Friday, October 16, 2009 Ripples in the Tide
We went to a roller hockey game today. It was fun. And it was a thrill to be participating in a sport from outside the country. Both teams were pretty good and were trying out for spots on the national team.
While the game was a lot of fun, the fans made it even more fun. But, what hockey game is really complete without its fans? Anyway, from the beginning to the end of the game a group of about 14 (and at times up to 25) guys (somewhere between their 20s and 30s) had us cracking up (this is from about 50 fans total). When they first entered the arena about 4 gals were part of their group. They were all told the gals had to sit separate from the guys. This is common in Iran where single people are concerned. They usually have a family section for mixed family groups. So, this group split up with some mild protests, but overall good natured, and went to their respective sections. Along the way the guys were chanting (in a sing-songy way), “Marg bar Dictator! Marg bar Dictator!” (Death to the Dictator) It was loud enough for our section to hear, but not loud enough to disrupt the event and bring out authorities.
As the teams warmed up, the group of guys cheered and did the wave and had a great time just being rowdy and fun. When the teams got ready to start the game, one team did a group chant that ended with “Team” while the other team ended with “Ya Hossein” (for Emam Hossein) to which these guys responded loudly (but not too loudly) “Mir Hossein” (for Mousavi).
During the game everyone just concentrated on the players and had a great time cheering. At the end the teams were tied. There was no run-off or penalty hits or anything. One guy responded to our questions about the game, “Well, they are supposed to tie, aren’t they?” (I found out later that day from my dad that in a big soccer game up in Tehran between the two big national teams the teams were told to tie, and not for one to win, in order to keep the crowds from getting out of control and all frenzied. The gum’t did not want a win or loss to be an excuse for people to protest or let their rage out. So the comment about our game was pointed at that move).
At the end of the game some officials addressed the teams away from the fans. I guess we were making too much noise because one of the refs asked us to quiet down. One young man responded, “In honor of your green shirt, we will quiet down.”
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 The Eventual Outcome
A few days later, in an unrelated incident, I overheard a young lady talking with someone else. She was saying that while her husband is not a religious fanatic, he always observed certain Muslim rituals over the years, including fasting throughout Ramadan. This year, following the election fiasco, she noticed that he was not fasting. She asked him what was going on. He responded that he was no longer going to fast or do anything related to the religion. He said that the actions by the government this summer made him wonder if Iranians had adopted Islam way back hundreds of years ago under the same force and duress. His conclusion was – yes – therefore, he could no longer follow along. This young man is 27 years old – a child of the revolution and its entire system.
Another story I heard was that last week during Military Week a man went to an office building on business in Tehran. In the basement was a military booth. Military people were passing out flowers and cookies to passers-by and people awaiting business meetings. This man refused everything. Someone who had accepted the cookies and flowers asked if this man was angry. He responded something to the affect that these flowers and cookies come from the same people who had stolen the vote and killed numerous innocent Iranians this summer. Everyone around looked at each other. Then they all gave back the flowers and cookies and no one else would accept them from the military after that.
This story is from an older woman who still goes to the mosque to pray. She said that these days people are out and about and gathering in the mosques just to be together and to talk. She said that many of the religious clergy are no longer praying for the health of the leaders of this country, specifically Khamenei – that they are silent. And the old people complain to no end about the government and curse them for killing the youth. She says the atmosphere in the mosques is very volatile.
Thursday, October 22, 2009 Ripple, Ripple, Ripple
I learned today that three weeks ago a university student organization was showing the film Ice Age 3. So a lot of university students attended. At the door the young men and women were told to sit separately, in the Mens and Womens’ sections. It seems there were a lot of protests and fights even broke out. Eventually though, the students were forced to segregate. One person remarked, “As if people come to see the films! These poor students just want to spend an hour or so sitting next to their girlfriends!”
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 Undercurrents
Almost everyday there is another story. On a walk to my daughter’s school a cab of five young elementary school girls (all dressed in their pink uniforms with their pink headscarves) passed a wall with “Mousavi” written on it. As they passed the graffiti the girls started yelling at the top of their lungs, in unison, “Mousavi! Mousavi! Mousavi!”! They were still chanting as the cab drove out of earshot.
My son was standing in line to buy a snack at school when some kids walked by saying, “Marg bar Dictator” (death to the Dictator) under their breaths.
