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Sehaty Foreign Exchange

    Letters

Thursday
March 16, 2000

Final destination: Democracy!

In an eye-scatching demonstration, on 18 February, the people of Iran elected a new reformist parliament and set aside most of the conservative heavy weights. More than 300 international journalists reported this event which brought recognition from world politicians, including those at the White House.

This fantastic transition to a near-total civilian rule is largely the outcome of President Khatami's policies. He respects oppositions; always reciting "long live my opponents". Unlike the Shah and his puppets who believed in the total eradication of opponents, Khatami encourages criticism but needs support at the same time; after all "Rome was not built in one day". He is steering Iran, in a very charismatic and diplomatic way, towards democracy and is pulling the support of the masses and intellectuals.

Ironically, Khatami also knows that this is the easy part, because the hardest part comes after establishing democracy when everyone will be seeking their democratic right to employment, education and other welfare rights. Therefore he still needs some elements of the ruling conservatives to stay in power so to pass the blame onto them when faced with the inability to respond to people's democratic demands.

In the meantime, he can use his remaining term to build relations with other industrial powers to assist with modernization of Iranian industry and other infra structure. Only then can he safely dispose of his conservative opponents without repercussions.

This is all unlike the cruel and dictatorial policies of our old "crowned father" (pedar-e-taadjdaar) who resorted to torture and murder to advance his unpopular policies. I read in Asr-e-Azadegan that his son, Reza Pahlavi, boycotted the recent elections in Iran! Even if we were to take any notice of Reza's condemnation of these elections, we could only reach one conclusion; that he is afraid of witnessing the long awaited transformation of Iranians from an oppressed and subdued people - as he would like to remember - to a free thinking nation about to decide its own destiny. I would recommend that Mr. Pahlavi reserve his future comments to the confines of his favorite Los Angeles cafes for his coffee swilling friends and advisors of the same background as himself.

Before his triumphant return to Iran Ayatollah Khomeini was pictured in Paris waving to his followers. Time magazine printed this on its front cover with the caption "The hand that shakes the throne". Now Khatami, as a true follower of Khomeini, is leading the same people to their final destination - DEMOCRACY!

Abdy Hashemi

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