FDI's Weekly Newswire

The life and [troubled] times of the IslamicRepublic of Iran

Available on the Internet or by e-mail for a $25 per yeartax-deductible contribution at http://www.iran.org/ Tel: 1+ (301)946-2910. Fax: 1+(310) 942-5341

WEEKLY NEWSWIRE NO. 32

DEC. 24, 1996

FDI was the first organization outside of Iran to report on thedisturbances in Kermanshah earlier this month. (See Action Memorandum029, Dec. 4). Two weeks after the violent suppression of anti-regimedemonstrations, the situation remains tense, with special securitytroops patrolling the streets and a ban on all oppositiongatherings.

On Dec. 19, we asked one of our monitors in Western Iran to travelto Kermanshah to give us a first-hand report on the situation. "Thismorning when I arrived in Kermanshah, the gates of the city wereunder tight security. The Special Guards of the Islamic Revolutionand agents of the Ministry of Information and Security (MOIS)patrolled the streets, especially the area around Javanshir Squareand the streets leading into it," he reported. "The Special Guardstroops I saw were equipped with semi-automatic machine-guns. Somepatrolled the area in vehicles with .50 caliber heavy machine-gunsmounted on top. The doors of the main Sunni mosque of the city hadbeen closed by the authorities and no one was allowed to enter. Thelocal cemetery was also closed, and relatives of those killed duringthe disturbances who had come to stage a commemoration ceremony wereturned away."

Our monitor notes that while relatives of the victims of theanti-riot troops were not allowed to hold ceremonies for their lovedones, local residents said the regime had staged a special ceremonyat the same ceremony some two weeks earlier to honor a LawEnforcement Force Colonel, Ali Akbar Najafi, who was killed by anangry mob during the funeral of Mollah Mohammad Rabiei, the localSunni cleric whose alleged murder set off the disturbances on Dec. 2[FDI Action Memorandum 12/20]

Kermanshah Prayer Imam blames "fanatics"

A Shiite Friday prayer imam in Kermanshah, Hojjat-ol eslamMohammad Hussein Masoumi Rad, provided an intriguing inside glimpseinto just how serious the December riots had been, in a prayer sermoncarried live by Kermanshah Radio on Dec. 7.

He blamed the riots on "counter-revolutionary elements" who were"against God," claiming that during the demonstrations they had "setfire to the Holy Koran." Such acts of blasphemy were directed by"America and the Zionists," he claimed.

In an intriguing twist, Rad revealed that one of the main slogansof the demonstrators was "Down with Terrorism." Then he added his ownspin: "But while they were saying this they were really supportingthe [German] court in the Mykonos case in its assault againstour Holy regime."

Rad went onto to claim that the demonstrators were seeking to"break the unity of Sunnis and Shiites in Iran," and that they were"fed by foreigners. Some of them were arrested, and God willing, theywill make televised interviews and confess to their crimes."

Many of those arrested were taken at the city bus terminal,showing that they were not from Kermanshah, he said. In fact, boththe KDPI and the Iran Nation's Party had claimed early own during thedisturbances that townspeople from the neighboring city of Sanandajhad flocked to Kermanshah in a show of support for thedemonstrators.

"I ask everybody to publish documents about their crimes, such assetting the Holy Koran on fire and setting fire to public buildings.What kind of Muslim can dare attack the Imam Khomeini WelfareCommittee Center? What kind of Muslim can attack the building of theIslamic Guidance organization? What kind of Muslim can attack thebuilding of the Islamic Propagation organization? These attackers cannot be called Muslims. They are people who are fighting againstreligion."

Finally, Rad insisted that Sunni cleric Mollah Rabaie had not beenmurdered by regime agents, as many had alleged, but died of a naturalillness. "This was confirmed by Sunni clergymen in Kermanshah," heclaimed. To dispel doubts, the authorities had asked that Rabaie'sbody be autopsied. The results, Rad said, showed " no sign ofpoison." The results of the autopsy were sent to Tehran and "theyalso confirmed that he was not poisoned," Rad said. [Note:Opposition groups had alleged that Rabaie had been strangled, notpoisoned].

