Schoolchildren and students held government-backed anti-America demonstrations throughout Iran today to mark the anniversary of the takeover of the U.S. Embassy, or so-called "nest of spies," in Tehran in 1979. A statement released yesterday by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps in honor of the day notes that the Iranian people will never remain silent in the face of the plots and sanctions of the U.S.-led world imperialism. And today, official and semi-official Iranian websites are carrying banner headlines and pictures and reports from the takeover. Speeches at the various demonstrations today stress that the students will continue to uphold the way of Imam Khomeini until "the total and complete humiliation of the American imperialism." Click here for pictures from the demonstrations.
2. According to the head of the Egyptian parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, "We will not allow Iran to export the Islamic revolution to Egypt, and we will not tolerate the presence of “the Iranian Islamic emirate in Gaza."
3. In a meeting with former Lebanon president Emile Lahoud, Iranian President Ahmadi-Nejad said that the Zionist regime is trying by "devious and underhand" means to spark conflict and war in the region.
4. In his meeting with the Iranian ambassador in Manama, Bahrain's crown prince stressed that Iran's security meant the security and stability of the region. The countries of the region, he added, must hold talks to put an end to the existing tension among them.
5. Ahmadi-Nejad has announced that he is opposed to the no-confidence vote in Interior Minister Ali Kordan, defining the process as "illegitimate" and declaring that he will not be present at the voting session. Meanwhile, a number of Iranian websites are carrying a report quoting students who studied in the past in classes given by Kordan at university. According to the students, Kordan would tell them of his experiences at Oxford University, where he allegedly studied, sometimes berating them for behavior unlike that of the students at the English institution.
6. The director-general of the Majlis' Government Bureau has been ousted from his position after urging the initiators of the no-confidence motion in the interior minister to retract their decision in return for financial aid for mosques.
7. Stormy weather kept Ahmadi-Nejad's helicopter grounded this morning, leading to the cancellation of the president's trip to Qom, where he was scheduled to participate in a ground-breaking ceremony for the 350 million euro water project planned for the city.
8. Registration forms bearing the title, "Membership of Hezbollah Lebanon" and "Registration to Conduct Suicide Operations" have been distributed in Tehran and other provinces in recent weeks. The forms ask the Iranian youth to join the global front in a struggle against imperialism.
9. The operators of the Alhomat website (supporters of the Islamic resistance) plan to send a number of Iranian bloggers to Syria and Lebanon for a week-long trip during which they will visit various holy sites and participate in "special" programs.
10. The chairman of the Majlis Foreign Affairs and Security Committee has announced that the parliament will soon be discussing a resolution to impose a boycott on Israeli goods in Iran.
11. The director-general of Iran's official news agency, IRNA, has slammed efforts by the Reformists to create a rift among the Conservative factions, charging that the Reformists receive funding from the Zionists.
1. Iran's deputy chief of staff has commented on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's directive to Iranian experts to initiate the construction and production of sophisticated modern defense systems and equipment, stressing that one of the ways to defeat the enemy in battle is to use weapons with which the enemy is not familiar; i.e. self-produced arms. General Mousavi said that if the enemy puts its threats into practice, the Iranian forces will not hesitate to operate beyond the borders of the country, too, in order to deal the enemy an unexpected blow.
2. Pakistani television is reporting that Abdollmalek Rigi, the commander of the Sunni resistance movement, Jondallah, has been seriously injured in a clash with Iranian security forces. According to the Pakistani report, four of the organization's senior commanders were killed in the incident. (Jondallah was behind the recent abduction and execution of Iranian soldiers.)
3. According to the head of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Political Division at the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps: "Today, the Basij Forces are attracting more attention that any of the other armed forces in Iran, and the enemy is closely and routinely monitoring their movements and readiness."
4. A Basij unit made up of jurists, lawyers and journalists will be established during the course of the coming year. The Basij Forces comprise the various sectors of the population, such as schoolchildren, students and the like.
5. Iran's Ground Forces Corps has embarked on a campaign to recruit young academics with degrees in development and construction for the purpose of "complementing the corps' core group of experts and officers."
6. After residents of Tabriz in the Azerbaijan Province reported hearing suspicious sounds of explosions in the city, the province's administration released a statement noting that the explosions were related to the construction of roads in the area and that the city's residents had no cause for concern.
7. Quoting informed sources, the Tabnak website is carrying a report that Iran thwarted an attack by terrorists at the International Conference on Central Asia and the Caucasus that took place in Tehran last week.
1.
1. Iran's economics minister has appointed economist Dr. Hosseyn Mir-Jalili secretary of the special council that has been set up to evaluate the global economic crisis and assess its inherent ramifications and opportunities vis-à-vis Iran. Meanwhile, Iranian President Ahmadi-Nejad has sent a letter to some 200 lecturers and experts in economic affairs from the academe, asking them to work together to find ways to fortify and stabilize the Iranian economy.
