Reporting in Iran: bloggers lead the way
p2pnet news view | P2P | Politics:- The photograph on the right of Iran presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi Khameneh was posted on Flickr.
“Due to widespread filters in Iran, please view this site to receive the latest news, letters & communications from Mir-Hossein Mousavi (via GhalamNews),” he says on his Twitter page.
And at 6:21 am Pacific, his Facebook page had 53,749 supporters.
The second pic comes from there.
Because the mainstream media are having trouble reporting events in Iran where, reinstated as president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tried to shut down everything except that which he wanted to be seen.
Thanks, however, to the bravery of ordinary Iranians with cellphones and family videocams, and bloggers passing news of events one to another, the word is getting out anyway: that Iran remains a repressive regime and the vast majority of Iranians don’t believe for one instant that Ahmadinejad won fairly and squarely.
Yesterday, “At 4:22 am, “CONFIRMED BY BBC PERSIAN, PLEASE TELL EVERYONE TO JOIN THEM: MOUSAVI, KAROUBI & KHATAMI WILL BE AT THE PROTEST. #IranElection,” p2pnet quoted Mousavi as saying on Twitter.
Today, Mousavi, “attempted to call off a mass protest in central Tehran in the face of government threats and a counter-demonstration that looked set to produce another day of violence,” says Times Online, continuing »»»
At least seven people were killed yesterday in Iran’s biggest street protests since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the prospect of two conflicting protests in Vali Asr Square prompted Mir Hossein Mousavi, the defeated challenger, to warn his supporters off.
Four days after Mr Ahmadinejad claimed a huge re-election win, the powerful Guardian Council offered a partial recount of disputed ballot boxes in response to complaints of massive electoral fraud.
The move by the country’s highest legislative body appeared to be the first concession to the opposition after hundreds of thousands joined anti-government protests.
Says Times Online:
“According to the official figures, Mr Ahmadinejad won a massive 24.5 million votes in Friday’s election against 13.2 million for Mr Mousavi. Mohsen Rezai, the former head of the elite Revolutionary Guards, came third with 678,240 votes or 1.73 per cent, while the reformist Mehbi Karroubi, a former parliamentary speaker, trailed with 333,635 votes or 0.85 percent.
“It is not just Mr Ahmadinejad’s margin of victory that has cast doubt on the result, however, but the speed with which 39.1 million votes were counted — and the fact that the incumbent enjoyed a consistent two-to-one lead even in his opponents’ political strongholds.”
June, 2009
p2pnet – Mir-Hossein Mousavi on Twitter, June 15, 2009
Times Online – Ahmadinejad challenger calls off Tehran rally to avert further bloodshed, June 16, 2009
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June 16th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
To help, people with Twitter accounts are encouraged to change their time zone and location to Tehran to give people there cover, as Iranian security forces are hunting protesters via Twitter.
It’s a simple thing those with Twitter can do to help out injustice in the world, and it doesn’t even cost you anything!
Iranian people want change, their government is choosing to stifle that change. Let this be the simple step forward to helping your fellow human and also be a step for yourself in standing up for rights and freedoms.
Who knows, maybe with a little luck you’ll be motivated to write to your MP/Senator or several MP’s/Senators, and make your voice heard. It’s far better than having sympathy or bitching about it.
June 16th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8102676.stm
“More than half of Iran’s population is aged under 25 and the BBC’s Gavin Hewitt said this younger, internet-savvy generation was rocking the centre of power.”
He said the hundreds of images captured on their mobile phones were telling the story of this crisis.
“The protesters are sending blogs and using messaging services like twitter – it’s a virtual game of cat and mouse,” he said.
“As the state tries to control access to the internet portals so the protesters are sending messages to each other on how to evade the government portals.”
June 16th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
You can bet you last buck that Iran will buy Sandvines DPI snitch boxes before the next election.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Iran is not a democracy since there is a supreme leader who is not elected and who actually control the place.
The “president!!!” is just a pupet who have to do follow the order of the “supreme!!!” leader.
Hossein Mousavi Khameneh or the other piece of crap does not change anything.
Iran almost had a democracy who was destroy by the US governement bu never did.
Even they rigged these BS election since the supreme leader like better the incumbant.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:22 am
“You can bet you last buck that Iran will buy Sandvines DPI snitch boxes before the next election.’
Yes but this will be unefective as well.