I vividly remember 6 years ago when I was a student. Mr. Khatami announced that he will come to our university. All classes were cancelled and we went to shout approval for our beloved president. The ceremony was so full of life that I hold a picture of Khatami and started waving it in the air. (Later on my friends told me I was on TV!)
The hall was divided into 2 parts: Reformist students on the right and Basijis on the left. They were quarrelling all the time, throwing paper and water bottles to each other. Of course the Basijis were only a minority.
When some students shouted "death with hardliners", Khatami became angry and said "eliminate death from your vocabulary." After that he started talking about tolerance, civil society and other concepts which were quite new concepts for us.
When I compare Ahmadinejad lecture at the University of Tehran with that of Khatami I see a lot of differences. The most important of them is the absent of critics of Ahmadinejad in the hall when he was delivering his lecture. Only Basijis students from other universities were allowed to enter to the ceremony.
Ahmadinejad and his government insist they support free speech and welcome opposition, but in reality they act quite contrary. Outside the hall there was a gathering of protesters but they were scattered by the police force. Ahmadinejad continued his lecture confidently: "when I was at the Columbia University the US government just allowed a selected group to the hall! That was a shame."
The hall was divided into 2 parts: Reformist students on the right and Basijis on the left. They were quarrelling all the time, throwing paper and water bottles to each other. Of course the Basijis were only a minority.
When some students shouted "death with hardliners", Khatami became angry and said "eliminate death from your vocabulary." After that he started talking about tolerance, civil society and other concepts which were quite new concepts for us.
When I compare Ahmadinejad lecture at the University of Tehran with that of Khatami I see a lot of differences. The most important of them is the absent of critics of Ahmadinejad in the hall when he was delivering his lecture. Only Basijis students from other universities were allowed to enter to the ceremony.
Ahmadinejad and his government insist they support free speech and welcome opposition, but in reality they act quite contrary. Outside the hall there was a gathering of protesters but they were scattered by the police force. Ahmadinejad continued his lecture confidently: "when I was at the Columbia University the US government just allowed a selected group to the hall! That was a shame."
2 comments:
What a shame...
Great observation...I was actually at Columbia that day, and there was some reserved seating for Ahmadinejad's supporters as well, although they were in the minority like our Basiji brothers
Dear Bozorgmehr,
What kind of memories you try to remember? They are all the memories which gonna fade into the time absorbancy and solve. Just like Orwell's books.
Although, I love your writing since your first notes in 40Cheragh, but don't let us remember this bloody memories.
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