Iranian Students Need Our Support By Andrew L. Jaffee, 4/4/2003

YOU CAN SUPPORT IRANIAN STUDENTS

When the Ayatollah Khomeini first came to power Iran in 1979, he talked about freedom and democracy. Instead Iran ended up with dictatorship and rule by strict Shari'a (Islamic law). But there are some cracks in the dictatorship's veneer. Khomeini's original idea of Islamist rule has been penetrated by Western concepts like those of republic, constitution, parliament, and elections.

Mohammad Khatami, Iran's current political leader, swept to power in the 1997 elections, much to the consternation of Iran's religious/Islamist conservatives. He was resoundingly re-elected to a second term in 2001.

Khatami has cautiously supported more political freedom. This has given him support among Iranian young people and students, where support for democratic principles is usually strong (one would hope).

Iranian students have been at the forefront of Iran's political reforms, and this has put them into conflict with Iran's still powerful religious elites.

An Iranian professor, Hashem Aghajari, was sentenced to death by Iran's religious elite becuase he said that Muslims should not blindly follow Islamic law "like monkeys". Last November, thousands of Iranian students protested the death sentence, so the Islamic clerics went after them.

The clerics suspended some students from school, and even sentenced two kids to fifty lashes. But almost 120 Iranian members of parliament officially protested the punishments. So the conservatives are not all-powerful, thank goodness.

The current Iranian political structure is quiet interesting. As President Khatami is elected, he can lean on the support of the people. But he has to content with Iran's "Supreme Leader," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who appoints the judiciary, the clergy, and the leaders of the military.

Hopefully Iran's reformers will win out over the conservatives. It won't be easy. Iranian students and all like-minded democrats in Iran deserve our support. Iranian's should enjoy the political, social, religious, and economic freedoms possible only under true democracy:

• GET INFORMED ABOUT IRAN'S POLITICAL STRUGGLE.
• SUPPORT THE IRANIAN STUDENTS.
• LOBBY YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES TO SUPPORT DEMOCRACY IN IRAN.