امریکا به همراه جامعه بین المللی شدیداسرکوب غیر عادلانه و وحشیانه مردم بی گناه ایران را محکوم میکند. این سرکوب ها باعث زندانی و مجروح شدن و حتی کشتن مردم شده است. در ماهای اخیر مردم ایران فقط در جستجوی حقوق انسانی خود بوده اند و هر بار با بی رحمی و با مشت اهنین دولت روبرو شده اند، حتی در روزهای سوکواری و مذهبی. و هر بار که این سرکوبها اتفاق افتاده است مردم دنیا به شجاعت و تمایل مردم ایران با احترام نگاه میکنند که این نشاندهنده قسمتی از تاریخ باستانی ایران است. این اتفاقات در ایران ارتباتی به امریکا و سایر کشورهای دیکر ندارد. بلکه ارتباط مستقیم به مردم دارد که در جستجوی ازادی و عدالت و زندگی بهتر برای خود هستند. با حکومت ترس و وحشت دولت ایران نمی تواند جلوی ارزوهای مردم ایران را مسدود نماید. همانطور که در اسلو اشاره کردم، اشکارست که دولتها از مردم خود بیشتر از دولتهای قدرتمند میترسند. دولت امریکا همراه تمام کشورهای ازاد، پشتیبان مردم ایران هستند، که فقط در جستجوی حقوق انسانی خودشان می باشند. ما میخواهیم که دولت ایران به قوانین بین المللی و حقوق انسانی مردم ایران احترام بگذارد. ما میخواهیم افرادیکه با بی عدالتی زندانی شده اند فورا ازاد شوند و همچنین اتفاقاتیکه روزانه در ایران در جریان است دنبال کرده و میدانم که تاریخ پشتیبان عدالت است.
This translation may be distributed freely with a reference to Iran News Now.
Thanks to two very special Iranians for providing the translation.
BREAKING NEWS: In a speech today, President Barack Obama, expressed solidarity with the protesters in Iran.
Watch the video:
Here is the full transcript.
The United States joins with the international community in strongly condemning the violent and unjust suppression of innocent Iranian citizens, which has apparently resulted in detentions, injuries and even death. For months, the Iranian people have sought nothing more than to exercise their universal rights. Each time they have done so they have been met with the iron fist of brutality, even on solemn occasions and holy days. And each time that has happened the world has watched with deep admiration for the courage and conviction of the Iranian people, who are a part of Iran’s great and enduring civilization. What is talking place within Iran is not about the United States or any other country. It is about the Iranian people and their aspirations for justice and a better life for themselves. The decision of Iran’s leaders to govern through fear and tyranny will not succeed in making those aspirations go away. As I said in Oslo, it’s telling when governments fear the aspirations of their own people more than the power of any other nation. Along with all free nations the United States stands with those who seek their universal rights. We call upon the Iranian government to abide by the international obligations that it has to respect the rights of its own people. We call for the immediate release of all who have been unjustly detained within Iran. We will continue to bear witness to the extraordinary events that have taken place and I’m confident that history will be on the side of those who seek justice.
A lot of additional videos are still being posted to social media sites. The following two are particularly troubling: security forces beating women and innocents:
[5:00PM Tehran Time]
What a day it has been. The boldest protests yet since the rigged election took place on June 12. While thousands of people protesting in Tehran and across the country was not unexpected, the level of denunciation of the regime of Khamenei, Ahmadinejad and their goons has been unprecedented. And as far as I can tell at the moment, the protests are not abating in the least. Rather more people appear to be pouring into the streets to lend their voice to the national yearning for freedom, truly representative government, and respect for human rights. They are showing no fear.
The regime simply cannot put a stop to this without massive bloodshed. They can’t wait for it to go away. It won’t. Today’s protests are even more of a victory than the Qods Day protests that took place on September 18, and to top it off, they aren’t even finished yet! They can’t hide the fact that the protests are going on, neither from the people inside Iran, nor from the outside world. Like an ostrich with it’s head in the sand, they have chosen to be blind to the truth of what is happening in Iran. Willful ignorance simply cannot sustain itself over time.
The protests have been going on for over 9 hours now today with no immediate end in site today. But no matter the final outcome for the day, this has been a solid victory for the Green Movement.
Check out this video (source Enduring America) showing Khamenei’s image being trampled. Such an act is unheard of in Iran. It is a strong metaphor for what is happening in the country:
When the end of this regime will finally come is not 100% clear. What is clear is that the end of this regime will come.
I have been liveblogging straight for 9 hours now. I have to take care of some personal matters, but I will be back in a few hours.
Feel free to post updates if you have them in the comments section for this post while I am away.
Long Live Iran!
[4:51PM Tehran Time]
Another video showing people denouncing Khamenei by name:
[4:28PM Tehran Time]
People boldly and openly denouncing Khamenei by name en masse! This is unheard of. This video needs to get out! Please share this with as many people as you can FAR and WIDE! (source Josh Shahryar):
[4:19PM Tehran Time]
Josh Shahryar reports people carrying placards directly denouncing Khamenei! This is generally unheard of in Iran.
[4:09PM Tehran Time]
Video showing protestors interspersed with vigilantes on motorbikes:
[3:57PM Tehran Time]
Reports coming in on protests and clashes all over Tehran and several Iranian cities. People are continuing to pour into the streets after several hours of protests. People are shouting out news to each other from the street to people listening by their windows indoors. This is far from over.
Reports of gunshots being heard throughout the city, but unclear as to whether anyone has actually been shot as yet.
As far as I am concerned, this has been a huge victory for the people of Iran and the Green Movement. This is the second state-sponsored event that has been turned on its head by the people, and used as an opportunity to voice opposition to the tyrannical regime. The genie is completely out of the bottle in Iran after 30 years of suppression by terror. This is obviously just my opinion, but I find it hard to see a path that will allow this regime to stay in power for long. The people will continue to use every opportunity to shove the point home that they no longer consider this government and a system that puts the most zealous Islamists in charge as valid.
[3:41PM Tehran Time]
A video showing a large crowd marching at Valiasr/Zartosht intersection, chanting “Marg Bar Diktator” (Down with Dictator!) (via IranRiggedElect on Twitter):
[3:37PM Tehran Time]
Yet another video of Karoubi from today:
[3:30PM Tehran Time]
Another video of Karoubi walking with the people today. People are shocked and happy to see him, shouting his name (via @madyar on Twitter):
[3:23PM Tehran Time]
Looks like Ann Curry of MSNBC has picked up on the events today. Bravo Ann Curry! Now please report as much of it as you can! Thank you! Quoted from a recent tweet of hers on Twitter:
Reports of bloodshed, tear gas, shouts of “Down with Dictator” in Iran. The #iranelection outrage is not over.
