Tehran Protests
I’ve been tangentially following public opinion in Iran for a few years now, an offshoot of the whole International Affairs grad-school-immersion thing.
While the area isn’t my specialty, its demographic situation is fascinating. I’m particularly interested in countries that have seen, or have potential to see, large youth movements. Two-thirds of Iran’s population is under 25, born since the Revolution in 1979. What perspective does that enormous cohort have on the clerics who choose their country’s path—and therefore, their futures?
Is that what we’re seeing now?
There have been stirrings of frustration for some time. Economic and political freedoms are going to matter more to the young, who have less to lose in conflicts like this, and more to gain from social change. People who a month ago might have denied any interest in protesting the government, find themselves turned into ideological soldiers.
It becomes a question of what they are armed with, psychologically speaking; and how much their opponents still recognize their humanity.
When conservatives in any country target the media itself, attempting to break the free movement of information, it can make citizens who remember recent moves towards modernization wonder what they will lose next. This goes double for those old enough to remember the Westernization tendencies of the Shah.
The Iranian people might choose conservatism for the same set of reasons that many societies do—feelings of nationalist pride, a desire to protect or advance their traditional culture, a perception of outside threat. And I do agree that the belligerence of the U.S. towards Iran in recent years may be married to Iran’s choice of President–a mutual relationship.
But the Iranian people have to decide for themselves if attempting to stay still, or move counter to modernization, is really in their best interests. Can a compromise be struck between preserving their distinct culture, and their young population’s needs for new opportunities? I’m afraid the kids are having their say right now…I am afraid of the answer they’ll receive.
Some alternative perspectives…
BBC’s Iran Elections Special Report page
Fark.com’s latest Iran thread
Sadly, No!’s Iran post
Huffington Post Liveblogging
photo uploaded to Flickr by .faramarz
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