Iran: a mosque vs. state shift? | csmonitor.com

"Five years after Mohammad Khatami was propelled to a landslide victory on a platform of liberalizing Iran's Islamic system, the charismatic president is losing his sheen. There is widespread frustration over the pace of his reforms.

Few doubt his decency or sincerity or blame him personally. They know his efforts have been thwarted by an unelected hard-line minority that still controls key institutions such as the courts, the armed forces, and the broadcast media.

But Mr. Khatami's supporters have been urging him to stand up to the old guard. The president has finally thrown down the gauntlet: Last month Khatami presented two bills to the Iranian parliament that would end his opponents' stranglehold on power. Whether the bills are passed or blocked, they are likely to mark a major turning point in Iranian politics."

Signs of life from democratizing forces in Iran.