Today marks the eleventh day since the presidential elections in Iran. In the fallout of sub-par election honesty and government censoring of technology, violence erupted, and protests here in the states and abroad have attracted media attention.
In combing through the hundreds of articles and links you have sent us, along with signing our Statement of Support, one website stood out as the most phenomenal depiction of the frustration, passion, and anger which has taken place over the past ten days in Iran. Check out The Boston Globe’s photo essay of what’s been happening.
You will see the streets of Iran full of people protesting for their right to a fair election and you will feel their outrage at the inhumane violence that has taken place. Such violence captured global attention on Saturday as a young woman named Neda was shot in the chest during a protest. Neda’s video and pictures of her blood-spattered face have become the iconic figurehead for the opposition’s campaign for change.
We urge you to view this photo documentation of the past week and a half in Iran and look at the young people, the people your age as Neda was, who are fighting for what they believe in. It is not time to stop listening to the news or showing your support. The Iranians are still protesting and fighting, and some of them are dying.
Today, log onto Facebook, as you may do anyway, and search for a rally or protest in your city. Go out and stand in solidarity with Iranian-Americans who have family members in these photographs. Print out a sign to take with you. If you cannot find a protest near you, you can still take action by educating a friend, forwarding our Statement of Support, or even simply by viewing these images for yourself.
Maybe someday beauty pageant contestants will get what they hope for: world peace. Paying attention to the situation in Iran is certainly a good first step.
-Hannah, Rock the Vote
Tags: censorship, international elections, iran
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Mary Bio: @Rockthevote Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
H,
Let me first say that I completely agree with you in terms of increasing awareness in America, but once we have everyone all riled up, where do we go from here? Do you agree with some of the talking heads that argue for an American call for a recount?
Iran hasn’t forgotten the CIA’s influence decades ago, and Mousavi has the chance to be a real reform candidate rather than just an American patsy. I think that (see the Politico article linked) Mr. Mayer gauges President Obama’s motivations just about right; it is good that we finally have a president in the White House that can think long term instead of just plummeting forward with a rhetorical gimmick that plays well on the evening news.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/24034.html
S
Can you provide me some more information about this? I was reading something similar
in another blog, but I find yours to be better and would like to know a bit more about it
thanks.