Comments on: Iran Supreme Leader Orders Election Fraud Investigation

By: David Anthony Hohol

David Anthony Hohol — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:53:10 +0000

As a side note, a first hand account of a RELATIVITY OnLine writer's time in Iran and the Middle East in general reveals a perspective not often seen in Western Media circles.

By: David Anthony Hohol

David Anthony Hohol — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:54:45 +0000

Much of the Western Media was ready to declare fraud even before election came. There is little in the way of media even-handedness in terms of Iran. I dont know if there was an fraud in the election, but the simple fact there have been protests in the streets of Tehran spealks volumes. If anyone even uttered a single negative word about leaders in places like Saudi Arabia and The UAE, and even the more moderate Jordan… they are dealt with severely. Why do you think they never protest in these places??

I’m a Canadian living in the Middle East and I have been to Iran on occasion. The people there are well-formed, kind and much more open-minded than they are given credit for. Many I know personally, like Ahmadinejad… and this drives the West Crazy.

By: Trescml

Trescml — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:48:26 +0000

I don’t think the investigation will calm down any protesters, but it might help somewhat with worldwide opinion. I don’t think we will ever know for sure what the real result would have been, but I think that the next election will not have anyone nearly so “moderate” on the ballot.

By: Agnostick

Agnostick — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:00:58 +0000

True reform won’t happen in Iran until the bearded old theocratic coots like the one pictured above are done away with.

My recommendation? Load ‘em on a plane, send ‘em to Iowa, and let ‘em work the bigger hog farm lagoons.

Agnostick
agnostick@excite.com

By: wj

wj — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:15:28 +0000

I can see two possible explanations:

1) If the election fraud was a joint effort by Khamenei and Ahmadinejad, this could be Khamenei’s reaction to the realization that they might have actually generated a possible revolution against the whole system of government in Iran. In short, an investigation may restore enough credibility to preserve the theocracy.

2) if the election fraud was an attempted coup by Ahmadinejad, to take over power and leave Khamenei as a figurehead, this could be Khamenei’s reaction to belatedly realizing what was going on. In this case, an attempt to keep the mullahs (i.e. himself) in real power.

It will be a while, probably quite a while, before we find out which. Or if something else was going on. It is even possible, albeit looking increasingly unlike, that Jake has it right — but legitimate electoral winners do not typically start out be arresting the opponents that they overwhelmingly defeated.

By: Jake

Jake — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:44:27 +0000

More and more, I’m convinced this election is a legitmate one. What’s probably happening is a Western projection of surely-you’ve-come-to-your-senses, and this kind of wishful thinking has never had any true place in the Middle East.

With this election, Iranians, like water, simply may be seeking their own level.

Jake