Dr. Hossein Ziai is the Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar chair at UCLA where he is also a tenured full professor of Islamic and Iranian studies and the director of Iranian studies. He received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and physics in 1967 from Yale University, and his doctorate in Islamic philosophy from Harvard University in 1976.

Prior to his position at UCLA, Ziai taught at Tehran University, Sharif University, Harvard University, Brown University, and Oberlin College. Dr. Ziai has published several volumes and numerous articles on Islamic philosophy, especially on the Iranian/Islamic Illuminationist tradition.

Dr. Hossein Ziai: Well, a few things. Number one, we all now know that the election was fraudulent — blatant fraud, I put it. Number two, what started in June as a widespread grassroots reaction to the election fraud by the government has now intensified into yet another grassroots, but much more widespread and much deeper, movement. I would call it a national movement against the tyranny, the despotism, of this Islamic Republic regime that has dominated everything for 30 years in that country.

Kathleen Wells: What are your thoughts about regime change in Iran?

Dr. Ziai: Well, I mean, the current grassroots movement, known as the Green Movement, does now — it didn’t in June but does now — want a regime change. Does want to bring about genuine, democratic reform by way of establishing a democratic state with free elections, with due process, with justice for all, economic opportunity for all, and what we all take for granted here, which is life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in a meaningful way. Now, whether this is going to happen in the short run, I don’t know. I am very optimistic, however, given the incredible depths and breadth of this movement, that change will come about — when, I am not sure.

However, I will add that the movement now is seen and is manifest in every city — large, small — in Iran, including rural areas. Certainly all of the major urban centers are all united against this despotic regime.

…Dr. Ziai: In the ideal sense, in my opinion and in the opinion of millions and millions of Iranians, we will have a secular, democratically-elected government that respects individual freedoms, that there is a genuine judicial system that respects due process, and so on. You know, the model of a genuinely democratic republic is readily seen, and this is what millions and millions of Iranians now aspire to.

Recently, people have called for an internationally-monitored referendum, but, of course, the government — that is the military and the government and the thugs and the police and all of the paramilitary people who have been beating people in the streets, and so on — are vehemently against any type of a referendum because they know better than anybody else that they’re in a small minority and a genuine referendum will be their end. They’re never going to allow for a genuine referendum to take place.