© harrystaab


So "Free Iran" isn't so much of a charity, but it is a selfless online effort that deserves some spotlight time. The "Free Iran" support started after a fraudulent election on June 12, 2009. If you know anything about Iranian government, you know that they have a long history of corruption. However, this year there was hope. Iran had one of the largest voter turn-outs ever recorded. The polls showed an overwhelming number of votes for Mir-Hossein Mousavi but in the end, the current President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, won. Many people in Iran and elsewhere claimed the current power rigged the vote.

By the 13th of June protests and riots began in response to the election. An inquiry was suggested but (still) nothing has come of it. Angry and vocal, these protesters turned to the world at large through the best medium they could find: social media. Everything from blogs to Twitter became part of the outreach. Iranians talked about their country, their freedoms and their politics in public forums where the world could hear. Particularly on Twitter, the gauntlet passed to other countries who changed their icons and avatars to green in support of a "Free Iran".

As the voice of the people began to gain international support, Iran did its best to suppress the movement, both physically and online. All internet access in the country was shut down for about 45 minutes and then restarted with lower bandwidth. Every form of electronic communication was filtered: YouTube, Facebook, as well as text messaging. Even now, Iran still operates one of the best online filtration systems and neither this nor the fraudulent election has been resolved.

Want more information on the Free Iran Movement. Check out the United4Iran website, there are links to their social media profiles there so you can stay connected and up-to-date on the latest news.

How would you feel if your country blocked your internet access and do you think this is a violation of free speech?