The Sad Story of Iranian Fake Activists
For the background on the self-assigned Iranian activists see this. One of these fake activists is Amir-Abbas Fakhr-Avar. A while ago, the political detainee Ahmad Batebi published a letter in his website regarding clamis made by Fakh-Avar. This is the English translation of that letter.
Correction on and Description about the Claims Made by Amir-Abbas Fakhr-Avar
Recently, Mr Amir-Abbas Fakhr-Avar, who has recently left Iran, has called himself one of the leaders of the Iranian students’ movement in the media. He has also claimed to have a especial political relationship with me and other political activists and others who fight for democracy and human rights. To clarify these matters, I should mention a few points.
During my political activities and the years I have spent in prison I have had political and also friendly relationship with many prisoners and political activists. These people have been members of many different political groups. Mr Amir-Abbas Fakhr-Avar is one of these many people. The claims that he has had especial political relationship with me and that my political views are in line with him are false and unrealistic. My relationship with him has been solely humanistic and nothing else.
Nevertheless, I think it is necessary to friendly remind him of an important point. Attaining social-political reputation is a known and timely process. Only those people can claim to have social influence and effectiveness in a society’s efforts towards wellbeing that first have a known and clear theoretical framework and second have a distinct social position. Trying to blow like a balloon and benefit from political doping through making false statements and manufacturing exaggerated background for yourself by claiming to have been the leader of the students’ movement might produce benefit in short term but the thorough look of the social-political bodies and citizens will carry out the correct, and cruel, judgment. After all, the unjustifiable efforts of those who try to obtain personal benefit from the honest tries of the social activists would not remain hidden in the eyes of the people.
Ahmad Batebi
July 2006
Join the Conversation
I have been getting funny feelings about this Hoder guy for a while, I’m not sure about his achievements or any lies and deceptions because I don’t speak Farsi and I can’t read the majority of these Persian blogs, but what I do know is that he is starved for attention like many “mainstream bloggers” are, and is constantly seeking ways to keep the spotlight on himself rather than the thousands of other bloggers who are doing a much more better and daring job.
I don’t understand why people go to the extent of exaggerating and lying so that they would seem more important in the eyes of others – these are the same type of “activists” whom I do actually consider fake and unfortunately they are swimming across the blogosphere talking too much yet doing nothing.
When I look at most mainstream bloggers within the Arab blogosphere – I can only trust and rely on a handful of them. Many of them are “feeding” mainstream media things that aren’t necessarily true or things that are exaggerated so that they would seem important, and more known.
This is a race for fame, not really activism. People are blogging to get known, not to achieve the right goals. And that really shames me as a blogger.
The only people who deserve to be referred to as “activists” are the ones who do actually work hard and contribute, and this is why the real activists are the ones we never hear about in the media. They work to achieve societal gains and not personal gains like fame. The real activists are working too hard to get or maintain any media publicity. So while this Hoder guy is definitely famous enough to appear on places like France 24 (I saw his blog appear recently as “blog of the day”) can anyone tell me what exactly he has achieved or revealed? I’m in no place to judge him because I don’t speak the language he blogs in at times but if you are Persian and have been following his blog I’m wondering what he did that got him so famous, other than the self-pats on the back.
Hoder, no matter what you think of him, was one of the first to point out that Amir-Abbas Fakhr-Avar was a fake. Until reading Batebi’s statement, I didn’t even think he existed. No one I know knows who he is.
And Batehi is right, being a social activist is more than just claiming to be. In the case of Iran, it is a lot of frigging work.
If this would have been the first time I was hearing of him, I would have thought that Fakhr-Avar was an April Fool’s joke.
Having been a social activist on Iran I must say I’m no Fakhr.
Political leaders accomplish goals, or fail to do so — in order to lead, you also need autonomous control over some group or project.
‘Activist’ is a term that means you are just appealing to non-existent abstract entities like ‘education’ or the ‘Internet community’ or ‘the general public’.
Once I compared the two terms — I saw leadership as worthy of aspiration, and ‘activism’ to learn accurate facts form, but avoid as a political failure.