finally these actions will not end Iran's independence but they have now virtually assured that Iran now will seek nuclear weapons and will have them within 2-3 years. You have also supported the complete collapse of International Law. If the Israel and the US actions are tolerated by the international community then don't complain when Russia, China or any of your other enemies initiate wars of aggression. The West and you have entirely lost your moral authority.
A couple of pertinent quotes to reflect upon:
War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.”
― George Orwell, 1984
"Evil appears as good in the minds of those whom the gods lead to destruction."
Sophocles, Antigone
(Antigone was written at a time of national fervour In 441/0 BCE).
Speaking as a leftie, I have never seen any redeeming features about the Iranian regime, and I don't know people who do. Last year there was a gathering at the Beehive theatrette that the public could zoom in on, held one weekday evening. It was organised by Ingrid Leary and Camilla Belich (Labour MPs) and featured women from Iran and Afghanistan talking about the situation in their countries. MPs from other Parties were there too. I can't imagine either that there's been a groundswell of support for Whoopi Goldberg - celebrities really just need to shut up unless they've some specific knowledge to offer.
I would dispute both your claims there. That they are proxies rather than their own orgs with valid disputes with the Israeli State albeit quite often subverted by the same and that the genuine Left (rather than the performative Left) is supportive of them.
Thanks for repositing that long diatribe you got from the Mossad. Now tell me how morally bankrupt it is for Israel and America to conduct a genocide in Gaza and Palestine? I bet you have no answer to that.
It doesn't take what you're calling propaganda to see and believe the treatment Iran metes out to women, gays, lesbians etc. I'm old enough to remember the overthrow of the Shah and ever since, the stated political aim of Iran's governing Muslims has been to first get rid of Israel followed by the West in general. Like it or not, Israel is fighting for its survival and is likely to continue to do so.
It is fighting for expansion and for the balkanisation of Iran. In that effect is its intent towards Iran any different than the Ayatollah's intent towards Israel?
Ah, the hairy old ‘genocide’ argument. Yawn. Time to give that a break, it won’t ever stick in the minds of anyone smart cos it ain’t what’s happening. There’s one side in the Gaza conflict who swears they want to kill all the men, women & children of their enemy (actually there’s a few of the fuckers who want to do this), and it ain’t Israel.
Thank you Ani. Keep talking, keep writing. We are surrounded by useful idiots. And even though we are on the other side of world, we are all in Israel now.
I see may here repeating that term: useful idiot. This is it - the entire prog/left defines itself by being basically opposed to ANYTHING as long as its Western. They have simply shifted this attitude from the communist regimes to the contemporary horde of anti-Western actors like Islamism.
It was funny reading the Guardian after Aus PM backed the American strikes - they actually expected Albanese to denounce them :)
I cannot think of anything more offensive to Iranian women than Whoopi Goldberg's claim that her luxurious life in a safe Western democracy, with her mega-millions, able to go wherever she likes and do almost whatever she wants, is worse than that of a woman living in Iran. I cannot imagine the despair that Iranian women would feel hearing a Westerner making such a claim. Whoopi Goldberg is either a paid agent of some organisation with an agenda or she is mentally ill. The West needs to wake up too, one day soon it might be too late.
Just like Dawn French, unable to remain current so tries to win fans by making stupid statements and then realises what a totally plonker you really are. Shame really, I used to enjoy Dawn French comedy and thought Whoopi was kind of ok , but now I’ve cancelled them both.
I have never understood the modern Western Left with their obsession for all things Islamic being good and all things Western and/or Israeli being bad. No rational thinker could say this has anything to do with being victims of oppression or other intersectionality concepts, as Islamist groups are invariably the most oppressive rulers to live under. The plight of socialists in Iran should be a wake up call, yet it seems so many of them would prefer history to repeat exactly. Can anyone understand the thinking here? The common fashionable example of bright-haired rainbow people advocating for Hamas against the modern liberal western social constructs of Israeli society seems to be the height of incomprehensible foolishness.
The only know a handful of Persian people (as they self-describe) in NZ, and without exception they are some of the nicest and most intelligent people I have come across. Not sure that Golriz did the identity group any favours though!
There is a Farsi community in Melbourne - they are visible on Parliament steps regularly protesting *against* the Iranian regime.
You're doing a great job Ani!
I would have thought even a village idiot who was trying to argue Iran is a good kind country that only wants nuclear power for electricity generation, would have 2nd thoughts when it was pointed out how far underground the facilities have been located - for what possible reason...???
