VOA: "Iran Opposition Moves Ahead with Rally Plan, Despite Warnings"
In this video, people in Tehran chant "Allah Akbar" and "death to the dictator" the night before they protest:
Thanks Ghassan for posting the clip on fb. It kinda reminds me of the movie "Network", in which the people go to their windows and yell "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take this anymore!"
The Guardian asks "Could Bahrain be next?"
Bloomberg notes that "Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, experienced violent clashes between Shiite Muslims and police before parliamentary elections in October. The Shiites, who represent between 60 and 70 percent of the population, say they face job and housing discrimination by the government."
According to a Financial Times article, "Violence broke out in a Shia village in Bahrain on Sunday night."
2 comments :
"Egypt on a bad day is better than Iran is on a good day"
I am very worried that protesters in Iran may be up against more than they can handle. Mubarak was a "moderate" as the euphemistic dictator lingo would phrase it. But the Iranian government which hangs protesters in the streets and willing to send children out to clear mine fields probably has no problem mowing down a few thousand unarmed freedom advocates. I hope they know what they are doing.
Iran opposition planning protests
While it remains to be seen if Monday's protests materialise, there are reports that at least 14 activists have been arrested in recent days and that Karroubi has been placed under house arrest.
...
The state has also engaged in jamming satellite signals and has blocked the word "Bahman" from search engines.
...
"The Iranian government did a very effective job of keeping the protest down," he said, referring to the absence of protests in Iran since 2009.
"They've made it such a high-stakes game to go out and protest."
As a result, Niknejad, whose news site is noted for its street-level coverage of Iranian affairs, says she is surprised that Karroubi and Mousavi have called for the protests.
"Perhaps they know Iranians in a way that those of us who live on the sidelines don't ... perhaps they know something that we don't," she said.
Niknejad, who has been in touch with people in Iran, said that while some have said they will go out and protest, many are "are scared to death".
She also says there may be a case of "Arab envy" among some anti-government Iranians.
With events in Egypt and Tunisia in mind, it seems that there has been a renewed interest in the opposition movement in Iran - at least among overseas Iranians. But while this interest might be a reflection of the mood within the country, it will not necessarily translate to action there.
"It's easy to raise your fist from behind the veil of the laptop," said Niknejad.
Source: Al Jazeera
Here is a touching advertisement for today's planed protests.
FREE IRAN - 14 February 2011 - 25 Bahman 1389
Post a Comment