Iranian youths use apathy as a weapon

TEHRAN, Iran — A new movement of passive resistance is quietly sweeping young people in Iran, a response both to the reform movement's failure to introduce political and economic change and conservatives' control over who can run for office, according to Iranian student leaders and political analysts.

Students have launched a campaign to persuade people not to vote in presidential elections next May, so as to discredit the results — and all parties. The movement, combined with significant apathy among older voters, represents one of the most significant challenges to the Islamic republic 25 years after a revolution toppled the monarchy, students and analysts here say.

"Our message is that by not giving our vote, the government won't have legitimacy," said Abdollah Momeni, a leader of the Office to Consolidate Unity who has been detained by authorities twice. "We want to show that it is an undemocratic government."

With some 70 percent of the population under age 25, Iran's youth is a pivotal voice in politics, especially since the voting age is 16. They were the most influential force in the 1997 upset victory of President Mohammed Khatami, a dark-horse reform candidate, largely through a word-of-mouth campaign, analysts here say.

The passive resistance movement coincides with a new emphasis by the Iranian government to produce nuclear weapons, according to U.S. officials. Iran, U.S. officials said Friday, is racing to produce large amounts of a uranium compound that can be used to make nuclear weapons before a deadline next week to halt all uranium-purification work.

The allegation came as the Bush administration said it was standing by Secretary of State Colin Powell's assertion Wednesday Iran also is working to modify missiles to carry nuclear warheads.

The new allegations could escalate tensions over Iran's nuclear intentions ahead of a meeting Thursday of the International Atomic Energy Agency on the Islamic republic's nuclear activities.

The United States charges Tehran is secretly developing nuclear weapons in violation of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Washington wants the IAEA to refer the matter to the U.N. Security Council for consideration of economic sanctions.

Iran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons, saying its nuclear activities are for generating electric power.

Britain, France and Germany are anxious to avert a showdown. If Iran does not halt its reprocessing, it could soon be on a path to acquiring a nuclear arsenal that could threaten Israel and U.S. troops in the Middle East. A nuclear-armed Iran would change the balance of power in the Persian Gulf.