mousavi: "ready for martyrdom"

In a distinct show of defiance, Mousavi, the improbable leader of the opposition, declared to his supporters on Saturday night that he as "ready for martyrdom." Such an unabashed act of resistence, in response to Khamanei's threats of violent repercussions against those who deny the legitimacy of the election (Mousavi also told his supporters that "protesting to lies and fraud is your right"), cements the opposition's resistance to the regime. It answers the question of whether the protesters would meekly step down with a resounding no. And it demonstrates that, despite his insider status, Mousavi has fully committed himself to his unlikely role as a would-be revolutionary.

Seeing that their leader continue to whole-heartedly encourage their demonstrations, protesters continued pouring into the streets on Saturday, despite the denial of official permission for these demonstrates and the not-so-oblique threats of violence that accompanied them. Unsurprisingly, the regime matched their threats with action; police confrontations resulted in at least 13 deaths yesterday.

iranian protests continue

The proverbial shit appears to be hitting the fan as Iranian protests continue into their fifth day. Sparked by the questionable results of Friday's election (the latest rumor claims that leaked election results actually show Mousavi as the landslide victor) that left the presidency in the hands of Ahmadinejad with an alleged victory granting him 62% of the vote (a puzzling outcome considering the fact that the four-candidate election was thought likely to force a run-off), these protests mark the largest antigovernment demonstrates since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Iranian government has responded in ways both expected (expelling journalists, arresting opposition leaders, blaming foreign elements for the disturbances) and less so (Ayatollah Khamanei has emerged from the shadows to publicly alter his initial steadfast support of the legitimacy of the election results). Naturally, Khamanei's decision to permit the investigation of the vote is likely an empty gesture intended to buy time in the hopes that the protesters will eventually cool off. However, such a public reversal from the country's Supreme Leader, who as the ultimate religious authority supercedes that of the president tends to remain above the political fray, may serve to cast further doubt on the legitimacy of the regime.

Of course, one aspect of these events remains refreshingly familiar. Ahmadinejad's predisposition toward offensive and inflammatory rhetoric marches on (apparently Mousavi supporters did not take well to having their protests compared to the actions of disappointed soccer fans, who would have thunk?)