Essay Sample on Iranian Green Movement: A Quest for Democracy without Radicalization

Introduction

The Green Movement is an Iranian uprising that came up after the June 2009 presidential election. It all begun after there were allegations of an unfair and rigged the election. The then opposition rejected the results and called for protests to bring the government into order. The green movement protests were equated to the 1979 Iranian revolution. The 2009 protest was seen as a quest for democracy without the use of radicalization. Some of the regions where the protests were strongest were in Tehran. It all began after Mousavi a former prime minister had announced himself as a winner, but a runoff was necessary only for the interior ministry to declare that the incumbent Mahmoud had won the elections by a landslide. Mousavi's supporters gathered in protest of the results. With time, the protest became more intense with a dispute resulting between the protestors and the government. Unfortunately, the protest could not do much as the incumbent was sworn in for another term.

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In as much as protests were to almost all streets, the dominant area was Tehran. At some point, the green movement tried to mobilize individuals to no avail. They then went for holding rallies during holidays. These rallies made their way into the news, and thus the rest of the world was informed of the happenings in Iran. Same way, the headlines helped to determine the wave of the protests. However, it did not take long before the protests ended since the masses did not see the essence of taking part in them. The movement was recognized worldwide as a force to eradicate the dictatorial rule and allow for a democratically elected regime. In one way or the other, the activities of the movement resembled those of the 1979 revolution in that it involved the social class. In most cases, it happens that the middle class was the people affected by the regime. However, there was the activity of all other groups that felt the regime was not legitimate.

Mobilization of the crowds to take part in the protest was never an easy task. At some point, people were unwilling to hint the streets and the opposition had to come with alternative ways of spearheading the protests. Among them was the involvement of university students associations as well as the local networks. The students' associations were seen as an appropriate way to mobilize a considerable crowd. The local mosque networks were also vital since the worshipers could be easily radicalized to join the movement. This is to mean that a face-to-face approach was employed to ensure that the protests went on as planned. Funny enough, a large number of people had expressed their concerns over the integrity of the elections. This proves that tension in Iran began building up way before the 2009 election. Weeks before the election, a national debate was held involving all the aspirants. However, there was drama at some point when Mousavi engaged the incumbent on several matters affecting his administration (Harris, 2012). The supporters of the two as well faced off in the most dramatic of ways in the capital.

At the same time, there was Facebook to face approach that was employed by the protestors. The online platform was seen as a unique way of mobilizing crowds to take part in the protests. At some point, the US, which was the driving force behind the movement, requested Twitter to reschedule maintenance to allow the people of Iran to use the application during the day. This is to show that the people of Iran had much dependence on online activism. One of the parameters that show online platforms were vital is the creation of over 10,000 twitter accounts in a short period. In as much as the internet was used to mobilize people for the protests, it also played a part in the demobilization. Clips were uploaded online of clashes between the police and demonstrators. This in a way discouraged the demonstrators and in turn led to the decline in the number of protestors.

As the Green movement gained momentum, the government of the day came up with a stronger measure to counter the protests. In the 2009 fall, over 100 Green movement leaders were forced to appear in show trials (United States Institute of Peace, 2019). Among the leaders who appeared include Saeed Hjjarian, the architect of the reform movement, Mohammed Abtahi, and Behzad Nabavi. On numerous occasions, the accused were compelled to confess on a televised program to crimes against the laws of the nation. Overall, the confessions were stage-managed since, at the end of it all, the message was the same. The government of the day had the opinion we created the Green Movement as one of the ways to weaken the Islamic regime. However, not all individuals arrested made it to the said trials. Most died due to the torture that they underwent in prison, and this brought much shame to the regime of the day.

As the regime sought to deal with the radical group, they shut down all news outlets that were associated with the Green Movement. Among them were newspapers, magazines as well as websites. To cut the spread of the news to outside nations, Iran had to arrest journalists and imprisoned them. Regardless of the tribulations of the movement, the group began soul searching early in 2010. They organized a demonstration to mark the anniversary of the revolution but had to cancel it with pressure from the government. For some reason, the movement may have died due to the differences that existed among its leaders. Their regrouping and organizational strategies did not add up. Interestingly, some of the members were planning for a post-Mousavi phase yet he was their leader. The green movement may not have achieved the intended goal of overturning the 2009 election, but their influence is felt to date. The symbols and slogans associated with the movement are still fresh in peoples' minds. The threat of war is what keeps the Iran government in check thanks to the Green Movement of 2009.

References

Harris, K. (2012). The brokered exuberance of the middle class: an ethnographic analysis of Iran's 2009 Green Movement. Mobilization: An International Quarterly, 17(4), 435-455.

United States Institute of Peace. (2019). The Green Movement. Retrieved from https://iranprimer.usip.org/resource/green-movement