Peace activist Medea Benjamin famously heckled President Barack Obama about closing Guantanamo Bay, was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, won the Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Prize in 2010, and is the author of ten books. Her latest, Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran, offers the first general-audience introduction to the country and the roots of its antagonistic relationship with the U.S.
The CODEPINK founder, who has just returned from the Korean Peninsula for a march to the demilitarized zone, spoke with The Progressive about her new book and her optimistic outlook for peace.
Q: A book on Iran could take many forms—why write a primer?
Medea Benjamin: Most Americans know so little about Iran. Many people think of Iran as a sober and isolated society where religious leaders impose their will. Iran is really a very vibrant society with hotly contested elections and various interests that compete for power.
Q: Can you talk about the work you've done on the Iran Nuclear Deal?
Benjamin: I worked very hard to get U.S. Senators to support the Iran nuclear deal in 2015 and I continue to work on promoting congressional opposition to Trump’s belligerent stance. After watching in horror as the United States invaded Iraq, and seeing the terrible consequences for the Iraqi people, I am determined to do everything I can to stop a similar situation in Iran. My trips to Iran have helped me understand how sanctions only strengthen the hardliners and why moving towards full diplomatic and trade relations with Iran will help the democratic forces, both in Iran and here at home.
OR Books
With my organization CODEPINK we are planning to step up our advocacy work. We plan to work more closely with women’s groups in Iran and help uplift their voices and concerns in the United States. We plan to organize more direct ties between U.S. and Iranian citizens, and to network closely with Iranians in the diaspora.
Q: You write in the book, “While the world would be a safer place if Iran did not have nuclear weapons, the same can be said of all nations.” But given the reality of geopolitics in the region, shouldn’t Iran be able to determine its own nuclear policy?
Benjamin: It should, but it can’t because of the U.S. and Israeli reaction. This is not rational or “fair,” but it’s the reality in a world where the U.S. is the only superpower.
Q: You also write, “Our job is to get our governments out of the way so the Iranian people can...transform their own nation.” What would that look like, practically?
Benjamin: The Iranian people are very sophisticated and capable. If their government didn’t have the convenient excuse of the United States breathing down its neck, there would be more openings for civic groups, alternative media, political formations, independent unions. Among the transformations would be curtailing the power of the Supreme Leader, stopping the practice of “vetting” which candidates can run for office, ending the death penalty, and ensuring equal rights for women.
Q: Can you tell me about your work on the Korean Peninsula with Women Cross DMZ?
Benjamin: In 2015 we crossed from North to South Korea, meeting with women’s groups to promote women’s engagement in a peace process. I just returned from our second trip, in May. With Trump’s new travel ban, we were not allowed into North Korea but we did a peace march to the demilitarized zone with about 1,200 Koreans.
As Women Cross DMZ, we have been supporting the South Korea movement that brought President Moon into power. We have been inspired by the diplomatic achievements of President Moon that happened with the backing of over 80 percent of the Korean people.
We hope the U.S.-North Korea Summit will happen and bear fruit, but we are certain that the “peace train” has left the station. The people on the peninsula are demanding an end to the seventy-year-old conflict. Unlike Iran—where we have strong opposition by U.S. lobby groups, Israel, and Saudi Arabia—in the case of Korea there is much less opposition to a peace process.