Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, July/August 1998, Page 71

Special Report

AUC Forum Examines Recent Changes in Iran

By Nicole Davidson

Iran has seen many extraordinary changes in the past year. The election of a moderate, Mohammed Khatami, to the presidency of this conservative Islamic nation stunned the world. Winning over 70 percent of the popular vote and being the favored candidate of the youth and women of Iran, Khatami’s victory signified the possible emergence of a “new” Iran to the international community.

Recent changes and reforms in Iran were considered on May 28, 1998 by a distinguished panel of speakers at the AUC Forum “A New Iran?” Over 120 guests including AUC trustees, friends, and alumni attended this luncheon event sponsored by Antranig Sarkissian (’57) in New York City.

The panel, moderated by Moataz Al-Alfi, AUC trustee and vice chairman and CEO of E.C.I.T.P.(Americana), consisted of special guest speaker Christiane Amanpour, chief international correspondent for CNN; scholars Farhad Kazemi, professor of politics and Middle Eastern studies at New York University, and Ali Banuazizi, professor of cultural psychology and modern Iranian history at Boston College; and former ambassador and current senior fellow for the Middle East at the Council on Foreign Relations, Richard W. Murphy.

Amanpour opened the Forum by giving her observations on the new spirit and excitement surrounding recent events in Iran, particularly the presidential election of Mohammed Khatami. Having made eight trips to Iran in the past year, Amanpour noted concrete changes, especially in the area of women’s rights where, in an unprecedented move, Khatami appointed a woman as vice president. As she described the changes in Iran, Amanpour pinpointed the interview Khatami gave to CNN as one sign of the president’s desire for reform. By expressing his respect for the American people and an understanding of the democratic process, Khatami took the first step toward developing a friendly relationship with the United States. Amanpour, however, questioned the United States’ reaction to Khatami’s “new” Iran and stressed that there now exists “a historic window of opportunity” for U.S.-Iranian relations.

Farhad Kazemi identified women as a significant pillar of the “new” Iran, characterizing them as “the real harbinger of change.” He attributed current women’s rights reforms to the development of organized Muslim women’s groups, the complexity of the current Iranian society, and the logistics of the Iran-Iraq war, which forced the reintegration of women into the system. Kazemi argued that the Islamic Republic has had a “mixed record” of inclusion of women into Iranian society, but conditions are now improving. During the early days of the Islamic Republic of Iran, an ideology of “naturalness” was adopted by the state, which established men as superior to women. Women experienced restrictions in education and in occupational choices. Changes in both the criminal and family laws limited women’s rights and legitimized their treatment as second-class citizens. Kazemi stated that the evidence for the current improvement lies in the refocusing of discourse on gender equality instead of “naturalness,” changes in civil law, and an increase in the number of women holding government positions. In conclusion, Kazemi noted that the process of change is moving forward and that it would be impossible to move back.

Ali Banuazizi approached the subject of “A New Iran?” by placing recent political and social changes into an historical perspective and examining the development of secular-ism in Iran. He identified three general dimensions of secularism: the relationship between church and state, the differences in how religion enters public and private life, and the personal aspect of religiosity. Banuazizi stressed that one must distinguish between these categories and focused his discussion on the fusion of church and state. He provided an overview of the constitutional revolution of 1906, which separated church and state, and concluded with the Islamic revolution of 1979, which combined them.

Banuazizi said that the example of 20th century Iran shows that “Islam has tremendous potential as an ideology for moving people toward political revolution.” He emphasized, however, that when Islam acts as “a hegemonic, controlling ideology for the State, it is likely to show failure.” He questioned the managerial efficiency and economic success of the pre-Khatami Iranian government and noted the corruption of individual clerics and political figures as a prime example of the inherent problems within the early Republic’s political system.

Drawing from his extensive experience in the foreign service, Richard W. Murphy argued that the “time is now to reshape American policy” toward Iran. In his discussion, he identified the seizure of the American Embassy in Tehran and the Iranian hostage crisis as the main reasons for America’s view of Iran as “public enemy number one.” Murphy went on to suggest that Iran and the United States do have, in fact, common interests, such as energy production and Gulf security, upon which they can foster a relationship. Murphy proposed that the United States sponsor small steps, like the mutual notification of military exercises, to help build up this alliance. Finally, he concluded that to achieve progress, “we both have to change, we both have to keep moving to make this work.”

Established in October 1992, the AUC Forum is held in New York and is a semi-annual panel discussion featuring experts on political, economic, social, and cultural issues of importance to Egypt and the Middle East. The next Forum will be in November 1998. For further information, contact Lynn Mahoney of The American University in Cairo, 420 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10018-2729, (212) 730-8800.