Monday
Nov092009
Iran: An Eyewitness on 13 Aban "Protest An Inseparable Part of People's Lives"
Monday, November 9, 2009 at 11:44
Iran’s New 13 Aban: An Eyewitness Account “I Have Never Seen as Much Violence”
Iran’s New 13 Aban: A First-Hand Account from the Streets
Iran: Josh Shahryar on the Significance of 13 Aban
Iran Video: The Tribute to 13 Aban’s Protesters
The Latest from Iran (9 November): Assessing the Government
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My only disagreement with this e-mail from an EA source is the assertion, "Nothing left to say." As we see the unfolding outcomes of the marches of last week, the writer has a lot of importance to say:
I know that you are completely informed of all the news about 13th Aban demonstrations and there is nothing left to say but these are the important things that I have noticed.
First, the brilliant presence of women not only as the demonstrators, but as a safeguard to keep the men protected, they stood in front of the groups of demonstrators to impede the government forces to beat the men and this was the reason that this time the detainees are mostly women.
Second, the government forces enjoyed using a new tactic this time in which they hid themselves among the demonstrators, and from there they tried to beat people, in order to show that these are protesters who were fighting amongst themselves.
Third, the behaviour of the government forces were like 18th of Tir [9 July of this year] and 30th of Khordad [20 June], extreme brutality, with the only difference that at least they did not kill anyone. The protesters were surprised for they thought that everything would be like [the relatively peaceful occasion on] Qods Day.
Fourth, although lots of people were injured (even one of my colleagues), they are not without hope. It seems that protest has become an inevitable and inseparable part of people's lives. They live, they work, they laugh, and they do all the routine things of life, but at the bottom of it they wait for an opportunity to protest.
Fifth, those who participate in these protests are very mature. As long as the government did not suppress them brutally, they are silent and just say the mottoes which represent peace and calmness. At the moment that the security forces begin to crack down with all their force and instruments, then the mottoes and actions of protesters become extreme too, because they have no other choice to save their lives.
Sixth, the general belief of the protesters is that this movement is like a marathon, so those who are participating in it should have strong will, perseverance, patience, and tirelessness. They can not be hopeless and they should be happy patient till the result comes true.
Iran’s New 13 Aban: A First-Hand Account from the Streets
Iran: Josh Shahryar on the Significance of 13 Aban
Iran Video: The Tribute to 13 Aban’s Protesters
The Latest from Iran (9 November): Assessing the Government
Receive our latest updates by email or RSS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED
Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis
My only disagreement with this e-mail from an EA source is the assertion, "Nothing left to say." As we see the unfolding outcomes of the marches of last week, the writer has a lot of importance to say:I know that you are completely informed of all the news about 13th Aban demonstrations and there is nothing left to say but these are the important things that I have noticed.
First, the brilliant presence of women not only as the demonstrators, but as a safeguard to keep the men protected, they stood in front of the groups of demonstrators to impede the government forces to beat the men and this was the reason that this time the detainees are mostly women.
Second, the government forces enjoyed using a new tactic this time in which they hid themselves among the demonstrators, and from there they tried to beat people, in order to show that these are protesters who were fighting amongst themselves.
Third, the behaviour of the government forces were like 18th of Tir [9 July of this year] and 30th of Khordad [20 June], extreme brutality, with the only difference that at least they did not kill anyone. The protesters were surprised for they thought that everything would be like [the relatively peaceful occasion on] Qods Day.
Fourth, although lots of people were injured (even one of my colleagues), they are not without hope. It seems that protest has become an inevitable and inseparable part of people's lives. They live, they work, they laugh, and they do all the routine things of life, but at the bottom of it they wait for an opportunity to protest.
Fifth, those who participate in these protests are very mature. As long as the government did not suppress them brutally, they are silent and just say the mottoes which represent peace and calmness. At the moment that the security forces begin to crack down with all their force and instruments, then the mottoes and actions of protesters become extreme too, because they have no other choice to save their lives.
Sixth, the general belief of the protesters is that this movement is like a marathon, so those who are participating in it should have strong will, perseverance, patience, and tirelessness. They can not be hopeless and they should be happy patient till the result comes true.
tagged 13 Aban, Iran, Iran Elections in Middle East & Iran
13 Aban, Iran, Iran Elections in Middle East & Iran
Reader Comments (4)
Also those who participate in the protests are very humane. Time and time again we have seen clips where members of repressive forces are captured by the protesters but they are not harmed. If these protesters win the whole Middle East will become a more humane place.
"If these protesters win the whole Middle East will become a more humane place."
Only if they win and their victory is not stolen by some opportunist power-grabber, like Khomeini grabbing the last revolution. (Or Lenin grabbing the Russian revolution.)
The slogan is: Irane sabze abad bombe atom nemikhad, a green, prosperous Iran does not want an atom bomb. And this is a true sentiment of millions in Iran, who are fed up with the culture of death and of violence and brutality. Just give us time. Support, too. The regime is brutal and rapist. Violence for them is hacked into the minds of their thugs. But give us time.
I was trying to find a place to comment on Ehsan Fattahian's "execution" in the notorious Sanandaj prison, I didn't find it so I will make m comments here. There are many suspicious elements in this elegant young man's death. He was given a ten year sentence and now executed after a summary "review." The family were not given the body and it was buried hastily. That is, no independent person has seen the body, nor of course any autopsy. There are rumors that this young, proud Kurdish youth had a fight with the prison guards, and as a result he was severely beaten which caused his death. This is not of course the first time such atrocity occurs in the prisons of IRI (Zahra Kazemi and hundreds others). The jailers, the IRI believers in Islam and upholders of the 12th Imam, tortured this young man to death and this "execution" is a show to cover it up. Let us have an autopsy as now Nobel Peace Prize holder, Shirin Ebady, too has called for. Let us expose this evil, yes evil, and brutal regime of killers and rapists. No more political correctness, please, I request of you western intellectuals. Why is the Human Rights Watch so ineffective. Can we not at least bring this case and an one of the hundreds (if not thousands more) to the attention of the world and try these butchers in international courts. You have no idea of the actual reality in prisons. But please consider the level of anguish the men and women in IRI prisons undergo. The have merely demonstrated their constitution given right to assemble peacefully to demonstgrate and bring their concerns to public. The female detainees after Aban 13 are held in secret places, no one knows and no one answers questions.