The ‘Green Revolution’ in Iran has its paradoxes– not least among them the anomaly of seeing young people out on the streets of Tehran in outfits that seemed openly defiant of Islamic dress norms while they also sported a color that many Muslims consider represents their religion.
The choice of that color, and of the accompanying rallying cry of “Allahu-akbar”, seemed like deliberate attempts to build alliances between the often pro-secular west-o-philes of North Tehran and important reformist branches of the country’s ruling hierarchy. (The lack of any real agreement between these two portions of the movement over whether the goal is to reform the country’s Islamic system or to overthrow it is probably one of the movement’s most notable weaknesses.)
But the use of the ‘green’ branding did seem like a bit of a master-move, regardless how things turn out. For me, it evoked first and foremost the great marching song of the old Sinn Fein/IRA struggle for Irish independence: “Oh, we’re all off to Dublin in the green, in the green… ”
In the Irish context, of course, “Orange” is also an extremely potent marker. Note that when the successfully independent Irish Republicans designed their national flag, it cleverly incorporated the orange along with the green– in much the same way that the flag of democratic South Africa cleverly incorporates all the main colors and themes of that country’s previously warring parties.
Here in the US, I think one of the most moving civil war memorials of all is the court-house at Appomattox, the spot where Robert E. Lee submitted the surrender of the Army of Virginia. Now preserved as a historical site, the courthouse has a thought-provoking wall of photos of the war dead: the ones matted with Confederate grey are checkerboarded somberly across the whole wall with those matted with Yankee blue. There’s a lot to be said, I think, for undertaking a good mash-up of everyone’s formerly partisan symbols at the end of a civil war.
In Palestinian politics, green is the color used by Hamas, while Fateh uses yellow (on the right here.) Orange is the color used by Moustapha Barghouthi’s still-small Mubadara party.
Shift focus to Lebanon, and confusingly there it’s Hizbullah, which is broadly allied to Hamas, that uses yellow, while the somewhat-in-competition Amal movement uses green.
The Grand-daddy of the present wave of pro-west “color revolutions” is the “Orange Revolution” of 2004-05 in Ukraine.
Oh, by the way, that last image comes from the website of the Green movement in the European parliament. Numerous countries have Green Parties these days, of course, with their “green” signifying their environmentalist concern. Can’t forget them…
Okay, moving along from 2005 we then had the “Rose Revolution” in Georgia. I can’t find any satisafactory images from that, such as would quickly clarify for me whether the “rose” actually refers to a color or a flower.
But while we’re in that part of the color spectrum we cannot forget the feisty US women of Code Pink.
And then there is Thailand, which earlier this year had back-to-back “red” and “yellow” movements trying to take over the capital. That development prompted the Asia Society’s Jamie Metzel to call for the creation of a new movement to bring the two sides together. Okay, what he really called for was an especially Thai form of an “orange” revolution: mashing up the symbols, again.
On a longer time-scale, the most lasting of all color brandings of political movements in modern times has almost certainly been the association of red with socialism and/or communism. That association has held true in almost every country except the US (and perhaps Thailand?)
In the US, for some unknown reason, political analysts started some time ago talking about “red states” and “blue states”– with red signifying the Republican Party, and blue the Democrats. Maybe this is related to the exceptionalism American culture displays on other matters related to socialist movements, like the US’s choice of what seems like a fairly random day in early September to celebrate “Labor Day”, when every other country I know of that honors its working people does so on May 1st.
One final note about political branding. I still think one of the most powerful symbols anyone anywhere has ever developed is the peace symbol. It was designed in 1958 by the anti-war British designer Gerald Holtom, who said it was based on the semaphore symbols for “ND”– nuclear disarmament.
He also wrote this about the development of the design:
- “I was in despair. Deep despair. I drew myself: the representative of an individual in despair, with hands palm outstretched outwards and downwards in the manner of Goya’s peasant before the firing squad. I formalised the drawing into a line and put a circle round it.”
Fifty-one years later, and we still have a lot of reason to be in despair about the number of nuclear weapons in the world… But Holtom’s symbol is still a powerful and immediately recognizable mobilization tool for peace activists.
In the comments here, it would interesting to learn of other uses of color branding by non-governmental political movements around the world. I am sure I have missed some above!
