If you are reading this right now, you have more luxury than someone in Iran could ever hope for right now. If you are watching TV or a video on youtube, updating your status on Facebook, Tweeting, or even texting your friend, you are lucky. If you are safe in your home, and were able to sleep last night without the sounds of screaming from the rooftops, you need to know and understand what is happening to people just like you in Iran right now.


They are not the enemy. They are a people whose election has been stolen. For the first time in a long time, a voice for change struck the youth of Iran, just as it did for many people in the United States only seven months ago. Hossein Mousavi gained the support of millions of people in Iran as a Presidential candidate. He stands for progressiveness. He supports good relations with the West, and the rest of the world. He is supported with fervor as he challenges the oppressive regime of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

On Friday, millions of people waited for hours in line to vote in Iran's Presidential election. Later that night, as votes came in, Mousavi was alerted that he was winning by a two-thirds margin. Then there was a change. Suddenly, it was Ahmadinejad who had 68% of the vote - in areas which have been firmly against his political party, he overwhelmingly won. Within three hours, millions of votes were supposedly counted - the victor was Ahmadinejad. Immediately fraud was suspected - there was no way he could have won by this great a margin with such oppposition. Since then, reports have been coming in of burned ballots, or in some cases numbers being given without any being counted at all. None of this is confirmed, but what happened next seems to do the trick.


The people of Iran took the streets and rooftops. They shout "Death to the dictator" and "Allah o akbar." They join together to protest. Peacefully. The police attack some, but they stay strong. Riots happen, and the shouting continues all night. Text messaging was disabled, as was satellite, and websites which can spread information such as Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and the BBC are blocked in the country. At five in the morning, Arabic speaking soldiers (the people of Iran speak Farsi) stormed a university in the capital city of Tehran. While sleeping in their dormitories, five students were killed. Others were wounded. These soldiers are thought to have been brought in by Ahmadinejad from Lebanon. Today, 192 of the university's faculty have resigned in protest.

Mousavi requested that the government allow a peaceful rally to occur this morning - the request was denied. Many thought that it would not happen. Nevertheless, first a few thousand people showed up in the streets of Tehran. At this point, it is estimated that 1 to 2 million people were there. Mousavi spoke on the top of a car. The police stood by. For a few hours, everything was peaceful. Right now, the same cannot be said. Reports of injuries, shootings, and killings are flooding the internet. Twitter has been an invaluable source - those in Iran who still know how to access it are updating regularly with picture evidence. People are being brutally beaten. Tonight will be another night without rest for so many in Iran no older than I am. Tonight there is a Green Revolution.

For more information:

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NEW INFORMATION:
Andrew Sullivan's blog giving live updates


دنیارابگوییدچطورآنهاانتخاباتمان دزدیده اند
Tell the world how they have stolen our election

It's gonna get worse before it gets better

yeah but I really think it WILL get better. its great to see people there so involved in their government and all so willing to stand up for what they belive in

I don't think it's a revolution as such.

The country is still majorly divided between supporters for the dictator and those against him.

It's just gonna get bloody and nothing will change IMO.

As usual, I'm ever the optimist.

I heard about how young people are reaching out to the world via twitter and using proxies

currently I'm following this Iranian student and added a green overlay on my display pic in support of a democratic Iran

According to not-so-official numbers, the dictator came in a distance third. I wish there was confirmation for that, but I don't think it's nearly as divided as you say....Ahma's regime photoshopped photos of his rallies to make it look like more people were there On the other hand, 3 million people are in the streets and at least a million more agree with them but are afraid to go out :\

I'm hoping this election is the straw that breaks the camel's back there.

Their cell phone service is completely down over there, I heard that.

Ahmadinejad has hired some law enforcement or something like that from outside Iran to oppress moderate supporters. However, they're posting pics of them on facebook and twitter, so they're wearing masks. They're running scared. They've even raided university dorms and destroyed computers so they can't use the Internet. People are uploading videos to youtube as fast as they can record them.

Yeah, there's been reports of extreme protesters hunting the Basij down and hurting/killing them O.O

even though I can understand, they shouldn't stoop as low as A-jad.