John Schatt aka scotty

For years, women's defiance in Iran came in carefully planned flashes of hair under their head scarves, brightly painted fingernails and trendy clothing that could be glimpsed under bulky coats and cloaks. But these small acts of rebellion against the theocratic government have been quickly eclipsed in the wake of the disputed June 12 presidential elections. In their place came images of Iranian women marching alongside men, of their scuffles with burly militiamen, of the sobering footage of a young woman named Neda, blood pouring from her mouth and nose minutes after her fatal shooting. In a part of the Muslim world where women are often repressed, these images have catapulted Iran's female demonstrators to the forefront of the country's opposition movement. It is a role, say Iranian women and experts, that few seem willing to give up, and one that will likely present President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's hardline government with even greater challenges in the wake of the recent violence and protests

+ Enlarge This image Reformist Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi speaks during a campaign gathering in downtown Tehran, Iran on June 8. Associated Press Iran intensified its crackdown on opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, with the arrest of staff at his newspaper and vitriolic attacks from the hardline press yesterday after he vowed to press on with his campaign against the disputed presidential election. The latest action came amid rising tensions between Iran and the West after U.S. President Barack Obama raised questions about the legitimacy of the election and expressed outrage over the violence against on opposition protesters. Iran has refused to overturn the results of the poll that returned hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power, but supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has extended by five days deadline to examine vote complaints. One defeated candidate, former Revolutionary Guards chief Mohsen Rezai, has withdrawn his protest about election irregularities, in a blow to the opposition which has staged almost daily demonstrations since the June 12 vote. "(Iran's) political, social and security situation has entered a sensitive and decisive phase, which is more important than the election," Rezai said in a letter to the Guardians Council, the top election body.

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