Do we really know what's going on in Iran?

An anonymous Iranian student tells us that we really don't know 21st century Iran; our media are still stuck in the days of the Revolution. For example, Iran is no longer the rural nation it was seventy years ago; now 70% live in cities. Tehran is not as unique as it was, now most Iranian cities have a lot in common. It is no longer true that one part of Tehran was Westernized, the other 19th century farmers. The culture has seen unbelievable changes: the rise of women, the expansion of education, the acceptance of divorce.

The student argues that this election campaign was unique in that there were six face-to-face debates televised nationally. It was in these debates that Ahmadinejad lost it. Just before election day, the tally was 44% for Mousavi and 38% for Ahmadinejad. How true this is is anybody's guess. His argument is that there are no really strong political parties in Iran, much of the campaigning is personal. And such a turnaround has happened before where the favorite was defeated because of a last minute swing.

What really impresses the student - and me - are the demonstrations. They've been spontaneous and inspiring. Will they persist now that Khameini has spoken? Let's hope so.

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