by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright December 26, 2004
All Rights Reserved.

wenty-five years after Ayatollah Ruhallah Khomenei's Islamic Revolution, Iran has fallen into a brutal repression. Turning back the clock, Khomenei managed to reverse much of the pro-Western gains made under Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi, known as “the Shah.” With strong ties to the U.S. and Western Europe, the Shah secularized Iranian society, confining Shiite Islam to mosques, creating a bustling economy and lively cultural community. When Islamic radicals toppled the Shah and sacked the U.S. embassy in 1979, a cruel tyranny seized Iranian society. Pro-Western elements—a largely successful entrepreneurial class—fled the country for freedom in America and Western Europe. Falling victim to religious repression, Iran finds itself caught between government-sponsored Islamic fanaticism and a growing youth movement seeking freedom and hope.

      President George W. Bush sees himself as the “great liberator” in Afghanistan and Iraq yet ignores the plight of young Iranians begging for liberation. “This country is very dirty,” said Mansurheh, a 23-year-old office worker, escaping to the mountains with other hungry youths to put on makeup, show their hair and play Western-style music, currently banned under the government's blasphemy laws. “Nobody likes the regime, especially the youth. There are so many restrictions we can't do anything,” said Mansurheh, speaking anonymously, hoping to avoid almost certain detection, incarceration and torture by the Ayatollah's thought police. It's no wonder that Iranian youth suffer high levels of depression and opiate addiction. Drugs are the only escape from relentless persecution by government morality squads. Iran's generation-Xers feeling the squeeze.

      Iraq's repression under Saddam Hussein paled in comparison to the Nazi-like violation of human rights under Iran's mullahs. Not only has Iran's theocracy paralyzed a growing middle class, causing rampant unemployment, it has suffocated an entire generation hoping for change. Three-quarters of Iran's 114-million population are under the age of 35. While young radicals conducted the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran's youth still remember the brutal government suppression in 1999. When reformer Mohammad Khatami came to power in 1997, the youth had renewed hope. But when Khatami's reforms were vetoed by Islamic hardliners, the youth started to rebel two years later. When hardliners cracked down, jailing, torturing and killing students, the youth movement passed into oblivion. With Iran's big brother liquidating dissenters, real change grows dim.

      Growing reports about Iran's possible nuclear weapons program ups the ante for a restive youth population. Without a well-organized and funded resistance, it's unlikely Iran's 80-million youths can break free of the current stranglehold. It's one thing having an underground subculture, it's still another casting off a heavily armed police force. While the Shah's secret police contained Islamic radicals, Iran's current regime parallel's the Taliban, stifling all freedoms of expression. “Our language use to be more courageous,” said Majid Haji Babaei, 31-year-old doctoral student, reflecting alienation from political activities. “But we were beaten up and even thrown out of windows, we were suppressed, and we went to jail,” demonstrating Gestapo-like tactics used to break down resistance. While the U.S. finds itself mired in Iraq, the best chance of transforming the Middle East lies in Iran.

      Eighty-million Iranian youth cry out for help against a brutal repression. Bush was correct fingering Iran as part of the “axis of evil.” Despite the current insurgency, Saddam kept Islamic radicals out of Iraq, specifically to prevent the same mess that happened in Iran. Now that it's confirmed that Iraq doesn't possess weapons of mass destruction, Iran poses the real danger to the U.S. and its allies. While Europe no longer trusts U.S. intelligence, it shouldn't stop the White House from containing a growing Iranian nuclear threat. When Iran gets the A-bomb, it's not going to be in a mood to negotiate current human rights abuses or to stop sabotaging U.S. efforts in Iraq. Finding ways to support Iraq's disenfranchised youth aids the long-range plan of changing the Ayatollah's regime. Supporting Iran's restive youth also helps contain growing nuclear threat.

      Ayatollah Khamenei's Iran parallels the most brutal regimes in world history, including Stalin's Russia and Hitler's Nazi Germany. While Iran's youth are currently beaten into submission, the U.S. must do a better job of arranging its priorities. Feverishly pursuing nukes, the Ayatollah's regime directly threatens U.S. national security. With Iraqi elections scheduled for Jan. ‘05, the U.S. must recalculate its mission and consider emerging threats. No one relishes the thought of starting a new front in the war on terror but Iran's nuclear ambitions can't be ignored. If Iran gets the bomb, the entire war on terror would be thrown into chaos. Not only could Iran blackmail the U.S. on Iraq they could control the entire Persian Gulf, threatening the lifeblood of Western civilization. Before the U.S. loses the big picture, they shouldn't forget Iran's new generation.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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