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election is essentially the same as the 61.69 percent he They are the children of the exiled Iranian capitalist received in the final count of the 2005 presidential class and do not represent a fair assessment of the election". These people also conveniently ignore many __ internal Iranian population. After all, the poor and the popular perceptions within Iran, such as the fact that — masses do not have the means to emigrate to the West. most Iranians see Ahmadinejad as having won the aturally, many Westernised youth in Iran have televised debates and that he can also be viewed as a legitimate concerns and social issues with the present populist campaigner. Ahmadinejad has the support of a —_ way of governance within Iran; however, the majority of large number of Iranians, "including the religiously Iranians are more concerned with their daily meals than pious, lower-income groups, civil servants and — with Islamic dress codes. pensioners”. Petras further pointed out that "[t]he ‘youth vote’, Some "evidence" for fraud was highly circumstantial, | which the Western media praised as ‘pro-reformist’, was in that it claims that because Mousavi comes from an a clear minority of less than 30% but came from a highly Azeri background "he was guaranteed to win Iran's Azeri- privileged, vocal and largely English-speaking group majority provinces" and so, when Ahmadinejad won in — with a monopoly on the Western media’. these provinces, "fraud is the only possible Even the Washington Post reported on 15 June about a explanation". However, Ahmadinejad major Western poll conducted in Iran also speaks Azeri quite fluently and three weeks prior to the election, formerly served as an official in two which "showed Ahmadinejad leading Azeri areas, and the Supreme Leader by a more than 2 to | margin—greater of Iran, Ayatollah Khamene'i, is also The Internet played than his actual apparent margin o Azeri.” 9 victory" and demonstrated that the This also ignores the class-based a very large role In "scientific sampling from across all 30 voting of Iranians. While the West the international of Iran's provinces showed tends to portray the Middle East and * Ahmadinejad well ahead". Africa through an orientalist's lens, perception of the The article further pointed out: viewing them as "the Other" and often Iranian election, as “Much commentary has portrayed portraying the people of these regions . : Iranian youth and the Internet as as backward or barbaric, reality is a far social networking harbingers of change in this election. cry from Western perception. People sites like Twitter But our poll found that only a third o in the Middle East, including in Iranians even have access to the Iran, vote with concerns about and Facebook Internet, while 18-to-24-year-olds the economy and _ social were used to comprised the strongest voting conditions in mind just as much . bloc for Ahmadinejad of all age as voters in the West do. Voting advance the alms groups.” in the Middle East is not simply of the "green Further, the only demographic based upon religious or ethnic oon where Mousavi was “leading or differences; there is more to revolution oxo competitive with Ahmadinejad were university students and graduates, and the highest- income Iranians". The article consider, and any analysis that forgets this is flawed. Even the Financial Times in early June was quoted as saying that "[c|hange ended by saying: "The fact may for the poor means food and simply be that the reelection of jobs, not a relaxed dress code or President Ahmadinejad is what mixed recreation" and that "[pJolitics in Iran is a lot the Iranian people wanted."*” more about class war than religion". Professor James Petras wrote that "[t]he only group, The Failed "Twitter Revolution" which consistently favored Mousavi, was the university The Internet played a very large role in the students and graduates, business owners and the upper _ international perception of the Iranian election, as middle class".» These groups also happen to be highly social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook were Westernised Iranians. The Iranians protesting in the used to advance the aims of the "green revolution", "green revolution" were holding signs written in English often giving it the name the "Twitter revolution". and were giving interviews to Western media in English. | Remember that in 2007, a CIA plan that reportedly Many are Western-educated and raised. The Iranian included a coordinated campaign of propaganda, diaspora in the West was also largely supportive of the — disinformation and manipulation was put into effect, "green revolution", as they are the sons and daughters which was "intended to destabilise, and eventually of those who emigrated from Iran following the 1979 topple, the theocratic rule of the mullahs". As part of Iranian Revolution. this, "[t]he CIA will also be allowed to supply The Internet played a very large role in the international perception of the Iranian election, as social networking of the "green revolution”... The Failed "Twitter Revolution" The Internet played a very large role in the international perception of the Iranian election, as social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook were used to advance the aims of the "green revolution", often giving it the name the "Twitter revolution". Remember that in 2007, a CIA plan that reportedly included a coordinated campaign of propaganda, disinformation and manipulation was put into effect, which was "intended to destabilise, and eventually topple, the theocratic rule of the mullahs". As part of this, "[t]he CIA will also be allowed to supply NEXUS ¢ 33 sites like Twitter and Facebook were used to advance the aims FEBRUARY - MARCH 2010 www.nexusmagazine.com