{"id":2731,"date":"2009-07-04T18:23:36","date_gmt":"2009-07-04T16:23:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.zeit.de\/joerglau\/?p=2731"},"modified":"2009-07-04T18:23:36","modified_gmt":"2009-07-04T16:23:36","slug":"marjane-satrapi-nicht-ist-mehr-wie-es-war-im-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.zeit.de\/joerglau\/2009\/07\/04\/marjane-satrapi-nicht-ist-mehr-wie-es-war-im-iran_2731","title":{"rendered":"Marjane Satrapi: Nicht ist mehr wie es war im Iran!"},"content":{"rendered":"
Die gro\u00dfartige iranische Zeichnerin und Filmemacherin Marjane Satrapi lebt nun schon seit mehr als 10 Jahren im Exil. In der New York Times hat sie aufgeschrieben, was die Demonstrationen der Opposition in ihr ausl\u00f6sten. (Unten ein Trailer f\u00fcr ihren Film „Persepolis“ – \u00fcber das Aufwachsen mit der Revolution – und gegen die Revolution – muss man gesehen haben!)<\/p>\n
The question much of the media asked before the election was: \u201cAre Iranians ready for democracy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYES!\u201d came the answer, loud and oh, so clear.<\/p>\n
With a voter turnout of 85 percent, they started to dream that change was possible.<\/p>\n
They started to believe \u201cYes they can,\u201d too.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s likely needless to remind you that this was not the first time Iranians showed how much they love freedom. Look only at the 20th century: They launched the Constitutional Revolution of 1906 (the first in Asia); nationalized the oil industry in 1951 (the first Middle Eastern country to do so); mounted the revolution of 1979; and engineered the student revolt of 1999. Which brings us to now, and that deafening cry for democracy.<\/p>\n
Almost 20 years ago, when I started studying art in Tehran, the very idea of \u201cpolitics\u201d was so frightening that we didn\u2019t even dare think about it. To talk about it? Beyond belief!<\/p>\n
To demonstrate in the streets against the president? Surreal!<\/p>\n
Criticize the supreme leader? Apocalyptic!<\/p>\n
Shouting \u201cDown with Khamenei\u201d? Death!<\/p>\n
Death, torture and prison are part of daily life for the youth of Iran. They are not like us, my friends and I at their age; they are not scared. They are not what we were.<\/p>\n
They hold hands and scream: \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid! Don\u2019t be afraid! We are together!\u201d<\/p>\n
They understand that no one will give them their rights; they must go get them.<\/p>\n
They understand that unlike the generation before them \u2014 my generation, for whom the dream was to leave Iran \u2014 the real dream is not to leave Iran but to fight for it, to free it, to love it and to reconstruct it.<\/p>\n
They hold hands and scream: \u201cWe will fight! We will die! But we won\u2019t be humiliated!\u201d<\/p>\n
They went out knowing that going to each demonstration meant signing their death warrants.<\/p>\n
Today I read somewhere that \u201cthe velvet revolution\u201d of Iran became the \u201cvelvet coup,\u201d with a little note of irony, but let me tell you something: This generation, with its hopes, dreams, anger and revolt, has forever changed the course of history. Nothing is going to be the same.<\/p>\n
From now on, nobody will judge Iranians by their so-called elected president.<\/p>\n
From now on, Iranians are fearless. They have regained their self-confidence.<\/p>\n
Despite all the dangers they said NO!<\/p>\n
And I\u2019m convinced this is just the beginning.<\/p>\n
From now on, I will always say: Once you leave your homeland, you can live anywhere. But I refuse to only die in Iran. I will one day live in Iran…or else my life will have had no meaning.<\/em><\/p>\n