In a desperate plea, Rad called on Kermanshah's Sunni clerics to"tell the Bazaar and the schools to reopen." This was the firstofficial confirmation showing that the anti-regime movement inKermanshah has continued much longer than previously thought.[Kermanshah Radio 12/7]

Iran daily reported that pro-regime demonstrations were held inJavanrod, one of the cities outside Kermanshah that was rocked byanti-regime protests, on Dec. 16. [Iran 12/17]

Missing writer reappears

Faraj Sarkhoui, the editor of the monthly literary journal Adinehwho disappeared on November 3 while boarding a flight to Frankfurt,at Tehran's Mehrebad airport, made a spectacular reappearance onFriday. At a news conference held at the Tehran airport, Sarkouhisaid he had been in Germany to seek custody of his two children, andhad not contacted his wife during his stay. But the Germanauthorities have affirmed all along that he never actually arrived inGermany.

Supporters in the West, included his wife, had alleged he had beenarrested by MOIS and tried in a secret court. Sarkhoui was one of agroup of writers who had been attempting to set up an Iranian writersunion, and was detained overnight several months ago when MOIS agentsraided a private party at the home of a German diplomat inTehran.

At the press conference, Sarkhoui said that the Islamic Republicauthorities contacted him in Cologne and he explained the situationabout his wife and children. "They assured me that I can safelyreturn home, no charge will be pressed against me." He claimed hereturned to Iran via Turkmenistan.

But when journalists asked to see Sarkouhi's passport, he said hehad given it to someone in Turkmenistan to help him secure a Canadianvisa [Reuters 12/20].

Radical clerics discuss joining Rafsanjani

The radical clerical association Majma-e Rouhaniyun says it mayback former Islamic Guidance Minister Mohammad Khatami in next year'sPresidential election, Jomhouri-e Eslami reported. Khatami was oustedfrom the Cabinet in 1992 because of his relatively moderate views.

The paper also reported the Rafsanjani faction may supportRafsanjani's brother, Mohammad Hashemi, as their candidate forpresident, or alternately Dr. Hasan Habibi. There were also reportsthat the pro-Rafsanjani Supporters of Construction group was indiscussions with Rouhaniyun to select a common candidate.[Jomhouri-e Eslami 12/18]

Islamic Republic to set up international TV

The Islamic Republic is planning to establish an internationalIslamic television network, with the help of Russia and Sweden. Anaide to the head of IRIB, identified only as Mr. Bouranjani, told aTehran press conference that IRIB had been instructed to establishthe new network following the Majlis ban on satellite dishes earlythis year. The organization is currently negotiating with the ownersof satellite networks to rent channels, Bouranjani said. It is alsoformulating the necessary plans to create content and acquire theequipment needed for the new network.

Mr. Bouranjani said Iran is negotiating with Russia and Sweden fortechnical assistance. The new network will give "special importance"to producing programs suitable for traditions of Islamic society.[Bulletin of the Center for Arab and Iranian Studies, October1996]

No limits for Muslim women

There are "no limits" on the type of activities open to Muslimwomen in the political and social arena, Majlis speaker Ali AkbarNateq-Nouri told women parliamentarians from seven Islamic countrieson Dec. 8.

Nateq-Nouri said that human history had always been witness todiscrimination, particularly against women, and "this is true, eventoday, in the countries claiming to be defenders of human rights,who, when it comes to women, regard them as a mere commercialcommodity."

Pointing to Holy Koranic verses on women's rights and obligations,he stressed that "there are no limits for the activities of Muslimwomen in the social and political fields." He added it wasregrettable that in some countries women were deprived of theirIslamic rights in the name of Islam. [IRNA 12/8]

The Islamic Republic has assumed a curious role in recent weeks asthe defender of a "kinder, gentler" form of Islamic regime, inresponse to the Taleban takeover in Afghanistan.

Majlis committee demands investigation of ties with Germany

After a closed session on Dec. 17, the Majlis Foreign AffairsCommittee demanded that the Tehran government launch an expert studyon 7 issues involving Iranian-German relations, and report backwithin 2 months.

The Committee demanded that the government: 1) to deliver acomplete report on recent developments between Iran and Germany, 2)ask Germany to immediately put an end to the activities of theIranian opposition in Germany and extradite active opposition membersto Iran; 3) demand that Germany explain why it are supporting"terrorist" groups, 4) ask German government to explain theirinvolvement in exporting WMD technologies to Iraq in the 1980s, 5)examine German conventional arms exports to the region 6) examinehuman rights violations in Germany, especially racism and the statusof Iranians living in Germany.

