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Perhaps the voices of protestors on Iran’s streets are not as loud as they were last week, but the political stalemate in the Islamic Republic is still the subject of debate both domestically and internationally. With both the government and the opposition refusing to make compromises, Iran’s crisis is far from over. IslamOnline.net talked to a number of young Iranians about the ongoing unrest in their country.
Mostafa, 20
“The Friday sermon of the Supreme Leader was a warning to Mirhossein Mousavi and his supporters…Mousavi who called for adherence to the law…before the elections and criticized the incumbent president for breaching the law, is breaching the law now by calling for illegal rallies and demonstrations.
“The words of the Supreme Leader were clear and precise…Now the violators of the law will face the consequences of their actions.
“Our system is not weak and fragile to rig the votes of 11 million people to help a certain candidate to win the election.”
Arsalan, 19
| "We voted because we believed that our votes would be respected." |
"I voted for the first time in my lifetime just for the sake of change, with the hope that my vote will count. I'll never vote [again] in any elections, or at least I am determined not to do so right now. I do believe that the evidences of fraud are quite obvious. The number of votes counted in some governorates was bigger than the number of eligible voters. Isn't it an evidence of fraud?
“The way dissidents have been treated over the past days is unfair. We are not brushwood! We voted because we believed that our votes would be respected and protected. I'm confused at the current moment and don't know exactly what to do!"
Amin, 19
“Whether there was fraud or not, there are legal channels for [complaining] and investigating [such a claim]. There is no reason to endanger national security for the sake of a position whose holder will leave office after four years.
“I understand the concerns of Mr. Mousavi’s supporters, and I respect them. But I believe that they should pursue their demands within the framework of constitution through the Guardian Council…Let's maintain national stability.”
Kianoush, 29
“Silent protests are a sign of political maturity…We walked the streets for two hours without saying a single word. We even tried to silence those who were about to lose their temper...We just carry posters and [distribute] leaflets, hoping that the authorities would listen to our demands.
“The protesters don’t want to overthrow the government or put an end to the Islamic system. We just want the high-ranking officials – who called us ‘the respected and esteemed people’ after voting in the elections – to respect our demands and believe that we've witnessed evidences of fraud."
Hamid, 25
| "The organization of the election disallows the human factor to influence the results." |
“The organization of the election disallows the human factor to influence the results…The polling stations get closed several hours before the commencement of the election, and they get closed again at the end of the election day. All of the procedures are done with the supervision and presence of the representatives of each candidate. It's impossible for rigging to take place."
Sourosh, 17
"I can't understand why the incumbent president is so popular despite the crises and problems in which he involved Iran. Our relations with the major world powers have been severed, we live under tough sanctions, and our financial situation is terrible. It's unbelievable! We are an isolated country, and they still re-elect him!"
Payam, 21
“Regardless of the unrest and the election’s results, the longstanding silence of major reformist figure, particularly the former president Mohamed Khatami, is unacceptable. "People are endangering their lives…for the sake of reform. Why hasn’t Mr. Khatami made any statements?!
"Following the announcement of the results, he did not even make a public appearance, or send a plain note. We are sacrificing because we believe in Khatami and Mousavi. He should respond us gratuitously!"
* Last names are not included upon the request of the interviewees.
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