Saturday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 7.16.2005:

The Strange Death of Iranian Islamism

Ramin Parham, Iran Shahr Blog:

Political Islam, at least in its contemporary form and content, was born in Iran, under the auspices of Khomeini, Ali Shariati, and a 1960s-intelligentsia (1). "To make communist rule secure in the USSR for the indefinite future", Soviet leadership under Gorbachev made "a strategic decision". However, operating in a world of increasing openness, glasnost and perestroika, from within a system designed to be closed, "set the ball rolling toward the system's collapse" (2). Pursuing the same objective of lasting rule and learning maybe from their defunct Soviet predecessors, the revolutionary junta controlling Iran since 1979 made, on June 24, their own strategic decision: rolling back on the system's backbone. ...

In a postmortem analysis of the factors involved in the Strange Death of Soviet Communism, Charles H. Fairbanks Jr. sums up the most important ones as: a) long-term social and intellectual modernization; b) economic stagnation; c) the accident of Gorbachev's leadership; d) the regime's political culture and tradition; e) western and public pressures (4).

Are these factors at play in the inescapable death of political Islam in Iran? READ MORE

An important analysis as to why the regime's days are numbered.

Here are a few other news items you may have missed.

• Iran Focus reported that at least 100 demonstrators were arrested and 60 buses damaged in clashes that erupted Saturday in Iran's second largest city.
• Khaleej Times reported that Ganji he fainted and was transferred to the prison clinic where a serum was administered intravenously.
• The Washington Times reported that the Iraqi government is increasingly turning to Iran for investment, refined oil products, electricity and other needs.
• Iran Focus reported that unrest continued in Mahabad. Close to 1,000 people gathered in the main path leading to Independence Square and started to march forward. They were joined quickly by several thousand of the local population shouting anti regime slogans. The regime retaliated brutally.
• Khaleej Times reported that once again, Iran said, no incentive would make Iran drop its nuclear fuel program.
• BBC News reported that Iran said more than 1,000 members of al-Qaeda have been apprehended in the country and that some 200 suspects remained in custody. Plus my response.
• India Express reported that India spurred by Pakistan’s eagerness on the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline, has stepped on the gas pedal.
• SwissPolitics reported that the EU3 foreign ministers will agree to press on with a diplomatic initiative to try to persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions despite gloom since the election of an Islamic hard-liner as president.
• IranMania reported that the British government issued $182 m in financial support for UK companies doing business with Iran.
• Dozame.org reported that Iranian prisoner Cehangir Baduzade was punished with 25 whiplashes because of his hunger strike.
• World Tribune discussed the South African link to Iran's nuclear program.
• And finally, Iran Focus reported that a recent survey found that the majority of Arabs believe that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will have a negative impact on stability in the Middle East.