What is happening in Iran is truly remarkable. The Iranian Public have refused to accept the results of the recent Presidential Election. And no wonder: it is likely that the election result was falsified by hard-line Islamists to stop the reformist Candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi being elected.
The current 'President' Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is regarded by many, as a major source of instability in the Middle East, and an extremist determined to impose his Islamist world-view across the globe. Not only has he called for the destruction of Israel and denied the Holocaust, his Government supports and funds Islamist terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
It is not surprising therefore that 'President' Ahmadinejad - alongside the Iranian Mullahs (who have huge power in the political system) - is desperate to hold onto power.
Yet, thanks to Twitter and imaginative use of the Internet, the Iranian public have been able to defy the Mullah's Dictatorship, organise protests and demonstrations, defying Government censorship of TV and attempts at Internet jamming. Some clever younger internet users have even been able to mount a 'reverse jamming' by hacking into and blocking Government run websites. Most importantly, the use of Twitter, other social networking sites, and blogging, have enabled the Iranian people to inform the world, what is really going on. Whether or not this uprising succeeds against this fanatical and brutal Regime remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure : the power of the internet is a great weapon against the power of dictators.
P.S. As I write this, I have just heard that the Government has fired on demonstrators.
Rob, why is it that we assume, probably because we don't like the man in charge, that the election was rigged? Could it just be that the majority in Iran like having a strong leader but that the minority (because of the size of the population) looks like a lot of people?
ReplyDeleteSometimes, I feel, we can be a bit quick to critisise electoral results we don't like....but surly the whole point of democracy is that any result is possible?
Having said all of that, I fully accept that the man involved is particularly unpleasant and that there is a higher than evens chance that the result is a bit dodgy.
well, we will wait and see if truth comes out. But all indications are that ballot was rigged.
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