The vast majority of political power in Iran today lies in the hands of old bearded men in robes and turbans, plus the minor exception of a short cartoonish-looking man with a penchant for provocation and Members Only jackets.

That reality, however, is bound to change in the years to come, as young Iranians start entering the political sphere.

As the driving force behind the massive protests that followed the disputed reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the summer of 2009, Iranian youths have demonstrated that they are committed to democracy, as well as social and political reform.

Over 70 percent of Iranians are under the age of 35, and with increasing political corruption and rising unemployment and inflation (not to mention the constant annoyances of censorship, absurd “morality” laws and archaic dress codes), these young Iranians are growing progressively more disenchanted with the current regime.

The pro-democracy Green Movement that emerged in 2009 had been brewing for at least a decade. The largest mass protests before that summer occurred a decade earlier, in the summer of 1999. Again, youth were at the forefront.

Thus, the series of demonstrations in 2009 that drew over a million protesters into the streets of Tehran and other major Iranian cities represented a kind of sequel to the 1999 student demonstrations that drew thousands.

The fact that by 2009 the number of demonstrators had increased several hundred-fold since 1999 speaks to the growing discontent among Iranian youths and their determination to seek social and economic reforms. Likewise, it speaks to the great potential for a trilogy.

While the 2009 demonstrations didn’t lead to an Egypt-style revolution, they did permanently alter the landscape of Iranian politics. For one, thanks to the most-recent disputed presidential election in which the results were announced before the votes were counted, voter confidence in the legitimacy of the current regime is arguably at its lowest levels since the revolution.

Furthermore, because the regime has been unable to increase employment opportunities for growing numbers of university graduates, many young, educated and unemployed youths are falling victim to the trappings of desperate economic times.

For example, despite the Iranian regime’s routine executions of drug dealers and even mere users, drug abuse has become a serious problem, one that has disproportionately affected youth. The latest drug of choice is a new form of condensed heroin, known on the streets as “crack”, that is much more potent and addictive. It has ravaged futures and families alike.

Iran has also become a hub for human trafficking, and unfortunately for humans, the government has been far more committed to pursuing those trafficking drugs than people.

Finally, while official statistics are hard to come by, suicide also appears to be on the rise – yet another plague that unduly targets youth.

In short, the current social, political and economic climate has left many young Iranians with few choices. In hopes of avoiding a future of poverty, drugs, crime and/or violence, many are trying to emigrate. Few succeed, and even for those who do, success is marred by a constant state of longing and dislocation.

With all of this in mind, one might expect that the majority of young Iranians have become hopeless. Not so.

Despite all of these devastating realities, there remains an overall sense of optimism. Perhaps this seems irrational, but for the descendants of over 2,500 years of Persian civilisation, defeat isn’t easily accepted.

Furthermore, the increasing infighting between Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad has given even more hope to the many young Iranians in the pro-democracy movement. The infighting between these leaders is more than an indication of their lack of popular support. It is a sign of their weakness and myopia, not to mention a golden opportunity for young reformers to swoop in.

It may happen during the next presidential election in mid-2013 or it may happen sooner, but whatever the case, sometime soon political power will land in the laps of young Iranians. When it does, change will follow.

In the meantime, the children of the Islamic Revolution are still stirring, and as the old chaps fight among themselves, young women and men are setting the stage for a new day in Iranian politics.

*Melody Moezzi is a writer, commentator, speaker, activist, author and attorney. She is also the Executive Director of the interfaith non- profit organization, 100 People of Faith.

© 2012 Global Experts, a project of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.

Iran’s officially recognised “spiritual leader” today may be Ayatollah Khamenei, but for hundreds of years before the current establishment of mullahs and ayatollahs, Iranians of all creeds have looked to another spiritual leader: Jalal ad- Din Rumi.

While this 13th century Persian Sufi poet is known in much of the West as “Rumi”, he is referred to more affectionately in Iran as “Mowlaana”, or the Master. Among Iranians, he is a spiritual guide and guru whose words hold unmatched moral authority. Over 700 years after his death, it is nearly impossible to spend a day walking around any Iranian city, suburb or village and not hear his echo.

His words live on in everyday parlance – no matter one’s station, religion or occupation, everyone in Iran knows at least a handful of Rumi’s poems by heart. They are taught in classrooms as an essential part of the basic curriculum, but more than that, they are learned in homes, cafes, bazaars, parks and houses of worship. No place is beyond this poet’s influence.

And there is no better way to understand that influence than through Rumi’s own verse, although it often defies easy translation. Still, English speakers have a wonderful resource in understanding Rumi – and Iran – through the translations of Coleman Barks, including the following:

“Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened. Don’t open the door to the study and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument. Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.”

Understand this poem, and you will understand the soul of Iran – not just the role of religion or dogma, but the spiritual role of faith, love and beauty.

While Iran is a Muslim majority country and Shi’ism is the official state religion, Iran is not defined by Islam. Rather, it is defined by its peoples, who are Muslims, Jews, Baha’is, Christians, Agnostics and Atheists. Iran is the birthplace of two of the world’s great religions: Zoroastrianism and Baha’ism. It is home to millions of Muslims, but also to the largest Jewish population in any Muslim majority country. So, Iranians know very well that there are at least hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

Nevertheless, the Iranian regime maintains an intractable identification with its interpretation of Islam, and as such, it has played a strong role in shaping the Iranian people’s view of both Islam and of religion in general. Because of the regime’s use and perversion of Islam for political purposes, many Iranians have been turned off by religion – especially among the youth who represent the vast majority of the population.

As young Iranians, we have seen the government’s persecution of Baha’is and Jews and its failure to provide equal rights to women, and we realise that this regime has forgotten its roots. It has forgotten the words of the great Master, Mowlaana. Instead of taking down a musical instrument to treat the fear, despair and emptiness that have consumed so many young Iranians (particularly since the 2009 elections), Iran’s leaders have brought out batons, bullets and teargas.

As a result, people have continued to turn away from organised religion, particularly from Islam, because they have seen how the regime is manipulating their faith to oppress the populace and suppress dissent.

Nevertheless, there is a spiritual unity in this growing collective repugnance for religion – it is encouraging us to unite as Iranians of all backgrounds and beliefs under the most basic and universal spiritual teachings that Rumi and other Sufi poets captured so brilliantly: the notion that music, art, poetry, and above all, love are our greatest spiritual resources.

In Iran, such resources are more abundant than oil, saffron and pistachios combined, and they represent the truest faith of the masses.

*Melody Moezzi is a lawyer, columnist and activist based in the United States and Iran.

This article is part of the series “Religion, Politics & the Public Space” in collaboration with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and its Global Experts project (www.theglobalexperts.org).

The views expressed in these articles are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nation Alliance of Civilizations or of the institutions to which the authors are affiliated.