On Feb. 18, voters in Iran ushered in sweeping reforms to their government by filling more than two thirds of the 290-seat parliament with candidates who aim to loosen conservative laws. The reforms would affect everything from journalism to the morals police. Thanks to the momentum of liberal president Mohammed Khatami, Iranians already enjoy freedoms of expression that would have been unthinkable just after the Islamic revolution of 1979, which put the ultimate power of the state in the hands of Shiite Muslim clerics. Salon's correspondents in Tehran document the change and weigh in on the stakes for the future.
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Related sites
CyberIran.com
News, culture and history of Iran, from the Persian empire to the Islamic revolution.
Payvand News of Iran
The latest news on Iran from outlets around the world.
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