Iranian Revolution 3

I know this is not the Iran Situation blog, but because Iran’s future seems to be so intertwined with Israel’s, I thought it was worth discussing a little more.

As I am sure everyone in the world is aware, Iran is in the midst of an uprising as a result of an election that many Iranians are calling unfair. Of course, there is no proof of this, but we can speculate that Ahmadinejad did not really get 60% of the vote. But, there is no proof.

Based on the news and the media accounts, I would assume that 90% of the country is involved in the protests. However, the media often blows things a little out of proportion. It is safe to say that dissent is significant and widespread in Iranian cities. It is safe to say that many young people are involved in the protests. It is safe to say that these people have reason to be upset. We just don’t know how many there are.

The first modern Iranian revolution took place from 1905 to 1911. This revolution, known as the Iranian Constitutional Revolution, led to the establishment of a Parliament and modern legal system in what was then known as Persia. The second, and most well known, took place in 1979. The Iranian Islamic Revolution overthrew the constitutional monarchy and put Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeni into office as the Supreme Leader of Iran. Khomeni was succeeded by Ayatollah Ali Khomeni in 1989.

The Iranian revolution put Fundamentalist Islam into the forefront of the Middle East. Iran’s power base, along with religious and political influence, stretch from Morocco to Malaysia. Iran is directly involved in Syria, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip as a financier and supporter of Islamic terrorism.

Under their current system, Iranians elect a President and legislators. Those positions, however, must yield to the Supreme Leader, Khomeni, in the event of a disagreement. The current Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has brought Iran into the international spotlight. His anti-Semitic, genocidal, and anti-West remarks have given Iran a bad image in the developed world. Further, defying the international community by continuing to seek nuclear weapons has put most of Europe, along with the United States, at odds with the Islamic country.

While many Iranians support the current system and leadership, many do not. Those critical of the Islamic government are the ones on the streets protesting today. Iran could be on the verge of another revolution. This could be great for Iran, but could be bad.

We know the current leadership of Iran are building nuclear weapons and want to destroy Israel. If they are removed, no one knows who would take over. That person could be better, but could be worse.

I hope, for the sake of the Iranian people, that they can lead a revolution that results in a more moderate, democratic government. No true democracies would put any restriction in denying those people the right to practice their religion. A true democracy would remove the censorship from Iranian people and the media and would replace it with a free flow of information and dissent.

What do you all think will happen in Iran? As the protests in the streets of Tehran grow, the police and military have swiftly moved in to crush the opposition. Protesters are being slaughtered in the streets. Innocent people are being murdered because they have an opinion. The government of Iran is at a tipping point. Time will tell how Iran will be led, and interact with the world, in the near and distant future.