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Tehran University professor Sadegh Zibakalam said in a panel discussion that was posted to the New Harf channel on the Aparat Portal website on March 14, 2023 that the 1979 revolution in Iran had aimed to establish free elections, regime accountability, and an independent judiciary in Iran, and that the regime today calls for fighting America and annihilating Israel because it fails to live up to the revolution’s original goals. He criticized the regime for failing to be accountable to the Majles, for its presence in Syria, and for its nuclear program. He also said that most Iranians do not believe that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict concerns them and do not want Israel to be annihilated.
Sadegh Zibakalam: "Why was there a revolution [in 1979]? Because there were no free elections, no free press, no freedom to establish political parties and groups, and because there were 5,000 political prisoners and these prisoners were tortured.
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"But we are not saying these things. Why can't we say these things? Because I would be spitting on my own face if I said that we [carried out a revolution] so that there would be free elections, and so that the judiciary would not be a servant to the ruling regime.
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"We carried out a revolution so that the judiciary would be independent, like it is in Japan, India, America, or France. We carried out a revolution for these things. We carried out a revolution for freedom, democracy, and human rights. But why can't my colleague say that we carried a revolution out for these things? Because people would grab him by the neck and say: 'If these are the things for which you carried out the revolution, where are they?'
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"We carried out a revolution so that when the regime decides on a policy, it would be held accountable before the Majles. What accountability is there now? Was there any accountability in our presence in Syria? What about our nuclear policy that has caused misery and poverty in this country? How many times have they come to the Majles to give an account of our nuclear policy? These are things for which we carried out the revolution.
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"All I am saying is that the regime of the Islamic Republic cannot say why the revolution occurred. It is too ashamed to say this, because people would ask what happened to the goals and ideals of the revolution. This is why they have no choice but to say that we should fight America, that I Zibakalam, am their servant... Let's all spit on Zibakalam... Death to Israel... Israel must be annihilated and this was the goal of our revolution... Where was the annihilation of Israel a goal of our revolution?
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"Why did fighting America, the west, and [global] arrogance, and the death of Israel, replace the [real] goals of the revolution?
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"You people say that you are on a mission to annihilate Israel. Who gave you this mission? The Quran? God? The Prophet? The constitution? Who? Let's have a public opinion poll. IRNA, ISNA – all those regime outlets – can conduct it. If 50% plus one person of the Iranians say 'yes' then by all means, we should annihilate Israel. But I completely believe that not even 10% would say they want to annihilate Israel. [The regime] says that we should annihilate Israel, but 90% of the Iranian public says: 'Why? How is this our business? This is a conflict between the Palestinian Arabs and the Israeli Jews. What does this have to do with us?'
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"What percentage of the Iranian public says 'Death to America'? What percentage says 'Death to England' or 'Death to France'? What percentage accepts your policy of becoming Russia's servant?
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Mohammad Abyaneh: "Mr. Zibakalam, not once have I heard you criticize the Israeli crimes against the Palestinians and Lebanese. Only yesterday, or the day before, they fired a missile, and turned a few of them into martyrs. When have you ever taken a stand?"
Zibakalam: "And I've never heard you taking a stand about the crimes by the Chinese against the Muslims there."
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