By Tanisha Shabazz

July 6, 2009

Of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff

Republicans continue to criticize Obama

Some Republicans continue to criticize President Obama’s Iran response stating that Obama should be a leader and more forceful. Senators like Lindsey Graham, Kit Bond, Chuck Grassly, John MCain and others have called Obama, “Timid, passive and slow off the mark.” Are these attacks warranted? Is Obama’s approach to the protests in Tehran too soft?

Let’s face it, the June 12^th election in Iran claims incumbent, Ahmadinejad beat reformer, Mirhossein Mousavi by a landslide, even in Mousavi’s home town. Millions of paper ballots were counted by hand in less than a few hours. Hard to believe? Definitely, and Iranian’s don’t believe it either. Republicans are calling for a more forceful reproof but why? Do they want Iranians to take to the streets and protest? They are already doing that.

In reviewing American history, it takes us back to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Similar to the current situation in Iran, Hungarians took to the streets in demonstration. The people wanted free elections and free press among many other things. Soviet forces responded to the revolution with brutal attacks, arresting and beating protestors. The Hungarian Revolution is still a controversial topic today. Many question media and Western administrations concluding that Hungarians were mislead by Radio Free Europe and other Western media. Many argue that The United States encouraged a revolt without a real mandate for military action or any other type of intervention. By looking at what took place 53 years ago, it is fair to say that, Obama is not being too soft. In fact, his comments have been quite appropriate.

Republicans that criticize Obama have failed to define or even highlight what they believe is “appropriate.” Of all the arguments, Sen. John McCain’s is the most disturbing. In an interview on Face the Nation, CBS, McCain stated that he thought Obama could be stronger. What does stronger mean exactly? Stronger in rhetoric or let’s hope not—military intervention? “I think he could be stronger than he has been…I also think he should point out that this is not just an Iranian issue, this is an American issue as well,” McCain said. There is no question as to where America stands. Obama has said in several interviews that Iran’s government should, “Stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people.” If that statement isn’t clear, I don’t know what is.

The right to assembly and free speech are universal rights and Obama has stated they should be honored. American’s understand the right to freedom all to well because our Country was built on these freedoms. The Iranian government has responded to demonstrations in Tehran with outright brutality. The government is using tear gas, beating men and women with batons and arresting protestors and the family members of protestors. There is no question that this sort of treatment is unjust, unwarranted and cruel. As a result, Americans are rallying together in demonstration for free democracy all over the United States. Many are showing support from a distance, but the fundamental belief in freedom is there.

Iranian’s are not asking for U.S. intervention, in fact they don’t want it. As President Obama explained, the Iranian government is looking for anyway to accuse the U.S. of meddling in their affairs. The Iranian government has already accused Britain and other Western nations of meddling and many detained protesters in Tehran are “confessing” they were misled by Western media. Though it is too early to tell if the situation in Iran will end with a revolution, one thing is clear: President Obama is walking a very fine line. Obama has done a great job in condemning cruel treatment, but at this time he is leaving the decisions in the hands of the Iranian people.

The people of Iran want freedom, but not necessarily the freedom with Western influence. Iran is a country deeply rooted in tradition and culture and unfortunately mistrust of the West. If the demonstrations in Tehran are to raise a revolution, it needs to be organic. A successful revolution needs to rise from the people on their terms. It was the American Revolution on the terms of revolutionists that led to our independence.

It is difficult to fathom the brutality demonstrators are victim to in Tehran, but this is not our fight. It would be foolish of Obama to make decisions prematurely regarding a situation that hasn’t fully developed. Republicans need to stop criticizing Obama unless they can define what is “appropriate.” It’s become a political game in which certain individual in the party that lost the 2009 election, attempt to prove they love freedom more than Obama through rhetoric. In a perfect world the United States could cast out freedom to other nations around the world with words but its not. The Republican’s narcissistic view of everything revolving around the United States is destructive. Simply put, if you’re a politician that can’t define “appropriate” rhetoric or a strategic course of action to help the people of Iran in a way they want it, your criticism isn’t valid.