It sounds like a nuclear bomb might be required to "reach" that far down....
SURELY Whoopi Goldberg would have heard about Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody in 2022 after being arrested for refusing to wear a hijab.
Widespread demonstrations then erupted, with many women openly defying the requirement to wear a headscarf.
However, the kind loving Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini brutally suppressed the protests...
Ani your inspiration runs like a freshwater stream, an unending source of realities etched on your writings. Wonderful article....should be beamed across the world!
An excellent and comprehensive coverage Ani about the extremely serious situation in Iran over all manner of human rights abuses. The blind ignorance of the brutal reality of what is happening to many Iranian citizens, under such a repressive regime, by those like Whoopie Goldberg, is appalling and reprehensible. In this attached NCRI Women Committee article, are the names and faces of the many women and girls who have unjustifiably been persecuted, tortured, raped, beaten and killed in Iran by the Morality Police and security forces: https://wncri.org/2024/09/11/the-list-of-women-and-girls-killed/?
I think the blind spot exhibited about Iran etc by Western apologists of is another example of not being able to be rational about anything that does not fit their world-view. A similar example here in NZ is the mainstream media's inability to have any understanding as to why trust in the media has taken such a nose-dive over the last few years. I've read endless analyses and explanations, all having a small bearing on the matter, but most are unable to accept any culpability for their own contributions.
Seeing as you asked, maybe this can help enlighten your mind Ani.
Israel has been the undeniable product of western imperialism for over a century
Ever since the first oil pipeline from the Anglo Persian (now BP) wells pumped to Port Haifa, then on to GB
Historians know this but were sidelined or silenced - ring any bells?
https://cynthiachung.substack.com/p/who-really-created-the-middle-east
The single reason most don't realise this is due to our engineered reality
What do you think you know that factually isn't so?
https://stylman.substack.com/p/engineering-reality-part-i
The Middle East is in a state of flux, as are many other nations, moving away from Western control towards the inevitable multi polar co-operative world of the great majority of people.
It's an ongoing and violent upheaval which will take time to sort out, but is well obvious once you 'see' power in play
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0hKKrYsQ6M
It's not going to have a happy ending for we the 15% in the West, but the 85% rest will get on with life just fine without us.
Hi Ani, great work, again!
That is a very good analysis and summary of what is actually a very nasty, evil regime. The German Chancellor (Merz) has just pointed out the obvious (to anyone with a brain), that 'Israel is doing the West's dirty work' with its work in Iran. This brutal theocratic dictatorship is a significant world threat and I am ashamed that some fools cannot see what needs to be done. And now I see Trump has had the decency to actually do it. Israel deserves support.
If they are not trying to build a nuke, then why are they enriching Uranium to such high levels? Well beyond that needed for nuclear power. If they get a nuke, then first stop for it is Tel Aviv. The IDF will never let that happen, and if that were to be an imminent threat, Teheran would be turned to glass. So Israel and the US are doing the Iranian people a solid here. This is why so many expat Iranians are speaking out in support of Israel.
Boris - it's time you met the fictional Boris with such obnoxious views as these! Tell me how the empire so thoroughly pulled the wool over your eyes.
Ani, frankly a very disappointing and distorted analysis that fails entirely to recognise the actual history of Iranian recent history. You seem the think history starts just before the 1979 revolution. You need to read "All the Shah's Men, An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror" by Kinzer, Stephen for starters. In summary Iran used to have a democracy but the people of Iran had the "audacity" to elect Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1951 on a platform of nationalising the Oil industry that was at that time run by UK British Petroleum (BP). The UK and US were outraged and undertook regime change to install a "friendly"government - the Shah was the result. What you state is a time of enlightenment was behind the scenes terrorism - hence the revolution. These things tend to happen when unpopular authoritarian regimes are in control. Unfortunately in the anarchy that inevitably occurs with revolution the Islamists managed to seize power (they were the best organised) and Iran got what it got. The US and the UK are in LARGE part responsible for this. SO why do you think trying it again in 2025 is going to do any better. Has the US ever proved with its regime ops that it has any clue about how do anything other than DESTROY things? Think Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria.
Secondly, the Israeli and now US attacks on Iran are classified as preventive wars or aggression and as such fall completely outside International Law. There is NO legal justification of these attacks whatsoever. You can't seriously make the claim that Iran are secretly producing a nuclear weapon and when they succeed they will use them to destroy Israel. That is simply not a serious or credible argument. The doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction is what has kept things reasonable stable between nuclear power since the first cold war and there is no evidence to why this logic is no longer valid.
