The Iranian Times

Monday, August 7, 2000 / Mordad 17, 1379, No. 1037


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Land of incredible ups and downs

Photos by Javad Montazeri
August 7, 2000
The Iranian

Sample photographs by Javad Montazeri, Iran's photographer of the year in 1999 >>> GO TO FEATURE

Editorial

No brainer
Consequences of blocking peaceful reform

Augsut 7, 2000
The Iranian

What Ayatollah Khamenei has done is to once again confirm what many had suspected since Mohammad Khatami's election; that real power in Iran rests elsewhere. It does not matter if the country's moderate president is very popular. It does not make a difference if the reformists control most of the city and rural councils. And it is not even that important that the conservatives are now only a small minority in the Majlis. Because ultimate power remains in the hands of the conservative clerical leadership, which is determined to block any real attempts to bring change >>> GO TO FEATURE


Outlook

Montazeri: Khamenei edict unconstitutional

BBC Persian Service

While conservatives are praising Ayaytollah Khamenei for stopping debate on the press bill in parliament, Ayatollah Montazeri regards Khamenei's move unconstitutional. We asked him his views (go to 22 minutes and 24 seconds) >>> LISTEN HERE

    Iran's leader stamps on freedom
    Ayatollah tells MPs to spike their reformist press bill

By Geneive Abdo, in Tehran
The Guardian
August 7, 2000

The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered the reformist parliament yesterday to abandon its promise to expand freedom of speech and revive the banned progressive press. It was seen as a step toward re-asserting clerical rule over participatory democracy.

Ayatollah Khamenei's action runs counter to the hopes of millions whose votes in February's general election sent to parliament a majority of reformists who had run on platforms including a free press >>> FULL TEXT

    Iran leader bars a bill restoring freedom of press

By Nazila Fathi
The New York Times
August 7, 2000

Quashing a cherished goal of President Mohammad Khatami and his reformist allies, Iran's supreme religious leader today sided conclusively with the country's conservatives and ordered Parliament to scrap a bill aimed at restoring a free press.

The surprise intervention by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's top Muslim cleric, stunned reformers who had hoped to use their newly won strength in Parliament to revive the once vigorous liberal press.

When Mr. Khamenei's decision was announced, the chamber erupted in loud arguments and scuffles. Sixty reformist members of the 290-seat Parliament walked out in protest>>> FULL TEXT

Cybersquatter Ordered to Give Up Hendrix Web Site

GENEVA (Reuters) - The family of the late American rock legend Jimi Hendrix has won a case at an international panel to evict the holder of the Internet address www.jimihendrix.com, U.N. arbitrators said Monday.

The family of the guitar genius, who died in 1970, filed the case in May at the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) against American Denny Hammerton of Minneola, Florida, who had been the first to register the address as an Internet domain. >>> FULL TEXT

Shirzan

TEHRAN, Aug 6 (AFP) - A young Iranian woman attacked and injured a judge in the southwestern city of Boroujerd for taking too much time looking into a complaint she had lodged, newspapers reported Sunday >>> GO HERE



More Letters

* Don't teach hatred

Mohamad Navab writes: Reading the piece by Najmieh Fakhraei surprised me ["At war with your own people"]. It reminded me of the type of insults and disrespect that is used by the not so respectable elements of our society. I am surprised that you approved the publication of this writing.

Modern and progressive understanding considers those individuals that Ms. Fakhraei writes about as social victims. We live in a time that we don't get our frustration and hatred out by bad mouthing >>> FULL TEXT

* I'm not Arab American

Alex Hooman Gorjidooz writes: Where I grew up, there were an abundance of Arab Americans, and as I was beginning to meet new friends( Americans) when they started to ignore me. I was wondering what was going on because the Arab Americans started to group together and the other kids were hesitant to talk to me.

Then a few other actions occurred. The American students began asking me why I won't sit with the Arab American students during lunch. I told them that I wasn't an Arab American, and they looked at me with a state of confusion. I told them that I am an Iranian American >>> FULL TEXT

* Slightly harsh

Faramarz Kaviani writes: This picture is taken where they kill chickens before selling them to customers. Considering the fact that most of us eat chicken or beef, the whole idea of killing a bird or an animal for the purpose of eating sounds understandable.

I still agree there is something slightly harsh in picturing it in a photograph and I strongly believe in animals rights too.


Event: Cultural fest in northern California

The fourth annual Iranian cultural festival in northern California will take place on October 8, 2000 at the Cupertino Quinlan Community Center in Cupertino, CA. The festival will include a wide variety of community activities, including dance, music, poetry, Arts & crafts, Book signing, Art Gallery, face painting, and food >>> DETAILS HERE


Books

.

,

An Islamic Utopian
A biography of Ali Shariati by Ali Rahnema

.

Aazaadi va aazaadi-ye matbooaat
Collection of cartoons on freedom of expression by Nikahang Kosar

THE IRANIAN
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    Poetry

Translation of today's poem by Zara Houshmand:

Even if the whole world were gripped by sadness

He would not be sad who holds love firm in hand.

