US-centric Filipinos may not be aware that the Philippines and Iran share a lot of common experiences-from rising from devastating natural calamities to political upheavals.
Foremost is the harnessing of people power against an extravagant and tyrannical regimes.
Many Filipinos like to think that we “invented” People Power with the ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos on Feb. 25, 1986 and inspired other countries in Eastern Europe, and much later Arab countries, to go out in the streets and overthrow tyrants.
But the Iranians did it seven years earlier than the EDSA People Power. On Feb. 11,1979 angry Iranians, mostly students, drove out the United States- supported Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.
In fact, during the struggle against the Marcos regime, the opposition utilized some of the methods used by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Iranian revolution, to reach out to the masses through messages in tape casettes,while he was still on exile.
He quoted from the article of Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, “What Iran really wants” in the Foreign Affairs publication: “The post-revolutionary foreign policy of Iran has been based on a number of cherished ideals and objectives embedded in the country’s constitution. These include the preservation of Iran’s independence, territorial integrity, and national security and the achievement of long-term, sustainable national development. Beyond its borders, Iran seeks to enhance its regional and global stature; to promote its ideals, including Islamic democracy; to expand its bilateral and multilateral relations, particularly with neighboring Muslim-majority countries and nonaligned states; to reduce tensions and manage disagreements with other states; to foster peace and security at both the regional and the international levels through positive engagement; and to promote international understanding through dialogue and cultural interaction.”
Mohammadi touched on two important international issues where Iran plays an important role: non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and war against extremism.
Under President Hassan Rouhani, Iran last March agreed to talks with Britain, China, France, Russia and the US plus Germany known P5+1 powers in connection with its nuclear program towards an agreement that would end the wide-ranging sanction on Iran by the United Nations Security Council. The sanctions have seriously hurt the oil-producing country economically.
“Nuclear negotiations between Iran and 5+1 group of countries are still going on with hopes to reach its desirable results for all countries in due time,” Mohammadi said.
But he said the agreement should not be at the expense of the interest and integrity of his people. Quoting his Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Mohammadi said, “Iranian nation will not buckle under bullying, excessive demands and irrational behavior.
He said Iran is also looking for a good deal which upholds their right to access and use of peaceful nuclear program based on the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT’s laws and regulation.
“We respect and ask nothing more than the rule of law in its entirety,” the envoy said.
Mohammadi also stressed that Iran is in the frontline of war against violence and extremism which the international community is stepping up outraged by the brutality of extremist ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ) group.
“We believe that the evil nature of terrorism cannot be characterized as good or bad terrorism and resorting to blind violence with recruiting internationally dangerous extremist elements from all over the world for any motives is detrimental to international peace and stability,” Mohammadi said adding that, “We are against those that with their inhuman acts have damaged the image of Islam.”
Last year, Iran held the first International Conference on World against Violence and Extremism and the Philippines was represented by Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Ging Deles.
Relations between the Philippines and Iran are cordial but it could be robust if not for the U.S. led sanction against Iran. It has not, however, prevented more exchanges in other fields like education, culture and sports.
Mohammadi cited the Iranian community in the Philippines in helping strengthen the relations between the two countries. He said last year hundreds of Iranian students graduated from Philippine universities.
They are members of the Global Half-Filipino-Iranian Association -the most solid ties that bind the Philippines and Iran.
Yes, masarap sana gunitain itong EDSA revolution. Pero malaking pag kakamali rin dahil ang pumalit kay Macoy ay mga mas GANID sa kapangyarihan. Parang mga asong ulol na naka wala sa hawla. kanyang kanyang nakawan kabila kabila.
Nawala nga si Macoy ang mga pumalit ay
SI Cory. Nag aalsa ang mga Sundalo dahil mga kamag anak ang yumayaman naman.
Si Fidel lalong lumalala na ang nakawan.
Si Estrada tumitindi naman and sugalan at patuloy lalo ang nakawan.
Si Pandak. mas grabe ang bansa natin na talamak talaga sa nakawan at lalong bumaba ang antas natin.
Si Panot puro daldal at ni isa ay wala pang napapakulong na tao. Bulag at ang naka paligid na tao sa kanya ay puro mag nanakaw lalo na ang BFF niya. Isakripisyo pa ang buhay ng 44 SAF.
