Four Reflections on the Iranian Uprising So Far

Like so many others, I have been glued to the Internet all week watching Iran's chaos unfold from the outside. This moment is certainly one in which there will be a "before" and "after" -- not only for the Persian people -- but also for the international community. Following are some key lessons learned, regardless of the outcome of the fallout.

1. Iran's stereotype will never be the same.

On Thursday, I attended a meeting at a Jewish temple that turned out to be a showdown between former AIPAC President Steve Grossman and J Street Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami on the future of Israel. (J Street is the new pro-peace lobby that is sending shockwaves through Capitol Hill.) During the question and answer session, the issue that was on everyone's mind was Iran. President Ahmadinejad's hard-line remarks on Israel understandably breed fear among those of us who are concerned with that country's future as well as the plight of the Palestinians. The obvious reality is that one person's rants can never speak for an entire population -- in this case more than 65 million. More often than not, many continue to stereotype the Iranian people as nuclear-obsessed followers of every whim of their rogue leadership. Ben-Ami reiterated that no matter what our stance on Iran, watching the Iranian people this week has forced us all to rethink the image.

2. This is not really about Ahmadinejad or Mousavi.

One of my Iranian friends recently pointed out that Mousavi and Ahmadinejad had more in common than most thought. In fact, the President of Iran has very little to do with the country's internal or external affairs that dictate the system. Supreme Leader Khamenei is so powerful that he ultimately decides who can even run for president. Khamenei made it very clear that he called the shots on Friday when he threatened further crackdown on peaceful protesters. He followed through on Saturday with teargas, live bullets, clubs, and alleged chemical attacks. Since Khamenei is in charge of Iran's who's who list, he is able to change anything without a moments notice. Mousavi has become the symbol of something much bigger than his presidential campaign. He is the new face of uprooting the entire system. That said, my Iranian friend told stories of what life was like under the Shah, where the poor majority was crippled by dynastical rule. Going back is not an option -- the idea is to rethink the system.

3. For that matter, this is hardly about Obama or the U.S.

Let's face it. The U.S. should not be able to take credit for everything positive that happens in the world, especially when we often find ourselves at the root of the problem. This is why the parallels between Mousavi and Obama hold little authority in Iran's fight for a better tomorrow. Along those lines, the U.S. does not hold the copyright to the words "hope," "change," or "progress." I continually read that none of this would be possible if it were not for Obama's successful campaign. As relieved as I am at the outcome of last year's election in the U.S. for which I worked tirelessly, this is Iran's time to exercise democracy. President Obama is right by both condemning the Iranian government's brutality against their people and not diving headfirst into the mix. I can only imagine the "opportunity" that this moment could have been for the Bush administration to face-off with Tehran the second the Iranians questioned their election's result.

4. Citizen journalism trumps mainstream media.

The buzz about Twitter got me so curious that I logged back into my account and spent an evening learning how to navigate the system. Once I figured out the Iran election feeds and started 'following' a few people on the ground there, I was hooked. Twitter is just one of many vehicles that allows those most affected by the news to actually do the reporting. The text, images, and video that the Iranians have put out there this week have gotten at the very soul of their nation. Iran's state-owned media has consistently kept the interests of the majority out of the story, much like the corporate-manipulated media in this country. (Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. is worth more than 30 billion, which translates to roughly 10 percent of Iran's entire GDP.) The point is not about the social networking phenomenon, but working with the latest tools to unleash the power of the citizen journalism. Maybe we can learn from the Iranians and do a better job of using these new venues as massive organizing tools instead of just the next bad habit.

Follow Salena Tramel on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ssalena

Comments

[alexa07]

" Iran's state-owned media has consistently kept the interests of the majority out of the story, much like the corporate-­manipulate­d media in this country."

Salena,
Thanks for pointing this out. So many examples come to my mind to illustrate how the corporate media has worked with Wall Street, the Neo-con ideologues on Iraq, Palestine et al. The coverage of how we "must" accept anything but the kind of health care system our country is crying out for is perhaps the newest example. As well as how the media has buried facts about what the American public really needs to get out of this financial mess.