The brave patriots of Iran continue to press their case
People are dying in Tehran and probably elsewhere in Iran. The videos of brutality and murder are stunning. One of the more heartbreaking is here, documenting the death of a young woman apparently shot on a rooftop. It is too graphic to be posted here.
Iranian officials have managed to suppress mass demonstrations but the public is apparently continuing to protest in a variety of fashions. Gov’t thugs are collecting names of those taken to hospitals, so some foreign embassies have opened their doors to those seeking shelter and protection. A Google map has been posted of embassy santuaries.
President Obama has released a statement, which follows:
The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights.
As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. The Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion.
Martin Luther King once said – “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” I believe that. The international community believes that. And right now, we are bearing witness to the Iranian peoples’ belief in that truth, and we will continue to bear witness.
Reuters is quoting opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi as saying he was “ready for martyrdom”, and has urged a national strike if he is arrested or killed. A suicide bomber blew himself up at the tomb of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Whatever the short-term outcome, the death of the current clerical regime will date from this week.
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112 comments Add your comment
devans00
June 20th, 2009
5:28 pm
It’s unfortunate peaceful marchers and bystanders had to lose their lives in the pursuit of justice. As we sit comfortably and safely in our American homes, the Iranian election protesters’ bravery and steadfastness to their goals remind us that freedom is not free.
josef nix
June 20th, 2009
5:42 pm
Thanks for the embassy link. It looks like Chile in 1973.
clyde
June 20th, 2009
5:50 pm
The Iranan government doesn’t care one whit about the respect of the international commuunity.It will continue to kill it’s citizens as long as necessary to preserve it’s power.
George American
June 20th, 2009
5:51 pm
Barak Hussane Obama won’t stand up to the Iraqs. He and the demorates are too chicken.
I am glad the others hear are not scared to call a spade a SPADE and stand up to this incompetint boobs.
josef nix
June 20th, 2009
5:51 pm
Do you care? There’s a gathering now at the CNN center.
RW-(the original)
June 20th, 2009
5:59 pm
What’s the practical difference between embedding the You Tube and posting a hot link to it?
Normal
June 20th, 2009
6:00 pm
George American..I’m an American too…and you sir, not President Obama, embarrass me. I truly feel sorry for you. Imagine…A bigot this day and age. What a Neaderthol…Just sayin’
Normal
June 20th, 2009
6:08 pm
Y’all,
I going for now…gonna try my hand at making Ravoli. I have a good sauce going and getting tired of spagetti. Wife loves it when I cook, so maybe I won’t have to go to the gum tomorrow…Just hopin’
Frederick Douglass
June 20th, 2009
6:10 pm
Neanderthals could express themselves in writing better than George American, even if it was only cave drawings.
TnGelding
June 20th, 2009
6:15 pm
Government thugs? What about thugs among the demonstrators? For us to make judgment from afar without knowing what precipitated any killing is unwise. No doubt there have been excesses on both sides. The sad thing is there would have been little change no matter who had won the election.
Maybe we should offer Mousavi sanction here? Or increase our shipment of arms to Israel? What about shooting down an Iranian passenger jet?
Protests in U.S.:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonus_Army
http://cbs2chicago.com/specialreports/1968.democratic.convention.2.1050347.html
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
June 20th, 2009
6:20 pm
Yesterday, Hugh Hewitt suggested that, in the absence oof real leadership and the exercise of moral authority, Obama merely repeat the milquetoaste Cairo speech. Looks like Hewitt is the President’s teleprompter on this matter.
AmVet
June 20th, 2009
6:23 pm
Some of the pictures from Tehran reminded me of Richard Daly’s goons in 1968 Chicago.
Hang tough Iranians…
josef nix
June 20th, 2009
6:23 pm
So far the President has done publicly what is the best. He has said we witness, It is Iran’s battle. The crowds in the street know the world is watching and so do the mullahs. They both also know where the sentiments of the world lie.
George American
June 20th, 2009
6:30 pm
Normal and Mr. Douglass,
I don’t care what you think of me. You are probably just chicken liberals – peck’n in the cool laid of the liberal controlled media. At least I have the courage to speak the truth to the liberal media. You do not get the truth in the main stream.
getalife
June 20th, 2009
6:32 pm
Damn.
Normal
June 20th, 2009
6:35 pm
George American, I’d tell you to put your sheet back on and go play with your burning cross, but my Momma always said, “If you can’t say anything nice about a person, just don’t say anything at all”. So I won’t tell you that.
DoggoneGA
June 20th, 2009
6:42 pm
“At least I have the courage to speak the truth to the liberal media.”
