Press release - May 2, 1998

FDI Board member welcomes Khatami, but cautions U.S. on regime

FDI Board member Ayatollah Mehdi Rouhani, the leader of the Shiite Muslimcommunity in Europe, has welcomed the efforts of Iranian President Khatamito liberalize Iranian society, but he cautioned U.S. government analystsagainst dropping sanctions against the Islamic Republic or rushing to embracethe regime.

Rouhani said that for Khatami to maintain his legitimacy in the eyesof the people "he will have to work to dismantle the regime." Speakingin the name of senior Iranian conservative clerics, Rouhani said: "We supportKhatami, and the West should support Khatami - but only in so far as heopposes the regime of Velayat-e Faqih."

Rouhani also warned former U.S. officials who recently traveled to Iranat the invitation of the Iranian Foreign Ministry not to allow themselvesto play into the hands of the extremists. "Be careful that you do not strengthenKhamene'i's hand," he said. While he encouraged greater trade in principlebetween the West and Iran, he cautioned the U.S. not to "give somethingto Khatami with one hand, which Khatami then gives to Khamene'i with theother."

In the past, he observed, whenever the U.S. has made concessions toIran in the hopes of helping advance the cause of moderates, (such as limitedweapons sales during Iran-contra), the extremists have claimed that theconcessions came as a result of their own uncompromising policies. "Youmust be very, very careful," Rouhani warned.

Ayatollah Rouhani, who resides in Paris, was brought to Washington,DC as a guest of the U.S. government to address a government conferenceon U.S.-Iran relations on April 30. At the invitation of the conferenceorganizers, Rouhani opened the conference with a traditional Islamic prayerand a call for peace.

Ayatollah Rouhani is a Shiite cleric and member of the FDI board, whosebrother, Grand Ayatollah Sadegh Rouhani, has been under house arrest inQom since 1985. He called the last year's election of Hojj. MohammadKhatami as president of Iran "a disavowal by the Iranian people of thesystem of Velayat-e faghih [religious rule]."

The Foundation for Democracy in Iran is a private, non-profit corporationregistered in the State of Maryland. For further information, contact:Kenneth R. Timmerman, Executive Director. Tel: (301) 946-2918. Fax: (301)942-5341. FDI materials, including the FDI Newswire, are available free-of-chargevia the Internet at http://www.iran.org