Posts
Iran recently had presidential elections, where ex-pres Ahmedinejad got reelected. There is mounting evidence suggesting that re-elected Iranian president Ahmahdinajad's supporters may have rigged the election, causing him to win in a landslide (gaining 66% of the people's votes - see below for informational links).
NYTimes blog updates on the events going on in Iran (supposedly from the streets):
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/20/saturday-updates-on-irans-disputed-election/
An Iranian news source on the election: http://www.presstv.ir/election2009/
Yahoo.com: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090613/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_election
The reaction of the American government and of the other powerful world governments has been some good tough talk and politics as usual.
What does this mean for Americans? Well, we fight wars claiming that we are fighting to 'free' different people in different places, get rid of terrorism, and maintain American national security. Ahmahdinejad was considered to be such a rogue leader, that ex-Pres Bush refused to engage in diplomacy, and we have been hearing about potentially going to war against Iraq since before Obama got elected. And yet, our state declines to 'get involved' at a moment when it could do something to at least expose what the will of the people was, and if that will is being trampled. If our state refuses to get involved, we as world citizens should at least try to find out the truth of what happened.
And, there are world citizens out there trying to do something, and you can help them out. Please find info on Avaaz.org's work below, including some informational links on what is going on in Iran.
Check it out:
Dear friends,
Iran is on a knife-edge, with millions of voters taking to the streets in outrage as evidence mounts that the government may have massively rigged and stolen Thursday's election. The regime has cracked down brutally on the protesters and is imposing a blackout on Iranian society -- shutting down domestic and international media, the internet and even text-messaging.
The voice of Iranians may have been silenced at the polling booth, now the regime is attempting to silence them everywhere else. Facing beatings and gunfire, the opposition is organising mass demonstrations and a general strike. We can’t afford to let the regime dismiss the voice of the people -- the truth must be heard.
Avaaz is urgently organising a rigorous “exit poll” of Iranian voters and a media effort to publicise it -- working with an international polling firm to do a telephone survey of Iranian citizens to ask how they voted. We urgently need 10,000 Avaaz members to pitch in a small amount each to raise $119,000 in the next 24 hours and give Iranians a powerful new way to be heard -- follow this link to view video from the streets of Tehran and support this exit poll to find out the truth:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/
Public polling in Iran is heavily restricted, and no-one else is mobilizing fast enough to fund an international exit poll. It's urgent that we pitch in. A telephone poll won't be 100% accurate, but the difference between opposition and government claims is massive -- a rigorous poll can show which claim is remotely near the truth.
Unlike Western organizations, Avaaz's global network has a strong membership in Iran and across the Middle East. Backed by a respected polling firm, our effort will be harder to dismiss by Iranian conservatives.We'll send the poll results to the media and help our members in Iran to rapidly and virally spread the news despite the regime's blackout.
Messages have been flooding in from our Iranian members -- from Fariba: “20.000.000 people have lost their votes for peace and human rights. The government wants to use this votes for every thing but PEACE. Avaaz is a Persian word too and means voice -- hear our ‘avaaz’”. From Mahmoud: “The government has stolen the vote the people. The people in the street are beaten badly by the police. Now now now do not lose the time”. Stand with Iranians now and help their voices be heard:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/
This election matters to us all. Iran is a major regional power, and the international community is seeking diplomatic engagement that holds a key to peace in the Middle East. But hawks and extremists on all sides want war instead: a conservative coup in Iran could destroy all our hopes.
The conservative Guardian Council, headed by a key Ahmadinejad ally, is reviewing the vote over the next 9 days -- our poll can be ready before they give their verdict, to counter any further rigging and the violent purge that could follow.
There is a real possibility that democracy will prevail. Ultimate power in Iran lies with Ayatollah Khamenei, who may have backed the rigging -- but he is hired and fired by the Assembly of Experts, chaired by ex-President Rafsanjani who has condemned vote-fixing. If Rafsanjani and allies can get enough votes on the Assembly this week, they can press to re-open the results, even to remove Khamenei from power. A scientific opinion poll could be a powerful piece of evidence.
In the next 72 hours, the Iranian people will try once again to be heard. Let’s help make sure their voices are not silenced -- follow this link to see their courage and donate now to help fund the exit poll:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/
With hope,
Ricken, Graziela, Paul, Pascal, Alice, Brett, Paula, Milena, Raj, Raluca, Taren and the whole Avaaz team
Sources:
1. The Guardian: "Iran's regime cracks down on opposition and media", 16 June 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/16/iran-protests-election-recount
2. Al-Jazeera: "Supreme Leader Under Pressure", 15 June 2009
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/06/2009616184556951795.html
3. "Evidence that the Iranian Presidential Election Was Stolen", Juan Cole, 13 June 2009
http://www.juancole.com/2009/06/stealing-iranian-election.html
4. More detailed analysis by a polling expert of "fishy numbers" in the results announced by the interior ministry:
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/06/iran-does-have-some-fishy-numbers.html
5. One of many active live-blogs:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com
6. #IranElections - live, unfiltered updates via Twitter from Iran and around the world
http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23iranelection
----------
Want to support Avaaz? We're entirely funded by member donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated online team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way -- donate here.
ABOUT AVAAZ Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in Ottawa, London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Buenos Aires, and Geneva. Call us at: +1 888 922 8229 or +55 21 2509 0368
Click here to learn more about our largest campaigns.
Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Myspace and Bebo pages! You can also follow Avaaz onTwitter!
You are getting this message because you signed "" on 2008-12-18 using the email addressobama.is.america@gmail.com. To ensure that Avaaz messages reach your inbox, please addavaaz@avaaz.org to your address book. To change your email address, language settings, or other personal information, https://secure.avaaz.org/act/index.php?r=profile&user=6ff00dbd327655c9d4f0c9009c332f2d&lang=en , or simply go here to unsubscribe.
To contact Avaaz, please do not reply to this email. Instead, write to info@avaaz.org. You can also call us at +1-888-922-8229 (US) or +55 21 2509 0368 (Brazil) If you have technical problems, please go tohttp://www.avaaz.org
 |
The voice of Iranians may have been silenced at the polling booth, now the regime is attempting to silence them everywhere else. Facing beatings and gunfire, the opposition is organising mass demonstrations and a general strike. We can’t afford to let the regime dismiss the voice of the people -- the truth must be heard.
Avaaz is urgently organising a rigorous “exit poll” of Iranian voters and a media effort to publicise it -- working with an international polling firm to do a telephone survey of Iranian citizens to ask how they voted. We urgently need 10,000 Avaaz members to pitch in a small amount each to raise $119,000 in the next 24 hours and give Iranians a powerful new way to be heard -- follow this link to view video from the streets of Tehran and support this exit poll to find out the truth:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/
Public polling in Iran is heavily restricted, and no-one else is mobilizing fast enough to fund an international exit poll. It's urgent that we pitch in. A telephone poll won't be 100% accurate, but the difference between opposition and government claims is massive -- a rigorous poll can show which claim is remotely near the truth.
Unlike Western organizations, Avaaz's global network has a strong membership in Iran and across the Middle East. Backed by a respected polling firm, our effort will be harder to dismiss by Iranian conservatives.We'll send the poll results to the media and help our members in Iran to rapidly and virally spread the news despite the regime's blackout.
Messages have been flooding in from our Iranian members -- from Fariba: “20.000.000 people have lost their votes for peace and human rights. The government wants to use this votes for every thing but PEACE. Avaaz is a Persian word too and means voice -- hear our ‘avaaz’”. From Mahmoud: “The government has stolen the vote the people. The people in the street are beaten badly by the police. Now now now do not lose the time”. Stand with Iranians now and help their voices be heard:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/
This election matters to us all. Iran is a major regional power, and the international community is seeking diplomatic engagement that holds a key to peace in the Middle East. But hawks and extremists on all sides want war instead: a conservative coup in Iran could destroy all our hopes.
The conservative Guardian Council, headed by a key Ahmadinejad ally, is reviewing the vote over the next 9 days -- our poll can be ready before they give their verdict, to counter any further rigging and the violent purge that could follow.
There is a real possibility that democracy will prevail. Ultimate power in Iran lies with Ayatollah Khamenei, who may have backed the rigging -- but he is hired and fired by the Assembly of Experts, chaired by ex-President Rafsanjani who has condemned vote-fixing. If Rafsanjani and allies can get enough votes on the Assembly this week, they can press to re-open the results, even to remove Khamenei from power. A scientific opinion poll could be a powerful piece of evidence.
In the next 72 hours, the Iranian people will try once again to be heard. Let’s help make sure their voices are not silenced -- follow this link to see their courage and donate now to help fund the exit poll:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/
With hope,
Ricken, Graziela, Paul, Pascal, Alice, Brett, Paula, Milena, Raj, Raluca, Taren and the whole Avaaz team
Sources:
1. The Guardian: "Iran's regime cracks down on opposition and media", 16 June 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
2. Al-Jazeera: "Supreme Leader Under Pressure", 15 June 2009
http://english.aljazeera.net/
3. "Evidence that the Iranian Presidential Election Was Stolen", Juan Cole, 13 June 2009
http://www.juancole.com/2009/
4. More detailed analysis by a polling expert of "fishy numbers" in the results announced by the interior ministry:
http://www.fivethirtyeight.
5. One of many active live-blogs:
http://andrewsullivan.
6. #IranElections - live, unfiltered updates via Twitter from Iran and around the world
http://twitter.com/#search?q=%
----------
Want to support Avaaz? We're entirely funded by member donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated online team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way -- donate here.
ABOUT AVAAZ Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in Ottawa, London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Buenos Aires, and Geneva. Call us at: +1 888 922 8229 or +55 21 2509 0368
Click here to learn more about our largest campaigns.
Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Myspace and Bebo pages! You can also follow Avaaz onTwitter!
You are getting this message because you signed "" on 2008-12-18 using the email addressobama.is.america@gmail.com. To ensure that Avaaz messages reach your inbox, please addavaaz@avaaz.org to your address book. To change your email address, language settings, or other personal information, https://secure.avaaz.org/act/
To contact Avaaz, please do not reply to this email. Instead, write to info@avaaz.org. You can also call us at +1-888-922-8229 (US) or +55 21 2509 0368 (Brazil) If you have technical problems, please go tohttp://www.avaaz.org
NYTimes blog updates on the events going on in Iran (supposedly from the streets):
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/20/saturday-updates-on-irans-disputed-election/
An Iranian news source on the election: http://www.presstv.ir/election2009/
Yahoo.com: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090613/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_election
2 comments:
Post a Comment