Iran vote: An Iranian-Calgarian shares her story
- June 16, 2009 9:46 AM |
- By Your Voice
Submitted by Sara H.
About/Bio: I am a 27-year-old Iranian-Calgarian who was born and raised in Tehran. I came to Canada in 2005 to study psychology at the University of Calgary. All my family and friends are in Iran and that is why I still have close contacts with Iran. I also visit there almost every year, which helps me get an idea of how things are back there.
My take: As you may know, there was a presidential election on Friday, June 12 and now there is unrest in many parts of Iran. Right now, cell phone networks are down in many parts of Iran. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and many news websites are all blocked. The speed of the internet is really slow and some of my friends back in Iran cannot even check their emails.
There have been deadly clashes in the streets since Saturday and people are being beaten up by the riot police and members of a militia group called Basij (also known as Revolutionary Guards) mercilessly. You might think that this is a domestic issue, but if you believe in democracy, if you think that human beings are of one essence, if you believe in human rights, then please do not remain indifferent about the people of Iran.
I believe that the most important message right now is that the world should know that those who are in power in Iran rigged the results so that Ahmadinejad could become the president. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not our president. It is true that more than 80 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballots on Friday, June 12.
However, there is no way that he could have gotten 24 million votes. There are many good reasons for this claim, and here is just one of those: Four years ago Ahmadinejad became the President with about 17 million votes. Of course, there were frauds in that election too, but it was not as much as this time. Moreover, many people did not vote at that time because they were disappointed with what had happened during the eight years that Mr. Khatami was president.
People were upset that the reformists, including Mr. Khatami, did not do as much reforms as they had promised to. All these resulted in many people not casting their ballots in the presidential election in 2005. However, during the past four years, everything (economic, political, social, cultural) in Iran had become so terrible that this time people decided that if they wanted to prevent Ahmadinejad from becoming the president again, they needed to vote.
Most Iranians do not agree with his policies. We have been in a terrible economic situation. Artists, writers, reporters, intellectuals can not speak up freely. These are just few examples.
The people of Iran thought that if they all voted against him, then it would not be possible to rig the election. That is why you saw that huge turn-out on Friday. I, myself, know a good number of people who voted for the first time after the Revolution (1979) or after so many years. I know that in Canada a number of Iranians in Toronto, especially students, chartered buses to go to Ottawa where the only ballet box in Canada was.
In Canada alone, more than 3000 people cast their ballots which is regarded as unprecedented.
The demonstrations against the election results in Iran right now are because people voted to say no to Ahmadinejad, and then saw him being announced as the winner of the election with over 24 million votes.
Unfortunately, people in Iran have limited access to the world right now. The government is doing its best to keep those outside of Iran uninformed about the events inside the country. The foreign reporters and journalists who had come to Iran to cover the election have been refused visa extension and are asked to leave the country.
Several foreign news agencies in Iran are being watched closely. Local newspapers are checked and censored before they go for publication. In Iran, all TV and radio channels are run by the government, and they do not cover what really goes on in the country. Now, it is almost not possible to make phone calls to Iran.
The government hushes people by beating them with batons in the streets; using tear gas; invading student dormitories in Tehran and Isfahan at midnight, beating, injuring and killing them.
Unfortunately, as I am writing, and as far as I know, at least six people have been killed only in Tehran. Hundreds have also been injured severely in major cities of Iran. In some places, there are some secret agents at the hospitals who do not let the injured in.
There are lots of sad stories coming from Iran every hour. I am now asking you to support the people in Iran. You can spread the word and ask your government to align together to refuse the legitimacy of the presidential election in Iran and the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Please help stop the violence in Iran!
Are you an Iranian-Canadian? Share your story.
Are there protests in your community? Send us your photos and reports.
Categories
All News blogs
Most Commented
Most Recommended
Citizen Bytes
Most Commented
Most Recommended
Recent Entries
- G20: Protesters, police, and civil rights
- Riot police surround G20 protesters in Toronto. (Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press)Submitted by Paul ManlyBio: Paul Manly is a filmmaker and community organizer based in Nanaimo, B.C. My story: I started my trip to Toronto at the Peoples Summit, which brought together... Continue reading this post
- G20: A voice from Malawi
- Dorothy Ngoma at Oxfam's Gender Justice Summit. (Allan Lissner/Oxfam Canada)Submitted by Dorothy NgomaDorothy Ngoma is the Executive Director of the National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi and a member of the W8, a parallel organization to the... Continue reading this post
- Bangkok protests: A Canadian shares her story
- Thai police walk the streets to clear any remaining anti-government protesters on in Bangkok, Thailand. (Wally Santana/Associated Press) Submitted by Elaine SaulnierBio: Orignally from Montreal, Elaine Saulnier now lives and works in Bangkok, Thailand.My story: I've been here in... Continue reading this post
Comments (69)
I have a very little idea of what is happening in Iran. I’m Portuguese and I lived in dictatorship too, 35 years ago. Not as strong as the Iranian one, of course! But I understand it.
So, I think is very sad that 56% of people in Europe didn’t vote in these European elections and in the other hand people in Iran can’t express their vote! Very sad!!!
Perhaps one day someone will invent a better political system. But, for the moment, democracy is the better! Let’s hope democracy is coming to Iran!
Sara H. -you been here since 2005 - are you now a Canadian or still an Iranian? Story didn't make this clear.
How can we help stop the violence in Iran? If the leader won't allow an honest vote from the people who voted, how can you expect him to listen to those from another country with no ties?
Perhaps those who have left Iran & are now citizens here in Canada should not worry about this either -after all, didn't they come here to escape all the injustices of that country, & to enjoy our lifestyle, opportunities & safety here. This seems to be a self-serving request.
Why should we become involved in a fight that is not ours? Why would you expect to waste our resources or soldiers on this uncivilized country. Until the people there are truly willing to join this century & forget their extreme religious beliefs,& stand up for their rights, its a losing battle.
