Letter from Tehran (To Fellow Iranians)

Letter from Tehran
June 18. 2009

The events of the last couple of days have been so moving that I haven’t digested them yet. Life was already too fast in Tehran to the point that we wouldn’t have time to get to everything, now after 3 PM everything comes to a halt and based on a collective agreement, we all leave our houses and head towards downtown without any transportation! Believe me that every time we leave the house, we are not sure if we will make it back. Some of us like me and my family and close friends who are among the crowds every day worry even more and keep calling each other to make sure we all made it home safe and sound. During the rallies we see a variety of bitter and sweet thing, so many that we will have material to think about for months to come. We come across small kids, men and women over 75 years old, people from all walks of life. Today I saw a blind young man accompanied by his father, many people with broken limbs, blued
eyes, and many who carry the pictures of those killed in the events that breaks your heart.

Many people distribute drinks and refreshments to protestors, some wave hands from the windows of their houses showing their green ribbons, and all of this, in an unbelievable moving silence.

Remember when in middle school as a composition homework, we had to write about this topic “Imagin you could see the seed of people’s hearts.” Today these green ribbons have become those seeds. When you see them you get energized, and feel that you are all one. Cheating these people out of their rights is worse than any crime one can commit and it is such a loss to waste all this hope and energy. I hope that we make something good out of it.

I have to add that what you and other Iranians outside of Iran are doing to support us is really warming our hearts. We are sure that is very effective. When they ask all foreign reporters to leave the country and when all of the communication channels are disconnected, it is your voice that takes our voice to the outside world.

Many criticize us and wonder what Mr. Mousavi has that is so special? They argue that after all he is one of the many in that corrupt system of the Islamic Republic and will never act against it. My argument is that this is not about Mousavi, but about people realizing that they are not followers like a herd of sheep that goes anywhere that it is summoned to go. They will know that the individual will does matter and that their actions can be effective and can speak louder than any specific person; this to me is the most important aspect of these events. Now no matter who ends up in power, Mousavi or someone else, they will have the understanding of what people want and what they are capable of, and how they are able to voice their requests. This is a significant and utterly important step and now that Mousavi has chosen to go ahead, we will support him.

Letter from Tehran June 18. 2009 The events of the last couple of days have been so moving that I haven’t digested them yet. Life was already too fast in...