Iranian Election Crisis Exhibits the Religious Side of Politics

Iranians are angry, with thousands upon thousands of protesters taking to the streets and occasionally setting vehicles on fire. They accuse president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of rigging the recent presidential election, and they question how that many ballots could even be counted in the short time the government claims it took.

But protesters are not merely against Ahmadinejad's politics. Many protesters are symbolizing their objections by wearing the color green, which Muslims strongly associate with their faith. While the green ribbons officially express solidarity with presidential candidate Mir Hussein Moussavi, expected by many to have won the election, there is a non-too-subtle undertone to their color choice. They are voicing a religious objection within a political election, believing hardliner Ahmadinejad is taking them down an ultimately un-Islamic path.

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