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Selected Headlines 23 Dec 2009, 8:53 am
50 arrested in Isfahan unrest Rahe Sabz \| Dec. 23, 2009 More than 50 people were arrested during protests in the city of Isfahan Wednesday, including four members of the press. According to eyewitnesses, opposition supporters attending a memorial service for the late Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri at Isfahan's Seyyed Mosque chanted slogans such as "death to the dictator" and "this is the month of blood, Yazid will be overthrown" [in reference to the holy month of Moharram and the epic Shia battle of Ashura against the tyrant Yazid]. Security forces reportedly attacked the mourners, arresting 50 individuals and assaulting many others. While the identities of the detainees are still unclear, it has been confirmed that Masoud Adib, opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi's campaign manager in Isfahan, was among the detainees. According to a report by Jaras, security forces assaulted Adib before taking him away. "Even though Adib is a cleric and was wearing clerical robes, plainclothes forces severely injured him and dragged him away with unexpected violence." Parleman News reported that four of the detainees were journalists. Mehr reporters arrested in Isfahan Rahe Sabz \| Dec. 23, 2009 A reporter and a photojournalist working for Mehr News Agency were detained in Isfahan Wednesday while reporting on the unrest taking place outside of Seyyed Mosque. It is not yet known where the two were being held. Isfahan cleric prevented from attending Montazeri memorial Rouydad News \| Dec. 23, 2009 Security forces prevented Ayatollah Seyyed Jalaleldin Taheri from attending a memorial service for Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri Wednesday at Seyyed Mosque in Isfahan. Despite Ayatollah Taheri's efforts to attend the ceremony, security forces stopped his car by blocking the highway and later raided the Taheri residence. This is while the memorial service for Ayatollah Montazeri had been organized by Ayatollah Taheri, a former Isfahan Friday Prayers leader who resigned from his post over the July 9 attack on Tehran University dormitories. Security forces raided the memorial service at Seyyed Mosque and arrested 50 of Ayatollah Montazeri's mourners. The crowd present shouted slogans such as "The Mahdi will come himself, he doesn't need a deputy!" and "Khamenei is a killer, his rule is null and void." When security forces attempted to detain pro-opposition cleric Masoud Adib, Mir Hossein Mousavi's campaign manager in Isfahan and a member of the Islamic Participation Front, the people present formed a human chain around him and pronounced that they would not allow a clergyman to be disrespected. But plainclothes forces broke up the circle and sprayed Adib in the face with pepper spray and dragged him off, eyewitnesses say. Parleman News reported that a crowd who gathered outside Ayatollah Taheri's residence managed to break the police siege and enter his home. A tearful Ayatollah Taheri told the people, "I invited the people to come [to the memorial]. I'm ashamed to see [security forces] react this way to the memorial service held for a Source of Emulation." "I was aware of the [violent] situation taking place at Seyyed Mosque and did not hesitate one moment to join the people. I tried to reach the [memorial] ceremony from six different routes but they closed each one after the other," he added. Abdollah Ramezanzadeh released from Evin Parleman News \| Dec. 23, 2009 Prominent Reformist politician Abdollah Ramezanzadeh was released from prison Wednesday after months in detention Ramezanzadeh, a former government speaker under the Khatami administration, was arrested in June in the immediate aftermath of Iran's disputed elections. Journalist Fariba Pajoo released from prison [blog watch] \| Dec. 23, 2009 Blogger and journalist Fariba Pajooh was released on bail on Tuesday after 123 days in prison. Ms. Pajooh was arrested on August 22 in the post-election crackdown on journalists. Nationwide ban slapped on Montazeri memorials Rahe Sabz │ Dec. 23, 2009 Governorships across Iran were given the order to not issue permits for any memorial ceremonies for the late Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, who passed away last week. According to the news site JARAS, in cities where flyers announcing the memorial ceremonies were printed out, event organizers were summoned to provincial intelligence bureaus and forced to call off the ceremony. The intelligence ministry has also banned Hosseiniyeh Ershad, a prominent mosque in Tehran, from holding a memorial ceremony for Ayatollah Montazeri. It also prohibited the Hosseineyeh from holding mourning ceremonies to mark the Shia holy day of Ashura. Police chief: rioters will be dealt with seriously Mehr \| Dec. 23, 2009 National Police Chief Brigadier General Esmaeil Ahmadi-Moqaddam said that from now on rioters will be dealt with seriously. "There are only a few people who commit illegal actions ... we advise them again to stop . Otherwise, they will be dealt with according to the law and seriously," he told reporters in Khorramabad on Wednesday. "It is apparent that certain people who say they follow the cause of the late Imam Khomeini and abide by the law and accept the concept of velayat-e faqih [rule by the jurisprudent] are in fact acting against the law and the cause of the Imam," he added. Central Bank promises to slash zeros from currency IRIB \| Dec. 23, 2009 Iran's Central Bank chief Mahmoud Bahmani said omitting three or four zeros from Iran's currency is related to implementation of economic development plan in the country. He told IRIB reporters in Shiraz on Tuesday that studies for omitting zeros from bank-notes have been finalized. Bahmani added that government plans to reduce the inflation rate to a one-digit number. He expressed hope that inflation rate would reach 10.5 to 11 percent by March 2010 [the first month of the Iranian calendar]. Larijani: Iran ready to enrich uranium to 20% Press TV \| Dec. 23, 2009 Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said Iran will start enriching uranium to a level of 20 percent if the Western side keeps refusing to sell the country's needed fuel. "We intended to buy fuel to supply fuel for the Tehran research reactor but if they do not want to sell fuel to us, we will enrich uranium," Larijani told reporters in a joint press conference with Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa in Cairo Tuesday. He rejected claims that Iran had initially accepted to exchange enriched uranium in Syria or France. Bin Laden daughter hides in Saudi embassy in Iran AP \| Dec. 23, 2009 A daughter of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden has taken refuge in the Saudi Embassy in Tehran after eluding guards who have held her and five brothers under house arrest for eight years, a Saudi-owned newspaper reported Wednesday. It has long been believed that Iran has held in custody a number of bin Laden's children since they fled Afghanistan following the U.S.-led invasion of that country in 2001 -- most notably Saad and Hamza bin Laden, who are thought to have held positions in al-Qaida. But Omar bin Laden, another son who lives abroad, told the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that Eman told relatives in a call from the embassy that 29-year-old Saad and four other brothers were still being held in Iran. Asharq Al-Awsat said the 17-year-old daughter, Eman, slipped away from guards and fled to the Saudi Embassy nearly a month ago. The embassy's charge d'affaires, Fouad al-Qassas, confirmed to the paper that she has been at the mission for 25 days and that there were diplomatic efforts with the Iranians to get her out of the country. Iran denies holding Bin Laden's sons BBC Monitoring│ Dec. 22, 2009 Iran's foreign ministry rejected statements made by the son of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden that Tehran is holding members of his family. Iran Comes Out On Top In Secret Simulated War Games Times Online │ Dec. 23, 2009 Iran has emerged as the victor in secret war games that simulated an Israeli attack on one of its nuclear facilities. According to the scenario, the Obama administration decided to pursue a diplomatic approach to Tehran, leaving America's closest military ally in the region in the lurch. The exercise, staged by Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies last month, showed that even an Israeli commando raid on Iran's heavy water plant at Arak would not draw the US into a military conflict with Iran. "Our leverage over the Americans, when we could prise them away from the Iranians and Europeans and others, was limited," said Giora Eiland, a former Israeli national security adviser who played the role of the Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, in the simulated conflict. "Pretty much the only card we had to play was the military action card. And that's a faded card." "The Iranians came out feeling better than the Americans as they were simply more determined to stick to their objectives," Mr Eiland added. Security analysts in Israel and America have warned of the potential high cost to be paid if Israel attacks Iran and say that such a strike would at best delay, rather than stamp out, Iran's nuclear program. The cost would be not only to Israel, whose cities are within range of Iranian missiles and which would likely be hit by the Iranian proxies Hezbollah and Hamas in Lebanon and Gaza, but also to the United States. Analysts expect that Iran would step up support for anti-American militants in the Gulf, as well as for militias fighting US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. On Tuesday, Mr Ahmadinejad dismissed the end-of-year deadline set by Washington for Tehran to accept a UN-drafted deal to swap enriched uranium for nuclear fuel. Mousavi sacked as Academy of Arts president Press TV │ Dec. 22, 2009 Iran's Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution appointed Ali Moallem Damghani to the position of President of the Academy of Arts on Tuesday. The Council named Moallem on Tuesday to replace defeated presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) quoted Secretary and Spokesman of the Council, Mohammad Reza Mokhber Dezfouli, as saying. Mousavi had headed Iran's Academy of Arts since its establishment in 1998. Mousavi reacts to removal by thanking colleagues, saying goodbye Parleman News │ Dec. 23, 2009 In response to his removal from the position of president of the Academy of Arts, opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi wrote a letter in which he thanked the Academy's employees and bid them farewell. Former MP: Mousavi removal act of desperation Parleman News │ Dec. 23, 2009 Former lawmaker Saeed Abutaleb said that the removal of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi from his post as the president of the Academy of Arts shows that contrary to their claims, authorities are feeling desperate. