Twitter Revolution
24 June, 2009
By Abdul R. Ahmed
Technology overcomes oppression in Iran
Photo by Mira Pavlakovic
Thirty years ago one of the most powerful tools of the 1979 Iranian Revolution was the tape. Twenty years ago Chinese students huddled around fax machines during the Tiananmen Square protest. Today cell phones beam images around the globe within seconds of being taken. Technology is proving to be the enemy of the state in oppressive regimes. The Internet and cell phones are inhibiting Iran’s ability to stop the spread of messages. No longer are citizens the only witnesses to unspeakable acts by their own government; the entire world is a witness.
The world has watched as the Iranian government’s actions over the past week have resulted in a power struggle that has less to do with the validity of Ahmadinejad’s right to the presidential office and more to do with the abuses of power by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Khamenei has placed himself into a position forcing the Iranian people to accept the results of the election or face the force of government onto the people. The Supreme Leader’s choice to allow rigged election results to stand has caused millions of Iranian citizens to question the foundations of the Islamic Revolution. The concept behind the democratic side of the Islamic Republic is to allow an outlet for the people to voice their opinion. If the outlet is shut the people will revolt. [1]
Mir Mousavi does not seek to change the system of government; he comes from the 1979 Revolution. Mousavi understands if the government does not accept some type of compromise with the protestors the Islamic Republic may no longer have any form of elections. He is one of the first candidates to continue to defy the regime for the right to have limited democracy. Mousavi to many Iranians represents the leader of the movement against the unjust elections. As time goes, the movement is turning more and more into anger with the republic.
The most volatile events since the election in Iran are not taking place in the streets but within the regime itself. There is a power struggle between Ayatollah Khamenei and Ali Rafsanjani, a former president. He is attempting to organize efforts to get Khamenei to understand the path he has led Iran since the election will cause more damage to the entire Islamic Republic. This conflict between Khamenei and various religious clerics is the first major rift in the elites solidarity. If this split continues the Iranian people will have stronger voices reforming the governmental system Iran has known since 1979. [2]
President Obama’s continued choice to not make a strong statement is a wise decision. The United States does not need to become a symbol for the Islamic Regime to point to as a reason to justify Ahmadinejad’s victory and continued hard line government rule. The world understands the United States stands for freedom. Iran as not reached the point where the United States needs to begin public statements of support. What the United States needs to do is use allies in Europe such as the United Kingdom and Germany as a proxies to place economic pressure. European counties have more direct influence on Iran than the United States; we have too little trade with Iran to have any major impact on the country. If the President chooses to make a statement he needs to do so sooner rather than later because each passing day gives less hope for reformist supporters. [3]
This election is not comprised of only students but various groups in Iran. The young, the elderly and even clerics have all come out making statements that this election was not right. Iran’s government will never be the same after this election. Thirty years after the 1979 Revolution Iran finds itself at a crossroad and they cannot point to Western meddling. What happens now is the choice of the Iranian people: continue to fight with “Tweets” or to submit to the tyranny of the Grand Ayatollah?
- Peterson, Scott. "At stake in Iran uprising: trust in the Islamic Revolution." Christian Science Monitor 21 Jun 2009 Web.22 Jun 2009.
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- Maloney, Suzanne. "Clerical Error: Can Iran's Reformers Exploit Fissures in the Regime?." Foreign Affairs 19 Jun 2009 Web.22 Jun 2009.
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- "Obama Draws Criticism For Response." All Things Considered. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105764497. 22 Jun 2009. TV.
© 2009 Abdul R. Ahmed
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