The Majlis commission also criticized Germany for having withdrawnfrom contractual agreements with the Islamic Republic, in particularthe Busheir nuclear power project and the Qazvin pesticides plant,which is allegedly being used to produce nerve gas. [Iran daily,Jomhouri-e Eslami, 12/17]

IRI ambassador loves Saudis

In an interview published in Al Sharq al Awsat and immediatelyrelayed by IRNA, the Islamic Republic ambassador to Saudi Arabia,Mohammad Reza Nuri-Shahrudi, said the Western media had embarked on apropaganda campaign and a "dangerous conspiracy" by accusing theIslamic Republic of responsibility in the Dhahran bombing. However,the Saudi leadership had dismissed these allegations "due to theirknowledge of the facts and their insight," he said.

Nuri-Shahroudi said he appreciated the "brave stand" of King Fahd,Crown prince Abdullah, and the Saudi ministers of defense and theinterior "vis-a-vis the Zionist pressures," IRNA quoted him assaying. [IRNA 12/18]

In Tehran, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Maleki, claimed that whenthe Saudis publish the results of their investigation into Dhahran"it will show that the Islamic Republic of Iran had no role" in thebombing, the Tehran morning dailies reported.

Christian priest reportedly killed

Citing unspecified Tehran radio and television broadcasts fromNovember 20 through Dec. 3, an Israeli Internet news agency claimsthere has been a new crackdown on Christian priests in Iran who haveconverted from Islam.

The latest victim was an Iranian Christian priest, MohammadYoussefi, who was killed on October 13 on the orders of RevolutionaryIranian court on October 13. Youssefi's body was found in lateNovember, hanging on a tree outside the Northern city of Sari, alongthe Caspian Sea coast, the news agency said, quoting diplomaticsources in Iran.

The priest was known as Mohammed Ravanbakhsk and considered thesecond highest in the Christian Church in Sari. After days ofsilence, the Islamic authorities in Iran concluded theirinvestigation of the incident but claimed that Father Yousefi hadcommitted suicide.

"It is now known that despite what was said by official spokesmen,the priest did not commit suicide but rather was executed by SheikReza Rezian, the head of the Revolutionary Islamic court [inSari]," the news agency said. "He was killed by two agents of theregime, Sheik Ali Akbar Adav and Sid Mohammed Shafai. His body washung on a tree in a residential neighborhood after his death."

According to Islamic law, every Moslem who converts is consideredan apostate and is subject to death. Beyond this, "the religiousauthorities in Iran consider the priests, in particular thoseIranians who convert to Christianity, to be spies working for spynetworks, in particular the CIA," IMRA explained.

Over the past two years, at least five other priests have beenkilled, most of them Moslems by birth who become ProtestantChristians. In one case, the regime conducted a show trial andconvicted three confessed members of the Mujahidin-e KhalqOrganization for one of the murders. The MKO denied any involvementand said the three women were not related in any way to theirorganization. [IMRA, 12/15/96]

Lubrani to Israel?

In a statement issued by its Foreign Spokesman, the oppositionIran Nation's party alleges that Ambassador Uri Lubrani, czar ofIsrael's policy toward Iran, made a "top secret" trip to Tehran onTuesday, December 17, and met with leaders of the IslamicRepublic.

The INP spokesman cites no sources for the report, but saidLubrani discussed the fate of captured Israeli aviator Ron Arad, andpledged that the "Government of Israel will help the Islamic Republicwith all its power to solve the problem of the opposition livingoutside the country," and would help the Tehran regime in"controlling Iranian freedom fighters."

The INP statement alleged that Lubrani also pledged Israelisupport in helping the Islamic Republic seek ways round the U.S.economic sanctions.

In an angry reaction, the statement warned that the INP "willpublish one by one the traitorous moves by the Israelis against theIranian people."

There was no independent confirmation of the INP statement. Whilethere have been suggestions in recent months of secret contactsbetween the Israelis and the Islamic Republic, a trip by Lubrani toTehran would represent a startling turn-around given that Lubrani haslobbied Washington hard to get the U.S. to take a tough line towardthe Islamic Republic. [INP statement 12/20]

FDI's Weekly Newswire

WEEKLY NEWSWIRE NO. 32

DEC. 24, 1996

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