[3:13PM Tehran Time]
Video of riot police getting ready to attack the people (via @madyar on Twitter):
[3:06PM Tehran Time]
Video confirmation of Karoubi amoungst the people today! People are chanting “Karoubieh Ghaheman, beres beh dadeh Iran!” (Karoubi, the Champion, Attend to the Cries of Iran!):
[2:51PM Tehran Time]
People chanting “Obama, Obama, Ya ba Ouna, Ya ba Ma!” (Obama, Obama, either you’re with them or you’re with us!”), meaning you are either with the regime or the people of Iran. It is a message to Barack Obama from the Iranian people, basically telling him not to negotiate with the regime over the heads of the Iranian people:
If you’re seeing this, email this to Obama, contact your local politicians and e-mail them. Contact your news media and get this out there!
[2:40PM Tehran Time]
Another video, greens singing “Yare Dabestani”:
[2:31PM Tehran Time]
Another video from today showing people protesting strongly. Amoungst the chants: “Zendaniye Siasi Azad Bayad Kardad!” (Political Prisoners Must Be Freed!), “Marg Bar Toh!” (Down With You! [referring to Khamenei, Ahmadinejad and their ilk]), and “The Russian embassy is a den of spies!”. The latter is particularly significant because normally on Student’s day the regime rallies its supporters to protest against the U.S. The U.S. embassy is referred to by the regime as the Den of Spies. But the people are applying the moniker to the Russian embassy because of the blatant disregard shown by the Russian government for the will of the Iranian people when they stood firmly by Ahmadinejad immediately after the rigged election:
[2:24PM Tehran Time]
From @madyar, another video. Shows a person that has been beaten in the head, bleeding, being treated by people:
[2:20PM Tehran Time]
MikVerbrugge reports that 500 Basijis hold 50 Greens in buses. People are trying to free them but need more people.
MikVerbrugge
Iran #13aban URGENT at Shomali Majmoueh Shiroudi/500 Basijis hold 50 Greens in buses.Trying to free them. Need ppl.
[2:14PM Tehran Time]
Another video from @madyar. This one is confirmed from today because the person filming it mentions the date:
[2:06PM Tehran Time]
Another powerful video… wow! At the end of it you hear one person say in Farsi, “They are hitting the women, do you see?” (source: @madyar on Twitter):
[1:54PM Tehran Time]
Another video from today, people chanting against Russia for supporting the coup government:
Video of people taking shelter in the parking of a home on Roosevelt Street in Tehran:
[1:20PM Tehran Time]
Josh Shahryar has confirmed that Karoubi left Haft-Tir square with bodyguards due to concern for his safety. So it appears that earlier reports that he was arrested may have been false.
At this time it is very difficult to confirm information that is coming in.
[1:16PM Tehran Time]
Unconfirmed video of protesters in Rasht singing “Yare Dabestani” (source @ArianIrani on Twitter):
[12:57PM Tehran Time]
MikVerbrugge reports people are chanting: “Our race is Aryan. Separate religion and politics!”
Cell phone services are almost completely down in Tehran in an apparent attempt to prevent communications from the street reaching the outside.
Multiple reports coming in of brutal crackdowns in Haft-Tir square and Vali Asr square.
Caller to Mardom TV radio reports that it looks like an all out war is going on between the people and the regime forces. Brutal attacks taking place on the people by the regime. Another person reports being an eye-witness to Karoubi being beaten and arrested.
[12:21PM Tehran Time]
Unconfirmed: Report that Karoubi has been forced to leave, possibly been arrested.
[12:19PM Tehran Time]
Multiple reports coming in that people that have been attacked in Haft-Tir are taking refuge in nearby homes. The people in these homes are welcoming them and risking their own lives.
[12:07PM Tehran Time]
Reports coming in from Haft-Tir that plain-clothed vigilantes are taking people into side streets and arresting them. It’s best for people to stay with the crowds. Also, reports of more protests in more Iranian cities: add Esfahan and Araak to the list.
[11:53AM Tehran Time]
Reports are coming in that there are protest occurring in cities other than Tehran. Josh Shahryar reports that marchers are gathering in Mazandaran and Mahdi Saharkhiz reports that people are gathering in Shiraz.
There are also reports of an earthquake occurring in southern Iran.
[11:44AM Tehran Time]
Breaking News: The following was just posted by our trusted resource, Josh Shahryar:
Confirmed! Karoubi has joined the crowds! Confirmed!
[11:37AM Tehran Time]
About an hour ago the Revolutionary Road Blog (see earlier updates for link) reported that police are beating people with batons in an attempt to disperse them. Worse, the blog reports that shots have been fired in Haft-Tir square and that people are running into nearby houses to take refuge. One house is full of people that ran away from the shooting.
I have not heard anything about Karoubi being there or not. Nor have I heard anything about the whereabouts of Mousavi.
I stress that these reports are all still currently unconfirmed.
[11:29AM Tehran Time]
Mahdi Saharkhiz reports tear gas being fired in Haft-Tir Square, “over and over”. He is a reliable poster so it is likely true, but we will continue to seek confirmation. He also mentioned that some shots were fired that appear to have originated from paintball guns. I stress that I have no confirmation of this, but if it’s true then it is quite bizarre.
[11:22AM Tehran Time]
Getting conflicting reports with the report that tear gas was fired in Haft-Tir. Twitter user @jomhirani reports hearing that the Basij in Haft-Tir are not being aggressive, and are even being friendly. Some of them saying they are only their because they have to be.
I am looking for verification either way.
[11:15AM Tehran Time]
Unconfirmed: Reports of tear gas being fired in Haft-Tir square.
10:15:Security forces are completely alert from Ferdowsi. They are equipped with combat helmet, batons and tear gas. Forces have taken over across the street of Enghelab from Ferdowsi. Forces of Sarallah are placed at Ferdowsi to Gharani street where the ministry of education is located toward the former Embassy of U.S. .The special unit have taken over the intersection of Valiasr towards the Enghelab. They are also placed at Enghelab around the University of Tehran. In allies leading to Enghelab, Basiji and plain cloth forces are placed, they are equipped with baton and combat helmet. Their age range is between 15-19. Yellow buses which appears to belong to The bus company are bringing plain cloth Basiji, they are mainly young adults.
از میدان فردوسی نیروهای امنیتی به صورت کاملا آماده باش مستقرند, آنان مجهز به کلاهخود , باتوم و گاز اشک آور هستند . سرتاسر خیابان انقلاب از میدان فردوسی تا میدان انقلاب را نیروها در اختیار خود گرفته اند .میدان فردوسی به سمت خیابان قرنی که وزارت آموزش و پرورش در آنجاست به سمت سفارت سابق آمریکا در اختیار نیروهای لباس پلنگی است که نیروهای قرارگاه ثارالله سپاه هستند .چهار راه ولیعصر به سمت میدان انقلاب در اختیار نیروهای یگان ویژه نیروی انتظامی است . به سمت میدان انقلاب و اطراف دانشگاه تهران نیز نیروهای یگان ویژه مستقر شده اند .داخل کوچه های منتهی به خیابان انقلاب بسیجی ها و لباس شخصی ها که مجهز به باتوم و کلاهخود هستند مستقرند . لباس شخصی ها را افراد کم سن و سال که بین 15 تا 19 سال دارند تشکیل می دهند.
