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Reza Aslan

Iran Goes on Strike

BS Top - Aslan Iran Strike AP Photo Reza Aslan reports that opposition leaders in Iran are planning a three-day strike to be carried out under the cover of a religious holiday. The revolution, it turns out, is far from over.

A massive sandstorm swept into Tehran Monday morning, blanketing the streets in a dark and dreamy haze. The tops of buildings, where, last night, the protest calls of “God is great!” rang out for the 21st consecutive day, are barely visible. Most of Tehran’s bustling downtown appears abandoned. The air quality is so bad that people say it is difficult to breathe. An eerie calm has descended upon the city.

Perfect weather for a strike.

Monday is the start of an unusual three-day Islamic holiday called Itikaf. Sometimes translated as “seclusion” or “retreat,” Itikaf is a time when particularly pious Muslims cloister themselves inside homes or mosques for a period of intense prayer and deep spiritual reflection. It is a practice that the Iranian regime has long encouraged the country’s citizens, particularly the youth, to take part in, usually without much success.

“Let them beat us in the mosques if they dare,” said one. “Let them beat us while we are fasting and praying.”

But this year, supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi, the reformist challenger to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, are planning to take up the government’s appeal for religious observance. Mousavi’s Web site has called on Iranians to use the state-sanctioned holiday to launch a three-day, nationwide strike and boycott of businesses and banks in hopes of re-sparking the popular demonstrations that brought the country to a halt two weeks ago.

“The regime likes to defend its religious practices,” an aide and close confidant of Mousavi (who wants to remain anonymous for his own protection) told me. “We will use their religion to launch a widespread strike, to save Mousavi, and to annul the elections. [Itikaf] is something the regime has encouraged for years, so they can’t fight it.”

The practice of Itikaf allows Muslims to refrain from appearing at work, without facing any consequences. Indeed, it allows people to simply disappear from public without need for explanation. It also allows for mass assembly inside mosques, homes, and other gathering places—the equivalent of a peaceful sit-in (thus far, locations of the gatherings have been kept secret but organizers tell me there is hope that at least Mehdi Karroubi, the other reformist candidate, will join one of the gatherings). Mousavi’s Facebook page recommends using the religious holiday not only to refuse to go to work but also to refrain from spending any money and even to pull money out of state-run banks for “religious” reasons.

According to the organizers of the three-day strike, the protesters plan on using the religious observance to test the limits of the regime’s security apparatus. “Let them beat us in the mosques if they dare,” said one. “Let them beat us while we are fasting and praying.”

There is a sense among Mousavi’s supporters that, despite the brutal government crackdown on protesters and the Guardian Council’s confirmation of Ahmadinejad as the next president, the political tide may be turning in their favor once again. A number of powerful conservative figures, including three advisers to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—the speaker of the parliament Ali Larijani, former speaker Ali-Akbar Nateg-Nouri, and former foreign minister Ali-Akbar Velayati—have begun to condemn Ahmadinejad’s heavy-handedness in dealing with the election crisis.

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July 6, 2009 | 1:56pm
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rickjr82

I'm still supporting our Republican legislature who actually went through something similar in the fight against Pelosi.

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2:08 pm, Jul 6, 2009

billybob

try sticking to the subject Rick. not everything is about republicans v. democrats. Great article Reza...thank you for keeping people up-to date. better than watching reading about Michael Jackson 24/7

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2:54 pm, Jul 6, 2009

rtfxgaol

What are you talking about jr, maybe you should let sr do your commenting

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3:11 pm, Jul 6, 2009

jalehw

Selfish!

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3:46 pm, Jul 6, 2009

rickjr82

selfish over developed sense of self-importantance= ???

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7:42 am, Jul 7, 2009

Tucson138

Right, because those poor republican souls were just denied their democratic rights by. . . Oh, wait, it was actually the practice of democracy by a free electorate that rendered them powerless? Poor babies. . . Terrorized by a middle aged woman, in a free, democratic society.

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4:45 pm, Jul 6, 2009

veryneatmonster

False analogy, try again.

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4:48 pm, Jul 6, 2009

rapierwits

HEY ALL OF THE ABOVE:

I'm pretty sure Rick was using satire to call out the two Republican congressmen who compare their use of twitter to spread their message to that of the revolutionaries.

If ya'll want to help the revolutionaries by donating bandwidth, check out this site:

www.torproject.org

God bless the freedom-loving people of Iran!

