CONVERSATION WITH FEMALE UNIVERSITY OF TEHRAN PROFESSOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 02686

DEPT FOR NEA/NGA, INR

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, IR, TU
SUBJ: CONVERSATION WITH FEMALE UNIVERSITY OF
TEHRAN PROFESSOR

1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.

2. SUMMARY. CONOFF SPOKE WITH A 32 YEAR OLD
IRANIAN FEMALE PROFESSOR WHO TEACHES MANAGEMENT
AT AL ZAHRAH UNIVERSITY AND ENGLISH LITERATZE
AT TEHRAN UNIVERSITY. SHE DESCRIBED CONDITIONS
IN TEHRAN AND AT THE UNIVERSITY. DURING ONE
VERY EMOTIONAL MOMENT SHE COMPLAINED THAT THE
CURRENT SITUATION IS THE RESULT OF WESTERN
INTERFERENCE IN IRANIAN INTERNAL POLITICAL
AFFAIRS. END SUMMARY.

3. CONOFF SPOKE BRIEFLY WITH A 32 YEAR OLD FEMALE
PROFESSOR FROM AL ZAHRAH (WOMEN'S) UNIVERSITY IN
THE VANAK NEIGHBORHOOD OF TEHRAN. SHE ALSO TEACHES
AT TEHRAN UNIVERSITY. SHE TEACHES 12 HOURS PER
WEEK AT AL ZAHRAH THE FORMER FARAH UNIVERSITY,
WHICH IS A WOMEN ONLY UNIVERSITY AND 8 HOURS PER
WEEK AT TEHRAN UNIVERSITY. IN TEHRAN UNIVERSITY
SHE IS ONE OF 30 FEMALE FACULTY MEMBERS IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LITERATURE.

4. SHE SAID THAT MOST OF THE STUDENTS ENROLLED
IN COURSES IN THE ENGLISH LITERATURE DEPARTMENT
ARE LEARNING ENGLISH TO ENABLE THEM TO STUDY
ADVANCED COURSE WORK IN OTHER FACULTIES, WHICH
USE TEXTS AND RESEARCH MATERIALS PUBLISHED IN
ENGLISH. ALTHOUGH THE CLASSROOMS AND LECTURE HALLS
ARE CO-ED THE MALE STUDENTS SIT ON ONE SIDE OF THE
ROOM AND THE FEMALE STUDENTS SIT IN A GROUP ON THE
OPPOSITE SIDE. ALL FEMALE STUDENTS AND FEMALE
FACULTY HAVE TO WEAR "APPROPRIATE ISLAMIC DRESS."
WHEN ASKED IF SHE WAS TREATED WITH RESPECT BY THE
MALE STUDENTS SHE SAID THAT SHE HAS NEVER HAD A
PROBLEM.

5. INFORMANT TOLD CONOFF THAT IT IS HER OPINION
THAT THE MAJORITY OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN IRAN HAVE
CONNECTION TO THE ISLAMIC REPUBLICAN PARTY, A CERTAIN
MULLAH, OR IN SOME WAY HAVE CONVINCED OFFICIALS OF
THEIR STRONG ISLAMIC BELIEFS. SHE ADDED, HOWEVER,
THAT MOST PEOPLE IN IRAN ARE TIRED OF THE REGIME,
A COMMENT WE HAVE HEARD NUMEROUS TIMES FROM A WIDE
ASSORTMENT OF PEOPLE. PEOPLE HAVE TO ACT FAITHFUL
AND "PRETEND TO FOLLOW THOSE STUPID, CRAZY MULLAHS,
BUT THE MAJORITY NO LONGER BELIEVES IN THE GOVERNMENT.
HOW CAN THEY WHEN THINGS ARE SO EXPENSIVE AND ALL
THOSE BOYS ARE DYING IN THAT SENSELESS WAR IN BASRA."