اتوبوس های زرد رنگی که ظاهرا متعلق به شرکت واحد اتوبوسرانی است مرتب دارد نیرو های لباس شخصی و بسیجی وارد می کند اکثر آنان کم سن و سال هستند
10:20:The Tehran University students, minutes ago, started marching towards the gates.
Minutes ago, the Tehran Uni students left the university towares the direction of the mass march while chanting “Down with Dictator. Per stand byers, there are tension and brief conflicts around where the march is happening.
دانشجویان دانشگاه تهران لحظاتی پیش حرکت خود از درب دانشگاه به سمت محل راهپیمایی را آغاز کردند. دقایقی پیش خیل دانشجویان دانشگاه تهران با شعار مرگ بر دیکتاتور دانشگاه را به سمت محل راهپیمایی ترک کردند. به گفته شاهدان عینی، درگیریهای مختصری در گوشه و کنار حرکت دانشجویان دیده شد.
[10:39AM Tehran Time]
Multiple sources reporting that Basij forces are blocking Tehran University students from leaving the university to join the protests.
[10:27AM Tehran Time]
Mahdi Saharkhiz reports that Tehran University students are leaving the university chanting “Down with dictator”. He reports that there have been some clashes. A family friend of his from Tehran reports “lots and lots of people coming”.
[10:10AM Tehran Time]
I just received a tweet from Twitter user @hawaiianbear saying the following:
Think about this for a moment. Obama appears to talk to the regime but is actually talking to the people of Iran.
This is an insightful thought, because Obama is a very nuanced and thoughtful president. I think it can be argued that he played a part as a catalyst in the Green Movement and people’s uprising in Iran with his powerful message of change. It may well be that he is indeed playing a double-game, seemingly addressing the regime while hoping that the people of Iran read between the lines. I stated this earlier but it is worth restating: perhaps he thinks that by removing the U.S. as a threat to Iran in a very public way, by removing the 30 years of bellicosity against the Iranian regime, he takes away the regime’s trump card and excuse for their radical anti-Americanism and their nonsensical focus on national security threats from the U.S. It makes it obvious to the Iranian people that it is unreasonable to keep chanting “Death to America”. It makes it absurd really. Without this threat, the regime’s reason d’etre largely vanishes and becomes obsolete. If indeed this is Obama’s intended consequence, and if (big if) it bears fruit, he will be seen as a genius.
[10:00AM Tehran Time]
Reports coming in that people are singing the revolutionary song “Yare Dabestani” and chanting “Down with the Dictator” from some Tehran schools. (Source @lissnup on Twitter).
@ArianIrani reports that people are gathering in Haft-Tir Square, which is now crowded with people and cars, waiting for Karoubi.
[9:36AM Tehran Time]
BNO News reports the following breaking news (source):
NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) — President Obama on Tuesday evening released the following statement on Iran.
“Thirty years ago today, the American Embassy in Tehran was seized. The 444 days that began on November 4, 1979 deeply affected the lives of courageous Americans who were unjustly held hostage, and we owe these Americans and their families our gratitude for their extraordinary service and sacrifice.
This event helped set the United States and Iran on a path of sustained suspicion, mistrust, and confrontation. I have made it clear that the United States of America wants to move beyond this past, and seeks a relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran based upon mutual interests and mutual respect. We do not interfere in Iran’s internal affairs. We have condemned terrorist attacks against Iran. We have recognized Iran’s international right to peaceful nuclear power. We have demonstrated our willingness to take confidence-building steps along with others in the international community. We have accepted a proposal by the International Atomic Energy Agency to meet Iran’s request for assistance in meeting the medical needs of its people. We have made clear that if Iran lives up to the obligations that every nation has, it will have a path to a more prosperous and productive relationship with the international community.
Iran must choose. We have heard for thirty years what the Iranian government is against; the question, now, is what kind of future it is for. The American people have great respect for the people of Iran and their rich history. The world continues to bear witness to their powerful calls for justice, and their courageous pursuit of universal rights. It is time for the Iranian government to decide whether it wants to focus on the past, or whether it will make the choices that will open the door to greater opportunity, prosperity, and justice for its people.”
It seems Obama is walking a very, very fine line. By attempting to negotiate with the illegitimate regime over the heads of the Iranian people he lends them credibility they would otherwise not have. There is a possibility though that the pressure he is applying to the regime by NOT being confrontational with them will lead to the Iranian people no longer being afraid to confront the regime due to the fact that their is no imminent threat of an external attack. Is that wishful thinking? Probably too soon to say.
[9:18AM Tehran Time]
Revolutionary Road is live-blogging today directly from Tehran: Revolutionary Road’s Student’s Day Live-Blog. This appears to be the originating source of the information I posted at 9:08AM.
They just reported that there is a heavy anti-riot police and plain-clothed vigilantes present in Haft-Tir Square. This is very foreboding because Mehdi Karoubi plans to be there at 10:30AM.
[9:08AM Tehran Time]
We have unconfirmed reports coming in on Twitter that all roads leading to the U.S. embassy are lined with anti-riot police and Basij forces, and that the Russian embassy is surrounded by Sepah (Revolutionary Guards) and Basij. Clearly the regime is worried and wants to leave nothing to chance.
[8:42AM Tehran Time]
Before the day’s events begin to unfold, here are some videos of recent protests:
A video of a protest at Sharif University on November 2, a precursor to today’s planned protests, originally posted by Mahdi Saharkhiz in his twitter feed (here):
Three vids of raucous protests on November 3 at Tehran’s Azad University (source: Iran All Day’s Blog). People can be heard chanting “Allaho Akbar” (God is Great!), “Ya Hossein! Mir Hossein!”, “Marg Bar Diktator” (Down with the Dictator), “Iranieh Ba Gheyrat, Hemayat! Hemayet!” (Iranian with values, Support! Support!) and several other chants:
[8:00AM Tehran Time]
Today marks the 30th anniversary of a notorious day in the history of Iran and modern international politics — the day that a group of students calling themselves Followers of the Imam’s Line stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took the staff hostage.
This triggered an ordeal that lasted 444 days until all of the hostages were released. This act lead to the severing of formal relations between the governments of Iran and the United States, and helped the most radical Islamist elements of the revolutionaries that overthrew the former Shah of Iran consolidate their power.
The repercussions reverberate to this day. I recommend the following article, by Muhammad Sahimi from Tehran Bureau as a primer on the significance of this day:
While the mainstream western media has, for the most part, moved on from the uprising and subsequent conflict that has been going on in Iran since the rigging of the June 12th presidential elections there, a lot has been happening. It is the opinion of the author that this is because unless there are millions of people in the streets the mainstream western media loses interest.
The last major street protests took place on September the 18th, on a day designated by the government as Qods Day or “Jerusalem Day,” reserved by them for demonstrations in support of the Palestinian cause. The day was used by the Green Movement to promote the causes of freedom and human rights in Iran instead, with a popular chant being, “No Gaza, No Lebanon, I give my life for Iran.” The regime was unable to or reluctant to stop the counter-protests. I live-blogged that day here.
