Stay on Message and Support the Struggle Online

As a fall-out of the news about the efficacy of the internet and twitter in the struggle in Iran, I have receiving articles and warnings about Mossad and other infiltrators posing as Iranians on twitter. Here is what my answer is to them:

It is very important to pick one of two sides in this struggle. Either you believe in the fact that these elections were rigged or not. If you do, like I do, it does not matter who is behind the tweets. As long as they serve the end of rising public consciousness about the struggle in Iran. I have relatives and young friends on the phone and facebook chat and inbox telling me exactly what is coming through on twitter. Many kids were on twitter from long ago: all in iran, all students and young people who are comfortable with the internet.

The majority of Iranian population is urban and young. They are very bright kids. Also English is not such a difficult language. So the fact that some have good English ability is not so odd as the articles suggesting mossad conspiracy suggest. I know one young girl from Saari and two young men from Mashad who write impec. English all of them very tech. savvy and still using proxy to stay online. I know Iranian-Americans inside Iran who are involved in the struggle.

I was on twitter from before and started using it more from day one of this struggle and saw how a handful of twitterers generated so much on the Iran Elections that in one day it became the most discussed topic. It is still the most discussed after so many days. I went on because an Iranian journalist friend covering the elections had told us that he would be posting on twitter, and he did minute by minute. People from cnn and abc and reuters etc. where getting their info from there and tweeting to people like me outside and those from Iran. I know two Iranian journalist who went to cover the election and are twitting from Iran. What is amazing is that of the 6million or so twitter users, many Americans and other non-Iranians,are now actively supporting our struggle. They even have green avatars. All this twitter activity shamed cnn to covering iran more! now everyone has become internet or twitter savvy and keeping up. They don’t want to be one step behind. (read this on how there were 250,000+ tweets regarding Iran in one hour ahttp://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=114050729971&h=lAVmK&u=28hbc&ref=mf)

Much may be rumors coming through, and some is misinformation coming from the Ahmadinejad camp or whoever else. However, the point is that this is an outlet for information when there is no other. My relatives joined in the past few days. Kids that worried about gelling their hair and partying and not much more are now collecting information and sending it like their life depended on it. Is Israel on twitter, maybe, but that is not important, we have a cause that is very clear and whoever wants to help, fine. What is obvoious is that this is an indigenous movement that not even the reformists thought they could propel. It has a life of its own. These kids are very techy, very smart and have lost their fear. Hopefully it will all come to something.

I did not really use my twitter. Nor did I think what I twitted mattered. but since Friday of the election I make sure I tweet the cause every awake minute of the day that I can just to get the word out of our struggle. It may help,it may not. It certainly wont hurt. What else can I do? If I was in Iran I would be out helping those kids, from here all I can do is spread the news so no one forgets them and our precious cause.I am careful that the news I spread is accurate. but this is no time to let our ideologies or politics get in the way of the message of the struggle. Which is simple respect for peoples vote and the protection of their human rights.

This is NOT THE TIME for ’79 ideological divisiveness. This is no time to think of left or right shahi or tudehi. all of these divisions are now obsolete. Only one thing matters supporting the struggle in Iran for basic right to have one’s vote counted, ones life preserved, ones humanity respected. Let us please just stay on message!

Somehow all my adult life I have been waiting for this. I did it for Gaza too. but this struggle in Iran,the way it has come to embody the wish for a respect for civil liberties is so so near my heart, it defines me.

Lets keep the message alive, lets keep it as the hottest topic on the news and the sites, that is what the people in Iran want. They want us to keep their struggle alive! It may be a small step but it is the best we can do for them, for us.

Here is a link on how to help the Iranians inside Iran online.

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