January 15, 2010

In Iran, the opposition is protesting through a new source: money (bank notes). Protesters have begun writing opposition slogans on bills. The tactic of writing on money first started shortly after the election, but it has increased in recent months as authorities tighten controls on the internet and text messaging. Some examples of messages appearing on bills include "What did they die for?" (referring to the demonstrators that have been killed for protesting the election, in which Ahmadinejad was declared the winner); a stamped image of a hand flashing the "V-for-Victory" sign with the quote "Fear the Storm of Dust and Dirt" written in green ink (green is the signature color of the opposition movement. And the quote is from Ahmadinejad -- it's what he said about the protesters when he was dismissing their influence); a "V" sign with the message "We are Countless"; an imprint of a red hand (signifying the bloodstained palms of the protesters); "Death to the Dictator"; "Down with Khamenei"; someone crossed out Khomeini's image on the bill and put an "X" through the world "Islamic" in the country's official name (Islamic Republic of Iran); and recently messages have included calls to join anti-government marches on Feb. 11. "It's part of a wider campaign of back-to-basic tactics -- such as pamphlets and graffiti -- that has frustrated Iranian officials with their simplicity and ingenuity of protest groups trying to organize their next major rally to coincide with next month's anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution." There's no way to calculate exactly how much Iranian currency has been written on.

The act has been publicly denounced by the central bank governor and other financial overseers. The central bank governor said that writing slogans on money would be considered a crime. Iranian officials have been trying to pull the tagged bills from circulation. In an attempt to discourage merchants from taking the tagged money, banks have announced that they will no longer accept defaced bills. (Full Story)