Letter to the editor

It is highly unlikely that any immediate changes will result from the brief rebellion in Iran, but we can rest assured that the ruling regime will feel its impact for some time to come. I don't believe it will be wise for this government to jump into the fray other than to express deep concern for the brutal manner in which the Iranian leadership handled the situation, because to put it bluntly, we have all too much of foreign involvement on our plate as it is.We can never lose sight of the fact that regardless of who emerges as the titular head of government in an Iranian election, they will be no more than figure heads. The Islamic Ayotollahs will remain the real power and they alone will control every aspect of Iranian life for the foreseeable future. Whatever future changes that may occur can only come from within and whenever religion is involved, politics become a secondary factor, perhaps even an irrelevant one. Our dedication to the idea of maintaining a clear separation of church and state is not shared by most, if not all Moslem countries and we must walk a fine line when dealing with the issue. Old ways die hard in old societies. Tolerance is a relatively new concept, but it can catch on if countries like ours can showcase it by example, not always an easy task, but one we cannot afford not to achieve.

George Morin
Auburn, Ga.