And if love makes him dance, even a little,

There are worlds and worlds within that little land.
-- Rumi
Previous translations



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More news

Press group protests Iranian failure to free media

VIENNA, Aug 7 (AFP) - The International Press Institute (IPI) expressed deep concern Monday over Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's decision to ban the reformist parliament from rolling back a series of tough press curbs. The Vienna-based lobbying group, in an open letter to Khamenei calling on him to re-introduce the legislation, lamented a series of incidents including the banning of a pro-reform newspaper and the arrest of a journalist >>> FULL TEXT

US concerned over Iran legislation

U.S. State Department Spokesman daily briefing, August 7, 2000 -- RICHARD BOUCHER: Well, I think our reaction is to reiterate what we've made clear on many occasions, that we do have very serious concerns about freedom of expression and freedom of the press in Iran. We would expect the government of Iran to uphold the International Human Rights Standards, including the right to freedom of expression >>> FULL TEXT

"Demonstration" at parliament to support curbs on press

TEHRAN, Aug 7 (AFP) - Hundreds of people rallied outside the Iranian parliament Monday in support of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a day after he quashed reformist hopes of repealing the nation's tough press laws >>> FULL TEXT

Iran distances itself from academics who met with Israelis

TEHRAN, Aug 6 (AFP) - Iran's foreign ministry distanced itself Sunday from Iranian academics who attended a Cairo meeting last week with officials from Israel and other nations to discuss the Middle East peace process. An unnamed official at the ministry cited by the official IRNA news agency said the meeting had no connection with the Iranian government and stressed Tehran's position on Israel had not changed >>> FULL TEXT

Courts vow to stamp out press "corruption"

TEHRAN, Aug 7 (AFP) - Iran's conservative-dominated judiciary announced Monday it was determined to stamp out "corrupt" elements working in collusion with the foreign press, state radio reported >>> FULL TEXT

Eshkevari detained

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A liberal Iranian writer and cleric was detained Saturday for attending a controversial Berlin conference on Iran, his son said >>> FULL TEXT

Reformist writer detained in Iran

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Bolstered by an order from Iran's supreme leader that undercut hopes of greater press freedom, hard-liners arrested a liberal journalist and shut down a reformist newspaper on Monday >>> FULL TEXT

Female reporters criticise inequality of sexes

TEHRAN, Aug 7 (AFP) - Women reporters marked national journalists' day here Monday by condemning the "inequality of the sexes" in the workplace, the official IRNA news agency reported >>> FULL TEXT

Female appointed governor

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A woman has been appointed a district governor for the first time since the 1979 Islamic revolution, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported Saturday >>> FULL TEXT

Moral police ban ties in resort island

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's morality police has ordered a ban on wearing ties, a symbol of Western culture, in a main tourist spot, but officials there vowed to resist the move >>> FULL TEXT

Parliament speaker calls for "neutrality" of prayer leaders

TEHRAN, Aug 7 (AFP) - Iranian parliament speaker Mehdi Karubi on Monday cautioned weekly prayer leaders, who include some of the regime's leading figures, to keep out of the nation's political and factional disputes >>> FULL TEXT

Iran says it seized ship with 800 tonnes of contraband Iraq oil

TEHRAN, Aug 6 (AFP) - Iran intercepted and seized a ship carrying 800 tonnes of contraband Iraqi oil through Iranian territorial waters, the official IRNA news agency announced Sunday. It said the ship was registered in Belize but did not indicate when the seizure had taken place >>> FULL TEXT

Iran's mineral potential estimated at $1 billion yearly

By A Staff Reporter, Gulf News, August 7, 2000, Dubai - Iran has the potential to earn nearly $1 billion each year from exports of mineral wealth (excluding oil, gas and downstream products), an Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) report said quoting industry estimates >>> FULL TEXT

Farmanara's film at international fests

Tehran (Bahar) -- Bahman Farmanara's first film in 20 years, the highly-acclaimed "Bou-ye kafour, atr-e yaas" (English title?) will be shown in several international festivals. Farmanara is also working on a new film and script >>> FULL PERSIAN TEXT

Love sells

Tehran (Bahar) -- In less than a month, about 20,000 people have gone to see the new production of "Romeo and Juliet" in Tehran, with ticket sales reaching 30 million tomans >>> FULL PERSIAN TEXT

Need better training for musicians

Tehran (Bahar) -- "Do want to import musicians from Japan," just like TVs and cars? asks Alireza Mashayekhi, musician and conductor, who complains about insufficient training centers for musicians >>> FULL PERSIAN TEXT

Esteghlal begin season with 4-1 thrashing of Paykan

TEHRAN, August 4 (Iran Sports Press) -- With video: Esteghlal began the 2000-2001 season with full force as it thrashed Paykan 4-1 on Friday at Azadi Stadium. Esteghlal's new acquisitions, namely Ali Samereh from Fajr Sepass, managed to pay off as Esteghlal managed a convincing win against newly formed Paykan team, known formerly as Bahman >>> FULL TEXT

Diving: Iran wins second gold in Taiwan

TAIWAN, August 6: At the third day of the 14th Asia-Pacific Diving Championships, Iran added to its medal tally six more medals. Iran won its second gold medal and added additional two bronzes to the four bronze medals it had won on Saturday at the Championship. Iran also won one silver on the final day of competitions >>> FULL TEXT

Iranian kickboxing takes fourth

BANGKOK, August 6: The Iranian Thai Kickboxing Team took fourth place at the International Thai Kickboxing Championships which were held in Thailand. Iran took fourth with 1 gold medal and five bronze medals. France and Philippines took first and second respectively while Thailand and Uzbekistan took third place jointly.


BBC

Karrubi: Reformist or not?

What was the role of the parliament speeker in the events which took place in the parliament yesterday? He is accused of ignoring parliamentary rule by not puting the withdrawal of the press bill to the vote. Maria Sarsalary talked to Ahmad Salamatian, a former member of parliament >>> LISTEN HERE

NOTE: BBC link content changes every 24 hours

BBC Persian Service


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Quote Unquote

Progress...

We are living in a third world country. There is a 2,500-year history of despotism. It is natural that there should be resistance in the face of freedom. The judiciary respects neither the law, nor religious standards, nor public opinion. But the fact that they arrest their opponents, rather than kill them like they did before, is progress.

-- Mohsen Kadivar, dissident cleric
The Guardian
August 7, 2000


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