A closer view of Tehran
CRYSTAL LAKE – As Arezou Kashani watches Iranian authorities continue to clamp down on massive protests in the wake of the June 12 election results, she wonders whether the present-day demonstrations will generate significant change or only further violence.
“Being that it’s a country that takes violent acts on its own people, their protesting can only go so far before more civilians are dying or being put in prison for no reason,” said Kashani, 20, an Iranian-American living in Crystal Lake. “But if that’s their only way to start a revolution like [the 1979 Islamic Revolution], then I’d say go for it.”
According to Iran’s Guardian Council, its highest electoral authority, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won a landslide victory against his main challenger, reformist politician Mir Hossein Mousavi.
The Council however, has acknowledged voting irregularities – 50 districts had more votes cast than eligible voters – but insists the election’s outcome was not affected. They rejected protesters’ demands to annul the election over allegations of vote fraud Tuesday.
“The current president was trying to do anything possible to stay in power,” said Kashani, a student at Roosevelt University. “I absolutely do think there was fraud in this.”
Before she was born, Kashani’s family – her mom, dad and two older brothers – moved to the United States from Iran. She still keeps in contact with family members who live near Tehran and celebrates many of its cultural traditions.
Although many people applauded President Obama for taking a tougher stance Wednesday on Iran’s violent actions against its civilians, Kashani worried that his new statements would allow Iran to misdirect the blame for the violence. Because of the troubled history between Iran and Western cultures, Obama’s words could further strain international relations between the two countries.
“In a way, it changed how Iran is going to look at the U.S.,” Kashani said. “They aren’t going to blame themselves for all these protests, they are going to see the U.S. as their scapegoat because that’s all they can come up with.”
Government restrictions on journalists have hindered news organizations from reporting on specific protests, but many Iranian demonstrators have used social networking sites to inform an international audience. Kashani has used Twitter to learn more about certain incidents and altercations.
“The people are trying to get the country to be what they want it to be and not what only a few people want it to be. But [Guardian Council members] don’t want their country to be overrun by Western ideals or influences.”
• The Associated Press contributed to this report