Iranian elections and what you think about it.

[Zayn]

Originally Posted by Salome

Blocking the freedom of speech is not authoritarian enough?? Check where censorship belongs, to democracy or to autochracy.

Iran is under a full media offensive from the West, and it is almost certainly falling victim to a Western-financed coup attempt. It feels threatened and it is going to shut off stations, like al-Arabiyya, that are tools of Western governments.

Is the West immune to the distribution of propaganda? Notice how we all hear about this alleged election fraud, but we have yet to see any proof.

In 2002, the exact same thing happened in Venezuela, and the whole campaign was funded by the West. This is not an isolated incident.

[Ana3arabi!]

Here's an interesting piece on Moussavi:

Mousavi's Big Blunders

It is too easy to jump to conclusions about who is right or wrong in Iran today, as if Mousavi and reformist candidate Mehdi Karrubi have the final say on elections results. The western media has adopted at face value Mousavi's allegation, says Kaveh L. Afrasiabi.

Middle East Online

[Ana3arabi!]

Originally Posted by Zayn

Iran is under a full media offensive from the West, and it is almost certainly falling victim to a Western-financed coup attempt. It feels threatened and it is going to shut off stations, like al-Arabiyya, that are tools of Western governments.

Is the West immune to the distribution of propaganda? Notice how we all hear about this alleged election fraud, but we have yet to see any proof.

In 2002, the exact same thing happened in Venezuela, and the whole campaign was funded by the West. This is not an isolated incident.

Yup, exactly. In 2002 it was GWB , and now it is Obama. The only difference is that it was easier to believe that GWB would be capable of such a thing whereas Obama has invested heavily in his image as a "clean" newcomer. Anywayz, your comparison between the situation in Iran today & Venezuala in 2002 is correct, but sadly not many ppl know about what was done in Venezuela

[Salome]

Originally Posted by Zayn

Iran is under a full media offensive from the West, and it is almost certainly falling victim to a Western-financed coup attempt. It feels threatened and it is going to shut off stations, like al-Arabiyya, that are tools of Western governments.

Is the West immune to the distribution of propaganda? Notice how we all hear about this alleged election fraud, but we have yet to see any proof.

In 2002, the exact same thing happened in Venezuela, and the whole campaign was funded by the West. This is not an isolated incident.

You want to justify for me censorship?? When freedom of the speech is violated there is no democracy...therefore you shall not claim Iran is a democracy.

Whatever the western media is BS-ing by censoring the media is working against them!!

There are just few things which pi$$ me off more than violating civil liberties and the ones who find excuses for it!! shou hal 3ayb!!

[Ana3arabi!]

You want to justify for me censorship?? When freedom of the speech is violated there is no democracy...therefore you shall not claim Iran is a democracy.

If there is no freedom of speech as the events are unfolding in Iran at the moment, how are the thugs able to spread their rumors and lies and further ignite riots? I thought the internet was down and that all websites were blocked and that the phones were down and reporters had gone 'missing' or had been detained/banned from reporting. And yet we have round-the-clock twittering, on-the-ground coverage by BBC, CNN, etc. This aside from the fact that if all these (especially TV) were so controlled, how would the masses know there was a rally at a particular hour? Are you saying that they spread it by word of mouth?? They must have state-of-the-art facilities for communication, then, that the whole world has not yet discovered. Or maybe, just maybe, they have intelligence agencies' help. If this is what you call suppression then I don't know what suppression would look like. What is happening now in the aftermath of Iran elections is that public security is being ensured through control of information. Not giving free reign to incitement does not mean practicing suppression of free speech. As I said, what is being done right now after the elections is for the sake of public security , which the thugs are attempting to sabotage.

[J.Hanna]

16:15 AFP: Defeated Iranian Presidential candidate Mousavi announces readiness to run in new election.


15:52 Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami calls for a new presidential election.


15:47 AFP: Former Iranian reformist president Mohammad Khatami will join Tehran rally.


15:33 AFP: Defeated Iranian presidential candidates Mousavi, Karroubi join Tehran’s anti-Ahmadinejad rally.

[J.Hanna]

[Ana3arabi!]

Votes of Iranian expats :

Beirut

Total votes: 736
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: 422
Mehdi Karroubi: 11
Mohsen Rezaei: 20
Mir-Hossein Moussavi: 275

Beirut mobile polling station

Total votes: 139
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: 77
Mehdi Karroubi: 2
Mohsen Rezaei: 3
Mir-Hossein Moussavi: 56

Beirut mobile polling station II

Total votes: 149
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: 133
Mehdi Karroubi: 1
Mohsen Rezaei: 1
Mir-Hossein Moussavi: 11

[Learned]

Update on what's going on: Basically, Rafsanjani is carrying out on his pre-election threat to Ahmadinejad that if the latter carries through with his anti-corruption charges should he win the election, then Rafsanjani will "set off social upheavals" in response. There are also reports that Rafsanjani is is weighing his support inside of the assembly of experts, which is the constitutional body that basically appoints and supervises the supreme leader, in an attempt to sack Khamenei and install himself as waliy al faqih. Rafsanjani is currently the chairman of the assembly. Khamenei has decided to lead Friday prayers in Tehran, and that will be used as a show of popular support for him if people turn out in large numbers.

There are 3 ways this can end:

1. A compromise between Rafsanjani and Ahmadinejad that the latter will not pursue corruption charges against Rafsanjani, and in return the riots will end and Rafsanjani will "cooperate" (or not oppose) Ahmadinejad's government.

2. A failed coup by Rafsanjani against Khamenei, which will end in Rafsanjani being subject to house arrest or worse.

3. Rafsanjani contents himself with making some noise and backing off on his own for now - but if Ahmadinejad goes ahead with the corruption charges against him, it won't be over - and Ahmadinejad is very stubborn.

[J.Hanna]

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Shots fired at huge Iran protest

"The BBC's Jon Leyne, in Tehran, says Monday's rally was the biggest demonstration in the Islamic republic's 30-year history and described it as a "political earthquake"."