Meanwhile, a revolution unfolds in Iran
Anderw Sullivan said "The cries of freedom. They bring tears to my eyes and hope to my soul. The sound: it makes every human stop in their tracks and demand that this vicious oppression end."
The chanting has drawn bigger crowds every night for the last 3 months. The demographic of the protest is changing. Now it includes the middle and working class, once the stalwart backbone of the Ahmadinejad supporters. This is a video of last nights gathering after police shot at protesters yesterday, killing at least 12, including the nephew of a prominent opposition leader. A number of opposition leaders have been arrested, and the treatment of leaders under arrest has been horrific. This is the holiday of Ashura, a sacred observance in the Muslim calendar which honors the martyrdom of the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. This is the most important date in the Shiite calendar as it marks the birth of the schism which has split Suuni and Shiite for centuries. The Ahmadinejad government has created a new pantheon of martyrs to inspire the growing opposition.
I was watching reportage and analysis of this on France3 news today. The government is now more and more in the role of oppressor and the repression is being seen as a religious crime against the people. Iran lost a generation in the war with Iraq in the early 80's, now the country is beginning to realize that another generation is being destroyed. Faced with the choice of fighting and dying or fleeing....?
This could be the beginning of Irans' Berlin Wall Moment.
7 comments:
Hello Microdot,
I was watching an episode of the PBS Rick Steves’s travel show. He was in Iran and speaking with the people. A woman with her head covered was being interviewed by Rick and she made the comment, “In America, you have the separation of Religion and State where here in Iran, religion is the government and that is what the problem is that is holding back Iran from progressing forward within the world community. They are forcing their extreme views of religion on everyone through government mandates.”
Rick Steves went on to say that it use to be stated with pride that the skirts of Iranian women were shorter than those in Paris but this was before the religious fanatics within Iran took over and now a woman can be arrested if someone feels the woman is committing a crime of showing too much skin.
Wow! The young woman with others nodding in agreement stated that Iran’s problems was because their religion was dictating the government and forcing its viewpoint on the population causing dissatisfaction with the population.
Of course the thought that went instantly through my mind how the “Fanatical Religious Right” within our country wants to accomplish the exact same situation of taking over our government and forcing their religious viewpoints onto everyone here in the United States.
Should this Extreme Christian Right succeed in our country, you would see the exact same rioting that is happening in Iran right now, would be breaking out everywhere to overthrow the shackles of this oppression.
Great Posting My Friend and good food for thought.
tnx you for great article. in a real way i am glad that ahmadinejad has opposition that is getting more and more serious. and in a real way he easily brokes human rights and he is very unjusty with the national minotietes in iran. i hope this situation will be better soon...
A few years ago, before the Al Jazeera English language network was launched, if you asked me what was the best window into alternate news and reportage on Africa and the Islamic world, I would have said SAHAR 2, the Iranian Satellite Network.
It was very open, creative and really drew its information from a lot of sources. You did get shoveled a load of propaganda, but hell, it was a lot less in quantity and almost like they had to shove it in once in a while...it was much less virulent than your average 20 random minutes on the FOX Network.
At the same time, I saw a lot of great Iranian films on European Television, I saw a feature on the Tehran Symphony and they were playing the orchestral Zappa piece, Pedros Dowry...I saw Iranian Heavy Metal Bands.
The urban population of Iran was young, hip and trying to create a modern world.
Then the elections and Bush sticking his nose into the process and giving the impetus to make voting for Ahmadinejad a nationalistic, patriotic act.
They were trying to open to the west and got totally rebuffed by the Americans.
The posturing of the Bush administration empowered the conservative religious regime we see today.
Now the reporters I used to see on SAHAR 2 have all gone to Al Jazeera, along with the best of the BBC....
We know that there is a huge urban population in Iran of young people who have become specialists in subverting the rule of the Mullahs.
This should be a lesson for the conservatives in America. What kind of government do they want? You spoke of the codification of religious law into government as a desire of the religious right in America...
How do you enforce that?
How do make people conform to your repressive morality with out repressive force...
Do they think for a moment that the people they are trying to use to manipulate American opinion would take that laying down?
Sadly, there is little American network coverage of the revolution unfolding in Iran. Perhaps 30 seconds and then we are all consumed with the Delta flight on Christmas.
Here is is 24/7 airplane terrorist. Ad nauseum!
My wife said to me today, "So we send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan and one 24-year-old extremist nearly blows up a plane and parts of Detroit."
Indeed. And idiotic!
When Iran implodes and revolution occurs, it's going to be spun as a vindication of the GWB policies of preemptive warfare and a vindication for Iraq.. mark my words.. maybe setting the stage for a military forway into Yemen... Does Yemen have oil?
Steve, quite often you are on the mark and have given me insights into different ways of looking at an issue, but this time, I think you are off the mark....
First, Yemen had oil. Had, the past tense. Their reserves are rapidly being exhausted and they might be the first "failed oil state" in the mid east...
Yemen is most important as a strategic location...It is one of the entry points for thousands of African Refuges on their way to Europe. It will probably develop a major contraband economy. Yemen has socially never progressed beyond a tribal stage. I know a lot about Yemeni culture from my Yemeni friends in NYC. I used to live above a major Khat distribution center run out of a Yemeni 24 hr carry out on Ave B in Manhattan.
Nice guys really...
As far as the future of Iran goes...pay attention to the way power flows.
Khameni and his religious council let Ahmadinejad rule...but his rule is beginning to rock their boat.
Ahmadinejad controls the Basij...the Militia, but not the army. The power of the Basij is fast eroding, the army is about to start playing a role to keep the Council in control.
Ahmadinejad's days are numbered, but there is no way that that the Israelis or Americans are going to be able to grab responsibility for the events.
The direction of the power? The Iranian Oil resources? Who will get to develop and use them?
Why the Chinese and the Russians, Of course....
Points well taken. :)
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