Remember Neda

The actual difference between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi remains an open question. The president only has control over the economy, with Khamenei having unlimited veto power. All of the real power lies with the clerics, especially Khamenei; he controls the military and intelligence operations. And much of the opposition was formally part of the Iranian government, so it is difficult to discern if this is equivalent to two major Russian political parties arguing over whether Stalin or Lenin was the better leader. But the protests were far too vigorous to show a simple preference for a political party; the protesters had moved beyond Mousavi.

In all Muslim countries except Turkey, Lebanon, and Iran, the youth are only seen demonstrating to increase the control of sharia law over everyday life. This is also true of future Muslim countries like the UK. In Turkey there is a struggle between secular groups and believers in literal Islam. In Lebanon there is an ongoing struggle between Muslims and Christians. So what is the true nature of the Iranian protests? Neda's appearance in her last moments of life showed that she was opposed to the Taliban version of Islam, as she was wearing Western-style clothing. Was that why she was targeted? Every other woman I saw in the video coverage was wearing a veil of some sort. Did Khamenei give orders to kill all women dressed in Western garb? Or is this merely a predictable outcome from those who espouse sharia law?