Hi Helena, perhaps your were speaking generically. Yet at the risk of compounding the confusion, what “green revolution”? (and admittedly, this comes from one who has been writing about “revolutions within the revolution” since 1995)
This latest gyration started out, not as a “revolution” per se, but as a serious colored Presidential campaign theme from the Musavi camp, that took the entire country by storm. Again, not just the stereotypical “west-toxicated” north tehranis, but the entire country, weeks before the fateful election day. (as I documented here in multiple posts)
I was emphasizing the color “green” (as both Islamic and Iranian”) in the Musavi campaign back on May 28th:
https://vintage.justworldnews.org/archives/003579.html
Agreed, this indeed was a master stroke — and the A/N camp early on saw it’s mass appeal, and tried to castigate it as made-in-Soros-ville. It didn’t work, even as far too many external commentators after the election bought the A/N line to dismiss the protests.
To be sure, certain expatriate groups have after the elections taken to calling for a “revolution” — as in regime change. And a lot of my Iranian contacts here in the west are also already “there.”
But within “the movement” itself, (from Musavi, Khatami, on down) it seems to me the “greens” are still embodying a call for the revolution to live up to the themes inherent within the original revolution itself — independence, freedom, & Islam.
Therein is the reformist movement’s brilliance, (ok, critics and doubters would say courage, naivete, foolishness) in calling for “the system,” the revolution, to live up to its own norms. It was a key bridge a part of “the system” refused to cross – yet.
Going forward, if the system is unable to live up to its own ideals, then indeed, “the movement” could take a different, more radical turn. So far, afaik, it hasn’t.
This indeed has been a very colorful political season in Iran. May Iranian eyes yet come up smiling.
Hmmm, are we doing high fives because a failed political faction in Iran used a color instead of another. Any soccer match has players and fans displaying their particular color, but that does not change make.
In fact, as I predicted on day one, the green Mousavi cause is out of gas, demonstrations quenched, threats of execution to some demonstrators, and Obama’s naive idea of an Iranian bargain is DOA.
No change for Iran, but then again I am not Iranian and live far from them, so what do I care. We elected Obama to work on our real domestic challenges, not to waste his effort on chimeric initiatives.
Green was the colour of the Levellers, I’m not sure what Musawi and his friends would have made of that
“Let cowards flinch and traitors sneer, we’ll keep the red flag flying here!”
“Avanti popula, a la riscossa, bandera rossa, triomphera!”
Thanks, Helena, for the words of “Off to Dublin in the green” which I remember from an album by “The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem”, including the roisterous melody. The devil does not have all the best tunes, as General Booth thought. The revolutionaries have the best tunes!
Sometimes the dark side makes a competition. The fascists were into designs and colours -blackshirts, brownshirts, creepy Horst Wessel song, Nuremburg DW-Griffith-style parade ground, et cetera – but none of it had that “Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem”-type grassroots cred.
Both the Nazi party (NSDAP) and Mussolini’s fascist party were conscious knock-offs of the left-wing agitations against which they were reacting. They were bogus, stage-set-type apparitions. Their speech was made up of hints and riddles, and scapegoats, all of it reactionary, derivative and fraudulent.
Our (proletarian or peasant) stuff is the genuine stuff. Our opponents always try to expropriate it. In the recent SA election, an entire bogus front (“COPE”) was created exactly for this purpose, instantly, on a national scale, to expropriate our popular ANC symbols and our history, especially the Freedom Charter. It aimed to confuse the people but it failed.
The Mousavi camp undoubtedly did the same. They expropriated the universal Muslim colour, green, and the Allahu Akbar slogan, while these had nothing to do with the “liberalising” aims that they hinted at, but did not spell out. As with COPE, their reactionary aims were concealed under a cloak of symbolism which they had stolen.
There is an element of provocation in this in both cases (COPE and Mousavi). If you steal somebody’s identity it is like killing them. It can infuriate people.
The Mousavists are a Michael Jackson movement. Maybe Scott is right to say they are everywhere, but they are shallow, and what they conceal with their stolen symbolism is something that is not nice.
The perception of colours is probably one of the most culturally influenced fact. In order to exists, colours have to be named and anthropological studies comparing the languages used to describe colours have found out that the colours sets highly differs from regions to regions. (If I remember correctly, red is about the only colors always present in the dictionary of colors).
Then, the symbolic attached to these already differently perceived colours are very different, sometimes even opposite : in Asia, white is the colour of mourning, while in Western countries, this is black.
History often accounts for the symbolic attached to the colours. We all know what the white flag means in a fight : surrendering or the wish to deal a peace accord. The red flag meant the opposite : that the warriors won’t make any prisonners. It was agitated by the repressive forces during the 1848 unrests in Paris and again during the “Commune de Paris”. The Socialist movement in a defying move to protest against the numerous killings, took it as a symbol.. it was a remembering of the poured blood of the workers.
