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Iranian Students Protest From Afar

June 30, 2009 9:20 AM

 

ABC News On Campus reporter Xorje Olivares blogs:

If he were in Iran right now, University of Texas senior Hooman Hedayati says he would more than likely be incarcerated.

Hedayati is one of more than 200 Iranian citizens who voted in the 2009 presidential election in Austin, Texas. He is now one of the thousands calling for a reelection.  

“I feel sad, I feel disappointed, I feel like I’ve been cheated, which I’m sure others are feeling too,” Hedayati said. “It was the first time I voted in any election, so I was excited, just like thousands of other Iranians. But seeing what happened in the aftermath, I’m not so sure my vote counted.”

Once President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner of the June 12 election, hundreds of protestors took to the streets of Tehran accusing the government of fraud, many of them supporters of opposition leader and presidential candidate, Mir Hossein Moussavi.

Hedayati says that he and his friends, like most Iranians, used Facebook, Twitter, and Persian-language media to keep themselves and others up-to-date about the ongoing conflict, a conflict that has left many injured and dozens more dead.

The violence has hit close to home for Hedayati, whose cousin was left battered and bruised after being attacked by the Basij, an Iranian paramilitary group. Others, however, have not been so lucky.

While official numbers have not been gathered, the Iranian government is reporting 27 protest-related fatalities, including that of 26-year-old Neda Agha-Soltan, whose last moments were captured on video and then broadcast around the world. Many consider her the face of the movement.

"I only watched it once,” Hedayati said, referring to the video. “I can’t watch it again. But it’s important to point out that others have died for the cause.”

Born in Iran, Hedayati moved to the U.S. in 2002, leaving behind his grandparents and other close relatives, and has not been back since. Upon graduation in August, he said he will probably stay in the country until he has enough money to return to Iran. Until then, he has remained closely tied to his culture.

Hedayati is a member of Iranians for Peace and Justice, a student organization in which Iranian and American students come together to promote cultural and political awareness about the Persian nation. Since the election results, they have held a handful of protests, including one in front of the Texas Capitol, and another at the Alamo in San Antonio.

On June 22, several Iranian groups helped organize a silent candlelight vigil in downtown Austin that attracted more than 700 people, 60 percent of whom were Iranians. Many Americans were also on hand to show their support, including UT seniors Rodolfo Campos and Mark Ortega.

Ortega described the event as eye-opening, since he knew little of what was taking place in Iran at the time. Campos echoed the same sentiment, saying he wished there was more information regarding the election here in the U.S. He liked the fact that their support seemed to be appreciated, noting that he, too, was given a candle.

Although Hedayati says many Iran natives are cautious of foreign involvement in domestic affairs, American support has been comforting.

“It makes you feel good that Americans are standing in solidarity with our country,” Hedayati said. “It’s important for Iranians to know that other people care and that they’re not alone in the streets.”

But with the Iranian government cracking down on those still in the streets, Hedayati is unsure as to whether or not an investigation by the Guardian Council will be the solution that he and many other Iranians are looking for to bring an end to the outrage.  

June 30, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (0)

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