Students Issue 'Final Warning' to Iran's Clerical Rulers

Ha'aretz ^ | 6.26.2003 | The Associated Press

[DoctorZIn]

TEHRAN - Disappointed Iranian students issued a "final warning" Thursday to the ruling Islamic establishment, saying their wrath was about to explode as security agents continued arresting classmates in a bid to undermine plans to mark the fourth anniversary of a fatal raid by hard-liners on a university dormitory.

"We openly declare that these words are the final words of dialogue between the student movement and the ruling establishment," students said in a strongly worded letter addressed to President Mohammad Khatami. Signed Thursday by 106 prominent students, the letter protested the trampling of legitimate freedoms and a government ban on street rallies to mark the July 9, 1999, raid on a Tehran University dormitory that killed one person and injured at least 20 others.

The 1999 attacks, led by police and hardline vigilantes who support Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggered six days of nationwide protests, the worst since the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the pro-U.S. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

One of the letter's signatories, Saeed Razavi Faqih, said if Khatami failed to heed the students' warning, the students would even stop recognizing the legitimacy of elected reformists within Iran's ruling establishment. "The rulers should know that confronting the student movement will have a bitter ending for this establishment, which has lost almost all its legitimacy," he said.

Khatami, who was elected on a platform of delivering wide social and political reforms, has been criticized by fellow reformers for only deploring - not condemning - attacks two weeks ago by hardline vigilantes against two Tehran student dormitories.

Students criticized Khatami's silence as "painful and disappointing."

"We call on you (Khatami)... to react before it's too late and adopt a reasonable solution, or otherwise have the courage to resign so that you don't justify oppressive policies (of hardliners) and allow students to settle their accounts with the establishment," the letter said.

The protests earlier this month began with students demonstrating against plans to privatize universities and snowballed into broader displays of opposition to Khamenei's clerical establishment. Government authorities have said they arrested about 520 protesters, mostly "hooligans." But students say most of those detained are students.

Razavi Faqih said security agents this week detained several more student leaders, including Mahdi Aminizadeh and Abdollah Momeni.

The students' letter also accused the Interior Ministry of refusing to permit July 9 street rallies, while university officials have been opposed to holding ceremonies on university grounds.

While protesters have regularly condemned unelected hardline clerics and supported Khatami, the recent student-led protests had for the first time called for the establishment's ouster and denounced Khatami for failing to fulfill promises.

[DoctorZIn]

We look like we are nearing a tipping point in Iran.

[ewing]

Looks like tomorrow is a showdown...who is going to blink first

[jriemer]

Now if they would just start rolling over cars like US college students after winning / losing the "big game" the mullah's would have something to fear from these Iranian college students.

[Marysecretary]

I hope the US helps them accomplish their purpose!

[TigerLikesRooster]

Free Iran!

[bigghurtt]

I am reminded of the events leading up to the fall of communism...this could be a bigger issue than we realize even now.

my prayers that the ball is rolling towards freedom for iranians.

[jriemer]

The students' letter also accused the Interior Ministry of refusing to permit July 9 street rallies, while university officials have been opposed to holding ceremonies on university grounds.

Permit? We don't need no steekin' permit...

[Skibane]

Signed Thursday by 106 prominent students, the letter protested the trampling of legitimate freedoms and a government ban on street rallies to mark the July 9, 1999, raid on a Tehran University dormitory that killed one person and injured at least 20 others.

Just exactly how do you get to be a "prominent student"?

[norton]

Not arrested yet?

[bigghurtt]

by signing a petition against your mullah's, i suppose

[trebb]

Just exactly how do you get to be a "prominent student"?

I would imagine that they are well-known and from prominent/well-to-do families with substantial resources for sustaining a movement.

[ewing]

Sounds like 'double secret probation..'

[y2k_free_radical]

NOT THE MULLAHS

[DannyTN]

Attach the Mullahs to trees!

[SauronOfMordor]

I would imagine that they are well-known and from prominent/well-to-do families with substantial resources for sustaining a movement.

If the mullahs have ticked off a large number of the old families who had the wealth and power pre-revolution, and leave them with no choices between overthrowing the mullahs, or sinking from old wealth into poverty, then expect an explosion real soon.

[eyespysomething]

Go guys go.

Good for them. I hope too many aren't killed.

Prayers for them.

[Jeff Head]

It's a hard wind gonna blow over there.

Either it will gain momentum and we (the U.S.) will ultimately support it to the overthrow of the Mullahs...or it will lead to a more fundamental regime taking control.

I postulate the latter in my Dragon's Fury Series of Novels, which then leads to World War.

God bless and keep these young folks who are standing up to abject tyranny and risking all to do so.

[eyespysomething]

Go guys go.

Good for them. I hope too many aren't killed.

Prayers for them.

[theDentist]

hey Doc, once again, if it looks like the "security" folks are looking for you, get to safety. Too many people are "disappearing" out there.

