Thirty years ago in 1979, Islamic radicals under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini turned the world upside down by overthrowing the Shah of Iran, taking dozens of American hostages and creating a rigid and often brutal theocratic government..
Today, the people of Iran are eagerly awaiting the results of an election of historic proportions. Beyond being a referendum on the stewardship of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the result will reflect the evolving views of a society increasingly exposed to secular ideas through modern communication technology.
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To be sure, few people actually advocate a transition to Western style democracy. However, a bloc of young voters, primarily women between the ages of 21 and 35, are in the process of altering the Persian political landscape regardless of the election winner. Clad in green garb, the color of progressive presidential candidate Hossein Mousavi, tens of thousands of young women have taken to the streets to voice their support for his call for expanding women's rights.
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Although popular, Mousavi is not the main draw at his own election rallies. It is rather his wife, Zahra Rahnavard, who captivates and inspires listeners with calls for more equality between the sexes. As the first woman to ever take part in an campaign of a presidential candidate, her appearance alone has galvanized a new generation. In exchanges on Twitter, Facebook and in e-mails, a large percentage of women have banded together to demand an expansion of social freedoms (i.e. liberalizing the Islamic dress code etc.), greater access to education and jobs and a diplomatic posture for peace with the West.
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Even if the holocaust-denying, bigoted nationalist (Ahmadinejad) manages to retain power, it is clear that the days of his government are numbered. Of course, progress in Iran may be halted if the Revolutionary Guard decides to maintain the status quo at the point of a bayonet.
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The 21st century marks the age of the woman and the non-Caucasian male - a long overdue development in history, and the Iranian government will not be able to hold back the tides of modernity forever. By standing up to a regime steeped in theocratic misogyny and ignorance, the women of Iran have already won.
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(Picture: Two supporters of Mousavi clad - and painted in - green)
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J Roquen