Non-Subscriber Extract
Nuclear nationalism radiates in Iran
17 October 2008
While the United States and the West continue to put pressure on Iran to suspend its nuclear development, within the country the public is largely in favour of the programme.
The success with which the Iranian government has been able to turn the nuclear issue into the proclaimed position of the 'Iranian nation' has intrigued many external observers of Iran.
Such a high degree of support can only be explained by the fact that public opinion on the nuclear issue has been successfully shaped by a government that has proved opportunistic in its use of historical, cultural and political levers to frame the issue. All the arguments used to rally public support have deep resonance with the Iranian public - technological defence of Iran's peaceful nuclear programme, valorisation of self-sufficiency and pride in all things Iranian, highlighting the injustices and hypocritical stances of Western powers in their dealings, and ultimately the "savagery" of the United States' approach to Iran and the non-Western world.