They claimed that he had been wanted by the Palestinian security services on suspicion of taking part

They claimed that he had been wanted by the Palestinian security services on suspicion of taking part in the ambush of a convoy in which three American officials were killed last October. The new generation is eager for change, but has shunned the political activism of its forebears.Apart from occasional demonstrations, attended by a few thousand, there is little sign the young are interested in politics. Instead, the reformist generation is pushing back the boundaries of social acceptability, often taking its cue from the West. Rock music, fast cars, parties and relationships define middle-class Iranians more than religion or revolution.Falling mosque attendance also suggests that far from inculcating Iranians with religious zeal, the revolution has dampened Iranian enthusiasm. An eminent sociologist and reformist commentator who did not want to be named said: “Before the revolution, there was a strong religious culture, otherwise the revolution would not have been religious.

The interesting point is that the present generation does not care who rules, but how.”. Now the population has doubled and the majority are educated city-dwellers Most are barely adults. Then, less than half the population was literate and more than 60 per cent was rural. The fire has gone out of Iran’s revolutionary spirit.A black-bearded conservative in dark glasses said the crowd this year was bigger than before. “Anybody with eyes can see this is the largest demonstration ever,” he said, as curious boys nearby talked about Arsenal and Manchester United. Another man said the people had made the revolution and won the war and would turn out for the election to prove the Islamic Republic’s strength.

But the mood was more countryside carnival than revolutionary rally.Fundamentally, the Islamic Republic today is very different to when millions took to the streets for the return of Ayatollah Khomeini from exile in early 1979. The conservatives had wanted a show of strength at the anniversary celebrations. But yesterday’s crowds were a shadow of those who once thronged here. But although most Iranians still support the social and political changes at the heart of the reformist agenda, the movement is on the back foot. The conservatives are expected to take back the Majlis after next week’s elections, and to seize the presidency in mid-2005.