Workers, Women, Ahmadinejad & Ayatollahs · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian blogs  have talked about 1 May demonstration in Tehran and Ahamdinejad’s decision to permit women to go to stadiums to watch football. President’s decision has been discussed on Iranian and international blogs such as BBC’s World Have Your Say.
Jomhour  says, according to ILNA (Iranian Labour News Agency) hundred thousand workers came from four corners of country to Tehran to demonstrate in front of former US embassy. Blogger says   he does not understand why they demonstrated in front of former US embassy instead of doing that in front of Ministry of Labour (Persian). Jomhour writes some of worker’s slogans, in his blog, such as Minister of Labour shame on you, year is over we do not get salary yet.
More details can be found about demonstration and how it was turned into violence in Azarmehr’s blog.
Azarmehr, a London based blogger,  says:
“Several Labour Day rallies, held by Iranian workers and students have been attacked today in Iran. Iran's bus drivers gathered outside the central bus depot in Hengam street, shouting slogans “Independent Trade Union is Our Obvious Right” as opposed to the regime's slogan, “Nuclear Energy is Our Obvious Right”. Iran's students also joined the rally shouting “Workers, Students, United we Stand”. Only a few minutes after the rally started however, the Islamic Republic Law Enforcement Forces told the workers and the students to disperse. “
Another blogger, from Iran, let’s us know about Ahmadinejad’s speech on 1 May.
Pouyashome refers to Ahmadinejad’s speech on 1 May and says according to ISNA , Iranian President said to workers that establishing syndicates is a good thing. Blogger adds that bus drivers did this good thing and we know what happened to them, workers got beaten and arrested (Persian).
Another hot issue is  about women’s right to go to stadiums to watch football and some Grand Ayatollhas opposition concerning that.
Alpar, an Iran based blogger, says he believes, contrary to many others, Ahmadinejad did not take this decision to play a complicated political game (Persian). For this blogger Ahmadinejad did this to gain popularity but he had miscalculated Grand Ayatollahs reaction. He says:
“Ahmadinejad's comments on Holocaust and criticisim of his opponents, did not make him lost many votes. Recent this decision concerning stadiums, is a real blow to his votes…. Many Moslems,who prayed for his government to be successful, now pray that God lead it on the right path. He did not believe in what he said he only wanted popularity.”
Masoud Rahbari even though shares Alpar’s point of view but thinks more positively about this decision. He says government and some of governmental journals have praised, time to time, Chinese model where you have some freedoms in social & economic life but not in political one (Persian). By giving freedom to women to go to stadiums they ( government) followed probably this mode. Blogger writes:
“Beyond Ahmadinejad’s motivation, reformists must be happy that one of their priorities which was women’s rights has found its place on President’s agenda. They can without any shame to thank him.”
An Iran based blogger, talks about religious aspect of this decision in his blog. Hojreh, a  young cleric & blogger, says he has been in touch with a Grand Ayatollah in Tehran and this religious leader was very upset with President. Hojreh asks such questions (Persian):
Why religious students do not demonstrate against government's decision? Do they make a difference between this government and previous ones? If this issue is so unimportant to protest against it why several Grand Ayatollahs talked about it? Finally why other Grand Ayatollahs are silent and do not take any position.
Sibestan has another opinion about Grand Ayatollahs. He says the imortance of religious orders of Grand Ayatollahs are limited to their own followers. He adds Iranian President has started to take in consideration public's opinion and specially women's opinion (Persian).
In Zanevesht we read that woman's right is half of freedom (Persian) and if women get any right is because of women's movement struggle and it is emerging from heart of society.