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*"Islamizing" the Universities
* Hezbollahi want Soroush out
* Army Colonel and 12 others executed
* Four killed during Air Force crash
* New maneuvers, glider, announced
* Forouhar calls for mass protests
* Gingrich, D'Amato, support Iranian women
* Russians tout "strategic relationship" with Iran
* Carpet Exports Down by 40%
* Sturgeon plundered in Caspian
* Brief News
"Islamizing" the Universities
The official media and Hezbollahi circles have launched a campaignto "Islamize" Iran's universities, following an order from SupremeLeader Ayatollah Ali Khamene'i.
"The Supreme leader is right when he says that our universitiesare not Islamic enough, said Mohammad Reza Golpayegani, Minister ofCulture and Higher Education. "We are worried about the presence ofsome professors in some of our universities, who are not fullyattached to Islam and the Revolution. Expelling them fromuniversities is among my Ministry's programs for further Islamizationof universities." [Abrar 6/8]
At issue is the very core of the humanities curriculum, whichKhamene'i and his supporters believe should be infused with Islamicteachings.
"Can we really call a university 'Islamic,' when Keynsianeconomics, or Adam Smith's ideas are being taught in it?" theconservative daily Resalat asked. "Teaching Marxism and liberalism,without comparing them to Islam and proving their emptiness andweakness, will only result in creating complete liberals. In thatcase our universities are not Islamic anymore." [Resalat,5/20]
The paper has complained that Basiji students were being "mocked"because they wore beards and defended the Velayat-e Faqih, and thatuniversity Islamic Societies - student unions - have been"infiltrated" by counter-revolutionaries. It has called for anoverhaul of the university system, to prevent "unnecessary mixing ofmale and female students," and a purge of professors "who oppose theholy Islamic regime, replacing them with "true believers who sharethe believes of our Muslim nation." [Resalat/5/25]
Since then, several universities around the country have the siteof demonstrations in favor of "purging" the faculty of "liberal"elements. On June 12, students from the Teachers Training Universityin Tehran staged a demonstration in front of the Cultural and HigherEducation Ministry, calling for the "cultural revolution" promised bySupreme leader Khamene'i. In a press release they called for the"immediate expulsion of liberal professors" from the universities,and "new committees" to fire liberal professors and students.[Kayhan 6/12]. Also on the 12th, an "anti-liberal"demonstration was reported at Ahvaz university [Jomhouri-e Eslami6/12].
On the 13th, medical students at Shahid Behesti Universityphysically expelled a university professor for his "liberal views"and having "insulted a Muslim Iranian woman" for wearing the hijab.[Tehran Times 6/13]. Meanwhile, Ettelaat reported that thePresidents of four universities (Teachers Training University,Birjan, Lorestan, and Rafsanjan universities) were replaced[6/13]. On the 14th, Ettelaat reported that Khamene'i'srepresentative addressed a conference at Qom University yesterday andreaffirmed the regime's commitment to expelling liberals from theUniversity.
In Friday prayer ceremonies at Tehran university, Ayatollah AhmadJannati (who directs the Ansar-e Hezbollah group) warned that "realMuslims shall be appointed" to head Iran's universities because"presently our universities are not Islamic." [Tehran Radio6/14]
On Saturday, the President of Islamic Azad University in Tehranweighed in, telling a press conference in Tehran that the purge ofstudents and teachers who do not respect Islamic values "will beginhere," and that in the coming university year a "new method" forselecting students and teachers will be used. [Resalat 6/16]Meanwhile, Kayhan in its Saturday evening edition announced thatHezbollahi students would stage a major demonstration at TehranUniversity on Sunday in support of Khamene'i's call for the"Islamization" of Iranian universities. [Kayhan 6/15].
Iran's universities were closed for three years in the early1980s, when thousands of academics were purged because of theirpolitical beliefs. When they reopened, prospective teachers weresubject to severe security and ideological examinations. Places arereserved for pro-regime students, war invalids, "Martyrs" families,and members of the Revolutionary Guards corps, who can enteruniversity without competitive entry exams. Classes are sexuallysegregated, and students complain that they are constantly monitoredby agents working for the Ministry of Intelligence and Security.
Hezbollahi want Soroush out
Following clashes between supporters and opponents of Islamicscholar Abdolkarim Soroush at Amir Kabir University in May, a groupof Hezbollah students, spearheaded by four war invalids inwheelchairs, have staged weekly protests aimed at preventingAbdolkarim Soroush from teaching his classes at Tehran University'sCollege of Social Science. Despite the protests, however, auniversity disciplinary committee voted to allow Soroush to continueteaching - at least until the end of the current academic year, nowover.
Now the students have gone to the radical daily Kayhan, tocomplain they are being harassed by the university authorities.
The students claim the University has threatened to expel them fortheir anti-Soroush demonstrations. The University says it has decidedto "withhold any decision... until these brothers feel better."
The radical daily Sobh has also taken the Hezbollah students'cause, calling them the "victims of a very dangerous liberal tendencyin Tehran University." [Kayhan, 5/29; Sobh, 5/29]
Army Colonel and 12 others executed
An army colonel has been executed for "spying for Iraq", as partof an apparent crackdown on foreign intelligence networks inside theRevolutionary Guards corps and the regular army.
