[Skybird]

During the youth rebellion in Iran in the 90s, I was there, for some longer time in the whole region, twice in Iran for longer stays.

I know from first hand experience that the Western, especially the American expectation that the young wanted a free liberal democracy accpridng to US or European exmape, was hopelessly misled, was wrong. What they wanted, was an easing of the mullah'S tight control of media access, the new digital media and internet which at that time started to thrive with all those new possibilities the internet brought, they wanted easier freedom to travel - and they nevertheless wanted an Islam-based republic. When the latter fact became realised in the West and especially in Washington, sympathising with the young Iranians immediately dropped, interest shifted away, and the mullahs found it easier to crack down on the revolt without getting called out too loud.

I have no more contact sto colleagues and buddies back from those days, or contacts I had in those places, its all a dead game now and seems to me like a life of somebody else that was not me. However, I have a feeling that the mistake of misperceiving what the youth revolt now is about, again gets misperceived here in the West.

They may want to go after the mullah, and especially the hard regime by the Republican Guards which have been transformed into the regme iron fist by which to grab and strngle, or crack down on the opposiiton and any counter-revolutionary criticism. But already 25 years ago there was strong sympathy with the idea of not getting a Western democracy, which is seen by most Iranians as weak, un-Islamic and unattractive, but going back to a monarchic regime. In those that is a few reports in the media today there are brief notes on that calls for the shah are to be heard. From the little input we get on that via the media, it seesm to me that this time the demand for a revitalization of a monarchy to replace the mullah's regime is much louder, more intense.

One mistake should not be made once again, for the third time now (its the third youth uprise since the 90s): nobody should seriousl beleive this is about wanting to get a democracy of Western style, and nobody should assume they want Islam not to be the fundament of the constitution: this lesson i have learned. They want the benefits of the new media and travel freedoms - without the - as they see it - rotten cultural side-effects of Western democracies.

This is no fight for democracy, but very likely for a more or less benevolent monarchy basing on an Islamic constitution. Seen this way, the West indeed should stay out and leave them to sorting their businesses all alone. Some may say a new Shah regime would be preferrable to the mullah regime. I would be careful with such an assessment.

We have no horse in this race. Stay out. And don't tell Iranians what you think is best for them. They react allergic to being told what you think they should do. Anothe rlesson I have learned from being there. My experiences in Iran were the best I made in any Muslim country, but they also are extremely diverse. While some were very good, and warm, some also were such that I will always stay on my guard.