What’s Next, Iran?

In public discussion, surprisingly little attention has been paid to what would happen if Iran’s Islamist regime were to collapse as a result of the ongoing uprising of its own citizens. Would power be taken—at least temporarily—by the son of the late shah, who ruled the country dictatorially, Reza Pahlavi? And if so, would he, as he has promised, organize free elections, allowing Iranians to establish a democratic system of government? Or would he instead follow in his father’s footsteps, becoming an undemocratic but Western-aligned leader?

Or would the country descend into civil war, with various political groups engaging in armed conflict with one another—an outcome determined partly by Iranians themselves, but also by the amount of support the different sides receive from rival great powers? That is, from Trump’s United States and Xi’s China—but hardly from Russia, bogged down in its own “special operation,” or from a Europe that is disarrayed in every respect.

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Of course, it would be wonderful if Iranians were able, in free elections, to choose an enlightened father of the nation under whose leadership a modern constitution would be created and, on that basis, the rest of the legal system reformed as well. At the same time, religion would be defined as a private matter for each individual, as has been done, for example, here under the North Star.

The question, however, is whether this is what all Iranians actually want. Or do they have different aspirations? Or might the great powers—or neighboring countries, for that matter—have their own spoons in the pot, stirring it in such a way as to push Iranians from a religious dystopia into a secular tyranny?

Unless, of course, the current Islamist regime manages after all to retain its position and continues at the helm of the ship of state, using even harsher methods than before to subjugate its citizens. 

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Iran at a Crossroads: From Islamist Rule Toward Democracy?
Finnish Ex-Military Chief: U.S. Likely Halted Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program
Will Power Change Hands in Iran?

The original blogpost in Finnish:
Mitä seuraavaksi, Iran?

Understanding of European Terrorism by Left-wing and Value-liberal Politicians

The terrorism situation and trend report published by Europol showed that jihadist terrorism was once again the deadliest form of terrorism in the EU in 2024. It claimed five lives and left 18 people injured.

During 2024, EU member states reported a total of 58 terrorist attacks. Of these, 34 were carried out, five failed, and 19 were foiled. Attacks were reported in 14 different countries. Of the attacks, 24 were considered to have been committed by jihadist terrorists. In 21 cases, the perpetrators were left-wing or anarchist terrorists.

On the other hand, a total of 40 attempted attacks were prevented in the European Union. Of these, 18 were jihadist-motivated, 21 left-wing or anarchist-motivated, and one far-right-motivated. The foiled jihadist attempts targeted in particular large public events, whereas the left-wing and anarchist attempts were mostly directed at industrial and private-sector targets.

I believe these figures speak for themselves about the consequences of European immigration policy, without me having to spell them out. Such an understanding would be especially important for left-wing and value-liberal politicians, who have been active supporters of this development.

Unfortunately, however, I am skeptical as to whether they would be able—or even willing—to draw logical conclusions from the figures I have presented, since immigration has long since ceased to be a fact-based issue and has instead become a kind of religious confession, in which dissent automatically leads to exclusion from one’s own reference group—and thus to the end of a political career.

Previous thought on the same topic:
Burning a Man Alive Led to Life Imprisonment
Will Tomorrow’s Elections in Germany Be a Turning Point?
Will European Culture Collapse Under the Weight of Islamic Immigration?

Who Tried to Abduct a Two-Year-Old Child from Their Grandmother?

An unknown man attempted to abduct a two-year-old child from the child’s grandmother in Helsinki, Finland. The child had been sitting on a bench at the railway station until the grandmother noticed the man's intentions and quickly took the child into her arms.

After his failed attempt, the man fled the scene, and the police patrol that arrived was unable to locate him. However, a description of the suspect was obtained, and he was captured on surveillance cameras.

The suspect is estimated to be around 170 cm tall, of average build, and a young man dressed in dark athletic clothing, a black jacket, and Adidas tracksuit pants. A distinctive feature was his bob haircut.

Each of you can also reflect on the skin color and religion of the person who attempted to abduct the baby based on these characteristics, even though they were not mentioned in the news. As a hint for this reflection, I will tell you that the average height of young Finnish men is over 180 cm and their eye color is usually blue.