[walford]

Your caution is well-warrented. Limited representative government can only survive if the potential electorate is ready and capable of accepting it. It took centuries for the British government and to gradually become acclimated to the idea.

We had to sit on the Germans and Japanese for years before they were able to manage their governments on their own. Look at Iraq. Unlike Japan and Germany, many Iraqis are blindly fighting against their liberators with no positive alternative to offer.

If factions that do not win elections are willing to remain loyal and non-violent when out of power, then there is a chance. That is a tall order in that part of the world.

[conservonator]

Wow, this is going to be very interesting. How much support do the students have from the general population?

[Jeff Head]

A very tall order indeed. This type of activity essentially led to the Ayatollah to begin with because he was behind the scenes pulling the strings and moved into the vacuum.

Hopefully, with our forces so near, and with the direct warnings we are already issuing to the Islamic regime...we can help keep the vacuum from developing and give those people a chance to develop a true government based ontrue republican principles.

If we do not, they could end up with something worse. As I say, I postulate that very thing (among many others) in my book sereis.

Best regards.

[ellery]

Prayers for a tipping point -- and a velvet revolution!

[Tauzero]

"The protests earlier this month began with students demonstrating against plans to privatize universities and snowballed into broader displays of opposition to Khamenei's clerical establishment."

Are these protestors for freedom or for secular marxism?

[Jeff Head]

Sounds like they don't really know what they are for...just what they are against. And that is fertile ground for being manipulated. But we are getting a pretty filtered report.

I pray they are for liberty and republican government, and that we are in a position to help them get that...but am concerned per my earlier posts that it has a potential for ending up even worse.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #24

Apparently, the university is about to be owned by a big shot mullah whom they obviously hate. That is what I heard.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[DoctorZIn]

Wow, this is going to be very interesting. How much support do the students have from the general population?

The people in Iran by their own polling 70% support a "radical change of regime" and 90% support "changes in the regime."

[conservonator]

The people in Iran by their own polling 70% support a "radical change of regime" and 90% support "changes in the regime."

I wish them well!

[nuconvert]

And what about this particular movement? What is the general feeling among the people? Do they support THIS movement by at least 70%?

[DoctorZIn]

"The protests earlier this month began with students demonstrating against plans to privatize universities and snowballed into broader displays of opposition to Khamenei's clerical establishment."

Like anywhere else there are a variety of directions they want to go. Nearly all of the communication I get from the Student Movement is strongly supporting a secular democracy and freemarkets. The intial demonstations were not delibrately started with to create a nationwide regime change. But it was the spark.

[6323cd]

November 4, 1979: Students of Iran, stormed the American Embassy in Tehran, seizing Americans at gunpoint and holding them as prisoners, or to be technically correct, hostages, held for a political purpose, and that purpose was to unite Iran as a nation, and to humiliate the United States, Iran's most powerful ally.

Can't these bloody dimwits make up their minds?!?!

[McGavin999]

I guess we're going to know something tonight. They said Friday they would start the executions and that should be later tonight. If they go through with slaughtering hundreds of these students I think the course is set. I really don't see these kids backing down. I don't know about the courage of the general population, but it looks like we just may well be hearing about the mad mullahs "tied to trees".

[TigerTale]

BTTT

Free Persia now.

[Brad's Gramma]

Excellent home page you have!

[MattAMiller]

At this point something is going to have to give. Cracking down is probably no longer a serious option. The student movement too large, too broad, too coherent, and too emboldened to simply go away. The clerics are doomed, and Khatami doesn't seem to have the trust of the populace he needs to simply make a few moderate reforms. The collapse of the Iranian Government appears to be imminent. The only question is whether or not it will survive the summer.

[varon]

Now if they would just start rolling over cars like US college students after winning / losing the "big game"

A similar activity in Iran would be camel tipping ;-)

[plusone]

Good one!!!

[Ken H]

I guess we're going to know something tonight. They said Friday they would start the executions and that should be later tonight. If they go through with slaughtering hundreds of these students I think the course is set.

Also, if they fail to carry out their threat, they'll look weak to both their supporters and opponents.

The mullahs have really painted themselves into a corner by making this public threat.

[DoctorZIn]

If you would like to get a quick review of all the news on the demonstrations in Iran, go to:

http://www.freerepublic.com/~doctorzin/

It contains a comprehensive look at all the news over the past 17 days.

Regarding the mullahs threats... the next 12 hours should make their position clear.

[Ken H]

Thanks so much. I've been following your reports for the the last few weeks.

They're more complete and timely than anything I've seen in the national or international media.

[dinok]

Tick-tock...tick-tock...

end of the line Mulahs...

[ALASKA]

Attach the Mullahs to trees!

"....round up all of them bad boys mullahs, hang 'em high in the street, for all the people to see....." Willie Nelson, kinda

[Billthedrill]

Watch yer six, Doc. This one's going to get very ugly. The radicals are pretty involved in Iraq at the moment, but there are enough thugs already in country to hurt a lot of people.

I can put it very simply. If Iran throws the imams out of secular power the whole world changes. It's that big.