Sorry- I don't see the point in our government getting involved.It would be a waste of time & resources. You made a choice to live here-leave the problems of Iran in Iran & get on with your life.
Best of luck to you sister. This axis of evil can not afford a revolution but it is people like you that are going to push it towards gloom.
There is no conspiracy. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won, just accept it please.
Well done for speaking up. It would be a sad day when the majority of Iranians want to have a new government and the minority control them. (Using Violence.)
Good luck to all those who struggle for truth and rights, an open system would be good for the whole area, and I for one wish them all speed with a change for the better.
Sarah H. I feel for your family and friends and the ordinary Iranian citizens. What is happening there is certainly not isolated.
Many people who live in a dictatorship country under a regime of rulers who do not represent the reality of the peoples wishes at one time or another will revolt.
Unfortunately, there is very little that we can do except voice our opposition to those in power and ask our governments to voice our deep concerns.
I believe that the current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the supreme clerical ruler Khamenei have a certain world view that is related to their deep religious convictions.
They are moving in a direction towards confrontation with the West and Israel.Their radical “eschatology,” or End Times theology is very scary. They seem to think that this is their destiny.
Ahmadinejad has stated this publically many times that he will destroy Israel and the USA.
The people of Iran are afraid and as a majority do not want this kind of radical leadership. They want freedom, peace and dignity as any other free nation. They want the ability to choose in freedom who should lead them as any real democracy would allow.
I surely hope that the world wakes up to the what the "real" agenda is of Ahmadinejad and Khamenei before it is to late!
Julie, I am disgusted by your comments. Since when did Canadians become only concerned about what is happening in Canada? If atrocities are happening elsewhere, why shouldn't we voice our concern and disapproval?
You talk about waste of time and resources for our government to get involved. How does questioning the legitimacy of the Iranian government waste our resources?
Who cares if Sara H. is Canadian or not, or whether she left Iran to escape abuse, or simply came here to further her education.
The point is she is raising concerns about abuse, torture and killing - things Canada agrees are not appropriate tactics for a government to engage in. Isn't that why we are part of the United Nations?
Julie,
She is not asking for as to send reserves or economic support to Iran. She is asking for the international community to not look the other way.
If enough people demand for transparency both in Iran and especially abroad then perhaps Iran will make efforts to appease the international community.
Efforts such as a election recall would be nice, but obviously impossible. Sarah is asking for global awareness and not Canadian resources or your tax dollars, capiche?
Thank you, Sara, for your insightful article. I find it very informative to read pieces like this that are written by those with the understanding and experience that you have.
I agree that the government should engage in peaceful pressure on Iran in economic and diplomatic ways. This type of pressure is commonly used, and it can be very effective. Similar action has been taken in the past against countries that have illegitimate election results.
As for the comments of Julie, I disagree wholeheartedly. When people immigrate to Canada, we do not ask them to leave their culture and history at the door.
I was born and raised in Canada, and I grew up eating the food, knowing the history, and following the cultural traditions of all of my combined heritages. I am currently living outside of Canada, and I am still proudly Canadian.
I read Canadian news, and I am of course in contact with my family back home. I also engage in British society and am learning new customs and following current events here.
Asking others who come to Canada to do anything other than that is simply not reasonable, especially in cases where they have family in other countries. That open-eyed multiculturalism is what Canada is about, and we're all the richer for it, I believe.
I completely agree with Julie's earlier response, the many people that have decided to leave Iran because they were treated unjustly should accept their new country and lose all of their voting rights towards Iran, you're not living there there's no sense in picking a new president for them
Many people are calling for the UN to watch over the recount, but many seem to forget that there are UN sanctions placed upon Iran and it wouldnt be in their interest to allow them to come in.
I also chose to reject your theory that everyone has voted against Ahmedinajad, many people believe he is a great leader, especially with the lower/poorer class, and as you have stated in your article, Iran has deteriorated economically which in turn increases his support.
Unfortunately Sarah the type of media censorship that you speak of that is going on in Iran is going on all over the world, some are plain to see (such as the Iranian TV) and others are hidden and undercover, giving the people false information that they are receiving unbiased stories and news reports
On the contrary, I think that people who have emigrated and disagree with their homeland's politics should to speak out. Especially in the case of a country where free speech doesn't really exist.
Julie is advocating that we should not attempt to aid or speak out against countries that are "uncivilized". What about WW2? Should we have been isolationist? Let Germany just do whatever it wanted? Leave them to their "internal" problems?
If we had become involved earlier maybe there wouldn't have been 6 million deaths. What about Rwanda? It is widely accepted that if someone had stepped in a genocide could have been avoided.
We are humans. We are responsible for each other. I don't believe we can force our beliefs as Canadians on another country but if the majority of that country is saying "we don't want this" we have to listen and depending on the situation, if help is asked for, take action.
Good to know there are good people in Iran
trying to do the decent thing.
Julie,
An Iranian-Canadian? Are you saying you have never heard such a thing, or you don't know what it means?? Then I would suggest you to look around yourself with open eyes. This is Canada (a great multicultural country).
Secondly by no means Sarah, or all the other Iranian Canadians are asking for Canada to send solidiers or use any resources to make the change in Iran.
As a matter effect this is the last thing any Iranian could wish for. We are simply asking all the governments around the world as well as the Canadian government not to recognize Ahmedinejad government as a legitimate one.
People of Iran are very capable of changing their destiny.
Also, maybe you should get yourself some history books and get educated on the meaning of unzivilization.
"On the contrary, I think that people who have emigrated and disagree with their homeland's politics should to speak out. Especially in the case of a country where free speech doesn't really exist. "
Yes many people speak out through legitimate channels, through the UN, Amnesty Int'l, and believe it or not there is at LEAST one country that i know of that has gone through a reform from those who were living abroad.
But to disagree with the issue int he country you left, to settle in a new country, to vote, and then get angry when you lose, that is pure childish, did these people really expect the government they are running away from to treat everyone fairly? unfair expectations if you ask me!
