-- Sarika Arya
"Ahmadinejad called us dust, we showed him a sandstorm." #iranelection About 14 hours ago, Twitter
Iran is on fire. Text messaging and phone calls have been suspended, the internet is barely functioning, and the only media outlets still running are the state news network and radio station. Despite attempts by those in power to cast the protests of Iranians into darkness, civilians, especially Iranian students, are burning. And their flame is bright. The students are leading the revolution, sending messages on Twitter like the one above, starting Facebook groups supporting Mr. Mir Houssein Mousavi, whom they believe is the actual democratically elected President. While the polls suggest that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the true winner with 66% of the vote (leaving Mousavi with a mere 33%), the number and scale of recent demonstrations and escalating violence suggests that the country has been deceived by poll rigging and corruption. Now Iranians, led by their young people, are utilizing an inalienable right of man: freedom of expression. They are taking to the streets, and paying the price.
Exhilarating and terrifying reports are escaping Iran via the internet of clashes, dormitory raids, five deaths, and even "a massacre" at the University of Tehran between students and militiamen. In the 1970s, students had the power to overthrow the Shah in the Iranian Revolution. The students, depending on their determination, organization, and strength and unity of their voices, may carry the same weight this time around too.
The protesters may be outnumbered and overpowered by the pistol-carrying and baton-waving officers who unreservedly use their weapons, but nonetheless, the protestors persevere. Driven by their progressive spirit and thirst for freedom, this young, embittered, and impassioned crowd is standing defiant in the face of unjust authority. It is outrageous that as a young person, as someone with the most personal stake in the well being of one's country, the opportunity to cast a vote has become a farce, that supporting a particular political candidate can mean one's death, and that intellectual freedom and societal well being is stifled and prevented because of one man's tyrannical greediness for absolute power.
Students all over the world should unite behind these young Iranians. In moments like these, clichés are often overused, but they wield great truths: The future is in our hands. It is impossible not to empathize with the fear, excitement, and hope of these young Iranians.
As Robert Fisk reports for The Independent:
"Moin, a student of chemical engineering at Tehran University – the same campus where blood had been shed just a few hours before – was walking beside me and singing in Persian as the rain pelted down. I asked him to translate.
'It's a poem by Sohrab Sepehri, one of our modern poets,' he said. Could this be real, I asked myself? Do they really sing poems in Tehran when they are trying to change history? Here is what he was singing: 'We should go under the rain. We should wash our eyes, And we should see the world in a different way.'
He grinned at me and at his two student friends. "The next line is about making love to a woman in the rain, but that doesn't seem very suitable here." We all agreed."
It is especially remarkable to follow the Twitter feed. Twitter itself has even acknowledged the importance it bears in the Iranian elections, forgoing scheduled maintenance work (apparently under the request of the US State Department) so that activists may salvage the last outlet they have to make their voices heard. The live updates are invigorating and remarkable: it is unbelievable to follow at every instant a victory or a defeat, whether it is one for the students or one for the army. The latest tale of protest, the latest tale of trickery, is known to one and all - "only official march today is valli asr. others may be a trap- avoid others-#iranelection 7 minutes ago." But there it is. The live mobilization of young activists. Each "tweet" carries with it the weight of the mantra many Mousavi supporters have adopted: One Person = One Broadcaster. That is, each of us has a voice, and each of us has the right to use it responsibly.
This generation must remember that responsiblity, and must take advantage of this right.
For we are a modern generation: fighting our battles both on the street and online. We are also a young generation: we like to show off our intellect and liberal attitude to change the minds of those older and more powerful than us, and to persuade those younger than us to follow our lead. We are all Iranian students today. We must be if we believe in human rights. Use the internet to post on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, news outlets, anything – even talk to your friends – demand a call for freedom of expression, the right to democracy, and a recount of the vote on behalf of Iran. Even if you are not in Tehran, baring the physical brunt and brute force of authority, mending the broken bones and bloody wounds of your fellow classmate, there is another way to nurture and channel your revolutionary spirit.
If you are a student and if you value your freedom, then get educated, feel enraged, and take action.
More Reading on the Iranian Election Uprising:
Live Iran Updates on the Huffington Post (Contributed by David Schlussel)
The BBC follows the Iranian Election
The Daily Dish: Images and Videos from Iran
Claims of Student Massacre Spread