You, sir, have neither courage nor truth in your control. Your bigotry gives the lie to both.
getalife
June 20th, 2009
6:51 pm
Yeah, it is bad:
http://twitter.com/search?q=%23iranelection#search?q=%23iranelection
Kayaker 71
June 20th, 2009
6:55 pm
Frederick and Normal,
I am not so sure that George is such a bigot or that he has said things that demand this kind of rhetoric on your part. Calling a spade a spade happened long before anyone was so concerned about political correctness or what is the “right thing to say”. It used to mean telling it like it is. It still does, it you would look beyond your narrow minded “racist” rhetoric and quit condemning someone who might just not mean it like you think. We are so quick to come to the conclusion that someone might just not being “correct” enough. Get over it.
DoggoneGA
June 20th, 2009
7:08 pm
“I am not so sure that George is such a bigot or that he has said things that demand this kind of rhetoric on your part.”
Sure he did. If he had meant to more generic “calling a spade a spade” there was absolutely NO NEED to emphasize the second SPADE. And the other statements around it, and after it, showed whose interpretation was more correct.
TnGelding
June 20th, 2009
7:14 pm
I stepped outside for a minute and found a cool breeze in our well-shaded backyard.
@@
June 20th, 2009
7:20 pm
It’s a shame that Ayatollah al-Sistani, Khomeini’s rival, was exiled from Iran. Things could have been so different had he not.
For a bit of background for those unfamiliar with Sistani’s significance in the Muslim world far beyond Iraq, consider an Iraq analysis from this spring:
Leading Shiite cleric in Iraq Ali Sistani Tuesday banned the killing of Iraqis, particularly the Sunnis, and urged the Shiites to protect their brother Sunnis.
In fact, what exists is a deep rivalry between the revolutionary Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini and the traditionalist Grand Ayatollah Sistani, both claiming authority over the Shi’a faith. While the Khomeinist revolutionary Khameini clearly believes in Shi’a theocracy, the Iraqi Ayatollah Sistani believes that the faith can exist within a democracy without theological conflict. And while the Iranians work to spin the growing Sunni tribal rejection of al-Qaeda as Americans “negotiating with terrorists,” Sistani himself has always had open channels of communication with American forces and the Iraqi government.
Sistani’s appeal does not end at the Iraqi border, as Iranians increasingly observe his leadership with interest and fondness. Some are “intrigued by the more freewheeling experiment in Shi’ite empowerment taking place across the border in Iraq,” which is fundamentally different in approach than the Iranian theocratic brand of dictated observance and obedience. The Boston Globe’s Anne Barnard reports that within Tehran’s own central bazaar, “an increasing number of merchants are sending their religious donations, a 20 percent tithe expected from all who can spare it, to Iraq’s most senior Shi’ite cleric.”
Iran has their Khameini and Iraq has Iran’s al-Sistani.
@@
June 20th, 2009
7:28 pm
I beg to differ on George American’s comment. George’s “SPADE” is taking digs at a CHICKEN or…
a BOOB. Since George is obviously a guy, the plural BOOB would come naturally unless, of course, he’s referring to Obama and Biden as a PAIR of BOOBS.
@@
June 20th, 2009
7:32 pm
Signed, (@)(@)…(*)(*) or (.)(.)
I should know…
Frederick Douglass
June 20th, 2009
7:37 pm
Quotes from the original Frederick Douglass: ” The thing worse than rebellion (Ahmadinejad) is the thing that cause rebellion”.
” A gentleman will not insult me, and no man not a gentleman can
insult me (George American)”.
Kayaker 71
June 20th, 2009
7:46 pm
Frederick,
You sound like a very pissed off black man who is going to carry his hate to the grave.
Normal
June 20th, 2009
7:47 pm
Kayaker 71… I’ll give you the “spade” part of your argument, thank you. And I’ll say nothing more about or to George…Just not sayin’
Normal
June 20th, 2009
7:49 pm
Kayaker…Are you George American in drag? Just checkin’
DoggoneGA
June 20th, 2009
7:51 pm
“who is going to carry his hate to the grave.”
Hate? He quotes someone to say that even a bigot can’t insult him and you call THAT *hate*?
Michael H. Smith
June 20th, 2009
7:52 pm
A few years ago an American of Iranian ancestry – via a conversation – foretold of this day in Iran. It is a very eerie feeling watching a prophecy come to pass.
getalife
June 20th, 2009
7:56 pm
Her name was Neda :
http://twitpic.com/7ybuz
DebbieDoRight
June 20th, 2009
8:07 pm
Enter your comments here
jt
June 20th, 2009
8:14 pm
Obama chides the Iranian goverment-
“If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion.”