Thank you all for your comments!
Julie, I did not ask any country to send troops there. We do not want to have war. The people who are on the streets asking what has happened to their vote do not ask for war either. I am not a Canadian citizen and I have written all those at my own risk.
Mehdi, there are so many good evidence that the election was rigged and I just mentioned one of them. Ahmadinejad still has its own supporters. I don't deny this but his supporters do not reach 24 million people.
Didn't you see the green wave of Moosavi supporters before the election? Didn't you see those people who said they are voting so that Ahmadinejad cannot become the president? Ahmadinejad got only 6 million votes and became the third after Moosavi and Karoubi.
I even cannot call my family in Iran. Is it fair? Now, my friends can not talk to me via Yahoo Messenger anymore? I am worried about them? Is this fair? Do you call these "media censorship"?
By the way, today, I read that Iran bans foreign journalists from covering rallies Iran. Are these something that happen everywhere in the world?
I am asking you to spread the word, to let everyone know about what really goes in Iran.
Well said dear Sara. I am in a similar situation as you are, and I totally feel for you. I hope the international society hears us!
Julie, get informed first then make informed comments. i.e. Iran is one of Canada's largest grain importers. Don't you think their well being is relates to our farmers in the west?
Mehdi, I still don't see what point you are trying to make. Just ignore the problem that exist because you are here?
i don't necessarily agree with everything julie said but i kinda feel like i don't understand the point of speaking out when iran is just going to ignore other countries, the UN and the will of the rest of the world as they always have. why will this time be different?
the regime is the problem, not the good people of iran. but these good people are going to be the ones carrying the burden of changing their government, and if it means getting their hands dirty, as happened in 1979, so be it. only when iranians are truly willing to die for their cause will it happen. easier said than done obviously.
i'm also curious about lucy's post. lucy, what do you suggest we do? what is the criteria for "being responsible for each other"? was the iraq war a good idea then, or should we just have continued to "speak out" against Saddam, a brutal dictator by all account?
do we use force, or do we just speak to the rwandas and tell them to stop killing each other? do we just tell the janjaweed to stop slaughtering and raping innocent women and children? i am all for peaceful solutions to problems but I feel like change happens not from speaking out, but from action.
should we be the world's policeman or not??
As an Iranian who has also moved to Canada since I was in grade 5, I am also a little shaken by Julia's comment , however I understand that perhaps the ignorence voiced in her comment is a result of having lived in one country her whole life?
Do you have a multicultural background Julia? My family moved to canada so that my sister and I, as two women would have the opportunity to not only excel but enjoy a different kind of freedom.
Just because I am living a very different life at this time, just because I roam around the streets in shorts, just because I am not restricted because of being a female, does not mean I have forgotten the women and even the men of my country who face so much problems directly from the government.
If you move to another country or even another city, will you also leave behind your personality? your identity? I can not forget where I am from and I cannot help but worry about the people of my country and believe me I would also feel the same way about Canada especially since I would be directly involved since I live here.
All I want to say is that you have the right to voice your opinion but please consider both sides, allow yourself to live in someone else's shoe, the world is a bigger place than just Canada, expand your horizons and consider the situations that other people face.
I understand if you do not want your country to wast any money on uncivilized countries, at least devote some of your time and a bit of your brain and learn about the problem, perhaps do a little research and discover that we were building cities and empires while there was no such place as Canada.
Please take the time to realize that Iran has not always had this kind of a government and at the time of monarchy Iran was like a modern day Canada, perhaps because the country was prospering they overthrew the monarchy, perhaps that is why a religious group enforced it's beliefs on this country.
of course there are gonna be people who are going to argue against me but this is my beliefs and at a time like this I think instead saying everyone for himself, we should begin to change our views and really research and see what we can help with that will have an effect.
To Mehdi Akbari,
Regarding: "But to disagree with the issue int he country you left, to settle in a new country, to vote, and then get angry when you lose, that is pure childish, did these people really expect the government they are running away from to treat everyone fairly? unfair expectations if you ask me!"
Perhaps people were a bit optimistic due to the attention being paid to Iran these days. It is often in the headlines. When millions of people around the world are watching your home country, you may think maybe things will be different.
Also, people often need to believe that things can change, even when they know the odds are not in their favour. To say that it is unfair to expect things to be different from a government which is unfair is a bit silly. Where would we be now if the black people in the United States and Canada just gave up and said "oh well, the unfair government won't treat us properly. They'll never be fair so we should just give up".
Black people within Canada spoke out against racism and slavery and fought for the rights of black people in the U.S. (example, the Underground Railroad). Should they have sat in their homes, listening to the latest news of an escaped slave being caught and punished?
I also had one question for mehdi Akbari, when you say many people support Ahmedinajad where does this knowledge come from exactly? It is not vey fair for you to just generalize like that and what is your source for saying such a thing? Is your source the corrupted newspapers of iran or their media? I realize I came here because my family did not like the government, however do you realize that there are a great number of people who left Iran because they fought for their government and right in the revolution, do they not have the right to still fight or vote for what they beleive in. Have you talked to people from Iran? Have you looked at the statistics and realized that the majority of the people in iran are young adults, young adults who dread the way the government controls their young adult life? have you seen the pictures and seen the people one the street? mostly young people and I agree that the people who vote for Ahmedinajad are mostly the lower middle class, but then again it is because the lower middle class of iran are extremly religiouse, which is not a surprise considering that in times of hardship it is in faith and god that they rely on, religion is the only free thing that they can depend on, it's their only hope. This is all what I think though, based on the education I have on history and religion. However, I believe that I have enough support when I say the majority of people in Iran are young adults and they are against Ahmedinajad.
"lucy, what do you suggest we do? what is the criteria for "being responsible for each other"?"
I did not want to imply that we be the world's police, though I believe that International pressure can often make a difference, sans violence. Sometimes we may be asked for military aid and at that point, I would say that the government would have to consider the situation very carefully... I would not feel comfortable myself to say where the line is drawn.
