Phase I - Part D [The Song of Persia]

It was towards the end of Phase I - Part C that I said, historically, Celts are distant cousins to Iranians, and it is so, as we share part of an Aryan past. Furthermore, I would put it to you that we share a profound and deep-rooted psyche, which is far more than what might be called the "historical accident" just mentioned. What I'm talking about are qualities of character, traits that are so strong as to be possible to be viewed as part of our blood and bones. Before continuing with strategic planning, please allow me to explain what I see as the importance of this in your current struggle and resistance.

I have noted the rhetoric of this regime claiming that the reasons you are clamoring for democracy are because the West, including its culture and values, has influenced you. However, I think you would be seeking freedom, even if the West didn't exist at all! I think the reasons rest within your being Persians, of a Persian history, of a Persian culture, of a Persian language ...all of which implies being of a Persian character, one that has existed all along between the lines of Farsi. For all the efforts of the mullahs to distance you (lest you be led astray) from your heritage as Persians, even attempting to destroy memory of it, nonetheless your language, poetry and great epic literature have kept your memory for you, awaiting you to awaken and remember who you are. And if I'm even anywhere close to being accurate here, then a new possible slogan for your resistance movement could very well be "Because We Are Not Arabs!"

In fact, the process of moving towards individual and collective freedoms had its origins with you, beginning with your Cyrus the Great. If anything, it is the West that is indebted to you in innumerable ways, from human rights, to architecture, polity, astronomy and more. You have awakened, and are demanding to have ownership of yourselves back again. Long lives Persia! Long lives the beauty and honor of the Persian People!

What defines a culture and its people are the foundational values held by them. These values become codified in its art, poetry, literature, song and architecture ...but most of all in its language. When I began making comparisons between Persian and Irish-Celtic cultures this is what I found: both are from Indo-European roots; Farsi and Irish are both poetic languages; each culture values learning most of all; each puts its most profound values and insights into poetry; each loves beauty and art; each insists upon honor; each loves to sing and dance; each is loyal to its own; each is highly irascible; each is prone to deep emotional attachments to people and regional geography; and in antiquity both were based upon a warrior culture in which women as well as men were warriors, politicians and generals of armies. Please, be now what you are, my friends, Persian!

Furthermore, in Part C as well, for this resistance I encouraged you to think of yourselves as warriors. Although, not everyone who resists, fights, has fought, or will fight should be identified as a warrior. Throughout history that word has been applied only to a select, unique group and type of individuals. No matter what culture it is, warriors have always been those who are bound together by a commonly held "warrior code." It is that code which sets them apart from the forcefully conscripted soldiers and other combatants. And it is that code which makes them so formidable, as well as defining them as worthy of respect from others, and respect for themselves. It is the code that makes their struggle worthy in the eyes of society, and enables them to reintegrate back into society when the conflict has ended. An examination of various warrior cultures reveals a remarkable similarity of the values set forth in many of their codes. In one way or another, bravery is honored, fairness is expected, kindness is encouraged, loyalty is expected, mercy is one of the highest goods, and above all trustworthiness and telling the truth is an absolute. For the warrior, there is no honor except in keeping the code.

Dr. French asks the beginning classes at the Naval Academy to select which of the following words is the perfect synonym for "warrior."(1) Students consider the five words, including murderer, killer, fighter, victor, and conqueror. The surprising consistent results are --none of these terms are suitable synonyms describing the true warrior. A warrior is governed by the highest ethics and values of his society, often married to the society's metaphysics in its underpinnings. A person could be any of what these five words imply and have no ethical principles at all. In some cultures, the warrior's code may not be written out in a formulaic fashion, but may be contained nonetheless in epic stories of heroes and heroines, divinities, music and/or poetry.

On examining the fact that both Celtic and Persian were warrior cultures, I discovered that there was an identical bottom line for warriors in both. In an Irish epic, we find these words, "We, the Fianna (warrior bands) never told a lie, falsehoods were never imputed to us." Then I found the ancients reported that a Persian youth is taught three things, to ride, to shoot a bow, and not to lie. It seemed to me to be regarded as an ultimate kind of evil. If I remember correctly, Cyrus even went to war with two or three lesser rulers in the Persian Empire "because they lied." Of course, among the more famous of Persian warriors were the Immortals. As I'm given to understand, so called because their number was always maintained at ten thousand. The Irish Fianna Warrior Code may be found and reconstructed from various epic narratives and tales of warriors, and I'll share a sampling of two with you:

(The qualities of a true warrior,) "though youthful, are demonstrated in one who is

• Responsive to instruction and leadership,
• Unpretentious and of restrained spirit,
• Compliant in following directives and guidance,
• Sincere and aware in matters of conscience,
• Solemn and heartfelt in the path of spirit,
• True in word to self and others.

