The Sound of Silence

With the ruling Junta's, excuse me, Mullahs' suppression of the news media in Iran, about the only source of real-time information on events in that country are bloggers and citizen journalists. As such, it's difficult to assess what is going on, because as Michael Totten of Commentary says, "blogging and other forms of 'citizen journalism' are prone to sensationalism..."

That said, there is one report of a street demonstration yesterday that, if true, deserves wider attention. I quote portions of an eye witness account below, but it's important to note that the unique nature of the protest is verified by a separate blogger here (see the 4th sentence of the 1st paragraph of the email quoted therein).  H/t for all of this to Michael Totten of Commentary Contentions.

"What I saw today was the most elegant scene I had ever witnessed in my life. The huge number of people were marching hand in hand in full peace. Silence. Silence was everywhere. There was no slogan. No violence. Hands were up in victory sign with green ribbons. People carried placards which read: Silence. Old and young, man and woman of all social groups were marching cheerfully. This was a magnificent show of solidarity. Enghelab Street which is the widest avenue in Tehran was full of people ... The estimate is about 2 million people."

Even if 2 million is an overstatement, there was clearly a huge mass of people, all marching in complete silence. I cannot imagine any more powerful display of protest. It is no wonder, as the witness states, that in the face of the sheer seriousness exhibited by the protestors that the armed thugs of the Mullahs, the riot police and Basij militia, cowered behind closed doors, watching the silent protestors walk by.

I am reminded of the story of Elijah, a prophet of Israel, being chased and hunted, pleading for God to save him. On a lonely cliff face he looks for God in Nature's acts of power and might, first in a great wind that splits mountains, then in an earthquake, and then a furious fire. And yet he does not find God in any of them, but only in what is described next: the "sound of sheer silence (1 Kings 19:12)."

It is unclear at this point what will result from this unexpected revolution in the streets of Iran. But if God is in the sound of sheer silence, then this brave demonstration in Iran was most certainly of God, which ought to concern the Mullahs a great deal. A Polish Pope had no need of armies to help bring down a communist regime, and Iran's fascistic leaders might find their own brutal purposes and heavily armed minions insufficient to the occasion.

The witness quoted above also remarked how surprised he was that these demonstrators were so politically mature and reasonable in their protest. They were, but more important they were also deeply religious, in the best sense of that word, and we can only hope, and pray, that Allah will in fact be merciful to them in this hour of need.