Shit has hit the fan.

I don't know if any of you have been paying any attention to what's going on in Iran right now, but it is getting pretty ugly. In the country it seems like its 1979 again, and the Iranians are on the verge of another Revolution. Whether or not an actual revolution will take place remains to be seen, but the proverbial 'shit' has hit the fan.

This all started right after the results of the recent Presidential elections in Iran came out. According to the government, President Mahmoud Admadinejad was re-elected by a large margin, edging out political rival, and potential reformist, Mir Hussein Moussavi. Moussavi essentially wants to move Iran slightly away from the idea of an 'Islamic Republic' and wants to see far more liberal policies enacted in the country. More equality for women, better education for everyone, and far less bullying on the international level, like pursuing nuclear interests.

The Iranian people have taken to the streets and are as we speak, fighting the dictatorship, attempting to basically overthrow Admadinejad's regime. They cannot fathom how Admadinejad has managed to be elected, as they are very suspicious of voter-fraud, and tossing ballots. From an outsiders point of view, after watching the news and various protest videos on youtube, it really seems like this election may have been a farce, with the government fabricating the results to keep Admadinejad in power. Admadinejad is a strong supporter of the 'Islamic Republic', and seems to have gained the support from Ayatollah Ali Khameni (the religious figure-head of Iran). So now not only is the Iranian population clashing with police and defying Admadinejad's pleas, they are also defying the Ayatollah, which is a very big deal. No one is listening to either leaders.

This is in Tehran the day after the elections:








Here is an article published in the NY Times yesterday, explaining the tense emotion in Iran right now:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/opinion/21tehran.html?_r=1



We should all be following this very closely.