Iran's Other Face
The first visit of a president of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the West is largely symbolic, but symbols count in today's Iran.
The country is undergoing the most radical change since the Islamic revolution 20 years ago. Most Iranians, especially the young, are fed up with religious rule and long for the day when their country will become "normal," and normalize relations with the rest of the world.
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Since his landslide election in 1997, Mohamad Khatami has been making cautious overtures to the West. He may have won 70 percent of the Iranian popular vote, but he still faces the resistance of the conservative mullahs. Although he is a clergyman himself, Khatami is a moderate who talks of the benefits of Western values and technology, while the hardliners still burn American flags and talk of the "Great Satan."
Khatami's opponents control the Armed Forces, the Security Services and the powerful Revolutionary Guards. But Khatami's hand has recently been strengthened by local elections in which his supporters once again gave moderates an overwhelming vote of confidence.
| CBS News Senior European Correspondent Tom Fenton |
As with China, the softening of relations began with sports -- in this case, wrestling and soccer rather than ping-pong. Cultural exchanges are also being encouraged, and even limited tourism. The day when an Iranian president can visit the United States may still be years away, but the prospect is no longer unthinkable.
Written by CBS News Senior European Correspondent Tom Fenton
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