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5:47 pm, Jul 6, 2009

PhilipPinePatriot

Yes, indeed brothers and sisters, we are intently watching and praying for you

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12:23 am, Jul 7, 2009

derekyoung

Yeah, it's almost exactly the same thing. The other day I walked to the store and thought, this must be what the Bataan Death March was like.

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2:54 am, Jul 7, 2009

rickjr82

I forgot to use commenting for the public good, my bad.

Hey guess what, I haven't worn ANY green either!

www.torproject.org

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7:35 am, Jul 7, 2009

csa4239

You are supporting "siege mentality." Your screwed up party ruined America's foreign policy, RUINED America's image to the middle East, and you have the gall to publicly state that your party, the "Republican Legislature" as you call it, as going through a fight against Oppression? Let me tell you who I support, which is All of AMERICA who is recovering from the real oppression of eight years of your party's horrible policy making and plunging America into Dystopia. You should not be allowed to speak, type, or think. Truly, all your viewpoint does is contribute lies to history.

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7:38 pm, Jul 8, 2009

TheDailyJban

I agree. Thank you for another informative article, Reza; keep 'em coming!

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3:22 pm, Jul 6, 2009

afisher

American's are watching and looking for information about what is happening in Iran. Despite the fact that tomorrow MSM has decided to spend the day covering the spectacle of MJackson's funeral, there are those of us who are watching and appreciate those fewer and fewer websites that are conscientiously and continually posting as much information as possible as to what is happening.
Unfortunately, most Americans can be moved off topic by spectacles such as this musicians death, Senator and Governor sexual affairs, Governor resignations and the like...but those websites (this and HuffPo) continue to post as much as possible to the travails in Iran...and we thank them for it.

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3:22 pm, Jul 6, 2009

borealfox

You mean MJackson is still dead? I'm shocked!

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6:32 pm, Jul 6, 2009

drmarkklein

Reza--The regime has been discredited but how soon it falls depends on the courage of the opposition.

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3:24 pm, Jul 6, 2009

Meghanisgreat

There you go. And you may add the real opposition. Not the sham opposition from inside the regime. Also, how and when the western countries will conclude that the regime of the mullahs' is illigitimate and stop flirting with it.

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5:55 pm, Jul 6, 2009

sophia5

Don't hold your breath on the American Media covering Iran.

The "News " media is currently
running the Michael Jackson mini-series.

Broadcast Journalism in The U.S.A. is DEAD.

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8:57 pm, Jul 6, 2009

Saleiri

"Broadcast Journalism in The U.S.A. is DEAD."

Oh crap really?...Please don't let the MSM know that, or else we'll get another 2 weeks of completely stagnant stories in memory of Broadcast Journalsim

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3:50 pm, Jul 7, 2009

csa4239

Absolutely! The Corporate Controlled Media can be just as criminal as the topics they should be covering.

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7:33 pm, Jul 8, 2009

csa4239

Well said, we are truly witnessing history in the making. I believe wholeheartedly that NOTHING is more important in Iran than the success of the opposition movement. The crackdown will some day be written in the textbooks along side other evils such as the genocide of the Jews by the Hitler regime and the Massacre of the Pakistanians by the Russians in the 80's (also Stalins murder of 20 million of his own countrymen during WWII

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7:28 pm, Jul 8, 2009

Sidewalklyrcs

Reza Aslan, why are you lying? Mousavi's website says no such thing. You have been an absolute Disgrace to us protesters the past few weeks doing and saying everything the hardliners in Iran accuse us of.

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3:31 pm, Jul 6, 2009

pressbutton

From Mousavi's FACEBOOK page:

Location: all over the country, all over the world, every where that you send the message.


Now that Mir Hossein is not there and our only connection to him is through his official statements, and now that all the road to justice are closed, our unity is our greatest power.
Mir hossein asked us in his 6th statement that we should insist on our rights obstinately but in the civic borders, maybe some supporters and friends wanted a radical attitude, emotionally or with their own reasons and logic. Now you can see that the only way of confronting the law breakings is only through the law itself.
Supporters had numerous proposals for the civic confrontation, amongst which after discussions the followings seems the best:

The united green seclusion

We are in the month of Rajab (seventh Arabic lunar month) and the white days (ayam albeyz) are close. The 13th, 14th and 15th days of the month are coincident with the 15th to 17th of Tir (4th month of Persian calendar). From both religious and law point of view, you can avoide working with the excuse of seclusion.

