What is the problem of mullahs with cyberspace?

Perhaps the first answer to the problem of mullahs with cyberspace is that cyberspace provides the possibility of opposite and critical voices, and not any religious government can tolerate hearing opposition and criticism. This answer is not wrong, but it reduces the level of the problem to a difference of taste in decision-making.

This answer refers to such a view; Some people who are responsible for making decisions, because they do not tolerate criticism or alternative opinions, make mistakes in decisions. On the other hand, if the decision-makers had listened to criticism and opposition, they would have definitely made better decisions [1].

In this note, I explain the problem of mullahs with cyberspace is deeper than that view. Mullahs’ hatred of cyberspace is traced back to the mechanism of sovereignty and legitimacy of governance.

If we accept that democracy is the result of people’s interaction and consensus for decision-making and legislation, then we should consider the “public space”, where people can contact each other to consensus about public affairs and make the “public sphere”, one of the main pillars of this form of government.

In other words, people who have learned to interact with each other, make collective decisions, and understand common will, can have their own government. This ability is possible only if there is a “public realm” [2].

Public Realm in Ancient Greece

One of the fundamental and historical differences between the West and Iran traced back to the Public Realm. In the West, the existence of public space (mainly urban), shows that the attention to the public realm has been an essential aspect of the Western human condition. Agora in ancient Greece is a clear example of it in the distant past, and in more recent times, city squares, churches, pubs and cafes, and docks, are notable examples that could be considered as a platform for the presence of people and interaction to make the public sphere.

With the passage of time, the platform for the public sphere went beyond the limits of urban spaces. The emergence of the printing industry and the publication of newspapers created new possibilities for the public realm.

Public Realm in Iran

In Iran, the public space where people had been present was only Bazaar (the Iranian market) and mosques. The bazaar was only a business arena without interactions for exchanging opinions and making collective decisions. Common topics in the Bazaar were limited to vulgar issues like information leaked from the Harems of famous people.

Also, there are many narrations that the royal court messengers and informants had been in the Bazaar that the king’s orders would be implemented. Therefore, it was basically not possible for people in the Bazaar to consensus and make a collective decision [3].

People had been gathering together without thinking about trade, the king’s order, and harem women, only when they went to the mosque to pray. In the mosque, only one person, the mullah, was the speaker and the others were listeners. In other words, in the tradition of Iranians, the public space was only an opportunity for the mullahs to give speeches.

With the arrival of modernism in Iran, this scene was changed. The first phenomenon of change can be seen in Isfahan (the capital of the Iranian Empire during the Safavid era). Naqsh-e-Jahan Square has been an amalgamation of tradition and modernism. On the one hand, this square provided the possibility of walking and interaction between people, but on the other hand, representatives of the traditional world that the mosque (Shah Mosque) and the court (Emirate of Ali Qapu) were being in this square [4].

However, the first social movement emerging from the public sphere was the constitutional revolution. The constitutional revolution is the first modern social movement in the Middle East, which seeks to establish national sovereignty and exercise the nation’s will and decisions. Although the public space is not yet developed enough to be able to host the gathering of people and consequently the formation of the public will, another possibility like newspaper printing helped to public sphere.

After the constitutional revolution and the introduction of modern mechanisms in the social and political life of the Iranian people, the public realm has significantly grown. The establishment of political parties, unions, night clubs, and modern arts, at once led to the formation of a new realm of social life, which had fundamental differences with the traditional system.

All this time, the traditional forces, including the king’s court and the mullahs, were trying to take a stand against this new realm. With the difference that The Shah of Iran was interested in making this modern phenomenon conform to his preferences and considerations, but the mullahs in general could not tolerate the existence of such an atmosphere.

In the end, a coalition between the left groups of the modern public realm in Iran, and the anti-modern religious force, made a revolution against the Shah and overthrew his regime. After the fall of the Shah’s regime, the forces raised in the modern environment thought that they had removed the main prevent to the growth and movement of social interactions.

But the Shah only wanted to accord the interactions in this realm with his interests. The main opponents of this realm were the mullahs, who got the opportunity to destroy it after the Islamic revolution. The closure of political parties, independent unions, and nightclubs, strict control of artistic activities, and imposing catastrophic conditions for student organizations brought the prospect closer to the mullahs’ favorable situation to a large extent. While the mullahs thought that everything was going according to plan, they suddenly faced the greatest challenge of all time in history: cyberspace.