Qods Day ended up being the first day in which the people were largely in control, and served as a huge morale boost for the movement. Since then there have not been large protests in the streets, but there have been many protests in universities since the start of the academic year. For all of the month of October, the anticipation has been building for the next big opportunity to show the regime that the Green Movement is alive and means business.
It is now 8:20am on November 4 — Student’s Day. I will live-blog today’s events here as the day unfolds.
On Mir Hossein Mousavi’s Facebook page about one hour ago, it was announced that Mehdi Karoubi plans to be at Haft-Tir Square at 10:30. Mousavi and Karoubi both ran in the June 12th elections and both have been active since then in opposition to the coup makers.
In the current conflicts that are taking place in Iran, Rafsanjani is one of the key players. It is important to understand who he is though, and in the opinion of the author, not to put too much hope in his support for the Green Movement’s ultimate goal, which is a secular Iran where human rights and freedom reign.
While it is obviously helpful to the Green Movement when Rafsanjani confronts Khamenei and Ahmadinejad, as he appears to be doing (if only to counter their assaults on his reputation and power), people should be aware his assistance will be limited.
He recently put out a statement asking people to march on Ghods Day in support of the Palestinian cause. At the end of the statement he said:
God willing, your courageous presence in the Qods day rallies in Iran and across the globe, in villages and in the cities of dear Iran would awaken the disillusioned ones who think that the passage of time has dust coated the cause of Palestine; and you too be sure that the brightest day arrives after the darkest night.
Pay particular attention to the part highlighted in bold-face: “and you too be sure that the brightest day arrives after the darkest night.”
This appears to be direct message to the Iranian people. This is a good thing because anything that invigorates the Green Movement is a good thing. Support from the halls of power is required to move things forward.
But make no mistake, ultimately Rafsanjani wants the Islamic Republic to stay mostly the way it is. He just wants to neutralize the Khamenei-Ahamdinejad-IRGC alliance that is trying to tear the notion of “Republic” out of “Islamic Republic.” His interests will diverge from the people’s at the point that this is accomplished. During his eight-year presidency he did nothing to help the people in their quest for human rights and freedom. I don’t see any reason to think he has changed much. It’s just the circumstances that have changed in a way that impacts him directly, so he is siding with the Greens. For now.
Normally at IranNewsNow.com when we provide links to news or articles from other sources, we only use an excerpt from the story, to give the reader an idea of what it is about, followed by a link to the full article.
Today, on the 40th day following the brutal shooting death of Neda Agha-Soltan during the June 20th protests that took place after the rigged Iranian presidential election, people gathered at Behesthe Zahra cemetery to mourn and to protest against the government for the brutality that was used against the people in the name of religion. They did not protest the rigged election anymore. What they asked for was no less than the removal of the current regime.
The following letter, was written by an eye-witness to events that occurred today. Clearly this person wants their story to be shared and read far and wide. For this reason, we are sharing it in its entirety here. The source URL follows at the end.
July 30, 2009 – 8 Mordad
This is going to be a slightly disjointed email, I’m sorry in advanced. It’s already well passed midnight here and we just finished returning from the streets protesting. But I wanted to make sure to get this out tonight.
Today marked the 40th day anniversary of the killings of such youth as Neda Agha Soltan and Sohrab Aarabi in Iran’s post-election demonstrations. We headed to Behesht Zahra Cementary in the afternoon to join the 4pm ceremony at their gravesites. Behesht Zahra is about a one hour drive south of Tehran and as we neared the cementery, about five police cars and officers were directing traffic. Waiting to enter the cementery compound in the traffic, one of my companions pulled down the window and half jokingly asked the police officer what was going on. He smiled back and said, “nothing, just go towards row 257.” For those not familiar with Behesht Zahra, it’s an enormous cementery with wide avenues and squares. Knowing it would take us a while to find our destination, the police officer decided to help by telling us in which row we could find Neda’s grave (others in Behesht Zahra would help lost drivers by directing them to Neda. That’s all people said: “Neda ounjast” (Neda is there), pointing in the direction of her grave). Throughout the ceremony it was obvious the police force was very sympathetic with the people (as opposed to the anti-riot police and the revolutionary guard factions that were present in large numbers and were standing by the graves of both Neda and Sohrab).
By the time we arrived to their graves, it was 4.30pm and about 150,000-200,000 had gathered there. Most had on green ribbons and shouted in unison: “Neda-ye ma namordeh, ein dolat-e ke morde” (Our Neda is not dead, it is this government that is dead). Her grave was covered in flowers and candles, as was the grave of Sohrab, just a few feet away. The demonstration was held about 75 feet from the graves and was where the majority of the people had gathered. The main difference between this gathering and the other gatherings in the past two months was that the slogans for this gathering were very highly charged and at times extremely revengeful. People shouted: “ma bache-haye jangim, bejang ta bejangim” (we’re the children of war, fight and we’ll fight back); “mikosham ani ke baradaram ra kosht” (I will kill he who killed my brother). There was no more talk of reclaiming the vote, but of getting rid of this “coup” government; the most numerous chant was “Death to the dictator.” The anger could be felt at this gathering (which for me was a very ominous sign of worse things to come) and there was a very palpable lack of fear among people. Both Mir Hossein Moussavi and Karoubi had shown up at the gathering earlier in the afternoon.
We stayed for nearly two hours and decided to leave when we saw the security forces getting larger in number. As we left, we heard that they had hit some with batons and we could feel the tear gas in the air. A few minutes later reports emerged that Jafar Panahi, the award-winning filmmaker was arrested, as was Mahnaz Mohammadi, a documentary filmmaker and a women’s rights activist. They have both been taken to an unknown location.
As we left the cementery, the honking of the cars began: most cars were heading into Tehran to try to get as close to Mosallah as possible (the large mosque in central Tehran where Mousavi and Karoubi had asked to hold a ceremony of those killed last month—the interiory ministry did not give the permission for the gathering, but people had decided to show up there at 6 regardless). Every car driving out of Behesht Zahar was honking their horns and all drivers and passengers had their hands out of their cars in the peace sign. The police tried to discourage drivers from driving the main highway that would lead to central Tehran, but very few listened. Soldiers standing along the streets flashed the peace sign back at the honking cars with large smiles on their faces. It was obvious the soldiers and police forces were with the people.
As we reached my grandmother’s house, which is just a few streets away from Mosallah, we saw people running from motorcycles (the Basij), who tried to taser them, and the protestors encouraged us to turn our windows up so the tear gas wouldn’t hurt us. Residents came out of their homes and began small fires on the corners (to help against the tear gas). The streets were completely overtaken by protestors who were in a cat and mouse game with the security forces, all on motorcycles. We parked the car and went onto Valiasr Street (the main boulevard in Tehran that runs from north to south). The city was covered in a haze from all the tear gas and fires started on the corners. All roads leading to Mosallah were witness to huge confrontations between people and the security forces.
