Reporter's Notebook: Islamic Revolution Day

T E H R A N, Iran, Feb. 11 -- Hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Tehran today to celebrate the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. It's their equivalent of the Fourth of July.

They remember the events of 1979 when the shah was toppled and all relations between Iran and the United States were shattered. Ever since, the United States has been known in this country as the "Great Satan."

The lucky ones crammed Freedom Square to hear their president, Mohammad Khatami, denounce America for "trying to play with the fate of our people."

He pointed the finger of blame for the Sept. 11 attacks at the United States. "What was the share of the mistaken policies of American leaders in the horrible September 11 disaster?" he asked.

Such anti-American rhetoric has been pouring out of Tehran for years. But Khatami is viewed in Iran and around the world as a new breed, a moderate and a reformer keen on closer ties with the West. His speech today shows just how much President Bush's labeling of Iran as part of an "axis of evil" has united the country's fractious political spectrum in anger against the United States.

Khatami was telling today's crowd what they wanted to hear. Many carried effigies of Uncle Sam, which they later burned. One banner read, "Bush is Dracula," and another, "America cannot do a damn thing."

A small group was dressed in white robes as a symbol of their willingness to martyr themselves in the fight against the United States.

Signs of Hope

The hatred many Iranians feel toward the United States stems from American support of the shah in the old days. But what drives that hatred forward today is the belief that America is an unquestioning supporter of Israel in its struggle with the Palestinians. Today there were almost as many "Down, Down Israel" chants as those of "Down, Down America."

The most striking thing about today's celebration was not the effigies or the chanting, but the content of Khatami's speech. Iran had tacitly supported the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan, and many people — in Iran and the United States — thought this was a sign of a thaw in relations between the two countries. There was hope.