Hypocrisy on steroids

Thousands of civilians being mowed down in the street by the national guard. Thousands being detained without trial and, in some cases, simply disappearing. Communication with the outside world has been shut off. 

This is Iran. Undoubtedly, it’s a country in crisis whose people don’t want the government of the day to continue in power. The world can’t just look on. 

The photographs of what’s happening there are reminiscent of atrocities in South Africa during apartheid. The Boipatong massacre; Soweto uprising; Sharpeville massacre, Bisho massacre, or even the more recent massacre in Marikana. 

As South Africans, we understand this horror, and most of us would have expected that ANC leaders, who were the freedom fighters of the time often at the wrong end of the gun barrel, would be aghast at what’s happening in Iran. Surely these images have shocked these leaders, many of whom fought so hard for freedom and democracy, into taking serious action? 

Not at all, apparently. Instead, the ANC leadership looks on from the sidelines and quietly and belatedly calls for calm and dialogue in Iran. They are not calling for sanctions, interventions, or an international commission of inquiry. They are certainly not considering taking their friends, the regime behind the Islamic Republic of Iran, to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for inhumane treatment of its own people. 

Funny how our leaders were so quick to do that to Israel, in fact they did so shortly after the war against Hamas began, but somehow the barbarism of Iran isn’t bothering them enough. For South Africa, it was far more important to stop Israel from retaliating against a terrorist organisation that stormed the border; murdered 1 200 innocent men, women, and children; and brutalised thousands more. 

The ANC doesn’t even seem to be shocked at what’s happening at the hands of Iran. No, ANC leaders are simply following the developments “with concern”. Wow, that’s big of them! They claim to be concerned about “loss of life” and even go as far as calling on all parties – I guess this means desperate civilian protesters as well – to “exercise maximum restraint”. Really! Thousands have been murdered in the streets. Restraint at this point is a little late. At this point, surely, we should be demanding a whole lot more than that? 

Surely, we should insist that the brutal Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps throw down its arms and for the regime to reinstate communication. Considering our leaders’ case against Israel at the ICJ, they should be taking Iran there forthwith. Their history of fighting for human rights would make that obvious, right? 

Well, not exactly. It seems clear that our ruling party is selective with whose human rights it demands and supports. It seems our leaders get very angry with people who don’t unquestionably support its friends. I have to say, I think it must have taken a great effort on the part of the ANC even to call for restraint from its big buddies in Iran. 

And while Iranian bullies are mowing down their own people, we have Iranian warships in our very own waters, participating in a joint event with Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates, and South Africa, under our auspices. 

Granted, President Cyril Ramaphosa publicly called for the Iranian warships to be withdrawn from the joint exercise, but it seems there was far more fear of upsetting the Iranian leaders than our own national president. So, Iran went ahead with the other countries in the Will for Peace exercise from 9 to 12 January off the coast of Simon’s Town. 

Sure, opposition parties are demanding the firing of Defence Minister Angie Motshekga, but so far, not much has happened other than yet another board of inquiry being established. What are they planning to investigate, and who is behind it, you may ask? The defence minister herself is prompting the board to investigate whether the president’s instructions were ignored. I have to say, I cannot imagine a better waste of money we don’t have. 

What was the instruction, and what was the result? Simple, right? So, what are we investigating and with what money? 

Perhaps they will take it from the ICJ budget, or would that upset the Iranian government? 

I’m sorry, but when people believe it’s acceptable to ignore an order by the national president and get away with it, we are in trouble. And when it somehow involves Iran, this spells far deeper trouble for our country. 

This week, there was a call from members of the United Nations Human Rights Council for an urgent session on the Iran massacre to be held on Friday. Unsurprisingly, South Africa is one of 11 countries that have refused to endorse it. The country is bedfellows in this with Qatar, China, Pakistan, and Iraq, among others. 

So, can we assume that our government, which may I remind you claims that it’s a nation of human rights activists, doesn’t think ordinary Iranians fighting for their rights deserve those rights? Is that because they aren’t opposed by Israel, perhaps? Or is it simply because the government won’t go against Iran because it’s indebted to Iran? 

Having said that, where are those same big mouths – sorry I mean human rights activists – on social media who are constantly going on about how terrible Israel is and the horrific things it’s doing in Gaza? Why are these people who purport to worry so much about the downtrodden and the underdog not shouting out against Iran? 

Their hypocrisy is as bad as the ruling party’s, and as evident. Suddenly, not a peep from them about Iran. What do they owe Iran, or do they think treating Iranians like this is acceptable? Or is it possible that their beef was never about human rights, but simply about the fact that Israel was involved? 

Shabbat shalom! 

Peta Krost 

Editor