I should have seen this coming. When I first posted about the Iranian Presidential election, I was hopeful. I was hopeful that Mir Hossein Mousavi would win. I was hopeful that current President and America-hater, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would lose. But most of all, I was hopeful that the Iranian people could have an honest, vigorous debate, and have an honest election, no matter the victor. I was hopeful that the show of democracy, which was evident by the peaceful rallies and protests before the election, was real. Well, now I can tell you that those hopes are gone. Those peaceful protests have turned to deadly riots, as many believe that the election results were fraudulent.
Citizens protesting election results is not new, and a police presence is expected to keep the peace. There is nothing wrong with that, right? Well, what is happening in Iran is truly heartbreaking. There have been reports, although few that are confirmed, that Iranian police are beating and, perhaps, killing protesters. The reason that most reports are unconfirmed is that the Iranian government has, apparently, cracked down on journalists, minimized electricity, and cut off communication sources, including social networking sites like twitter, facebook, and myspace. With that said, it is very difficult to know what’s really going on, but it is not good. This is not democracy; the Iranian Presidential election was a farce.
Before his official Twitter account went down, Mousavi responded with this statement, announcing that he was under house arrest. The situation in Iran is a scary one, and some are calling it a coup. I feel for the Iranian people, for most are like you and me–with a desire to live in happiness and freedom. Like me, many Iranians believed that democracy was now attainable, but also like me, they were wrong.
More will be written and said about the consequences of this election, but one thing is crystal clear: the Iranian leadership is weak and fragile. Some may say, “Well, that’s a good thing,” but we all know that weakness is sometimes cause for belligerence, which is in no short supply within the Iranian leadership. The entire world should be cautious, but calm. This could be the beginning of a huge change in Iran, but change is difficult. There will always be those who are resistant to progressive change, but the righteous will always win out. Let’s hope that it is sooner, rather than later.
UPDATE: The clashes continue in Tehran, with reports of two to three million protestors in the streets. TPM has some compelling video. Be sure to scroll down to see more videos, and view the rest of the site for up-to-date information on the Iranian elections.
TarHeelPirate 