I have been wanting to write about Iran for days! This stuff is mesmerizing, horrifying, but also in a way, uplifting. Just a short time ago, the front page news was President Obama's speech in Cairo. Then we had a pro-western government win in Lebanon. Every story written about that now seemingly forgotten election said loud and clear: Keep an eye on the Iranian election!
Then it happened and chaos broke loose. I don't pretend to be able to add anything new to what's on the ground, but I can shed some light on the sentiment here in Europe. I do know some Iranians here, and they are more than upset about what's going on at home. They go back and forth from concern for friends and family to anger at the whole situation.Most europeans in general are pretty outtraged. Despite the issue of a German hostage situation in Yemen, the story dominated the news. Only today did a final resolution of the hostage situation vault the story onto the front page.
Even the major news networks seem to be just bundling what happens on Twitter and Facebook, and reporting the trends there, so I finally did it. I joined twitter. It's the only way to be updated on this issue in real time.
Among the European leaders, I have to give props to Angela Merkel who not only demanded a recount of the vote but also the immediate release of a few opposition leaders who've been arrested. Sarcozy has also issued strong support for the opposition but no one has caught as much flak from Tehran's government as Britain who also issued strong statements in support of the protesters.
The news analysis believes the Iranian government doesn't want to scare off overtures from President Obama and thus have chosen to scold Britain at least at first. I don't believe the US has been critical enough of the situation. We meddle in people's affairs a lot, I just wished we'd do it at the right times. This is a time to play a smart hand, and not provide a scapegoat for the government but also to take a firm stance in support of free and open elections a.k.a. some measure of the principles of democracy we hold so dear.
Shorts on election views from around the world:
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About Me
- Mike Meehan
- Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Mike is a Fulbrighter living in Berlin doing a research project in Microfinance. He's from outside Philadelphia, PA and a graduate of St.Joe's Prep and Fairfield University. His main academic interests are economics and politics, while in life in general, music, travel, sports and of course his family and friends back home (and in Zürich) are very important.
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