Wednesday, august 22, 1079
daily nebraskan
paga 29
Irahiaii students
choosing to stay at home away from home
By Diane Andersen
Since Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini be
came leader of Iran last February, there
have been widespread reports of Iranian
students returning to their homeland from
U.S. colleges and universities. .
Apparently, UNL is not part of this
trend, according to Peter Levltov, Coordi
nator of international educational services,
and UNL Iranian students of various poli
tical factions.
"Although we make it a point not to
check up on what the students are doing'
Levltov said, "tills year it seems that about
the same number of Iranian students have
gone home as before."
Levltov said he thinks Iranian student
feeling at UNL is the same as at most uni
versities, although it "has not been
a hotbed of activism to the degree that
it receives press coverage."
LEVITOV SAID he feels the Iranian
students at UNL are Just as politically
aware as Iranians elsewhere. He said some
of them may have been so used to U.S.
lifestyle that they may feel uncomfortable
going back to Iran.
Hassan Rasheed, a Ph.D. student in
agronomy at UNL and a member of the
Iranian-Muslim Student Association, said
he has known Iranian students that have
left for home, but has no Idea how many.
Rasheed said that although MSA Is pri
marily a religious group, politics and
religion are inseparable in Iran. He said the
two main groups of people that have
returned to Iran are Muslims that want to
cooperate with the new government and
"counter-revolutionaries' that are now
trying to put through their own programs.
"Some Iranian students may have finan
cial problems because of the revolution,"
Rasheed said.
He said many people have lost jobs since
the revolution, although poor people earn
more money now than they used to.
"THE GOVERNMENT can't send them
(students) more than $1000 a month,"
Rasheed added, explaining that the Iranian
embassy must approve the money being
sent to the United States.
Rasheed said he feels conditions have
definitely improved since the days of the
shall. He said that torture and executions
may still exist under Khomeini, but now
they are publicly explained and are neces
sary to protect the people.
"If they don't execute them (the leftist
counter-revolutionaries), they start distur
bances and might kill lots of people," he
said.
Rasheed said he believes most of the
MSA plan to return to Iran.
"I never changed my plan," he said. "I
plan to go back and help the people."
RASHEED HESITATED when asked
whether he would return if the shah were
still In power, then said he probably would.
"I am more eager now. It is the govern
ment I was looking forward to," he
concluded.
Nasser, a UNL graduate student who
preferred to give only his first name, is a
member of what he calls the "progressive"
Iranian Student Association. He stressed
that the statements he made are his own
opinions, not necessarily representative of
all ISA members.
Nasser said he wants to protect his iden
tity because the Iranian embassy may' be
checking out Iranian students and the
organizations they belong to. ISA is a poli
tical group.
Nasser said he has seen a usual number
of Iranian students go back home since the
revolution.
"Most students went back to partici
pate in the. uprising (against the shah)," he
said.
HE SAID THE Khomeini government is
undemocratic, in that it falls to represent
the workers and peasants who united to
created the revolution. '
Nasser compalined that fanatic, funda
mentalist Muslims in Iran such as the "lies
bollahi" or "Party of God" have physically
attacked more progressive Muslim groups
and tried to close down popular leftist
newspapers. . .
"The government is all-powerful, but
they don't protect the people from such
demonstrations," he said.
Nasser said he and most of the ISA
members will return to their homeland. He
said he wants to help the working class.
"I think the new regime represents
petty bourgeoisie," the ISA member said.
"It is our position to be anti
reactionary, anti-imperialistic. We sup
port all progressive groups."
Nasser said things are going to get
tougher for leftist groups in Iran, but that
ISA is using the twenty years of Experience
of student activists there to help them.
"The painful thing is, we don't expect
these kinds of things violence, censorship,
etc.) from this regime like we did under the
shah," Nasser said. .
Community center
to go before public
The City of Lincoln will hold a two-day public meeting
beginning Friday to get citizen opinions on the location
and need of a community center to serve the M alone,
Clinton and Hartley neighborhoods.
A workshop will be Friday from ?:30 a.m. until 7 p.n
at the Whittier School cafeteria, 2200 Vine St.
The meetings will focus on recreational needs of the
neighborhoods and where a community center could be
located. The three neighborhoods are between City and
East Campus. ' .t.. v'v.;"
Money for renovation of the Malone Community Cen
ter at 22nd and T streets was provided by the federal of
fice of Housing and Urban Development and the Lincoln
Foundation, a private organization. . T,
However, a check of the center showed the building is
not worth the Investment needed to renovate it, Leslie
Robin from the city planning department said.
Before the city will commit" money to a new
community center, citizen opinions will be considered in
a recommendation to be made by a research group, which
will be forwarded to the City Council, Robin said.
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