IRANIAN STUDENTS

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

I have been asked to comment on the dispute about the government of Iran among Persian students, several articles of which appeared in the CRIMSON. Although I am concerned more with Darius than Mohammed Reza Shah, the present situation is not unknown to me.

Iran does have a secret police and the dismissal of its chief, General Bakhtiyar, does not mean the organization no longer exists. Probably some people in jail should not be there. Elections in Iran are a farce. But this does not mean that the Shah is another Hitler or Stalin with over-leaded concentration camps and a steady diet of executions. Extremist positions, either way, based more on emotions than on realities are distasteful.

It is perhaps too easy to adopt a self-righteous position and condemn others, and in Iran, the land of classic dualism, one's own position may be exalted as shining light while the opposing view is evil darkness. Neither Dr. Mossadegh nor the Shah should be condemned as archfiends, nor should one or the other be exalted as a paragon of virtue. Criticism is certainly desirable but it should be constructive, and calling names serves little purpose. I hope Iranian students in this country, who hold many views, will avoid extremist positions, and rather study and work for the welfare of their country, so that Iran and all its admirable traditions will flourish long after they, Dr. Mossadegh and Mohammed Reza Shah are gone. Richard N. Frye   Aga Khan Professor of Iranian