Such will be loved in their youth, and honored in old age. Though youthful they will be mature. Though lowly, they will be of noble appearance." -based upon Cormac mac Airt

(These are the behaviors desirable in young warriors,) "and are observed in one who

• Is attentive to the cycles of nature,
• Is observer of the heavens,
• Is investigator of mysteries,
• Is silent in the wilderness,
• Is friendly in social occasions,
• Is kind in friendship,
• Is attendant of the sick,
• Is gentle to the feeble,
• Is strong against wrongful power,
• Is ready to give to the needy.
• Though strong, is not unkind,
• Though adaptable, is not subservient,
• Though intelligent, is not a know-it-all,
• Though quick, is not reckless,
• Though assertive, is not arrogant,
• Though observant, does not talk about anyone in his absence,
• Though young, does not ridicule the elderly,
• Nor the poor,
• Nor the ragged,
• Nor the lame,
• Nor the blind,
• Nor the weak,
• Nor the demented,
• Nor the foolish,
• Is not sulky, hot-tempered, lazy, stingy, idle or jealous. For those who are sulky, hot-tempered, lazy, stingy, idle and jealous are repulsive to the people and all true warrior bands.

It is through these practices that youths may toughen into true and noble warriors, and so prove an honor to themselves and the people."

I do not read or speak Farsi, so I've been unable to attempt reconstructing what might rightly be called the Persian Warrior Code. However, those of you who do, could do so for the benefit of the resistance movement. Presumably, a beginning could be made by examining your own epic literature, stories of warriors, and proverbial wisdom sayings. The example set by Cyrus after capturing Baghdad could be used to imply the code included kindness and forgiveness to conquered previous foes, etc. If we only begin with bravery, loyalty, kindness, mercy, and telling the truth, then I think you can see why NONE of the security forces have shown themselves to be warriors, but have acted as psychopathic, murderous killers with no honor at all. I DO think there are some in the various branches of the military who "sense" the wrongness of the beatings, torture, rape and wholesale killing of peaceful protesters. Some may even despise the grand lies being told. Anything that can be done to encourage them becoming warriors needs to be done; there are some who will respond to the lofty call. But when all is said and done, "we" must not be like them ...we must respond as true warriors.

May I suggest not adopting the ancient designation of Immortals, but instead to consider the title of "The Eternals." My reasons are that while it was certainly a valid military decision to keep the troop level at ten thousand, "immortal" carries the implication of "becoming" everlasting, whereas the term "eternal" carries the concepts of always having been without interruption. As you are standing for freedoms that have always been the right of every human being from time immemorial on into forever, even if you die, you are standing as Warriors of The Eternal Universal Truths. You are The Eternals, the new bands of Persian warrior-poets. Stand strong, together, and stand tall.


(1) See The Warriors Code, by professor French, here. The entire white paper is worth reading.
See also Why Do Warriors Need A Code? by Dr. French, here. All three parts are highly recommended for new warriors and old warriors.

***More to Come***

Phase I - Part C [Why I'm Writing]

I've already suggested, "If you are a Resistance Patriot of any kind, then a state of war exists between you and the current oppressive regime!" I'm reiterating that statement again here, so that you may begin to think of yourselves as standing on a very real battlefield, to fight a war that you did not start, but was declared upon you! Nonetheless, you must fight with all your strength and skills, steeling your will in the face of very real casualties ...for there will be many. In addition, battles can be quite fluid, often unpredictable, and may require learning new skills quickly and improvising others on the spot. Often, Irish call upon their ancestors to go into battle with them. It is amazing the courage, finesse and balance that come just at the speaking of their names. Try this one if you wish: "O Cyrus of the Persians, rouse yourself to stand with us in battle," or perhaps, "Cyrus the Mighty, Just and Wise, leads us forward." You are warriors now, of an ancient, honorable and venerable path of blazing fire. So stand with the poise, the demeanor, and courage of YOUR ancient Persian warrior-poets. A further suggestion before pressing on --warriors never go into battle angry with anyone, or with anything ...with deadly skills, with 'feeling,' with conviction, yes, but never anger. That's because anger is a war against yourself.

