Students currently protesting the death sentence issued against Hashem Aghajari, who was accused of blasphemy, need to be very careful. Many internal and external enemies of the Islamic Revolution are seeking to use this event to cause political turmoil.

All the people claiming to be defenders of Aghajari are not his friends. Many opportunists who do not care if Aghajari lives or dies are trying to take advantage of the situation.

Even Aghajari himself warned students to be wary of manipulation, advising students to make their demands within the framework of the law. Aghajari said, "A group of people are seeking to inflame student movements. Thus, the students must follow up their demands in calm and with awareness and not let their movements be exploited."

Obviously, something must be afoot if even the condemned man is making statements warning students about elements trying to take advantage of the situation.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, said that the sentence needed to be revised and ordered a judicial review of the case. President Mohammad Khatami has called the sentence inappropriate. Clerics and government officials from both camps have expressed their disapproval of the verdict.

In an example of foreign interference, the United States on Tuesday said that the death sentence against Aghajari was "outrageous" and advised the Iranian government to pay attention to the views of the Iranian people. Iranian government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh responded by saying, "For domestic affairs, it is up to us to decide. We do not accept that a third party intervenes in our internal affairs."

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi commented on the case during a press conference on Tuesday in Brussels, saying that the Iranian system is unique and that people feel free to express themselves, which shows that the system is balanced.

The death sentence against Aghajari will certainly be struck down. Almost everyone agrees that there is no chance that he will be executed. Also, the enemies of the Islamic system know that the case will take some time to be decided by the higher courts and are seeking to use this time to conduct subversive activities. These facts must be taken into consideration in any analysis of the situation.

Instead of being diverted by this issue, which will soon pass, the Office to Foster Unity (OFU) and other student groups should try to address the real problems of the country, such as poverty, unemployment, corruption, discrimination, and worst of all, the nepotism and cronyism which is preventing the establishment of a meritocracy.

If the OFU really wants to foster unity, they should join forces with groups of all political persuasions in a unified campaign against corruption and poverty. This would be the best move for the country and would thwart the plots of the enemies.