DATE=9/25/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-239262 TITLE=IRAN/RUSHDIE REACT (L-ONLY) BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE DATELINE=WASHINGTON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: SOME IRANIAN EXPERTS HAVE EXPRESSED SKEPTICISM WHETHER THE DEATH THREAT AGAINST SALMAN RUSHDIE HAS BEEN RENOUNCED, DESPITE THE GOVERNMENT'S ASSURANCES IT NO LONGER SUPPORTS THE EDICT. AS V-O-A CORRESPONDENT NICK SIMEONE REPORTS FROM WASHINGTON, SOME BELIEVE IRAN'S OWN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL INTERESTS ARE AT THE HEART OF THE APPARENT TURNABOUT. TEXT: KENNETH TIMMERMAN PUBLISHES THE NEWSLETTER 'IRAN BRIEF' AND IS AMONG THOSE WHO ARE SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER KAMAL KHARRAZI MADE BEFORE THE WORLD IN NEW YORK THURSDAY. THE EDICT, OR FATWA, AGAINST THE BRITISH AUTHOR WAS DECLARED BY IRAN'S LATE SPIRITUAL LEADER AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI IN 1989. // TIMMERMAN ACT // IF YOU TALK TO SHIITE ISLAMIC CLERICS WHO ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE, SUCH AS AYATOLLAH ROUHANI IN PARIS AND HIS BROTHER IN QOM, THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THE FATWA DIED WITH THE DEATH OF AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI AND THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT FATWAS DO NOT LIVE AFTER THE DEATHS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE ISSUED THEM. BUT IF YOU TALK TO IRANIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THEY CAN NOT RESCIND THE FATWA BECAUSE OF AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI'S DEATH AND THEREFORE IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE GOVERNMENT SAYS, THE FATWA EXISTS. // END ACT // REZA PAHLAVI IS THE SON OF THE LATE SHAH OF IRAN, WHOSE GOVERNMENT FELL IN THE COUNTRY'S ISLAMIC REVOLUTION IN 1979. // PAHLAVI ACT // I SUPPOSE WE ARE STARTING A NEW PROCESS NOW. // END ACT // BUT HE, AS WELL, REMAINS SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE MOTIVATION OF THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE RUSHDIE DEATH ORDER. // SECOND PAHLAVI ACT // THE PARADOX HERE IS THAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A THEOCRACY WHICH NEVERTHELESS REMAINS PRETTY MUCH BOUND BY THE LIMITATION OF ITS OWN LAWS WHICH ARE DIVINE LAWS AND ANYTHING THAT CAN HAPPEN IN THE COUNTRY POLITICALLY AS WELL AS ECONOMICALLY IN TERMS OF REFORMS IS PRETTY MUCH RESTRICTED BY THE NATURE OF THE SYSTEM. ON THE OTHER HAND, SUCH A SYSTEM HAS TO MANAGE TO SURVIVE AND IF PART OF THE SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON REESTABLISHING CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS THAT THEY HAVE LEARNED THAT STAYING ISOLATED THEY CAN NOT POSSIBLY SURVIVE OR BENEFIT FROM IT, I GUESS THE SHIFT IN ATTITUDE IS PRETTY MUCH INDICATIVE OF THAT. // END ACT // STILL, SALMAN RUSHDIE HIMSELF IS CALLING THE ANNOUNCEMENT MADE BY IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER A GREAT AND FINAL STEP AND THE END OF A DREADFUL PERIOD OF HIS LIFE. AND, HE SAYS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN HIM THE MOST CATEGORICAL ASSURANCES THAT THREATS FROM IRAN HAVE NOW ENDED. // REST OPT // FRANCES D'SOUZA IS DIRECTOR OF BRITAIN'S ANTI-CENSORSHIP ARTICLE 19 GROUP, WHICH LOBBIED FOR NINE YEARS TO GET GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD TO PRESSURE IRAN TO RESCIND THE RUSHDIE FATWA. // D'SOUZA ACT // EFFECTIVELY, IT IS NULL AND VOID, THE FATWA, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT IS SAYING. THEY'VE GONE AS FAR AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN IN TERMS OF THE RELIGIOUS SENSIBILITIES OF THEIR PEOPLE. AND WHAT EFFECT IT WILL HAVE LONG TERM ON (INTERNATIONAL) RELATIONSHIPS? IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT WHAT IRAN HAS DONE BY MAKING THIS GESTURE, WHICH IS AFTER ALL A VERY BRAVE GESTURE, IS TO IMMEDIATELY BRING IRAN BACK INTO THE FELLOWSHIP OF NATIONS. THAT IS TO SAY THAT IT IS AN UPSTANDING CIVILIZED STATE WHICH WISHES TO NEGOTIATE PROBLEMS THROUGH POLITICAL CHANNELS RATHER THAN THROUGH TERRORISM. // END ACT // SO CONFIDENT IS HE THAT THE THREAT FROM IRAN HAS BEEN FINALLY LIFTED THAT SALMAN RUSHDIE NO LONGER WANTS THE ROUND THE CLOCK, BLANKET PROTECTION THAT HAS BEEN AFFORDED HIM BY BRITAIN FOR THE PAST NINE YEARS. (SIGNED) NEB/NJS/GC/ 25-Sep-98 4:01 PM EDT (2001 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .