I don't think they'll rise against a theocratic regime and lead it from the outset. What I do think is that they will change the minds of younger politicians and force through the sort of progress that part of the world desperately needs.

The push and pull between religion and secularism between autocracy and liberalism has been going my way for a while. I don't think the path is linear, if it were then we wouldn't have seen Afghanistan fall back to the Taliban... but I do think the young women out on the streets of Iran will come to be seen as the Pankhursts and Emily Davison's of their history.

I am always hopeful for change - but sudden change is rarely a good thing. I hope this is a slow an inexorable swing towards a more libertarian world. :o)