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad changed his Shiraz visit schedule to return to Tehran within a few hours of his departure to participate in the meeting that appointed poet Ali Moallem Damghani as the new President of the Academy of Arts and dismissed the founder of the Academy, Mir Hossein Mousavi. "Such acts only show that these gentlemen ... are desperate," Abutaleb told reporters. Academy of arts members may collectively resign HRA │ Dec. 23, 2009 Following the removal of Mir Hossein Mousavi from his position as the head of the Academy of Arts, the permanent members of the academy are rumored to be planning to collectively resign. The 27 permanent members of the academy include famous artists such as Mahmoud Farchchian, Zahra Rahnavard, Daryoush Mehrjoui, Mohammad-Reza Hosseini Beheshti, Mahmoud Azizi, Majid Majidi, and others. Prosecutor's office to punish insults to Rafsanjani Khabar Online │ Dec. 23, 2009 Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi said punishing anyone who defames the head of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani does not require a personal complainant. The prosecutor's office sees it as its duty to take proper action against the defamation of the heads of the three branches of government and in this regard there is no need for a personal complainant." "We don't believe in favoritism because favoritism is harmful to justice." Asked why the prosecutor's office had not dealt with a number of clerics for making remarks that could be considered a violation the law, Dolatabadi said, "that falls outside the jurisdiction of the prosecutor's office and the case must be heard by the Clerical Court." Tehran city council divided over Ayatollah Montazeri Khabar Online │ Dec. 23, 2009 Head of the Tehran City Council Mehdi Chamran changed the subject when former vice-president Masoumeh Ebtekar proposed naming a freeway after the late Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri. An informed source said that Chamran dismissed the topic by saying that the proposal would be reviewed at a later date. City council member Ahmad Masjed-Jamei spoke in praise of the late Ayatollah but was told by Chamran to not take time up with unrelated subjects. Ahmadinejad pledges ministers' fates to workers in Shiraz Salam News │ Dec. 23, 2009 Kayhan reported that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking in Shiraz, said that his Communications and Industries ministers would resolve the problems of citizens during the two-day tour of Fars province. "f your problems are not resolved within these two days, I will turn these ministers over to you to do what you will with them," Ahmadinejad told workers of Iran's long-distance communications factories. Khamenei critic sacked Rahe Sabz │ Dec. 23, 2009 Head of the Medical Sciences Academy Iraj Fazel was removed from his post and replaced by Alireza Marandi. Fazel, who has formerly served as Science Minister, Health Minister and was also the late Imam Rouhollah Khomeini's personal physician, in July wrote an open letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in which he criticized the events that took place in Iran following the presidential election. In his July letter to the Supreme Leader, Fazel wrote, "Why must we ... watch the blood of our innocent youth shed? Why must our dear students and young boys and girls be viciously attacked and locked up in dungeons?" "Why must a nation, who still feels the fatigue a Revolution in its bones, have so many political prisoners? Who is responsible for this injustice against this justice-seeking nation?" "What means do the people have left to pursue their legitimate demand? What is it that you think the people of Iran want?" Unconfirmed report: Qom authorities seek forced evacuation of Montazeri home Rahe Sabz │Dec. 22, 2009 Hours after Saeed Montazeri reported that the residence of Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri was surrounded by police officers, unofficial reports claimed that Qom authorities have decided to evacuate the late Shia Source of Emulation's home. According to these reports, Colonel Farhadi who represents Qom authorities in talks with the Montazeri family has told them that they must evacuate the premises or else the attackers will not leave. A number of other unofficial reports said attackers had broken the windows of the Montazeri house. Qom authorities say that the attackers want the closure of Montazeri's office, and that is the reason why they broke the windows. Incoming reports from Qom claim that there is heavy security presence in the city and that an air of tension can be sensed throughout the Shia scholarly hub. JARAS has been trying to obtain further information on the matter but initial reports suggest that all roads leading to Qom have been closed. Militiamen attack home of Iran pro-reform cleric Reuters │Dec. 22, 2009 Members of an Islamic militia and "plainclothes men" attacked the home of a senior pro-reform cleric, Ayatollah Yusuf Sanei, in the holy city of Qom on Tuesday, a reformist website said. The Norooz site said the attackers insulted Sanei and beat up some of his associates. There was no immediate official comment. Ayatollah Sistani extends condolences to Montazeri family Tabnak │Dec. 22, 2009 Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani extended his condolences to the Montazeri family over the loss of the late Ayatollah, Hossein-Ali Montazeri. In the letter addressed to Ahmad Montazeri, the Grand Ayatollah expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Ayatollah Montazeri and extended condolences to his family and followers. Cleric hits at oppostion, dissident ayatollah Reuters │Dec. 22, 2009 A hardline aide to Iran's supreme leader accused the opposition on Tuesday of using the funeral of a dissident cleric to stir up "chaos" in a bid to undermine the Islamic Republic's ruling establishment. Mojtaba Zolnour, a cleric who is a representative of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with the elite Revolutionary Guards, also criticised late Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, a fierce government critic who was buried on Monday. Huge crowds of Iranians turned out for Montazeri's funeral in the holy Shi'ite city of Qom and some chanted anti-government slogans, according to reformist websites, and there were also reports of clashes between protesters and pro-government forces. "Ayatollah Montazeri was a deputy to Imam Khomeini who misused his power ... and meddled in the country's affairs and this served as one of the reasons for his dismissal," the semi-official Fars News Agency quoted Zolnour as saying. Kayhan account of Ayatollah Montazeri's funeral Gooya │Dec. 22, 2009 The hardline Kayhan daily recounts the events following the death of Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri. The report on page 2: Last night the people of Qom gathered in the Grand mosque where the memorial service was being held for Mr. Montazeri, and prevented the seditionists from finding an opportunity to exploit the situation. The vast crowd shouted slogans such as "this whole army has come here out of love for the Leader", "the blood in our veins is a gift to the Leader," "death to America," "death to Israel," and etc... They informed the heads of sedition that they would not allow them to exploit their [the pro-leader crowd] presence in the ceremony, which was prompted by the Leader's statement, as their [heads of sedition] success. It should be noted that foreign media outlets and counterrevolutionary websites released photos of the Ayatollah Montazeri mourners in which by removing the placards and big posters of Imam Khomeini and the Leader that the people had brought, they tried to portray the crowd as the supporters of the heads of sedition. The report on page 14: Ayatollah Montazeri died of a heart attack on Sunday and was laid to rest at 11 am on Monday next to his martyred son Mohammad's eternal resting place. Ayatollah Montazeri's mourners consisted of 5000 individuals who left immediately after his burial. The Reformists who had come to Qom from Tehran to form a gathering were unable to achieve their objectives. There were minor tensions during the burial ceremony caused by a few individuals who chanted vulgar slogans, and were put in their place by the countless clerical students and Basijis present on the scene. After the burial, the majority of mourners left and only 200 individuals who had been organized from before remained in front of the Hazrat Masoumeh shrine and chanted radical slogans. This caused the thousands of clerical students and Basijis present on the scene to advance toward them and disperse the crowd by chanting the slogan "the holy city of Qom is no place for seditionists." The rioters who initially encountered the indifference and later the anger of the people of Qom, headed toward the late Mr. Montazeri's home. After arriving, there were a few minor confrontations, following that they left. The majority of reports indicate that the heads of sedition like Mir-Hossein Mousavi who on Sunday went to Qom along with Gholam-Hossein Karbaschi, Mohammad-Reza Khatami, Emad Baqi, as well as Mehdi Karroubi who went to Qom on Monday were unsuccessful in their attempts to turn the funeral procession into unrest and in the end lost their last chance to create chaos. Websites affiliated with the Sedition Movement which are run from abroad called for a gathering in Mohseni Square on Sunday but the number of the attendees in the gathering did not exceed the fingers on both hands. Student gathering at Azad University Tabnak │Dec. 22, 2009 Students from Azad University's Science and Research branch gathered outside the faculty of humanities today, shouting anti-government slogans. Their slogans were met with slogans from pro-government students. It should be noted that while this branch of Azad University has the highest number of grad and post-grad student admissions, it is not very politically active. However, since the start of the new semester this university has become the scene of repeated gatherings. Security forces confiscate Ahmad Qabel's documents Mizan Press │Dec. 22, 2009 Security forces ransacked the home of Ahmad Qabel, confiscating his personal belongings and written documents. Earlier JARAS had reported that Qabel, a religious scholar and one of the disciples of the late Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, was en route to Qom from Mashhad with his family, to participate in the late Ayatollah's funeral when he was taken into custody and returned to Mashhad. According to the Qabel family, Ahmad contacted them this morning but did not say anything about the charges brought against him. Ali Motahari reminisces about Ayatollah Montazeri Khabar Online │Dec. 21, 2009 The son of Morteza Motahari Ali, told the story of his father's friendship with the late Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri in a note written to mark the occasion of the Grand Ayatollah's passing. The note published in the Etemad daily reads: Ayatollah Montazeri was Ayatollah Motahari's closest friend and companion. They studied together for 11 years, 8 of which were spent learning from Grand Ayatollah Boroujerdi. They were considered the most prominent students of Ayatollah Boroujerdi. They both played an important role in introducing the outstanding characteristics of Imam Khomeini to the Seminary. They learned philosophy from him for 12 years. They were considered the most prominent students of Imam Khomeini. Sheikh Hossein-Ali Montazeri Isfahani and Sheikh Morteza Motahari Khorasani were so close that people often called them Motahari Isfahani and Montazeri Korasani. According to Ayatollah Montazeri when either one needed money, they would take it out of the others pocket and tell him later. Before the revolution whenever Ayatollah Montazeri was released from prison he would come straight to our house, always smiling and never complaining about the hardships of prison. He would ask us kids how much English we had learned and exchange pleasantries with us in English. Some times he would recite a Qur'anic verse or a Hadith and ask us about its meaning. He would always address our