May 18, 2001

'Reinventing Khomeini: The Struggle for Reform in Iran'

By NINA AYOUB

"Personally, I'd rather be somewhere else," said Mohammad Khatami. Nonetheless, on May 4, Iran's president finally declared himself a candidate for reelection in the voting next month. His hesitation is understandable.

It's been a long four years since the reformist cleric won a landslide of 70 percent in the elections of 1997. Putting his tribulations into context is Daniel Brumberg's Reinventing Khomeini: The Struggle for Reform in Iran (University of Chicago Press), which gracefully