All I am saying, is that as humans we have empathy, we feel for one another. Most people don't feel so great after learning about something like the Air France crash for example.
People feel responsible for each other. I think this shows through what people do. We know that it is advantageous for all people if we recycle. We know that if we grow out of our clothing someone else could wear them, so we give them away. We donate money to the Red Cross. We donate blood.
I'm not saying you need to solve all the world's problems now, but I think that if you knew you could fix everything, you would because you care, because you feel like it's your responsibility as a human.
Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is an excellent President. I too have friends and family in the Middle East, all of which are strong supporters of this great President. He is one of the few Arab leaders that are on the path of truth, free from corruption.
He won the election, and it is people like the writer of this article that is the cause of so much unrest in Iran. Ever heard of losing graciously???? What about uniting behind the leader that has defended, strengthened and supported its people for 4 years??? I wish people like you would stop posting negative articles and comments that work against Iran and its leader - only to further the Western agenda of increasing tension in the Middle East.
Also, if you watch Arab news you will see THOUSANDS of people rallying in the streets of Tehran to show their support for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The truth is, the high voter turnout was all supporters of Ahmedinejad who wanted to re-elect him because of how well he has served his people and his country. He stands for human rights, for democracy, for justice and for truth. He is a great leader!
All that is being shown in the West is negative propaganda against Iran, and it is said that there are some who claim to be "Iranian" that are fighting against their own country. Why don't you all google some of his interviews in the States and see what a great leader and intellectual he is - he is someone to aspire to. I am a strong supporter of him because he stands for what is good in this world - that is why he has MILLIONS of supporters worldwide.
Here is an example of Western propaganda - the day Mahmoud won the election in Iran, the streets were FILLED with his supporters, it was a sea of people chanting his name - We saw all this on a Lebanese news network. However, here in Canada you know what they showed? they showed a few crowds of people rallying for his opponent and causing trouble in the streets (sore losers), and their crowds were not even 1/100th of the size of the crowd that came out in support of the president. So while the truth is that the majority of Iran is thrilled about this victory, the Western media is making this out to be some sort of bad election - this is Western PROPAGANDA - please do not be fooled; instead, educate yourselves: He won fairly, the Majority of Iranians and Arabs love him, and he serves the country well.
AS can be seen from what is happening in Irak and afaganistan.
We can only lose if we get involved. This is an Iranian problem that should be solved by the Iranian people
Michael
Mona,
people like Julie see the world from behind their own glasses. It is impossible to show them what really happens in the world and why we should care.
I am a little bit surprised of using the term "uncivilized countries" in your post. Perhaps you meant "undeveloped countries". remember we have one of the oldest civilization in the world. We invented the calendar, chess, algebra...and we are proud of it. Just because a total tare regime has robbed the power in our country does not make us "uncivilized"
What is missing in all these comments is the reason for us to act. I am not Iranian but I can empathize with Canadian from Iran and acknowledge that it is probable there was vote fraud but this is neither the first time or an unlikely place for this to happen. As I know it each step in the electorial process is designed to eliminate the freedom of choice and any reform of Government.
Why would anyone be surprised by voter fraud when the election was rigged in the selection of candidates. How naive do you expect us to be!! I am sorry to raise this but how sad I am that Iranian Canadian who has found Canada as a safe and good place to live are not interested in Canada but still clinging to their home land which has become a terrible government that supports terrorists around the world. If you loyality is still so tied to Iran, go back and try to make a difference in that country. There are many people willing to take your spot in Canada and see Canada as their future home and not their temporary waystation.
Ryan, I am so sorry to say this but you do not even know that we are NOT Arabs (FYI, we do not speak Arabic either). Then, he might be popular in some Middle East countries (Syria, etc.) but does this matter? Is he our presidents or theirs? And then why is popular there? Isn't it because that the government send our money there?
You are not fully aware of the situation in Iran. The election was rigged. Please go and read an article in Time's website titled "Was Ahmadinejad's Win Rigged?". That article has explained some of my other reasons as well as the one I mentioned here: Huge turnout has always meant change, challenging the one in power.
Those people who you saw rallying for Ahmadin
ejad are his supporters brought from nearby cities by buses, being given food and money and some of them are part of that militia group who kills and attacks people. By the way, did you see those who rallied for Moosavi on Monday and Tuesday? Do you always choose to pay attention to news selectively, ignoring those that you do not like? You talked about what you saw on Lebanese TV. Don't you know that our money goes there to support Hezbollah which ends up increasing the tension between Palestinians and Israelis. Do you expect them to show something against him?
And just because I am trying to show you my evidence and the situation in Iran, you are saying that I am not a real Iranian. Why? Everyone in democratic countries has the right to speak up, and I have never seen anyone being accused of what you said about me and those who think like me just for speaking up.
He is the worst president ever. But he is a good liar and deceiver and that is why if you do not know him enough, then it is not hard to think of him as a great one.
One last thing, did I ever talk about war in my blog? I just meant that the international community should not remain indifferent. That's it!
Ryan,
I thought Iranian people were having election for their own country not for the Arabs of the middle east. How great Ahmadinezhad is for the Arabs is a moot point, and it seems, it is something that Iranians are having problem with.
I do sympathize with you and your people. My only question is how can I be sure that the election was rigged.
Your story is passionate, but I am sure you can see that it is also biased. I am sure that you believe what you say and I am also sure that it is possibly the truth.
My worry is that many news networks have reported that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is very popular among rural and less educated people.
Is it possible that you Sara are just part of the vocal 40% that didn't vote for him?
Is it possible that you are so passionate about your views that you fail to see that others would vote for him?
I do not want to make light of your countries situation, but I believe it possible that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the election. He has been a strong voice against the west and a mastermind of propaganda. I could see uneducated people falling for his theatrics.
Also recent events seem to have the west facing off against the middle east. I find it easy to believe that a man who stands up to George Bush would be very popular in an Islamic Country.