As we arrived on Valiasr people were spilt on different sides of the sidewalk: one side would shout slogans, the anti-riot police would attack with their batons and paint-ball guns (to mark the protestors to pick them up later), then the other side of the side-walk would start the chanting, so the anti-riot police would be forced to come to this side. As they attacked one side of the sidewalk, the protestors on the opposite side would come out of the side streets they had just run into and gather, regroup, and chant again. This continued for hours. When the anti-riot police disappeared for a bit, people lit candles and put them on the sidewalks, to commemorate the deaths of Neda, Sohrab, and the others. At one point we had managed to cover one section of the street in candles. As soon as the plainclothes militia saw the sidewalk lit in candles, they approached, stomped them out, and began hitting people. No one turned away. They would attack us, we’d run into the side streets and reemerge less than one minute later. The most haunting scene was when protestors had gathered at the beginning of Takht-tavvos Street and were shouting “Death to the Dictator.” The anti-riot police gathered on their mothercycles (two per motorcycle, all in cameflouge uniform, with full riot gear) in the middle of the street and their leader began pumping them up (it looked like a huddle during a football game—it was disgusting). He got them riled up, spun his baton in the air three times, and then they attacked (there were about 30 motorcycles, all in full gear). As they attacked the protestors in the street, some from the side began throwing stones at them, and all began cursing.
The anti-riot police would also drive up in cars and try to get people to move along and not congregate. People would walk slowly, then turn right back around. There was no more fear. They attacked, people retreated in the side-streets, then would come back out in less than one minute as soon as the motorcycles had gone off. There were so many protesters, and they were spread out all throughout Tehran (Valiasr Square, Fatemi Square, Yousefabad, Vanak Square, Mosallah, Sanati Square, Amirabad, Revolution Square, Tajrish Square….all the main streets and squares of Tehran were full of people and it seemed for the first time that the forces simply were not enough).
The security forces were using batons, chains, whips, tasers, paint-ball guns, and I saw handguns in the hands of three of them. There was a rumor that a few were shot at in Vanak Square. Two people were picked up near us and people tried to chase after the security forces to get the young men back, but it was a futile chase. Until around 11pm the streets were full of people. At 10pm the shouts of Allah-o Akbar and Death to the Dictator were being screamed from the rooftops all over the city until 10.30pm.
Friends in Isfahan also reported that 4-5,000 people had gathered there and there were no security forces at all present This was the first such gathering on a large scale in Isfahan since the first week after the election. Reports also came of gatherings in the thousands in cities of Rasht, Shiraz, Mashad.
People of all ages, sexes, and socio-economic groups were out today. We ran into many at the cementery who had driven in from the provinces to attend the 40th day ceremony. Religious men and women were numerous at the gravesite, as were non-religious men and women. Children were out (at one point on the street back in Tehran I saw a group of two brothers and one sister, the youngest about 7 and the eldest 14, walking hand in hand down the street). Middle aged and older people would turn to us and say “we’re out on the streets for you guys, this is for your future, for your generation.” One mother told a soldier who asked her to go back home “I’m not going anywhere. Don’t you know that we brought you guys into power by doing just this: by being out on the streets for nights on end. We brought you to where you are today, and we’re going to take you out by being on the streets. I’m not going anywhere.”
- N
God bless Iran and the brave Iranians who fight for their freedom.
One plus One, adds to two,
The percentage of the vote that went to You.
Two plus Two, three and four,
The max number of months till you’re out the Door.
Three plus three, adds to six,
The system that you have just can’t be Fixed.
Four plus four, totals eight,
Everything you are adds up to Hate.
Five plus five, now we have ten,
Never will we let you get away Again.
Six and a six, sums up twelve.
Sending you back to the pit of Hell.
[8:18 AM Tehran Time]
Another video from a city other than Tehran. This time from Ahvaz, in Khustan province. People are chanting a new slogan, “People why are you sitting here? Iran is becoming Palestine!” What this means is that people are saying that Iran is being held hostage by forces that are not loyal to the Iranian nation:
An interesting account from a blogger that attending the Beheshteh Zahra memorial today:
We headed to Behesht Zahra Cementary in the afternoon to join the 4pm ceremony at their gravesites. Behesht Zahra is about a one hour drive south of Tehran and as we neared the cementery, about five police cars and officers were directing traffic. Waiting to enter the cementery compound in the traffic, one of my companions pulled down the window and half jokingly asked the police officer what was going on. He smiled back and said, “nothing, just go towards row 257.” For those not familiar with Behesht Zahra, it’s an enormous cementery with wide avenues and squares. Knowing it would take us a while to find our destination, the police officer decided to help by telling us in which row we could find Neda’s grave (others in Behesht Zahra would help lost drivers by directing them to Neda. That’s all people said: “Neda ounjast” (Neda is there), pointing in the direction of her grave). Throughout the ceremony it was obvious the police force was very sympathetic with the people (as opposed to the anti-riot police and the revolutionary guard factions that were present in large numbers and were standing by the graves of both Neda and Sohrab).
This is the first video I have seen that shows Mehdi Karoubi, presidential contender and reformist at the protests today. He showed up at Behestheh Zahra cemetery:
Another very interesting video. A plain-clothed idiot is listening to someone talking to him on a cell phone (seemingly issuing orders) keeps saying, “you have 5 minutes to finish-up,” to the people at the cemetery:
A Great Newsweek piece explains why the Green Wave will not die:
It’s tempting to think that protesters may have finally given up on overturning Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed election. At points it has seemed like the broad base of support they once enjoyed had gone and that demonstrators were now merely wealthy secularists. At others, it seemed like the fierce official response—and government attempts to limit movement and assembly—was thwarting organizers of the opposition. But a funeral Thursday showed not only that the Green Wave lives on, but that we can expect regular revivals well into the future.
Today is the chehelom, the 40-day anniversary, of the death of Neda Agha Soltan, a young woman who was shot at a post-election protest on June 21. Her final moments were captured in a shaky, bloody, cell-phone video (viewer discretion advised) that became a rallying point for the opposition. To mark their grief, thousands of Iranians flocked to the Behesht e Zahra cemetery south of Tehran today, where they clashed with security forces (dozens were wounded and many were also arrested) and chanted “death to dictator.” Mir Hussein Mousavi, the presidential candidate disputing the election results, was turned away from the cemetery by security forces.
The chehelom has deep symbolic significance in Iran and among Shiites around the world. The origins of the practice can be traced to the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the prophet Mohammed. In Iran, the chehelom has also taken on political significance. During the Islamic Revolution in 1979, these anniversaries were used as an excuse to mount protests against the Shah and to keep up the momentum of street rallies. The same thing is happening today. Except now that they’re in the government, the revolutionaries will have a hard time telling chehelom participants not to grieve without looking like hypocrites.
