As I watched the images from Iran of young protesters being met with police and government crackdowns (including cell phone and facebook), I couldn't help but think of the images from China and Tiananmen Square from 20 years ago.
Rather than try and give insights, I will just let the words of people on the ground speak for themselves. I just pray that this protest ends in a way that is more peaceful, and more just than the resolution of the standoff in China twenty years ago.
A friend of mine came to the United State from Iran and on his facebook site he posted the following items. One is a personal observation he made and the second is a facebook message he received right after the protests began:
The pictures are eerily similar to those that I lived through in 1979. I'm praying for the best. May love and peace prevail.
From within Iran: 'It feels like Martial Law here. Cell phones are down, internet lines are horrible, Facebook is filtered, and ... They have also annoucned there that if someone comes out of their house they will be arrested. So keep your fingers crossed and pray for us. Tomorrow is a great day. I gave you the news. Please try to publish it. Thx."
Here is a report from the New York Times:
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/06/13/opinion/1194840903968/irans-contested-election.html?emc=eta1
