Other “Greens”
Nov 3rd, 2009 by pedestrian
The girls’s headband says: “Khamenei is the leader.”
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You haven’t forgotten Hossein Fahmideh, have you?
Every year, before the 13 Aban demonstration “basiji” students from around Tehran gather in his honor. That photo above is from this ceremony yesterday. The girl in front doesn’t look very enthusiastic, does she?
Today, another group of university and school students met the leader for 13 Aban. (although looking at the third photo, a lot of those men don’t look like “students” to me). Look at the green. It’s not coincidental. In fact, AyandehNews reports that the students were heard loudly chanting today:
“Jonbesheh Sabz-e Alavi, Fadayeh Seyed Ali”: The Green Alavi Movement will give its life for Seyed Ali [Khamenei]
Sabz faghat Sabz-e Alavi; Lanat beh Sabz-e Omavi: “Green is only the green of the Alavis [followers of the prophet]; damned be the green of traitors.”
Catchy, and dangerous things to shout indeed.
Also look at where they’ve incorporate the green: they don’t have green around their wrists which has become very widespread in the opposition. They’ve used it around the head, where we usually don’t use it.
They are putting student against student, pushing for more confrontation not only at the “grownup” political level, but in the lives of kids as well. At least they are trying.
The first seven photos are from students’ meeting with Khamenei. The last two are from yesterday, in memory of Fahmideh. In the very last photo, Rahim Safavi, the former head of the IRGC is seen kissing the hand of Fahmideh’s father. In the sixth, they are handing out prizes to top basiji students.
I look at these kids, and I can’t help but wonder what this means for the future of Iran. Many of these kids may have been brought here randomly, as we were when we were kids. But some may also devoutly believe in this system and think that they will live on to serve it the best way they can. Some will call this brainwashing … But whatever you label it, these are kids too. How will we ever be able to reconcile these two opposites? These two (and certainly more) visions of what Iran should mean? Are we always condemned to fighting the bitter fights of our fathers?
Although especially in the first photo, these kids don’t look like they’re fighting. Just having a good time.
In Honor of Hossein Fahmideh:
I suppose the younger children can still experience the show as something new. The older ones have the unavoidable awareness that they are taking part in an imitation of revolution, (an imitation of an imitation times whatever,) while the real thing is happening elsewhere.
elsewhere where?
“But some may also devoutly believe in this system and think that they will live on to serve it the best way they can.”
Ped, I make the same comments on blogs and articles, and it makes me very unpopular to some. A lot of folks just want to conveniently think that everyone in Iran is a green, and that everyone is being held back from Western liberalism (their own cultural rendering of freedom). I don’t buy it.
There’s a division, and one side (the greens) is currently not adequately represented in Iran’s political makeup. And out of this group, some are not represented entirely.
Last night, I was googling Iran’s “past population” to respond to one of Naj’s posts, and I actually came across an uploaded eBook rendering of my high school yearbook from Tehran. I’d never seen it before; my family and I returned to the US at the end of the fall/winter semester. Needless to say, I was absolutely stunned. My schooldays in Tehran were very different than yours, Ped. Out of everyone in the school yearbook, I’m sure its safe to say that everybody, except for the janitors, left the country in 1979 (and I don’t mean that in a negative way, it’s just fact). Kids, entire families, teachers, all the staff, gone. The school, which had been around since 1930, apparently closed its doors for good in 1979. Really sad, for it was a pretty decent school, with many nationalities represented, including about half Iranian. A real loss.
LOL Pirouz. I’ve seen them call you things on Tehran Bureau. I try to add a comment whenever I see them do that. (and as much as I respect Professor Sahimi, I don’t agree with his constant use of “rigged election”). I just don’t get it. If you claim that the other side isn’t entirely evil, or at least has supporters who aren’t, then you’re their advocates? On this blog too and in real life people have often called me “basiji” (as if I mind), “mullah lover”, etc.
I don’t think the greens are represented rightly either. They’re not all for Western liberalism. Many are in fact the old guard of the revolution. Some are truly discontent with how it’s gone. Some maybe are rats jumping ship … who knows? The situation is too complex for anyone to label one side and be done with it (of course, the pro-government forces are guilty of the exact same thing.) I appreciate your comments whenever I see them.
I really think the most positive thing to come out of the aftermath of this election was the discourse that began in the power hierarchy itself. Things began to fall apart, or at least no longer looked as concrete. This may mean many things in the long run, but we just don’t know what yet.
Elsewhere in Iran of course!
Dear Pedestrian,
I can’t restrain myself from being enthusiastic about these socratic-ciceronian dialogues (in reality: polylogues) to be usually found here, which enable the reader to get a more realistic view of complex reality and a more clarified insight into a highly complex situation and a highly complex country.
Just grand!
Fills one with pure joy!
Chapeau to impressive Pedestrian and the not less impressive contributors/commentators/participants of these discussions !
Apologies and All the Best
German
I guess I don’t really have anything to say except, how it’s interesting as to how they’ve got the men and women separated by that huge rail. Pretty difficult to leap over, it looks like. Anyway, I guess I better zip my lips as I don’t know what I’m talking about.
Lola, which rail are you talking about?
3rd picture from the top, right below the pic with the boys wearing red headbands. It looks like a rail to me, but probably it’s just a long white piece of cloth put up to separate the men and women.