July 4th: Independence and Remembrance

"There is no better way to govern Iran than Democracy and Social Justice!" - Dr. Mossadegh

---

On July 4th, Americans celebrate the anniversary of their independence from Britain in 1776. While this history is well known, most Americans remain unaware that the United States once denied the Iranian people their own hard fought independence from British colonialism. In the early 1950's, America and Britain conspired to reverse Iran's nationalization of oil and return it to foreign control, and arranged an elaborate coup d'état to permanently extinguish democracy, freedom and liberty from its proud land.

The founding fathers of the United States are honored historical figures, yet Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh, whom Iranians regard as their own founding father of independence and democracy, was slandered mercilessly by American officials and mass media. Though Time magazine's 1951 "Man of the Year" article demonized him as a dangerous fanatic, it also knowingly dubbed Mossadegh "the Iranian George Washington".

In 2001, the state of Illinois honored Mossadegh for the same characteristics the U.S. government once viciously opposed. Declaring May 2nd "Mohammad Mossadegh Day", the formal decree likened him to the founding fathers of the United States of America:

While we are celebrating America on Independence Day, let us also honor the independence of all people from tyranny and oppression, foreign and domestic, throughout the world. In particular, let us support the brave Iranian people in their struggle for freedom in the face of violence and oppression, and vow never again to deny others the dignity, sovereignty and basic human rights that we so cherish ourselves.

The Mossadegh Project
July 4, 2009

"If I sit silently, I have sinned."