WHEN MOHAMMAD KHATAMI emerged as president of Iran in 1997, many liberals swooned in delight at the appearance of a self-styled Islamic reformer and moderate. The New York Times announced that Khatami was “dedicated to relaxing or eliminating . . . political and religious repression.” Here was a reasonable man, it was argued, who sought to steer a course between “regressive” Islam and absorption by the secular West.
As the former Iranian president concludes his “dialogue” tour of the United States–he is the highest-ranking Iranian official to visit since the 1979 revolution–his cheerleaders should reflect on his book Islam, Liberty and Development. Released just after he came to power, this political tract illustrates why “reformers” in Iran should not be taken at face value.