After reflecting on this, dear readers, you may also consider which area of politics is relevant in this (and many other) cases. And what could be done about it in Finland and other Western countries?

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Police Ban Public Fight Between Neo-Nazis and Street Gangs in Finland
Immigrants, Gangs, Decisions, and Self-Interest
Is the UK's Democracy Facing an Existential Crisis?

Putin's understanding and the battle between the gods

A Russian colleague has commented on the war in Ukraine. According to him, "We have defended Israel against Iranian missiles – why not Ukraine as well... We must not be paralyzed by the thought that we are provoking Putin. If he wants to do something against the West, he will do it anyway. He doesn't need provocation, as he has already decided to deliver a decisive blow to the West. We must stop him by force, just as the Soviet Union was stopped. It is the only language he understands."

I hope the professor's message is understood in the West, especially in Germany, France, the UK, and the USA, and that action is taken accordingly. This means ensuring that Ukraine's victory is not hindered by the availability of weapons.

This is especially crucial now, as Ukraine has finally made legislative changes that should gradually address their chronic manpower shortage. Meanwhile, Russia is increasingly relying on countries like China, North Korea, and Iran for its own armament.

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Speaking of Iran, it was great to read the news that the president and foreign minister of the tyranny governed by the mullahs have died after the helicopter they were traveling in crashed near the Azerbaijan border, in a place near an Israeli base.

The cause of the helicopter crash seems to be bad weather. If that's the case, we humans should thank all the possible gods of climate and weather for the bad weather that brought down that specific helicopter.

In particular, it seems the Jewish god had a hand in this, arranging for the people of Israel to receive compensation for the almost empty strike that Iran launched against the country some time ago. Right now, it appears that Yahweh is a more powerful deity than Allah.

Fortunately, it seems that the helicopter crash does not appear to have involved any human-conducted military special operation—at least based on the news flow—but rather it was solely a contest of power between the gods. This way, even the Iranian mullahs can easily accept the loss of their high leaders as a punishment from a righteous god.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Religious authority and the Iran strike on Israel
Duck emphasizing the urgency of the new border law
The procrastination of Western countries is paid for with the blood of soldiers

Demonstrations cause trouble in Helsinki and Sweden

The University of Helsinki is by far the largest contributor to higher education and research in Finland, enjoying the trust of the entire nation and receiving financial support through tax revenues. In this role, it is institutionally politically neutral, and, for example, protests within its premises are prohibited.

However, this prohibition has recently been violated. A few months ago, a group of students protested against decisions made by the Finnish government, and just a few days ago, a demonstration against Israel was held at the university.

These predominantly politically left-wing orchestrated protests have not been strongly intervened against but have been allowed to take place. Thus, a kind of precedent has been established, which future protesters may also refer to.

It is possible that in the future, there may be different types of demonstrations on the university premises, including those that provoke reactions. In Finland, this practically means far-left counter-protests against socially conservative demonstrators, which often involve violent elements.

Therefore, it would be important for the University of Helsinki to decisively state that it will not allow any political demonstrations on its premises in the future. If such events occur, the university should demand that law enforcement immediately stop the gathering.

By saying this, I do not mean to undermine the importance of people's right to organize protests as a crucial aspect of a democratic society. On the contrary, when organizing such events, respect for the wishes of venue owners and property managers should be observed by ensuring that protests take place in open spaces.

Finally, it is worth noting that Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden initially announced a ban on political demonstrations in all its premises and campuses but later reversed its decision. The fears caused by protesters targeting Jewish individuals were behind the original decision, which the university should, of course, never condone.

It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold at Chalmers University. Will all segments of the population feel safe in the future, or will the situation become untenable again?

It is hoped that Finland and its universities will never find themselves in a situation similar to Sweden's, and that students and all people can live their lives without fear of danger due to their opinions or religious-ethnic backgrounds.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
The activists sought excitement and a boost to their self-esteem in the Stockholm Diamond League
The change in the demographic structure of Helsinki
International Master´s degree is an opportunity to be used