Iran - Ahmadinejad rides the American tide - by Sami Moubayed
The Iranian street was clearly impressed by the new tone of United States President Barack Obama, who stressed, first in his inauguration speech and then through the Saudi channel al-Arabiyya, a willingness to conduct serious dialogue with Tehran, if it "unclenched its fist". Secretary of State Hillary Clinton echoed Obama's words, saying that Iran had a "clear opportunity" to engage with the international community, taking the head-start from the new US president. "We've got a lot of damage to repair," she added, words that made headlines in Persian newspapers around Iran. Iran today is not the same Iran that existed in the 1980s. Former presidents such as Khamenei, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Khatami were all clerics. Ahmadinejad is not. Iran is moving away from political Islam, although many in the West refuse to admit that and despite the fact that it remains dominant in the constitution and structure of government. Ahmadinejad won in 2005, and will likely win in 2009, but not because he has an Islamic agenda.
Currently, unemployment in Iran is at 16% while female unemployment stands at a staggering 21.2%. Another 31% of young men and women, aged 15-29, are unemployed. Within this range, 34% are in the 15-19 age group and 16% in 25-29. In three years, due to a growth rate of 13.2%, the rate of unemployed youth will be 52%. Currently, 800,000 Iranian youth enter the job market every year and the president has not been able to provide all of them with jobs, as he promised he would do in 2005.
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