Saturday, July 18, 2009

Naj's Picks of Iran, the grand paradox ...

I chose these pictures because they illustrate the diversity of Iran, and the diversity of those who have chosen to gather under the Green umbrella. It is not about the supposed leaders of this movement. At this moment it seems leaderless to me and what unites people is their collective love and care for their country and even their religion which is being savagely tarnished by recent actions of the supreme leader.

I want you to focus on the 3rd and the 6th picture.

In the 3rd, in the 40+ celsius heat of Tehran, you see a man with a green hat and a white chefiyah. Another young guy is in heavy argument with the guards whose back is to the camera, and the rest in the back have their hands in the air.

In the 6th photo, you see a Basiji who is aiming his gun and another basiji who is running towards him from the left, with his hand raised in a gesture of "stop". Also in the same photo, notice the man in a pink shirt. He is a photographer, it seems.

These pictures, everyone of them, defy stereotype. This is Iran! The grand paradox!







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