Covering the green wristbands: an outcry for freedom in Iran

What started as a non-violent protest against an obviously fraudulent presidential election in Iran quickly became a cry for human rights as protesters literally fill the streets of Tehran.  Voting fraud is obvious, given the fact that in 50 cities there were more votes counted than there were residents (more than 100% turnout).  So many millions of votes were somehow counted in just one hour.  Candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi’s request to consider the results null and void was denied.

Not technically an uprising, but massive in number; This is not the work of a couple of weeks, but of 30 years, says an Iranian woman, contrasting the technological revolution in the 21st century with the suppression of human rights in the country since the radical revolution of 1979.  Most of the text being posted on internet websites are in English, all to show to the world what a modern struggle looks like.  For us to see.

Some walk by giving the peace sign.  Some shout Death to the Dictator! and even Death to Khamenei! despite how the theocratic dictatorship would imprison, torture or execute for less.  Some are beaten by security forces, shot at from windows of buildings by the pro-government, pro-theocracy Basij, and some walk through tear gas.  Some crowds have even managed to chase large groups of security forces down a street.  Red lines have been crossed.

Communications have been sporadic, as the Iranian gov’t does whatever it can to crack down on communications, banning social networking sites first, and all internet access later on, cutting phone lines last.  On the weekend, the regime closed down the Al-Arabiya bureau.  Misinformation makes confirmation difficult (but it hasn’t stopped news networks from running some of the text postings and cell phone camera footage pouring out).

Protests can be seen all over Iran, not just in the cities, but in the provincial areas as well.  Head counts are made difficult, due to the fact that the bodies of those that were killed are dragged off by the regime, and its supporters.

Countries around the world reflect on the protests in support with green wristbands.  These countries include France (Paris), Australia (Sydney), Germany and Hungary.  Assemblies in the United States have also erupted in Pennsylvania, Los Angles, and at the University of Columbia, where M. Ahmedinejad spoke twice.  In Washington D.C., some are calling for tougher response by the White House; President Obama’s only words so far on the matter come down to The whole world is watching, standing against violence by the Iranian government through consensus, not coercion.  A resolution for dealing with the government was approved in the Capitol Building on the weekend.

The role of the U.S. should be minimized, say many regional experts, as direct involvement would be seen as an excuse to crush the opposition.  State propaganda has already cited such meddling, putting the CIA on the map for followers of the ayatollah, and conspiracy theorists.  We don’t need your opportunistic, imperialistic gestures.

The role of women says a lot about this: in Arab and Muslim countries, women are “normally” treated as second or third-class citizens.  In about how this is more about rights than regime change, one woman says, “They’re calling for a civil rights movement, not a revolution.”  As result of the appearance of women in all of this, and the claims of the west being involved, the Arab world has been scrutinizing everything going on in the state of Iran.

This picture gets bloodier, and bloodier each day, as journalists, and relatives of journalists have been arrested and beaten; water cannons have been used on crowds using boiling water or acid; a possible home invasion shows security forces storming a house, where screams in Farsi translate to “They’re coming, they’re coming from the terrace!”  Some of the Basij in civilian clothing have attacked Iranian security forces to provoke violence.

Civilian casualties, since protests began, range from 26 to 200.  State-run media projected a count of 10 for Saturday, and by Sunday, 17.  It is perilously difficult to get an accurate count.

Things really started to pick up on Saturday, as the death of Neda Agha-Soltan became a rallying cry for the movement.  Being shot in the chest by a sniper, cell phone camera footage details Neda’s last breaths in a pool of her own blood, before blood pours out of the mouth and nose, and into her left eye.  Most news networks in the U.S. ran the footage with the face blurred out, due to the disturbing nature just described.  The city of Isfahan also marks a bloody scene, where a man was shot, and blood pooled, and pooled.

Then, there was a rare suicide bombing outside of the Khomeini shrine.  I only heard it reported twice, and it was said to be “important to mention.”  How rare this event was isn’t the half of it.  Everybody is trying to grab attention, and many are becoming martyrs on purpose.

Delayed until Sunday, Moussavi is seen waving in footage, days after government generated silence, telling people to strike if, or when he is assassinated.  Don’t let them raise your temper.

Trying to calm the situation as much as possible before clamping down completely, the state-run press conference Monday at 10AM Tehran time (5:30 GMT), where “EU decisions to control black-headed immigrants,” and the 2000 U.S. presidential election were used as examples (they didn’t spur violence).  Note that many of the seats in the room are filled, despite the fact that journalists have been barred from reporting on anything in the country.  Laws that aren’t based in freedom.

Over 400 people have been arrested, including 24 journalists.  There’s no telling what they’ll do to the bloggers and freelance writers.

The release of the daughter of former president Rafsjani and four relatives, and the detainment of a Newsweek reporter isn’t going to stop the movement.

The movement may not be a revolution (yet), but there is certainly a technological revolution at play.  The level of outpouring information for such a short amount of time is unprecedented.  With certain clerics now siding with the people of Iran, the people may not need the many months of time it took for the 1979 revolution.  But with ayatollah Ali Khamenei already warning the protestors to get out of the streets, calling those that’ve died so far terrorists, and the lessons learned from the inaction that took place in 1979 (making the radical takeover possible), things are going to get very, very brutal.

The Iranian people, young and old, rich and poor, are fighting for every little bit of freedom they can muster in a theocracy, with a support system that puts the people below a “President,” below a level of “experts,” below the clerics, below a council of guardians to protect the ayatollah, and lastly the ayatollah at the top who dictates what God says (as if God speaks to people).