Voiceover : 11 February saw the 24th anniversary of the Islamic revolution a time to join together and celebrate the leadership of the mullahs. But the people here are hoping for something more than just confetti to come from above. They want reform. High ranking Ayatollahs are slowly recognizing that the Islamic revolution has gone wrong. It is now a hot topic of conversation in Iran, for the first time. The power of the Mullahs is less threatened by a militant and aggressive population, than by its own, internal, contradictions. The clashes in the Government, between reformers and reactionary clerics are become ever more dogged. And the recent War in Iraq has loomed like **** check pictures anything looming? with lofty repercussions for the entire regions security, not to mention that of the mullahs..
Ayatollah Saanei : "A war in this region is an insanity. We are very anxious. So much is on the line - our culture, our people. But the forthcoming dangers cannot divert us from our mission. All peoples have to take their own fate in their hands. It is inconceivable for us that the USA make any decision about our country." Voiceover : This military cemetery, to the south of Tehran is a popular tourist destination. Buried here are the heroes that died in the decade long fight against Saddam Hussein. The Iran-Iraq War is burned into the collective psyche here, and has driven an inseparable wedge **PICS between the two peoples. Again Teheran has had to face its neighbour being bombed. Iranian blood hardly boils at that idea, but the coming months may be a different proposition. Senior figures here are afraid Iran could soon be surrounded by America-friendly states, from Qatar to Turkey. 1979 saw the inglorious end of the hated Shahs, and the arrival of the clerics to power in Iran. Opinion is divided about the God state Ayatollah Khomeini established. The celebration of the victory over the Shah is still celebrated today, and many hold dear to the rigid theocracy of the Mullahs. Young Woman : "I was born in the year of the revolution, 1979, and I am proud of it. Each year I take part in this demo. Maybe this year there a few less than usual because of the holidays. But I dont think that means a thing. I think Islam gives a lot of opportunity to the third world. So we must support our Muslim brothers against the USA." Voiceover : Students and intellectuals, however, see the progress of the revolution in far less rosy a light. Last autumn country-wide protests shook the leadership of the Middle Easts most populous nation. The trigger was the arbitrary imposition of death sentences on Hashem Aghajari, a liberal academic, who made calls for reform. The protests were the largest seen in three years, and the death sentence sparked condemnation from 180 MPs. The nations youth are determined to achieve their goals: freedom of thought and speech; a civil society. Faribors Raisdana, Socialist, Opposition : "Since 1979 we have had a population increase of 32 million people. The Iranian youth is like a tree, which has been growing and can now for the first time see over the garden wall. Today's generation doesnt have the feeling that this country belongs to them. The Islamic revolution was necessary to remove the Shah. But what have we ended up with?! Unfairness, arbitrariness. Ive been to prison several times because of my beliefs. Six million people have left Iran since 1979 out of frustration. And socially we paid a high price. Perhaps the time for a counter-revolution is near." Voiceover : If one were to come, women may well be front of the queue. Since 1979 they have won precious few liberties: the veil may have moved back a touch, make-up may have appeared on cheeks. Women have good opportunities to enter university, but a degree means little, jobs are hard to come by. And in matters of intersex relations, women are also heavily reined in. The rigid Islamic law is not shy of handing down public whippings or detention for seemingly innocuous gestures. Hengameh Visanlou : "My generation has lost so much. The contrast between me and my parents is gigantic. I feel the revolution has ruined our life. Weve lost so much time, weve not had the chance to use our talents. The promises of the regime are never kept. It is us young women that are the losers of this revolution." Voiceover : Here in the nightclub district in Northern Teheran, youngsters gather as in any other city in the world, to talk and catch up. But dancing and flirting is definitely NOT on the cards: women can only dance with relatives, and kissing, stroking and holding hands are strictly forbidden. Last October 120 party-goers, celebrating their entry into University in a nightclub just like this one, were arrested for dancing and mingling with the opposite sex. Schahin Oliaei, Psychologist : "Sexuality is important for young Iranians. And yet they are forced by this society to suppress their feelings. Consequently, illegal prostitution has really taken a foothold here. With the current economic crisis, many women feel they have no alternative but to sell themselves. In our society there is little respect for marriage and partnership. Perhaps also the youth no longer have any identity, no idols, or at best idols from the past. The politicians have failed in this regard." Voiceover : Commentators all agree prostitution is a growing problem in Iranian society. A combination of social and economic crises has forced an estimated half million women to illegally sell themselves. This region of South Teheran was notorious for its bordellos and street hookers during the time of the Shah. After 1979, the brothels and prostitutes were swept away. But the old regulars are slowly creeping back. The idea of Islamic brothels is even being discussed, in an attempt to remove the problem from the streets. The tarmac on Teherans roads is quite a bit hotter than that in Paris or London. Using a secret camera, we film Salume, one of Tehrans many prostitutes. She has to constantly be on the lookout for the ubiquitous secret police. Salume tells us she does it out of pure financial need, but she knows many prostitutes who go on the game as a stark protests against the religious corset of the Islamic regime. Salume : "The blame for the economic situation lies with the regime. We prostitutes see our activity also as a protest against the Ayatollahs. Ive been doing it for two years now, who knows how much longer. Society gives us no choice but to stand here on the street". Voiceover : In Khom, Irans religious centre, the increasing alienation between rulers and ruled is frightening. For the most part, the regime simply ignores the gap. And it certainly doesnt seem the mullahs are looking to loosen their grip. Ayatollah Saanei : "It may be that I do not really know what the youth actually wants from us. Nonetheless I have the impression that we are more popular than ever. The vast majority has respect for us." Voiceover : 24 years after the Islamic revolution, while people hunger for bread and reforms, the Clerics and the reformist parliament are still more occupied with bickering and power struggles. Democracy is no longer an alien word, but promising perspectives for the future are missing. Particularly for the young, who make up a third of the society in Iran. And while rulers continue to procrastinate, their youth is slipping away
