We are on the brink of interesting times in Iran. The 40th day after the death of Ayatollah Montazeri–a day of public mourning–approaches with the promise of the same sort of street demonstrations that attended his funeral and the holiday of Ashurah. February also marks the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution and, in a change noted by my friend Roya Hakakian, the regime–which bloated the importance of this anniversary in the past–has banned “the broadcast and distribution of several images from 1978.” Apparently, revolutionary images are now too…revolutionary for the religion-tinged military junta that runs the show in Iran.
Which is appropriate, since a large number of those who made that revolution–including much of the religious community–have gone Green and turned against the despots.