The U.S. government has been quick to react to the pronouncements of Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, made in his first interview with an international news organization. But the real significance of Khatami's appearance may be in its implicit message to Iranians themselves, according to PNS associate editor William O. Beeman. Beeman teaches anthropology at Brown University and is the author of Language, Status And Power In Iran. This is one of two articles today on the Khatami interview by William O. Beeman.

Iranian President Mohammad Khatami's first interview with an international news organization, already widely circulated in Iran, was more important for Iranians than for Americans. The message for Iranians had more to do with style than with substance, but citizens of that Islamic Republic are experts at reading subtle clues.

In this case, they could not fail to recognize Khatami's appearance as a clarion call announcing that their nation is liberalizing from within, and extending itself further into the international community.

Both President Khatami and his interviewer, Christiane Amanpour of CNN, are figures with one foot in Iran and one foot in the international community. Ms. Amanpour represents a U.S.-based news organization. Khatami is an intellectual knowledgeable about Euro-American history and philosophy. Thus their coming together in dialogue was itself a symbolic bridging of the gap that still exists between Iran and the non-Islamic world.

The first important symbolic statement for Iranians had to do with the interviewer herself. Christiane Amanpour is a source of pride for Iranians. As an award-winning journalist of Iranian extraction, her mere presence constituted an important statement about the Iranian government's liberalizing attitudes toward women in positions of importance.

More importantly she wore a head covering for the interview -- but significantly did not cover her hair entirely, as would be required of a woman in Iran (where women's hair is considered erotically provocative according to conservative Islamic views).

Islamic officials might have been able to insist that she conform fully to the most conservative dress standards as a condition of the interview, but they clearly did not. Iranian citizens will read the fact that she only partially observes the letter of the female dress code as a sign of liberalization on the part of their own government. It will be interesting to see if Iranian women attempt to follow Amanpour's example in head-covering -- such small changes in behavior often presage much larger shifts in social attitudes and policy in Iran.

As for President Khatami, although he was in full clerical garb his language was remarkable. He was relaxed and spoke in nearly colloquial Persian, in contrast to the highly Arabicized, convoluted Persian, intoned in sermon-like pronouncements, that has long been a principal characteristic of Iran's religious leadership.

In Iran, rhetorical styles are keys to political attitudes. A politician talking like a cleric advertises his conservative leanings. By eschewing such language, Khatami identified himself as something new -- a cleric who doesn't sound like one.

Overall, Khatami handled Amanpour's questions like a seasoned diplomat. He was frank, forthcoming and not condescending. His statesmanlike qualities and the secular "common touch" he brought to the interview go a great distance toward explaining why he is viewed with hope by more liberal Iranians and with skepticism by the most conservative elements. American foreign policy analysts, if they have followed the Iranian leadership carefully, should have noticed that this leader is qualitatively different from those who have preceded him.

U.S. officials reacted strongly against Khatami's call in the interview for "people to people" diplomacy, but in fact Amanpour and Khatami made a significant step toward establishing just such non-governmental dialogue. For Iranians the message is quite clear: Iranian officials no longer take a negative view of talking to Americans. If nothing else results from this event, conveying this message will have been a significant achievement.