Tehran Calling, Redux

HuffPo's Shirin Sadeghi covers today's major anti-regime protests in Iran.

Today a long time tradition of the Islamic Republic of Iran was transformed into nationwide mass protests against the government.

Qods Day (or Jerusalem Day) is an annual event in the Islamic Republic, ostensibly held in honor of the suffering of the Palestinians but whose other major theme is anti-Israel rhetoric.

Despite having banned all public demonstrations by an opposition movement that has suffered disappearances, prison abuse, gang rapes in state institutions, and all manner of threats, the government had no choice today but to convene Qods Day, and the people had no choice but to take this chance and make their voices heard once again.

They took the government's cue for Qods Day participation as a legal loophole for once again brimming the streets of Iran.

But ironically for a government that has invested so much in its pro-Palestinian position, the Iranian public seems to have said today that they could care less about that issue.

"Not Gaza, not Lebanon. I die only for Iran," protesters have reportedly chanted in significant numbers across Tehran, Esfahan, Shiraz and other major cities across Iran today.

An image going around the Internet shows a protester holding a poster of the iconic Palestinian caricature Handala wearing a long green scarf with the words "Palestine is right here."

The message is clear, if unsympathetic: we Iranians have our own problems to solve.

Iranian anger has not died down. They are still protesting peaceably for real change, and getting that change will be difficult. The people of Iran are willing to risk it. We must make sure our response in helping them does not target these Iranians instead of the real culprits here.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shirin-sadeghi/qods-day-protesters-trans_b_291220.html