Iran Election 2009: A different perspective

by Meenoo (Iran)

The Iranian elections of 2009, to me, started just like any other morose election Iran has seen for about 30 years now. I saw it as the usual puppet show of a game the IR regime has its citizens play in. Some citizens are idle enough to join, some truly believe in the tenets of the revolution, some are the hopeful idealists who believe that change is possible [ever so slowly], some are apathetic. Some believe that boycotting the elections is the only morally sound option. Again, I sighed, we saw the Khatami-type smiling pop-icon who won the heart of every idealist: Mousavi. “He is a poet, an artist!” “He is a nationalist!” “Just look at him! How can he be radical?!” “His wife is campaigning. We can have first lady now!!” The marketing technique Mousavi’s camp used was phenomenal, rivaled only by Rafsanjani’s previous run for president. You can compare it to the roaring fad of a wave President Obama’s campaign splashed across the States, if not the world, just a few months ago. Everything was going green. Such a lovely color! Green is for spring, for hope, for birth, renewal… I saw ex-pats who would never vote in an IR election travelling to the Consulates to vote and change the system. In fact, not voting, especially not voting for Mousavi, may have caused your Iranian identity to be questioned! First generation Iranian expat youth who barely remembered their mother tongue, were urging their friends to vote. They wore green, clad in their hejab to go an make a difference.

I was looking at YouTube videos and all of Iran was green. Flags of green were everywhere.. .and you only need minimal knowledge of Iran and the Islamic Republic to know that this green is the same green as the flag of Islam. Of course, that Mousavi’s first name was Hossein—a revered Shi’a martyred Imam—was of great help. In my mind, the IR was playing one of its epic Broadway shows. They had every modern-minded, atheist, Islamic Republic-hating, Persian illiterate eligible voter, voting, and waving the flag of Islam. Quite a canny trick I thought! To add to the irony, the flag wavers thought they were waving Lenin’s hat! Or the famous Banner of Kaveh—an iron-smith in Iranian mythology who freed the empire from the grips of the devil-incarnate King. Such paradox! And so much to gloss over if you were on the voting-change-the-system-artistic Mousavi high.

I was disappointed. Disappointed that the people still believed reformist change was possible. How many Khatamis does it take for us to know that these reformist candidates are just soothsayers to sedate an increasinglyfrustrated public? Ahmadinejad is definitely not my favorite politician—don’t judge me! But, I felt that another four years of Ahmadinejad, then the whole world would know and truly know that this regime is defunct, and up to no good for its people. I am sick of beautiful velvet frosting covering a rotten cake. And at the end of the day, which election in this Islamic Republic is not rigged?! Look at the last one: Rafsanjani was clearly emerging as a winner but in a run-off the candidate we were making fun of because our down-to-earth president!! That time, I saw Rafsanjani voters change their vote because the thought of having a layperson (non-cleric) president under the IR just had these voters growing wings!! Well we know how that turned out.

But what happened on Firday? When Ahmadinejad was announced to have won in a landslide—frankly I can see that he did have a chance to win majority, but not by that margin—I knew that disappointment would emerge. Then, for the first time, I saw public disparagement of the rival candidates. This is unprecedented in IR elections. Candidates are rivals, but at the end of the day, they went through the same vetting system and defend the same ideals of Khomeini’s revolution. With Mousavi calling the Ministry of Interior’s announcements a “charade,” many analysts were taken by surprise. It was with such public accusations by government-endorsed people—Mousavi and Karroubi, that the dissatisfied voters found strength to take to the streets and start opposition protests, rallies and campaigns. Iranians don’t settle for less. We saw some protest for Rafsanjani before. We saw the 1999 student uprisings, but at this scale… ? I am still baffled.
Again being cynical of this despicable regime, I was sure that this too was a game. An evil one to get all protesters out on the street and herd them straight to Evin… A cruel purging of sorts… This may still be the case, but as we come upon the fifth day of mass rallies, I am slowly letting go of that theory—one which I fervently believed in post-99 Student Uprising. Those were revolutionary uprisings, many were imprisoned, killed and purged.. then what? The system stayed as it was. But on this fifth day of mass demonstrations across Iran, even in rural cities, I am speechless… I still hesitate to see a golden sunrise at the end of this thirty year tunnel. What is quite different, unprecedented and bolstering to the protesting public is the following:

For one of the first times in the history of this Islamic Republic, we see public divergence of very high profile pro-regime politicians from the system. Top clerics within the system have publically brought Ahmadinejad under question—not just his win, his integrity (see Ayatollah Mohtashemipour), high profile clerics and members of the “Combatant Cleric Party” have been imprisoned, Ministry of Interior employees have been imprisoned by the tens, Rezayi—a candidate and former Sepah Leader—publically denounces the government response, Qom clerics publically (essentially) denounced the Guardian Council (see their proposal to start their own investigation). . . And people have been assassinated at the hands of the Basij, but nothing compared to what this system is capable of. This can’t possibly be a purge anymore.

Protests have not died down, the people are still fighting, students are out of school so they join in too. Those who saw the 79 Revolution see flashbacks with every YouTube video, or press announcement from an Iranian official. With tears in his eyes, a 60 year old Iranian said, “I cannot believe this. I never thought I would see a third revolution. I hope the fetters are cut. I do hope so.” For Iran, and specifically in these elections, whoever the ultimate victor is—by force, or by popular choice—we can without any doubt conclude that the Islamic Republic will forever change. Major pillars of its infrastructure have been shaken resulting in irreparable fractures.