On the left, the black was the color of the anarchists. And red and black opposed along the diagonal corresponds to the flag of the anarcho-syndicalist movement. We see these two colours quite a lot in the EU, especially during the seventies, at the time of the new leftist movements.
The reactionary movements nowadays like to say that the green parties (the ecologists) are like a water melon : green at the outside and red in side.
Well, to return to the topic : I think that Scott H is quite right to warn against possible wrong perceptions of a “green revolution”.. Green being the colour of Islam, it was a way to tell the public, that the movement wanted to stay in the legal frame of the Islamic Republic.
The continual US economic sanctions are IMO favouring the doevelopment of a more radicalized and totalitarian power in Iran. On one side, we have popular classes suffering of deprivation and on the other side they faces continual aggressivities fo the West .. all this favour the emergence of populist hardliner leaders, as if being guided by a “(pseudo)-strong men” was reassuring to the masses.
I think that the West in all this story has hyped the movement, hoping to radicalize it and to destabilize the regime.. It’s apparently the Obama’s soft manner, the one favoured by France since it opposed the Iraq invasion : favoring regime change, but under cover. American imperialism as usual : the goal remains the same, but Obamas put the gloves on again.
Christiane, I beg to differ with you on the effect of sanctions (which are not just US, BTW).
Iran is a very rich country. Its GDP is ranked 28th in the world ad $344,820 billion. However, this has been grossly mismanaged and subject to corruption and waste. So, if anything is leading to a radicalization of the masses, it’s the already radical and reactionary regime currently in power in Tehran.
Christiane the West according to excerpts from this website did a “bit more than Hype the movement”, The West financed it.
Excerpts:
“The Bush Administration decided to instigate a « color revolution » in Iran after confirming a decision by the Joint Chiefs of Staff not to conduct a military attack of that country.
This choice was then approved by the Obama Administration. The plans for a « color revolution » which had been drawn up by the American Enterprise Institute in 2002 with Israel were then reopened.
In it, one can identify the current protagonists: that plan has not changed much since then. A Lebanese chapter was added which predicted an uprising in Beirut in case of a victory of the patriotic coalition (Hezbollah, Aoun), but it was later cancelled.
The script included huge support for the candidate chosen by Ayatollah Rafsanjani, the disputing of the presidential election results, widespread bombings, the toppling of president Ahmadinejad and of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, setting up a transition government headed by Mousavi, restoring the Monarchy and creating a government headed by Sohrab Sobhani.
According to the 2002 plans, the operation was overseen by Morris Amitay et Michael Ledeen. It mobilized in Iran the Irangate network.
Here is a necessary quick historical background: the Irangate (Iran–Contra affair) was an illegal arms deal. The White House wished to supply weapons to the rebels in Nicaragua (to fight against Sandinistas) and to Iranians (in order to drag the Iran-Iraq war for as long as possible), but was prevented from doing so by Congress. Israelis then offered to act as subcontractors for both operations.
Ledeen, who has both US and Israeli citizenships, served as a link in Washington, while Mahmoud Rafsanjani (the brother of the Ayatollah) was his counterpart in Tehran. This took place over a background of widespread corruption. When the scandal broke out in the United States, an independent inquiry committee was headed by Senator Tower and General Brent Scowcroft (Robert Gates’ mentor) to investigate.
Michael Ledeen currently works for the American Enterprise Institute (with Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz) and for the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
Morris Amitay is a former director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). He is today the vice president of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) and the director of a consulting company for the weapon industry.
On April 27, Morris et Ledeen held a seminar on Iran with Senator Joseph Lieberman at the American Enterprise Institute, regarding the Iranian elections. On May 15, a new seminar was held. The public part of the event consisted of a round table discussion headed by John Bolton about the « haggling » over Iran: would Moscow agree to end its support of Tehran in exchange for Washington renouncing its missile shield project in Central Europe? French expert Bernard Hourcade took part in the debates.
At the same time, the Institute launched a website, intended for the press, about the coming crisis: IranTracker.org.”
Ms. Cobban’s take on views expressed in above excerpts would be personally appreciated.
Omop, would you mind sourcing the article from which you excerpted the above?
JES, the original can be found here:
http://www.voltairenet.org/article160764.html
its author is famed nutcase thierry meyssan.
The screaming FACT is that the United States has spent a huge amount of money and effort on subversion in Iran. Period. Whatever else has been going on in Iran, a US-backed coup has been part of it, and this pattern of US backed coups is a different kind of global war. Don’t think money affects politics? Look at the US system and you know damn well it does.