Another video of people chanting “Freedom! Iranian Republic!” To understand this video requires some context. The regime in Iran is very defensive of the name “Islamic Republic.” These chants are in direct defiance of this>
Another video in front of Mousala. Wow: “Mah bachahayeh jangeem! Bejang to mah bejangim!” Translates to: “We are the children of war. Fight until we fight back!”
I read that as a challenge to the regime. They’re basically saying we are not afraid of you.
This video is profound. The person taking it says, “In every corner and side, every intersection, the people are there and they’ve set fires. And they [the regime goons, basij] are in amongst them confused.” Then people start chanting: “Mojtaba die so you won’t be the leader!” Mojtaba is the son of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, and has been reported to be the person responsible for leading the government crackdown on protesters.
Evening in Vali Asr, thousands gathered, chanting: “Marg Bar Dictator! Marg Bar Dictator!” or “Down with the Dictator!” Very loud and powerful. Cars honking in unison in support!
In the afternoon, as the hour for the protests grew closer, many offices in the Iranian capital began shutting down or running with a bare-bones staff. Workers began leaving to assemble at protest sites, traveling by way of the clogged subway, by cab or on foot. “I’m not scared,” said a banker as he headed for the sprawling Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, where many opposition “martyrs,” including the iconic Neda Agha-Soltan, have been buried. He says the planned memorial service was especially poignant for him because he saw a protester shot at Azadi Square on June 20, the same day Agha-Soltan was killed a few kilometers away on Kargar Street.
This video shows a protester in Vanak Street in Tehran fighting back against a club-wielding Islamic Republic goon. A short while thereafter you hear what sounds like gunshots.
CBC Interview with a reporter on the ground in Tehran. Amazing. Says Mehdi Karoubi was beaten up by the police! If this is true it is absolutely unbelievable and will have huge ramifications. “It’s a very risky day!”
Some reports have come in (unconfirmed) that shots have been fired in clashes between protesters and police. There are also reports of heavy clashes in various streets.
Reza Sayah of CNN on twitter retweeted a message from someone saying 40,000 protesters were at Beheshteh Zahra memorial. Wow.
[10:43 PM Tehran Time]
Some great videos in this article by L.A. Times Blogs:
Mousavi tried to attend a memorial for Neda Agha-Soltan at Beheshteh Zahra Cemetery but was forced to leave by police. From Reuters:
The clashes erupted after hundreds of supporters of opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi gathered to mourn Neda Agha-Soltan, whose death on June 20 was captured on video and has been seen by hundreds of thousands on the Internet.
At least 300 mourners were at a ceremony for the 26-year-old music student at Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, greeting the opposition leader with chants of ‘Mousavi we support you’ and clinging to his car as he arrived, a witness said.
But police forced Mousavi to return to his car and leave.
Many hundreds later tried to move toward the Grand Mosala, a big prayer venue in central Tehran. But police were deployed in force outside the Mosala, having rejected a request by opposition leaders to hold a memorial ceremony there.
“There are thousands of people chanting slogans in favor of Mousavi. Hundreds of riot police around Mosala and nearby streets are trying to disperse them,” the witness said.
“Plainclothes agents and riot police hit protesters with batons and police fired tear gas,” said a pro-reform website.
Due to the speed at which information is coming in, I will be posting links here for you to follow, along with commentary if it’s possible to make sense of the information.
Some of the significant quotes from the above video: “Marg bar Chin!” means “Down with China!” Marg bar Toh!” means “Down with You!”, in this case You is referring to KhamCo (Ahmadinejad, Khamenei and the coup makers.)
Picture of the riot police at Beheshteh Zahra cemetery where protesters gathered to commemorate the post Iran election martyrs (killed by the regime):
Oppression in Iran seems tougher than ever, but beneath the surface, cracks are appearing and public anger still burns.
Rosemary Righter
In 80 cities across the globe this weekend, demonstrators belatedly gathered in support of Iran’s voters. But international solidarity has taken a full six weeks since the stolen elections to manifest itself, and many people outside Iran must have wondered whether it was not too late to “make a difference”. Iran’s million-strong post-election armies of protest have been bludgeoned off the streets by vicious militias, cut off from each other and the outside world by a draconian and expensive censorship drive, and terrorised by shootings, disappearances and the open use of confessions obtained by torture.
On the surface, “order” has been enforced. But only on the surface. Inside Iran, public anger still burns, flaring up wherever opportunity presents. At the core of the Islamic regime, a struggle has been unleashed that — by stepping off his pedestal into the thick of the fray — the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has lost his once- undisputed power to bring under control. Far from subsiding, dissent is shaking the regime to its roots.
“The dust of sedition has risen into the air from every corner” and “the elements involved are no longer even concealing their faces,” thundered the hardline newspaper Kayhan last Thursday. “The deceit of the enemy has become mixed with the affection of friends.” With gross and deliberate exaggeration, the article charged “extremists” with “concentrating their efforts on the sole source of indestructible power of the political system” — theological rule under the Velayat-e Faqih — and of using Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the champion of Iranian rights, as their dupe.
TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran’s opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi said on Monday the pro-reform protests which erupted after the country’s disputed June presidential vote will continue, his website reported.
“The pro-reform path will continue,” Mousavi said in a statement. “The establishment should respect the constitution and let us to gather to commemorate our killed loved ones on Thursday.”
Moderate defeated candidates Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi on Sunday called on the authorities to permit a gathering on Thursday at Tehran’s “Grand Mosala,” a prayer location where tens of thousands can gather, to commemorate unrest victims.
When Ahmadinejad said Iran has “Near Perfect Freedom” he did leave some wiggle room for the crackdowns that have taken place after the rigged June 12 presidential election. Afterall, he did not say that it has “Perfect Freedom.” He said it has “Near Perfect Freedom.”
Let’s see what kind of leeway the word “near” provides to KhamCo:
Women are obligated to wear hijab.
A woman’s testimony in court is worth half of a man’s.
Men can marry multiple women, even temorarily. A woman can only marry one man.
A man and a woman cannot even walk next to each other in public if they are not family or married.
Nobody is allowed to question the Supreme Leader, in any way shape or form. His word is final in all matters.
Nobody is allowed to discuss any form of government other than the “Islamic Republic” unless they are denouncing the other forms of government. On the other hand, any criticism of the Islamic Republic can get you arrested, tortured, imprisoned and possibly killed.
If you are a reporter you are considered an enemy of the state. You are subject to constant monitoring, possible arrest, torture, imprisonment and death.
If you are arrested, you may be held without access to any representation and forced via torture to confess to crimes you may not have committed.
The state controls all media. All reporting is censored by the state.
If you choose to protest any decision of the government’s in public, you are considered an enemy of the state. Again, same deal applies: arrest, torture, imprisonment and possibly death.
If you hold a funeral or memorial for a relative that has been killed by the regime, you may be arrested, tortured, put into prison, or killed.
If you drink alcohol, or take any kind of illicit drug: arrest, torture, imprisonment or death await you.
If you decide that Islam is not for you, and change your religion, the penalty is death.
Adultery = possible death by stoning.
