Contributed by National post:

The 1979 promising change of power in Iran shortly turned into an illegitimate regime, defined by repression at home and aggression abroad.  The war mongers in Tehran maintain power only through crackdown — of their own citizens, of whom they’ve killed more than 600  during recent democracy protests and more recently hanging of its descendants at an accelerated rate of 10 per week, and destabilization and destruction of other countries in the region.

While democratic states find legitimacy in their constitutions and the democratic process, despotic regimes such as the brutal one in Iran, have to search for alternative sources. It doesn’t promise human rights. It doesn’t promise economic growth. It doesn’t promise innovation, tranquility or peace — the currencies of legitimate governments.  Instead, it continues with a crackdown on its citizens and promising death to Israel and death to America, and it hopes that will be enough to keep it in power.  So far this  illegitimate regime demonstrably holds onto power only through crushing internal dissent, as detailed in reports by Amnesty International , and maintaining its status in the Middle East through export of crises, destabilization, opposing the ongoing peace process  and working toward the extermination of its regional enemy, and ignorance of democratic governments in the world.  In other words, through violence and bigotry. The People of Iran and their neighbors deserve better. Iranians during their recent uprising  demonstrated that they are determined to remove this regime and replace it with a democratically elected government by and for Iranians, resulting in freedom and democracy in Iran and peace and stability in the region. International communities should wake up to the reality of this regime's nature and support the Iranians' movement.