Iranian Presidential Election

I must admit with some reluctance that I know very little about politics. I grew-up in a home where my mother and father were on different ends of the political spectrum, with my father claiming a republican identity and my mother a democratic, but political issues were never talked about in great length. My father was the most opinionated about his political beliefs, claiming that all democratic leaders are liars and thieves, so with little else to go on I began identifying myself as a republican too. Politics are so complicated which is why I believe that I have never had a desire to take an interest in political issues. Reading political news is like trying to read a book written in a different language. I have no knowledge of past events pertaining to the current global issues which makes it extremely difficult to fully understand why the event is occurring and then form an educated opinion about the matter. I do not understand why the Middle East is a “threat to national security,” why some nations are allied with the United States and others are not, or anything else of this sort.
When asked to select a topic about global politics and then write about it for this course I was very apprehensive because of my lack of knowledge about politics, but I was immediately intrigued by the current events surrounding the Iranian presidential election. I had no knowledge of the presidential candidates viewpoints, no idea that religion and government are closely related in this country, or any concept of the oppressive state the country of Iran has been in (this is an opinion) since the country’s revolution in the 1970’s, but what struck me was the images of peaceful protestors being attacked by police officers armed with tear gas, weaponry, and night sticks. And I began to think of the idea of media being a sort of narrative, a way for one to express his or her own opinions and beliefs with or without being fully aware of this fact. I have read of the brutal treatment of protestors by the Iranian Police. News stories that the government has falsified the number of individuals who have been harmed or killed during the protests. I have read of the allegations made by some that the government has purposely caused the death of these innocent protestors, but then read conflicting accounts that these peaceful protestors are not the victims but instead, have attacked the Iranian Police and physical force was used in self-defense. So it are these narratives, the current accounts of the events that have followed the Iranian presidential election that can be reflected on, analyzed, or even portray two very different stories of the actual events occurring in this country that I am so fascinated with. How it is that such an event of protesting after a presidential election can lead to two very different accounts of what actually happened? Were and are these peaceful protestors being attacked by the Iranian government as a way to instill political order and fear to the Iranian citizens? Are protestors attacking the police officers as a sign of the opposition of the current Iranian government? Or, do both accounts hold some truth? But these ideas of political narratives are not confined to the protests that are occurring after the presidential election, but are ultimately a fact of all politics. And I wonder what stories have the Iranian presidential candidates told to the individuals of this country? Why do some individuals believe that change is needed in the Iranian government while others would favor the re-election of the current president?
The current dynamics in Iran are also interesting because there appears to be this movement for change in a country that has very traditionally religious government ties and it will be fascinating to see how this influences the future for Iran. While some Iranian citizens support the re-election of the current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, it appears that many more individuals are in favor of a more democratic style of government. That perhaps some form of Westernized views of secularism and democracy have penetrated the traditionally religiously led government of Iran. And I wonder how the clergy, who have such a powerful presence in Iranian politics, will influence the current state of chaos in Iran. Some clerical members support Mir Hossein Mousavi, the democratic candidate who lost and claims that the election was rigged, while other religious members believe that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad fairly won the recent election. What is certain however that is the current state of the Iranian government is being tested by a new movement for more Westernized views and this is a monumental time in the country’s history. It will take more time and informed knowledge for me to paint a broader picture of the dynamics that have lead to the chaotic state of Iran.