As we all know, Iran's 10th presidential election was held on June 12, 2009 and it was reported by Iranian officials that the incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had won the election with 66% of the votes cast, and that Mir-Hossein Mousavi had received 33% of the votes cast, and of course loss. There is a problem with those results though, it's a fraudulent and severely skewed number. The best way I can explain this election and why it has caused such a phenomenal movement, is to compare it with the election that America just had; the 2008 election between the Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin candidates.
This past year's election was very passionate and got many, many youth and young people behind it who previously had been apathetic and had a negative view towards voting and government in general. They were apathetic partly because the previous administration had done almost nothing to reassure us that we counted as a people. However, when Obama came along promising a different type of government with new emphasis on the common man and not big business, people began to sit up and take notice. That's how Mousavi is-like their Barack Obama promising them hope and a new way of government.
And If during the November 4th election the officials had declared McCain the winner with 300 electoral votes and Obama 102 electoral votes, we would have immediately known something was amiss, and I for one, know I would have been out in the streets rioting and setting cars and government buildings on fire. Because if you don't even have the freedom to choose your leaders than living in your country means absolutely nothing. And while there was obviously a chance that Ahmadinejad could receive the majority vote, definitely not by such a wide margin. It's obvious that the current regime in power is playing a dangerous game of puppet where they string the people along and make them think they have a shot at choosing freedom and reform, only to really being pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Mousavi issued a statement saying, "I'm warning that I won't surrender to this charade," and he urged his backers to fight the decision as well as to avoid committing acts of violence. Protests, in favour of Mousavi and against the alleged fraud, broke out in Tehran. There has been such violence going on in Iran that it's really horrifying and sad to watch take place, but I can only imagine how scary it must be to live there. A large amount of the people (especially the youth and younger adult demographic) are protesting and attending rallies for their right to vote and freedom.
The police and militia have been beating and clubbing, imprisoning, releasing dogs on, using army tanks to try to halt, tear gassing and macing, shooting at, and even killing protesters and those others who oppose them. One video in particular really crushed me and is forever burned into my brain. It's of a young woman named Neda Salehi Agha Soltan dying after being shot in the heart by a militia sniper hiding on top of a building. She was at a protest with her dad and friends. Here last words before she died were "I'm burning, I'm burning!" Neda means "voice" or "calling" or "Divine message" in Persian; and Neda has definitely become the voice and image of Iran's pro-democracy protesters battling the Islamic regime. Her story and video images of her last moments have gained international attention and she has become a martyr for the Tehran cause. Here's her last few moments alive as caught by a cell phone camera : http://tiny.cc/3gz06
In the U.S., high ranking government officials including President Obama and Sen. John McCain, are taking notice of the tragedy and bravery unfolding in Iran and speaking out on it. I believe that Iran needs our prayers and to know that we are behind them. I sincerely hope that Obama-a man who built his entire 2008 campaign on hope and government reform, will stand behind the protesters and do what is best to further their cause. I am sure he will do what is best because America knows all too well the meaning of having to fight for rights and then have that fight turn violent; the Civil War, The Bonus Expeditionary Force, and the Civil Rights Movement are all examples of people standing up to oppressive government rule or laws they know are unjust.:
President Obama speaking on Tehran crisis: http://tiny.cc/U5jLq
John McCain Addresses Killed Iranian 'Neda' on Senate Floor http://tiny.cc/6RCtw
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