I do not know if the election was rigged. I don't think even you Sara have proof that it was.
So my question to you Sara is if this election is not rigged, what do you expect us in Canada to do to stop a democratically elected government?
We need proof not accusations.
Ryan,
Ahamdi Nejad is not an Arab leader and Iran is not an Arab country.
There is a huge difference between Arabs and Persians.
Julie,
Please go read your People magazine. This subject may be too heavy for you to understand!
You guys ever read a newspaper.
I also had one question for mehdi Akbari, when you say many people support Ahmedinajad where does this knowledge come from exactly? It is not vey fair for you to just generalize like that and what is your source for saying such a thing? Is your source the corrupted newspapers of iran or their media? I realize I came here because my family did not like the government, however do you realize that there are a great number of people who left Iran because they fought for their government and right in the revolution, do they not have the right to still fight or vote for what they beleive in.
Have you talked to people from Iran? Have you looked at the statistics and realized that the majority of the people in iran are young adults, young adults who dread the way the government controls their young adult life? have you seen the pictures and seen the people one the street? mostly young people and I agree that the people who vote for Ahmedinajad are mostly the lower middle class, but then again it is because the lower middle class of iran are extremly religiouse, which is not a surprise considering that in times of hardship it is in faith and god that they rely on, religion is the only free thing that they can depend on, it's their only hope.
This is all what I think though, based on the education I have on history and religion. However, I believe that I have enough support when I say the majority of people in Iran are young adults and they are against Ahmedinajad.
Jake, I don't know you, so I give you benefit of the doubt, I take it you are just well wishing citizen of the world. But the rhetorical questions like "...what do you suggest we do?..." and "...should we be the world's policeman or not??..." makes me think, I wish you and the rest of your fellow country men in US knew more at least about your historical role in the world.
The situation in Iran today is the direct result of US action in 1953 in Iran. Your CIA goons overthrew a popular and democratically appointed government to put the Shah in place, which caused the problems for decades to come until the 1979 revolt. So, what we need to do is first understand what mistakes we in the west have made and learn from them. In 1976 Canadians were very loud in criticizing the Shah and his records without ever thinking who would take his place. Now today, we say this is the problem that Iranians should sort out themselves. I wonder why Carter didn't keep his mouth shut 1978, or why the French felt the great Ayatollah needed a platform to trumpet his voice in Paris in 1979?
Ryan's comments are as true as his selection of his first name...Oddly enough, he speaks of the President Ahmadinejad so highly and yet he isn not even ready to admit that there some problems with human rights issues, more freedon for women, that the economy is down and worst of all that he doesn't recognize the State of Israel. It's one thing to call an election very close and the Americans had it in 2000.
Was there any blooshed or deaths there. Sore loosers is one thing and usually many will shrug their shoulders and say 4 more years of this crap. But when thousands upon thousands go to the street where 7 are killed...you know what it's a bit more than being sore loosers. The election was a sham. The Iranian High Priest guy said it on June 4th and I quote:
"Khamenei has in the past praised Ahmadinejad's handling of the nuclear issue and last month called on Iranians to back an anti-Western candidate, without mentioning any names.
"The honor of our nation today is reflected in the world," Khamenei said in a televised speech to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of his predecessor Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
"I do not accept the sayings of those who imagine that our nation has become belittled in the world because of its commitment to its principles ... this path will continue until final victory," he said.
NO ELECTION "CHAOS"
So the elections were rigged. No way did he want Khatami to come to power.
Spare me the government Diatribe.
First of all, it is good to know that Iran has an electoral tradition. However, its unfortunate that elections are being abused or perceived to have been abused by the government of Iran. The question is though who should judge the election process and decide whether it was free and fair or not? The so-called supreme leader? The sharia courts? The international community? The people of Iran? And how? Through what mechanism?
Ryan,
As an Iranian student in Canada, I could not believe my eyes when I read Ryan's comments. Mr. Ahmadi Nejad has a very good reputation especially in Lebanon and other Arab countries mainly because he gives away Iranian resources (Money, gas, etc.) to these countries while his own people are living a MEASURABLE LIFE. I just ask you to be smarter and see the reality. News are distorted in Arab media as well!!!
Ahmadi Nejad's MILLION supporters are not worldwide, they are only the ones living in Arab countries and the reason is that most of them are bombard with the distorted news.
For your information, supporters of Mr. Ahamdi nejad were reported to be around ten thousands in the rally while Mr. Mussavi's supporters were over 1.5 million at the rally.
The videos uploaded by ordinary people on youtube, facebook, twiter, etc, show the truth. Please open your eyes before judging people.
First I should mention that Ahmadinejad is not an Arab leader. He is Persian and Persians know how awful was the 4 years of him being the president in Iran. I've seen and felt all the misery that happened in Iran during these years.
Secondly I refer every body who doubts the fraud in the recent election to 12 years ago, when Ex-president Khatamti won the election with 20M votes. All the people came to the streets and celebrated across the country. However a week ago Ahmadinejad claims that he won the election with 24M votes. This time again people came to the streets, but now protesting against him.
This is only one clue of what happened. If you read and follow the events and numbers through the net, you'll obviously find too much reasons to be sure about the fraud.
To Ryan,
Regarding: " Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is an excellent President. I too have friends and family in the Middle East, all of which are strong supporters of this great President. He is one of the few Arab leaders that are on the path of truth, free from corruption."
I recommend you to study a little bit history that Iran is not an Arab country. It is in middle east and one of oldest civilization in the world but not Arab country. All the problem of Iranian people comes from your quote that Ahmadinejad is thinking more about Palestine and Hezbollah and wasting country resources by supporting these groups instead of taking care Of Iran and Iranians. So no wonder that Arabs should love him for all the money he is wasting on supporting these groups.
Second, there are so many solid obvious reasons that he and his team has stolen majority of Iranian people votes and that is exactly the reason raising such huge problem in Iran. The reaction he and the security forces has shown by killing the protesters and their voices, is boosting the fire in the country. When so many people believe that there has been a fraud, he should talk and try to convince them the opposite if there is not such a thing. So many people in other countries don't know how demagogue he is and how he lies easily.
