Iran: A Start?

The Iranian regime probably will survive; Mahmoud Ahmadinejad probably will remain president. But something big may have begun. The consequences might not grow apparent for many years.

Analyses of international media suggest that newspapers and television stations in Islamic countries have not given massive coverage to Iran's election and its aftermath. A story that has commanded space and time in the United States has received relatively little of either in the Arab press.

This is not because the state-run or state-influenced media in Arab countries favor Ahmadinejad and the mullahs. Indeed, many of these countries consider Tehran a rival and a threat. They also fear that the demonstrations in Iran could inspire reformers, dissidents, and trouble-makers among their own. An insurrection on behalf of democratic ideals and social liberalism is not something theocratic monarchies and dictatorships prefer to encourage.

We suspect the forces evident in Iran are not exclusive to Iran. This could be a start.