We will take a green piece of cloth with us and we will seclude. Maybe being close eachother will heal a small part of the pain of these days. After all these we need some calmness and spiritual unity, the same as when we say and we hear Allahu Akbar.
But ofcourse, anyone in his or her own way, but all with one purpose: Green!
The ones who do not want to go through the seclusion process, according to their legal rights can take days off from work. They can go to the Bazar of Tehran in the mornings. This movement will show the unity of a large population in the heart of Tehran, in the liveliest hours of the day. The glory of this unity will soon appear to anyone that how silence wins over screams and voice over bullet.
The last day of seclusion will be 17th of Tir and we will end it on 18th.
We ask the Islamic scholars who were always the pioneers and patterns in the movements of people, not to leave Green alone.
A man's civility is better than his wealth.

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3:57 pm, Jul 6, 2009

Sidewalklyrcs

pressbutton, Mousavi's facebook page has published lots of fishy statements in the past.

Mousavi himself said: "DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING UNLESS IT IS DECLARED ON MY WEBSITE" (Ghalamnews)

And note, Aslan writes "Mousavi's website" ... and not facebook!!!!! He's making stuff up!

And this wasn't the only instance of it. Reza Aslan has been a disgraceful shame to the Iranian community. Thank goodness he doesn't have a shred of credibility in Iran or he could have seriously put us in danger.

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6:06 pm, Jul 6, 2009

veryneatmonster

Good job pressbutton!

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6:16 pm, Jul 6, 2009

Sidewalklyrcs

pressbutton, Mousavi's facebook page has published lots of fishy statements in the past.

Mousavi himself said: "DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING UNLESS IT IS DECLARED ON MY WEBSITE" (Ghalamnews)

And note, Aslan writes "Mousavi's website" ... and not facebook!!!!! He's making stuff up!

And this wasn't the only instance of it. Reza Aslan has been a disgraceful shame to the Iranian community. Thank goodness he doesn't have a shred of credibility in Iran or he could have seriously put us in danger.

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6:32 pm, Jul 6, 2009

Fauve57

Sidewalklyrcs
Begone!! or someone will drop a house on you too. Nothing left but your shoes.

Great job Reza, as usual.

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7:49 pm, Jul 6, 2009

Saleiri

Care to embellish on that? or are we left to own devices in trying to figure out just how Reza has supposedly commited this great crime against protesters and the islamic community?

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3:53 pm, Jul 7, 2009

Sidewalklyrcs

I've explained here:

http://www.sidewalklyrics.com/?p=819

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4:54 pm, Jul 7, 2009

JohnnyAces

The news in just trickling out of Iran now thanks to the flood of celebrity and rouge-governor news. It's time for the media to stop the tabloid-reporting and get back to full coverage of the real news. There is still much potential for good things to happen in Iran. Like any good point guard we need to drive to the basket on this one (sorry couldn't resist).

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3:40 pm, Jul 6, 2009

rapierwits

Right on, Johnny!

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5:48 pm, Jul 6, 2009

spider1960

Many Americans are frustrated that the msm is no longer covering Iran. We read everything you write about it, and also follow Nico on Huff Post and Iran Election on twitter. Let your contacts know that we still care, it's just that the msm acts more like tabloid journalism with it's obsessive concentration on entertainers and sleaze. Keep the info coming, please.

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5:42 pm, Jul 6, 2009

Gonzeaux

I'm still paying attention.

And I will keep paying attention. This is the most important news story in recent memory. It's no wonder that Roger Cohen is addicted to it and wishes he could still be in Iran covering The Story.

I can't get enough of the news about Iran. And I'd say that, until a month ago or so, I knew next to nothing about the country. Suffice it to say that, the more I learn about them, the more I realize how much alike we are.

Iran and the US are both highly educated, intelligent societies with lots of diversity of opinion. They both have a contingent of very religious people. Iran will some day have a true republic. And it will be the Iranian people who secure it for themselves, as in any true republic.

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6:04 pm, Jul 6, 2009

sabela

Well, I am hoping once Michael Jackson is buried, the news might actually start doing the actual news. Good article!

