Systematic protests have been going on in Iran for more than two months. Islamic scholar Katajun Amirpur has now warned that popular discontent could be used by the Revolutionary Guards to stage a military coup. At the same time, parts of the population would demand the rule of law and democracy.
“But of course the Pasdaran, the Revolutionary Guards, are not willing to build a democracy. That would be a military dictatorship. Iran has been on this path for years anyway,’ says Cologne-based Islam scholar Katajun Amirpur. The Revolutionary Guards are influential and loyal to the system. They now felt their chance to use the discontent of the population against the clerical elite – a unit that has been gaining influence for years, including in the Iranian economy.
Freedom movement continues
Although the Revolutionary Guards are growing in influence, parts of the population continue to fight for their freedom. According to Amirpur, that will not change anytime soon. The knowledge in the country about what the rule of law and democracy means is too great. “This desire for freedom and especially the knowledge of what a better Iran could look like is there.”
It was very inconsistent for the state to make women second-class citizens and at the same time train them to be professors, doctors and lawyers and let them study. “It’s perfectly clear that there’s going to be a bang at some point.”
The protests were sparked by the death of young Iranian Kurd Jina Mahsa Amini. She died in police custody in mid-September after being arrested by the vice squad for allegedly violating Islamic dress codes. Since then, hundreds of people have been killed and imprisoned. Recently, the first death sentences were handed down against demonstration participants.
Source: Krone
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