Iran's recent exercise of "democracy" has been smeared by allegations of fraud and the State's ambiguous attitude, at one time uncertain steps towards limited recount, at the other, brutal repression (see complete coverage by the BBC). Riled Iranians disillusioned with the results of what they expected to be a qualitative leap towards something better are out in force in Tehran's streets
It is stimulating to see people young and old, like the brave young woman in the above photo defying convention (especially religious ones) questioning with simple gestures and a print-out where is her vote. In a time where hopelessness is as contagious as the swine flu and cynicism substitutes doubt and dissidence, one can't help but be inspired. In my view, she is the quintessential citoyenne; how ironic then that the most sublime gestures, the ones that speak loudly liberté, egalité, fraternité come from the most unlikely of places (for the blog post related to the photo see here in Jezebel).
Other gestures are subtle but explicit. In their qualifying match for the World Cup the Iranian football team wore green wristbands apparently in support of protests at home. They took it off in the second half of the match but the message was delivered (see more at Human Rights Now, Amnesty USA's blog).
There's really not much more to say except express solidarity with the movement. Its spontaneity and force tells us much about the social psyche of the Iranian people and the anachronistic order they live in. We must also reflect on the historical sequence of events that brought us here in the first place. I'm thinking, I don't know, 1953? when Mohamed Mossadegh, a man of the left, whose grievous crime was the nationalization of Iranian oil. This was the starting point, after that an incompetent Shah gave way to an Islamic revolution going on thirty years, one of its preeminent achievements being a three-decade history of antagonism with the United States.
More on the Iranian situation
An extensive and complete article from PBS's Newshour
An in-depth article from the Financial Times
Blog post from The Progressive Magazine
Coverage from The Guardian
Coverage from The Wall Street Journal
Topic coverage from The Socialist Worker
Youtube's array of videos
Tell me what you think...
Comments