Iran:
In Iran, there have been rumblings of reform since the moderate president, Mohammad Khatami, was elected, but there has also been a consequent backlash from hardline fundamentalists who don't want the Islamic regime to lose power. The government consists of an elected parliament, and a large group of theocratic mullahs who can veto the parliament--sort of like an upper house or a senate.
In a parliamentary election in February, 2000, the reformers won a majority. Voter turnout was a record 80 per cent, and women and young people voted in droves. President Khatami wants a "civil society" in which people have more say about their personal lives. This does not mean teenagers will be wearing bikinis on the beach and drinking pina coladas any time soon, however. Reform in the context of Iran means taking small steps forward without alarming the ultra-conservative religious leaders and their followers.
More than half the population is under 25, and these young people are trying to flout the rules about fraternizing with the opposite sex and wearing conservative clothes in public. In the summer of 1999, student protests erupted in Iran, and at least five people were killed in the resulting clashes between students and police. About 1,000 people were arrested.
1999 marked 20 years since the Ayatollah Khomeni came back and instigated the Islamic Revolution.
If the mess in Iran gets sorted out, it might once again become a tourist destination. Before the Shah was overthrown, tourists used to visit Iran for its historical heritage, mosques, and bazaars, and culture.
This page last updated March 16, 2000.