All of his supporters who in most case comes to 10 millions, are simple uneducated people who live mostly in the villages and some middle class poor people. So please don't judge just based on what you read in Arab newspaper and just let Iranian people like Sara do their best for what is the best for Iran.
Ryan; first of all Ahmadinejad is NOT an Arab leader for you to be saying "He is one of the few Arab leaders that are on the path of truth, free from corruption." Listen Ryan people from Iran are Iranians and not Arabs to have an ignorant man demolish their country for your pleasure.
Iranian,regardless of their current country of residence are NOT asking other countries to win their battle for them. As history has proven, we fight our own battles and all that we are asking, as Sara mentioned in her article, is to spread the word that the majority of the Iranians (excluding Ahmadinejad's fans) are furious and extremely worried about the future of this nation with a rich and old culture.
You should see the violence they are using for silence.
Regardless or our origin,color,gender and language, people all around the world all deserve freedom,human rights and peace when we sleep at night. And in my opinion this is the message Iranians are asking for you all the spread around.
Sara , I am really grateful to see that you are trying to distribute the message of Iranians . those who are willing to change their destiny with their lives in their hands ! this is the one and certain rule of humanity that we care about unfair and injustice happenings through other of us , some of above comments made me so sad , it is not about Iran , its about the freedom as a value ! which some people are fighting their lives for it ! for sure for us , the Iranians , it means more as we have our family , friends and moreover our memories in that land ! Mehdi ?
If you do not care about Iran ? why are you following this discussion ? why are you still aware of news of it !? It is absolutely not possible ! for an Iranian to not care about his land ! no Iranian can say that if s/he has read one and only one poet of Hafez !
Fortunately I saw that Canada was one of the first countries which has expressed their concerns about what is going on in Iran , I am thankful of Canadian people and government for that, and I am happy that the in charges of this land still care about universal human values , and I hope that this article and others like this could postpone the world from recognizing this as a legitimate government .
be careful... the authorities won't give a hoot that you have dual nationality.
We appreciate your work, but don't take too many risks. I want to see people like you come back to Canada alive.
Ryan,
Your comment shows lack of information about Iran. With all repect to my Arab friends, Iranians are not Arab; they are Persian. You would had learned that if you have met at least one Iranian in person. I should confess he has some supporters specially outside the country due to his anti-US policies; however, people inside are really suffering from terrible economic policies and the sanctions he has put the country in. Unfortunately, many Muslim population in particular, do not see the result of his policies in the county...
I ask my friend Ryan to check youtube, facebook and twitter to see what Iranians are saying these days.
The other thing is, if Ahmadinejad government claims the election was fair, why they are filtering lots of opposition websites(one day before election) and facebook(a day after the rally started) and disabling text messaging? Doesn't it sound like a coup?
Sara H, thank you for your commentary. I was in another part of the country during the Iranian Revolution in 1979 - before cel phones; before Facebook, Twitter or other " social networking " sites; before the Internet, and met many individuals who were fleeing for better lives . . . so trust me, the information gets out . . . don't underestimate the underground networks, which have been around longer than the above.
Here's some info on Akbar Nazemi, - http://www.iranrevolution.com/ - who put himself at risk and danger to document the events in 1979.
For the Julies, et al, of the world who don't know any better, don't forget that Persia had been around for millennia, so get over yourselves and recognise that our world and civilisation would be that much poorer without them.
Ryan, Iranians are not Arabs...in fact they have a long history of not getting along with Arabs.
Simple logic dictates that your lack of knowledge about most of the things that you have said in your post (including the above mentioned)renders your entire post as nothing but a long and tedious read. you are a great writer but please do not try to deal with anything that involves logic, its not your specialty.
Dear Sara,
I really appreciate your democratic concern and condem the way peaceful protesters were beaten. It is really shameful for a president that on his very first day people donot trust him and hence so many people were beaten and killed. I think Mr Ahmednijad is least interested in his country and his countrymen.His main concern is just to grab power by using pseudo democartic way(which he calls himself as democratically elected president). I think he is a shameless person.
Dear Julie (second post from top), I have to respectfully disagree with you for:
1- Canada acknowledges dual citizenship. that means I can be a canadian citizen AND an Iranian citizen. I care for both countries, my mother land and my adopted land. i would do anything to protect Canada or Iran by that matter.
2- Canada is very much so related to Iran's affairs. for one, our troops are in Afghanistan and any change in Iran will affect the stability of Afghanistan, iraq, the region and i dare to say the entire world.
3- Say you immigrated to sweden for some reason and became a swedish citizen. if any thing bad happens to Canada are you going to ignore that and hide in that secure bubble and not say or do anything about your motherland?
4- Sorry to be frank with you but calling Iran and it's people "uncivilized" is an ignorant thing to say, specially knowing that human civilization has started from that region. Also young people of iran are fighting for freedom and democracy. to me, that is very civilized.
peace.
Ryan,
First of all, I do recommend you to read some introductory books on History and Geography to learn the huge differences between "Iranians" and "Arabs" and their uncountable dissimilarities!
Secondly, those Middle Eastern "Arabic" countries which support Ahmadinejad do not even know how Ahmadinejad is treating the people of his own country. They only support him because he threats Israel. I recommend you and these "Arabs" to watch some of the recent videos of Youtube showing Ahmadinejad's militants killing Iranians (some of these militants are said coming from "Arabic" countries).
Quebec City
Dear Sara
thanks for your sense of response to your lovely country,Iran.
