You Want a Revolution? There's a Cost

To get real change, people will have to vote with bodies, not ballots

By Katherine Thompson, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 21, 2009 12:18 PM CDT

(Newser) – When revolution came to Iran in 1979, it took thousands of people taking to the streets to finally break down the shah's authority. Now the revolutionary government has all that power and oil money, and the only way to elect a leader it doesn't approve of is with bodies, not ballots, writes Thomas Friedman in the New York Times.

"Iran’s mullahs were always ready to allow voting, as long as the counting didn’t matter," Friedman writes, so "a regime like Iran’s can only be brought down or changed if enough Iranians vote as they did in 1979—in the street. That is what the regime fears most, because then it either has to shoot its own people or cede power."

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

Supporters of opposition leader Mir Hossien Mousavi set fire to a barricade as they protest in Tehran on Saturday, June 20, 2009. (AP Photo)

This Feb. 11, 1979, file photo shows a rebel tossing police records onto a burning car after insurgents took over and burned a police station in Tehran. (AP Photo/Michel Lipchitz,file .)

Iranian clerics are clearly paying close attention to the street anger - the same street anger that they themselves used three decades ago in their revolution to bring down Iran's ruling Shah. (AP Photo/Aristotle Saris, File)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

The Iranian people turned the regime man into their own candidate, and he seems to have been transformed by them. That is why the regime panicked and stole the election. - Thomas Friedman, on Mir Hussein Moussavi

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Iran Council Confirms Ahmadinejad Win

Top council makes decision

(NEWSER) - After partially recounting ballots, Iran’s top legislators have confirmed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the victor in the country’s presidential election, the BBC reports. The decision by the 12-member, conservative-controlled Guardian Council was announced on state television and follows weeks of protests in which some 17 are believed to have died. The recount found no voting irregularities, Iranian TV reported. More»

Iran 'Retires' Soccer Players Over Protest

Banned for life for wristbands showing Mousavi support

(NEWSER) - Iran has barred four of its national soccer players from the field for life after they wore green wristbands during a match last week in apparent support of opposition presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, an Iranian pro-government newspaper said. Six players wore the bands; most took them off at halftime, the Guardian notes. More»

Vote Stands, Declares Iran Council

(NEWSER) - Iran's official Guardian Council has declared absolutely that the nation's controversial presidential election will stand, reports CNN. "If a major breach occurs in an election, the Guardian Council may annul the votes," said a spokesman. "Fortunately, we found no witness of major fraud or breach in the election. Therefore, there is no possibility of an annulment taking place." More»

Iran Releases 4 Family Members of Former Prez

(NEWSER) - Iran is calm but tense today as police freed four family members of a former president and important Iranian cleric, the Los Angeles Times reports. But the oldest daughter of Hashemi Rafsanjani, a key backer of challenger Mir-Hossein Mousavi, was not released by authorities in Tehran. Five members of Rafsanjani's family were arrested yesterday, illustrating a clerical divide between reformers like Rafsanjani and conservatives like Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. More»

Ayatollah Calls for Calm, Denies Ballot Fraud

'Zionists' and BBC are exploiting protests, Khamenei says

(NEWSER) - The supreme leader of Iran called for "peace and tranquility" in his first public speech since the contested presidential election, Al Jazeera reports. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei defended the legitimacy of the vote and told protesters to stop, notes the New York Times. "Street challenge is not acceptable," he said, adding that opposition leaders would be "held responsible for chaos." He blamed "Zionists, evil media" for trying to exploit divisions. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

You Want a Revolution? There's a Cost