Pakistani Journalist to His Countrymen: If You Want to Solve Issues with a Club, Go to Iran and See the Results - July 17, 2003

Pakistani journalist Khalid Hassan, in an article for Friday Times on July 16, 2003, addresses those in Pakistan who desire a government similar to that of Ayatollah Khomeini, urging them to visit Iran and witness the reality of a police-religious state. He reflects on his return to Pakistan years after the Iranian revolution, warning those who wish to resolve Pakistan's issues with force to observe the plight of the Iranian people under clerical rule. He questions whether they would want Pakistan to be governed in such a manner. Hassan critiques the disastrous state of the Islamic world, attributing it to the fanaticism and barbarism of those who have equated a great religion with ignorance and terrorism, turning the lives of millions into hell. He highlights the brutal suppression of the student movement in Iran by the clerical regime and notes that even reformist figures like Khatami are part of this clerical establishment. He shares a letter from an Iranian after the arrest of filmmaker Mahmoud Vakili, who was detained for possessing classic films, describing Iran as a land of gold and power, deceit, and ignorance where human dignity is trampled. The letter emphasizes that authorities know exactly what they are doing and aim for such outcomes, employing silent terrorism against individuals to isolate and erase them from memory. It mentions the systematic destruction of valuable collections of books and films, including Vakili's archive. Hassan points out the paradox of young, unemployed Iranians easily accessing pornography while witnessing public floggings nearby, and he describes the hypocrisy of clerics who mourn Imam Hussein while engaging in corrupt practices. He concludes with a stark image of clerics participating in Friday prayers while denouncing the United States, despite their own moral failings.