Iran Sends Message to its Youth
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The BBC is reporting that the whole Roxana Saberi affair may have had less to do with the United States than previously thought, but instead may have been an internal warning to Iranian journalists:
“Many journalists in Iran believe that Roxana Saberi's original arrest in January was meant as a signal to the Iranian media to watch their step in the run-up to presidential election this June.
At that stage, the only charge against her was operating without a valid press pass. When the accusation was upgraded to one of spying, the suspicions about political interference grew.”
An increasingly large portion of Iran's population is under 30, and signs of discontent with the president are growing. If Saberi's horrific ordeal was meant to cow the populace and influence Iranian media, it is a significant reflection of the changing demographics of the Islamic Republic that the target chosen was an independent young woman reporter, a representative of the young, forward thinking, professional class that is the base of support for the opposition to the current regime, and is being viewed as a threat by Ahmadinejad and the Ayatollahs.
We will see very soon how this group responds to this pressure in the Iranian Presidential election this June.
- Jake Bolinger's blog
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Comments
Iran is a rogue state that
Iran is a rogue state that will continue to startle
world sensibilities until the current leader is gone...
bio?
Where's your bio? Your pic is pretty cute. ;-)
Iran is a rogue state that
Iran is a rogue state that will continue to startle world sensibilities until the current leader is gone...
I belonged to the Youth
I belonged to the Youth movement in the 60’s. I was lucky enough to be able to be on both sides of the Great Issue of that time. I was both a Marine (Two Tours, combat decorated) and later a Hippy (Like, many tours and love-ins). I believe through all of our actions (Both sides) we shaped our country into what it is today both good and bad. The rub is that we are a free country and yet there were some that wanted to take away my right to descent (just what I had been fighting to defend).
Iran is far from free and wants no part of any youth movement especially if it has a western tinge. I do not think that we should hold our breath waiting for a “60’s” to take place in a religious based government.
The Youth Revolution
It seems like people have been talking about a youth revolution in Iran for decades. So when will it happen? Everyone says "the street" is the true judge of Iranian culture. But will we see an open Iran in our lifetime?