Iran Starts Green Revolution

In June 2009 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad  was elected for a second term. On June 12^th a record number of Iranians turned out to vote for the president, thinking it would be the closest presidential race ever. Voters, however, were hit with surprise.

  Shortly after the polls closed it was announced that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been elected for a second term winning by a 62 percent margin. His opponent Mir-Hossein Mousavi was outraged as well as most of the country. Allegations of vote rigging and election fraud quickly turned to protests in several major cities in Iran. These demonstrations and protests were in number close to that of the Iranian Revolution of 1979.

  The Green Movement, as it is called, is the series of events that has happened after the election in 2009; these events include many peaceful demonstrations. Neda Agha-Soltan has become the face of the Green Movement. In a peaceful demonstration, Soltan was shot in the chest. The shooting was captured on video and posted all over the internet.

  In recent weeks, these protests have been squashed by the Iranian government, which has cut off foreign journalists and mobile phones, restricts internet use all the while making massive arrests. In short, the Iranian government is taking away basic human rights and liberties.

  Due to twitter and the internet, however, the “Green Movement” continues strong. Protests and demonstrations are growing, but the leaders Mousavi and other officials are distant from the protesters themselves. In fact, leaders of human rights and bloggers have been heading the protests more than the officials themselves.

  The reason: The official leaders of the Green Movement, are under scrutiny from the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.      Many contend, however, that if Mousavi had been elected president very little would change. Mousavi would improve Iran’s affairs with the West which many believe would lead to reform. However, Mousavi started up the program to find nuclear energy in Iran. This means he headed the program that is looking to find nuclear power that could be used for energy, or for bombs which they now have. He was also the Prime Minister of Iran when in the 1980’s when the revolution was at its strong point. He was also involved with the hostage situation of the U.S. citizens, not to mention a sworn enemy of Israel.

  Despite the background of Mousavi, Iranians continue to support him. Not to mention he is promoted as the good guy in the media. The way I see it, Mousavi is just another Ahmadinejad. Mousavi is calling for reform that is not coming. He is just like any other politician; he is giving the people of Iran false hopes.

  Even with Mousavi as president, diplomatic relations with the rest of the world will not change. Women still have very little rights, and  the government is shutting down the communication from the outside world.

  With the power that the president has, what could Mousavi really do. He doesn’t have control over the militia. All he can do is call for demonstrations and try to change the supreme leader’s mind, and that is highly unlikely.