Page 10-Friday, May 26, 1978-The Michigan Daily
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Iranian chief threatens violent p
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iranian basis for the oil trade. But he said believed to have at least moral support
ssidents can demonstrate all they Washington must reduce its $60 billion from dissidents who demand a
ant against the shah, says Prime budget deficit. liberalization of the shah's one-party
inister Jamshid Amouzegar, but "if political system.
ey want to start a riot ... we will act FIVE MONTHS of anti-government "If these people want to have mild
id act strongly." He blamed recent rioting and street battles with security and silent demonstrations, fine, no
oody disturbances on international forces in Iranian cities have claimed problem," Amouzegar said. "If they
rrorists using "the cloak of religion." about 40 lives and caused widespread want to go to the Mosques and give
In an interview with The Associated destruction. speeches and criticize the government,
ess, the Iranian government chief The protests are led by orthodox that is perfectly all right."
also said oil prices will probably hold
steady this year and Iran favors
"sticking with the U.S. dollar" as the
Moslems opposed to Shah Mohammed
Reza Pahlavi's policies of modernizing
this old Islamic society, but they are
BUM' HE said that when protests spill
into the streets and "if they want to}
- 1290AM
I
i
rotestors
start a riot or set fire toa bank or police
station, the government will enforce the
law of the land. We will act and act
strongly to arrest these people."
Conservative Moslems oppose the in-
tegration of men and women in univer-
sities, the shah's discouragement of the
use of the traditional Moslem veil by
women, and the introduction of other
"corrupting" influences from the West.
Rioters in Iranian cities have, for
example, attacked theaters showing
Western sex-oriented films.
BUT AMOUZEGAR sees the root of
the disturbances elsewhere.
"Thefe is an international network of
subversion and terrorism that ... in
each country finds its best mode of ac-
tion. Here in Iran they have concealed
themselves under the cloak of
religion."
He said the government has opened a
dialogue with religious leaders to try to
eliminate "misunderstandings" and
persuade them not to "fall for false
propaganda."
The violence comes at a time when
the shah is allowing unprecedented
criticism of his administration, a policy
designed to appease Iran growing and
increasingly well-educated middle
class.
AMOUZEGAR SAID the government
intends to continue this liberalization,
"although we are hurt by it because
people abuse that freedom and liberty
and have not reached the point of un-
derstanding that their freedom is
limited by the liberty of someone else."
The protests have occurred every 40
days, the traditional Moslem mourning
period. The dissidents say they will
gather again June 20, which will be 40
days after the death of a theology
student slain by soldiers.
"We've told them we cannot tolerate
this any longer and I think the next
three weeks will show whether they
have given up or not," Amouzegar said.
Amouzegar, a former Iranian oil
minister, repeated the shah's frequent
warnings against overconsumption in
the West and said new energy sources
must be explored.
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