Artist: Ahmad Barakizadeh
By Kayhan Life Staff
Millions of Iranians poured into the streets in all of Iran’s 31 provinces on Jan 8 and 9 after a call by Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last monarch. Chants of “Javid Shah” and “This is the last battle, Pahlavi will return” reverberated not only through city squares and neighborhoods but across global airwaves, amplified by the Iranian diaspora and social media networks abroad.
What unfolded was a national decision by Iranians following years of civic protests that had borne no result. The spirit driving the demonstrations echoed the roaring lion whose patience after years of constraint had finally yielded to resolve.
Disparate grievances and localized protests have converged into a national assertion of will. This national surge has irreversibly reshaped Iran’s political and social terrain.
Whether the Islamic Republic manages to endure a while longer matters less than the shift that has already occurred. History is turning a page, and this time the people of Iran are its principal authors.
