Middle East: Medievalism and Space Technology

The vicious military crackdown in Syria against regime protesters over the past three months has resulted in a traumatized population living in fear initially attempting to persuade their tyrant that it would be greatly appreciated if he allowed for a little more breathing room, to a new situation where beleaguered militant activists are more committed than ever to effecting change.

While Bashar al-Assad's response has become ever more firmly entrenched in the response of resolute brutality that has shocked even its Islamist neighbours by the intensity of its viciousness, the recipients of that crackdown have become more courageous in their outlook, their fears dimmed by the outrage of their untenable position.

It seems counter-intuitive, that a population of subservient, unprivileged, downtrodden and bullied citizens long accustomed but never adjusted to the brutality of victimization and lack of basic human rights, facing a deadly onslaught, would dig in their heels rather than succumb. Over ten thousand frantic civilian Syrians have fled their besieged towns and villages for safety in refugee camps in Turkey.

And the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan is sheltering those refugees with the Red Crescent's help, declaring itself to be disbelieving at the extent of the atrocities the Syrian military has perpetrated on its own people. This is the same Islamist Turkish government that has made cozy overtures toward Iran as well as Syria and their proxy militias, Hamas and Hezbollah. Mr. Erdogan heretofore has considered Syria a staunch Islamist ally.

And doubtless would have no truck with the attempted green revolution in Iran, considering the protests there to be led by anti-government scum. They were, in fact, the civilizational elite of Iran, the more highly educated, the professionals; lawyers, doctors, university academics and opposition political parties. For whom the Islamic Republic of Iran's response to the organized protests was swift and decisive.

When the Republican Guard and the basiji struck at the protesters, used sharp-shooters to kill some at random, arrested countless others, subjecting them to torture and sometimes death in incarceration, the Iranian protesters' resolve began to dwindle. A newly-elected President of the United States thought deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize murmured a few words of support, and nothing more; the outside world silently looked on at the Iranian protesters' suffering.

Protest in Iran has withdrawn itself from full public view. Protest in Iran leads a closeted, internal life, safe from the inquisitive predations of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad whose corrupted re-election had sparked the protests to begin with. Iranians, despite the Republic's forays into advanced science and technology, know they live within a medieval empire embracing modernity and space technology for wretchedly twisted purposes.

Might it seem facetious to recommend to the Islamist Republic of Iran that Grand Ayatollah Khomeini settle his disagreements with President Ahmadinejad by honouring him with the invitation to become the first Iranian to be launched into space in that 285-kilogram capsule set to speed into the atmosphere this summer by Iran's Space Organization? President Ahmadinejad, after all, unveiled the space capsule with great pride.

To him should go the honour of escorting it into the great wide yonder.