Originally published on June 22, 2009 at Yo Mama For Obama
The citizenry of Iran is fighting tooth and nail for what is EVERY human being’s right: freedom. This uprising, based on the essential, most basic principle of individual rights, is not going away. The crack in the system that I spoke of last week has now widened into a crevice. Can the valley of freedom be far behind?
Despite Khamenei’s threats and actions that the protesters will be violently stopped from voicing their opinions, the civil unrest continues. In over 50 cities in Iran, it has become public knowledge that the number of votes reportedly to have been in Ahmadinejad’s column were actually millions more than the total number of voters. On top of being repressive and crooked, it appears that the Supreme Leader is stupid —– and very bad in math.
His stupidity will be his downfall. His tampering with the election results was the first crack in the system. His follow-up actions, of quashing the public outcry against fraudulent election practices, of invading people’s homes and rounding up those he blames for organizing the rallies, of directing the misplaced responsibility for the riots on outside influences such as the U.S. and Britain, for murdering his own people for standing up for their rights, have widened this crack to an irreparable void in the system.
This public fight for justice will not die. Yes, bullets are much more powerful than tweets, but the stage has been set. As sure as I know my own name, I am positive that President Obama provided the ideological impetus through his speech in Egypt a few weeks ago for the people of Iran to go out and fight in the streets for what is their deep and fundamental rights. Perhaps our President’s words were just enough to nudge the Iranians to not tolerate unfairness in their elective process. Iran’s desire for social and political parity was there all along; it had just been dormant. With the Supreme Leader’s fixing of the election and the echoes of President Obama’s words, of course the people’s response was to fight hard.
The fly in the ointment is that Mousavi has become the accidental hero, or martyr, whichever future events will dictate. Sure, he has never denied the Holocaust or called for Israel’s destruction as has Ahmadinejad, but his national and international policies are basically the same as the group currently in power. Maybe though, this people’s uprising has shown him the light; just maybe, his possible leadership might bring with it a respect for human rights, a moderation of discriminatory religious and political mores and the guts to really be a ruler of the people. This is the real danger inherent in these protests: the ensuing party or individual who shall rise to the country’s leadership might be just as bad, or worse, than what they have now. At any rate, there exists a distinct possibility that this awakening in Iran might spell the end of having a cleric as the Supreme Ruler. Their deep religious roots not withstanding, they might want to try a different route this time around.
No matter what happens, there have been significant signs that this is a country-wide effort. Over half of the protesters have been women. Similarly, the people fueling the urban protests are the young. Also significant, there are protests in many other cities and towns outside of the major metropolises, and old people as well as the young are active participants. The majority of these rebels are consigned to their homes now, due to the government troops use of force, violence and live arms. The more this government abuses the people and their rights, the larger the chance that it will be overthrown. There are many clerics, on the Guardian Council included, that have voiced horror to Khamenei’s actions. Trust me: the crack is growing.
What Iran needs is their own Barack Obama. Not an easy thing to find. Not that our President is a savior. He is not, but he has a tremendous capacity for speaking the truth, for listening, and for common sense and reason. I said it last week and I will say it again now: the Iranians want what we finally have, i.e. a just, honest and respectful leader who supports and defends our liberties. So far, no such figure has emerged in Iran to lead them out of the hell hole they currently occupy. Unfortunately, as I see it, that is the major factor lacking in this uprising: no obvious leader to fuel the fight, to inspire further action. Thus, this void might just be the undoing of Iran because these circumstances may provide a bully pulpit for yet another dictator to enter the foray. Also, without strong leadership, the national furor for freedom just might die out and fall victim to the bullets and terror of the current regime.
So the crack in Iran’s struggle for freedom has definitely widened. This premature victory can very well, though, contract. The Mullahs have cooked their own goose. The Irani people and international sentiment have turned this election dispute into a revolution. It did not have to be that way. The sitting government could have had a recount, a new election even, and done things democratically. The outcome, however, will be either a return to just a crack in the system or, with strong, honest leadership, a new horizon that affords all the people their human rights, justice and freedom.
POSTSCRIPT
I have two more points that I can not leave on the table. First, one of my readers on the Daily KOS used the term "the genie is out of the bottle" to describe the revolutionary fervor and reawakening seeds of freedom that are fomenting in Iran. This is a perfectly descriptive phrase about the situation. The genie, being freedom, is out of the bottle. However, will the genie grant the Iranians their three wishes, or will he simply impose another regime of demonic dictatorship on the citizens? No matter what: yes, people can be killed, dissidents jailed and families destroyed. Violence and ammunition can quash civil disobedience in an instant. Ideas CAN NOT be put to death so easily. The Iranians remember 1958 and 1979. Today’s fight is a reawakening of that underlying, most basic need for freedom. Indeed: the genie IS out of the bottle.
Secondly, another fly in the ointment has come to my attention. Those who are criticizing President Obama for not taking a more vociferous stand with the people of Iran (The GOP excepted because they are just total morons who want to incite anger towards our President at any cost.) might actually have a degree of logic attached to their accusations. How far can the United States really go in support of a new regime when we have been told that the new regime would be just as hellbent on nuclear proliferation as the old one was? Do we support a new government in Iran knowing that a possible outcome might be the destruction of Israel or even a catastrophe on our own shores, should a nuclear device get loose from Iran? Though many tweeters from Iran have messaged that they think President Obama’s reaction to events have been nothing short of perfect, it is important to acknowledge that this crisis is not as simple as it may seem. Somehow, we must be steadfast in our support of Iran’s quest for freedom while still being cognizant, NOT NAIVE, that any old regime change might solve the problem.