In a decision that may cost him his life, Iranian history professor Hashem Aghajari urged students and supporters on November 15 to abide by the law that has him facing a death sentence for challenging conservative clerics' interpretation of Islam.
Aghajari has become a galvanizing figure in the struggle between reformists allied to President Mohammed Khatami and conservative clerics who control powerful Iranian institutions, including the judicial system. In June, Aghajari made a speech affirming the idea that each generation can interpret Islamic law in its own way.
EurasiaNet: When the president was elected in 1997, there was a lot of hope that [the level of democracy in Iranian politics] would change. Yet many of those hopes have not been fulfilled. Is the President intimidated by all the pressure against him? Faridzadeh: Mr. Khatami is a person who believes in religion.
International news agencies reported on November 4 that Spanish companies will soon sign exploration deals for $1.3 billion in Iranian oil and gas. The reports come on the heels of Iranian President Mohammed Khatami's first official visit to Spain, promoting mutual understanding on more complex issues.
In a dramatic move drawing attention throughout Central Asia, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami submitted two bills to Parliament on September 24 that could curb the political power of Iran's conservatives. The first bill will expand the president's constitutional powers at the expense of the hardliners' veto power. The second would make elections more direct.
But he surprised many recently by not only complaining about his lack of power but also announcing how he plans to remedy it.
The president, speaking at a press conference in Tehran, said he will soon propose legislation to the parliament that would give him greater abilities to reform the system as he was elected to do:
As hopes for rapprochement with the United States fade, Iran is pursuing several diplomatic initiatives designed to prevent Tehran's strategic isolation. Iranian leaders have reached out to Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and Bahrain in recent days and weeks, aiming to heal rifts and thwart what they perceive as a US encirclement effort.
Although the ongoing Russian naval exercises in the Caspian Sea are widely viewed in Iran as an unwelcome development, Iranian officials have largely refrained from saying anything that might antagonize Moscow. Iranian analysts say the Islamic government is anxious to maintain the existing equilibrium in relations with Russia, especially in the sphere of nuclear cooperation.
Now, however, hard-liners appear to be increasingly expanding their crackdown to target reformist politicians, as well, a development that could seriously exacerbate tensions between the two sides.
