Iran torn between reform, revolution on eve of anniversaries
TEHRAN, Dec 8 (AFP) - Austere portraits of Ayatollah Khomeini watch
over Tehran streets as a reminder that his legacy lives on, but schoolgirls
cover their notebooks with pictures of "Titanic" heart-throb
Leonardo DiCaprio.
On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran
is a country of seeming contradictions and one torn between loyalty to
the ideals of the revolution and a profound desire for reform.
The year 1999 is shaping up to be full of events to remind the public
of the principles -- or restrictions -- shaping their lives, and many believe
it could also turn out to be a year of unpredictable change.
In February, the Islamic Republic will mark the 20th anniversary of
the Islamic Revolution and the toppling of the Shah.
Revolution loyalists will also commemorate the 10th anniversary of the
June 4, 1989 death of Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic,
and the 10th anniversary of his fatwa condemning the British author Salman
Rushdie to death for alleged blasphemy in his novel "The Satanic Verses."
Embodying the paradoxes in present day Iran is the man who symbolizes
moves towards moderation, President Mohammad Khatami, elected in a landslide
in May 1997 on a reformist platform. Khatami, who still pledges allegiance
to Imam Khomeini, has presented a wholly different and peaceful interpretation
of the revolution, one seemingly at odds with the late leader's desire
to export his radical vision of Islam and his animosity towards the Western
world.
As it gears up for the three anniversaries, "Iran is being plunged
into a violent internal crisis, unprecedented since Khomeini's death,"
said a Western diplomat in Tehran.
The ongoing tug of war between reformers and religious conservatives
is reported daily by the press, which has been enjoying unprecedented freedom
since Khatami's election despite mounting pressure from hardliners.
Parliament and the judiciary, two bastions of the orthodox, are continuously
trying to apply the brakes to the pace of reform, and have struck a number
of heavy blows on circles close to the president.
But like in a game of chess, which was invented in ancient Persia, the
players do not directly aim at the king. Instead they seek to paralyze
him by neutralizing and eliminating the pieces that defend him.
In June, interior minister Abdollah Nuri fell victim to a parliamentary
censure motion, and a month later, another ally of Khatami, Tehran's powerful
mayor Gholam-Hossein Karbaschi, was removed from the board: he was suspended
from his post over corruption charges, which many described as political.
Khomeini's successor, the all-powerful supreme leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, is present on the political scene more than ever, tirelessly
defending orthodox forces against moderate challengers and liberal critics.
Khatami, whose powers are dwarfed by those of the leader, continues
to play the role of the "president of the people," refusing to
give up his promises of reform despite mounting pressure.
The president has promised to create a civil society marked by the rule
of law and greater freedom and has sought to ease tensions with other countries.
But his opponents argue that his vision is at odds with Islamic teachings
and more in tune with Western liberal democracies.
Khatami benefits from cautious Western support, at least in words, but
that is unlikely to do him any good at home.
"Caution still prevails because open support makes him more vulnerable
to his conservative opponents," a diplomat said.
The United States has made several goodwill gestures to Iran since Khatami's
election and Britain has shown more flexibility by accepting a half-hearted
promise from Tehran not to carry out Khomeini's fatwa against Rushdie.
Independent of the quarrels taking place at the top, Iranian society
is gradually undergoing changes of its own.
The police have not stopped raiding "decadent" parties where
young people dance to popular Western music, but they have cut down on
harassing couples in public.
Teenagers wearing T-shirts adorned with the American flag or baseball
caps are less likely to be detained than before, but they could still be
stopped at police roadblocks and have their pop music cassettes seized.
Boys and girls are still uncomfortable holding hands in public and veils
are mandatory, but many young women go so far as to wear sandals without
stockings underneath to cover their feet.
The Islamic regime is proud to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of
the revolution, but 1999 could also prove a troubling year for Iranians,
who are growing ever more discontented with economic hardship.
The price of oil, the country's main source of income, has dropped to
its lowest level in a decade, prompting the government to take a series
of austerity measures.
Indeed, talk of inflation, unemployment and recession is all one hears
in collective taxis in Tehran on the eve of the anniversaries.
Links
