Tehran, August 6, IRNA -- The English-language `Kayhan International' Tuesday highlighted the anniversary of the culmination of the constitutional movement, saying it seemingly had its roots in the hearts and minds of the then intelligentsia and the clergy, but suggested that the movement had been actually engineered by the British and developed in the country.

Kayhan International in its `Viewpoint' column entitled 'Old Constitutionalists, New Reformists' wrote that although the popular constitutionalism movement was at the time regarded as something which could establish the basic norms of democracy in the government apparatus of the country, it was later found to have been engineered by foreign hands.

"Much to many people's regret, it was later found that the whole darned idea was contrived in the British embassy in the first place, and the too flamboyant illuminati were receiving their cues from Buckingham Palace," it wrote.

The daily recalled that once the movement was institutionalized in Iran all those who voiced objections to the way the things were being run were soon punishment.

"It came as no wonder when some enlightened clergy such as Sheikh Fadhhlollah Nouri had to go to the gallows for the simple reason that he kept urging the inclusion of Islamic tenets in the new mode of government," Kayhan wrote.

"Many failed to comprehend the reasons for his deep concerns and regarded his urgings as a penchant support for autocracy."

The daily further reiterated that the beliefs of those who advocated the constitutionalist revolution were not exactly consistent with popular beliefs and aspirations, and stressed that certain religious figures had also mistakenly regarded the rhetoric of the intelligentsia in their concerns over the state of affairs of the laity as that of their own.

Hence, it said, the clergy failed to urge the intelligentsia to give a transparent definition for such terms as freedom, opposition to despotism and respect for the rights of the laity.

"Consequently, if anybody raised a questioning voice, he was more often than not stigmatized and damned to perdition."

The daily later wrote that the intelligentsia managed to bamboozle the masses to drive away the real constitutionalists and other opposition groups.

"It didn't take too long for the very same masses to wake up to a new generation of autocratic rulers. What else could they do but to bite the bullet and lie in the bed they had made for themselves?

"A small number, of course, along with Sheikh Fadhhollah stood up to odds and swung at the end of a rope with their boots on, while the gullible applauded. Still, there were those who suddenly came to the sudden and shocking realization that they had been hoodwinked.

"The latter group, in fact, could do nothing else but keep their own counsel in sequestration. Indeed, the promise of constitutionalism was titillatingly seductive to the masses, but it was the residents of the British embassy in Tehran for whom the promise was consummated.

"In light of the above and in view of the present circumstances one may hardly be faulted for drawing an analogy between yesterday's constitutionalists and the contemporary reformists," the daily concluded.

... Payvand News - 8/6/02 ... --