Two other regular army colonels were arrested for "spying for theCIA", another army colonel jailed for "spying for Turkey", and aRevolutionary Guards officer, Azizollah Karimi, detained on charge of "spying" for a undeclared country.
According to Hojjat-ol-eslam Younesi, the General Prosecutor ofthe Armed Forces, Colonel Sousanabadi was executed after he wasconvicted of spying for Iraq following the Iran-Iraq war. He alsosaid that one of the CIA spies, Colonel Siavash Bayani, had beenlured back to Iran from overseas, and then arrested.
The most unusual announcement of the Prosecutor General, was thearrest of Ezzatolah Karimi, a Rev. Guards officer. This is the firsttime in the history of the Islamic Republic that a member of the IRGChas been identified as "spy".
In his initial declaration on the 11th, Younesi claimed thatanother 13 people, including "several Revolutionary Guards," werearrested as members of "a Mafia type spy ring headed by a judge."Other members of the group were described as "members of the LawEnforcement Forces, officials from the Ministry of Justice, and othergovernment officials."
No date , place or other details were given on any of theactivities and arrests, or on Colonel Sousanabadi'sexecution.[Kayhan, 6/11; Iran daily, 6/12, 6/13]
In an unrelated event, Resalat reported on Saturday that 12 otherpersons have recently been executed in Hamadan for "corruption andprostitution." The paper gave no names, dates, or other details aboutthe case. [Resalat 6/15].
Four killed during Air Force crash
Three pilots and a security agent were killed when an Iran AirBoeing 707 crashed near Rasht during a training flight. Kayhanreported that six pilot trainees were one board, along with aninstructor, but then revealed that one of the four killed was asecurity guard.
Security guards are always present on Iran Air commercial flightsto prevent hijackings. But presence of the guard on a training flightsuggests that even the candidate pilots are not trusted.
Three days after the fatal crash, a report concerning acts ofaircraft sabotage and "illegal interference" in Iranian CivilAviation flights was released, prompting speculation that ofsabotage. "The publication of this report by The Civil AviationAgency is causing doubt about the real reasons behind Boeing crash,"Salam commented. "If there's no relation between the crash andpublication of the sabotage report, the Agency's public relationsdepartment has a very poor taste in timing," [Kayhan 6/10; Salam6/13]
New maneuvers, glider, announced
Two weeks after staging a huge and costly military maneuver inthe desert near Qom, Rev. Guards Commander General Mohsen Rezaiannounced that more war games were in the offing, in which 150,000Rev. Guards and Basijis would take part.
He initially announced the maneuvers while visiting a new Rev.Guards military base in Shiraz. The base can accommodate 30.000troops, and Rezai said similar bases would be established in othercities "to make the Revolutionary Guards Corps capable oftransferring enough forces to anywhere around the country in 24hours" [Reuters, AFP 6/13]
Meanwhile, Basij and Rev Guards combat units held a 3-dayanti-riot exercise from 9-11 June in Semnan province, using 15"Ashoura" battalions and 25 Ashoura reserve companies. [TheAshoura battalions are specially trained anti-riot troops]. Theywere assisted by five "Al Zahra" battalions, all-women units to beused to counter demonstrations by women. [Jomhouri-e Eslami6/12]
On Saturday, Rezai told Kayhan the new maneuvers will involve not150,000 but 500,000 troops, and would be held in 26 provincesthroughout Iran. From this larger force, 150,000 "elite" troops wouldbe selected for additional anti-riot exercises code-named Ashoura-3.[Kayhan 6/15]
Rezai also announced that the Rev. guards will start massproduction of newly-tested gliders, to be used "for transport oftroops and military items." [Jomhouri-e Eslami 6/13; Kayhan6/15].
Forouhar calls for mass protests
The leader of the Iran Nation's Party, Darioush Forouhar, calledon Iranians to "stage demonstrations, protest sit-ins, and strikesagainst government offices and factories" in a telephone interviewlast week with an Iranian exile radio station. While outlawed insideIran, the INP is tolerated by the regime, although its leaders aregiven no access to the official media.
"The time has come for the Iranian people to stand up and say noto the regime," Forouhar said. "Establishing democracy in Iran is ahistoric necessary. The INP and the recently-founded coalition ofwhich it is a member are determined to lead the people Iran in theirstruggle for democracy."
In a separate interview the following evening, Mrs. ParvanehForouhar, an INP leader as well as being Forouhar's wife, deridedopposition leaders who were trying to leave Iran. "Opposition leadersand activists must stay inside Iran and continue to organize thepeople in their struggle to topple this dictatorship," she said."Leaving the country is exactly what the Islamic Republic wants."
Mrs. Forouhar was temporarily visiting the Seattle, Washington, atthe invitation of a women's group and plans to return to Tehran thisweek.
