My colleague, Josh Shahryar, recently wrote an article for the Huffington Post titled “Iran, the Green Movement, and Cricket.” He argues that, just like in sports, the key to the Green Movement’s success is not to focus on an individual win or loss, but rather to focus on being consistent. Here is my comment:
Josh hit the nail on the head. The Opposition Movement in Iran can succeed, through consistency, but it will take some time. Also, some inside the movement probably should consider a strategy change. But how can people possibly say that the Green Movement is over when the people of Iran are a testament to freedom fighters everywhere?
I lived in Washington D.C. during the disputed election of George W. Bush, AND the lead-up to the Iraq War, and despite the fact that over 8 million people live in the DC Metro area, and there are 300 million Americans, relatively very few took to the streets. There were a few huge rallies, and a bunch of smaller ones, but despite the fact that freedom of speech is a guaranteed right, and the government was allowing the protests to happen, few took advantage of those rights, despite the fact (and one may not agree with them on these points) that MILLIONS believed that these events were serious infractions against the U.S. Constitution.
Posted in Foreign Policy, IranThe fact that the people of Iran continue to brave almost certain violence in order to be heard is a defeat for the regime. The fact that they need to is a sign that the very promise of the Islamic Revolution 31 years ago has been betrayed. It’s time for the world to stand up and give voice to the innocent, who want nothing but the freedom we all take for granted.
One Million Voices for Iran