Giving Tehran Their Voice

In a time when Presidents are being overthrown in middle-of-the-night coups and Presidential Elections are being contested, the role of media is to tell the story to those who are not there for the first-hand account and hopefully provide some fuel for political action. However, as told by AP, Iranian authorities have barred journalists for international news organizations from reporting on the streets and ordered them to stay in their offices.

Widespread international pressure to validate the election for the scores of Iranians holding up signs that say "Where is my Vote?" helped to spur a "partial recount" of a random ten percent of the total votes cast in the election. Already after the recount they are calling a victory for Ahmadinejad.

However, this recount does little, if nothing, to show the international community that there is real interest being paid to these probing into these election results. Then again, why would the party claiming victory, want to actually probe through the actual votes of the citizens? In the end, if Iran wants to show any true legitimacy in the international arena, the government has to actually show that it is cooperating with the international community.

"What I would say to those people who put so much hope and energy and optimism into the political process, I would say to them that the world is watching and inspired by their participation, regardless of what the ultimate outcome of the election was."
- President Barack Obama on Iran Presidential Elections

Calling Attention to Iran

In a time where instantaneous access is king, a call has been issued and I'm resounding that call to any of those who ascribe to the description "globally concerned."

BloggersUnite.org has launched an initiative that asks bloggers and network participants to use their blogs and accounts to draw awareness about the Iranian election and related atrocities in Iran, making it a dominant issue on the Internet on June 29, 2009

We bloggers exist as storytellers, informal reporters and the people who are using their voices to record history as it happens through our own eyes. As a crisis unfolds in the Middle East surrounding the Presidential elections in Iran and Iranians from all levels of society are risking their own lives to march and speak out in protest, it is our obligation to them to help bring awareness to their stories.

If you have a blog, please consider answering this call to write on Monday, June 29, 2009. Suggested topics include: human rights issues, unjust violence, freedom of speech, and continued support for democratic elections.

See the Bloggers Unite for a Free Iran page for more information.