Few are those who speak boldly. Few are the real freedom fighters. Many are those who fear dire consequences, and turn a blind eye to the truth when the ruling government happens to be a dictatorship. Iranian director Muhsin Makhmalbaf was only one of the noble revolutionaries, but he was also different in his boldness because he dared to appear as a guest on the Bil-Arabi show on the Al-Arabiya Channel. He was a political intellectual working against the intentions of Khamenei and Ahmadinejhad by filming scenes of the new revolution in the streets of Tehran. He was also an artist who filmed the movie Kandahar in Afghanistan. Makhmalbaf considered that Khamenei and Ahmadinejhad are the reasons behind the political turmoil in Iran because they represent dictatorship. He said that the Iranian president is not a politician but a “cleric without a turban” and a mouthpiece because all the power is in the hands of the Supreme Leader. He also said that his country was suffering from a local enemy embodied by the alliance between the Supreme Leader and the elected president. He stressed that the Iranian revolution erupted 30 years ago for the sake of freedom and that the people do not want a nuclear bomb as much as they want democracy. Makhmalbaf insisted that Ahmadinejhad is not the legitimate president of Iran after he turned against the people and killed, tortured, and imprisoned them. This is corroborated by what was published on the website of a French philosopher about a private meeting between Ahmadinejhad and some of the leaders of the Revolutionary Guards in which he thanked them for helping him win, and told them that the Iranian empire will expand and rule the region. Makhmalbaf is an internationally renowned producer and is considered one of the fathers of Iranian cinema. He has challenged the censorship imposed on his country by directing, with members of his family, many movies, most of which were banned in Iran. He directed the famous movie Kandahar, after which he was banned from working inside Iran, and was thus forced to close his cinema school in Tehran and to move to France in voluntary exile. Makhmalbaf fights on today from Paris, the capital of culture and light, and resists the current regime in Iran while confirming that the people do not recognize Ahmadinejhad's presidency because most of them voted for Mousavi. He calls on the United Nations to interfere and send a delegation to Tehran to understand what is happening over there, including the torture, arrests, and human rights violations. Makhmalbaf assures that Ahmadinejhad is squandering Iran's money to fight the whole world, while the economic and cultural situations are deteriorating, and poverty threatens the people. He says that Ahmadinejhad lies to the media and that he used to criticize Mousavi's policies when he was Prime Minister, but that the situation was better back then compared to what is happening now. Makhmalbaf wonders: Why doesn't the world understand the price of the Iranians sacrificing their lives for freedom and democracy? He said they hate Ahmadinejhad after he robbed them of all their freedoms, distorted the image of their country, and made it look like a terrorist state in the eyes of the world. When colleague Giselle Khoury asked him about the chants against Hezbollah and Hamas in the Iranian popular protests, he said that the help presented by Ahmadinejhad to the Palestinians against Israel is not for the sake of their cause, but in order to ensure that the war remains in Palestine and doesn't shift to Iran. He added that Ahmadinejhad's victims are Arabs, for he doesn't care about the Palestinians falling victims and he is involved in killing people in Iraq, Lebanon, and Afghanistan – so how can he love them? Mokhmalbaf expressed his sadness to see a number of Arabs in the Basij forces who are participating in oppressing the Iranian streets and the protestors. He pointed out that the Iranian people protesting in the streets believe that all Arabs are against them. It's as if I knew who those Arabs are, where they came from, and who instigated them to serve Khamenei and Ahmadinejhad and oppress the Iranians to disfigure the image of Arabs in the Iranian street! There is no doubt that the new Iranian revolution is linked to a serious will and popular tension, for despite the murders, arrests, and torture, the people are continuing with their “green” revolution in search for democracy and freedom about which Ahmadinejhad knows nothing! The fact that the green armbands can still be found around the wrists of men, women, and students despite the oppression and humiliation is sincere proof of the revolution of a nation against an oppressive regime that will not survive for long even if it lasts for four more “heavy” years on the shoulders of the Iranians, the neighboring countries, and the world. The coming period in Tehran will be “extremely difficult” but it will definitely favor the Iranian street which is restraining the rage of Ahmadinejhad's policies and intentions.