Do you really not see that perverting freedom movements by channeling them into color coups is wrong and is harmful? Or are you just paid propaganda artists here? These color coups betray freedom movements, subordinating countries to the US process of globalized predatory capitalism. Ask yourselves this: are women forced by US economic principles into virtual slave labor conditions free?
The color revolutions aren’t just a cool, fun academic exercise color game. They are a reality of US backed subversion that, cumulatively, affects us all.
Pretty soon a color coup will take Chavez out. Think he doesn’t know this? Of course he does. That’s why he’s concerned about the color coup going on in Iran. If supposed alternapundits like the ones on this site choose to drink the Media Hype Koolaide, sneering at the obvious indications of US subversion, the media only have to choose the narrative and put it out there for virtually the entire US populace to sing along to whatever tune they play.
You have shown that you simply cannot make the elementary distinction between a freedom movement and a color coup. If you cannot achieve even that level of analysis, if such a sublety escapes your acument, what good are you? I say, none.
You have made yourself irrelevant.
vadim.
Unless you are a qualified medical expert and have personally examined thierry meyssan and concluded that he is a “famed” nutcase one would have to consider your comments as proving a psychopath’s reaction which “begins with stereotyped conceptions of others,…conceptions of the other as worthless, the other as a nutcase…..or the other as a fundamental threat to our cherished values and beliefs.
While I enjoy reading your blog and or articles [daily], I miss the balance in the Iran issue, to wit, there is never any mention of the USA’s constant ongoing and also presently funded by the Obama Administration effort to undermine the electeed governments of Iran.
This problem while hidden in MSM, should be examined, especially in view of the recent failures of colored revolution in Georgia, Ukraine, and the fiasco left by USA interference in Somalia.
The question arises, Madam, how can the USA and Iran have meaningful discussion on matters of USA interest [e.g.afganistan] when the USA is acting as a hypocrit: aiming for steady relations while doing everything in her power to destroy the governemnt, or if McCain’s or Israel’s view is taken, to destroy the country a la Iraq
Omop, if famed nutcase Thierry Meyssan were a threat to anyone, he wouldn’t be a “famed nutcase” but a “respected 9/11 skeptic and conspiracy theorist,” maybe with his own talk show, and a contingent of bodyguards to keep CIA assassins at bay. Fortunately, his idea that the Pentagon was not hit by AA flight 77 is demented in a way that even non-physicians can grasp.
So is Meyssan typical of “color revolution” skeptics? That’s pretty sad.
Meyssan’s credibility aside, why should Helena feel compelled to weigh in on ANY unsourced drivel that’s pasted into her comments? How about you first try to find some evidence for any of his claims (good luck with that!)
Yes Vadim. As I realized that the chances of omop revealing his source were next to nil, I immediately searched for a quote in the piece last night and found that it was from Thierry Meyssan’s site. I was also curious as to the charge that Michael Ledeen holds (or held) dual US-Israeli citizenship. Here’s what I found on that subject:
“ML: Sure, they used to say I was an Israeli agent. The head of counterintelligence even claimed I had dual citizenship, and an Israeli passport. All nonsense. He finally shut up when one of his colleagues asked him for the passport number.”
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/michael/ledeen052504.asp
Do you really not see that perverting freedom movements by channeling them into color coups is wrong and is harmful? Or are you just paid propaganda artists here?
So let me see, eppie, either I admit that freedom movements are channeled into color coups or I’m a paid propagandist. Is that correct? No other options? Perhaps, eppie, those freedom movements could be encouraged, at least by moral support from the outside. After all, they wouldn’t be “freedom movements” if the current (presumably totalitarian) regimes didn’t already control everything – resources, media, police – within society. So, I think that you should probably consider that those of us who don’t accept your view as what truly happened (or is happening) are simply looking at all the options in between. (And I assure you that I am not a paid propagandist. Are you?)
Pretty soon a color coup will take Chavez out. Think he doesn’t know this?
How perceptive of you eppie. Why I think he does. That’s why, on the one hand, he’s trying to change the constitution, and on the other, he’s sidling up to Obama. Plus, he’s managed (or rather mismanaged) public funds, by all accounts, and I’m sure that he’s got lots of money stashed in foreign accounts.
Israel to expand unsanctioned settlement enclaves
The Yediot Ahronot newspaper reported that Barak will propose freezing new construction for three months while allowing the completion of late-stage projects. Barak, who leaves for Washington on Monday, later released a statement saying that proposal had not been finalized.
The Obama administration has delivered an unequivocal message on settlement construction: It must stop, without exception, because the U.S. feels it hurts Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking and Obama’s efforts to mend fences with the Arab world.
