Hossein Mohammadi

In an exclusive interview, former lawmaker and central committee member of the Islamic Iran Participation Front [“Hezb-e Mosharekat-e Iran-e Eslami”], Ahmad Shirzad, tells Rooz, “It is not correct to blame the student movement for losing the election.” He also compares the reform movement to a political wave, which came and passed, without disrupting the establishment’s old on power.

Rooz (R): After the ninth presidential election, many reformists claimed that the student community’s boycott of the election was a main reason behind their loss. What do you think?

Ahmad Shirzad (AS): In any case, it is not true that all students believe in boycotting [elections]. So when that premise is not correct, it is also not correct to blame the student movement for losing the election. Segments of society as well as various groups inside and outside the country decided to boycott the election; students were among them also, but they did not have a wide social base. Boycotts did hurt the election, but there were more important reasons in play.

(R): So why is it that the reformists repeatedly criticize the student movement? For example, students have been accused of bringing about Khatami’s demise by putting forth radical slogans, such as “crossing Khatami.”

(AS): Undoubtedly, radical slogans hurt the reform movement. But it wasn’t just the students who did it. Different groups did it. I believe that we should not just focus on the student movement. Students were responsible only for some radical slogans. Perhaps in some periods these radical slogans hurt more than in others. For example, when the slogan of “crossing Khatami” was introduced, the slogan itself didn’t have much impact. Nevertheless, it gave a good excuse to the reform movement’s opponents. They are still using that slogan in their discourse to attack the reformists. But in general, the reformists’ analysis was not very fair.

(R): How do you think students and reformists can become closer to one another? How do you evaluate the student movement in general?

(AS): I think that the student movement needs to connect to and understand itself more than ever these days. It also needs to address some of its organizational needs. It must strengthen its connection to society’s base. Otherwise, it will fail to have much significance. For instance, we see that student activists at the Amir Kabir University are under extreme pressure and in need of help and support. One thing that can be done is for students to meet with reformist and moderate forces and ask for their help. Such steps could bring the forces closer together. These are positive steps. The more such steps we take, the more solidarity we see between the two camps.