Some remarkable developments in Iran. The more brutally the coup regime acts, the more resolute the opposition has become. Khatami's words are especially powerful:
Khatami lashed out at what he termed 'a poisonous security situation' in the wake of violent street protests. "Given what has been done and declared unilaterally, we must say that a velvet coup has taken place against the people and democratic roots of the system."
Some translations read this as a "velvet revolution" against the people. It seems to me in context that coup is a more accurate term. Mousavi is just as adamant:
"It's not yet too late," said Mousavi, who has slipped from public view in recent days. "It's our historic responsibility to continue our complaint and make efforts not to give up the rights of the people." Mousavi also condemned alleged attacks by security forces on college dormitories where "blood was spilled and the youth were beaten," and he called for a return to a more "honest" political environment in the Islamic Republic. "A majority of the people including me do not accept its political legitimacy," Mousavi said, adding: "There's a danger ahead. A ruling system which relied on people's trust for 30 years cannot replace this trust with security forces overnight."
The brutality of the current crackdown is only part of the story; the psychological and spiritual resilience of the resistance is the other critical part. This is now the balance we have to understand. These are the forces for freedom we must not forget or lose our focus on. There are some things more important than the death of Michael Jackson.
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