younger sister as my daughter-in-law. When Ayatollah Montazeri was exiled, my father would rush to his side by any means, just as he was inconsolable when my father was arrested in 1963. A few years ago when Ayatollah Montazeri was still under house arrest I obtained a permit to go visit him. The first thing he said upon seeing me was, "Ali you see what they have done to me?" It upset me very much. I said to him, "If Ayatollah Motahari was alive it wouldn't have turned out this way." He agreed with me and talked to me for an hour and a half. He talked about his situation and about his days with my father. One story he told me was about how my father had gotten into a disagreement with Ayatollah Boroujerdi and he remembered everything in detail. US says year-end deadline with Iran 'very real' Press TV │Dec. 22, 2009 After the Iranian president rejected a deadline set by the United States for diplomatic measures on the country's nuclear case, the White House moved to warn that the deadline is "very real." Speaking in the central Iranian city of Shiraz on Tuesday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the West can "impose as many deadlines as they want on us, we don't care." Reacting to the comment, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the end of this Christian year is "a very real deadline" for Iran to respond to Western demands over its nuclear program. "Mr. Ahmadinejad may not recognize, for whatever reason, the deadline that looms, but that is a very real deadline for the international community," Gibbs said. The Tehran government faces pressure to halt its nuclear enrichment as world powers claim the program is aimed at building a nuclear bomb. Islamic student society: Ahmadinejad impervious to sedition Ayandeh │Dec. 21, 2009 The Islamic Society of Students protested the appointment of former Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi as the new head of the counter-smuggling task force. The society which is considered a Principlist one said in its letter to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, "How is it possible that the lead suspect in the Kahrizak case is appointed by you." The society cast doubt about the credentials of Mortazavi and asked Ahmadinejad, "Have you not read the report by the Judiciary probe committee?" The student society alleged that "charges" have been raised against Mortazavi in the Judiciary report. "Any one of them [charges] would have disqualified an individual from joining the 9th government; how is it that the 10th government is overlooking this?" The student society which was one of the main Ahmadinejad supporters during the 10th presidential campaign told Ahmadinejad that "there are a lot of seditionists surrounding you that unfortunately, you seem to be unaware of." Lloyd settles U.S. case over Iranian transactions WSJ │Dec. 22, 2009 Lloyds Banking Group PLC on Tuesday became the latest bank to reach a settlement with American authorities over the handling of funds for countries under U.S. sanctions such as Iran. The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced a $217 million settlement related to Lloyds's "intentional manipulation and deletion" of information in wire-transfer instructions that were routed through third-party banks located in the U.S. The $217 million fine won't result in any new outlays for Lloyds. The government says the levy was included in a $350 million settlement reached in January with the U.S. Department of Justice. Ahmadinejad tasks team to evaluate WWII damages Press TV │Dec. 21, 2009 The Iranian president called on Monday for the establishment of a national commission to calculate the amount of compensation for damages Iran sustained during World War II under British and Russian occupiers. In a letter to Head of the Presidential Office Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tasked him with what he described as "asserting the Iranian nation's inalienable rights." President Ahmadinejad described the level of hardship imposed on the nations of the world by global powers during the past century as "excessive." "The Second World War was launched with the aim of creating new divisions and enforcing discriminatory, one-sided structures," President Ahmadinejad said in the letter. He said while "a number of nations underwent pressure and suffered damages, certain governments benefited from political and materialistic profits." Press Roundup provides a selected summary of news from the Iranian press, and excerpts where the source is in English. The link to the news organization or blog is provided at the top of each item. Tehran Bureau has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. Please refer to the Media Guide to help put the story in perspective. Read more >>
Iran After Montazeri 21 Dec 2009, 4:05 pm
A legacy that will haunt the regime. [ analysis ] The demise of Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri brought an important chapter in the history of the Islamic Republic to a close, but may have opened a new chapter for those in Iran who have defied intimidation to express dissatisfaction with June's controversial presidential election and its bloody aftermath. One of the prime architects of the 1979 Revolution, Montazeri was in line to take over the rein of power from Ayatollah Khomeini, but went on to become a staunch opponent of the government instead. The regime reluctantly tolerated him, eventually placing him under house arrest and resorting to other means of restricting his influence: his seminary in Qom was effectively shuttered; a cleric who ran his website was summoned to the Special Court for Clergy; and three of Montazeri's grandsons were detained. As a man who figured so prominently into the history of the Islamic Republic, Montazeri drew fire from all sides. In the mid-1980s, he was caught up in the Iran-Contra affair, one of the most controversial episodes in Iran-U.S. relations. Mehdi Hashemi, who was on Montazeri's staff, leaked information about the secret dealings and was later executed for it. Montazeri supported Hashemi to the end and paid a heavy price for it, labeled as "a fool" by Khomeini, who had once famously called him "the fruit of my life." After he fell out of the system he helped erect, Montazeri's pictures were removed from public places and jokes began to circulate about him as easily manipulated and foolish. Over the years, Montazeri became one of very few clerics who dared to publicly challenge the religious credentials of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In a rare speech made in 1997, he refused to recognize Khamenei as a Marja, or Source of Emulation, the highest religious status for a Shia cleric, after which Montazeri was put under house arrest for five years while government agents bulldozed the site Montazeri had used for his religious sermons. At the end of President Khatami's first term, such pressures were lifted and students and others could meet with Montazeri more freely, but not without high levels of security. During a trip I made to Qom in 2001, the presence of plainclothes and uniformed IRGC agents on guard around his home and office was palatable. But Montazeri never backed down. In 2007, he told one of his students, Emad Baghi, "This is not an Islamic Republic" -- evidence of that would come to fore in the June 2009 election. Ayatollah Montazeri was first among the clerics to criticize Khamenei for the post-election chaos and employed such terms as "Estebdad" -- dictatorship -- to condemn the Leader for abuse of power. He reminded Khamenei that it was a sin to beat people with batons when they were acting within their rights and questioned his Islamic verdict that the confessions of detainees and other political prisoners were not the product of coercion and could be used as evidence against them in a court of law. In an apparent response to Montazeri, the Supreme Leader went public and announced that such confessions were legal if made by a person against himself. Montazeri even called on the military and Basij to refuse orders given to beat protesters and warned that everyone would be held accountable for their actions no matter on what justification they had been ordered to act so savagely. The timing of his death immediately sparked many to assume the government was somehow complicit. Even though there is no evidence to suggest this, the Khameneists must be relieved to have a man of such colossal political and spiritual weight out of their way. The regime likely hopes that Montazeri's death will weaken the Green Movement by robbing it of a powerful ally, even as the leaders of the opposition try to iconize the outspoken spiritual leader and use his death to rally its supporters for a show of strength. For the reformists, however, reverence for Montazeri as a symbolic figurehead will not be enough to fill the void left by his death. Iranians are known for singing the praises of the dearly departed, so Montazeri is guaranteed to be held in high regard in that respect,especially given the tense political climate in Iran. But the regime's long and heavy campaign of propaganda against Montazeri has chipped away at his name and stature. Kayhan, a newspaper run by Hossein Shariatmadari, the Supreme Leader's representative to the Kayhan Press Institute, was at the forefront of attacks on Montazeri, prompting Attaollah Mohajerani, Minister of Islamic Guidance and Culture in the first Khatami administration, to ask in an interview, "Whose representative runs Kayhan, which has so rudely and abusively been attacking Ayatollah Montazeri?" Ironically, even though Montazeri will be held in high regard by religious and conservative segments of Iranian society, many in the Iranian opposition do not hold any cleric in high esteem. Mullahs may be hailed when they come out against the government crackdown, but they can hardly be seen as leaders capable of uniting Iranian society under one flag after 30 years of a failed theocracy. In that sense, Ayatollah Montazeri was a revered figurehead to be used to attack the clerical establishment, but not one to lead it. That argument may apply to some extent to other clerics and ex-officials, including Mousavi. These figures are favored by the educated, secular elite only because they share a common goal: ousting Ahmadinejad and Khamenei. But until the time comes when the opposition movement is capable of producing leaders of its own, religious figures and ex-officials, dead or alive, are a good base to build upon. * * * Many flocked to Qom for the Montazeri funeral to showcase the strength of the opposition. The third, seventh and fortieth day after Montazeri's death will provide yet more calendar opportunities for such gatherings and protests, not to mention each forthcoming anniversary. Fearing this possibility, plainclothes IRGC and Basij agents so fully packed the mosque where Montazeri's memorial was supposed to have been held that the whole thing had to be called off. In interviews with the press, his son, Saeed, said that so many photos of Khamenei suddenly cropped up in the mosque that everyone thought it looked like the Supreme Leader's memorial service. Reports of sporadic clashes, including an attack on Mousavi's car in Qom, in which shattered glass injured a companion, and subsequent attacks on the offices of the late Ayatollah and that of Ayatollah Sanei, are signals that the government is not going to allow Montazeri's death to be used as a platform to stage more protests. More importantly, these attacks appear to illustrate that Ahmadinejad and his IRGC patrons listen to the Supreme Leader only to a point. For even