r' - - ClawOOH-Im-lb r-y-v qor am - luv-um - I i I 3L idtt' 'lliilu LbLn f t '15 Arg I t Inna - a 233 35 Isms-m July 25 19 7 6 0 3532 95 fit PERI 160 TIIE Hr 32 3 RELIGIOUS 125 ERR PER A 15 3 of 3 977 B 5-116 11 Jl LY 1977 C'L f'tu C 2mm 5337 I - - '0 55-13 L3 1 Ti h x 15 CL 5223 Stir rings of ssent IO M53 ry Crir'icism of tac ra-gma 12 foreign 2 Ben ant-Z tuggazirus which circulate 1% er here has war 3 860012 hardly weLca u Tnis 513310 be PM arm with respcc to criticism inzerne-i 0515 In there- 51 years hcwc'qe official attitude-53 51 0 2 to have becamv increasing y Ialaxo-J or this scan i CRO Inge cd 1181 of the has come from the Shai Fm and gave-111mm groups um sirns haw - - SHIR been gonna to examine and critical pcifry TABR and prrfartaa cc nLelv criLici an has 315 mm Ere-s 153 groups nor arse Lated with renaming organimt ior outside officially Spa channels 1e fair 1 carefully ph 5de 1112 call 130 citc Shah rcirz a i not rule and for a revival of in'ellectual freednm of expression Whether mare to cow and what the gotta-r mam L-uill do auout it rem ns to be seen But the clan flibcralization seems to be ajar mn'u- var-1 0 awe and - consummate with our renewed emphasis on human righ we or-loiuve we should avoid an prormu- amich I could be construed as endorsing the whscan e of Lhe crinti Fad Summrv Atta chmen Shah tter to Prime Mia 3 6 Ih f 9 D - ir- r In Furs J gun - fans uum u c a i 1 3 2 273 All abate 5 Ll ik1 5' - 3 61 2 can and COSFIDEXTJAL Tehran n-llo Page two Twice in this century to emulate western orns - repre er ative g vorn on multi-political parties irv -u of ste n and r or to dissent haVc been tried one failed in iron 1hese are concepts that-are conuntlall align in this ancient monarchy Loyalties and are rrccitionally in order of priority to family tribe and only distantly to the monarch-and the nation Cooperation rouo efforts and working within institutions are not part or the Persian heritage and their absence accounts in substantial measure for past failures of Western political values to take root and grow Dissent and opposition have been seen generally as attempts to over throw the established regime and to frustrate its objectives NeVertheless the notion is gaining strength that Iran is not an island unto itself and that it musr accommodate to 'outside ideas and influences One response has been to invite conscructive criticism but keep it within manageable boundaries Some intellectuals and conservatives had not found this a sufficiently adequate or satisfying outlet however A kernel of the old fanatical religious groups have continued in being and the Shah's regime has constantly felt itself under challenge from those who still believe that the 17th century safnvid dynasty reached the apogee of social organization and development Religious opposition to the government has continued and even grown as the pace of modernization has increased since 1963 at the time of White Revolution Terrorist groups probably under the aegis of Mujahidin-e-Khalq People's Strugglers began recruiting impressionable youths from deeply religious Muslim back grounds Most of these younger people began by being aghast at the Shah s reform program particularly land reform peasant habits changed slowly and giving women the vote The 601 has kept a close on the leading radical imams moving to discredit some simply watching others In the same period 1963-1975 left-leaning members of the National Front many of whom had been Tudeh communist Party mombers discarded an active interest in politi Some became coopted impressed by the Shahfs reform efforts At least two became minist 5 Most hows ever simply dropped out of politics and-became apolitical Several remained university teachers some went into business and became well off as Iran's wealth grew rapidly in the late 60's and 70's many remained privately critical of the Shah cynical about government and unwilling to participate in regime'sponsored activities such as the Resurgence Party Not a few came to accept the country's development but centered their criticism on the lack of 175 po- novgoo Ir - I I II I- 0 we II rag 50-b l 5 en- - Hf pu'ILsiieg Ciu -' ship 9 0 2121 t in fhzfu i It our- 3 Entrile- no sca tmi eeresentatiues or this mouvmcn esist not oniy in student groups but on increasing degree in other areas of sorit v sarticularly arose who hzve had foreign university training Qpening U9 the Poliriggl Svstem Concurrent with Iran's growin interest in its human rights imege which began