I’m sure there a hundreds if not thousands of other “minor” imperfections to their Near Perfect Freedom.
Mr. Ahmadinejad and the rest of KhamCo: we the people of Iran have a different vision of Near Perfect Freedom. It does not include any of the above. It does not include you.
In our version of freedom a man and woman will be considered equal before the law.
In our version of freedom religion will be reserved for Church, Mosque, Synagogue, Temple or wherever a faith’s followers wish to worship or pray, and anyone can choose any religion they wish.
In our version of freedom spirituality is in the domain of the individual, and not mandated by the state.
In our version of freedom nobody is above the law.
In our version of freedom the people will choose their leader and anyone from any race, creed, color, sex, class or religion can become the leader, so long as they are chosen by the people.
In our version of freedom journalists will be afforded the highest esteem for revealing the truth.
In our version of freedom there will be no political prisoners.
In our version of freedom revenge will never be the motive of our judicial system. JUSTICE will be.
In our version of freedom lovers can walk freely together without fear of being harassed by the government.
In our version of freedom anyone can believe anything that they wish. Indeed they can SAY whatever the wish without fear. In our version of freedom there will be FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
In our version of freedom nobody will be beaten, arrested, tortured, raped or murdered because they partook in a protest or expressed their political views.
In our version of freedom people can listen to music. They can even dance to it if they wish.
In our version of freedom every man and woman will be treated with dignity and respect by their government.
In our version of freedom the government will fear the people, not the other way around.
In our version of freedom you will be looked upon as an abhorrent anomaly in the development of the nation.
In our version of freedom Iran will be open to the world, and the world will be open to Iran.
Our version of freedom will also be a Near Perfect Freedom, except it will be much nearer to real freedom than your backwards, medievil, tyrannical, dictatorial version ever was.
The past month in Iran has been harrowing for anyone who believes that human beings deserve freedom from tyranny.
We have witnessed an election stolen by an old guard of conservative elements headed by the regime’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei (I call this group KhamCo for short), followed by a popular uprising unparalleled since the 1979 revolution.
This old guard trampled roughshod over the will and aspirations of the people of Iran with impunity, thinking that they could use the fact that there was an 85% turnout of the electorate in the June 12th presidential to legitimize the regime without actually respecting the outcome of the vote. And when the people refused to accept this, KhamCo unleashed a medieval horde of goons to violently crush any opposition. Many have been killed, and many more have been imprisoned and tortured.
Robin Wright of the Washinton Post wrote the following (link to the article):
How much has changed for Iran in one occasionally breathtaking month. The erratic uprising is becoming as important as the Islamic revolution 30 years ago — and not only for Iran. Both redefined political action throughout the Middle East.
The costs are steadily mounting for the regime. Just one day before the June 12 presidential election, the Islamic republic had never been so powerful. Tehran had not only survived three decades of diplomatic isolation and economic sanctions but had emerged a regional superpower, rivaled only by Israel. Its influence shaped conflicts and politics from Afghanistan to Lebanon.
But the day after the election, the Islamic republic had never appeared so vulnerable. The virtual militarization of the state has failed to contain the uprising, and its tactics have further alienated and polarized society. It has also shifted the focus from the election to Iran’s leadership.
Just a day before the election, Iran also had the best opportunity in 30 years to end its pariah status. Since the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy, Tehran has sparred with five U.S. administrations. President Obama’s offer of direct engagement is the most generous to date. He had the world’s major powers and a growing number of Americans on board.
The tide has turned.
The tide has turned. These words could not be more adequate.
They used the enormous power and wealth of the Iranian nation and instead of focusing on improving the lives of its citizens thereby proving that it was possible to have the word “Islamic” next to “Republic” in the name they had bestowed upon Iran, they focused this immense energy at their disposal on crushing the concept of Islamic Republic. They obliterated it.
How? By not compromising with Mousavi, and the reformist movement. By killing and imprisoning people solely for wanting to have their voices respected. By not even respecting their own sham election process in which they themselves vetted and selected the candidates which were allowed to run. All of whom were stalwart supporters of the regime from its founding. By disrespecting the very clergy on which they rely upon for their legitimacy. By sending their brainwashed minions out to kill and thereby betraying even them!
By naming the people of Iran as the enemy!
We should be thankful that at least in this one point, they have been honest, and revealed what they think of their own people.
By leaving no middle ground the regime has decided to play a game of chicken with the people. By spilling the blood of peaceful protestors merely for expressing their opinion and refusing to accept the coup foisted upon them, the regime has declared under no uncertain terms that the people are slaves to the will of a select few within the ruling elite. I have called this cabal KhamCo because Khamenei represents the head of this clique.
The people have not sat idly by, and in the past month a clear distinction has been made between the people on one-side, and the regime on the other. The world has seen the people’s aspirations for freedom, and their bravery in the face of terror and the tyranny of a false theocracy. The world has also seen the last shred of legitimacy that the government of Iran may have held disappear to reveal what can be safely described as a government structured like a mafia that sees itself as God’s representative on earth with the right to butcher its own people. It can’t be more clear than that.
The price has been paid in blood by the Iranian people. And blood has been spilled across every facet of Iranian society.
And the largest Shia sect is called the Ithna Ashari–or the Twelvers. Dominant in Iran, they believe in twelve imams and posit that the last imam went into hiding some 1,100 years ago. His return, bloody and vengeful, will mark the redemptive dawn of the age of justice.
Khamenei and Ahmadinejad are stalwart Twelvers. A extraordinary video that has apparently leaked from a closed door meeting between Ahmadinejad and a group of clerics surfaced shortly after the election in June. In this video Ahmadinejad addresses the mullahs in the room. The video is chilling. Ahmadinejad reveals a sinister, megalomaniacal intent that has to be seen and heard to be believed. Here is the video, served on YouTube, split into two parts, with translation:
These guys have plans to export the nightmare vision of governance that they have created in Iran to the rest of the world. It is shocking how brazen they are. They believe that the time of the twelfth Imam is near, if not right now.
In 1979, a group of students took employees of the American Embassy in Tehran hostage, and held them for 444 days, releasing them on the day of the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan. The group of students called themselves Followers of the Imam’s Line. At that time that the hostages were first taken, the foreign minister of Iran was a man by the name of Sadegh Ghotbzadeh. He had escorted Ayatollah Khomenei upon his return to Iran from exile. A revolutionary, he believed that a fusion of Islam and Republicanism was possible, but shortly after Khomeini’s return to Iran, he started to see signs of trouble brewing.
When the so-called “students” took over the American embassy, he saw the writing on the wall. In the book written by Carole Jerome, called, “Man in the Mirror,” (a must read for anyone interested in what is happening in Iran today) she tells of how Khomeini allied himself with a group of clerics linked to the students who took control of the U.S. embassy. Some of the students were terrorists linked to Arab resistance movements with a hatred for Israel. Ghobtzadeh, realizing that the revolution had been hijacked by these people, tried desparately to secure the release of the hostages, knowing that the longer they were kept, the more Iran was viewed as a pariah state in the world, and the more this benefited those around Khomenei who wanted to use the revolution for purposes utterly alien to the wishes of the Iranian people.
