Jun 13, 2018

An open letter addressed to two-time president (1997-2005) and Reformist icon Mohammad Khatami, urging him to salvage the political movement that he pioneered in 1997, has been signed by 100 Iranian activists.

Meant as a wake-up call for the popular leader of the broadest post-revolutionary movement for social freedoms in Iran, the letter urges Khatami to initiate what has been described as “reforms within the Reform movement” in order to get a derailed train back on track.

The activists label some members of the movement “conservative reformists,” accusing them of “maintaining the status quo instead of pushing for genuine reforms.” The list of the signees includes many who languished in jails after being handed down multiple sentences in the aftermath of the disputed 2009 presidential elections, which saw Mahmoud Ahmadinejad handed a second term. What is more significant about the same list is that none were veteran politicians or holders of top posts during Khatami’s tenure. Yet when it comes to activism and political campaigning, they have a mostly well-known history.

The letter comes at a critical time for the Reform movement after it faced mounting public pressure during nationwide protests in late December and early January; the unprecedented geographic extent of the demonstrations caused consternation among many observers. Leading Reformist figures were harshly criticized by protesters for siding with the establishment and following the official line, which — although expressing sympathy with economic grievances — branded some of them as troublemakers and rioters.

“The intensity of pressure from all sides on the one hand and the internal inefficacies within the Reformist movement on the other have created the impression among a section of the public that the movement is no longer capable of offering change in people’s social lives, making them think of other solutions. Those solutions, we believe, could cost both the nation and the country dearly,” the letter warns.