Iran: The Beginning of the End

For over nine days, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have been revolting in the streets of Tehran against established governmental authorities. These peaceful insurgents are not trying to overthrow their government. Initially, they began demonstrating to reclaim their stolen votes and recover an election they believe was hijacked by President Ahmadinejad and his extremist thugs. Unquestionably, election fraud has seeded a revolt that shall blossom into a revolution for democratic reforms.

I do not believe Iran is collapsing or falling but is standing up for democracy and freedoms. Iran is at a critical juncture in its post 1979 revolutionary era. I am not certain but it does appear that the Central Eurasian republic is emerging as some form of democracy. I am sure, however, that the Islamic Republic of Iran will never be the same. As the fluid state of events in Iran unfold, dynamic forces of political change continue to gain momentum. If Mir Hossein Moussavi ends up as president, he will govern a different nation. This being said, Mr. Moussavi must change with his beloved Islamic Republic.

The world is watching the end of Iran’s theocracy - a system of rule by a religious regime of clerics. Millions of Iranians want democratic change. Make no mistake; the historical events in Iran are the unfolding of an Iranian revolution for democratic change. Unlike the 1979 revolution, the Iranian revolution of 2009 marks the beginning of the end of a complicated system of theocratic dictatorship with few democratic freedoms. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is finished. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has sealed his fate and will be replaced soon. The idea of representative government for and by the people has broken through the hard fallow ground of theocratic dictatorship. We are witnessing a weakening of theocratic rule and what shall emerge is a separation of theocratic authority from Iranian affairs of state.

President Obama is redefining America’s relationship with Iran. The Obama Administration understands that Iran will always be a nationalistic nation with some democratic freedoms. With diplomatic mastery, President Obama has announced moral support of the Iranian people but smartly refrained from political intervention. Knowing the history of U.S. intervention in Iranian internal affairs, the POTUS does not want the U.S. to be viewed as meddling.

The Iranian people are showing their resolve by peaceful demonstrations. They began marching to protest indisputable election fraud perpetrated by their President and confirmed by the Republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. However, the Supreme Leader's mishandling of the election debacle has ignited a series of far-reaching political events in Iran from a grassroots movement for democratic change, to a split among Iran's powers that be. It has been reported that Iran's senior cleric, Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, declared, "A government not respecting people's vote has no religious or political legitimacy." Unbelievable! Something profound is happening in Iran. I believe we will see similar fundamental change begin to unfold in other nations around the world as well. Stay tuned...it is not over yet.

Leaders of Iran's teachers union, university students and parents, women and men, rich and poor are protesting their government's effort to steal a presidential election from an opposition leader, reformist Mir Hussein Moussavi, and give it to their present holocaust-denying leader President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. These are brave people because they are willing to risk their lives to enjoy freedoms that most Americans take for granted. While it will be fascinating to watch events unfold in Iran, the rest of the freedom-loving world cannot sit by and allow the Iranian people to fight for their freedoms alone. We can all help the Iranian people fight for democratic freedoms with weapons stronger than guns and bullets - prayer and Internet technology.

Millions of oppressed minorities in Iran desire democratic freedoms for which they are fighting with peaceful demonstrations and using Internet technologies including Twitter, emails, social networks like facebook, etc. We can support their efforts with prayer, the power of the Internet, and every other type of creative support we can imagine. My point is that we must not just sit on our gluteus maximus watching these historic events unfold. Anything we can do to show our support is better than nothing at all. Their struggle for freedom, fairness, justice, and liberty is the stuff of the United States of America; it is the spark of democratic change.

The protesters in Iran have reawakened the concerns of many for human rights for all the peoples of the world. The Iranian protesters have a possible shot at peace and more freedoms through the revolt and Mir Hossein Mousavi. We have to do something about the situation in Iran. You and I must support the brave efforts of the Iranian people protesting in the dangerous streets of Tehran, Shiraz, Mashad, Isfahan, Avhazand, and everywhere in Iran. The footage and sounds coming out of Iran are horrific and heartbreaking. Please, do not ignore these gallant Iranian protesters. The Iranian people must know that as they courageously fight for democratic change, the freedom-loving American people and the international community are backing their valorous efforts. We understand that freedom isn't free, and so we stand with the people of Iran, and welcome the new Iranian revolution of 2009.

Iran's soccer players stood in support of the protesters by sporting a green wrist ban. You must also get involved in this rare opportunity to show your support for Iran's historical revolt against tyranny and revolution for democratic change. Some creative ways you might show your support of the brave Iranian people is by changing your Twitter profile picture to an Iranian flag. You might update your Twitter location to Tehran and set the time zone to GMT+3:30; these changes will add confusion to Iranian security who are trying to block Iranians from sending out pictures, videos, and emails to the rest of the world. Flying an Iranian flag at your place of residence is another way to show your support of the people of Iran. You may show your support by joining one of the many protests in the United States and around the world on Iran's behalf. You might also show your support by signing up with my "Support The Iranian People" cause at http://www.facebook.com/tljsr.

Supporting the Iranian people is a worthy cause indeed and we must all support Iranians right now. Until they win their freedom, all freedom-loving peoples are Iranians.