as Khamenei paid his respects, his militia went on a rampage, attacking Montazeri's mourning relatives and fellow clerics. Even as security forces tried to dissuade his supporters from traveling to Iran's religious capital, reports and videos showed that the government had not been very successful. Many important clerics also attended and paid their respects to a man many believe was unique in Islamic studies. Some even asked for his burial to be delayed so more would have time to make their way to Qom to pay their respects, citing Khomeini's example as a precedent (his corpse was on display for three days). But the regime preferred Montazeri put to rest sooner than later. Ironically, a Grand Ayatollah whose stature was above almost any political or non-political cleric, became an icon for those who seek democracy and transparency, or even the more radical notion of a secular political system. Just a few months ago, Ayatollah Montazeri admitted that what he and possibly others wanted in Velayat-e Faghih (rule of the jurisprudent) as the basis of a post-revolutionary governmental system was a "mistake," and declared that the system had derailed from its intended course. Yet the government's official line towards Montazeri depicted him as the one who changed course and became nothing short of a puppet for anti-revolutionary elements, serving enemies and Zionists. The Ayatollah even renounced his support of the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, calling it a mistake as well. However, the initial clash that made Montazeri an enemy of the state was his robust and public protest to mass executions of thousands of prisoners -- many MKO members, an organization that with Iraqi help tried to overthrow the clerical regime during the war in the late 1980s. In a famous letter to Ayatollah Khomeini, Montazeri strongly condemned the killings and called them an act that would reflect poorly on the regime. Instead of heeding his call, the political propaganda machine of the Islamic Republic worked hard to depict him as an impotent and incapable person who did not deserve to lead the country. Khomeini, in the letter in which he dismissed Montazeri as his successor, stated that he had not been in favor of electing him (by the Assembly of Experts) to be second in line to power because of his "weakness and foolishness." Clerics such as Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was then Speaker of the Parliament, collaborated in the campaign. Rafsanjani came down on the side of the government and remained cautious in later years to avoid publicly sympathizing with Montazeri. This explains why many political clerics did not attend his burial; those who did were mainly from a camp of clerics noted for their dissent. There were other well known clerics who rushed to pay their respects, but like Ayatollah Javadi Amoli, they were not involved in politics, and saw Montazeri primarily as a religious figure. After Khomeini, any political or religious figure who exhibited any sign of sympathy towards Montazeri was ostracized, even in the realm of Islamic seminaries. The new Supreme Leader saw to it, for example, that Mousavi and Abdullah Nouri, a former Interior Minister, were politically redundant as they continued to show outright respect for Montazeri. In Qom, being a student in Montazeri's school carried certain dangers, but also an element of distinction. One academic I knew almost whispered in our university classes whenever he wanted to mention Montazeri's contributions to Islamic political thought. He called him Faghih-e Alighadr (His Excellency or highly important scholar), a trend that continues to this day. In Montazeri's death, the Green Movement lost an important figure at the top of its ranks whose ideas and criticism were very hard for the regime to combat. Mousavi and other opposition leaders used to depend on Ayatollah Montazeri for advice and to reach other clerics rankled with the establishment. Others, and to some degree, Ayatollah Yousef Saanei, have been active in encouraging people to resist crackdowns. But the lack of such an important leading figure will have its effects on the movement. Still, in person or spirit, Montazeri and other clerics lack the appeal to be leaders of the political opposition, and ultimately, a new government. The trend so far in the Islamic Republic has been to veer away from the clergy in political posts. Just compare the cleric-dominated second or third Majlis with the one of today. Or take posts as high as the president, where new leaders are coming from the ranks of the military and security apparatus, not Qom. To stay relevant, clerics have started to side with the people. When you listen carefully to their rhetoric, they have increasingly taken their cues from the demands and wishes of the people, and acted accordingly. Not too long ago, high clerics such as Montazeri or Khomeni churned out revolutionary principles, like that of an Islamic government in the framework of a republic. But now, they are no longer in a position to ask people what to do or seek. Instead, they listen and lend their political and religious weight to the people. This makes it almost impossible to predict who will be first in line to take over after Khamenei dies. But that is not to say that clerics have seized to carry any influence or power, just that their image has been tarnished and their influence on the wane. A majority in the rural and even urban areas of Iran continue to be religious, which gives clerics some sway. However, a historical undercurrent has been long at work in the past century, at least since the Constitutional Revolution, which could eventually push clerics back to the seminaries and separate politics from religion. Copyright © 2009 Tehran Bureau Read more >>
The Zand Trail 21 Dec 2009, 1:34 pm
[ passport ] I wondered what of my trip to Iran I'd remember; of course, I'd recorded much in my journal. But only so much can be recounted or recorded, and memory is such a frail device, especially in my family. So what of those moments which evade reference? For instance, will I recall drinking four Zam Zams a day to make up for the fact that coffee wasn't available in Arak or Yazd? Will I recount the lines in every bank, bakery and bread wagon that you can't even call lines, for that implies some kind of order, when in fact it's a general principle in Iran that anyone has license to cut in front of you, for the concept of "cut in front of" doesn't exist? Would I remember that, in the country of the highest number of traffic fatalities in the world, I'd only seen two tickets handed out -- both for parking violations? And would I recall that I had to move out of the way or risk being run over by four motorcycles and a car -- while walking on the sidewalk? Would the image of passing schoolgirls robed in hejabs and giggling at the feeble "salam" presented by a disoriented American leave enough of an imprint to remind me that teenage girls are the same the world over? Would I recall, someday at our local Shaw's grocery store while picking out a nicely sanitized package of boneless chicken breasts, the topless crates of whole chickens I saw dragged down a dirty set of stairs in the hot sun, and the sour odor they emitted? I wondered what I'd take with me from the bus ride between Yazd and Shiraz. The bumpiness, the tendency for the huge bus to pull out and pass only after the driver has come within spitting distance of the other vehicle's bumper? Or that they played an Iranian-dubbed version of "The Talented Mr. Ripley," and the only words I made out unmistakably were "Dickie" and "Tom Arrrripley"? And how the soundtrack that blared throughout the bus jumped up or down with the picture, following the rhythm of every jolt? And that there was no way to get comfortable in the seats as my brother and I endlessly shifted positions, leg to leg, elbow to elbow? And when we arrived in Shiraz at 3 am, sitting in awe in the back of the taxi while we caught our first glimpse of Zand Boulevard, its colored lights endlessly strewn, realizing that this was the Emerald City of our dreams, what we had worked toward and imagined for over a year: The home of our ancestor Karim Khan, leader of the short-lived Zand Dynasty. Upon the first sighting of Karim's imposing citadel, tapping the driver on the shoulder, and saying, "Zand hastim" (we are Zands, or at least that's what we were shooting for) and his pronounced lack of interest (which didn't deter our enthusiasm in the slightest)? Long before this journey, however, came the stories. Maybe I remember the stories because they were always available for the telling, my father providing his nightly performances while I was tucked away with cowboys and Indians, Arizona roadside trinkets adorning my shelves -- silver spurs, arrowheads forged from hard plastic, a painted tomahawk, a sombrero-topped marionette I'd picked up in Nogales, its dark face fixed with a sardonic grin. My bedroom became my father's stage ten minutes before lights out, with tales of his hometown, Bint Jebeil, in Southern Lebanon, of his father, Mohammed Ali Zand, a wanderer from Shiraz who kept a little tobacco tucked in his cheek while he gardened, who treated people from miles away for a chicken or basket of fruit -- given there was no other doctor for miles. The stories gave way to elaborations -- genies that inhabited wells, a Persian ancestor who was a king until he had his eyes burned out, his throat cut. It was here my father characterized the incision with his index finger slicing across his throat, an image for me to hold in my dreams as he backed out of my room, the door closing slowly until the wedge of light from the hallway sewed itself shut, and I was left in the dimness, staring up at the shadowy outline of the spur, the arrowhead, imagining some other world where eyes were plucked from skulls, where ancient kings fought and died, and where my grandfather, ancient beyond what I could fathom, born nearly 120 years before me, worked with herbs to heal the sick. More than thirty years passed before I picked up the thread of the stories. Thirty years brought me from Arizona to Texas to Colorado and finally, Vermont. What precipitated my revitalized interest I can't precisely recall, except that it might have been a way of dealing with my father's Alzheimer's. As his memory faded, my family needed to solidify our roots. We needed to know that the fabric of our heritage wasn't simply disintegrating with him. We needed a sense of permanence. A record. So there became in my family, between my two sisters, my mother, my brother, and soon others as the project spread to cousins in Lebanon, Iran, Qatar, a growing interest in constructing a family tree. Unfortunately, it seemed to me the typical sort of activity that engages a family of middle-aged children, and exactly the kind I wanted little to do with. A rubric of birth dates and names held no appeal for me; it revealed nothing of either the personalities or the myths that each kept hidden. It boiled everything down to its most rudimentary and empirical shape. So I systematically ignored the updates, the inquiries and progress reports. I received packets in the mail with a flowchart of my Persian roots and facts that held no relevance, the names of the long-dead whom I'd never met, never had any chance at meeting as they were born nearly a century before me, their bones at rest in some far-away region of the world. I let the manila envelopes collect in my closet. Finally, from one of those packets slipped out a two-page biography of my grandfather, Mohammed Ali Zand. A picture of him