if you want to show your support for democracy in iran, there are a couple of things you can do on your twitter account (and similar things on facebook, myspace, etc)--
1 - change your time zone in settings to Tehran, and change your location to Tehran as well -- the government is using this apparently to track down twitterers, so this makes it harder for them to pinpoint those actually in tehran
Green supports Mousavi, while I prefer Mousavi over Ahmadinejad, with Khamenei the supreme 'leader' Mousavi is limited. Iran needs to get rid of the Islamic republic and have a democracy and No monarchy like the Shah.
Moussekava says he's ready to become a martyr ?? To me that sounds fanatical and when you are fanatical you are no longer objective, your judgement is clouded.
No support for the young and old people who are going to the streets protesting the results that ARE FRAUDED and want freedom? ! Then tell me, what are these people supposed to do, simply accept the corrupt govt that is the Islamic Republic and Khamenei who is a dictator and steal and give no rights to people, break humanitarian rights, torture THE LIST GOES ON.
These people who are protesting are the true heroes of the country right now, they have no weapons. Iran has three forces, the military, the Basijis that are undercover right now, and the Hezbollah some which are sent from Lebanon! These people kill, hurt people, pour acids, have guns, etc. WHAT are these protesters supposed to do to take their country back? They should do everything in their power, even if it means setting a car or Ahmadinejad's building on fire.
No support for the young and old people who are going to the streets protesting the results that ARE FRAUDED and want freedom? ! Then tell me, what are these people supposed to do, simply accept the corrupt govt that is the Islamic Republic and Khamenei who is a dictator and steal and give no rights to people, break humanitarian rights, torture THE LIST GOES ON.
These people who are protesting are the true heroes of the country right now, they have no weapons. Iran has three forces, the military, the Basijis that are undercover right now, and the Hezbollah some which are sent from Lebanon! These people kill, hurt people, pour acids, have guns, etc. WHAT are these protesters supposed to do to take their country back? They should do everything in their power, even if it means setting a car or Ahmadinejad's building on fire.
Iran is so misunderstood.
I'm with you, Feri. But I believe Mousavi's supporters have to be very careful about using violence. I think if the demonstrators start doing harm to people, or more like if the power elite can somehow MAKE it LOOK that way, there will be a "perfect reason" to put sudden stop to the protests. Fighting back against a much stronger enemy is heroic, but the opposition has to survive this!
And even if Mousavi isn't what Iran really needs, this is what the people are fighting for at the moment, and fighting for this goal is more realistic than fighting for democracy. it has to be one step at a time. so green, for me, is a tiny ray of hope...
and to me, the best thing is, that the world is watching Iran now, closely. And people finally see that Iranians aren't "fanatic people who don't care about democratic rights". I hear people talking seriously about the protests everywhere.
[But some people are just ignorant and daft, just ignore comments like the above here on the board, it's not worth the time and energy. "In real life", I would start arguing, too...]
[But some people are just ignorant and daft, just ignore comments like the above here on the board, it's not worth the time and energy. "In real life", I would start arguing, too...]
Who the FUCK do you think you are ? I offered a fucking opinion and you decide to make it fucking personal by calling me Ignorant and Daft?
Iran has a history of violence, a country with a diabolical Human Rights record, a country where women are second class citizens and it's still illegal to be homosexual. This is not recent history the Iranian people have been quite happy to start wars with their neighbours over history, have been quite happy to treat everyone else like shit over history. And now I'm supposed to feel sorry because they can't have democracy. A nation gets the government it deserves.
by the way the rest of the world is not watching to see if the Iranian opposition will win. NO! It's watching cause it's shit scared the fucking fanatical lunatics will once again "Kick Off".
I do actually feel the world would be a better place if Iran was democratic and people got to live in relative peace but I cannot and will not support them, they got themselves into this mess, they can get themselves out. I have my own worries, there is a global recession on. I have a highly stressful job, I really don't have the time to support a Iran's quest for democracy. should we all just forget about Darfur, East Timor, Tibet ???
Moussekava says he's ready to become a martyr ?? To me that sounds fanatical and when you are fanatical you are no longer objective, your judgement is clouded.
Dubz
If that's true - than it's not worth to fight for either of them...
WHERE Do I even start? I have lived 10 years in Iran, and I find your image of Iran very wrong.
Firstly, don't give me this 'Iran gets what it deserves' Lets take a history lesson shall we?
Iran at one time had someone defending its right, his name was Mossadegh. He nationalized oil, guess what happened? The UK govt along with CIA got rid of him to put SHAH, WHY?? To make money from the OIL for UK govt and US!!!
Oh wait, so SHAH went along and spend the money on lavish ceremonies wasting etc, put people who opposed him in jail, guess what happened, people got tired of it, and protested, resulted in the Revolution. At that time, do you really think people thought an Islamic Revolution would have resulted in such a thing? NO, they were sick of the US backed SHAH, that stole the countries resources and provided them with nothing.
So next time you want to tell me 'Iran deserves what it gets' go read a book and then come back.
Another thing that is wrong,is when people stereotype
'Iranian people have been quite happy to start wars with their neighbours over history, have been quite happy to treat everyone else like shit over history. And now I'm supposed to feel sorry because they can't have democracy. A nation gets the government it deserves.'
Firstly, it's not the "Iranian people" its the "Islamic govt" please learn to separate the two, and if you can't dont go making statements like that that is a slap in the face of 70 million people. Iranian people have not started war, it is the fundemenalist govt that is corrupt and so extreme. And those religious people, I can personally say there are some but NOT as much of them as the mainstream media makes it to be. I have lived in Iran, in the schools, in Tehran, so I can actually say this. Have you? Have you lived in Iran? OR are you just saying this from what you've heard on your right-wing media?!
