Wednesday
July 5, 2000
Serious omissions
There are some serious omissions that undermine the objectivity if not
authenticity of your article "Wake-up
call".
You say "In 1991, Abdolkarim Soroush complained of lack of intellectual
and ideological creativity and activism among Muslim students in universities,"
without mentioning that he was himself THE chief architect and executioner
of "the cultural revolution," granted full mandate from Khomeini.
Crucially, you fail to mention that not only Khamanei but also Khatami
ordered the ban and the crack down on the student demonstration - in fact
Khatami used very harsh words like they will be crushed, as they indeed
were in the two days that followed.
You neglect to specifically mention DTV's role in the "Cultural
Revolution" and instead use the generic term "Islamic Student
Associations" in this connection. Also, you should more clearly point
out that DTV disassociated itself from the more radical student demonstrations,
and while it was taking place, referred to the students as conscious or
misled elements of infiltrators and anti-revolution. Further, its decision
to participate in the pro-regime counter demonstration was quite delibrate,
as this anti-student rally was endorsed by the whole pro-Khatami faction
and press.
Otherwise I found the article fair and well researched.
Your disclosure on NOPO (as a secret highly trained force more sinister
than Ansar) appears highly significant.
I found particularly enlightening your distinction between "factional"
and "nonfactional" student protests, and examples of the latter:
"Non-factional protests are those not motivated or supported by any
of the political factions among the ruling clerics. They may or may not
be political, but are treated as political and are more threatening to
the IR than the factional ones." I consider the key here is that
they are NOT supported by the Khatami faction.
Farshid Jamshidian
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