Monday, June 15, 2009

Accidental Heroes

I've been quiet online because I'm hard at work offline these days, working in educational activism and my personal life. However, I was arrested by some photos of the street protests in Iran that I wanted to share...

I'm no expert heaven knows, but I do know enough to realize that the "President of Iran" has about as much impact on his country's policies as does the president of Germany (yes, they do have one). I've in the past referred to the post as that of a "glorified spokesman" as the real decisions are made by the unelected clerics that run Iran. But something funny happened...in the very real election for this very symbolic post, the rulers cheated, and the people of Iran have mobilized...






I don't know if the ayatollahs are hoping that things burn out, or that Moussavi can be co-opted, but Moussavi remains free and is protesting the vote loudly. And when you draw crowds like this asking about their vote, the end result is usually going to be either revolution, or a massacre. Here's hoping for revolution.

(source)

1 comment:

noternie said...

Maybe now some folks here in the US can stop stereotyping Arab/Islam nations as mindless drones with an interest only in following orders to destroy the west.

Funny we had to learn that about East Germans, Russians and all the other former Soviet peoples.

omeday maybe South Americans and African peoples, too? The, gulp, the Chinese people?

Then who will we hate and demean? Dick Cheney will be rolling over in his grave.