Although news about Iran’s stolen election have fallen off the radar of most news outlets, things have not calmed down or been resolved. Not by a long shot.
While the ruthless Basij and riot police were able to suppress the protests and prevent any new ones, the same discontent simmer beneath the surface ready to explode at any moment.
If this does play out following the same time line as the Iranian revolution 30 years ago, it will go on for months and build momentum slowly. I’m still not convinced that it will however. The Islamic Republic has shown itself to be completely without mercy when it comes to internal challenges. There is no line they will not cross to maintain power.
But it would seem that Rafsanjani has been busy in Qom. The Assembly of Qom Seminary Scholars and Researchers recently released a shocking statement (see below).
Since this all began I kept a running tally of links to important articles, new developments and analysis. I’ve continued to add links to it but since the list is getting really long I’ll keep going below:
- Trouble in Iran (VBS TV)
- New Tool to Circumvent Government Internet Controls (Blog)
- Leading Qum Clerical Group Defies Khamenei (NY Times)
- Iran’s Green Wave (The Nation)
- Rafsanjani’s Carefully Crafted Statement (CNN)
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (LA Times)
- Iran Goes on Strike (Daily Beast)
- Iranian Protesters Get Creative (Times)
- ‘Iran trial’ for UK embassy staff (BBC)
- Mousavi Promises To Continue Protests (Washington Post)
- Iran protests flare on anniversary of 1999 riots (Guardian)
- Iranian exile speaks out against militia he once supported (LA Times)
- The New Democrats (The New Republic)
- Inside the Iranian Crackdown (WSJ)
- Misreading Iran’s unrest (LA Times)
- Rafsanjani’s Day of Reckoning (The New Republic)
- Tehran’s Streets Erupt After Rafsanjani’s Speech (LA Times)
- Hard-Line Force Extends Grip Over a Splintered Iran (NY Times)
- Khatami Calls for Referendum (CBC)
- Iran opposition leader plans large-scale social movement (LA Times)
There is also an interesting site I stumbled onto with fascinating pictures and images of the olden Mid-East. There is only one that directly pertain to the Baha’i Faith. And I believe it is incorrect or at least incorrectly labeled. It is the image below:
Photograph, of the grandsons of ABDUL BAHA, taken in Acre [ Acca ]/Syria in 1905. One of the two grandsons is Shoghi [Showqi ] Effendi,known as the “Guardian of the Cause”…
Neither of the two men resemble Shoghi Effendi (not even close!). But the other images of the cities and people of the time of Abdu’l-Baha are interesting nonetheless.