The night before the elections, there was an extraordinary photo on the homepage of a beautiful woman leaning out of a car window and waving with the most radiant smile imaginable.
It was part of a photo essay on the celebrations in the streets of Tehran of the green wave. They were so confident that at least there'd be a run-off, which in itself would be such a triumph. Jahanshah had just written a blog predicting that scenario with Moussavi emerging the winner. The majority of the participants on this website held that woman's radiant smile in their hearts and it is an image that is emblazoned on my mind.
Jahanshah had supertitled the photo essay "Fateful Night".
_________________________
I have to say that on that euphoric night I felt as excited as I did on the day before Obama won. And that the shell shock I felt when the results were announced was the closest I've ever felt to September 11 in my own New York City. And for days I walked around in a daze and my American friends could not understand it. And that was understandable.
Since that night I have followed the news from Iran very carefully and have contributed every day. I felt, as it approached, that Rafsanjani's Friday prayer sermon would be the end of what I started to think of as Phase 1. And politically I believe it's true. But symbolically perhaps this weekend with its global green celebration should mark its end, and the new beginning of what will be a far more gradual and laborious process than many had hoped (though knowing in their heart of hearts that this was unrealistic). But still a process which will hold the radiance of that gitl's smile.
So I thought tonight was a good time for me to post an excellent documentary I'd found about three weeks ago in my travels through the news. It's a two-part one by Aljazeera called 'Moussavi and the Masses'. The second part captures so beautifully the exuberance of all that green growth preceding the elections, and the subsequent turmoil. But the first part is more moving in a certain way because it documents Moussavi's rise from his early Revolutionary days and contains some extraordinary footage from that time. And for this particular community, the two parts cannot but go hand in hand.
______________________________
Many of the hardcore bloggers here,the old timers I mean, like Jahanshah participated in the Revolution. Some on the other end. Two years ago when the blogging began and throughout ,there was a kind of quiet, lingering despair on the part of those who had supported it over what they wrought, a deep regret and a pervasive sense of guilt. And a caustic bitterness on the part of those who'd opposed it. And on both sides a yearning, a deltangi' and a hopeless convicton that they could never reclaim their country. That nothing could. And always a kind of numbness. But I always knew in my soul that the day would come, I'd felt its energy since I began my Iranian studies six years ago. In fact I'm sure it's that energy that called me to Iran, because I never found Iran. Iran found me.
I firmly believe that your generation, our generation, will see a free Iran in our lifetime. And so do many of you. So it is no longer painful or numbing to watch a documentary like Part 1 of Moussavi and the Masses. Now you can reclaim some of that young woman's radiant smile, which was also yours in your youth. The transition to democracy won't happen overnight. And perhaps not the way you envision it even when it first really starts to bloom. But you'll have to embrace it as it is and be patient.
Many of you believe that you know why that woman in the photo wears green. You believe you know her green means youth and spring and hope for freedom. And so it does. But only she knows everything that the green she wears means to her. Whether it is 'only' the green leaves of a tree which dance in the sun and air of democracy. Or also the green of an Islam that dances. I do believe that Iran is inevitably headed towards secularism, but only the youth who danced on the streets of Tehran that fateful night know what that green means to them. And no one but they have the right to say.
I believe, for numerous reasons, that it is the historical imperative of Irani to lead the way in the green growth of all peoples toward both freedom, and responsibility, for a planet that is fair and equitable for all. You will reclaim your country. And in so doing, you will help lead humanity to reclaim itself. I believe you already are. So I wanted you to see this documentary this weekend. I'm very proud to have shared Phase 1 with you.
Fardaa roshanast.
Rosie
Moussavi and the Masses Part 1
Moussavi and the Masses Part 2
Recently by rosie is roxy is roshan | Comments | Date |
---|---|---|
Dangerous People, Dangerous Games | 3 | Aug 19, 2009 |
What Yeggia Once Told Me About Iran | 11 | Aug 16, 2009 |
Sedaa am | 17 | Aug 15, 2009 |
Person | About | Day |
---|---|---|
نسرین ستوده: زندانی روز | Dec 04 | |
Saeed Malekpour: Prisoner of the day | Lawyer says death sentence suspended | Dec 03 |
Majid Tavakoli: Prisoner of the day | Iterview with mother | Dec 02 |
احسان نراقی: جامعه شناس و نویسنده ۱۳۰۵-۱۳۹۱ | Dec 02 | |
Nasrin Sotoudeh: Prisoner of the day | 46 days on hunger strike | Dec 01 |
Nasrin Sotoudeh: Graffiti | In Barcelona | Nov 30 |
گوهر عشقی: مادر ستار بهشتی | Nov 30 | |
Abdollah Momeni: Prisoner of the day | Activist denied leave and family visits for 1.5 years | Nov 30 |
محمد کلالی: یکی از حمله کنندگان به سفارت ایران در برلین | Nov 29 | |
Habibollah Golparipour: Prisoner of the day | Kurdish Activist on Death Row | Nov 28 |
Che kar..
by rosie is roxy is roshan on Mon Jul 27, 2009 09:56 AM PDTthanks a lot, but you're new and...
this is a very old story...
and...
it was featured, and it was purposely unfeatured. That's why I almost never write blogs any more. Can't fight City Hall when City Hall's fighting you.
Trust me. It's part of an ongoing soap opera. Old as the hills.
And actually it's only the regular bloggers who check the non-featured. And my close friend City Hall knows that. So what I'm planning on doing now is taking a little breather and then setting up a private e-mail list so the people I know here and who like to participate in discussions with me and each other will know when my blogs are here. They are regular bloggers but they don't check the site every day, so I'm going to let them know when I write a blog and then I can start writing again and hopefully they'll generate some discussion. They should be almost all political.
You have to understand that even if it were true and people in general did see the nonfeatureds, that it still hurts very much every time this is done to me. No one can live like that here. Anyway after a looong time I think I've finally figured out a way of being able to have control over my work here. So I should be back here in about three weeks and intend to write fairly regularly as well as post more news.
In the meantime I'm brushing up on my Persian, which I haven't touched in several years, so I can read the news from the original Persian sources, as well as submissions that are written in Persian. The brush-up shouldn't take too long. And I'll be following the site but I won't be posting again til then.
Thanks a lot for caring. You take care. :o)
rose
Rosie jaana
by che khabar e on Mon Jul 27, 2009 09:23 AM PDTDon't obsess about being featured or not. The material is here and will be found and will be read. Don't worry about that. :-)
sepas
Thank you. I just wish it would be refeatured.
by rosie is roxy is roshan on Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:11 AM PDTI made the corrections last night right after it was featured. And when you make corrections, a blog gets automatically unfeatured.
I know it's an oversight. Jahanshah is so overwhelmed right now with his traveling and all. And all the overwhelming emotions...
lovely
by che khabar e on Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:29 AM PDTI echo David. Thank you for caring. :-)
Oh well
by David ET on Fri Jul 24, 2009 12:12 AM PDTI wrote a long commentary and it all disappeared when I clicked !
so for now before I sleep I say:
I enjoyed reading your blog and thank you for caring and persistance