2. Speaking after his meeting with the Indian foreign minister, Iran's oil minister said that India had expressed willingness to invest in the South Pars gas project as well as the Pars oil field. The Iranian minister also reported that India had requested a tripartite meeting with Pakistan on the subject of the so-called "Peace Pipeline" gas pipeline project.
3. Iran's deputy oil minister has stressed and promised that Iran will not have any problems with producing and supplying gas to all consumers this coming winter.
4. Today will see the final signing of the deal for the export of Iranian gas to Oman, which is also set to participate in the financing of the gas project in the Hormozgan Province.
5. A "Daniel" tugboat has joined the fleet of Iran's Oil Rig Company, and has been stationed on the island of Khark. The sophisticated and modern tugboat was purchased from China.
6. The cellular telephone penetration rate in Iran has reached some 56 percent, and the Iranian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has announced that it will continue its efforts to lay the ground for international tenders in the field of Wimax and for the country's third cellular provider. Furthermore, a statement released by the Iranian Cellular Communications Company notes that all the country's inter-city roads will soon be covered by the firm's network.
7. According to Ukrainian sources, Iran plans to purchase 50 AN-148 passenger airplanes from Ukraine.
1.
1. Iranian journalist Masih Ali-Nejad is publishing her book, "I'm Free," in Britain after failing, over a period of three years, to get permission from the Islamic Guidance and Culture Ministry to release her work in Iran. The book describes her life as a persecuted journalist in Iran on the backdrop of the 2005 election that saw Ahmadi-Nejad win the presidency.
2. The Shia-Online website has posed a question to two senior religious figures with regard to the Iranian government's role and obligation to deal with the matter of the disappearance in Libya some 30 years ago of Imam Mousa Sadr. Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi said that in light of Mousa Sadr's lofty status, the Iranian regime was obliged to go to all lengths to obtain information on the case. On the other hand, Ayatollah Gorgani commented that the matter was a political issue that was being orchestrated by Iran's supreme leader and that he therefore saw no reason for him to express his opinion on the affair.
3. According to an announcement on the Qom religious college's official website, the Center for Mahdi Studies will be holding a seminar entitled "Shahada and Expectation."
4. Of the some 14 million young Iranians who are at a marriageable age, around 3.5 million are unemployed.
5. The National Center for Answers on Religious Affairs has announced that during the month of Ramadan, the organization responded to 11,000 questions relating to religion and religious law that were posted on its website.
6. A film produced by Iranian Television's News Department about cellular telephones features devices made of gold and diamonds and Iranians who like to upgrade their phones every few months. The film tries to show that at the same time, a proper cellular culture has failed to emerge, and Iranians are exchanging some 20 million text messages a day and making "inappropriate" use of the Bluetooth function.
7. Varia Eskandari and Dyako Qebadi, two Kurdish minority political activists, have been arrested by Iranian security forces and transferred to an unknown location.
8. Majid Visi, a Kurdish minority political activist, was arrested last week by Intelligence Ministry personnel in the city of Kermanshah on charges of collaborating with opposition political parties. Visi has not had any contact with his family or lawyer since his arrest.
9. Mansour Asunlo, head of the Iranian Bus Drivers Union, has been severely beaten by prison wardens while being transferred to hospital for medical treatment and then back to his jail cell.
10. Iranian security forces went into the soccer stadium in Tabriz (home to a Turkish minority) and prevented spectators from singing Turkish and local songs during the game that was taking place at the time.
11. According to an Iranian blogger, the glasses worn by U.S. vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin have become a hit in Tehran, with many Iranian women wanting to purchase a similar pair.
12. Iran's deputy culture and Islamic guidance minister has announced that from now on, Iran's news agency will open an office in any European country that requests to open a corresponding office in Tehran – in other words, "an office for an office." The deputy minister stressed that aside from the U.S. news agencies, those of any other country were welcome to open offices in Tehran.
13. Commander of the Basij Forces: "The camp of Satan is trying to harm the camp of Islam through the media and the Internet. The movie stars of the camp of the non-believers are trying to lead our youth astray." The Basij commander urged the Iranian film actors and actresses to refrain from falling into the trap of the Hollywood enemy and to remain true to the values of the religion and Islam.
14. Human rights activists are reporting that the Intelligence Ministry has installed surveillance cameras at Internet cafes, warning proprietors of such places to report any suspicious activity. The human rights activists charge too that the Intelligence Ministry has tightened its monitoring of e-mails sent by political activists.
15. The president of Tehran University asked students to e-mail him their thoughts on the idea of instituting a "uniform" at the university to prevent students from turning up in inappropriate dress. Students responded negatively to the idea.
16. A drug-addicted father went on trial today in Iran for hanging his six-year-old son who he had turned into an addict too. The man was sentenced to 10 years in prison in exile and was forced to pay a ransom to the child's mother.
No comments:
Post a Comment