Reading Gandhi in Tehran

A decade later, the peaceful Green Movement continues to inspire Iranians worldwide.

Iran, Mahatma Gandhi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Green Movement, Indian Express, Gandhian philosophy — The Green Movement chose civil disobedience, particularly silent demonstrations, to unify people, which gave it a “Gandhian” tone.

Ten years ago, the world watched in admiration the peaceful, non-violent protests of young Iranians in the aftermath of Iran’s fraudulent presidential elections of June 2009 that re-elected Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president. On June 12, interior minister Sadeq Mahsouli, an ally of Ahmadinejad, declared that the president had won the election with 62.6 per cent of the vote against 33.7 percent for Mir Hossein Mousavi, a reformist politician, who served as prime minister from 1981 to 1989. The protests in Tehran began by denouncing the presidential election results. When the administration clamped down, the people created a massive civil movement. In the days and months that followed, the state authorities were challenged by what came to be known as the “Green Movement”, the biggest non-violent challenge to Iran’s rulers since they gained power in 1979.