Barak confirmed last week that he retroactively legalized 60 apartments built without government approval on Givat Habraicha, a hilltop about 500 yards from the authorized settlement of Talmon.
The construction was legalized nine months ago, before Netanyahu took power in late March, he said. But the plans to expand the outpost received a boost in April when public comment on them was solicited, a formal step in the planning process.
These homes are to be the nucleus of a neighborhood of 300 apartments that will in effect connect Givat Habraicha to Talmon, where some 2,500 settlers live. The Defense Ministry has not given final approval for the project, but odds appear stacked in its favor.
Barak also agreed to authorize construction of what was presented as a new neighborhood in an existing settlement.
Alon Cohen-Lifshitz of the Israeli watchdog group Bimkom said Sunday that two miles (three kilometers) separate the planned construction site and the existing settlement, and that no road connects the two.
Will Obama roll?
USA funding of regime change attempts is related in the following article
http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2009/06/23/has-the-u-s-played-a-role-in-fomenting-unrest-during-irans-election/
USA funding of regime change attempts is related in the following article
http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2009/06/23/has-the-u-s-played-a-role-in-fomenting-unrest-during-irans-election/
USA funding of regime change attempts is related in the following article:
http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2009/06/23/has-the-u-s-played-a-role-in-fomenting-unrest-during-irans-election/
PERSONALITIES
Abbas Pourazhari, in Tabriz
Abdolah Momeni, member of the central council of the Advar organization and its spokesperson, was arrested on 21 June
Abdolfatah Soltani, a human rights lawyer and one of the founding members of the Human Rights Defenders Center as well as a member of Executive Board of the Bar Association, was arrested on 16 June
Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, Vice president of the Iran Front Participation, coordinator of the reformist campaign in Kurdistan and former government spokes person during Khatami’s presidency, was arrested on 16 June
Adel Dehdashti, member of the Iran Participation Front
Ahad Rezaiee, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan
Ahmad Afjeiee, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran
Ahmad Zaydabadi, general secretary of the Advar organization and journalist, was arrested on June 13
Ali Abtahi, a senior adviser to Karroubi’s Campaign, former Deputy of Parliament Office of President Khatami, and a vice president under Khatami, was arrested on 16 June
Ali Mehrdad, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran
Ali Mohaghar, a member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi party
Ali Pourkhayri, member of the Iran Participation Front
Ali Taghipour, member of the Iran Participation Front
Ali Tajernia, a member of the Central Committee of the Iran Participation Front and former parliamentarian
Ali Waghfi, member of Moussavi’s Campaign in Tehran
Amir Ariazand, member of the Iran Participation Front
Amir Hossein Jahani, in Tabriz
Ashkan Mojaleli, member of the Iran Participation Front
Atar Rashidi, student in Gazvin
Bagher Fathali Baygi, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan
Bagher Oskouiee, member of Karroubi’s Campaign
Baghier Oskouiee, leading official in Karroubi’s campaign, was arrested on 16 June
Bahram Kardan, member of the Iran Participation Front
Behzad Nabavi, a founding member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization and former minister and parliamentarian, was arrested on 13 June and released the day after. He was arrested on 16 June for the second time
Davoud Solaymani, a member of the Central Committee of the Iran Participation Front and former parliamentarian
Dr. Dadizadeh, in Tabriz
Dr. Ghafar Farzadi, in Tabriz
Dr. Ghafarzadeh, in Tabriz
Dr. Jalil Sharabianlu, a prominent MD and surgeon in Tabriz
Dr. Laya Farzadi, in Tabriz
Dr. Panahi, in Tabriz
Dr. Qorban Behzadinejad, director of Mir-Houssein Moussavi’s campaign, arrested on 24 June
Dr. Seyflou, in Tabriz
Dr. Soltaniazad, in Tabriz
Ebrahim Khoshchehreh, a political activist in Lahijan and member of National Religious Activits, was arrested on 21 June
Ehsan Bagheri, member of Moussavi’s Campaign in Tehran
Emad Bahavand, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran
Farhad Nasrollahpour, member of the Iran Participation Front
Fatahi, member of Moussavi’s Campaign in Tehran
Hamed Iranshahi, member of the Central Council of Advar organization, was arrested on June 16
Hamzeh Ghalebi, member of Moussavi’s Campaign in Tehran
Hanieh Yousefian
Hedayatollah Aghaiee, a member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi party
Hesam Nasiri, member of Moussavi’s Campaign in Tehran
Hojat Esmaieli, a member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization
Hojatollah Amiri, in Tabriz
Homaiee, member of Moussavi’s Campaign in Tehran
Hossein Zaman, a well-known pop singer whose works have been banned from State controlled Radio and Television because of his support for the reformist movement
Jahanbakhsh Khanjani, a member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi Party and former spokesperson for the Internal Affairs Ministry in Khatami’s presidency
Jalal Bahrami, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan
Javad Emam, a member of Tehran branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization
Kaveh Servati, member of Moussavi Campaign, was arrested on 20 June
Khoshchehreh, son of Ebrahim Khoshchehreh, was arrested in Lahijan on 21 June
