The Economist offers its view on Iran’s young people thirty years after the revolution:
Many of Iran’s youth are disenchanted with the revolution. The “Islamic democracy” offered by Mr Khatami failed to address their desire for a freer society. Mr Ahmadinejad’s conservatism has added to their woes. Young Iranians find a multiplicity of ways to rebel against the regime’s control: with alcohol fuelled parties, painted nails or flirtatious behaviour on the street.
Many outsiders, who dislike the regime and wish to see it fall, hope that Iran’s disaffected youth could bring about its demise. But the anger that many young people share at the failures of their government is unlikely to topple it. Though they may chafe at its restraints, religion remains important to many young Iranians. By and large, they do not wish to see Iran become a secular country and few would describe themselves as atheists. But they would rather see Islam confined to their private lives and eliminated from the public sphere.
More importantly, young Iranians have a strong sense of national pride. They may grumble about the strictures of the Islamic Republic and the failings of Mr Ahmadinejad but there is little sign that they want to dispense with the revolution just yet. Like the founding fathers of the revolution, they resent fiercely any hint of Western meddling in Iranian affairs. They may be unhappy with their leaders and resent their rule, but they will rally round them in the face of outside attack.
Read the full article here.