Iran: Roots of the Post-Elections Crisis

Iran: Roots of the Post-Elections Crisis
Ali Asghar Kazemi
October 2009
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“A new world society is gradually emerging.
It is growing quietly, imperceptibly in the minds
and hearts of men. The tumult and the excitement,
the anger and the violence, the perplexity of spirit
and the ambiguities of expressing are the pangs of
the birth of something new. We of this generation
are called upon to work for this new order with all
the strength and capacity for suffering we possess.

S. Radhakrishnan[1]

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Introduction
Thirty years after the advent of the revolution, that brought an Islamic regime in Iran, religious leaders are still looking for ways and means to transform the society into a rigid bloc of faithful and zealous citizens who fully submit to the official principles and precepts put forward by them. While during the past three decades every effort has been made to disseminate religious teachings at all levels of public education, from the kindergartens to the universities, seemingly the result has been frustrating.
The post-presidential elections public turmoil, that brought the country to the brink of a real social revolution, was another vivid indication that the whole scheme of “Islamization” of the society was an ineffective and futile social investment. Since, the effort merely counter-produced and youngsters who were brought up with Islamic rigorous teachings after the revolution simply did not show interest to them and much less to obey them blindfolded. Indeed, this phenomenon should not surprise anybody who has a little familiarity with the very rudimentary concepts of the philosophy of education and social sciences.
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