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Iran’s Difficult Hour

Defiance is the order of the day, at least on the streets of Teheran. Despite some conciliatory moves by the government, the faceoff between the opposition and hard-line factions shows no signs of abating. Thursday’s demonstrations to mark the 40th day of mourning for Neda Agha Sultan, who was shot dead on June 20 as she watched protests against the disputed presidential poll, reflected the deep-rooted divide with which Iran has to come to terms – sooner than later. Neda and her likes – who were victims of the government’s highhandedness – have now, perhaps, become a mascot for the Iranian opposition.

A long-drawn struggle in the quest for openness and reforms can be said to have begun in the Islamic republic.

As far as the government’s policies are concerned, they seem to be one step forward and two steps back. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, after realising that the growing scorn was in fact directed at him, had tried to do some fence mending. He not only prevailed upon President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to dump his controversial nominee for the powerful office 
of vice-president, but also urged the release of detained opposition activists. But there seems 
to be many a slip between the cup and the lip. Hardliners, who virtually rule the roost in Teheran and Qom, seem to have taken exception, and 
believe that only by trying and punishing the 
opposition supporters can the writ of the revolution be maintained. Such an approach will not 
help rapprochement.

The sporadic return of protesters to the streets of Teheran and elsewhere, coupled with the ongoing debate in the corridors of Qom, cannot be shrugged aside. Iran is in a serious crisis of governance. It’s high time for sane voices to be heard. But the manner in which political opposition is being dealt with is highly regrettable.

The agitating activists could easily have been won over had their demand for a judicious vote count been accepted. Similarly, veteran elements in the establishment such as former president Hashmi Rafsanjani had called for a rapprochement of sorts. He invited attention to the wider canvas of preserving national interests and fundamentals of the revolution. But that, too, seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Ayatollah Ahmed Janati and Ayatollah Ahmed Khatami – considered close to Khamenei – persuade an unrelenting approach, thus shutting the doors of reconciliation.

It’s time for the government of Iran, and power wielders behind the scenes, to see reason and desist from going over the brink. President Ahmadinejad can make a decent beginning by obliging the opposition. Releasing the detained activists and allowing them enough political space to vent their spleen can make Iran more democratic and politically mature. Intimidation hasn’t worked. Rather, it has proved to be counter-productive. We hope Teheran will take serious note of the simmering unrest and undertake rectification. The men on the streets of Teheran need to be persuaded, not prosecuted.