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Al-Ahram Weekly 1 - 7 July 1999 Issue No. 436 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 1 - 7 July 1999 Issue No. 436
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Special Interview Travel Living Sports Time Out Chronicles People Cartoons Letters Opening doors in Iran
By Rasha Saad"Iran now seeks to change the bad reputation of the teachings of the Iranian Islamic revolution," said Mohamed Sadek Al-Husseini, secretary-general of the Forum for Arab-Iranian Dialogue.
"This shift in the political and rhetorical performance of Iran has helped to create a new understanding with Saudi Arabia in particular and with a number of Arab countries in general," he explained to Al-Ahram Weekly in an interview. Husseini was in Cairo last week to attend the 11th annual meeting of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. He was also the guest of Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies where he discussed Arab-Iranian relations among other issues.
The main obstacle hindering the normalisation of Arab-Iranian relations has always been Arab fears of Iran "exporting the Islamic revolution" to neighbouring countries. In answer to a question whether Iran would offer guarantees to Saudi Arabia or other Arab countries that Tehran had dropped such ambitions Husseini gave a two-pronged answer. First, the idea of exporting the revolution had been misunderstood because of the misguided actions of its supporters. Second, foreign powers had attempted to portray Iran as a country that wished to invade its neighbours.
The Islamic revolution, he said, "is basically one of culture and rhetoric rather than of military actions or deeds" and "even inside Iran, the 1979 Revolution was not a coup d'état but a social revolution. In foreign affairs Iran wanted to show its ability to defend its religious Islamic identity."
Since moderate Iranian President Mohamed Khatami came to power in 1997, Iran has taken positive steps to normalise ties with its Arab neighbours. The most productive move so far has been its rapprochement with Saudi Arabia sealed by President Khatami's May visit to Riyadh, the first by an Iranian president since the 1979 Revolution. According to Husseini there is no opposition within Iran to improving relations with the Arabs. "Khatami has total support from Iranians in this endeavour." He also referred to the 10 million Iranians who speak Arabic and the fact that following the 1979 Revolution, the Arabic language (being the language of the Qur'an) replaced English as the second official language in schools.
The reason for this shift in foreign policy, according to Husseini, is that Iran is now passing through the third stage of the revolution. Iran has opened its door to the whole world to supply the newly-born state with its needs. During the first stage, the revolution acted in self-defence to guarantee its survival, then in the second it concentrated on establishing state institutions and now it is looking for international cooperation.
Al-Husseini attributed the latest changes to the presence of a gifted and reforming head of state who has accelerated the opening up of Iran towards the international community and neighbouring countries. "Khatami is an intellectual before he is a politician. He has enlightened views on internal and foreign affairs. He demonstrates transparency in his general perception of issues such as the revolution, the state, religion and democracy."
According to some observers, the Iranian dispute with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the three islands of Abu Mussa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs will hinder closer ties with the Arab countries. The UAE exchanged fiery words with Saudi Arabia over its relations with Iran until other Gulf countries intervened to remove possible misunderstandings between these two GCC partners. Al-Husseini, who is also an adviser to the Iranian minister of culture, refused to comment on the subject saying that "I'd rather not speak on this issue; it should be left to the politicians of the parties concerned to solve the dispute. Press debate will harm rather than benefit the discussions."
Speaking about reconciliation with Iraq, Al-Husseini said that "Iran, from its side, has a genuine and a sincere will to turn over a new leaf with Iraq. However, Iraq has some problems that prevents it from doing so."
Al-Husseini explained that Iraq's strained relations with Kuwait and the international community, plus nine years of crippling international sanctions, have affected Iranian-Iraqi relations. Iraq is suspicious of Iran's current foreign policy towards Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. "Iraq interprets such moves as directed against it. This is definitely not the case. When Iraq solves its problems with its neighbours it will not be upset that Iran has normal relations with the Gulf countries."
Relations between Iraq and Iran meanwhile are developing. There are positive signs on the issue of exchanging POWs, arrangements for travel by Iranian pilgrims to the holy Shi'ite sites in Iraq or by people looking for work. Both countries attend each other's commercial fairs and there is a mutual understanding concerning the borders between them.
