Lessons From The 1979 Iranian Revolution
On the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Radio Farda investigates its similarities and differences with the Green Movement today. Film director Reza Alamehzadeh said the Revolution began with different groups of people making a variety of demands -- yet under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, it was transformed into a movement with a single voice. The Green Movement, however, reflects the fact that “Iranians have clearly democratic demands now.”
Journalist Noushabeh Amiri noted that national and international media openly reported on the 1979 Revolution: “I do not remember even one journalist being jailed for his reports and interviews, or facing the charges journalists do these days in Iran.”
Student Activist and His Sister Arrested
Student activist Nader Ahsani and his sister, Elham were arrested on February 8, their mother told Radio Farda. She added that her daughter works for a children’s rights NGO and was not politically active: “officials at the Revolutionary Court said they had nothing to do with the arrest, as it was made by security forces.”