While there are a huge number of additional points I could make I'll finish with the observation that you spend some time demonising the regime based on their treatment of women and LGBTQ+ and this is of course to provide yourself moral cover to justify, in your own mind, a war of aggression. This is fundamentally, however, a rascist and western exceptionalist view. If you really supported the process of democracy and national sovereignty you'd accept that, while the legal and political situation in Iran is distasteful by your own standards (while also acknowledging that the West's previous interventions are in large part responsible), it is up to the Iranian people to evolve their system of government. It is NOT up to us to interfere as that fails the universality principle. Would you accept another country undertaking regime change in NZ because they made some justification of it. Of course not. You can only justify this to yourself if you can convince yourself that your perspective is superior to their's; that's a peculiarly Western view of civilisation. If you doubt this read some history.
Very finally these actions will not end Iran's independence but they have now virtually assured that Iran now will seek nuclear weapons and will have them within 2-3 years. You have also supported the complete collapse of International Law. If the Israel and the US actions are tolerated by the international community then don't complain when Russia, China or any of your other enemies initiate wars of aggression. The West and you have entirely lost your moral authority.
A couple of pertinent quotes to reflect upon:
War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.”
― George Orwell, 1984
"Evil appears as good in the minds of those whom the gods lead to destruction."
Sophocles, Antigone
(Antigone was written at a time of national fervour In 441/0 BCE).
Speaking as a leftie, I have never seen any redeeming features about the Iranian regime, and I don't know people who do. Last year there was a gathering at the Beehive theatrette that the public could zoom in on, held one weekday evening. It was organised by Ingrid Leary and Camilla Belich (Labour MPs) and featured women from Iran and Afghanistan talking about the situation in their countries. MPs from other Parties were there too. I can't imagine either that there's been a groundswell of support for Whoopi Goldberg - celebrities really just need to shut up unless they've some specific knowledge to offer.
But a lot of the Left are supportive of Hamas, Hezbollah etc which are all proxies of Irans fight against Israel.
I would dispute both your claims there. That they are proxies rather than their own orgs with valid disputes with the Israeli State albeit quite often subverted by the same and that the genuine Left (rather than the performative Left) is supportive of them.
and 'performative left' means 'those pretending to the left, sponsored by Corporate agents often overseas and completely absent any ethics or morals'.
The Ayatollah Khomeini used to be mocked and satirised in the West, eg Spitting Image. We are surrounded now by useful idiots indeed.
Thanks for repositing that long diatribe you got from the Mossad. Now tell me how morally bankrupt it is for Israel and America to conduct a genocide in Gaza and Palestine? I bet you have no answer to that.
It doesn't take what you're calling propaganda to see and believe the treatment Iran metes out to women, gays, lesbians etc. I'm old enough to remember the overthrow of the Shah and ever since, the stated political aim of Iran's governing Muslims has been to first get rid of Israel followed by the West in general. Like it or not, Israel is fighting for its survival and is likely to continue to do so.
It is fighting for expansion and for the balkanisation of Iran. In that effect is its intent towards Iran any different than the Ayatollah's intent towards Israel?
Ah, the hairy old ‘genocide’ argument. Yawn. Time to give that a break, it won’t ever stick in the minds of anyone smart cos it ain’t what’s happening. There’s one side in the Gaza conflict who swears they want to kill all the men, women & children of their enemy (actually there’s a few of the fuckers who want to do this), and it ain’t Israel.
Mossad is Hamas
Thank you Ani. Keep talking, keep writing. We are surrounded by useful idiots. And even though we are on the other side of world, we are all in Israel now.
I see may here repeating that term: useful idiot. This is it - the entire prog/left defines itself by being basically opposed to ANYTHING as long as its Western. They have simply shifted this attitude from the communist regimes to the contemporary horde of anti-Western actors like Islamism.
It was funny reading the Guardian after Aus PM backed the American strikes - they actually expected Albanese to denounce them :)
The present day situation is what you get after 46 years of appeasement of a despotic, tyrannical death cult.
If you're engaging in development in a nuclear energy program you do so openly and in concert with the relevant international authority (IAEA).
Iran's behaviour underlines the lies and duplicity of the regime.
The international community has even had this lot in charge of various human rights and women's committee at the UN.
That shows you how much a waste of space that organization is too.