The recent election in Iran, and all the controversy surrounding it (which has led to violence and multiple deaths), is on the minds of many Americans. Here is Westchester County USA, there is a small population of Iranians that are showing concern for the situation back in their home country. The political correspondent for Westcheddar, warmly known as Bon Don, took time out of his day to catch me up to speed as to what is going with the election, and how the internet, more specifically Youtube and social networking sites/blogs, are guiding the revolution in Iran. It is important to note that he, like many Iranians living in the U.S., came here with his family for a better way of life and to live free as an American citizen. But he has never forgotten his roots, and is passionate about what is at stake with this election.
IP: For those people out there living under a rock, tell us what’s the situation over in Iran with the latest election.
BD: I’ll start with the latest events and work backwards in time. Currently the people are in the sixth day or so of demonstrations because there is an electorate that is simply fed up with the current living and working standards in Iran.
After claimed and firmly believable evidence of voter fraud, the current government apparatus claimed (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ) as the President only two hours after the election booths were closed. You can not count millions of paper votes in two hours.
People began to march in the streets and peacefully protest. As in all of the radically run countries, the government tried to bully and stop the voice of the people. The Iranian people are highly educated and informed citizens who don’t want to live in an Islamic state which forces them into idleness.
Subsequently, the media began to cover this closely and so did social media networks. Videos and reports began to leak out. Demonstrators continued, the government began to send non-uniformed police agents, basij soldiers (military police / former Iran Iraq war hardened war veterans) and riot police into the streets to quell this resounding disapproval of the current system. They began to beat people to scare them. But protestors instead continued to march and began reporting the events via YouTube, Twitter, and various blogs.
The people continued to protest. The international media was then ordered by the government to stop reporting and forced to stay in the confines of their hotels, etc.
IP: What is life like for young people in Iran? Do they get a good education? Do they party?
BD: It is miserable. You wake up at 3-4 in the afternoon and go to the coffee shop to hang out. You then go to dinner and then go and party all night because there is nothing productive you can do. The government has total control and has flooded the country with drugs and alcohol to numb the people into submission, yet they vociferously claim they are good Muslims.
The people who become educated as doctors have to drive taxis because they don’t make any money being a doctor due to high inflation and corruption.
IP: How do they feel about their role in government?
BD: They have no role. The government is a very tight Islamic Council led by Ayatollah Ali Khameni who has been challenged due to his iron grip and lack of legitimacy. The Supreme Council then decides, supports, and allows a President to be elected as their puppet.
IP: You started a Twitter page to update what’s going on with the election. It seems like technology is playing a big role in getting the word out about what’s going on. Beyond television, how are things like Youtube and Twitter HELPING this youth movement against the government?
BD: This, as people have noted, is the first internet led revolution. It is empowering people to be heard internationally. Any human being in their right mind after witnessing a women get beaten will not turn a blind eye. This is historic. The Iranian people, due to their ingenuity and creativeness, have worked around an iron clad information prevention apparatus. They have setup vpn (virtual private networks), and hackers from outside Iran have jammed government systems, and then there are servers that are used as proxies to get the content and information out into the information highway.
IP: What role is the U.S. playing in what’s going on over there? As a U.S. citizen from Iran, how do you feel they can be helpful?
BD: The U.S. is mum. Nothing. They want to hedge their bets and don’t want to repeat the mistakes made under President Carter, who inadvertently meddled and caused the 1979 revolution. The U.S. government knows that would give political ammunition to the Iranian government. Also, the U.S. government’s main aim is the prevention of nuclear proliferation. I think in back channels if the opposition party agrees to not pursue nuclear weapons, the administration will change course and support the opposition publicly. Currently they are carefully monitoring the situation.
IP: Do you have a network of Iranian family and friends here in the U.S.? What has been there reaction to all of this?
BD: Not as much as I would like , but I do have some and we have begun to organize to take a stand.
IP: Do they like hip hop in Iran? What’s the popular music?
BD: Yes, If you see many of the videos over there, they are politically rapping the issues. It is unprecedented. They actually set the trend of the Kayne West, tight clothes wearing phenomena. The Iranian people are a very soulful society hostage under a group of religious elite who do opium and live luxuriously off of oil.
IP: What about sports?
BD: Soccer.
IP: How do you foresee this whole situation shaping up? What is a realistic solution to all of this? Will it take violence more violence to solve the problems in Iran?
BD: It is hard to tell. It can erupt or continue. One thing is for sure the government is scared to the bone. They are now answerable to the people. I think it will continue and it will result into a new Supreme Leader, less control, a new President, and more freedom. You know, in historical terms, we go through similar periods. During the Bush administration, it was very autocratic and very militaristic in nature. Now with Obama and globalization and the internet, we will see more moderate open governments.
IP: Any last thoughts?
BD: I WANT A FREE IRAN . I want to see Iranian people compete with China and India as a nation. We have vast resources and we need to have a say in the international community.
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