had always hung in our home, a colorized reproduction of a man with a thick white beard, a white turban wrapped around his head, one ear flipped to the outside, his square face strangely tranquil, his milky eyes half open. All I knew of him was that he came from Persia, treated the sick, and died white bearded when my father was ten. I knew he'd been married twice, had nine children with the first wife, then settled in southern Lebanon where he had three more with my grandmother, my father being the middle child from that marriage. I knew he was descended from a Persian king somewhere down the line. Some distant royalty. But that was a story, perhaps with no more truth to it than the genies in the wells that chased my father in his boyhood. My grandfather's story was simple: he'd come from Shiraz. His father was a wealthy landowner (later, I would question this, as the Zands suffered a great deal of persecution under the Qatar Dynasty). Disaffected by Shi'ism, he found his way to the teachings of Bahai, and to its leader, Bahuallah. Due to rigorous persecution, the sect was forced to leave Persia. What did Bahai'ism represent to 19th century Persia, and what about it could have drawn my grandfather in, so much so that he risked all -- his country, his wealth, his family -- to be a follower? He left Persia with almost nothing -- a large rug that he dragged with him across the near east until parts of it were threadbare. The rug now sits in my brother's farmhouse in Vermont, an odd Oriental relic among so much rustic Quaker. Any money he took allegedly went to Bahuallah, whom he followed to Turkey, then Syria. Everything else he lost. No one ever knew the name of my grandfather's father, not my father, not my aunt, nor even his only living son, 95-year-old Tawfiq who lived in Broumanna, Lebanon. Nor have any of my cousins (and there are scores tossed across nearly every continent) ever heard mention of their great grandfather. It makes sense that after converting to Bahai, my grandfather was disowned by his family. Even on the practical level, given the persecution of the Zands that existed already, even perceived allegiance to the Bahais would put the family at serious risk. I knew my grandfather never returned home. Probably, he couldn't if he wanted to. And he never told stories of his father the way my father had of him. Not even his name. In tracing his path, and that of Karim Khan Zand, my older brother and I joined forces and traveled throughout Iran. We hoped by some miracle we would discover the link between us and Karim Khan, if only we could uncover the name of my great grandfather and link him to what we knew of the Zand descendants. Our hopes weren't high for such a discovery, but at least we would explore the geography I'd only imagined from my father's bedtime tales. And at the start of our journey, we didn't realize how close we would get to learning our place in our ancestry as we followed the pathway of Karim Khan. End of Part 1 Copyright © 2009 Tehran Bureau Read more >>
Selected Headlines 21 Dec 2009, 8:17 am
Qom eyewitness account Tehran Bureau \| Dec. 21, 2009 Female, 30, sociologist: "We started out from Tehran for Qom at 2:00 am. We arrived in the early dawn hours at Ayatollah Montazeri's house, which was open to the public, to pay our respects. His home was open to the public. Mourners waited in line to see his body, which was laid in a glass coffin. By 7 am, the entire street outside his house was packed. Many people had driven to Qom the night before out of fear of traffic on the Tehran-Qom highway and slept in their cars to be able to attend the funeral in the morning." "Around 9:30 am, his hearse began moving toward the Shrine of Masoumeh. Interestingly, a row of iron railings the government had installed in the street as part of Montazeri's house arrest [famously known as hasr-e khanegi in Farsi] was pulled out by the crowd to make way for his hearse to pass through." "At 10:00 the funeral began. The crowd was too large to fit into the Shrine courtyard and filled the surrounding streets instead; it numbered roughly 50,000-100,000 but not 'hundreds of thousands' as some reports claim." "The crowd was mainly composed of religious types who are part of the opposition, including many women in chadors. Conservative residents of Qom and seminary students looked on but did not join the chanting protesters." "Regular police were stationed in the streets outside the Shrine, but no Basij or anti-riot forces. No clashes took place while I was there until noon." Personal account of Montazeri funeral Blog Watch \| Dec. 21, 2009 Today was extraordinary. People chanted whatever they wanted to, and were there in such huge numbers that no one dared touch them. The important thing was that the radical slogans were cried by the sea of 'greens' among the townspeople of Qom. Word has it that Qom was stirred by this funeral; the people and merchants stared in wonder at the massive green crowd and the slogans. Montazeri's funeral was beautifully done. Everyone was there: from theologians to intellectuals to political figures. Despite efforts by security forces to bar people from entering the city, it was apparent that many protesters had come from other cities. Students from Tehran University and other schools also made a strong showing. The presence of such a massive crowd of protesters was unprecedented in this city. These were some of the movement's new slogans chanted today in Qom: Death to the Oppressor, whether Shah or the Supreme Leader! مرگ بر ستمگر، چه شاه باشه چه رهبر Montazeri's dying wish: the death of dictatorship! وصیت ِ منتظری، مرگ بر دیکتاتوری Dictator of the Year, will meet his downfall this year! [a reference to Khamenei being named 'Dictator of the Year' by the University of Oslo in Norway] دیکتاتور ِ نمونه، امسال سرنگونه Viva Khomenei, death to the dictator! [a reference to the Khomeini torn-photo fiasco] درود بر خمینی، مرگ بر دیکتاتور Rape in prison -- condoned in the Quran? تجاوز توی ِ زندان، این اومده تو قرآن؟ The Mahdi will come himself, he doesn't need a deputy! [a reference to hardliners' claims that the Supreme Leader is the Mahdi (the Shia Messiah)'s deputy on earth] امام ِ زمان خودش میاد، نایب ِ زوری نمی‌خواد Death to the Taliban, whether in Kabul or Tehran [a jib at the radicalized right-wing] مرگ بر طالبان، چه قم باشه چه تهران O icon of courage, congratulations on your freedom! [a reference to Montazeri's act of defiance in standing up to Khomenei, and the fact that he was put under house arrest for 20 years and in death has achieved 'freedom'] ای مظهر ِ شجاعت، آزادی‌ات مبارک! Montazeri's mosque ceremony cancelled due to security presence Rahe Sabz \| Dec. 21, 2009 The commemoration ceremony of the dissident cleric, Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, due to be held Monday evening at A'zam Mosque, has been cancelled. Saeed Montazeri, son of the late ayatollah, announced that the ceremony was cancelled by his family after they learned that all roads to leading to the mosque have been closed by Basij paramilitaries and Revolutionary Guards. Ahmad Montazeri: They forced the cancellation of the funeral Radio Farda \| Dec. 21, 2009 The son of the late Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, said that his father's memorial ceremony has been cancelled due to the presence of a large group of plain cloth officers. "They invaded the mosque and prevented the ceremony from being held," he told radiofarda on Monday. A memorial for Ayatollah Montazeri was to be held in the Grand Mosque of Qom after the evening prayer. Ahmad Montazeri pointed to the confrontation that took place between the followers of his father, the Green Movement and plain cloth officers and said, "Some people were injured." "Maybe we will not be holding any more ceremonies [from now on] so that people will not get injured." "Police officers did try to prevent any conflict between the different parties but there were clashes and some people got hurt." According to Ahmad Montazeri a large group of plain cloth individuals holding posters of Iran's leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei crashed the memorial ceremony, chanting "this large army is here out of love for the Leader" and forced the cancelation of the ceremony. Earlier unconfirmed reports had suggested that thousands of people had gathered in the streets of Qom, around the Hazrat Masoumeh shrine, staging a protest that resulted in clashes with the police. According to Ahmad Montazeri, Qom authorities cooperated with the Montazeri family in holding the late Grand Ayatollah's death and burial ceremonies and even participated in them. Despite messages of condolences issued by different political figures including the Iranian Leader, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has not issued any public or private message. Sidelines of Ayatollah Montazeri's funeral Rahe Sabz \| Dec. 21, 2009 The focus of most of the slogans chanted was criticism directed at the performance of and the stance adopted by state broadcaster IRIB and other pro-government websites in the aftermath of the disputed presidential election. A large portion of the mourners were from Isfahan and Najafabad. Crowds had gathered in all streets leading to the Hazrat Masoumeh shrine, and those leading to the home of the late Grand Ayatollah. More than 80 percent of the mourners who were said to be 500,000 to one million carried green symbols. Certain individuals threw shoes at mourners on two occasions. The rooftops of all stores, motels and homes near the funerary venue was populated by mourners. Police officers took away the cameras of civilians attempting to film the gathering but their own officers were filming the crowd. Before Grand Ayatollah Shobeiri-Zanjani could perform the prayer of passing, a message by Iran's Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was read. Reports suggested that shots had been fired into the air in the Hazrat Masoumeh courtyard. After the ceremony was over plain clothes officers clashed with people trying to leave the shrine. Young clerics filmed young women who were not sporting proper Islamic hijab. Upon the return of mourners from the burial ceremony, certain individuals tore the banner erected to announce the death of Ayatollah Montazeri. This prompted people to chant the slogan, "Its clear now, its obvious who tore the poster" - a reference to the framing of the green movement for tearing up a poster of Imam Khomeini on 16 Azar. Details of assault on Mousavi convoy Kalameh \| Dec. 21, 2009 A group of bikers waiting outside of Ayatollah Yousofali Sanei's home verbally assaulted Mir-Hossein Mousavi as he left the residence, and attacked his car. The group followed the Mousavi convoy and on several occasions rode in front of it forcing the convoy to stop. One of the bikers broke the rear window of Mousavi's car, injuring one of his companions. Mousavi sustained no injuries. It should be noted that Mousavi's bodyguard injured the leader of the plain cloth gang of bikers while attempting to guard the opposition leader. AE member: Govt proponents must try harder to return calm Khabar Online \| Dec. 21, 2009 The Tehran representative in the Assembly of Experts said pro-government forces should try harder than others to calm the country's atmosphere. Hojjatoleslam Alavi told ISNA that everyone should pay heed to the fatherly advice of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who urged unity among the different strata of Iranian society. He called for an end to hurling insults, creating tension and spreading rumors. He said that "views that only create tension do not benefit society," adding, "Even if there are individuals who are guilty and their crime must be dealt with, why shouldn't their case be settled by the judiciary?" "Why should a media hype be created that gives raise to tension? If some of us think that a party has committed a crime, they should pursue the matter through the legal channels. We should refrain from expressing certain pointed opinions and making certain remarks to the media." "In particular pro-government forces should refrain from such acts because in order to work the government needs a calm atmosphere...The government cannot work in a tension filled atmosphere." ILNA told to ditch Green Movement coverage Kalameh \| Dec. 21, 2009 The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance warned Iran Labor News Agency (ILNA) against covering news reports pertaining to the Green Movement to 'prevent sedition.' According to Parleman news, ILNA's coverage on the Green Movement infuriated the Guidance Ministry, promoting it to warn the news agency. The ministry advised ILNA against running stories about the greens to "prevent sedition and other such issues." Andish-e No daily banned Tabnak │Tabnak \| Dec. 21, 2009 The Andish-e No (New Thoughts) daily has been closed by the Media Supervisory committee. According to Fars News Agency, the editor-in-chief of the daily Hojjatollah Hajjebi was informed by the Committee of the ban on the Reformist daily today. The ban comes as according to ILNA, Iran's Panjareh (window) weekly and Tehran-e-Emrouz daily received notice from the media supervisory board for repeated violations of image use and a number of other matters. Four more publications warned by Iran's press supervisory board Rahe Sabz │Dec. 21, 2009 Four more publications have received warnings from the press supervisory board today 21 December, Rahesabz website reported. Panjereh, Tehran-e Emruz, A'in and Bahar-e Zendegi received warning for "exploiting pictures" and other (alleged) violations of law. Mohammad Ali Ramin, the head of the press supervisory board, said that the case of Andish-e No newspaper's violations has been forwarded to the judiciary for investigation. Ayatollah Sanei barred from attending Montazeri burial Rahe Sabz │Dec. 21, 2009 Security authorities prevented Grand Ayatollah Yousofali Sanei from entering the Hazarat Masoumeh shrine in Qom to attend the burial ceremony of Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri. According to khabaronline, the office of Grand Ayatollah Sanei has confirmed this report. This is while other sources of Emulation were not prevented from entering the shrine. Khatami no-show at Montazeri funeral Khabar Online│Dec. 21, 2009 Former Iranian president Seyyed Mohammad Khatami did not attend the funeral of Shia source of Emulation Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri. A former aide to Khatami during his presidency, Mohammad Shariati-Dehqan attended the ceremony on behalf of the former president. Opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi were present at the ceremony in Qom today. Other Reformist figures that attended the funeral included Abdollah Nouri, Seyyed Abdolvahed Mousavi Lari, Mohsen Armin, Seyyed Hadi Khamenei (the Supreme Leader's brother), Gholam-Hossein Karbaschi. Ayatollah Makerm extends unconventional condolence Khabar Online │Dec. 21, 2009 Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem-Shirazi issued an unconventional message of condolence over the death of Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri. "The deceased {Montazeri] had reached prominence in science and made great efforts before and after the revolution even though many of his stances especially toward the end of the Imam's life were found unacceptable." The Grand Ayatollah offered his condolences to the Montazeri family. Leader tells authorities to give Montazeri nice spot Khabar Online │Dec. 21, 2009 A report said that Iran's Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has advised authorities to designate a suitable spot for the burial of Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri in the Hazrat Masoumeh shrine in Qom. Iran to issue more secure ID cards Tabnak │Dec. 21, 2009 Iran will be issuing new identification papers for its citizens. The new ID papers will look like the current Iranian passports, and will be issued over the coming "Ten-Day Dawn" - the ten days leading up to the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Each page of the new passport-like ID papers will include certain information about the holder of the document. It will also include the national ID number and is said to entail more security capabilities. Aytaollah Khamenei will be the first to receive the papers in an official ceremony on Dec. 24. There are currently 100 million birth certificates registered with the Documents office. Iran punishes 16 government offices with gas cut Tabnak │Dec. 21, 2009 In line with an order issued by first Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi, the National Iranian Gas Company cut the gas flow to 16 Government offices in Khorasan Razavi Province. According to Mehr News Agency, the state order obliges all government offices to keep the room temperature between 18 to 21 degrees centigrade throughout the winter months. Of the 722 offices inspected for compliance with the regulations, 51 were given written notices and 16 were punished by cutting their gas flow. Lawmakers angered over girls karate team not wearing hijab abroad HRA │Dec. 21, 2009 After pictures showing Iranian girls karate practitioners competing in Germany without hijab, lawmakers moved to condemn the incident as a catastrophe. The girls team competed at the games in Munich on Nov. 8 and 9. Federation authorities initially rejected the report but remained silent after the pictures began to circulate the internet. Lawmaker Mohammad-Taqi Rahbar said," female Iranian athletes going without hijab in foreign games is a tragedy for the country" He added that physical education officials must be answerable for the incident, saying, "Observing Islamic values in foreign games is much more important than 1000 gold medals for the Iranian nation." Rahbar noted the dissatisfaction of most clerics about sending women to sports competitions outside the country and said, "Even if Iranian girls have hijab it is not right to send them to karate or tae kwon do matches abroad." "I don't know what the significance of a medal is that is causing Iranian officials to belittle themselves to win it." Another Principlist lawmaker Seyyed Slaman Zaker also condemned the move saying, "female athletes going without hijab is a catastrophe and Majlis will summon sports authorities and investigate this matter with diligence." "It is not befitting of an Islamic society to have its female athletes remove their hijab to win medals." The people expect of [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad to crack down on incidents such as female athletes going without hijab, and to not allow a few to play with the values and beliefs of Iranian Muslims." Press Roundup provides a selected summary of news from the Iranian press, and excerpts where the source is in English. The link to the news organization or blog is provided at the top of each item. Tehran Bureau has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. Please refer to the Media Guide to help put the story in perspective. Read more >>
Videos: Ayatollah Montazeri's funeral 21 Dec 2009, 5:33 am
Photos of funeral here and here (including one of Mir Hossein Mousavi). In this video, as a message from the Supreme Leader is read over loudspeakers, the crowd begins booing and shouting "death to the dictator" and "Khamenei is a killer, his rule is null and void" هو کردن موقع پخش پیام رهبر و سردادن شعار مرگ بر دیکتاتور و خامنه‌ای قاتله ولایتش باطله Translations of slogans and explanatory notes are noted below each video: عزا عزاست امروز، روز عزاست امروز، ملت سبز ایران صاحب عزاست امروز Chant: "Mourning, today's a day of mourning/ the green nation of Iran mourns on this day." عزا عزاست امروز، روز عزاست امروز، مرجع تقلید ما پیش خداست امروز Chant: "Mourning, today's a day of mourning/ our marja (Source of Emulation) rests with God on this day." عزا عزاست امروز، روز عزاست امروز، منتظری مظلوم پیش خداست امروز Chant: "Mourning, today's a day of mourning/ Long-oppressed Montazeri is with God on this day." محرم ماه خونه، کار یزید تمومه Chant: "Moharram is the month of blood/ Yazid's end is near!" [i.e., in reference to the upcoming protests slated for the holy month of Moharram. Yazid, Imam Hossein's enemy, is an epithet for 'tyrant', in this case, implying Khamenei] این ماه ماه خون است، بسیج سرنگون است Chant: "Moharram is the month of blood/ the Basij will be overcome!" [i.e., in reference to the upcoming protests slated for the holy month of Moharram] تو این همه هیاهو رسانه ملی کو؟ Chant: "In all this uproar, where's the state broadcaster?" [i.e., a reference to state television and news agencies lack of coverage of protest events] ضرغامی ضرغامی، مردی نمایش بده Chant: "Zarghami, if you're man enough, show [these protests on state television]" The slogan is addressed to Ezzatollah Zarghami, the head of IRIB, Iran's state-controlled monopoly broadcaster. ابوالفضل علمدار صانعی رو نگه دار / درود بر منتظری سلام بر صانعی / روحانی واقعی منتظری صانعی Chant: "The real men of God/ are Montazeri and Sanei" [i.e., prominent dissident clerics are truly pious clergymen, implying that hardliner clerics are not so] مرگ بر معاویه / دیکتاتور حیا کن مملکتو رها کن / می‌جنگیم، می‌میریم، ذلت نمی‌پذیریم Chants: "We will fight, we will die/ but we won't accept tyranny" "Dictator, shame on you/ let go of the country" "Death to Moavieh" [In Shia folklore, Yazid ibn Moavieh symbolizes the ultimate tyrant. Shia's revered third imam, Hossein, was slain by Yazid's army in the battle of Karbala, an epic event commemorated on Ashura, the tenth day of the holy month of Moharram. In the context of this slogan, "Moavieh" implies Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] زندانی سیاسی آزاد باید گردد Chant: "Political prisoners must be freed!" منتظری زنده است، صانعی پاینده است / عزا عزاست امروز، روز عزاست امروز، جنبش سبز ایران صاحب عزاست امروز Chant: "Montazeri is alive, long live Sanei!" یاحسین، میرحسین / منتظری مظلوم راهت ادامه دارد Chant: "Montazeri, your path will go on!" [i.e., in reference to Montazeri's role as 'spiritual leader' of the opposition movement] ای مرجع تقلیدم، رأیت رو پس می‌گیرم Chant: "O marja! I will get your vote back!" [i.e., in reference to the original protest slogans of "Where is my vote?" and "Mousavi, get my vote back!" ننگ ما ننگ ما، صدا و سیمای ما Chant: "Our shame, our shame - our state broadcaster" [i.e., in reference to the state broadcaster's biased coverage of events] مقابل حسینیه شهدا کنار منزل آیت الله منتظری، یاحسین میرحسین Chants of "Ya Hossein, Mir Hossein" near the home of Ayatollah Montazeri: یاحسین، میرحسین یاحسین، میرحسین In this video, chants include "Khamenei is a murderer, his rule is null and void," and "Our shame, our Seda o Sima [state television]." Chants in Qom include "Ya Hossein, Mir Hossein," "Death to the Dictator," and warnings of the demise of dictatorships. Amidst chants of "Ya Hossein, Mir Hossein," protesters say, "The one who cheated [during the election] tore up the posters [of Ayatollah Khomeini]." اون که تقلب کرده، عکسها رو پاره کرده اون که تقلب کرده، عکسها رو پاره کرده اون که تقلب کرده، عکسها رو پاره کرده یا حسین، میرحسین / اون که تقلب کرده، عکسها رو پاره کرده Chant: "The one who tore the [Khomeini] photos/ is the same who cheated [the elections]" Read more >>

RadioArazel.com \| Report
Episode 12 – Radio Arazel [solidarity] 27 Jun 2009, 9:05 pm
Episode 12 – Radio Arazel – june 28 2009 - Track Listing - 1. Yare Dabestani Man – Mansour Tehrani 2. Biyaa – Abjeez Featuring Congo Man Crew 3. Viva La Resistance – Hypernova 4. Dastane Ma – Mirza 5. Prayer For a Rainbow – IO 6. Open The Door – Rana Farhan 7. Autotomy – The Plastic Wave 8. Baba Koo – Shaya 9. Farghe Adama – Emziper 10. Ali Koochooloo – Foad 11. Hoviyate Man – Yas 12. Haghighate Talkh – Sorkh-Jamegan 13. Azab-Haye Pambeh – 127Band 14. Hastee – Haale 15. Sokoot – Hossein Panahi 16. Come Beloved – Beenteha 17. *Bonus Track* Join the subscription: Delivered by Radio Arazel Read more >>
Episode 11 – Radio Arazel 30 May 2009, 9:01 pm
Episode 11 – Radio Arazel – may 31 2009 - Track Listing - 1. The Red Snake - IO 2. Man Be May Nub - Beenteha 3. I’m Drunk your Mad – Rana Farhan 4. Unnamed - ParsBass & Sara Naini 5. Song of Exile – Niyaz 6. Enghelabe Fekri – Foad Minority 7. Aziz Joon - Bax TM Ft. Farinaz 8. Tir o Kaman - Jadugaran 9. Nafas Nakesh - Shaya 10. Rumi - Sogand 11. Vaghti Ke - Abjeez 12. ChouChou Love - Ballgard 13. Khosro Khooban – 127Band 14. Sinners – Hypernova 15. On The Lash - Landlord 16. Entezar – Quiet Boom 17. Dastane Ma – Mirza 18. Ey Dad az Eshgh - Kiosk Join the subscription: Delivered by Radio Arazel Read more >>
Episode 10 – Radio Arazel 23 May 2009, 9:01 pm
Episode 10 – Radio Arazel – may 24 2009 - Track Listing - 1. Wind - Bijan Moosavi 2. My Work - Rana Farhan 3. Barab Barab - Abjeez 4. Marde Jadvali - Ballgard 5. Red Hats - Take it Easy Hospital 6. Yeki Bood, Yeki Nabood – Sarakhs 7. Baziche - Control 8. I Shout love - Soul Nidus 9. Be Name Zan - Farinaz 10. Love Is Gone - Emet & Betis 11. Harkasi - Tapesh 2012 12. Tasavor - Jadugaran 13. Bamdad - Shahin Najafi 14. Darde Eshghe - O-Hum 15. SelfBorn - Natch 16. Chenan Mastam - Haale 17. Ten Bells – Esfand 18. Varagh Bezan – Hack Join the subscription: Delivered by Radio Arazel ____________________________________________________________________________ Read more >>
Episode 9 – Radio Arazel 16 May 2009, 9:01 pm
Episode 9 – Radio Arazel – may 17 2009 - Track Listing - 1. Ostekhoon - 127 Band 2. Mirim o Mirim - Ballgard 3. Achin Wachin - Tapesh 2012 4. Galliver - Mirza 5. Ma - Hack 6. Morning - The Plastic Wave 7. Hastee - Haale 8. Vaghti Ke – Abjeez 9. Allahi Allah – Niyaz (Carmen Rizzo rmx) 10. Deflect Alt - Leila Arab Ft. Martina 11. O-Hum vs. The11 – The11 12. Yarom Bia – Kiosk 13. Mind East Version – Pesare Bad 14. Moghadame - Changeez O Taymoor 15. Hamine Ke Hasti - Xaniar Ft. Quf 16. Khale Zanak Bazi - Sogand 17. Drunk With Love – Rana Farhan Join the subscription: Delivered by Radio Arazel ____________________________________________________________________________ Read more >>
Episode 8 – Radio Arazel 9 May 2009, 9:01 pm
Episode 8 – Radio Arazel – may 10 2009 - Track Listing - 1. Human Jungle – Take it Easy Hospital 2. Fereshteye Man – Control 3. Meena - The Untitled 4. Love Headache – Jasmin Tabatabai 5. Kuzeh - Dash 6. Watcha Gonna Do About It - Nosheen 7. Yaa Rab - Jadugaran 8. Jaadeh - Erfan Ft. Khashayar 9. Inja Irane - Bahram 10. GoojyMoojy - Foad 11. Shomare Nemidi – Tanbe10 Ft. Sogand 12. My Clothes on Other Bodies - The Plastic Wave 13. Worth It - Negin 14. Mister Fox – Bijan Moosavi 15. Fasle Darya - Hatef 16. Kojaii Mehraboonam – Siavash Join the subscription: Delivered by Radio Arazel _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Read more >>

