Between reform and revolution

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 novelThe Satanic Verses.

Embodying the paradoxes in present day Iran is the man who symbolises 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 leader8217;s desire to export his radical vision of Islam and his animosity towards the Western world.

As it gears up for the three anniversaries, 8220;Iran is being plunged into a violent internal crisis, unprecedented since Khomeini8217;s death,8221; said a Western diplomat in Teheran.

The ongoing tug of war between reformers and religious conservatives is reported daily by the press, which has been enjoying unprecedented freedom since Khatami8217;s election, despite mounting pressure from hardliners.

Parliament and the judiciary, two bastions of the orthodox lobby, are continuously trying to apply the brakes to the pace of reform, and have strucka 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 paralyse him by neutralising 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, Teheran8217;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.

Khomeini8217;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,8217; refusing to give up his promises of reform despite mounting pressure.

The President has promised to create a civilsociety 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. 8220;Caution still prevails because open support makes him more vulnerable to his conservative opponents,8221; a diplomat said.

The United States has made several goodwill gestures to Iran since Khatami8217;s election and Britain has shown more flexibility by accepting a half-hearted promise from Teheran not to carry out Khomeini8217;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 decadent8217; 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 theAmerican 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 country8217;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 and unemployment is all one hears in collective taxis in Teheran on the eve of the anniversaries.