Ahmadinejad owes the Iranian opposition big. In fact, all Iranians,
even those who disagree with Mousavi's supporters, should be grateful
that they exist, that they are loud, and that they are pouring into the
streets of Tehran.
Because it is this green opposition which is
protecting Iran from Israel and those in the US itching to bomb. Yes,
these women and men are the human shield that can protect Iranians
better than any nuclear arsenal can. They also expose the neocon
doctrine of regime change as farcical for they demonstrate that the best change
comes from within.
The world can no longer think about Iran and
just see Ahmadinejad and grim looking mullahs frowning into the camera
daring them to bomb. Now we see a different Iran: youthful, energetic,
creative, determined, joyful, hopeful. And Islamic.
The women
of the Iranian opposition stand out. They are kicking ass and
need no one to save them baby. They have enough spunk and courage to start
exporting revolution. No wonder the Islamic Republic needs so many
rules to contain them. They know what they are up against!
Some
Americans like to take credit for what is happening in Iran. The
liberals say this is the effect of the Obama Speech. The conservatives
say this proves Bush was right in going into Iraq, because look, the
desire for freedom, which we have patented, is spreading. Of course,
Ahmadinejad too has his version of this line: he accuses the western
media of stirring trouble. Next, he will blame twitter. All three are
arrogant and blinded by their power.
As a Palestinian, I was
moved to hear that Iranian students were chanting that Iran is now
Palestine after being shot at in their universities by armed militias.
I recognize the affinity: like the Palestinians, these Iranians are
staging an uprising against injustice and for self-determination. Like
the Palestinians, they are being shot at and killed.
And
I was furious, but not surprised, that
Hamas came out joyful that
Ahmadinejad was re-elected. Of course they love Ahmadinejad: they love
his overblown, empty rhetoric, which is just like theirs. They love his
militias and macho strutting and detest the unmilitarized chaos of
women and youth rebellions. They also like his style of power: their
militia recently
cracked down on PFLP protestors marching peacefully in
Gaza against the undemocratic and exclusivist deals that Hamas and
Fateh are cooking together. Of course, they love Ahmadinejad.
They
and Israel. Because
Israel would love for the Iranian hardliners to be
back in power because they want to escalate, not defuse. A wiser
opposition at the helm would make it harder for Israel to rally the
world against the Islamic Republic. A reformist Iranian regime would take the human rights card out of Israel's hand.
No one
knows what the outcome of the Iranian Intifada will be. But weather it
succeeds in annulling the elections or not, it has already succeeded.