As her husband had done the night before, Mrs. Forouhar claimedthere had been a "massive boycott" of the recent parliamentaryelections, "which was actually a referendum in which the Iraniannation said no to the Islamic Republic and its dictatorial rule."[Radio Sedaye Iran 6/11, 6/12]
Gingrich, D'Amato, support Iranian women
A nine-day vigil by a group of Iranian women at the steps of theU.S. House of Representatives ended on Friday, with House SpeakerNewt Gingrich pledging his support for "peaceful efforts to bringdemocracy and freedom to the people in Iran."
A similar message of support was hand-delivered to the women by asenior aide to Senator Alfonse D'Amato, who wrote: "Your cause isjust and your mission is very commendable. Your commitment to thefreedom of your people and nation will not go unrecognized."
The women gathered for their day-and-night sit-in to protestEurope's "critical dialogue" with Tehran following the recentassassination of Reza Mazlouman, an Iranian exiled writer living nearParis. (See last week's Newswire for more).
Both D'Amato and Gingrich pointed out that Congress intended topass this week tough new measures that will "put further pressure onthe Iranian government and pursue the goals which we share. [FDI6/17]
Russians tout "strategic relationship" with Iran
At a ceremony held at the Russian embassy in Tehran on June 12,Ambassador Tretyakov said that Iran and Russia have a growing"understanding in international affairs and economic relations," sothat "now we can say there is a strategic alliance between theIslamic Republic and the Russian government."
He foresaw "a dramatic increase very soon" in the economic,political, and social relations between the two countries. IRIForeign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati attended the ceremony, held inhonor of Russian independence.
In a separate story from its Moscow correspondent, a RussianForeign Ministry spokesman was quoted by Kayhan as saying the twocountries had "the same policy" toward the Caspian Sea and towardAfghanistan. He also said that Iran "understands" Russia's oppositionto NATO expansion, which "poses a threat to Iran." [Kayhan6/12]
Many Iranian dailies have sent correspondents to Moscow to coverSunday's Russian presidential elections. Abrar published a front-pageinterview with ultra-nationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky in itsSaturday edition, in which Zhirinovsky also called for a "strategicalliance" between Iran and Russia aimed at "stopping the expansionistactivities and policies of the Western countries."
He added: "I respect the anti-American ideology of the leaders ofthe Islamic Republic," and that "Russian patriots believe in thenecessity of creating a real long-lasting economic, social, andmilitary cooperation with the Islamic Republic." [Abrar6/15]
Carpet Exports Down by 40%
Exports of Iranian hand woven carpet have plunged by 40% over thepast Iranian year (which ended March 20), according to HosseinArveri, the General Manager of the governmental HandicraftsOrganization.
"Last year we export $968 million, 40% less than previous year,"when carpet exports earned $1,668 million. He blamed the government'sforeign exchange and export policies for the loss.
Another negative factor in declining carpet export is the poorquality of exported carpets. "Exporting second and third rate carpetsis damaging our carpet markets abroad, and if this trend continue,our carpet producers and exporters will suffer enormously," Arveritold IRNA..
Carpets account for 40% of Iran's non-oil exports, and employ onemillion people directly or indirectly.
In recent years, constant changes in foreign trade regulations,hectic decisions on foreign exchange laws, lack of state control andstandards, corruption of the government employees, cheap andindustrial raw materials including paints, have damaged theinternational reputation of Iranian carpet and helped increase themarket share of Pakistani, Chinese, and Indian substitutes, officialssaid. [Kayhan 5/29]
Sturgeon plundered in Caspian
Over the past 12 years, the number of caviar-bearing Sturgeon hasdiminished by 90%, because of uncontrolled production of caviar onboth Russian and Iranian sides of the Caspian, officials said.
"Chaotic fishing and export of caviar have resulted in sharpreduction of the price of caviar in world markets," said Mr.Lahijanian, the Deputy Minister of the Construction Jihad andManaging Director of Islamic Republic's Fishing Co.. Representativesof Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan were gathering in Tehranin an attempt to regulate caviar production and export.
Shortly before the 1979 revolution, Shiite clerics issued areligious prohibition on the production and consumption of caviar.But afterwards Khomeini changed position, and a massive exploitationof the Caspian Sea caviar resources started, with many licenses goingto members of the ruling clergy. [Kayhan 5/29]
Brief News:
* Salam reported [6/15] that a "huge explosion" occurredat the Isfahan steel mill on Thursday, the 13th, at the installationsof the Navid Manganez company. Two technicians were killed in theexplosion, the cause of which was unknown.
* The House Ways and Means Committee approved by voice vote arevised version of D'Amato's Iran Foreign Oil Sanctions bill, whichrequires the President to impose 2 of 6 sanctions against foreigncompanies making investments of $40 million or more in Iran's oil andgas industry. The bill maintains import sanctions under IEEPAauthority, and requires publication of "black lists" of sanctionedentities and projects. [Reuters, UPI 6/13].
* According to a "high-ranking official" of CFP-Total in France,interviewed by IRNA, Total "will not observe" the newly-passedD'Amato sanctions bill, which has "no value" for Total. [IRNA6/15]
* Radio Israel has announced it will stop Farsi-languagebroadcasts to North America and Western Europe as of next Sunday,June 23, although it will maintain the service into Iran.[RadioIsrael, 6/15]