Three experts in Iranian affairs and culture, Dr. Setareh Derakhshesh, Dr. Mehrdad Mashayeki, and Dr. Shireen Hunter, all spoke to a crowded McShain Lounge Wednesday night, each focusing on different area of expertise on recent changes in the nation. This lecture, sponsored by the IRC in addition to the Iranian Culture Society, MSA, and Mortara Center, centered on the varying affects that the recent Iranian elections have had in the nation.

Derakhshesh, a prominent journalist for Persian News Network’s Voice of America program talked extensively on the much touted “new media sources” like Facebook and Twitter that garnered spotlight during the election and its aftermath. On one hand, she argued, these informal, user-generated media outlets served and will continue to serve an enormous role in the realm of media communications, noting that old positions and techniques were being eliminated while new ones simultaneously added at the major media outlet where she works. Significantly, Facebook, Twitter, and the like are much harder for a potentially oppressive government to block. However, Derakhshesh also points out that these high-speed, low-information sources endanger basically journalistic principles of quality and accuracy of content unless taken in combination with others. Finally, she discussed the distrust that many Iranians hold towards Western media as a whole, a barrier that will be difficult to break.

Mashayeki spoke more thoroughly on Iranian domestic policy, both with regards to the sources of the post-election unrest and the future of this discontentment with the current regime. He pointed out that the elephant-in-the-room regarding the resentment towards President Ahmadinejad is Iran’s suffering economy, with high inflation and unemployment heavily damaging his popularity. It is the economic distress of the citizenry, in addition to failed promises to reduce corruption and remain removed from social legislation, Mashayeki said, that helped spark the growing negativity towards Ahmadinejad.

Hunter spoke frankly and clearly on Iranian foreign policy, perhaps the most controversial topic, and its involvement with Ahmadinejad and the election. Opening by explaining that most Iranians felt Ahmadinejad has conducted himself in the foreign realm poorly and has created unnecessary diplomatic conflict, she then went on to criticize the West for its inflexibility in dealing with Iran. Answering a post-lecture question, she said that, while Barack Obama’s rhetoric may be vastly different than that of George W. Bush, she sees very little difference in their black-and-white policy towards the Iranian state. Lastly, echoing themes from the previous speakers, she cautioned the audience against making broad generalizations or assumptions on the nation of Iran, as she believes that, with regards to the election, their relationship with the West, and their governmental structure as a whole, we in the Western world have a tendency to severely underestimate the complexity of the nation.

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