Iran: Not Forgetting 22 Khordaad "The Day We Chose to Live" (Pedestrian)

I have read a lot of superficial analyses this morning about the state of Iran's political conflict One Year On. In my opinion, this short piece by Pedestrian powerfully cuts through all of them:

Tomorrow, the streets of Tehran will be eerily quiet. There will be traffic, there will be noise, there will be pollution and people shouting swear words out of frustration just like any other day. But for many of us, time will stop and the world will go dark. Memories will take us away, one by one.

And the world might look down and declare: “look, it’s only been a year, and already they’ve forgotten.”

But we haven’t forgotten and never will. You might not see it, but who are you to judge?

Tomorrow the streets of Tehran might look like they do any other day. But if you look closely, if somehow you could force that black, archaic veil off that city for just a moment, you’d see a very different sight indeed. You’d see millions of people whose hearts are beating like mad, whose sweaty palms almost gives them away. You’d see people in mourning and celebration, because June 12th is all of those things.

June 12th isn’t just the day we died, but the day we chose to live.


For my generation, from now ’till forever, the world will be divided into two chunks: before and after 22 khordaad 88 (June 12th, 2009).

Something happened that day, and we might spend the rest of our lives trying to figure out what it was exactly. But even if that’s what it takes.…so be it.