Muslim nations "lost their independence when they cut off their relationship with mosques, religion and Islamic faith," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamene'i told visiting ulema and theological students in Qom on Jan. 9. "As a bastion of religion, worship and wisdom, the mosque can herald great movements and immortal blessings for Muslim communities."
Calling the Islamic Revolution in Iran an indescribable event, Ayatollah Khamene'i said: "A country which was once a base of the U.S., its rulers lackeys of the big powers, its wealth distributed among the ruling families, where religion was fading and the people driven to corruption, has now turned into a country whose government is independent, brave and popular, whose leaders and officials are faithful, whose soldiers are pious and whose people are standing against such powers as the U.S. without any fear.'' [Iran news 1/9]
The Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran has reunited with a dissident faction, known since March 1988 as the KDPI-Revolutionary Leadership, when the group split off to join ranks with the Mujahidin.
The two groups announced their merger after quiet negotiations, which have been underway for the past 18 months, according to a joint statement. "[T]he discord and disagreements between the Party activists was a cause for deep and bitter concern," the group said. The group ended its message with a call for unity among all Iranians. [KDPI/KDPI-RL joint statement 1/9/97]
Mehrdad Khonsari, the self-styled "Leader" of an opposition splinter group in London, has accused the pro-monarchist owner of an Iranian radio station in Los Angeles of being an agent of the Islamic Republic.
In a statement published in Nimrooz on Dec. 27, an exile weekly appearing in London, Mr. Khonsari accused "the person responsible for Radio Sedaye Iran," Mr. Assadollah Morovati, of having attacked him as part of a campaign "orchestrated by the Ministry of Information and Security aimed at destroying and dividing the opposition."
Mr. Morovati told The Iran Brief that he would be taking legal action against Mr. Khonsari and eventually against Nimrooz, after consulting with his lawyer who is currently on vacation.
Mr. Khonsari's accusations came amidst public complaints from former members of his own organization that he had betrayed them by entering into contact with the Iranian regime.
Mr. Khonsari met with Mr. Morovati in Los Angeles in late October at the instigation of Ahmed Oveissi, an advisor to Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, in an effort to convince Mr. Morovati to back his efforts to initiate a dialogue with the Islamic Republic.
In three consecutive telephone interviews from late October to mid-December, Mr. Khonsari described in detail his reasons for offering a dialogue to the regime. He also confirmed that an official from the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Information and Security had come from Tehran to meet with him in Germany in early October, "after I gave an interview saying that the opposition should hold a dialogue with the regime."
Mr. Khonsari said the official claimed he was representing the regime, and expressed an interest in putting together a "package deal" with the opposition. "For 17 years, we have been prisoners of our own slogans, and we have gotten nothing," Mr. Khonsari said. "But the regime has never been more vulnerable," making the time ripe for negotiation. "The removal of the doctrine of the Velayat-e faghih is the main concession we want from them," he said. "After that, you can have some kind of democratic reform." [Iran Brief, 1/6]
Senator Rosso Spena criticized the Italian government for the effusive welcome extended to Islamic Republic Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, who was feted by Italian Foreign Minister Dini on Jan. 7. "Our foreign policy should not be limited to finding markets; economic expansion cannot replace human rights," Senator Spena complained. "On the contrary, human rights must be the central point for the foreign policy." [Kronos agency (Italy) 1/8]
Three persons were executed in the first week of the year, Iran daily said recently, in three separate murder cases.
The paper said the men were hung in Tehran's Qasr prison on Monday, after their convictions were handed down by Tehran courts. [Iran daily, 1/7]
Amnesty International said that publicly-announced executions more than doubled in 1996, rising to 110 last year from 50 in 1995. Many of the death sentences were carried out after unfair trials, the London-headquartered human rights group said. The true number of executions "may be much higher," the group said, because "many executions are never reported." [AP, 1/7]
FDI catalogued 112 executions for 1996, basing its count on public Iranian media and reports from opposition groups. Opposition accounts were tallied only when they gave the name of the victim, the place of execution, and an account of the case. A 113th well-documented case not included in the FDI tally involved a youth allegedly pushed to his death from the balcony of his parents 18th floor Tehran apartment, after a regime "morals squad" broke up his birthday party.
Iran has hanged two men for spying for Israel and the United States and committing economic sabotage during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, Tehran dailies reported. They said the two Iranians were hanged at Tehran's Qasr prison Jan. 1 after their death sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court in December.
Hedayatollah Zendehdel, a Jewish businessman who converted to Islam, and Muslim businessman Abolqassem Majd-Abkahi, were sentenced to death in July on charges involving alleged economic fraud during the 1980-88 war and passing military information to enemies of the Islamic Republic. A former air force officer, Abdolreza Yazdanshenas, was tried and convicted with them. His execution has not been announced. [Iran daily 1/5/97]
Several dissident clerics have been released from special prisons, after being severely tortured, representatives of a dissident clerical group said.
Hojjat-ol eslam Shaikh Maki Akhound, an assistant to Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Shirazi, was released on Dec. 15, 1996. He was jailed on April 29, 1994 and subsequently sentenced to a three year prison term. Eight other family members were arrested and detained for periods up to one month in the meantime, allegedly to put pressure on him to confess to crimes he had not committed.
Several other Shirazi followers were also released, although the gesture may have been only a temporary reprieve aimed at demonstrator the harshness of prison life. On Dec. 28, 1996, Hojjat-ol eslam Seyed Mehdi Shirazi and on Jan. 1, 1997 his older brother, Hojjat-ol eslam Seyed Murtadhaa Shirazi were also released. And on Jan. 4, 1997, Hojjat-ol eslam Shaikh Mohammad al-Saffaar was also let go. He had been in jail since Nov. 11, 1995, and had been severely beaten.
Shirazi supporters note that it is a preferred tactic of the secret police to temporarily release prisoners who have been tortured, so that their friends and supporters will "will hear the stories of torture and feel the agony of torture and therefore think twice before criticizing the regime or supporting a thought that contradicts one of the ideas of the regime." [Supporters of the Iranian Muslim Nation 1/5]
Former Intelligence boss Hojjat-ol eslam Mohammad Mohammadi Reyshari, who is also in charge of organizing Iranian pilgrims for the hajj, has defied a ban on political demonstrations during the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca by promising to hold an anti-U.S. rally during this year's hajj.
Reyshari told clerics involved in organizing the hajj noted that the political ceremony was not only an integral part of the Hajj, but was "the most important duty of Muslims." He said the anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli rally, known as the "Disavowal of Infidels" rally, would be held on April 17 in Mecca. [Xinhua 1/4]
During last year's hajj, Supreme Leader Khamene'i called the ceremony "the most important part" of the hajj for Iranian pilgrims. "Without this ceremony," he said, "the hajj has no meaning. [Tehran Times 4/15/96]
The UN General Assembly voted 79 to 30 to denounce violations of human rights in the Islamic Republic last month, the 39th such condemnation since the advent of the Islamic Republic.
The resolution condemned "the high number of executions," "restrictions on the freedom of expression, thought, opinion and the press," "widespread discrimination against women," "significant toughening of criminal legislation," and the "harassment and persecution [of] writers and members of the press" in Iran. [NCR statement, 12/11/96]