Kuroush Zaieem, a member of the Central Council of the Iran National Front, was arrested on 21 June
Mahdian Minavi, member of the Iran Participation Front
Mahmoud Ebrahimi, member of the Iran Participation Front
Majid Jabari, in Tabriz
Mansour Ghafari, in Tabriz
Mansour Vafa, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan
Maryam Ameri, member of Karroubi’s Campaign
Maysam Varahchehre, member of the Iran Participation Front
Mehdi Khodadadi, in Tabriz
Mehdi Yarbahrami, in Tabriz
Mehrdad Balafkan, member of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization in Isfahan
Mohammad Atrianfar, a leading member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi Party and journalist, was arrested on 16 June
Mohammad Jafari, member of Karroubi’s Campaign in Kermanshah
Mohammad Reza Ahmadinia, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran
Mohammad Shokuhi, member of the Iran Participation Front
Mohammad Tavasoli, director of the political office of the Freedom Movement in Iran and first Mayor of Tehran after the 1979 Revolution, was arrested on 16 June
Mohammadreza Jalaieepour, a student in Oxford University and website manager of the youth branch of the Iran Participation Front, arrested on June 17 in Tehran Airport
Mohsen Aminzadeh, a founding member of the Iran Participation Front and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in Khatami’s cabinet, on June 16
Mohsen Bastani, member of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization in Isfahan
Mohsen Mirdamadi, General Secretary of the Iranian Participation Front and former parliamentarian, was first arrested on 13 June and released the day after, but was disappeared on 17 June
Mohsen Rouzbehan, member of Moussavi Campaign in Khorasan
Mohsen Safaiee Farahani, member of the Iran Front Participation and the head of its Implementation Board, and former president of the Football Federation,
Mojtaba Khandan, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran
Mojtaba Rajabi, student in Gazvin
Morteza Khani, member of Karroubi’s Campaign
Mostafa Tajzadeh, a member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization and deputy of the Interior Ministry during Khatami’s presidency, was arrested on 13 June
Musa Saket, a member of the Advar Tahkim Vahdat and in charge of the campaign seeking supporters of Karroubi, was arrested on 18 June
Naseh Faridi, member of Karroubi’s Campaign
Nasim Riahi, student in Gazvin
Payam Haydar Ghazvini, student in Gazvin
Rahim Yawari, In Tabriz
Reza Arjaini, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan
Rhdah Rahimipour, in Tabriz
Rouholah Sahraee, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran
Rouholah Shahsavar, member of Moussavi Campaign in Khorasan
Sadegh Rasouli, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan
Saeed (Hassan) Nikkhah, member of Moussavi’s Campaign in Tehran
Saeed Hajarian, a senior adviser to reformists, a journalist, member of the Central Council of the Iran Front Participation, member of the first City Council in Tehran, the victim of an assassination attempt in 2000, was arrested on 15 June, is paralyzed and suffers serious brain and spinal cord injuries
Saeed Laylaz, prominent economist and Journalist, was arrested on June 17
Saeed Nourmohammadi, member of the Iran Participation Front
Saeed Shirkvand, member of Central Council of Iran Participation Front and former Deputy of Treasury in Khatami’s cabinet
Saeed Zeraatkar, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran
Shabeti, in Tabriz
Shahabobdin Tabatabaiee, the head of the Youth Supporters of the Moussavi Campaign
Shahin Nourbakhsh, member of the Iran Participation Front
Shamlu, in Tabriz
Siamand Ghiyasi, member of Karroubi’s Campaign in Kermanshah
Zakeri, member of Moussavi’s Campaign in Tehran
——————–——————–
JOURNALISTS
Abdolreza Tajik, journalist was arrested on 14 June
Alireza Beheshti Shirazi, editor in charge of banned daily Kalameh and the website Kalameh Sabz, former director of the Iran Participation Front, was arrested on 23 June during the attack on newspaper property. Beheshti’s son, Sadra, was arrested while he was visiting his father
Amanolah Shojaiee, journalist in Bushehr, was arrested on 14 June
Bahman Ahmadi Amoui, journalist, was arrested on 21 June
Behzad Bashou, cartoonist, was arrested on 14 June
Fariborz Soroush, arrested in Karaj
Hassan Maadikhah, director of the Zareh Publication and son of Abdolmajid Maadikhah the former Cultural and Guardiance Minister
Iason Athanasiadis, national Greek/British journalist, freelancing for the Washington Times, detained on 17 June
Karim Arghandehpour, a blogger (http://www.futurama.ir/) and reporter for pro-reform newspapers Salam, Vaghieh and Afaghieh, was arrested on 14 June
Kayvan Samimi Behbahani, editor in chief of the closed monthly Nameh and human rights activist, was arrested on 14 June
Mahsa Amraiee, journalist, was arrested on 14 June
Mashallah Haydarzadeh, journalist in Bushehr, was arrested on 14 June
Maziyar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian dual national, journalist and the representative of Newsweek in Iran, was arrested on 22 June
Mohammad Ghouchani, journalist and editor in charge of daily Etemad e Meli, was arrested on 18 June
Mojtaba Pourmohsen, journalist and Radio Zamaneh’s representative in Rasht, was arrested on 15 June
Mostafa Ghavanloo Ghajar, was arrested on 22 June
Rajabali Mazrouiee, head of the Journalists Association, was arrested on 20 June
Rohollah Shahsavar, journalist was arrested in Mashhad, was arrested on 17 June
Sayed Khalil Mirashrafi, TV producer was arrested on 14 June
Shiva Nazarahari, journalist and member of the Reporters of Human Rights Committee, arrested on 13 June
