Jalal Ghazi
New America Media
The world’s attention is on Iran. But the rhetoric of reformists vs. conservatives and students vs. mullahs cannot capture the complexity of what is happening on the streets of Tehran. Here are six reasons why the situation in Iran cannot be reduced to simplistic headlines or Twitter feeds.
First, the post-election crisis in Iran is not only a reflection of divisions between conservatives and reformers. Perhaps more importantly, it has brought divisions within the conservatives to the forefront.
“It is true that most of the armed forces, especially the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij, support the Supreme Leader and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but the decision making in Iran is not exclusive to these two men,” said human rights activist Ghanim Jawad on the London-based (ANB-TV) Arab News Broadcast. He pointed to a “vertical division,” not only within the government but also within the society.
| Isabel, Brazil |
July 2nd, 2009 2:10 pm ET The coverage of the elections and the marches of protest in Iran has its greatest sources of information in alternative media: texts in blogs, videos posted on youtube, shared pictures in flickr, images and messages via Twitter. The Iranian censors discovered that censorship is no more able to ensure the “black out” of the media and that the population will find a way to communicate with the outside world. When the Iranian censors expelled journalists and tighten the siege on the internet, they discovered that Twitter could not be censured just as easily that other sites. Unlike of sites like facebook, orkut or myspace, the Twitter page isn’t fixed and can be easily accessed by mobile. The reading Twitter offers fast, direct contact with sources, ability to mobilize large groups and serves to attract readers interested in stories published in special reports. It is a convenient tool for reporters and readers |
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| Joe G. (Illinois) |
July 2nd, 2009 5:09 pm ET It’s not the point about explaining or knowing all the answer.. It’s knowing that Iran wants to annihilate Israel and after the Iranians started killing themselves a bit, Obama in turn became concerned about their Civil Rights and as to whether the Iranian women were happy the way they are dressed.. |
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