Iran: Islamist bloggers react to protest movement

by Hamid Tehrani

As protests grow in Iran against the June 12 presidential election results that declare Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner, some Islamist bloggers explain why they believe Ahmadinejad won, and the opposition leader, Mir Hussein Mousavi lost.

While international media is awash with news about how Mousavi supporters are using the internet to make their views known, several bloggers are using the same tools to make a case against the opposition candidate.

Before the election, more than 100 bloggers publicly declared their support for Ahmedinejad on a campaign website created by his followers that made use of both YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

Hamed Talebi, writes [fa] that we should consider several issues about the current situation such as:

اقلیتی وقیح می خواهند تصمیم خود را بر اکثریت تحمیل کنند و در این مسیر از ساده دلی مردمی که به میرحسین موسوی رای داده اند سوء استفاده می کنند.

He adds:

جنگ، جنگ احمدی نژاد و میرحسین نیست. و نباید گذاشت به جنگ رای دهندگان به این دو منتهی شود. این، جنگ بین اکثریت مردم بی زبان و بی رسانه است با جریان تندرویی که پیش تر هم در حرکت هایی همچون تحصن نمایندگان مجلس ششم و غائله 18 تیر نشان داد ابایی از به آتش کشیدن مملکت و قربانی کردن مردم و منافع عمومی ندارد. میرحسین نیز در خوشبینانه ترین حالت، قربانی این جریان فریبکار است.

The blogger questions how can we bring people’s confidence back.

Ahestan says [fa] Mousavi tries to blame Ahmadinejad’s supporters for burning public bulidings? Based on what evidence does he make such claims? It is just like his claim about his victory in the presidential election?

The blogger wonders if Mousavi claims all his supporters protest peacefully, why some of them tried to storm a Basij [para military] base.

Khakrism writes [fa] that several Hezbollah and Basij members were murdered during this crisis time, and that American and British media manipulated Mousavi’s supporters to believe that the [Ahmadinejad] government is a liar.

Nasleh Khomeyni says [fa] that Mousavi’s western style campaign made him lose credibility among voters and that the demonstrations after the election show his supporters are coming from one class of society, and that he does not have majority support.