Somayeh Touhidlou, sociologist and blogger in the Road of Health
Zhila Baniyaghoub, journalist and editor in charge of the Iranian Women’s Center website, was arrested on 20 June
——————–——————–
STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS
Alborzi university professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin
Ali Abbasi student at Mazandaran university
Ali Ahmadi student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Ali Dinavari student at Mazandaran university
Ali Nazari student at Mazandaran university
Ali Raiee student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Ali Refahi student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Ali Shojai student at Hormozgan University, director of Mehdi Karoubi’s student campaign in Hormozgan, detained on 18 June
Alireza Khoshbakht an expelled graduate student, was arrested on 17 June
Alireza Kiani student at Mazandaran university
Amin Nazari student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Amir Kolhar student at Azad University in Karaj, detained on 21 June
Ashkan Zahabian student at Mazandaran university
Bahareh Hosseini student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Behnam Khodabandeh lou student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Darvish university professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin
Ebrahim Raidian student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Ehsan Ehsani student in Mazindaran, detained on 24 June
Elaheh Imanian student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Erfan Mohammadi student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Esmaieel Ghorbani student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Esmaiel Jalilvand a student activist in Shiraz University, was arrested on 21 June
Ezat Torbati student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories midnight on 14 June
Farhad Binazadeh student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Farhad Shirahmad student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Farhan Sadeghpour student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Farshad Taheri student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Farshid Heydari Zamin student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Fazli university professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin
Fazolah Joukar student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Ghamdideh Olum student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Hadis Zamani student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Hamdollah Namjou a student activist in Shiraz University, was arrested on 21 June
Hamed Shaykh alishahi student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Hamidreza Jahantigh student at Noushirvan University in Babol, arrested on 24 June
Hanif Salimi student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Hesam Nasiri student at Azad University in Tehran
Hesam oldin Bagheri student at Babol Engineering University, was arrested on 18 June
Hojat Bakhtiari student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Hossein Reisian university professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin, was arrested on 21 June
Iman Pourtahmasb student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Iman Sedighi student at Babol Engineering University, was arrested on 18 June
Iman Shaydaieezaban student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Imani university professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin
Imani student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Izadi Professor of Bualisina University in Hameda, was arrested on June 16
Karim Emami student, was arrested during the attack on the Tehran University dormitories mid night on 14 June
Mahmoud Delbari student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Majid Dari an expelled student at Alameh Tabatabaiee University in Tehran, was violently arrested on 21 June in his home
Majid Selahvand student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Majzoubi university professor at Bualisina University in Hamedan, was arrested 13 June
Marjan Fayazi student at Mazandaran University, was arrested on June 22
Maziar Yazdani student at Mazandaran university
Mehdi Mosafer student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Mehdi Torkaman student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Milad Chegini student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Milad Hosseini Koshtan student at Mazandaran university
Mohammad Bagher Shabanpour student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Mohammad Davoudian student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Mohammad Hossein Emami student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Mohammad Karimi student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Mohammad Khansari student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Mohammad Sayadi at Buali University in Hamadan, arrested on 25 June plainclothes agents on the street
Mohammadreza Hohabadi student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Mohsen Barzegar student at Babol Engineering University, was arrested on June 18
Mosaab Ebrahimi student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Mostafa Mehdizadeh student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Nahid Siahvand student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Naseh Faridi student at Teacher Training University, was arrested on 17 June