about the fell oi 1976 some the realiza- tion that people remained critical of the government's ability to respond to economic end social challenges More- over it was becoming obvious to Iran's leaders that to coordinate and continue Iran s economic growth something more thon tacit cooperation of the rising numbers of Iran's new middle class was going to be required in shorts the Shah and the government by spring 19 at the latest began to look or ways to encourage the active support of the new elites Criticisn witrin the Resurgence Party provincial and city councils and the ajles was tolerated to the point where many who participate enthusiastically are'now wondering what good it has done Is anybody listening To make this process more creditable the 001 resurrected and spot lighted activities of three bodies created to examine the govern ment--tho Imperial Commission the Imperial Inspectorate Organization 110 and the Study Group of Iranian Problems Each group has been given a separate and sometimes overlapping mandate The Imperial Commission to focus on overseeing economic development eradicating waste and eliminating corruption the 110 to monitor the progreSs of the Adminis- tracivo Revolution and since June 7 to conduct unannounccd spot inspections of all ministries and offices and the Study Group to debate and evaluate GOI problems and policies and to forward their criticism and reports to the Shah Ref 8 describes the evolution of these groups To inaugurate the new campaign in June and July the Imperial Commission meetings were televised nationally Committee reports and ministerial tesrimony revealing deficiencies and shortcomings in the national economic development plan recei ed extensive comment and coverage Commission wrath was primarily directed at the power textbook cement labor 'end hospital shortages and caused little short oE'a sensatio -- ministers were being attacked and forced to defend their policies or to promise change At a similar meeting of the S-udy Group in June the 2rime Minions and Other top officials were closely questioned about 001 mismanagement and bungling According to a summary prepared by a Stony CONFIDENTIAL 176 1- l c act 'crr Cross 3 lvr also i Lia LVC - $plcve many of the 1 member are - c 52r1-z ntinarhy towqrd fi tt-rccrad ques icu- andccuwea res n 5th tau itinc nin Let the integrity of the irpu nd its performance ridicu ta 2 2 t the 323 hes been recast as the oi's ft u tn quiudicate itizen complaia-s t - n investibations and to I preperr rep is the mos powe'ful and effective 0 h three groupsuand has the full confidence and support at the Shah The only question renainin is whether the Sheh sad the time MiniSLer will live up to their prnt'ses and he able tn convince a skeptical public that they mean business Sources close to the rime inister assert that this care- fully orchestraLcd campaign to open up and permit more criticism of the government was initiated with the Shah's blessing and the Prime ii ister s recent actions lend credence to those reports Speaking to the press on July 5 and to the 1 6 on July 12 Hoveyda said every Iranian hes right to criticize and differ in all national affairs except where the eSSunce of Iran's nation hood is concerned the Shah the Constitution and the Shah-9eople Rauclntion He stated what has become 'he government s position There is no reason why a country that has thanks to the Shah's leadership reached a position of strength from one of weakness should be afraid of criticism How this will eventually work out in practice is not yet certain--following a Kavhen editorial of June 7 critic'sing censorship as bad for Iran the Prime hinister is reported to have telephoned Egzhan's editors and stormily accused them of going too far tau fast when they echoed his own criticism of present censorship arrangements Nevertheless it seems clear that the GUI is adopting a more tolerant basic position regarding opposition to government poli its than it has in some time There has even been stray talk of allowing a second political party but so far it remains just that--stray talk Stirring of Opposition Other signals amen ting from the GOI--the ail tary Court Reform ill see Ref C and counterattacks against inter- national charges of torture in Iran Ref D have led some formerly apathetic individuals and groups to return ever so tentatively to the political arena This has been rein- forced by their belief_that the danger of repression is less because Iran wants to open up