Update Iran – 08-03-09 – Khamenei Gives Stamp of Approval to Ahmadinejad’s Presidency – Protests Planned for Inauguration

Ayatollah Khameneihas given his endorsement of Ahmadinejad’s second term. The disputed election has sparked massive demonstrations across the country; with extreme brutality shown by the regime in an attempt to quell the protests. Khamenei, in endorsing Ahmadinejad, did so by kissing his shoulder, which is a uniquely Arabic custom, this has given fodder to protestors who are stressing the import of their Persian roots – Khomeini has hired Arab mercenaries in order to bolster his campaign against the protestors. The Inauguration will take place on August 5, 2009, at 9 A.M., and protests are being planned across the country for both August 3rd and August 5th. An article from Middle East Online questions if Ahmadinejad will be able to govern effectively, given the opposition from the public (protestors) and from clerics (see Quom, where Khamenei is said to have destroyed the educational aspects of the clerical monastery, replacing an emphasis on the military) – the article suggests a revolution similar to the 1979 revolution which brought the Ayatollah to power.

Although mass arrests and trials are taking place in what appears to be a “last-ditch” effort for the regime to bring the country under control, those that are seeking freedom from the theocracy in general, are undeterred. The opposition, some who support Hossein Mousavi, opposition candidate to Ahmadinejad, and the growing number who would see Iran as a Free Democratic Republic, vow continued protests until Khomeini and Ahmadinejad are no longer in power. The difference between how the protests are conducted, from the first very peaceful protests where the hired mercenaries of Khomeini attacked protestors who could not or would not defend themselves, has changed in the past few protests to a more proactive and vocal protests – a subtle change to be sure, but one which has yet to evolve into an armed conflict. One has to wonder how long 70,000,000 people will passively protest – given the sudden attention from news sources such as the BBC and NRP, sure that there will be more “unrest” over the inauguration, it cannot be long. The last “protests “of July 30, brought hundreds of video’s through channels such as You-Tube, Twitter, Face Book and Citizen Tube, in order to prove to the world the general lack of acceptance of the current regime and the will of the Persian people to remove him at all costs. It goes without saying that Pandora’s Box has been opened – it is only a matter of time.