If you haven’t heard by now, there’s a bit of news occurring in Iran right now. The Iranian people, or at least some of them, are protesting against the recent election. As a result, there has been a bit of violence in Iran, including a number of deaths such as that of Neda Soltan. The video below, though disturbing, shows Neda’s final moments.
Neda has become something of an unofficial martyr for the cause. The video of her final moments has been shown around the world on news shows, computers, and sent from phone to phone. Her death has become a rallying cry as protesters gather and try to fight what they call a dictatorship. Her death has come to be a thorn in the side of the Iranian government as they try to stop family members from putting up mourning posters.
Here in the US, there has been an outcry from the conservative side of the fence. They criticize Obama’s current stance on Iran, which seems to be “wait and see.” They seem to want the US to get involved with what’s going on in Iran, possibly invading, but at the very least, stating that we stand behind the protestors.
Obama has, to date, stood his ground. As the case of Neda has proven, there are human rights issues at stake. However, as history has proven, getting involved may prove detrimental in the end. Before the Iranian revolution, the US enjoyed good relations with Iran. However, the revolution of 1979 resulted in the pro-American shah to be ejected. Since that time, Iran has been distrustful of the US. The Bush administration didn’t help much, marking Iran as part of the so-called “Axis of Evil.”
By standing aside and letting events run their course, Obama allows the people of Iran to decide what will happen. This is an internal issue for the people of Iran, but make no mistake, it will affect world relations. But, if the US, Britain, or some other country forces their way in, without the consent of the Iranian population, it will sour any possible hope for good relations. The Iranian people need to do this on their own. They need to achieve their own freedom, in their own way.
All that said, please support those in Iran. We fought our own revolution, long ago, and we are a stronger nation for it. Now it’s Iran’s turn.
This week, leaders from around the world are meeting in New York to attend the U.N. Security Council. There’s all sorts of talk about climate change, nuclear weapons, and other such topics. But what I’ve found interesting, thus far, is an interview that N