6.15.2009

Troubles in Iran

Was this weekend's election in Iran a fraud? Did the incumbent rig it all, leaving no chance for the people's choice? Or did the international media misjudge the situation, underestimate government and religious influence, and completely misunderstand the Iranian people?

(My gut goes with the final comment.)

Even after Newsweek devoted almost an entire issue to Iran, and its relationship with the U.S., three weeks ago, I still think we are severely underinformed about what is really going on in that country. Forget the politics (of which we know at least a little about); no one knows these Iranian people...or many of the millions living throughout the Middle East. (Iran alone has 65 million citizens.) Until the United States, a 300-million-ish country with largely the same views on life and civility, learns to understand a group of people just as large who see life a different way, we'll only be the self-appointed older brother who doesn't understand that the little brother, and the way he chooses to do certain things, is just as important, and even just as good.

Meanwhile, check out these riot photos from the Globe photo blog. Even without stopping for a minute, and putting myself in the shoes of this tiny sliver of Iranian life, I still know there's a lot of thinking to do about the situation.

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