The Problem of Mullahs with Cyberspace

the internet is an opportunity for Iranians to make a communication network regardless of physical space. A phenomenon that led to the possibility of discussion and interaction between people more than ever before. The creation of social networks gradually shows its results. The bring up of social and political demands along with the manners of collective decision-making and most importantly the emergence of the public will in the form of the women -life -freedom movement all promise the establishment, recognition, and development of the public sphere in the field of the social and political life of Iranians. The problem of mullahs with cyberspace was identified. the traditional forces especially the mullahs are not satisfied with this situation and seek to limit and disconnect people in virtual networks in various ways.

Once upon a time, Iranian people did not have the possibility of social interaction with each other in the absence of the public realm. The most important time of their gathering was in the mosque and during prayer. The mosque was a platform where the mullahs were the only speakers. In other words, the only Iranians gathering in the public space was a way for to mullahs speak and impose to listening for others.

In the tradition of Iran, the public space was a place to form a linear relationship. There is a speaker on one side and a listener on the other side. This linear relationship was one-way and its sides never changed. As a result, the linear relationship of the public realm also led to the formation of domination. A person expressed rules about the common aspects of human life, and others were obliged to implement those rules regardless of interaction and common thinking with each other. But in virtual space and the modern public realm, we see network relationships. In the network, no one is supposed to play the role of speaker or listener alone. Everyone in this realm is constantly discussing with each other. Like it or not, virtual space leads to the formation of the public sphere.

The comparison of the traditional public realm with cyberspace where everyone has the opportunity to speak makes everything clear. The sound of those who used to be the only speakers of the community is not heard in the chaos of the virtual space. The interaction of Iranians in the public realm is like a classroom in which they learn responsibility, consensus, collective agreement, and decision-making, and finally, the emergence of a public sphere focused on the public will. This is what the mullahs hate.

 

 

PS:

1-     Such a view mainly belongs to the Islamic reformists. Those who see Iran’s elections as an opportunity to gain positions and try to show their representatives as tolerant and critical, unlike the opposite wing.

2-     Here we are faced with different concepts that are sometimes used interchangeably. These concepts have different meanings for different thinkers and usually one of these concepts is more important than the other for them. Although the distance of meaning between these concepts is not very clear in most cases, these boundaries are moved by thinkers and writers and sometimes they find completely different meanings. Therefore, it is necessary to explain a little about the use of these concepts in this note.

·        Public space: In this note, public space refers to the set of physical places that exist in the city and are used by the public. Basically, when people leave their homes, they enter the public space. This space includes streets, parks, museums, libraries, etc.

·        Public realm: The public realm is opposed to the private realm and mainly includes the affairs which are common to everybody. Contrary to the private realm, which returns to the private life of individuals and prevents others from entering it, matters related to the public realm are usually done with the participation of individuals.

·        Public sphere: Unlike the public space and the public realm, which can be referred to as an objective matter, the public sphere is basically an abstract matter and does not have the ability to refer to a visible object. The objective manifestation is the public space of the street, square, cinema hall, etc. The objective manifestation is the public realm of urban discipline and transportation, health, and public education, but the public sphere lacks such references. The public sphere monitors the intellectual and verbal space that is formed from the interaction and discussion between the people of a society. The public sphere is more of a discourse than service and facility matters. People of a society gather in the public space to make decisions about the public realm by creating a public sphere.

3-     Some of the sources where you can get good information about the Bazaar and the conventional proportion in it are below:

·        Bastani Parizi. Ebrahim. (1978). Safavid politics and economy. Safialishah Publication [In Persian].

·        Serena, Carla. (1983). People and Religions in Iran: Madame Carla Serna’s Travelogue. Translated by Ali Asghar Saeedi. Zavar Publication [In Persian].

4-     The source where you can get good information about Isfahan in the Safavid era is below:

·        Shirley. Sir Anthony, Robert. (1978). Shirley Bros travelogue. Translated by Avans. Manuchehri Library Publication [In Persian].