Support Freedom in Iran

Re the Washington Post poll: here are the details from the company who conducted the poll. Note that in response to the question, “If the Presidential elections were held today, who would you vote for?”, of 1001 respondents, (76 + 151 + 274) = 501 = 50% would not commit to a candidate.

Not sure about you, but if I lived under a more totalitarian regime than ours, and someone called me out of the blue asking my political preference, I may be reluctant to indicate my support for the opposition. Indeed, I may even run with “I’ll TOTALLY vote for the incumbent!”.

I’m sure the company’s credentials are impeccable; I’m not certain that the Iranian pollees would be convinced.

Another way to support is here: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/?cl=255174668&v=3505

As for the suggestion that it was ‘legitimate’ : http://www.juancole.com/2009/06/stealing-iranian-election.html

I’m talking about a consistent pattern, not just this one comment Luther. Any further discussion is best sent via email as it’s offtopic.

Hang on John, I feel it necessary here to defend Peterh’s comment. I think (and please, anyone feel free to dispute this here) that Peter was simply saying that due to his limited understanding of Iranian politics that he couldn’t demonstrate in this cause, and probably not for the opposing side either. This is his opinion, and if this site is not based predominantly on opinion then I’ll eat my Akubra. I think here that his ‘opinion’ is your ‘posting for the sake of it’.

For a thread that should be based on the discussion of free speech (an enigma within a riddle within a religious country), your response to him didn’t seem to promote this.

And with that, I shall get off my soap box.

A few weeks ago, my wife invited one of her work colleagues and her husband over for dinner. They have been in Australia for only about 6 months having arrived her from Iran. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t to quite taken with two very nice western oriented people that love democracy, sport, drink alcohol (and did so in their own country), hate oppression, hate religious intolerance (!) etc. What’s more they said they could not longer live under such an oppressive regime and that everybody they know in Iran feels the same way.

I’ll be there, JB. Not because it might change things in Iran in a hurry, but because I know for a fact that the Iranian nationals here will let their friends and family in Iran know that they are not all tarred with the same brush and that they do have support, as limited in effect as it might be.

Moral support or a butterfly flapping its wings? Most likely the former but I hope for the latter…

Unless the NY Times’ Roger Cohen is outright lying he’s documented a first hand account of voter fraud:

He was from the Interior Ministry. He showed his ID card. He said he’d worked there 30 years. He said he hadn’t been allowed in; nor had most other employees. He said the votes never got counted. He said numbers just got affixed to each candidate.

.

And Peterh, for the very last time, if you have no knowledge of an issue (by your own admission) please refrain from commenting for the sake of it.

when freedom of expression is challenged here, I will protest. I don’t know enough about the iranian voting system to give an educated view.

(Seriously, though, this is a better analysis.)

Not keen. There is every likelihood that Ahmadinejad legitimately won the presidency.

Ya reckon?

Let them sort their own dirty washing out…
Why do we need to play ‘world police’ in Canberra? 😛

Indeed, Robert Fisk was reporting concerns that 5 million votes were counted in two hours.

But then it doesn’t take long for a landslide to become apparent on voting nights in Oz. And Ahmadinejad may not be the sporting type to sit on the results for a few hours just to please the public.

johnboy said :

My one concern with this is whether a bunch of anglo infidels joining hands with the Iranian diaspora here in Canberra will help or hinder the cause of the reformist protestors in Iran?

On the one hand I certainly want to support them.

On the other hand I wouldn’t want to give them any confidence that when the tanks roll and the secret police start dragging them away to torture chambers that we’ll actually do anything real to help them (because let’s face it, we probably won’t beyond putting a stamp on a letter for Amnesty, which isn’t much consolation when the pliers are ripping out your fingernails).

I’m curious as to other’s thoughts.

Good points. I feel similarly.

Brandi said :

Not keen. There is every likelihood that Ahmadinejad legitimately won the presidency. Polling conducted three weeks before the election (by a polling company whose work in the region for ABC News and the BBC has received an Emmy award) tipped him to win by at least 2 to 1.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/14/AR2009061401757.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns 

We may not like what the guy has to say, but the people of Iran freely voted him in and we have no right to meddle in the democratic process of another sovereign nation.

On the other hand I’ve seen first hand accounts that results were declared before polling had finished in some areas. Which would appear to be pretty conclusive to me.

My one concern with this is whether a bunch of anglo infidels joining hands with the Iranian diaspora here in Canberra will help or hinder the cause of the reformist protestors in Iran?

On the one hand I certainly want to support them.

On the other hand I wouldn’t want to give them any confidence that when the tanks roll and the secret police start dragging them away to torture chambers that we’ll actually do anything real to help them (because let’s face it, we probably won’t beyond putting a stamp on a letter for Amnesty, which isn’t much consolation when the pliers are ripping out your fingernails).

I’m curious as to other’s thoughts.

Not keen. There is every likelihood that Ahmadinejad legitimately won the presidency. Polling conducted three weeks before the election (by a polling company whose work in the region for ABC News and the BBC has received an Emmy award) tipped him to win by at least 2 to 1.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/14/AR2009061401757.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns 

We may not like what the guy has to say, but the people of Iran freely voted him in and we have no right to meddle in the democratic process of another sovereign nation.