A cab driver I rode with the other day compared the current regime here to the Mongols. In fact, he condemned this government as being WORSE than the Mongols. According to Persians, the worst parts of their history are the invasion of the Mongols, the sacking of Persepolis by Alexander, the rule of Tamerlane (and increasingly these days, the Arab invasion of the country through Islam). So for someone to consider this government as WORSE than the Mongols is saying a lot.
Many people we speak with on the street feel that this government has shown its true face and is on its way out. Many people believe it will happen soon – but unfortunately, not without a tremendous amount of bloodshed.
Another young man I overheard complained about the intrusion of this government into weddings. He said one has to get 20 signatures to hold a wedding in a public place; then they give you a music tape to play (you can’t choose your own) and then they pour into the wedding party itself to make sure men and women aren’t mixing. He was so angry. He said he had travelled to Turkey and East Asia and enjoyed their freedoms and relative lack of stress (compared with Iran). He was trying to find a way out permanently. He said he was always so depressed that he had to return to Iran after his trips abroad.
Someone told me a story about going to the bazaar to buy fruit a day or so ago. He said when he went to buy the fruit a bystander quoted a poem that said “You drink the blood of people, while I drink the blood of grapes.” With this poem he was indicating his thoughts on the current situation.
People are anticipating November 4, the anniversary of the U.S. Hostage taking. In Iran it is celebrated as “Student’s Day”. This year however, they are trying to intimidate the students and everyone else. People are calling for protests, but the population knows that the government will show no mercy. No one is sure what will happen that day – but everyone wonders.
It just goes on and on and on ………….
Here’s a joke I heard recently: Adam Noah and Satan were having a conversation. Adam claimed that he was God’s greatest creation. Noah claimed he was the longest living man. Satan claimed he was the biggest liar – the most dishonest and devious creation of God. They argued a lot and finally agreed to ask God himself if their claims were valid. So Adam got a private audience with God. He was in the room for 5-10 minutes when he came out and said, “God agreed that I am his greatest creation.” Noah went in next and spent about 15-20 minutes with God. He finally came out and said, “God agreed that I am the longest living man on Earth.” Then Satan went to talk with God. A half-hour passed; 45 minutes passed. An hour passed when Satan finally came out of the audience hall. He put his hands on his hips and said, very indignantly, “Who is this Ahmadinejad?!?!”
October 31, 2009 Family Schisms and Some Perspective Please!
I came upon an article today (written in the Guardian a few days ago) about a young woman whose father is one of Ahmadinejad’s advisors – Kalhor. Anyway, this young woman is a film maker and showed a recent film of hers, The Rake, at the Nuremberg Human Rights Festival. Well, it seems her friends are afraid she will be arrested on her return to Iran. So she has requested asylum in Germany. Like the Puritans centuries ago, it is the children and grandchildren of the founders of the government who are breaking with their parents’ way of life. When I shared this story with some people, one young Iranians’ perspective was that life was so unfair. Here is a young woman who has grown up with all the privileges that come with being connected to power. And now she is fighting it and she gets to go to Germany and claim asylum, while many average Iranians who have not had those privileges and have wanted to leave for a lifetime still have no chance of leaving!
About a week or so ago I was driving on Chamran Blvd when I came across a police blockade on Zargari Bridge. It is highly unusual to have a blockade there. I also observed two motorcycles with two soldiers on each pass me by quickly and make a U-turn. Later that morning I had the opportunity to ask someone who lives in that area what had happened. He replied that someone had robbed the Sepah Bank on Zargari Street. Then he added, “It was probably 3 of their own officers who robbed the bank and they’re going to catch some poor, innocent bastards and pin it on them.” He thought it highly unlikely that, with all the police and military and Sepah presence on the streets, anyone but one of their own would dare to rob a bank these days!!!
Monday, November 02, 2009 Death to America Day Approaching (a.k.a. Student’s Day in Iran)
Some calls for people to march on 13 of Aban. Some walls are very active with one side writing grafitti like “Ma Hastim” (We’re Here) and the other side crossing it out and writing over it “Amadeem, Naboodid” (We Came, You Weren’t Here). Another wall said, “Ma Hastim” to which the other side added “Ba Veladat to Shahadat” (With the Religious Leaders until Death). One wall said, “Na Shargh, Na Gharb, Jonbesheh Sabze Melli” (Neither East nor West, Only the National Green Movement). Things are not static.
