Happiness, Fear Among Iranians in Southland

The news of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s death sparked both happiness and fear late Saturday in Southern California’s large, far-flung Iranian community.

At Shahrezade, a restaurant in the heart of Westwood’s “Little Tehran” commercial district, the predominantly Iranian clientele was “happy” about Khomeini’s death, a cashier said. But they were not in a celebratory mood.

They are worried, she said, about what comes next. “It might be worse than it is.” Violence in Iran is feared in the expected struggle for power.

The woman declined to give her name, explaining that she feared for the safety of relatives still in Tehran.

A husband and wife who also live in “Little Tehran” requested anonymity for the same reason, even though they have lived in the United States for 30 years.

“There Will Be a Blood Bath’

“It’s the best thing that could have happened,” the man said of Khomeini’s death. “Unfortunately,” he added, on reflection, “there will be a blood bath. I hope not.”

Many Iranians in Southern California who favored the overthrow of the Shah learned a harsh lesson in ensuing years, he said.

“The devil you know,” he said, “is better than the devil you don’t know.”

Ali Massoudi of Irvine, publisher of an anti-Khomeini newspaper, said that he fears for his homeland’s future. “It’s like confusion, a state of shock.” He said he feared that there will be “more killings, more chaos” but said that he had no positive or negative feelings on Khomeini’s death.