a bit and the new v 5 human rights policy has pressured countries in general and Iran in particular to exercise police controls with more restraint on dissidents COEFIDEHTIAL I71 Tehran u 5 H1 K Page H - The most vinfhic evident or this reaankening' are rat which hate it circntazzng tnc'addrtaatd Shah the o'h-r o Priah Kinitz r ovcydu The as nhini1 cnzi- in 1 22 and has Lgansihitd Lb attachments ano twoi lhe letter to the Shah probablv as ar'iculntr a statement of the liberal tions of as is aseilcbie in ass written by Lweive individuals rce oi whom signed the letter All three u r senior EJllunu Froatcrs no an es minister or Justice Several in ividuals close to this circle say there are others who are onsidoring ways to break their silence One prominent es-Frontcr the grandson of Prime Minister has indicated privately to friends that many of the old circle remain and'if there were a there would Lt more such activity Host 0 involved with tho letter tovthe Shah have been in opposztion to the governmentt cithur tacitly or oyunl since MOssadeq's time This led Party Deputy Secretary General Darius Homayuun to refer publicly to political fossils who criticize outside the accepted channels with the some old shopworn ideas Thc second letter addressed to the Primc Hinister oas signed by 40 intellectuals who form Lhe Writer' s Guild of Iran According to a local'political review see attach ment three it was actually part of a series begun some months ago VAccording to two sources in Tthran it a line of thought that has been prevalent in opsositionist circles for several years one that has even been played by the clandestine radio Peike ran off and on in the pasc According to one of the signers of the letter all 40 signed because the government wouldn't dare jail all of us in the present climate on human rights The list of signers is a reasonable Who's Who of older intellectual dissidents many of whom have can or are connected with the arts or teaching Dr Gholam Hossein Sacdi the subject of v 5 human rights inquiries was a prominent author who spent time in jail Ali Asghar is a prominent anci- communist intellectual who was very annoyed when clandestine radio Peike Iran picked up one of his articles two years ago and rcEroadcaSC it Several otherson thelist have back grounds ranging from near-Tudch to National Front To date the 601 has not reacted openly'escept to denigrate such offerings without mentioning names or otherwise giving them publicity Those who wrate the letters and Otherwise identified themselves with the sentiments contained in thin are waiting to see what the government will eveniuclly do Their hope is to stimulate more criticism perhaps heading even closer to the edge of directly criticising the untouchables Constitution Shah and Shah-9cogle Revolu isn CORFIDZSIIAL I73 CORFZDERTIAL Tehran A-th Page six gii ious Unrest aniiaiti x rsliqious groans over the past six months have shown 'Lnugn loss in detail about than a n alng cnilns have tried to interest foreign htr greens in the fate of those charged with killing 5 Sh todb di Ref 3 on the grounds Lhcy were religious tart rs This does not appear to have he-n successful exii l in 2 nodes way in Great Britain tut there are hints that despite their right-wing fanaticism some of the more pragmatic onservative Islamic imams and ayatollahs are willing to ride the human rights horse into alliance wizh those on the left where mutual interests can be made to coincide Signs of challenge to the regime-from this quarter are mainly secondary and low key- 1ncreascc use of the chosen among college-educated women as a sign of opposition to ygovernment resistance to women's rights legislation almost amounting to pressure group lobbying and the spread of unflattering jokes about the Shah Religious restiveness has been reinforctd by the revival of Islamic political fortunes in neighboring political arenas- Pakistan where the religious opposition to Bhutto led to a military takeover Turkey where religious factions appear to hold at least some balance or power in the new divided parliament and Saudi Arabia where the Shah perceives the fanatical Islamic right as one of the serious problems for any reigning Saudi monarch The Shah and the government have taken discreet steps to keep this type of potential opposition under control In addition to normal surveillance of religious factions the Shah finally paid a visit to Imam Rosa's shrine at Mashed in May to meet with religious leaders and urge in his