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NEWS & LETTERS,
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2003
Eyewitness report: new stage of revolt in Iran
Tehran, Iran--The student protests against privatization
that started in Tehran on June 10 have spread across Iran, involving thousands
of ordinary people. Their slogans are not only against the "Supreme
Leader" Khamenei and President Khatami but also against the entire Islamic
Republic. Islamic security forces have tried to stop this new uprising. On July 9 (the anniversary of important student
demonstrations in 1999) representatives of a student coalition held a press
conference to announce they would not be able to hold widespread demonstrations
as expected because of the degree of government repression. They denounced
Iran's judiciary and the country's "political and social apartheid."
Minutes after the press conference ended plainclothes police entered the room
and held guns to the heads of the students, kidnapping them in front of
reporters. University dorms were closed and the students were taken to the
notorious Evin prison, once used by the Shah of Iran to torture his opponents. Later on July 9 protests took place at Enghelab Square
in Tehran and in Mashhad, leading to new clashes with the police. This is not
the end of the struggle in Iran; it is just the new beginning. Ansar-e Hezbullah--the organized Islamic vigilantes
loyal to the regime--have used knives, chains and cattle prods to attack
demonstrators, causing many injuries. Special guards or Basig--who initially
pretended to be mediators between the opposing forces--are also involved and
arrest anyone they can. Students, ordinary people and journalists have been
beaten, jailed, tortured, and killed. Some say that members of the special security forces
speak Arabic. The suspicion voiced by many students is that the regime is using
mercenaries brought to Tehran from various Arab countries. As of June 28, based on government figures, 4,000
demonstrators had been arrested--800 of them students and the rest ordinary
citizens. Parents of the arrested have gathered in front of Evin prison, forming
protest committees and demonstrating for the freedom of those arrested. Zahra Kazemi, an Iranian-Canadian photojournalist, was
arrested on June 23 while taking pictures outside of Evin. The government is so
afraid of news leaking out of the prison that it doesn't tolerate the basic
rights of journalists. Kazemi suffered a fatal skull fracture after being beaten
by a government interrogator. At the time of one of the demonstrations I was planning
to go to a dormitory to witness what was happening, but friends stopped me,
saying security forces will arrest anyone they can find. I was told they beat
anyone arrested for days before even asking their names. REGIME IN TOTAL CRISIS There is no freedom in Iran, either politically or
socially. Reality has been twisted so badly that people make jokes about the
government all the time. When there is no freedom of speech and expression, this
is how people express themselves. To give one example, I bought a copy of TIME magazine in
Tehran. It was only a little different from what we have in the U.S., except
that every picture showing any part of a woman's or man's body was scratched out
with a black marker. People call this "body censorship." I also got a
small book containing reproductions of some of Rembrandt's paintings. One shows
a women sitting with no clothes on (the original is in the Louvre). In this book
her picture was covered with a dress from top to bottom. Even Rembrandt is
censored. With so much repression, the struggles of women permeate
every aspect of society. At a recent student demonstration in the Narmac area of
Tehran women students threw their scarfs and maghnaeh (a big scarf which covers
an entire head) into the street as a rejection of the Islamic code against
women. The situation facing the youth is terrible. In some
colleges, women and men cannot even be friends with each other. I heard of a
young man and woman who were questioned by university authorities. They had no
sexual relations with each other. Yet the authorities insisted that they marry.
One official said if they do not want to marry permanently, they should get a
"temporary" marriage (in the Islamic code this is called sigheh). The
authorities said they should either accept this or cease to talk or be together
at all. If students do not follow this, they face problems in their future
advancement. This is one example of how young people are treated in
Iran. It is why during the last year 160,000 of the brightest Iranians have
emigrated. ECONOMIC CRISIS In addition to demands for freedom and democracy, the
student uprising has its roots in economic conditions. Inflation and price
increases for basic necessities create an unbearable situation. Prices for some
items have increased 100% during last year. I am not talking about luxury items.
The price of housing has increased 200% in the last
year. This is the result not just of the global economy but the regime's greedy
policies. The Tehran city housing policy encouraged investors to build high-rise
apartments to deal with the huge increase in the city's population. It charged a
tax for each additional floor on high-rises. This made lots of money for
managers and investors, while creating terrible living conditions for ordinary
people. Apartment prices are rising daily and rents are
sky-rocketing. Monthly rent is $240 to $365 (in Iran's currency that is 200,000
to 300,000 tomans) and renters must leave an initial deposit of $3,600 to
$10,000. The average monthly wage is $120 to $240. Most young people, including
married couples with children, live with their parents because they cannot
afford to buy or even rent an apartment. One working woman in Tehran said about the situation
facing renters: "The apartment building owners are sucking our blood and
the Islamic regime is supporting them in the name of Islam." In Iran it is easy for people to recognize class
differences. The price of a Mercedes-Benz is 100,000,000 tomans, 10 years of a
worker's wage. According to government figures, the price of food and
utilities increased 16% over the past year. In reality prices have increased 25%
to 100%. The minister of the economy stated on TV that the increase in the cost
of living has been the same as the rise in wages. Everyone I talked to said this
is a lie, for wages have gone up by only 9%. Most Iranians hold second or third
jobs simply to survive. Government representatives also claim that 15% of the
population is below the poverty level, but economists say the actual figure is
35-40%. The price increases have broken peoples' backs. Many see
no future for themselves. I did not meet a single person without a complaint
against the regime. This is the main reason for the student uprising, which is
widely supported by workers. IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE? People's view towards the Islamic regime is simple. They
hate it. One cab driver told me he hoped the U.S. would overthrow it. When I
objected and said the U.S. can only bring death and misery for the Iranian
people, he responded that he is willing to die so that the Islamic regime can
go. Another cab driver told me that Iran needs a cultural revolution which has
to be initiated by the people themselves. Many are so fed up with Islamic rule that they are
attracted to anyone opposed to it, including the U.S. In the 1979 revolution the
Islamic Republic replaced the struggle for freedom with the illusion of
independence. That was a tragedy. But now I fear the illusion of freedom can
replace the struggle for independence. This can become a farce. Both freedom and
independence should be our goal. In 1999 some students had reformist illusions. But this
has changed. Much of the younger generation is looking for an alternative to
both a U.S. invasion and Islamic fundamentalism. The students' slogans make this
clear. The Islamic Republic and U.S. could care less about the Iranian people.
The U.S. would like to bring back the old society with new faces. Why has the global anti-war movement not issued strong
statements in support of the student movement in Iran? As long as the Left and
anti-war movements are unwilling to condemn the Islamic Republic and the
domination of outside powers, they will not be able to connect to the movements
for democracy and freedom in Iran. We should oppose both the Islamic regime and
any U.S. invasion while clarifying the kind of society we are for. --Alireza |
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