Dear friends,
Iran is on a knife-edge, with millions of voters taking to the streets
in outrage as evidence mounts that the government may have massively
rigged and stolen Thursday's election. The regime has cracked down
brutally on the protesters and is imposing a blackout on Iranian
society -- shutting down domestic and international media, the internet
and even text-messaging.
The voice of Iranians may have been silenced at the polling booth, now
the regime is attempting to silence them everywhere else. Facing
beatings and gunfire, the opposition is organising mass demonstrations
and a general strike. We can’t afford to let the regime dismiss the
voice of the people -- the truth must be heard.
Avaaz is urgently organising a rigorous “exit poll” of Iranian voters
and a media effort to publicise it -- working with an international
polling firm to do a telephone survey of Iranian citizens to ask how
they voted. We urgently need 20,000 Avaaz members to pitch in a small
amount each to raise $200,000 in the next 24 hours and give Iranians a
powerful new way to be heard -- follow this link to view video from the
streets of Tehran and support this exit poll to find out the truth:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/40.php
Public polling in Iran is heavily restricted, and no-one else is
mobilizing fast enough to fund an international exit poll. It's urgent
that we pitch in. A telephone poll won't be 100% accurate, but the
difference between opposition and government claims is massive -- a
rigorous poll can show which claim is remotely near the truth.
Unlike Western organizations, Avaaz's global network has a strong
membership in Iran and across the Middle East. Backed by a respected
polling firm, our effort will be harder to dismiss by Iranian
conservatives. We'll send the poll results to the media and help our
members in Iran to rapidly and virally spread the news despite the
regime's blackout.
Messages have been flooding in from our Iranian members -- from Fariba:
“20.000.000 people have lost their votes for peace and human rights.
The government wants to use this votes for every thing but PEACE. Avaaz
is a Persian word too and means voice -- hear our ‘avaaz’”. From
Mahmoud: “The government has stolen the vote the people. The people in
the street are beaten badly by the police. Now now now do not lose the
time”. Stand with Iranians now and help their voices be heard:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/40.php
This election matters to us all. Iran is a major regional power, and
the international community is seeking diplomatic engagement that holds
a key to peace in the Middle East. But hawks and extremists on all
sides want war instead: a conservative coup in Iran could destroy all
our hopes.
The conservative Guardian Council, headed by a key Ahmadinejad ally, is
reviewing the vote over the next 9 days -- our poll can be ready before
they give their verdict, to counter any further rigging and the violent
purge that could follow.
There is a real possibility that democracy will prevail. Ultimate power
in Iran lies with Ayatollah Khamenei, who may have backed the rigging
-- but he is hired and fired by the Assembly of Experts, chaired by
ex-President Rafsanjani who has condemned vote-fixing. If Rafsanjani
and allies can get enough votes on the Assembly this week, they can
press to re-open the results, even to remove Khamenei from power. A
scientific opinion poll could be a powerful piece of evidence.
In the next 72 hours, the Iranian people will try once again to be
heard. Let’s help make sure their voices are not silenced -- follow
this link to see their courage and donate now to help fund the exit
poll:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/40.php
With hope,
the Avaaz team