Ayatollah Saanei : "A war in this region is an insanity. We are very anxious. So much is on the line - our culture, our people. But the forthcoming dangers cannot divert us from our mission. All peoples have to take their own fate in their hands. It is inconceivable for us that the USA make any decision about our country." Voiceover : This military cemetery, to the south of Tehran is a popular tourist destination. Buried here are the heroes that died in the decade long fight against Saddam Hussein. The Iran-Iraq War is burned into the collective psyche here, and has driven an inseparable wedge **PICS between the two peoples. Again Teheran has had to face its neighbour being bombed. Iranian blood hardly boils at that idea, but the coming months may be a different proposition. Senior figures here are afraid Iran could soon be surrounded by America-friendly states, from Qatar to Turkey. 1979 saw the inglorious end of the hated Shahs, and the arrival of the clerics to power in Iran. Opinion is divided about the God state Ayatollah Khomeini established. The celebration of the victory over the Shah is still celebrated today, and many hold dear to the rigid theocracy of the Mullahs. Young Woman : "I was born in the year of the revolution, 1979, and I am proud of it. Each year I take part in this demo. Maybe this year there a few less than usual because of the holidays. But I dont think that means a thing. I think Islam gives a lot of opportunity to the third world. So we must support our Muslim brothers against the USA." Voiceover : Students and intellectuals, however, see the progress of the revolution in far less rosy a light. Last autumn country-wide protests shook the leadership of the Middle Easts most populous nation. The trigger was the arbitrary imposition of death sentences on Hashem Aghajari, a liberal academic, who made calls for reform. The protests were the largest seen in three years, and the death sentence sparked condemnation from 180 MPs. The nations youth are determined to achieve their goals: freedom of thought and speech; a civil society. Faribors Raisdana, Socialist, Opposition : "Since 1979 we have had a population increase of 32 million people. The Iranian youth is like a tree, which has been growing and can now for the first time see over the garden wall. Today's generation doesnt have the feeling that this country belongs to them. The Islamic revolution was necessary to remove the Shah. But what have we ended up with?! Unfairness, arbitrariness. Ive been to prison several times because of my beliefs. Six million people have left Iran since 1979 out of frustration. And socially we paid a high price. Perhaps the time for a counter-revolution is near." Voiceover : If one were to come, women may well be front of the queue. Since 1979 they have won precious few liberties: the veil may have moved back a touch, make-up may have appeared on cheeks. Women have good opportunities to enter university, but a degree means little, jobs are hard to come by. And in matters of intersex relations, women are also heavily reined in. The rigid Islamic law is not shy of handing down public whippings or detention for seemingly innocuous gestures. Hengameh Visanlou : "My generation has lost so much. The contrast between me and my parents is gigantic. I feel the revolution has ruined our life. Weve lost so much time, weve not had the chance to use our talents. The promises of the regime are never kept. It is us young women that are the losers of this revolution." Voiceover : Here in the nightclub district in Northern Teheran, youngsters gather as in any other city in the world, to talk and catch up. But dancing and flirting is definitely NOT on the cards: women can only dance with relatives, and kissing, stroking and holding hands are strictly forbidden. Last October 120 party-goers, celebrating their entry into University in a nightclub just like this one, were arrested for dancing and mingling with the opposite sex. Schahin Oliaei, Psychologist : "Sexuality is important for young Iranians. And yet they are forced by this society to suppress their feelings. Consequently, illegal prostitution has really taken a foothold here. With the current economic crisis, many women feel they have no alternative but to sell themselves. In our society there is little respect for marriage and partnership. Perhaps also the youth no longer have any identity, no idols, or at best idols from the past. The politicians have failed in this regard." Voiceover : Commentators all agree prostitution is a growing problem in Iranian society. A combination of social and economic crises has forced an estimated half million women to illegally sell themselves. This region of South Teheran was notorious for its bordellos and street hookers during the time of the Shah. After 1979, the brothels and prostitutes were swept away. But the old regulars are slowly creeping back. The idea of Islamic brothels is even being discussed, in an attempt to remove the problem from the streets. The tarmac on Teherans roads is quite a bit hotter than that in Paris or London. Using a secret camera, we film Salume, one of Tehrans many prostitutes. She has to constantly be on the lookout for the ubiquitous secret police. Salume tells us she does it out of pure financial need, but she knows many prostitutes who go on the game as a stark protests against the religious corset of the Islamic regime. Salume : "The blame for the economic situation lies with the regime. We prostitutes see our activity also as a protest against the Ayatollahs. Ive been doing it for two years now, who knows how much longer. Society gives us no choice but to stand here on the street". Voiceover : In Khom, Irans religious centre, the increasing alienation between rulers and ruled is frightening. For the most part, the regime simply ignores the gap. And it certainly doesnt seem the mullahs are looking to loosen their grip. Ayatollah Saanei : "It may be that I do not really know what the youth actually wants from us. Nonetheless I have the impression that we are more popular than ever. The vast majority has respect for us." Voiceover : 24 years after the Islamic revolution, while people hunger for bread and reforms, the Clerics and the reformist parliament are still more occupied with bickering and power struggles. Democracy is no longer an alien word, but promising perspectives for the future are missing. Particularly for the young, who make up a third of the society in Iran. And while rulers continue to procrastinate, their youth is slipping away