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Going green in support of Iranian freedoms
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A new green movement emerged this week. This one is not about the environment; it is about the freedom of expression and a fair election in Iran. That country held their presidential election and the government official results declared Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be re-elected in the Islamic Republic. This news was met with great skepticism and accusations of election fraud. Many could not believe that MirHussein Mousavi, the main candidate rival to Ahmadinejad, did not receive a greater percentage of the vote. Protests began in earnest in Iran with hundreds of thousands participating.
Social media began to buzz with coverage of all this. Realtime results continue to spark the conversations, blogging, and especially tweets on Twitter. You can follow the discussions and participate in them on twitter.com using the hashtag #iranelection. YouTube is also broadcasting coverage of what is happening in Iran. Protests are also being voiced on Facebook and Flickr. All of this is incredible when you consider that the expressions of protest is something the current regime in Iran is strongly opposed to. But they cannot ignore this public outcry.
On Twitter many people have turned their picture/avatar to green in support of Iranian citizens. This show of solidarity comes because green is a prominent color in the Iranian flag. I began to notice a large number of those I follow on Twitter with now green avatars and it prompted me to find out more. When I did I decided to show my support and turned my picture green.
You may wonder at the point of all this coming from the Albuquerque Christianity Examiner. "Isn't Iran a mostly Muslim nation?" you might be asking. Yes, it is, but it is also a nation crying out against repression. There are good and loving people - children of the One True God I profess belief in as a Christian - who are desiring freedom and justice.
Maybe you don't personally know anyone from Iran. I do. I've enjoyed the hospitality and conversations with my friends, Ali and Massi. I know that they are good people with kindness in their hearts and a love for others. Ali has shared with me that he is a follower of the religion of Abraham, the father of all prophets. He believes in God. He might call him Allah, but he's also told me, "The best names are the Most Gracious, Most Merciful." Perhaps he doesn't call Jesus Christ his personal savior. But I don't discount that he believes in love of others, a basic Christian teaching.
We are watching what is happening in Iran. I am praying for peace and justice. Are you praying, too? Things are tense in Tehran and in the Middle East. But the ability to show some unity through social media outlets and the Internet is a powerful means of expression. Violence and repression are not the Way of Jesus. Going green in support of the basic dignity and freedoms of a people is a way to show solidarity for our brothers and sisters in Iran. They, too, are children of God.
More coverage:
Twitter Reschedules Maintenance To Allow Iranian Protests To Continue - as reported at techcrunch.com
Social Media Sparks a Revolution - speakmediablog.com
Facebook on the Green Revolution Iran Protests
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