The Green Movement in Iran is a political reform movement that traces back to the disputed 2009 p... more The Green Movement in Iran is a political reform movement that traces back to the disputed 2009 presidential elections by those who thought the election results were fraudulent. The movement came about due to the political unrest in Iranian society with the direction and leadership the country was taking. Overall there was a collective call for a more democratic, political society in which the people were able to choose their leaders based on popular sovereignty without intervention from appointive institutions (Khosrokhavar, 2010). As one of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's three opposers in 2009, Mir-Hossein Mousavi took to the forefront of the people's hostility to the election serving as the face of the opposition, providing the leadership quality for the movement and voicing his democratic political policy aspirations on behalf of the grieving people. Common themes such as the respect and equality of all citizens, promotion of a secular Islam, rejection of gender violence and the government intervening in private affairs provided the foundation of collective grievances for the initiation of this movement. With the unrest there, it was only a matter of time before a strain in society provided the necessary means for protesting to occur; the election provided an ideal opportunity to voice the collective grievances with the current regime because of the instability of the government in transitioning, the opposition party gaining popularity and accurately representing the democratic views of the people, and the pressure of the international sphere watching.
It is widely known that there is a high level of censorship in Iran. The Iranian government fears... more It is widely known that there is a high level of censorship in Iran. The Iranian government fears dissenting opinions, the organization of political uprisings, and activities and behaviors that are counter-Islamic. However, the Iranian people are persistent in pushing through the monitoring and censorship in order to access the internet via VPNs and other proxy servers. The Iranian people are a society just like any other, wanting to stay connected with friends and family, use the internet for entertainment and news, and—in a surprisingly smaller amount—engage in political conversation. In this paper I will dismantle the myth of internet in Iran such as how it works, what Iranian’s are using it for most, and subsequently what the government fears the most and how these ideas impact the push for democracy in Iran. I find that the Islamic Republic is in cultural conflict with the internet due to democratic notions that are woven into the networked fabric of the internet. I also pose democratic notions associated with the internet among other authors and concepts we have learned thus far to further understand and analyze the internet phenomena in Iran.
The Green Movement in Iran is a political reform movement that traces back to the disputed 2009 p... more The Green Movement in Iran is a political reform movement that traces back to the disputed 2009 presidential elections by those who thought the election results were fraudulent. The movement came about due to the political unrest in Iranian society with the direction and leadership the country was taking. Overall there was a collective call for a more democratic, political society in which the people were able to choose their leaders based on popular sovereignty without intervention from appointive institutions (Khosrokhavar, 2010). As one of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's three opposers in 2009, Mir-Hossein Mousavi took to the forefront of the people's hostility to the election serving as the face of the opposition, providing the leadership quality for the movement and voicing his democratic political policy aspirations on behalf of the grieving people. Common themes such as the respect and equality of all citizens, promotion of a secular Islam, rejection of gender violence and the government intervening in private affairs provided the foundation of collective grievances for the initiation of this movement. With the unrest there, it was only a matter of time before a strain in society provided the necessary means for protesting to occur; the election provided an ideal opportunity to voice the collective grievances with the current regime because of the instability of the government in transitioning, the opposition party gaining popularity and accurately representing the democratic views of the people, and the pressure of the international sphere watching.
It is widely known that there is a high level of censorship in Iran. The Iranian government fears... more It is widely known that there is a high level of censorship in Iran. The Iranian government fears dissenting opinions, the organization of political uprisings, and activities and behaviors that are counter-Islamic. However, the Iranian people are persistent in pushing through the monitoring and censorship in order to access the internet via VPNs and other proxy servers. The Iranian people are a society just like any other, wanting to stay connected with friends and family, use the internet for entertainment and news, and—in a surprisingly smaller amount—engage in political conversation. In this paper I will dismantle the myth of internet in Iran such as how it works, what Iranian’s are using it for most, and subsequently what the government fears the most and how these ideas impact the push for democracy in Iran. I find that the Islamic Republic is in cultural conflict with the internet due to democratic notions that are woven into the networked fabric of the internet. I also pose democratic notions associated with the internet among other authors and concepts we have learned thus far to further understand and analyze the internet phenomena in Iran.
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Papers by Justine Akbari