6. WHEN ASKED WHY THE REGIME IS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE
IF SO MANY PEOPLE DISLIKE IT SHE SAID THAT EVERYONE
IS AFRAID. "IF YOU GO ALONG WITH THEM THEY WON'T
HURT YOU AND THERE IS ALWAYS SOME BENEFIT, LIKE THE
STUDENTS GETTING ACCEPTED INTO UNIVERSITY." SHE
ADDED, "THE PEOPLE KNOW THAT IF THEY DEMONSTRATE
KHOMEINI WILL KILL THEM. SHE POINTED OUT THAT THE
SHAH CONTINUED TO PAY STRIKING WORKERS AND ADDED
"IF HIS TROOPS HAD KILLED A FEW THOUSAND HE WOULD
STILL BE IN POWER. KHOMEINI WOULD DO THAT WITHOUT
THINKING ABOUT IT. THAT'S WHY NO ONE TRIES TO
CHANGE THE GOVERNMENT."

7. SHE SAID THAT THIS YEAR APPROXIMATELY 600,000
STUDENTS WOULD TAKE PART IN THE NATION-WIDE
UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAMS BUT ONLY 40,000 TO 50,000
WOULD BE ACCEPTED. "THIS AND THE WAR IS WHY YOUP
HAVE SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE OUT IN THE WAITING ROOM,"
SHE SAID. "DO YOU BLAME THEM? IF THEY DON'T GET
ADMITTED TO A UNIVERSITY WHAT CAN THEY DO, THERE
ARE NO JOBS." WHEN ASKED HER OPINION OF THE NIV
APPLICANTS SHE SAID," I TOLD YOU. THERE ARE NO
JOBS. FOR THE BOYS IF THEY CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL
WHAT IS LEFT? GOING TO THE MILITARY."

8. INFORMANT SAID THAT FEMALE UNIVERSITY FACULTY
ARE PAID SALARIES EQUAL TO THAT OF MALE COUNTERPARTS
AND THERE IS NO OPEN DISCRIMINATION, HOWEVER, "THEY
DO THINGS, LITTLE THINGS TO UPSET YOU."
A FACULTY MEMBER IS ONLY ALLOWED TO TEACH 24 HOURS PER
WEEK, BUT THEY TRY TO FIND EXCUSES TO KEEP WOMEN
FROM CARRYING A FULL LOAD. "HAVING HAIR EXPOSED
COULD BE GROUNDS FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION, SUCH AS
HAVING A COURSE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOUR SCHEDULE."
SHE TOLD CONOFF THAT MOST STUDENTS ARE BIDDING THEIR
TIME, HOPING THE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
WILL IMPROVE BY THE TIME THEY GRADUATE. SHE BELIEVES
THAT THE AVERAGE STUDENT IS WEAKER AND LESS MOTIVATED
THAN IN THE PAST. "THERE REALLY ISN'T MUCH INCENTIVE
TO EXCELL."

9. AFTER LENGTHY QUESTIONING SHE JOKED THAT CONOFF
SHOULD TELL HER WHEN THE U.S. PLANS TO TOPPLE
KHOMEINI. WE FIND IT INTERESTING THAT MANY IRANIANS
INCLUDING EDUCATED AND WESTERN-ORIENTED PROFESSIONALS
SUCH AS THIS PROFESSOR BELIEVE THAT THE SHAH'S
DOWNFALL WAS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE U.S. OR A
COMBINATION OF WESTERN POWER BROKERS. WHEN
CONOFF REMINDED HER THAT THERE WERE NO AMERICANS
IN IRAN TO PROVIDE US INFORMATION SHE LAUGHED AND
SAID, "YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN AMERICAN TO TELL
YOU WHAT IS GOING ON; THE CIA DOESN'T USE JUST
AMERICANS. I'M SURE THAT YOU OR SOMEONE IN YOUR
GOVERNMENT KNOWS JUST AS MUCH AS RAFSANJANI AND
KHOMEINI DO ABOUT MY COUNTRY."

10. COMMENT. IN THE IRANIAN WORLDVIEW THERE IS
ALWAYS SOMEONE OR SOMETHING ELSE TO BLAME FOR
ONE'S MISFORTUNES. THIS MAY BE A RULER, A BOSS,
THE WEATHER OR FATE IN GENERAL. IT IS INTERESTING,
HOWEVER, THAT SO MANY IRANIANS BELIEVE THAT THE
U.S. INTERESTS ARE ENHANCED BY PROLONGING THE WAR
BETWEEN IRAN AND IRAQ AND BY KEEPING KHOMEINI IN
POWER. END COMMENT.

RAU