What do Iranians want?

Of course we have to wait for the definitive results when there is a free referendum in Iran. The following are some indications. Each has its own limitations and caveats. Put together, we could, perhaps, come up with a picture of what Iranians want.

1. In early 2003, the Daftar Tahkim Vahdat at Amir Kabir University held an internet poll of its students. The results were:

85% democratic and secular republic

5% monarchy (both the absolutist variety under the Shah and constitutional monarchy)

4% reformist within IRI

6% hard-line within IRI

also see

http://iranian.com/Opinion/2005/April/Regime/index.html

2. A poll was conducted by the Kaleme (which belongs to Mousavi) shows the following. The poll was conducted in Tehran in summer of 2010.

Table 12

15.7% want the status quo

49.4% want gradual reforms

34.6% want fundamental change

0.3% don’t know  

source:

http://www.kaleme.com/1389/05/02/klm-26668

3. In early 2000, our own JJ published a poll of the Iranian.com readers for the “Iranian of the Century.” The results were most instructive. The respondents were asked to name a person for the Iranian of the century. Judging by the written responses, it appears that almost all those who selected Dr. Mossadegh supported him and like him. But not all those who selected Khomeini also liked him and supported him, but thought that he was the Iranian of the Century. So the numbers for Khomeini do not indicate support for him, rather that he was the most influential (for some a bad and harmful influence). The following were the votes:

42% Dr. Mossadegh

14% Ayatollah Khomeini

11% Reza Shah

10% Mohammad Khatami

4% Mohammad Reza Shah  

putting all those who selected the person as supporting him (not fully correct, but lets do it any way), as supporters of that alternative, we get

42% democracy

24% fundamentalist regime (both Khomeini and Khatami)

18% monarchist

16% others

source: http://iranian.com/Opinion/2000/January/Century/index.html

4.

those Iranian.com posters who wished to express their opinion, voted for a republican democracy in the wonderful blog by our friend Aynak.

http://iranian.com/main/blog/aynak-11

5. Based on these, what is the best guess we can make about the views of the Iranian people?

Min Max

60% 85% democratic secular republic

5% 10% reformists IRI

10% 15% hard-line IRI

5% 18% monarchists

5% 15% don’t give a damn

5% 10% hezb baad

6. During the past year, we witnessed thousands upon thousands of brave Iranians inside went to the streets and shouted: “Esteghlal, Azadi, Jomhuri Irani” [Independence, Freedom, Iranian Republic] and “Naa Sharqi, Naa Gharbi, Jomhuri Irani” [Neither Eastern, Neither Western, Iranian Republic].

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