Is he kidding? Can anyone on this blog claim that our goverment does NOT govern by coercion?
That is as stupid and hollow as claiming civil rights were won without violence.
Belief it if you want. The world ain’t buying it..
DebbieDoRight
June 20th, 2009
8:14 pm
GeorgeAmerican: Before you call Obama “incompetent” — perhaps you should learn how to spell the word you use to insult him with first.
DoggoneGA
June 20th, 2009
8:17 pm
“A few years ago an American of Iranian ancestry – via a conversation – foretold of this day in Iran. It is a very eerie feeling watching a prophecy come to pass.”
I bet it is! It’s going to be interesting, as time rolls on, to see how well democracy by the people fares in comparison to democracy imposed by an invader.
josef nix
June 20th, 2009
8:23 pm
getalife
“Her name was Neda ”
And listen to us here. Sad.:
josef nix
June 20th, 2009
8:27 pm
NORMAL: thanks for the kind words. Left you a message below.
Frederick Douglass
June 20th, 2009
8:44 pm
Kayaker 71: Not only do I sound like a pissed off black man, I am a pissed off black man. Why is it that when a black man expresses his
opinion about perceived injustice he’s pissed off, and should get
over it, but when someone else espouses those same feelings, they’re
just concerned about the direction this country is headed?
josef nix
June 20th, 2009
8:49 pm
NORMAL–well, given the tone of this evening’s discussion, how did the ravioli turn out and was the missus happy…
“…when the moon hits your eye like a pizza pie…that’s amore!”
DoggoneGA
June 20th, 2009
8:49 pm
“Why is it that when a black man expresses his
opinion about perceived injustice he’s pissed off, and should get
over it,”
Only in the mind of a bigot, Frederick, only a bigot.
josef nix
June 20th, 2009
8:53 pm
Repeat
“Her name was Neda”
Or do we really not give a damn.
RW-(the original)
June 20th, 2009
8:54 pm
j-nix,
There’s a lesser known version that Weird Al either did or should have done.
When you swim in the sea and an eel bites your knee…that’s a Moray.
DogGA,
I’ve got to give you props for shear stamina. You started non stop nit picking at about 11 this morning and ten hours in you don’t even seem to be breaking a sweat.
I Report :-) You Whine :-(
June 20th, 2009
8:56 pm
We did that about 40 years ago. Yesterday’s protestors are today’s establishment. The gifts of the State keep on giving.
jt- So I’m assuming that you believe the protesters are not better than the mullahs, they just want to blow up Israel and enslave the people of Iran under their own banner, eh?
I Report :-) You Whine :-(
June 20th, 2009
8:59 pm
Reagan didn’t worry about meddling, Reagan wasn’t skeered that the enemy would use our involvement as propaganda.
Reagan went to that wall and demanded that it be tore down.
Reagan was a man.
josef nix
June 20th, 2009
9:00 pm
Got my pocket translator out.
“..words of love, so soft and tender, won’t win her, you oughta know by now…”
just sayin’
josef nix
June 20th, 2009
9:13 pm
getalife–obviously nobody but you and I care who she was. Sad.
Kayaker 71
June 20th, 2009
9:14 pm
Frederick,
Everything said to you by some white guy is not bigoted hate. It is very easy to pick apart everything that someone says to you and perceive it as something that you feel is misdirected rhetoric. Everyone who expresses an opinion about the black community does not wear a white sheet. You do not have the right to call people names, say something about them that is not true or push your own bigotry toward your critics. I say again, get over it.
jt
June 20th, 2009
9:15 pm
I Report/you whine- you asked-
jt- So I’m assuming that you believe the protesters are not better than the mullahs, they just want to blow up Israel and enslave the people of Iran under their own banner, eh?
I don’t KNOW what the protesters want as regards to Israel. Nor do you.
Considering how corrupt that our current congress and administration is, why would you trust our military under it’s leadership.?
Isn’t it best to get our own house in order first? Freedom doesn’t come cheap for anyone. No matter how people want to white wash it.
I hope Iran does better than us.
DebbieDoRight
June 20th, 2009
9:16 pm
Whine: Reagan went to that wall and demanded that it be tore down.
Reagan was a man.
too funny!!! Reagan’s SPEECH Writer said “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Reagan just read it off his notes!
jt
June 20th, 2009
9:17 pm
“Reagan went to that wall and demanded that it be tore down.”
That is when we had some credibility left. As far as personal liberty.
It rings hollow now.