Reflections about the outcome of the presidential election in Iran 2009

Barack Obama’s victory after the presidential election 2008 came to symbolize change and the word “change” echoed all around the world like a soft whisper.

“Yes we can”. The citizens of the United States had enough and needed change, all they had to do was to register their votes and go to the election halls. The citizens of Iran also wanted change. On the 12^th of June 2009, they went to the election halls to vote. Maybe the beautiful words “yes we can” echoed in their minds and hearts, “are ma mitonim” in Persian. But no, in the Iranian case, it was not enough to go to the election halls. The regime had something else on their agenda, and it certainly was not “change”. The People of Iran were once again cheated by the Iranian regime, this time it seemed to be election fraud. 30 years silence turned into rage and shout which echoed on the streets of Tehran and all around the world in just one night. We also can, the Iranian people thought. We had enough. Maybe the trees whispered to the citizens of Iran “courage, yes you can too”. Because courage is not to be taken for granted in a theocracy. Courage is a virtue in Iran. Still, the people found courage, and day by day they became more courageous. At the same time the desperation and frustration grew. Shortly other Iranians became hopeful. Within 24 hours, all our friends had changed their Facebook status to positive words about change in Iran.  Yet, I could not help to feel powerless.

Suddenly a power struggle began between my brain and heart. My heart screamed “hope hope hope” whereas my mind tried to shout “impossible” and “no we cannot.

When the manifestations against the outcome of the election in Iran continued, my heart won and we all continued hoping. We demand human rights in Iran.

Banafshe Zabeti

Freelance journalist

The following days the violence against the protestors escalated. A young girl called Neda was shot on an Open Street in Tehran, even though she was not even an active protestor. This young girl gave fire to the demonstrators and the people who hoped and are still hoping for an Iran without murder or terror. At the same time the face of this unknown girl transformed into the soul and face of the struggle. She went from being Neda, a young girl, to Neda, the victim of the regime’s unrestricted violence, just like Ernesto Guevara, the doctor who became Che Guevara the revolutionary after his death. Even though similar violence acts was produced in Iran, the people kept fighting and showing their disappointment and rage in Iran and abroad. The number of people showing support and solidarity for the Iranian grew day by day. When Obama and some western countries choose to stay neutral to the outcome of the Iranian election, they gave power to the common human being who fought for freedom. In the end, everyone was hoping and is still hoping for a change of the Iranian system, something that the mullahs reject and do not allow. Now that the demonstrations are decreasing, we shall all hope, hope that despite the ugly presidential election of Iran, we all took one step forward, even if the step is still small.

Keivan Hamidian

BA in International

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Iran is still bleeding

I cannot believe that it was soon 1 year since the outcome of the presidental election in Iran. We  all remember the sudden chaos that gave so many people the courage to cautiously hope for change. As the violence of the regime increased and the whole world reacted and sympathized with the Iranians, the people cautiously shouted “AZADI”, “FREEDOOM”.

Eleven months later Iran is still bleeding. But I want to celebrate the courage Iranians are showing and I feel obligated to share these ideas to the digitalized world. Words, pictures, illustrations and ideas for change can yet not stop the bleeding, but highlights the violence of the Iranian regime, and makes hope grow.

The best weapon against a totalitarian regime is to never shut up. So please, keep making your voices heard. Keep spreading the symbols for AZADI.

Photo by: Iman Nabavi

Here are the conversation between me and Iman Nabavi, whom I have never met but had to ask if I could use his illustration on Ideas For Change. Here is the conversation:

My email to Iman Navabi:

Dear Iman,

My name is Banafshe Viola Zabeti and I found your picture via facebook. I have created the category FREE IRAN on www.ideasforchange.tv and I want to use your picture/illustration and I wonder if it is okay?

Please let me know as soon as you can.

I will not display your name unless you want to

KEEP THE FIGHT FOR AZADI

Banafshe

The reply from Iman Nabavi:

Dear Banafshe,

Thank you for your email and I apologies for late reply.

regarding your request, using my design, You are most welcome to use it, free of charge, to inform, to arouse, to reflect, to state our dangers and our opportunities, to indicate our crises and our choices, to lead, mold and educate.
I created that design to remind this country of what it has forgotten. my hope was to remind the world that fairness, justice, and freedom are more than words, they are perspectives and my single greatest regret is that our compatriots had to die for our dream to live. If we don’t fight now, everything they stood for, will die with them.
I am confident that our goal is one and the same: the pursuit of Truth and with standing for humanity and  justice and fairness, man will be what he was born to be: free and independent.
Thank You & God Speed
Your Compatriot, Iman Nabavi

Related posts:

1. Yes we can- are ma mitonim

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