BOXFORD — Aki Olia has a nagging fear that the violence and upheaval in Iran might someday find its way to his own doorstep in Boxford.
Olia, 49, was born in Iran and came to the United States 35 years ago. He studied, worked hard and eventually established a successful construction company, Unicon in Danvers. Yet, with images on the nightly news of blood literarily spilled on Iranian streets, he might have a problem convincing his son Ali that he mustn't go to Iran now.
A former soccer star at Masconomet High School, Ali is now studying business at Northeastern University. Yet, the younger Olia feels a powerful pull toward his ancestral homeland.
"Now my son wants to go back over there," Olia says. "I say no: It's dangerous. It's a revolution. ... But he has a lot of passion. A lot of love of Iran."
Ali, he said, has a long-standing desire to learn more about his family's home country.
And with good reason. Mom Mojgan Olia is Iranian-born. Aki's father and mother, a brother, a sister, aunts, uncles, and cousins all remain in Iran. The Olias have been back and forth regularly. In fact, they visited shortly before the election now tearing Iran apart.
"Everything was calm," he said. "Everything was good."
Olia's parents are middle-class. They prospered in Iran under the Shah.
"They had a good life," he said. They took no part in the Islamic Revolution of 1979. In the years since, they've likewise kept clear of politics. "They go with the flow."
Even so, Olia hasn't been able to remain detached as tens of thousands have poured into the streets protesting the election supposed to have returned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the presidency with more than 60 percent of the vote.
Following news reports closely, Olia watched the young woman identified as Neda Soltan dying in the street of an apparent gunshot. He's seeking information now about a Friday vigil for her.
"I would like to pay tribute to the woman," he said. As for the demonstrators, he expresses awe. "They're very brave. And I hope they get what they want."
In contact with people back in Iran, Olia speaks with supporters of Ahmadinejad and rival Mir-Hossein Mousavi. The former's boosters represent a large camp, he said, and they tell him, "We won. Get over it."
On the other hand, the demonstrators "feel betrayed. ... They feel they were cheated." The issue has become more important than a single election now. They want freedom of speech and honest elections. If the election was honest, Olia asks, why not have a recount?
Conceding that he's limited in what he can know about the situation, Olia adds that he followed the election campaign closely, watching the debates on Iranian television from the comfort of his home in Boxford. There wasn't much difference between the contestants then, he said.
"The tone of the candidates was different." Mousavi had a more delicate approach. "Ahmadinejad was more raw." Olia declined to cast a vote.
Mousavi's stance may have since changed, however. "Today is very different than a week ago."
The shocking television images, the death of Soltan, old women being beaten, tear gas and the eerie cries of terror in the night are only part of the story, Olia said. The international media was whisked away, he said, precisely because he assumes much worse is happening out of camera range.
"It would shock the world," he said.
Olia praises President Barack Obama's approach to the problem, which has evolved from diplomatic language to stern condemnation of the assaults on protesters. "I think he's handled it pretty good."
Moreover, Olia, who explains he is not very religious, is optimistic for the future, confident that Iran has taken a turn away from fundamentalism. "I just hope for the best," he said.
Even so, he wants his son to stay in America.
"It's just dangerous to go out and meddle in this business," he said.
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