Naser Zamani student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Nastaran Khodarahimi student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Omid Rezaiee student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Omid Sohravi student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Payman Aref
Pedram Rafati Amir Kabir University student who was arrested on 15 June by plain clothes security officers near his dormitory
Pouria Sharifian student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Rahman Yaghoubi student at Mazandaran university
Reza Arkouzi student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Reza Jafarian student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Rouholah Bagheri student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Saeed Parvizi student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Saman Sahebjalali student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Seifolah Rmezani student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Seyed Javad hosseini student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Shouaneh Merikhi student at Mazandaran university
Siavash Hatam student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Siavash Saliminejad student at Babol Engineering University, was arrested on 20 June
Siavoush Safavi student at Mazandaran university
Sogan Alikhah student at Mazandaran university, was arrested on 22 June
Sohrab Ahadian student at Tehran University, was arrested on 17 June when the Tehran University dormitories were violently attacked
Somayeh Tohidlou student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on 14 June
Vahid Amirian student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
Zahra Tohidi an expelled graduate student, was arrested on 17 June
Ziaoldin Nabavi secretary of the Education Rights Council, was arrested on 16 June
——————–——————–
ARRESTED AND RELEASED
Ahmad Ahmadian, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on 14 June and released later
Alireza Shaykhi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on 14 June and released later
Amin Afzali, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories midnight on 14 June and released later
Amin Samiee, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on 14 June and released later
Bahram Shaabani, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on 14 June and released later
Ebrahim Azizi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on 14 June and released later
Ebrahim Yazdi, General Secretary of the Iran Liberation Movement, was arrested on 14 June from the Pars Hospital in Tehran and was taken back to the hospital on June 15 for further surgery
Eskandari, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on 14 June and released later
Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, and her daughter and two other members of Rafsanjani’s Family were arrested on 20 June and released after 30 hours
Habib Khadangi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories mid night on 14 June and released later
Hamideh Mahouri, journalist in Bushehr, was arrested on 14 June and released on 19 June
Hoda Saberi, journalist, was arrested on 14 June and released the day after
Hossein Hamedi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on 14 June and released later
Hossein Noubakht, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories mid night on 14 June and released later
Hossein Shokouhi, a journalist in Bushehr, was arrested on 14 June and released on 19 June
Javad Yazdanfar, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories mid night on 14 June and released later
Kazem Rahimi Olume, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on 14 June and released later
Maysam Zareiee, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on 14 June and released later
Mohammad Bolourdi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on 14 June and released later
Mohammad Reza Hokmi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on 14 June and released later
Mohammad Reza Khatami, member of the Central Committee of Iran Participation Front, brother of former president Khatami, was arrested on 13 June and released on 14 June
Mohsen Habibi Mazaheri, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on 14 June and released later
Morteza Rezakhani, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on 14 June and released later
Navid Haghdadi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories at midnight on 14 June and released later
Reza Alijani, political figure, was arrested on 14 June and released the day after
Saeed Shariati, a member of the Iranian Participation Front, was arrested on 13 June and released on 14 June
Sayed Hossein Mirzadeh, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on 14 June and released later
Siavash Fiaz, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on 14 June and released later
Taghi Rahmani, political figure and journalist, was arrested on 14 June and released the day after
Vahid Anari, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on 14 June and released later
Zahra Mojaradi, a member of the Iran Participation Front, was arrested on 13 June and released on 14 June
What color was March 14?
Hezbollah After the Elections
While on the surface the pro-US team here did preserve its ‘majority’ the Hezbollah led opposition actually won the election by nearly ten percent of the popular vote. Of approximately 1,495,000 votes cast on June 7, 815,000 voted for the National Lebanese Resistance led by Hezbollah while 680,000 voted for the March 14 government parties.
Gee… I missed that in the MSM and the blogs. I wonder how that happened?
Also on Counterpunch, and with more about “colour revolutions” in general and Iran in particular, at:
http://www.counterpunch.org/alamin06302009.html