Comments on: Song from Iran and other news

By: Tim Hogan

Tim Hogan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:13:32 +0000

Erich, I had several ideas about how we could support the Iranians:

Tie a green ribbon ’round the old oak tree.

Co-ordinate an effort worldwide to have Iranian freedom supporters take to the roofs or just go outside and shout or say “God is Great!” at sundown Tehran time. Just let’s all of us do it, at the least for solidarity’s sake!

I will never forget the image of Pope John Paul II walking down the steps from his plane, kneeling, and kissing the ground of his native Poland. I believe that was the beginning of the fall of the old Soviet Union.

It is clear that such actions and images can give aid and support to the legitimate desires of freedom loving peoples. Perhaps history may repeat itself, in a positive way. The Iron Curtain came down; it was shouted down by cries for freedom.

I say this now in solidarity with those standing for freedom in the Islamic Republic of Iran:

“GOD IS GREAT!”

By: Erich Vieth

Erich Vieth — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:15:43 +0000

Tim: We are far away and quite limited in what we can do as individuals and as a nation (given the blowback if the U.S. was perceived to be intervening). What we can do is to make sure that our Media keeps publishing the story. Not only when people are throwing rocks, but when the thugs are breaking into dissidents’ houses in the middle of the night and when thousands of people are being thrown into education camp. And when hundreds of teachers are losing their jobs. We need to remind the ruling party that we are watching and that we are fully aware of the kind of government that is in power. It is my belief that to the extent that we allow Michael Jackson to entirely blow the Iran story off the front page, the despots will act all the more harshly. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. The rulers of Iran have clearly shown (through their constant bristling) that they do care what we think of them.

By: Tim Hogan

Tim Hogan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:03:41 +0000

Erich, what do those in Iran ask of others outside of Iran that would support the Iranians’ desires for freedom?

By: Erich Vieth

Erich Vieth — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:36:14 +0000

From Truthoutorg:

“There used to be more slogans like ‘Ya Hossein, Mir Hossein’,” Aamina said, in support of presidential challenger Mir-Hossein Mousavi. But the slogans have evolved as the crisis has. Now they shout “Alaho Akbar [God is the greatest], down with the dictator and down with the liar.” Aamina said that in the distance she even hears people shouting “down with [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei,” the Supreme Leader of Iran.

This shift from protesting the official results of the June 12 election to protesting the restrictive system of governance in Iran is striking and significant.

“Some of my neighbors use some radical slogans and last night they said that they do not care about the election anymore. They want this regime to change.

http://www.truthout.org/062809A?n