Basij militiaman: 'I hoped it would never come to shooting them'

The Basij militia has been blamed for extreme brutality in the violent aftermath of the contested June 12 election in Iran. A Basij commander, who volunteers for one of the Tehran branch of the militia, describes his account of one the bloodiest clashes, on June 20.

Iran's Basij militia is a pro-government volunteer force which comes to the aid of the regime when unrest hits the streets. It was established by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979 during the Iran-Iraq war. During the last three weeks the Basij has been called upon by the government to quell the post-election protests, in which at least 20 people were reported to have been killed. The opposition says the figure is much higher.

Mehdi (not his real name) is a 39-year-old Basij commander and a former classmate of one of our Observers from Tehran (who prefers not to be mentioned). Mehdi led a mission in the city centre, close to the Tehran military base, on June 20, one of the most violent days of the clashes.

I did shoot at people myself. I am a military man I have to obey my orders. The crowd was attacking us like crazy people; throwing stones and Molotov cocktails. We had to protect ourselves; to show we were serious, and we did warn them, shouting several times, before opening fire. But they continued to attack. I don't remember who I shot, I just tried to shoot at the people's feet.

Later, we moved back and went behind the vans in middle of the street and I ordered my unit to shoot into the ground in the hope of scaring the crowds from coming closer.

I hoped it would never come to shooting them. That night, I had a nightmare in which the protestors threw me on a fire. It's come back several times, and I can see the faces of the people I was ordered to shoot. I've asked a very spiritual mullah to pray for me.

I did it for Islam but it wasn't easy to kill people. We have to remember who they are though - they're deceitful people who are against the Islamic Revolution. You can't expect us to stay calm when they want to overthrow our regime."

Comments

Hatefull action

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Sun, 12/07/2009 - 07:16.

Mehdi,
I very soon will have the gun your holding and will wish not to have to shoot all of you, but i would need to save dignity and for that reason although i don't want to, but will have to shoot all of you and your family so no more pigs and murderes are born and raised.
Believe me very soon you will all be tortured and disapear. you want us to believe in islam and I do believe islam says blood for blood, lives for lives, so if i were you before we in iran get hold of your guns will disapear.

God help you cause no one else will....

Medhi

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 10/07/2009 - 05:09.

Dear Medhi- and others

I want to hate you for your actions, but that is not the whole of who you are.
I want to have compassion for you, the person who loves his nation.

Please understand that the Islamic Republic of Iran is not Islam, Islam is more than one nation, or one people... Your nation wants change, and your nation wants freedom. Please take compassion and mercy into your heart, and know that change is hard, but it will benefit the compassionate and merciful.

Like to ask you a question

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 10/07/2009 - 04:46.

Mehdi,
Would you like your daughter, mom or wife to grow up being treated this way if they ask for their rights???????
You say you protect islam, what does islam have to do with poverty, addiction, prostitution, unemployment, inflation, no freedom of speech, ideas and mindset?
What does one's religion have anything to do with one's freedom?
Do you feel you have everything in life that you had expected growing up, or are you just happy to have a job?
Would you want your mom or daught be beating by someone in the name of islam?

If you can honestly answer NO to any of these questions, please reconsider your judgement and side with innocent people who only want a better future for them and their families. Remember that as much as you might hate them, they are also fighting for your rights and not just be a poppet for this regime.

First be honest with your self before you decide to turn that gun on your brother or sister..........

If it was me, I would take that bullet for each one of them just to see them walk down the street knowing there will be a free tommorow..

sorry

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 10/07/2009 - 03:10.

Mehdi, what you tell, shows that you are human. But unfortunately, you have been misguided. For sure.

Mehdi B you are a coward

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 10/07/2009 - 02:42.

Do you honestly think that Allah is pleased with you shooting people? Do you honestly think that he is pleased that your government is killing its own citizens because they are protesting an election that was obviously rigged? How is it possible to count 44 million hand written votes in a few hours? It is mindless cowardly sheep like you that do your governments bidding in order for them to hold their power. I suggest you actually read the Q'uran to determine the truth behind the lies your mullahs are teaching you. When you pass on and you are at Satan's door I will have NO sympathy for you whatsoever as you burn in the pits of hell for your violence towards your own neighbors.

Basij

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 10/07/2009 - 00:12.

You ("Medhi") should be ashamed of yourself to shoot or harm people who are simply seeking justice and democracy. When nightmare becomes reality you will know, only then, the hell that your victims felt. Shame on you.

Bullshit!

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Thu, 09/07/2009 - 23:44.

Submitted by IlDente (not verified) on Thu, 09/07/2009 - 23:24.

Cowardly scum. He murdered in the name of Islam. Someone throws a rock and you shoot a gun? Is that not what the Israelis do to the Palestinians?

THE basij man lies

Submitted by A Iranian man who wants freedom for IRAN (not verified) on Tue, 07/07/2009 - 09:35.

This Basij militia man,

If he realy don't like to kill people, it is all a lie. He probably likes it to go on the roof and shoot people from their and just laught about it later on in thge police kazern. If you are really a man, who is a real Iranian man, then stop with shooting real iraninan people. Just stop and hide somewhere, you don't even have to help the real iranian people. And for your "nightmare" if you don't want it to be true, STOP IT NOW, otherwise it will be the first thing that will happen to you when they caught you!!!
And you may know nobody ever will care about it, i do not certainly and the other basij man even

Think about it stupid lieing idiot!!!!!

Mehdi and Islam

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Tue, 07/07/2009 - 01:53.

As an American and not well educated in Islam, please explain why Mehdi said he killed the innocent Iranians because the people were deceitful and against the Islamic revolution. I have always thought Islam was a peaceful religion. How do the Mullahs (some of them) justify ordering the murders,imprisonment and torture of innocent people in a government they call democratic?