Author Topic: Iranian President trying to liberalize the country. (Read 328 times)

Thrawn · « **on:** August 28, 2002, 07:54:37 PM »

Iran's President Wants Reform Power
Wed Aug 28, 9:58 AM ET
By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, acknowledging that his attempts to work with hard-liners have failed, announced Wednesday that he will present a bill to parliament that would give him the power to push through reforms.

Khatami's initiative appeared to be a gamble to enhance his standing with a public impatient with the slow pace of liberalization. But in trying to seize more power, he risks a public rebuke from Iran's hard-liners, who wield most of the power in this Islamic country through unelected institutions like the judiciary.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=535&e=7&cid=535&u=/ap/20020828/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_president_3

Sikboy · « **Reply #1 on:** August 29, 2002, 09:36:11 AM »

Wow Thrawn thanks. This could be the turning point we've been waiting for since 1979. I don't want to get my hopes up though. I wonder if the Clerics will come down in public and just disolve this. I don't recall exactly what their constitutional powers are (and I don't have my notes at the office

) But if they let this go to a vote is should be interesting to see what happens. Iran might actually become a democracy in reality as well as in name.

-Sikboy

Thrawn · « **Reply #2 on:** August 29, 2002, 10:44:22 AM »

Here's hoping. I was wondering why Iran seemed to have to faces. One westernizing, the other screaming about the western infadel.

Sikboy · « **Reply #3 on:** August 29, 2002, 11:36:41 AM »

My opinion?

It looks like a direct result of the government they have set up. On one end, they are democractic, and by Middle eastern standards, liberal. They have universal sufferage, Women have a higher place in society, there is a degree of upward mobility that doesn't exist in many parts of the Middle East. If you have to live in the region, Iran is where you want to live. And they keep electing Khatami, and the moderate politicians to the executive and legislative branches.

and then.....

On the other side of the fense, they have the council or clerics (guardians I think?) and the Ayatollha who sit above even the president, and make sure that no matter what, the power of the church is not usurped. And they use the power of the church much like many do. They use it to breed xenophobia and anti-western intolerance.

I think they are suffering from the similar problems of the Soviet Union under Glastnost. The people can see enough of the west to figure out that we don't want to eat their children, but the men in power are able to keep the system going (for now).

If Khatami puts this to a vote, and the legislature approves, it will be interesting to see if the Council will react harshly, or if they will simply try to sweep it under the rug. I don't even know what would be better. In the end, an honestly democractic Iran would be a dream come true in that region, and it must really scare the piss out of the Arab Emerits

-Sikboy

[edit] Duh! I just noticed you had a link with the quote lol. Never mind
[/edit]

gofaster · « **Reply #4 on:** August 29, 2002, 12:52:53 PM »

Or maybe he's just looking to open up trade with the US so he can get some parts for those F-14A's we sold to the Shah back in the '70s.

I remember when radio stations were playing the parody song "Bomb Iran" to the tune of the Beach Boys' "Barbara Ann".

So long as religion and government are one, there can never be true intellectual freedom, and that's what's going to be the biggest obstacle for Iran as it tries to evolve in the future.

Charon · « **Reply #5 on:** August 29, 2002, 01:00:38 PM »

I wish Khatami luck. He has his work cut out.

Charon

john9001 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 29, 2002, 04:16:49 PM »

Iranians are not arabs, they are persians.

ygsmilo · « **Reply #7 on:** August 29, 2002, 05:18:18 PM »

There will be a civil war in Iran within the next 12 months. If not a civil war a civil uprising that will destablise the country.

20% of the population controls 80%

60 % of the population is under the age of 21, they could care less about the Islamic Revolution.

What would a pro-western Iran do to the balance of power in the mid-east?

Sikboy · « **Reply #8 on:** August 29, 2002, 08:03:12 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by john9001
Iranians are not arabs, they are persians.

Did someone say that they were Arabs?

-Sikboy

john9001 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 29, 2002, 08:26:20 PM »

no sikboy , nobody said they were arabs, i was just pointing it out before anybody said they were, not every one is as smart as you and i

Sikboy · « **Reply #10 on:** August 29, 2002, 08:43:01 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by john9001
no sikboy , nobody said they were arabs, i was just pointing it out before anybody said they were, not every one is as smart as you and i

Gocha, I was confused. (yeah, what's new lol)

-Sikboy

Udie · « **Reply #11 on:** August 29, 2002, 09:01:15 PM »

My Iranian friends have wanted this since they came here in 1978. If what they have told me about Iran is true (I have no reason to question their honesty) then the cleriks are about to be in deep doo doo.

Their parents moved back to Iran in 1990 or 91 to run the family pistacio business. My buddies went back to visit their parents a few times. The youngest (Daryush) almost got drafted into the army at the airport when leaving after the second trip. Thanks to a couple of phone calls from his dad to his connections in "the company" he was allowed to leave Iran.

I hope the new president is succesfull in his attempt. I just hope he doesn't hate the west. Getting them out of the "axis of evil" and squarely on our side would be a HUGE victory in the war on terror (IMO).

And for the record they have always told me that they ARE NOT ARAB and they hate to be called arabs. They say that most arabs are lazy and won't work and for the most part are not liked in Iran. They just partialy share the same religion, but a different sect of Islam.

As a side note, all Persians I have ever met could speak fluent Arabic, but only 2 of the Arabs I have met could speek pharsee. Another interesting note is that the upper class in Kabul speeks Pharsee.

Personaly I have much more respect for Persians than Arabs, if that matters....

easymo · « **Reply #12 on:** August 29, 2002, 10:22:41 PM »

Iranians are not arabs, they are persians.

I read somewhere once that they were actually aryan. Thought if was a fine little joke on the nazis.

babek- · « **Reply #13 on:** August 30, 2002, 02:48:19 AM »

1. Iranians are no arabs - the arabs are from semite race and iranians are from indogerman/aryan race.

2. "Iran" means nothing else than "Land of the Aryans"

3. Iran is more than 2500 old - although it has been influenced by the major powers like France or England or Russia it was never a colony of these nations. So it has not the disadvantage to be an artificial country like Iraq or Libya which were products of the struggle between the main poweres of the 19th and 20th century.
Just look at the borders of Iraq or Libya : straight lines...

4. Iranians are not (all) persians. The term "Persia" was given by the ancient Greeks. In that time the Achemenid Empire which was built by Cyrus the Great and destroyed a century later by Alexander the Great was a persian dynasty which ruled Iran.
But the Persians are only a part of the iranian people living in Iran.

5. Its no wonder that the Afghans speak a version of Farsi - they were long a part of Iran.

6. The iranian term Aryan has nothing to do with the racist term of the Nazis.

7. Its a fact that many iranians hate the arabs. This hate is a product of the occupation of iran during the islamic invasion in the 7th century. While other nations were assimiliated by the invaders and adopted their language Iran succesfully resisted and could save its own language.
So if you want to insult an iranian - just call him an arab and watch the effect

Monk · « **Reply #14 on:** August 30, 2002, 05:07:22 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by john9001
Iranians are not arabs, they are persians.

..........same boat