Nation: From the Campus to the Street

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This mixture of beliefs creates a volatile atmosphere on campus. The large, concrete buildings of Tehran University are emblazoned with a wide spectrum of graffiti, from Maoist slogans and Muslim oaths to standard anti-imperialist catch phrases. But activism is not confined to Tehran. The smaller the city, the more politically prominent the university tends to be. In Baluchistan, for instance, many students belong to the Jihad Sazandegi (meaning holy war), an organization that sends Iranian students to villages to build bridges, help harvest crops, teach school and generally spread the Islamic word.

Just like the rest of their society, Iran's students are in a period of great transition. The banishing of the Shah has loosened some types of censorship. Although some leftist parties are wary of being too open in their activities, political groups are technically free to put out their own publications. Says one student: "You don't know what it is to be able to go up to a newsstand and openly buy the writings of Lenin in Farsi." That may not be what the anti-Communist Khomeini has in mind as a suitable campus activity, but for the time being at least, the students of Iran are an independent force. They are relishing every minute of it.