public Speech that faithful muslims not be misled into terrorism by subversive groups In their trips to various provinces the Prime Hinister and Empress Farah have devoted time and public utterance to placating the faithf and trying to draw them and their religion into a upportive relationship to the government A perceptive anger member of the Empress' Special Bureau claims royal family watches the religious situation very carefully and that many rural development efforts are geared to drawing more of the religious fundamentalisLsinto the modern sector through greater participation in secular projects What ill the 93 Both the and the Resurgence Party are assimilating tiis upSU of criticism and liWitod opfosition which h s been 9 cymbal-Hag 179 lohrsn brought a h a of r1 332 si 5 cf 'ufszaatcu Over Lhu 23 - Lu be ur ihsu 4 a rm 3'aatlva a5 l a 5' a ring oprositluais act 1 umbrelia 5v gallinj or Ln bocu a activl in the or sit cri ic an to Part tn s Lc 851 sold o encompass the nascent Opposzlio tntircly within tho rcq dt guilticaL Th 1-1 101 be wholly possible sinus there are othut organizatiwns- the Impctial Coaxission the Groun for the Study of Evan's Problems and the Imperial lnsnectoracc for exampic--whith play roles in this arrs Having identifitd some critics through lettcr signatures thrr individuals get the Call to play the Game some may head most probably will not- this could bring them into conflict with the system itself as they try to ju ify thzi refusal to participate by attacking and the Shah personally 2 Both government and Shah m y simply continue to relax and allow more criticism as the price of Opening up the political system This could only be damn if it is ppr eivcd that this type of opposition is safely manageable in security terms and that the system is stable encugh to afford what the Shah calls the luxury of dissent Any hint of foreign support for or chu public with opposition groups frat any quartet would probablj'bring a if saphisticatcd crackdown 3 The may simply repress such criticism or limit it a ngjori on grounds of state security This seams an u IikcIy choice- it would defvnt the parpuse of opening up the political sy5 cm Undoubtedly however the Shah would take this course if criticism got out of hand - or exceeded the permissible and attacked on a regular and Sustained basis thc 5hah as an institution the Constitution or the Shah-People Hovcvda's current posture suggests that criticism which Calls thcso fundamentals into question will not be 3110rkd or subject the critics to the force of harasSment and limitation In practice the 601 will probably use all to bring criticism out attempts to direct it toward the art and sows form of limiting control to keep it from destabilizing the develOping lrnnian political system The degree to which repression may be applied will drp nd upon content of the critic's message if oppositinnist criticism rcmnics focused rather narrowly as it has for 7-U3years on a critique of present facts of life it may be supportable at a fairly high level of vituperation If 130 -- 'n fir-2 Par-f eight dilulzHut-c -uo 55' '11 c L'h - - on - l- c a -I'ssz' 50 alL-c nm 2 - 3 onzn c 13e1 nigcr' Lat 15 C1 00- E t ull u LL laid-r 1 hIl 3 tuba-g - LI Sui u I llVlc 1 QUE-2L 5 I 150 a a c uljun in L0 tau 6 L3 A I cktszu are Ildu' to get an oncff a as uTc 0616 - muo' nizxna monu cny walcn is nonetnere s 5 11 a tee mone eu 8 5 Arritudcs The v 5 is no directlv involved in this proccse of increBSuJ criticism nor unnuld it he Critics or the COI may use 5 35% gyubols w th which many Americans might sympathize 8 5 may also Cane under fir from those caustic of not traditionally close ties fth Iran under the Pahlavi Dynasty In both cases we should L cat the process of criticltc RF a purely internal Iranian matter At discreet moments and in the right place privately it will do no harm and Sumo positive good to express- our approval of the opening v 9 process and reinforce the thinking that has led to it On - - the Other hand the U S should avoid the temptation to make public pronounceme 5 on the'subject which might be misin- terpreted by either critics or of the present regime or bath Given the differences in culture and political perception between elites and ordinary individuals in both countries as well as the long history in Iran of connection between foreign intrigue and dissidence the lower the U S profile Lhe better we CONFIDEKTIAL 181 This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu