So what's your opposition to secular, reformist student protesters, then? They're not going to abandon Islam overnight, but reducing it from the state power to a private faith is a huge step. If they want to party, fuel that desire. Lapsed muslims are infinitely preferable to fundamentalists.
Once they get their hands on McDonalds, cable modems, and miniskirts, they won't go back. If they want to drink alcohol and watch porn, good for them. Their society is tired of Sharia, and longs to be western and free.
'Being Muslim' is a self afflicted social disorder they're pretty well tired of at the grassroots level, hence the demonstrations. Freedom and strict Islam may be incompatible, but human nature favors freedom, and will invariably win if the choice presents itself.
I'm not opposed to them.
I'm not opposed to the Lakers winning the playoffs next year, either. Doesn't mean I'm going to get out on the court and try to help 'em win.
All I'm saying is it doesn't follow that we should bend over backwards to help the Iranian hooligans students. Ordinarily, we might have some interest if they could offer us a credible guarantee that there was something in it for us. But that's just it: An Iranian guarantee is about as valuable as a guarantee from Arafat himself, utterly worthless.