Non-violence for change

Deutsche Welle: What's been your experience over the past few days?

Shahla Lahiji: Many, many people, not just young but middle aged and some old people, participated in the demonstrations, and last night (Sunday) they attacked the campus of the students in the Tehran University. They beat them badly and took 400 students. Where they are now, we don't know.

Many within Iran have said that this election stirred up more popular enthusiasm than others have. Why is that?

Well, it's the first time in our constitutional history that the wishes and hopes of the people came to something real from the candidates. And that was one of the reasons that so many people participated. Before, many said that they would not participate in any kind of vote anymore. This time they participated because they mentioned the freedoms that the people wanted. And maybe it's the reason that what happened when the results came out took place, because people knew that they were not honest and not correct, that something happened.

So it is your belief that the official result is false?

It's not my belief, it's the belief of all the people who were in the streets being attacked by [Basij] guards and police!

You have had a role in protest movements in the past…

Oh yes, I'm one of the people who went to the Berlin conference [“Iran After the Elections” -ed. ], and I went to prison for it, like Mehrangiz Kar or Akbar Ganji. Because I was against censorship. If you go into the internet you will find a lot on my story, my life, my biography...

Yes, and the protest movement of that era, that of summer 1999 and thereafter, was eventually crushed by the government. Do you see parallels between then and now?

Yes, because what was being offered by the candidates could not be accepted by this regime. They could not let them do this and want this, and they would not let the candidates talk like that and offer this to people. So we knew that something would happen. I could foresee this.

Are there parallels between what is happening now and the movement of 1978-9. A movement in which people aren't just criticizing one politician, or one action, they're criticizing the whole system.

No, I am not saying that they wanted to overthrow the regime, they wanted very serious reform. About personal freedom, human rights, and women's rights. They didn't like what was being done to women on the streets over the past four years by the [Basij] guards, and they wanted normal contact with the world.

People may have been voting for reform of the system, but if this system has now failed them, if it has refused to listen to them, are they now going to go against the system itself?

Yes, that's why there are so many protests!

Where can this go then, if this is the people against the system?

I don't know, but I hope that they can continue with their demonstrations in a quiet and calm way and I hope that it doesn't turn to violence because I know, if it does, it will be crushed down badly. As they did last night in the university campus. And now you know there is a demonstration going on that had not been allowed between two very important squares in Tehran [Revolution and Freedom Squares –ed.] and I am not participating because my legs have problems and I knew that I could not walk all that way.I hope it won't become violent, because I'm sure that won't bring a good result.

Do you think that will happen?

Well they don't want to let the people do this. And both sides have called this a coup d'état – not just the protestors. The government says it's a “color revolution,” because Mousavi's supporters' color is green, like the orange revolution in Ukraine or the rose revolution in Georgia and I don't know where else.

Do you expect…

Do you know my phone is under their control? You know I'm taking a big risk to talk to you like this...I think this is enough!

Okay, then it's enough!

Interview: Matt Hermann

Editor: Susan Houlton