Current Events

Omeedvar

I think you are mixing Green Belt and Green movement. They are actually rather opposite. But you may have a point about "Green" as Islamic. I don't like it myself. It brings out bad memories.

Better have a "purple" movement; the color of Darafshe Kaviani. Ditch the whole post Islamic garbage and start a fresh and new chapter in Iranian history.

FYI/ Policewoman Fadia Hamdi: "I never slapped Mohamed Bouazizi"

BBC News - Tunisia revolt: Mohamed Bouazizi police suspect freed

Proceedings have been dropped against a policewoman accused of abusing Mohamed Bouazizi, the market vendor whose suicide provoked Tunisia's revolution.

The case against Fadia Hamdi was dropped at the start of her trial in Sidi Bouzid after his mother withdrew her complaint, Tunisian media report.

Mannoubiya Bouazizi said she wanted to promote reconciliation.

In court, the policewoman insisted she was innocent. "I did not slap him," she said.

Her lawyer, Besma Nasri, described the case as "a purely political affair".

Hundreds of people outside the court cheered as the charges were dropped, shouting "freedom, freedom", and saying Ms Hamdi had been used as a scapegoat.

The main square in the Tunisian capital Tunis has been renamed after Mohamed Bouazizi. 

The road to hell is paved with good intentions ...

BBC News - Tunisia one year on: New trend of self-immolations

Tunisia's long-time president resigned a year ago in the wake of nationwide protests, which began after the self-immolation of a young market trader. The BBC's Wyre Davies has uncovered alarming statistics which show there has been a huge rise in the number of people setting themselves on fire in Tunisia, despite the advent of democracy. 

Related Blog:

Tunisia could benefit from bitter lessons of Iran’s clumsy '79 revolution

Recommended Watching: 

Niall Ferguson Blasts Barack Obama For Failed Egypt Foreign Policy

درد همیشگی‌!!

....ما تافته جدا بافته ایم !! ما را چه کمک به سوری‌ها یا بحرینی‌ها؟

Dear MG

As you called it, the "green buffer", it worked, and the USSR became Russia. Then Russia joined the other friendly nations, and they all have been benefitting from Iran's wealth, are happy with IRI, except the people of Iran.

As for the Arab Spring, I think it may take a couple of years to see the real outcome. However, Iranians have different culture than Arabs, and they already have experienced green movement for thirty some years. As they say, "fool me twice, shame on me!"

An interesting video, a bit much emphasis on virtual organizing

though. There's no substitute for eye to eye organizing. This presentation also seriously undervalues the role of surprise in Tunisia and Egypt; hence their quick success.

Dear omeedvar, this Arab spring movement seems to have more of a  a bourgeois-democratic nature than anything else.

The Green Belt you refer to was suppose to be an anti-Soviet buffer.

These current changes and developments within Arab countries (and Iran) have a lot more to do with our internal development of popular classes (middle class, working class, educated youth,..) than any international conspiracy.

Iranians, beware of!....

This is misleading. Iranians and Arabs have different culture and historic background. The idea of green belt in the Middle East is not new, as I wrote before: //iranian.com/main/blog/omeedvar/why-did-green-movement-fail

The events in Tunisia started, after a Tunisian put himself on fire to protest the government. The same thing happened in Iran about thirty two years ago, in protest to the forced hejob. The Arab revolution has started about a year ago. Time will show the result.

However, after more than three decades of green Islamic movement, majority of Iranians are allergic to the green color and any other green movement!