I am here in heart of violence, unfortunately there are many injustice behavior in Iran, even if we assume election result is true (which certainely it is completely frouded)when a person become a president of a country he is oresident of all people and he must respect and support requests of all not only who vote to president, but here in Iran, the froud president Mahmood Ahmadinejad, did not respect to his opposist with 13 million vote, he call these people as '' khas o khashak''.
on monday millions of people came to gether to show their opposotion to fraud in election results. I promise you can not find such rally in the world, people did not even cut a branch of a tree in Azadi street.but basij people could not bare such a rall and at the end of the rally they kill 7 people by gun shooting to them.
yesterday in Vanak Square basij and sepah people kill more than 4 people by gun shooting.I see 3 of them which people was transfering them. 17/june
Wow, Julie and Mehdi, xenophobia much? Maybe I can put the kind of sentiment that this writer is (I believe, please feel free to correct me, Sara) into terms your border-restricted minds can comprehend.
I was born and raised in St John's, Newfoundland. I now go to school in Calgary, Alberta. My family continues to live in Newfoundland and, while my life is now in Alberta, I continue to have a vested interest in what goes on there. I read the news daily, I stay in constant contact with my family and friends, and I feel perfectly justified in commenting on current events in Newfoundland.
I belong to both places. I have yet to meet anyone who thinks that because I left Newfoundland for personal reasons, I can't maintain that connection. Sara is experiencing the same thing on a larger scale. She can belong to both Iran and Canada, and I for one will welcome her and her rich cultural heritage.
As for turning our backs on Iran and presuming that it will work itself out, that policy has proven disastrous in the past(Germany, 1930s anybody?). We need to engage Iran and make it clear that, as an international community, we care what happens to Iranians. Opening a dialogue means talking about the problem. Thank you, Sara, for doing just that. I hope that your friends and family are weathering the storm and that you have a strong support network here to help you through it as well.
What is wrong is the inabilty of the people to have peaceful protest. It matters not what the issues are. One should be able to protest freely without fear of being clubbed, detained harrased or in any way abused. That is what human rights are about.
iran is not an arab country, it does however have an arab minority. ignorance is never, ever, an excuse.
Ryan: "Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is an excellent President. I too have friends and family in the Middle East, all of which are strong supporters of this great President. He is one of the few Arab leaders that are on the path of truth, free from corruption."
After reading your opening statements there was no further need to read anything else you wrote. Ahmadenijad is firstly a Persian and NOT an Arab.
Are you and your family associated with Hezbollah by any chance? He is a puppet being used by the Revolutionary guard who put out a fatwa just before the election that Ahmadenijad must win by all means - even if this calls for rigging or fraud.
Don't get nasty on the freedoms of the western peoples and their media - study the history of the Revolutionary guard - their stone age mentality about the return of the 12th Imam - and the need to create greater chaos at whatever cost.
The children born after the 1979 Iranian Revolution want change and the Revolutionary guard, at whatever cost, are hellbent on preventing that. If there was no election fraud - openly and freely hold an election and count the ballots.
That's not going to happen in Iran as we have just witnessed. The non-violent protests on the streets of Iran are not fired up by the west or our media. Iranians can't see us and further attempts are implemented daily to block us out and our reporters there from reporting the facts.
Those are valid Iranian citizens on their own mission - showing their contempt for an outrageous act - and outrageous living conditions of which they have had enough.
"I also had one question for mehdi Akbari, when you say many people support Ahmedinajad where does this knowledge come from exactly? "
This information comes from a trusted website, cbc.ca
I would like to add a couple of points:
Don't make the assumption that more people cheered for Mosavi in the streets that he holds the bigger portion of support
And Second, if anyone here can give me actual proof of this election being a sham, aside from all parties screaming fraud, I will fully support everyone here that seems to think that I am Pro-Iran and Pro-Ahmadinejad, which isn't the case for either.
Mohammed Najeeb Qasim Qurana bin Taleeb Hamadi Huna Huna
Your attitude is dangerous.
Jeremy,
In Canada, it takes over 12 hours to confirm the vote count and this is despite the technology we have, and that Canada has nearly half the population of Iran.
As a westerner I'm puzzled by how fast the authorities sorted everything out- they must have borrowed quite a few licking fingers.
Or, the latest reports coming out that in some regions the voter turn out has been 140% of eligible list, I have to scratch my head for that one. Or, why 8 people are shut? Is that going to be part of Iranian style democracy? I know you don't think western democracy is not for everyone but is this the type you are advocating here?
Have elections and naturally some people get shut in the process...? Spare us all, why hold election, just install someone permanently. Oops, I forgot you already have, it's that other guy.
Is there any evidence that the election was a fraud? I agree with Mehdi Akbari. I haven't seen anything other than uncritical acceptance of Western propaganda against the Iranian government (who just happen to be enemies of the US and its allies, right?).
It's ironic how Westerners feel free to lecture Iran about how to run fair elections given the history of the CIA's anti-democratic role in the Shah's rise to power prior and the fraudulent nature of George W. Bush's first election vs. Gore.
I suggest everyone read up on the history of Iran, the CIA's involvement bringing the Shah to power, and the sanctions America imposed on Iran after the revolution in 1979.
I support humanity over oil, the big oil companies would beg to differ.
To: Mohammed Najeeb Qasim Qurana bin Taleeb Hamadi Huna Huna,
There are 10s of millions of Iranian who believe that was a fraud election. You accept the fact!
This is not just about Mousavi or Ahmadinejad. It is about the entire government. People do NOT want Mollahs to run the country and they have been saying that for 30 years now.
Why is that we do not see any support from UN. Aren’t they calling for global democracy all the time???
How else we could have our voice heard? Maybe thousands of innocent people should die in Iran for the world to hear us.
As an Iranian, I beleive that the problem is not the election and changing the president. The main problem is the fanatic regime in Iran.
30 years of killing and torture must be stopped that is why majority of Iranians, especially young people are asking for justice, democracy, and secularism for IRAN.
Please call on your goverments to stop their relation with killers in Iran and to support Iranians, who are fighting for a better and brighter future.
Thank God that not everyone is like Julie - as long at it doesn't hurt her then who cares.
I would love to be able to have this attitude rather than sit and cry each time I listen to the atrocities in the news.
