Diary of a young woman campaigning for reform

090601 Iran green T.jpg
Young supporters of Mirhossein Mousavi don themselves in green.

Iran has one of the largest female student populations in the world, and yet for the past four years this segment of society has been increasingly oppressed by the conservative authorities. The forthcoming presidential election is an opportunity for Iran's youth; women in particular, to make themselves heard. One of those doing just that tells us about her day campaigning for reformist candidate Mirhossein Mousavi.

Iran has one of the youngest populations in the world, with over 65% of its citizens under the age of 33. On top of that about 10 million of them are university students, and 60% of those are women. The majority of this mainly middle-class group, born in the country after 1979, has only ever known the Islamic Republic. They're not asking for dramatic reform, they just want a bit more freedom, says our Observer Hoora, a computer engineering student from Tehran.

Contributors

"Some people shout names at us like ‘mercenaries!'"

Hoora is a 21-year-old reformist and Mousavi supporter. She studies computer engineering and works part time as a software engineer and newspaper reporter.

Friday is my day off and I'm going to do some campaigning for Mousavi. I'm woken up at 5.30 by a traditional song I've set on my radio alarm. I have a cup of tea and pick out a mandatory hijab that I think will be accepted by the Ershad officers (Islamic Guidance police). In any case they can always find a problem with something you're wearing, whether it be your dress, makeup or hair. Mirhossein Mousavi says that he'd bring a stop to these kinds of harsh controls in the street. But the police are not directly controlled by the government in Iran so I don't know if it would make a difference.

After leaving the house I meet up with some friends in north Tehran and head to the Mousavi campaigning HQ. There's a lot of organising and recruiting to be done and we only have a few minutes to eat something in a café nearby, drink some tea and smoke a cigarette.

Afterwards we head to the streets, putting up Mousavi posters, talking to passers-by and handing leaflets to passing cars to put on the rear window. Some people shout names at us like ‘mercenaries!' but others smile and give us encouragement.  

At the end of the day we head back to the office, singing Islamic Revolution and reformist songs, making jokes and exchanging texts. Even in the taxi back to my home I'm talking with other passengers about Mousavi's policies: how he'd give us more freedom, ease international tensions, lessen censorship.

When I get home my dad is watching election news and we chat about developments (he supports Ahmadinejad but I'm hoping he'll change his mind). I finish the day by checking my emails, Facebook and messenger, tweeting and reading blogs and elections texts. Most of them are jokes about candidates, but some of them are more serious: about arrests and attacks.

By midnight I'm terribly tired. Tomorrow it's back to work... I just hope that all my hard work pays off when we win the election in two weeks!

Hoora's picture

Hoora

  • Iran
  • Computer engineering student

"Involving yourself in politics in Iran is dangerous (...) but paying attention to politics is part of my daily life"

Shohreh, an arts student from Tehran, is one of our Observers in Iran. In this video, she explains that getting politically involved in the country is still dangerous. However, the Iranians can't help but be interested in politics, especially thanks to new media - she considers Facebook one of the few places where you can talk freely about the upcoming election.

Shohreh's personal account was aired on France 24

Shohreh X's picture

Shohreh X

  • Iran
  • Art student

Comments

yr doin well... the world is

yr doin well... the world is watching... be safe

Unregistered user

Iran Elections

Hello, Im a european diplomat living in Iran for the last 4 years.
I have never seen anything like this before!!!!

Tonight at 9.30 pm is has started.
So many people on the roofs of the buildings in my neighbourhood all screaming "Allah huakbar!" God is one. Voices started coming from buildings far away and close by. Meanwhile people in the strees heading south towards the center of the city, cars horning non-stop and people firing fire cracks.
All this to object to the results of the recent elections that have send Mousavi, the hope of the young (and not only) people of North Tehran.

Now, I have been living here for more than 4 years and there has never been such a mobilations of people in city ever before. Last night just down my street people were marching by the thousands towards the main boulevar of Tajrish area, Shariati str. The traffic stopped and people were horning their cars, showing their protest like that.

When Ahmadinejad was first elected 4 years ago, I was here. Nothing was heard and it was sad business as usuall. Iranian are very conservative people in the sense that you don't here them in the neibourhood nor see them in their balconies. They live a life, behind their curtains.

I really hope this new "revolution" turns out for the best of the iranian people.

Yannis Procopiou
North Tehran
14-6-09 22.40

Unregistered user

idea

hello,hoora you have proved that Will dorant was right that in this time freedom means freedom of stomach not freedom of idea i am so sorry for you and want you not to destroy luster of iranian student

Unregistered user

The planet.