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6:29 pm, Jul 6, 2009

fader05

America is still paying attention. It's just that MJ and Wimbledon, and 4th of July got more attention. But we are now paying attention. No worries

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6:40 pm, Jul 6, 2009

davidm2902

What am I?
The desired result of what I am, is the creation of economic instability and crisis.
Over time, this desired resulting economic instability and crisis would cause the masses to question its Nationals leaders, and the desired political direction they've embarked upon.
Over time, due to this resulting economic instability and crisis, in a mass protest against the chosen political direction embarked upon, by its Nationals leaders, kaos will erupt upon the streets of its Nations major cities and Capital, escalating into mass rioting.
This mass rioting will result in a decision to be made, by the National leaders, where upon the streets of its own Capital city, through its brutal and tyrannical use of force and violence against its citizens, their responsibility for the spilling of its own peoples blood, will occur.
The result I shall provide will usher in acts of freedom and liberty, thus, showing that Tyranny is but a fleeting condition, ripe for extinction.
What am I?
I am the best case scenario, an exhibition of the effectiveness of U.N. Resolutions imposing economic sanctions.
Be under no illusions, that which we see occurring today on the streets of Iran, is directly attributable to a dictatorial regime, which has long been holding its peoples and their financial prosperity hostage, by a desire perception, to obtain nuclear weapons.
Maybe, it is now that Iran is upon that crossroad, where the decision to seek peace and prosperity with the world, is that path to be chosen, where better left as a darkened trail, to no longer be traveled, is a chosen path of disengagement with the international community. If not; it is now; the international community should push to make stronger, U.N. economic sanctions.

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6:50 pm, Jul 6, 2009

davidm2902

What am I?
The desired result of what I am, is the creation of economic instability and crisis.
Over time, this desired resulting economic instability and crisis would cause the masses to question its Nationals leaders, and the desired political direction they've embarked upon.
Over time, due to this resulting economic instability and crisis, in a mass protest against the chosen political direction embarked upon, by its Nationals leaders, kaos will erupt upon the streets of its Nations major cities and Capital, escalating into mass rioting.
This mass rioting will result in a decision to be made, by the National leaders, where upon the streets of its own Capital city, through its brutal and tyrannical use of force and violence against its citizens, their responsibility for the spilling of its own peoples blood, will occur.
The result I shall provide will usher in acts of freedom and liberty, thus, showing that Tyranny is but a fleeting condition, ripe for extinction.
What am I?
I am the best case scenario, an exhibition of the effectiveness of U.N. Resolutions imposing economic sanctions.
Be under no illusions, that which we see occurring today on the streets of Iran, is directly attributable to a dictatorial regime, which has long been holding its peoples and their financial prosperity hostage, by a desire perception, to obtain nuclear weapons.
Maybe, it is now that Iran is upon that crossroad, where the decision to seek peace and prosperity with the world, is that path to be chosen, where better left as a darkened trail, to no longer be traveled, is a chosen path of disengagement with the international community. If not; it is now; the international community should push to make stronger, U.N. economic sanctions.

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7:00 pm, Jul 6, 2009

mcmchugh99

This is more of an issue of fascism vs. democracy than Republicans vs. Democrats. The former is something fundamental and elemental, while the latter in America is just a well-known pendulum swinging back and forth between classical, 19th Century liberalism, and modern or progressive liberalism. This cycle just repeats itself every 30-40 years.

For all the smoke and mirrors, there is not such a huge difference between the parties in America, especially as both of them take a lot of money from big business interests, while acting like great populists at election time.

In Iran, however, the contest between the facsist regime and the young people in the streets has a life and death quality that nothing in the US can match.

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7:14 pm, Jul 6, 2009

johnnycracker

We (USA) fought a war of independence to gain our freedom - I would think that qualifies. The Iranians are doing nothing to except talking, twittering and whining. Perhaps they should take to streets and stay there even when the revolutionary guard arrives and fight them to the death. Only then will they deserve freedom. We are losing our freedom everyday to the kenyan usurper and his minions - perhaps we need take to the streets ourselves. FYI - the joke that is the UN doesn't have any power unless the US military makes it happen. Sanctions - please - it's really scaring the North Koreans......

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9:08 pm, Jul 6, 2009

crngndmhm

You should definitly take to the street and fight to the death. But hopefully the only one to die will be you and your convoluted line of thinking.

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12:40 pm, Jul 8, 2009

manesh

July 9th is not "18 Tir in the Islamic calendar". Tir is a month in the Iranian calendar, which is different.
I thought you were of Iranian origin all along.
Nice article, in any case. Thank you.

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9:26 pm, Jul 6, 2009
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Iran Goes on Strike

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