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Earthquakes and Elections in Iran

© lawhawk

It's been a real busy two-week period in Iran. There was the massive earthquake two weeks ago that caused widespread damage and devastation. Although initial estimates were in the thousands, later press releases suggested a death toll of several hundred. Tens of thousands were left homeless and in need of vital services. Red Crescent (the Islamic equivalent of the Red Cross) provided great assistance but the vastness of the devastation will take years before recovery is complete.

This situation should have been exploited by the US and other Western countries as a sign of goodwill and show of improving relations. This was not the case, however, and after a day or so, the earthquake story became buried in the back pages of the newspapers here in the US. Now the Iranian elections have taken place and the results are very surprising given the rhetoric found in Western news.

Mohammad Khatami, a moderate religious cleric, was elected President, much to the chagrin of the Iranian conservative establishment. He was elected in an apparent landslide and will take over in August from President Rafsanjani, who was unable to run again because of term limits. This would appear to be a major turning point in Iranian history since fundamentalist Islam has been strictly enforced by the government since the fall of the Shah of Iran in 1979. President-elect Khatami has suggested there will be a more moderate interpretation of the Koran and Islamic law as well as an improvement of relations with the West. He made the exception, however, that Iranian policy towards the US will remain unchanged: the US will remain Iran's number one enemy.

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