לוח דיונים

מציג 3‏ מתוך 20‏ נושאים‏הצג הכל

‎Realestate in Iran‎

2‏ מודעות. עודכן בתאריך 05 דצמבר 2009‏, בשעה 15:19‏

‎the end of money & Earth,Qiyamah comes‎

נושא אחד. עודכן בתאריך 18 אוקטובר 2009‏, בשעה 10:49‏

‎Blog auf deutsch‎

נושא אחד. עודכן בתאריך 06 אוקטובר 2009‏, בשעה 06:36‏

קישורים

מציג 2‏ מתוך 3,269‏ קישורים‏.הצג הכל

‎FRONTLINE: Tehran Bureau: Selected Headlines | PBS‎

מקור: ‎www.pbs.org‎

‎The memorial service for Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri that was to be held in the Grand Mosque of Zanjan today was canceled due to the intervention of security forces.‎

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2009/12/selected-headlines-94.html

In the memory of grand ayatolah montazaeri به یاد آیت آلله حسین علی منتظری

מקור: ‎www.youtube.com‎

‎ ‎

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2xinaUI_-Q

אירועים

ארוע 1 עברהצג הכל

‎NIYAZ in Concert‎
‎California‎
יום שישי 06 פברואר‏ בשעה 20:00‏

השאר אותי מחובר/ת	שכחת את הסיסמה?