by Damozel | The New Yoirk Times reports on "the bitter rift" between Iran's clerics over this disputed election. And the government has now arrested the daughter of former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rahfsanjani. (NYT) Faezah Hashemi Rahfsanjani,the daughter, spoke at a pro-Mousavi rally. (Juan Cole) Four other members of the family were arrested as well. Juan Cole says, "It is widely suspected that Akbar Hashemi
Rafsanjani, a multi-billionaire who is well connected politically, is
funding and aiding the reform movement's protests." A Newsweek reporter, Maziar Bahari, has been arrested as well and his laptop and other files seized. (Newsweek) Meanwhile, Mousavi is hanging tough, even as the government "lays the groundwork" for his arrest:
Mr. Moussavi was not seen in public on Sunday but showed no sign of yielding. In his Web posting, he urged followers to “avoid violence in your protest and behave as though you are the parents that have to tolerate your children’s misbehavior at the security forces.”
He also warned the government to “avoid mass arrests, which will only create distance between society and the security forces.” (New York Times)The name of the young woman -- Neda -- who was shot in the chest by a member of the Basiji militia while she was watching the demonstration has become a rallying cry for protesters. (CNN) La Figa sets out this eyewitness account of her death:
The protests were going on about 1 kilometers away in the main street and some of the protesting crowd were running from tear gass used among them, towards Salehi St.
The film is shot by my friend who was standing beside me.
Please let the world know. (La Figa)
One blogger posted:
Graphic footage of her death has been shown on YouTube, though as Lisa Derrick reports, it keeps getting pulled. As the content has been flagged, you will need to sign in to view the video.
At Time, Robin Wright predicts that the death of Neda may have "many consequences."
Shiite mourning is not simply a time to react with sadness. Particularly in times of conflict, it is also an opportunity for renewal. The commemorations for "Neda" and the others killed this weekend are still to come. And the 40th day events are usually the largest and most important.
"Neda" is already being hailed as a martyr, a second important concept in Shiism. With the reported deaths of 19 people Saturday, martyrdom also provides a potent force that could further deepen public anger at Iran's regime. ...The belief in martyrdom is central to modern politics as well as Shiite tradition dating back centuries in Iran. It too helped propel the 1979 revolution. It sustained Iran during the eight-year war with Iraq, when over 120,000 Iranians died in the bloodiest modern Middle East conflict. Most major Iranian cities have a Martyrs' Museum or a Martyrs' cemetery.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Guardian Council concedes that there were more votes cast than citizens to cast them in 50 cities. This, they say, is a "normal phenomenon," due to the fact that travelers can cast votes in other cities. (PressTV) Because of the number of cities affected, they could re-count the ballots at the request of the candidates. (PressTV). Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, of course, want a new election. (More at PressTV)
Obviously -although it’s the last thing Team Obama wants to hear- Ronald Reagan’s support of Poland’s Solidarity in the dark days of the Soviet-ordered crackdown is the model here- not the preposterous straw-man argument of “what are you going to do, invade?” disingenuously presented by the do-nothing, Obamapologist left.
And isn’t this what George W Bush told you was going to happen in the Middle East in the wake of Iraq’s liberation?
Maybe that’s why Barack Obama has so little apparent interest in finishing the job in Iran… no matter how much it benefits the US and free world.
That, and the fact that he’s already piled all his chips on legitimizing this vile regime- and a democratic revolution at this point would be downright embarrassing for him.
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Reaganite Republican | June 22, 2009 at 12:05 PM