Iran Update: If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em

“, it looks like the change is going to come from within.”
That’s about the only place lasting change could come from and probably it’s true generally that the only place lasting change can ever come from is from within. If it’s imposed from without, the people aren’t with it and if it’s a repressive change, they’ll adapt, but they’ll fight it eventually like they are in Iran.
But I’m fascinated, too, watching the resistance continue. It’s pretty obviously not going to stop; the desire for change has been there for a long time and isn’t going away. And yes, watching the resistance adapt to circumstances has been pretty amazing, too. In fact, Iran may be one of the most significant stories to date about where the world is heading in the 21st century and about humanity’s growing insistence on individual rights and liberty. It’s one of the overall most hopeful stories about the world to date, IMO.

The are two additional green elements in the frame.
1) wrist band on the man behind the green rug in foreground
2) green rug next to man with green scarf

The green rug in the foreground looks very new. Especially when compared to its neighbors. The guy with his arms to his ears or head, the second in on the second inner row on the right has a medical mask under his chin. Wonder where he’s been? There’s also a green baseball cap down at the end of that same row. And directly back from the green prayer rug is a green shirt.
This is great, it’s like where in the world is ?…
Revolutions probably never happen in one great burst. I’d bet most slowly push, push, push, getting more support, until the tipping point is reached. Didn’t that happen here? (in the US, I mean).

i read somewhere protesters did bring green prayer rugs. in an environment where an association with the wrong color can cause brain damage, i doubt color choice is coincidental.
can you imagine the PR disaster that would have been created if footage had been captured of security forces assaulting the faithful while praying? that would have further eroded the already shaky legitimacy of this regime.

here is the woman running the tehran bureau site:
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Iran-Election/ss/events/wl/060909iranelections/im:/090706/480/e6f43c7015b0442c9f076ddc12d345fd/#photoViewer=/090706/480/e6f43c7015b0442c9f076ddc12d345fd

This shot got some exposure on Iranian web sites not for the color green being displayed by some. The main attraction was the guy in the front prying with his shoes on! That’s a big no no. Notice other participants have some kind of a prayer rug, some are even using newspapers as prayer rugs, but they all have taken shoes off. This young guy seems to have come “unprepared” for the prayer ceremonies and joined at spur of the moment.
The main prayer ceremonies were conducted in Tehran University’s huge prayer hall where Rafsanjani was “performing” his duties as the Friday Prayer Leader of Tehran (that’s a big deal in Iran). This shot shows the “overflow” crowd performing their Friday prayer on the streets outside the university campus where security was tight. Those who were inside were high echelon government/religious people as well as a large number of students who have Islamic organizations affiliations.