PENNSYLVANIA/TEHERAN (dpa-AFX) - Following the violent crackdown on protesters in Iran, a part of the religious class is also angry with the country's political leadership, according to an expert. "There is a considerable part of society that practices Islam. But even most of the country's traditional, religious population is horrified by brutal violence in the name of Islam," Fatemeh Shams, an assistant professor of Persian literature at the University of Pennsylvania, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
More than three months after the protests began, the professor, whose work focuses on the intersection of literature, politics and society, believes it is becoming increasingly clear how divided Iranian society is. "I think this time we are also seeing a generational shift that has brought schoolchildren and schoolgirls to the forefront of the protests - and that is a complete novelty. These kids have nothing to lose. All they want is a normal life, and they are willing to sacrifice their lives for that."
The nationwide demonstrations were triggered by the death of Iranian Kurd Jina Mahsa Amini. The young woman died in police custody nearly 100 days ago after being arrested by so-called morality guards for violating Islamic dress codes. The ensuing protests ignited like wildfire and plunged the Islamic Republic into its worst political crisis in decades./arb/DP/mis
