October 25, 2001

8:12 PM

The Iranian Secular Opposition Movement.I came upon this via another item I found on Plastic.com. (Where, BTW, one of the more cogent comments in the related thread was by one MayorBob) So, I'm wondering where does this lead to? The first line of that wretched 60s hit Eve Of Destruction does come to mind... Has anyone else heard anything about this?
posted by y2karl (6 comments total)

If this is a double post, I apologize. I never get an answer from Search here, no matter what time of day...
posted by y2karl at 8:14 PM on October 25, 2001

NYT article on Iranian opposition satellite TV, run by the expat community in L.A.:
Opposition TV Stations Stir Up Unrest in Fundamentalist Iran
They've been ratcheting things up a notch lately. (I'm sure you've seen the reports of nominally soccer-centered rioting.)
posted by Zurishaddai at 9:12 PM on October 25, 2001

This is minor-league unrest compared with the 1979 revolution, mind you. The end result will probably be a retrenchment by the mullah-run government, with heated diatribes from the parliament, constitutionally a near nullity. Some newspapers closed, some student organizers arrested, the usual thing.

The irony here is that Iran is one of the better-functioning democracies in the Arab world (as distinguished from the Islamic world). This may also lead to further policing on the part of societies like Egypt, which has chosen a different, secular path of nationalism, tolerates much more free speech and socioeconomic activity, but brooks no political dissent. They're going to think this is what comes of too much freedom.
posted by dhartung at 9:47 PM on October 25, 2001

dhartung: You mean, compared to the Arab world. Iran is a non-Arab nation.
posted by raysmj at 9:57 PM on October 25, 2001

but people could die, better they keep the yoke of their repressors.
posted by Mick at 5:51 AM on October 26, 2001

Iran is a 'democracy' of sorts. They routinely hold elections and powers change hands without much tension. Between 1979-97 they have had seven presidential, five congressional and two Assembly of Experts elections.


In other news, as long as we are talking Iran, sports and democracy, while Iranian soccer hooligans are hogging the headlines, BBC reported last night on the Third Islamic Women's Games being held in Tehran this week. Besides 219 Iranians, Muslim women from 34 countries, including hijab-clad women from Afghanistan and the U.K., are taking part in this year's games. Previous games were held in 1993 and in 1997.
posted by tamim at 9:08 AM on October 26, 2001