Julie must live a very happy life!?!?!?!?! It must get lonely caring only about yourself however.
I pray that God blesses all these people who live under these conditions and that he grants the the knowledge and the power to overcome!
Regardless of whether the election was a sham or not, is there a petition that Canadians can sign to pressure our government to condemn the Iranian government's unjust detention, battering and even murder of protesters?
This is where our efforts should be focused at present. If not, things will only get worse.
Iam behind you sister all the way, it's about time that the people of Iran took a stand agianst a corrupt dictatorship that is obssesed with patriarchal power and backwardness.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the puppet of the supreme guardian council which is more concerned with holding on to power and maintaining an iron fist rule over the people rather than, letting Iran flourish to its fullest potential.
It's no wonder the results were rigged. I hope that the people of Iran win there fight for TRUE democracy. The rest of the Islamic countries in the Arab world should learn a thing or two from the brave and resillient Iranians.
Well it does seem like there is a lot of evidence to support the claims of a rigged election.
I respect the course of action taken by these people in the form of fairly peaceful protest, given the situation.
I would also gladly voice my support for their struggle.
..So long as you dont block my roadways in an attempt to blackmail this country into action.
.. to all those people who want to question their allegiance to canada for asking... I really think your taking this opinion too far in this situation... You should probably spend some time alone in a room and question why you have such extreme views.
As my name suggested, I came from China and you can say there are still a lot of similarities between China and Iran, no matter you want to agree or not.
First of all, Iran and China are 'eastern' countries, as different from the 'western' countries. Second, these two are huge countries and have been represneting their unique cultures for a long long time. Third, they want to have their say, instead of listening to other powers all the time.
I always believe a better solution to help the democratic progress in these countries is to talk to them and treat them equally with certain respect. I do not like the two sides of people here in Canada (and maybe other western contries also) take.
They either think Iran is a somehow second and third class country, one or two levels below Canada and always showing 'pity' to people over in Iran, or considered them as evil or enemy and consider people from there are the ones lucky enough to managed to "escape" from the country.
I cannot say specificly about Iran, but in China I don't believe any of the western scholoars or leaders really knows how to make a decent progress in human conditions and human rights in China, and no one probably can claim their scheme (if had one) could have worked better than the one the current Chinese communist government is trying.
Life is not easy, and democracy cannot solve everything. Again I believe that when you talk to people with respect, they most likely will treat you with some respect, at least at commen sense levels.
We know we all have more common ground than we think, even though we are very different. We are human; we want to live better; we don't just want to be killed for nothing;
Let's respect each other first, then talk.
Thank you, Sarah, for sharing your insights with us. It is unfortunate that many governments would rather strengthen their business ties with repressive regimes, than take action to secure human rights for the citizens of those countries. Successive Canadian governments have fallen into that trap. Each of us as private citizens living in a free country has a responsibility to guard our own freedom by urging our elected MPs to speak out against human rights abuses, especially in countries which look to us for assistance in times of natural disasters and economic turmoil.
Anywhere in the world if any leader is not in favor of western leaders they are consider as terrorist. Western people do not much attention to these western leaders who are trying to dominate rest of the world through their power. People of western nation need to get educated about other cultures of the world and stop listening to these media, who are propagate wrong information to the people.
Western governments are giving wrong information to people to stay in power. People need to get educated to get along with other cultures, because at last every is responsible for these western military action around the world. That means in one way or other people are involved in all the killing around the world. Lets get educated about other people.
Thanks to Everyone,
The events in Iran represent thirst for freedom, election fraud issue is an excuse. We are tired ot Islamic System since only for the 1400 years that this religion been around we have been suffering, its time that Iranians go back to their roots of over 7000 history rather than this alien religion.
Ahmady the president is not a persian, he was only born in iran, likewise his muslim mentor mr. Khomeini that was born to an Indian family in Iran.
For the information of the readers, there are about 62 diverse cultures in Iran, including about 25000 jews, persians only represent 52%, whom manily come from the great City of Shiraz.
We want democracy in Iran, we do not have anything to do with countries such as Israel, or other arab countries. Foreign countires may contemplate breaking up iran, but they are mistaken big time, we are aware of their efforts in Iran.
Long live Iran, Long live Persian Empire
Human rights for many are a joke. Many left the oppressed countries to better them selves, and since they are far away they don`t care about other humans fighting for their freedom. Dictators are coming in different colors, cree and religion. Freedom has the rights and obligations, but don`t deny those who want to be free.
Exerpt from article by Prof. Akbar E. Torbat at Global Research
Ahmadinejad's Populism
"In 2005, Ahmadinejad advocated populist economic policies during his presidential campaign, which included “putting oil money on impoverished peoples’ dining table (Sofreh).”
As a result, he gained strong grassroots’ support from urban poor and rural dwellers.
Ahmadinejad became the first enduring non-cleric president who wanted to pursue the initial goals of the
revolution that included economic justice and political sovereignty.
When he became president, he implemented some smallscale development projects, including building hospitals, bridges, roads, and schools in the rural areas, financed by the oil money.
Ahmadinejad gained support from underprivileged Iranians who favor his economic justice program. He was also
supported by those who believe he has promoted Iran’s technological and defense progress.
There are about three million impoverished women in Iran who weave carpets in their homes. Ahmadinejad brought a law to give them full insurance.
Also, Ahmadinejad initiated distribution of some government-owned enterprises’ shares called “Justice Shares,” to redistribute state wealth to the low income Iranians. Justice shares are mutual fund shares of the state-owned enterprises that are privatized."
I think there may be Iranians inside and outside Iran who long for the 'good old days' when they benefited from a disproportionate share of the country's resources.
Margaret: "As long as it doesn't hurt her, who cares?"
Not really fair, Margaret, as what is SHE doing about it besides leaving Iran, coming to Canada and asking US to do something ab out it? Prey tell me, what's the difference?
Also, the fact that you are "crying" doesn't seem to be making much of a difference either, now does it - other than more trees are being cut down for your kleenex!