I am an outsider ,most humans annoy me,we all have only one thing in common and that is life,unfortunately man has not got the intelligence, well goverments ,they all want to mould people into an ideaology ,which is to confront each other.our history is recorded, what has been the end results ,war and devastation ,and we are still ignorant.when we learn not to assimilate with a person nationality ,but priciples which are basic to every human,housing medical,jobs,freedom to go without let and hindrance,and equal ,fair and just society ,maybe we will then start to head in the right direction.

Unregistered user

Hello, I live in Europe and

Hello,

I live in Europe and I think Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a good and a tough guy. Good luck to him!!!

Unregistered user

OAS agrees to readmit Cuba

Jun 4, 2009
El regreso ahora depende de la Isla La Organización de Estados Americanos, OEA, anuló la disposición que mantuvo excluida a Cuba durante 47 años.

Comunicado Oficial del Estado Occidental de la Republica de Cuba.

Excelencias:

Tenemos el Gustos de responder a la resolucion adoptada por Asamblea General de la OEA y

La Ministra de Relaciones Exteriores de Honduras y presidenta de la asamblea, Patricia Rodas,

El Estado Occidental de la Republica de Cuba tiene la iniciativa para pedir su reincorporación

bajo las condiciones de Estado Occidental Independiente de la Republica de Cuba.

Para conocimiento de los miembros de la OEA en nuestra pagina Oficial temporar podran encontrar
mas informacion. ( http://democraciaclases.4t.com/cgi-bin/blog )

Por medio de la presente, cumplo en informar a Vuestra Excelencia que nuestra Asamblea Nacional
comparte tambien nuestra resolucion.
Fraternalmente Gobierno en Exilio

Unregistered user

plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Electing another president as an alternative to Ahmadinejad would be a welcome development. But the issues concerning the west were instigated by His predecessors and will still have to be confronted. Hoora's ambitions for a 'little more freedom', should be much more ambitious.

Unregistered user

Not a Real Big Difference!

Hoora is one of the young people in Iran who think they do not have a broad choice and should choose Reformists or Conservatists!
In Iran all the candidates have to be qualified by the Guardian Council which has a district role to pass only the very close ones to the Islamic Republic’s oligarchy.
Mir Hosein Moosavi the main candidate of the reformists was Iran’s prime minster for eight years in 80’s while there are many records of violation of human rights in that period. Khatami’s presidency also ended with disappointment; then about 41% of people boycotted last presidential election. But four years of harsh suppression and economical crises made the majority of the youth vote just to say no to Ahamadinejad; while many of them may not believe the reformists could go far in the regime structure whose leader, Mullahs, army and power sources are the main barriers against any real change.
Hoora and many young people like her look for just a little bit of air to breath in during a reformist government and they know the difference between reformists and conservatives is not so huge.
On the other hand Karoobi as another reformist candidate attracts more attention among students but till now he could not succeed to influence many people although he promises to give monthly salary for all people as oil’s income.
For many people reformists are just another face of the regime that entertain them more to keep oligarchy in the power.

Media Researcher & Journalist

Omid Habibinia's picture

Omid Habibinia

  • Switzerland
  • Media Researcher & Journalist

Mercenaries or not?!

I dont know if they are all mercenaries or not.But some of them are, for sure, and some of them are people who dont have enough knowledge.
I am sure smoking is not a symbol of freedom, but a certain symbol of slavery, a kind of addiction, to nomb people, as a policy of this regime.( as you can see Hoora smoking in the photo).
Ms. Hoora! Do you know Mirhossien is one of the criminals? When he was the promier thousands of political prisoners were executed in groups and he was for it completely.He was one of the officials who wanted to continue war with Iraq, just to keep their regime. His wife is the MOTHER of the so-called patrols,( Gasht-e -Ershad) to hit and arrest women in the streets if their hijab didnt satisfy the regime.
There are many other wrong doings too.
If you support him, then you accept all his crimes.
ANYONE, ANYONE, who votes for Mirhossein or other candidates and supports them, is a co-criminal.
Good Luck!!!
Poori,
Tehran

Unregistered user

Hoora Hoora not give up

Jun 2, 2009 Liborio Press Be patient Hoora
"Some people shout names at us like ‘mercenaries!'"
Hoora is a 21-year-old reformist and Mousavi supporter. She studies computer engineering and works part time as a software engineer and newspaper
reporter.
At last you can aspire Cubans are worst and also are named Mercenaries you have access to web the cuban not.
Alha will support you

Unregistered user

Allah will not support

Allah will not support Iranians, while many Iranian youth dont belive him at all!
BTW people who shouting them "mercenaries" are thoese who are against the Islamic Regime! they dont belive any kind of wings of regime can do something for democracy in the country while all of them are sharing in the power, have a background of supressing, mass kiling, and violation against Human Rights, all of them are the same and should trow away in to trash!

Unregistered user

you rock!

Do not give up, you are a beautiful and brave woman!

Unregistered user