Iran: A Local Perspective

Iran's security forces are slowly getting the upper hand as demonstrators are again pushed back by tear gas and police firing weapons into the air.

Millions of Iranians are trapped in a struggle between powerful religious leaders.

We get a behind-the-scenes look from an Iranian-American who fled her native land 30 years ago.

The government of President Amadinazhad has muzzled news organizations,.but not cell phones. These scenes of the latest anti-government were recorded and sent out on e-mail by young people who could go to jail for their actions. They are among thousands who have demonstrated daily following results of the presidential election. Saphura Long of Chattanooga is an engineer by education...a former nuclear physicist and now the manager of a local auto company.

SAPHURA LONG, IRANIAN-AMERICAN "What's going on there really is not necessarily a conflict between Ahmadinejad and Musavi..it's more a conflict between two very strong clerics..and that is somewhat of a good thing."

While she hopes the unrest turns into more individual freedom...she is realistic.

SAPHURA LONG "You know, Pres. Obama had a very good point...there is not too much difference between Ahmadinejad  and Mousavi...they are not too different."

But, it could be that the result would be more individual freedom. The world has a front row seat.

SAPHURA LONG "You've go the internet ..And no matter how hard you try to keep them down..they can get out through the internet...so it's hopefully a possibility of some change."

The street fighting is mostly between young men and the Iranian authorities. There are few women.

Ms. Long fled her native land during the Iranian revolution that overthrew the Shah in 1979, a time when woman had rights.

SAPHURA "Women are oppressed majorly..women have been pushed back 50-60 years..there is no right for women in Iran right now."

Iraq is Iran's shiite neighbor and Saphura Long says lasting freedom there, backed by America, could be a guide for Iran's future.