Emerald
Vol. 80, No. 57
Eugene, Oregon 97403
Champion
Oregon runner Alberto
Salazar outdistanced a
field of over 200 runners to
win the NCAA cross coun
try championship Monday.
Tuesday, November 21, 1978
Fresh
Flake
Flurries
Photo by Dennis rtckoch
Monday morning’s white blanket over
Deady Hall didn't last a day, but the National
Weather Service says Eugene might have
snow for Thanksgiving.
Today in Eugene, skies are dry, cloudy
and cold, with 10 percent chance of rain.
Highs are near 40 and lows 20 degrees.
Boyd interviewed for
State University where
position, but he has now
Eighty years after its creation in Poland, the
‘ artificial” language of Esperanto remains a tongue
without a mouth. But Esperantists believe their lan
guage is not dead. Pages 6 and 7.
Thirty acres of radioactive sand fees buried near
Lakeview. Federal funds may now provide the
necessary money to permanantfy put this and other
such sites to rest without danger to humans Page
12.
Iranian group
rejects protest
against Shah
By MIKE HOPKINS
Of the Emerald
While members of the Iranian
Student Association marched in
protest of the shah’s reign last Fri
day, another anti-shah group of
Iranians refused to participate.
Members of the Iranian Muslim
Association may appear identical
to their ISA counterparts from the
perspective of some American
students. Both Iranian groups ad
vocate the overthrow of Shah
Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the es
tablishment of a democratic gov
ernment in Iran and an end to
foreign, especially American,
domination of Iranian political and
economic affairs.
But the Muslim group charges
the ISA is “communist” and re
fuses to associate with it.
ISA member Ahmad Mobarez
agrees that most people in his or
ganization employ a Marxist anal
ogy to explain Iranian historical
developments, lo be an ibA
member, he explains, one must
advocate the overthrow of the
shah and the establishment of a
secular government based on the
“toiling masses” of Iran.
In addition, Mobarez says, the
ISA regards the United States as
the source of world imperialism
and supports “progressive, anti
imperialist movements" through
out the world.
The ISA condemns Russian
and Chinese policies of support
for the shah and opposes the
-Moscow-aligned Tudeh Party,
Iran’s Communist party, Mobarez
adds.
The IMA, on the other hand, re
veres the exiled religious leader
Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini,
who advocates replacing the
monarchy with a democratic Is
lamic republic based on the Mus
lim holy book, the Koran. Islam
and communism, Khomeini pro
claims, are totally incompatible.
“If they (Marxists) come to
power, they would establish a dic
tatorial regime contrary to the
spirit of Islam," Khomeini said last
May.
Ali Shariati and other IMA
members echo this sentiment.
“We won’t replace the shah’s
dictatorship with a proletarian dic
tatorship,” Shariati says.
Ironically, several IMA mem
bers formerly belonged to the ISA.
Shariati helped found the
University’s ISA chapter six years
ago.
Shariati explains he had re
mained with the ISA until he says
he saw Iranian students of Marxist
orientation grow to dominate the
group's ranks, substituting a Marx
ist interpretation of the anti-shah
movement for the Islamic view.
As Mobarez explains it, the
“leftist ideal” swept through ISA
chapters on American campuses
during the past five years, tending
to alienate those who identified
with Islam rather than some politi
cal philosophy.
Meanwhile, events in Iran influ
enced Iranian student politics in
the United States. Several older
leaders of the Mojahedin, a group
Mobarez says represented left
wing Muslims opposed to the
shah:' were imprisoned or exe
cuted. Young Marxists assumed
control of the organization and
purged the 50 percent of its mem
bership that refused to accept
Marxist principles.
wnen in spring, ly/oanewivio
jahedin pamphlet appeared on an
ISA information table in the EMU,
Muslim members demanded its
immediate removal. The ensuing
heated argument almost had de
generated into fisticuffs before
non-Marxist Muslims stalked off
angrily to form their own organiza
tion. Today, the ISA at the Univer
sity has about 50 members, ver
sus-about 30 in the IMA.
Neither group is anxious to pub
licize their differences. Mobarez
says his organization is “very dis
appointed” with the IMA's hard
line anti-Communist stance, pre
fening that all “progressive” Ira
nian students display a united
front against the Shah.
Another ISA member, Kaveh
Ahangar. says his group always
has invited the IMA to participate
in anti-shah activities, but the Mus
lims steadfastly have refused.
Citing instances in Iran’s recent
history where he claims, “Com
munists have betrayed the Islamic
movement,” Shariati believes
Marxist elements among the
anti-shah forces in Iran “will use
us and when the time comes, they
will attack us.”