We have much yet to cover, but someone has asked me why I'm writing this Resistance Manifesto, and as an Irish, how is it, I even care about Iranians? So this is probably belated, but here's my answer. My best friend for years (who is gone now) was from Tehran, and for his memory I have strong loyalty. Another, more recent friend, Ali, is one of the missing from the protests. Then, watching the first protest in Tehran after the fabricated election, I spotted someone in the crowd that I recognized. Deep inside I felt he would not survive long, as I have some personal experience with the brutality that can be part of politics in the Middle East. While the Western media seemed to lack driving interest in the happenings there, I, like so many across the planet, found myself riveted to Twitter, You Tube, Tehran Bureau and Facebook ...desperate for any crumb of information, and, unable to not weep at what was happening there.

If I told you that at some point I can't explain Iranians became a family to me, that would be close to the desperation and shell shock and anguish that poured through me. I'm reasonably certain most of us will have images in our minds that will last a lifetime. The one that pushed me over the edge into "Iranian Activism" was the one above.

What I saw in the face of this young protester was the face of my son, and my heart burst. After studying three different martial arts, the disaster about to happen was clear at least to me. Look at the young man's hands ...he is NO danger to the officer, yelling protest, yes, but no danger; this is not a rioter. Now look at the position of the policeman's nightstick. The blow about to be inflicted is with the intent to kill, not subdue a disgruntled citizen upset about a fake election. It became my son that I HAD to rise to defend, and still is! When Neda was shot in cold blood, it was one of my sisters who had just died. But, you see, that is really the case now isn't it? And there's more: As I told a fine young Iranian woman here where I live, I am Irish-Celt, so that means we are distant cousins to Iranians. I had to stand up for my tribe. I felt compelled to do something that may save one Persian life!

Certainly, I'm not expecting everyone to agree with all that I say, or even like any of it at all. Although, if what I write in the blog saves one life, it will be worth it. Things are transpiring so quickly there in Iran, my main concern is a life will be lost because I was not timely enough on a particular piece of information. I'll try to type faster.

***More to come***

Phase I -- Part B [New Dangers]

A CAUTIONARY NOTE: When first beginning to write this Resistance Manifesto, I had intended to not post any of it until all of Phase I (The Plan To Plan) was complete. However, the press of fast moving events in Iran seemed to demand quicker action, and so Part A is posted to be followed by other 'parts' as well as later by Phase II (Defense & Attack) and Phase III (Founding Democracy). In addition, I've been requested to write shorter pieces, so there is not as much to digest all at one time. I will try!

In many ways, this "Part B" is a parenthesis in our discussion of strategic planning, necessitated by what I see as dangerous developments within your country of Iran. By dangerous I mean positioning of security forces for an even more brutal crackdown yet to come, and an equally lethal new attempt to create "the dictator with the smiling face," in the form of 'compromise' agreements posited by Mousavi and Rasfandjani styled in the cause of national 'unity.'

Just in case some people may be missing the thrust of this, here is what needs to be kept in mind while viewing this activity. Both of these men are part of this regime, and intending to maintain it, mostly as it is. In http://iranpoll2009.com/209/10/1 this commentary is offered: "But he (Mousavi) also hinted that all this could be undone if intemperate words and behavior fueled further violence. This could be seen as a plea to protesters not to demand the end of the Islamic republic and to stop direct verbal attacks on the Supreme Leader."

It seems obvious to me that the resistance/protest movement has already passed by these gentlemen, leaving them in the dust of what 'could-have-been' mere cosmetic new freedoms --was it not for fraud and inhuman repression, torture, etc. Also, it never ceases to amaze me that free speech fuels 'justifiable' further violence. That kind of thinking is inexcusable and flies in the face of anything approaching logic. It's like saying I 'forced' you to steal my wristwatch because it was gold. However, be assured that whatever agreements are reached, the people will be 'required' to accept it or face a protracted bloodbath at the hands of security forces! The SL and Ahmadinejad are trying to get the world to look away, while they attempt to destroy the domestic democracy movement in Iran.

To me, the real question remains: "What do you, the people of Iran, want?" If more of the same old thing is acceptable to you, then fine, cease resistance. However, if you really want a free society with a democratic system of government, then prepare yourselves for a protracted struggle, and to celebrate your fallen heroines and heroes, because the fight has only just begun ...and it will be brutal. It becomes all the more critical to do strategic planning, and to hone the skills of your quick-hit-and-run resistance strike force.

Multiple secretive units like this will be the proving ground for working together later. Don't worry about finding a main leader or leaders in the future, because I assure you such leaders will find you when the time is right. The struggle gives birth to the necessary leadership. And, always plan for multiple ways to avoid capture, and many ways to escape, so you can reappear repeatedly to continue resistance.

"To see with Neda's eyes /
I'd be the greatest poet.

To sigh with her voice /
I'd be the greatest philosopher.

To look with closed eye /
I'd be humanity's greatest traitor!"

***More to come***