And even if Mousavi isn't what Iran really needs, this is what the people are fighting for at the moment, and fighting for this goal is more realistic than fighting for democracy. it has to be one step at a time. so green, for me, is a tiny ray of hope...
Yes, people did vote Mousavi, why? Cuz they think they'll get freedom, they think women wont have to wear scarves anymore, etc. The truth of the matter is, under an Islamic Republic, that will not happen. Khatami was a reformist and he couldn't, they are limited, by the 'Supreme Leader'
It's been 30 years, people can only stay under these restrictions for such long and lose patience for 'gradual change'
The reason people voted for Mousavi is cuz hes the lesser of two evil, there were NO other options, so thats all you cant vote for. And that does not mean they dont want complete freedom and end of Islamic Republic now.
Also, more than 50% of the population are young people. Back in the 80s, Khomeini advised the nation to prevent using contraceptives to have children and grow a population to 'defend the Islamic Republic' well these same young people are saying, screw you, we want freedom.
This is so interesting.
I'm writing a paper about the islamic revolution in Iran right now.
I'm no expert, my knowledge is actually pretty basic and I don't have a formed opinion on the matter yet. I just have some questions.
Khatami was a reformist but he refused to take action outside the framework of the Islamic Republic constitution, and so he failed, because of the power of the supreme leader. Now Khatami endorses Mousavi. But will Mousavi (if he finally becomes president) be able to change things? Is it possible to make a change inside the framework of the islamic republic?
I think it's a very complicated situation, because it's the whole political system that holds back the reforms, isn't it?
I really hope something positive comes out of all this. I think it's very important for the iranian people to fight for what they think is right, and not just sit there and accept imposition. But there are a lot of factors involved. It's certainly not simple.
I guess we just have to wait and see what happens.
And even if Mousavi isn't what Iran really needs, this is what the people are fighting for at the moment, and fighting for this goal is more realistic than fighting for democracy. it has to be one step at a time. so green, for me, is a tiny ray of hope...
The reason people voted for Mousavi is cuz hes the lesser of two evil, there were NO other options, so thats all you cant vote for. And that does not mean they dont want complete freedom and end of Islamic Republic now.
I know.
That's what I meant, Mousavi is the lesser of the two evils.
And even if the president doesn't have any real power as a politician, the West mostly "perceives" Iran through him (and Ahmadinejad has done so much damage by just talking...)
The whole voting process is ridiculously non-competitive, and the Guardian Council and the Supreme Leader can basically control everything... just looking at the Iranian system in theory is sickening - and the problem with people HERE in the "West" is that many of them don't have a clue about it and still have an opinion on Iranians "in general"...
It's a start to openly demonstrate for a tiny step or even just for the sake of "being heard", even if they really want much bigger change... but I doubt the young people on the streets have the power to overcome the whole system on their own...
that's what's worrying me so much, even now non-demonstrating people are afraid of going outside in the cities, foreign journalists are thrown out of the country, reporters are arrested, no one can control which reports in the internet are actually true and which are anti-propaganda by the government... and now they've even started to threaten Rafsanjani, it's crazy, he's a part of their own system! And if they're treating HIS family this way now, just imagine what would happen if normal people started to fight openly against the system as a whole...
People are already saying the last time so much protest was going on in Iran and so many demonstrated for "change" was during the revolution... 30 years are more than enough, but I'm SO scared for the people...
WHERE Do I even start? I have lived 10 years in Iran, and I find your image of Iran very wrong.
Firstly, don't give me this 'Iran gets what it deserves' Lets take a history lesson shall we?
Iran at one time had someone defending its right, his name was Mossadegh. He nationalized oil, guess what happened? The UK govt along with CIA got rid of him to put SHAH, WHY?? To make money from the OIL for UK govt and US!!!
Oh wait, so SHAH went along and spend the money on lavish ceremonies wasting etc, put people who opposed him in jail, guess what happened, people got tired of it, and protested, resulted in the Revolution. At that time, do you really think people thought an Islamic Revolution would have resulted in such a thing? NO, they were sick of the US backed SHAH, that stole the countries resources and provided them with nothing.
So next time you want to tell me 'Iran deserves what it gets' go read a book and then come back.
So it's the West's fault, typical, blame someone else. We get constantly fucked over by the Brits and the Yanks, they build Nuclear bases on the west coast of Scotland. Which are very probably huge targets in the event of war, if something actually hits any of these bases then half of Scotland will disappear, Lots of American missions to the Gulf Conflict were flown out of Scottish air bases. There is a huge oil industry in the North Sea of the coast of Scotland, which belongs to Shell, Exxon, BP, etc. Everyone gets fucked over by the Brits/Yanks. It's how you deal with it. Get Over It.
Iran is a country that still refuses to acknowledge the existance of Israel, When Iran starts to show respect to other nations then I will start showing them some respect.
I am not denying that Iran is probabnly a beautiful country with lots of History and Culture, The Persian civilization is one of the oldest in the world.
I don't know much about the Iran - so forgive me when I'm wrong...but as far as I know:
The country was very liberal - before getting this awful awful son of a bitch as a president - and he is - he comes to a conference against racism to Switzerland only to talk shit about Israel...that's bullshit...
Also about the gay-thing. Ppl have to change their sex- because it's not allowed to be gay...
so I do understand the folks wanting change to happen -
this other guy who's just lost - would he be a better president? What does he stand for? What changes does he want to make?
I don't think the Iranian ppl are shit - but their actual leader :) is ;) (but hey :) So was G.W:Bush :) )
so...can you tell me something about this other guy?
cheers
Nora
Ps: hope, beside this fucking president of yours, I didn't offend anyone...