Ghotbzadeh vainly tried to organize a coup against Khomeini, but through the treacherous manipulations of the regime in power, he ended up being tried and executed for treason by the revolutionary court.
Ghotbzadeh had discovered to his horror something that many have suspected in the past 30 years, but that now is so obvious one would have to be blind to not to see it: the people in power today are not representatives of the Iranian people. They do not care in the least about Iran or its people. They are messianic tyrants that want to use Iran to pave the way for the return of the twelfth Imam. Democracy to them, in the form of the republicanism in the constitution of the Islamic Republic, is a facade, a mask, a veil whose sole purpose is to hide from view their true intent, as revealed in the recently leaked Ahmadinejad video (see above):
They believe that the return of the twelfth Imam is imminent. As Abbas Milani said in his article:
His return, bloody and vengeful, will mark the redemptive dawn of the age of justice.
This is their belief, their prophecy. And the past month is proof of this. When Khamenei, one week after the election, during his Friday prayer sermon, threatened that blood will be spilled if the protests continued, he meant it. And blood was spilled.
The redemptive Dawn of the Age of Justice has, for all intents and purposes, begun.
And because of the starkness of the reality before the Iranian people when he declared them to be the enemy, the Iranian people have only two choices. Either they have to accept the regimes version of the Dawn of the Age of Justice, or they have to write their own version.
The current big story in the news on the buzz on the Internet social networks is that Ayatollah Hojatoleslam Hashemi Rafsanjani will head the next Friday prayer sermon in Iran, on July 17. If he does speak, this will be the next flash point in the people’s struggle for dignity, respect and freedom. Apparently Mousavi, Khatami and Karoubi, the defacto heads of the Reformist movement may also attend. On Twitter, people are already encouraging a massive turnout of the Green Wave, the millions of people who have made their voices heard against the regime’s brazen theft of the election.
It should be noted that Rafsanjani, nicknamed ‘Kouseh’ or ‘Shark’ in Farsi, has time and again proven to be somewhat of a maverick in the political realm of the Islamic Republic. As head of the Assembly of Experts, he theoretically has some leverage over the Supreme Leader, Khamenei, since it is this body that appoints the Supreme Leader and has the power to remove him. He is also head of the Expediency Council, whose role is to mediate between the “elected” branches of the Iranian government, such as the Majles or Parliament, and the unelected bodies, such as the office of the Supreme Leader. It is rumored that Rafsanjani has accumulated a tremendous amount of wealth over the years.
During the presidential election, Ahmadinejad accused Rafsanjani of corruption and promised that he would reveal such corruption upon being re-elected. This outraged Rafsanjani, and he wrote an open letter to the Supreme Leader expressing his outrage and requesting that Khamenei take action to repair the damage done to his reputation by the accusation from the incumbent president. Khamenei remained silent and basically ignored Rafsanjani’s plea.
When the protests broke out after the election was stolen, Rafsanjani’s daughter was involved in the protests and was summarily arrested by the regime and released shortly afterwards. But it was obvious that this was a warning to Rafsanjani from KhamCo: beware, if you challenge us, there will be repercussions for you.
Rafsanjani has remained largely silent over the past month, and when he has spoken it has been with extreme caution, and it has been difficult to gauge his intent (although the fact that he is unhappy by the actions taken by KhamCo is obvious).
The political party to which Rafsanjani belongs, called Kargozaran Sazandegi, or Executives of the Construction Party, recently released a statement rejecting the election results. Although Rafsanjani himself didn’t comment, this is a clue to his view.
Also, Mousavi has announced that he will form a new political party that will continue to contest the results of the election. Albeit this party will not be able to use demonstrations to press its case.
So let’s get this straight, the regime in power stole the election, declared the people of Iran as its enemy, beat, imprisoned, tortured and killed protestors that supported Mousavi, and now he wants to form a political party that won’t use the one source of power at its disposal, the power of the people? And we are supposed to believe that this regime will be more flexible? Please…
They will not budge one inch. If anything, if the people stop peacefully resisting and expressing themselves when the opportunity arises, the regime will become more confident and we can rest assured that a lot of people will disappear.
Rafsanjani is not someone who will put the Islamic Republic at risk. If he thinks that the entire regime itself, of which he is a founding member, is at risk of being swept away, he will work to close ranks and preserve it. That doesn’t mean he won’t continue to fight against the KhamCo cabal, but he will do so within the confines of the rules of the game as defined by the elites of the regime in the clerical establishment. Mousavi, and the reformists have, in all likelihood, decided to throw in their lot with Rafsanjani.
So long as they are fighting amongst themselves there is a chance that Rafsanjani and the reformists may get some small wins, but probably nothing of substance for the people. It is doubtful that such an outcome will depose of Khamenei or Ahmadinejad and the rest of the KhamCo cabal. It is doubtful that even the election results will be overturned and a new election held, which is the absolute bare minimum that the people should accept for the blood that has been spilled. It is also doubtful that this will stop the wave of repression against protesters, journalists, reformers, or regime opponents.
So where does that leave the people. In the dust.
There is curse in Farsi, “Khak bar saretoon!” This means, “Dirt on your heads!” This about sums up what is in it for the Iranian people if they give up on the protests.
Because of the “either you are with us, or we will kill you” mentality of this regime, the people’s choices are limited.
They have shown tremendous power in the past month via peaceful protests. At first they just asked for their votes to be counted. But the situation has moved beyond this now. On July 9th, or the 18th of Tir, the protests took on an organic nature. Unlike the protests that immediately followed the election, which had masses of people converge in concentrated areas, culminating in the massacres that occurred on the 20th and 21st of July when the regime brutality suppressed them, the protests on July 9th were scattered throughout the streets of Tehran (and other cities). People would coalesce in small groups of about 100 to at most 500 or so, and begin to chant against the regime. They took multiple paths and routes, baffling the regime goons that tried to suppress them. The protests have metastasized into a more fractal nature. The genie is out of the bottle. The people, without being asked to do so by Mousavi or the reformists, organized on their own accord and went out into the streets, demanding a change in the regime itself.
When Ahmadinejad spoke recently, the people plugged in their appliances en mass and caused electrical outages during his speech.
People power is the only thing the regime fears. I wrote the following poem, which metaphorically captures what they are, and how the people of Iran are awakening to them and fearlessly facing them: Today I Faced a Monster.
KhamCo believes in prophecy, that this is the Dawn of the Age of Justice.
They are probably right.
Only, they probably misread the prophecy, because by unveiling their intent, by removing their masks and exposing their fangs and stingers to the Iranian people and the world, the only justice the people will likely accept is freedom for the Iranian people.
If Rafsanjani and Mousavi ask the people to refrain from protesting (and they may NOT do this, but if they do) something tells me the people will ignore this. The deaths of Neda and Sohrab and countless other martyrs will be not in vain.
