by Tim Schlueter

Created on: November 24, 2009

A Second Revolution

In 1979 an uprising led by Ruhollah Khomeini and supported by Iran's youth overthrew the existing government and in its place created the Islamic Republic that rules today. Iran has a Supreme Leader, which is held by a high ranking member of the clergy, and a President who is elected. The current Supreme Leader and President have strong anti-west principles as well as support forced conservative life styles on its citizens. However, a second revolution is coming. The youth today are not happy with current government's policies and agenda, and they are not afraid to show it. An astounding sixty percent of Iran's population is now under the age of 30.

[1] With such numbers the youth play a central role in the shaping of Iran's economy and as for the strict social rules instigated by the Islamic regime the youth have begun an underground rebellion. To the dismay of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneithe youth are leading a second political, economic, and social revolution.

Thirty years ago the youth played a crucial role in the overturn of the government. Iran's reformation was blotted by an incident where a group of students took fifty-two Americans hostage for 444 days.[2] This is a prime example of how far the youth were willing to go in support of their beliefs. Today while the beliefs maybe different, the passion is still there. This new generation did not experience the overthrow of the Shah, Iran's former government, nor did they experience the hardships of the Iraq War. Instead they have grown up in a nation of turmoil with competing democratic and peaceful values, and the youth are sick of it. Now they have a chance to be heard. This June Iran will be holding presidential elections and current president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has plenty of completion. Two mild reformists Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hosein Mousavi are also running. Former President Muhammad Khatami had been in the race but has recently withdrawn. The withdrawal was a major disappoint for some as Khatami had brought about a brief spell of social freedoms in his 1997 - 2005 term. His concern was that the reformists would split the vote and leave Ahmadinejad to take the election.[3] However, even with two reformist candidates that possibility is still there. If the youth can rally under one candidate it is possible that they can oust their current leader and bring a reformist to power. The vast number of young people in Iran coupled with

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