Tanong ay NAKAMIT BA NATIN ANG KALAYAAN.
Or mas mabuti pa noon si Macoy na ang bansa natin ay maunlad at angat sa ibang bansa sa ASIA.
Ano na ngayon ang kinalabasan nitong EDSA.
Nag tatanong lang
In 1979 many influential families and those identified with the Shah chose to live in exile in democratic states rather than suffer in the soon-to-be “backward” Islamic nation headed by the Ayatollah. Many sent their children to Manila to pursue their college education, and a pseudo-American lifestyle. The huge Iranian student population in Manila was such that when I entered UP, the football varsity had a majority of Iranian players that captured the UAAP football crown.
They also stole our High School team’s PSA Awards that year. We initially won the sportswriters’ votes but on the awards night we were informed that they are awarding the trophy to UP instead. The reason was our team captain was an Italian priest without whom our team “would not be as competitive”, PSA Awards said. That is why I was disgusted to learn later that more than half of UP’s team (9 of 15) were Iranians!
That also started the influx of other Middle-Eastern nationals who enrolled in many universities here, later even terrorists claiming to be Iranians who were studying in flying schools, engineering colleges, language classes to acquire the skills we had and employing them for their jihads back home.
#1
Kailan may hindi umunlad ang Bayan nung Panahob ng mga Marcos.
Martial law did not deliver any stability or economic turnaround with the costs of reduced social freedoms and increasing corruption. Limited land reforms are introduced but prove ineffective. Manufacturing and business enterprises are nationalised or handed to Marcos’s cronies or relatives. Profits are siphoned off for personal enrichment and mismanagement is rife.
Basta para sa akin walang magandang naidulot ang nangyari sa pagpatalsik kay Marcos.
http://arvin95.blogspot.com/2011/03/edsa.html
#4 and the same for Iran,, from autocracy to theocracy. And the Iranian same as the Filipino masses are the ultimate losers. The ties that should be broken.
Yes, Philippines and Iran share a lot of common experiences…Shah of Iran and Marcos are both American Puppets.
#4
Marcos might not be one of the all-time killers but he is certainly one of the biggest thieves in the history of the planet.
#3 mas nakaka angat tayo sa ibang bansa noon.
Ang tanong ay kung nakamit ba natin ang tunay na kalayaan ngayon sa mga pumalit kay Marcos?
mas masahol pa ngayon ang pag nanakaw sa Gobyerno natin ngayon eh.
Ginagawang business ang pag takbo sa politika eh. Ngayon halos lahat naka puwesto ay instant millionaire na. Halimbawa mo lang ang magkalaban na Arroyo at Binay. Di mo alam kung bakit napakarami ng kayamanan.
#7
Tama nakaka-angat ang ating Bayan lalo na sa huling parte ng dekada 50 at ng buong dekada 60. Walang sinabi ang ating mga kapit bayan, maliban sa bansang Hapon, maunlad ang ating ekonomya. Napakasarap lasapin ang gaan ng buhay noong panahon ni Quirino, Garcia at Macapagal.
Subalit ng palitan ni Marcos si Kong Dadong, nag umpisa ng bumulusok ang ating ekonomya, at nag umpisa ng umangat ang kabuhayan ng ating kapit bayan. Hindi po si Marcos ang nag paunlad ng ating Bayan, bagkus si Marcos po ang nagpahirap sa ating Bayan.
#7
Tama ka nakakalungkot ang pangyayari, napalayas ang dimonyong diktador, subalit napalitan naman ng litanya ng mga burges at reaksyonaryong liderato na umaasa lamang sa dikta ng panginoong amerikano.
Kayat noon at ngayon hindi nagbabago ang pananaw ng uring manggagawa at magsasaka at ng latak ng lipunan. Hindi sapat na palitan ang personahe sa palasyo, ang dapat na palitan ay ang ang BULOK NA SISTEMA.
#7
Tama ka, lalong bumantot ang amoy kalakaran sa gobyerno yan din naman ang inaasahan. Subalit, hindi ito ang dahilan para purihin ang ang diktaduryang Marcos.