Journals of a Disqualified Citizen
 The
following was the latest entry found in the journals of "A
disqualified Citizen":
It is 3 May, and what better a way to start the
day than by reading a long etter written by Seyyed Mohammad
Khatami, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He has
called it "A Letter for Tomorrow" meaning that today's
electorate and the current population of Iran lack the
qualifications to fathom the depth of meaning stashed way in its
luminous pages. It will have to wait for the people of tomorrow
to catch up with the President's intellectual depth and realize
that his apparent failures were veritable triumphs in disguise.
This letter has no relevance whatsoever for life
as it is lived in the Iran of today. It points to an unspecified
time in 'tomorrow', when its real significance will shine forth
and replenish the earth with its blessings of
'religious democracy', 'dialogue of
civilizations' and 'civil society'. Accordingly Khatami was
elected by the people of yesterday to serve the people of
tomorrow, and as far as the people of today are concerned, well,
they don't need a president. They have a supreme leader, the
Guardian Council, the Assembly of Experts, the Expediency
Council, an Islamic army of thugs (armed with knives and clubs)
and Evin and many other correctional facilities to provide them
with leadership and ensure law and order.
In his letter Khatami writes:
"Initiating and embracing the slogan of
reform should be welcomed from all sides, but it should be
demanded from those who propose these reforms to express their
intentions clearly and leave no room for misunderstanding
amongst the population."
Are we supposed not to remember that this worthy
invitation to clarity is coming from a man whose greatest knack
is to speak vaguely and ambiguously? The President of the
Republic has conveniently forgotten that thousands of Iranians
are imprisoned for exactly what he urges them to do: Expressing
their political views clearly and unequivocally.
If by speaking clearly the President means not leaving any doubt
about the probity and morality of their character, one should
remind him that Mr. Aghajari and Batebi et al. are not in jail
for promoting loose behavior. In any case 'unethical conduct' in
Iran is a phrase with a wide range of applications. If the
President himself one day forgets to speak from both side of his
mouth, no doubt he will end up in the same cell with a multitude
of other Iranians who lack the magical talent of Mohammad
Khatami for having their cake, or should I say 'baghlava' and
eating it too.
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