Iranian People Shine In the Face of Dirty Politics

I've been caught up in the drama of the Iranian presidential election for the past couple of weeks. After seeing the enthusiasm of the candidates, the voters, the debates, it was hard not to feel excited for them, and with a reported turnout of something like 85%, Iranian voters have certainly shamed voters in democracies around the world, including the United States and most notably the European Union with it's abysmal 43.3% showing in 2009 parliamentary elections.

The words, deeds and faces of everyday Iranians spoke of their excitement to be participating in the process of government, their hopes for a bright future and their desire to have their voices heard. In the face of that excitement, hope and desire, the cloud of suspicion surrounding the election results announced Saturday morning, and the attempts by Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the allegedly re-elected president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to assert his "landslide victory" make this story a tragedy for all the people of Iran. Although hard evidence is difficult to obtain, the seated government's claim that the incumbent won the majority of the vote in every demographic is simply beyond all rational belief. As an example, imagine that in the last U.S. presidential election the Democratic party took every single state. It's totally preposterous. Add to that the fact that supporters of the opposition candidate, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, have taken to the streets in the hundreds of thousands, and you begin to get a clear picture of the scale of this deception.

This is a sad time for all Iranians. Protesters can be seen in the streets of Tehran and around the world carrying signs that say "Where Is My Vote?." You don't have to be a Mousavi supporter to ask this question- if the election results were fraudulent, tampered with in any way, then no one's vote matters. Supporters of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad take note: this election, and the importance of your vote, has been stolen from you as surely as it has been stolen from the Mousavi supporters. Which would you rather have, a voice that matters in the future of Iran, or Ahmadi re-elected at any cost? Think about that carefully, and understand that victory at any cost will likely cost you democracy itself. If you truly love Iran, and your part in shaping it's future, you will take to the streets and join your fellow Iranians to demand that your voice be heard and your vote counted.

To all Iranians- I have been inspired by your passion, hope and love for your country, and I'm inspired yet again to see you so bravely standing up for what you think is right. I salute you, and my thoughts are with you.