Back to Brief on Iran
TEHRAN - A group of Islamic vigilantes harassed foreign tourists who were in the central city of Isfahan to view the last total solar eclipse of the 20th century, the official newspaper Iran reported on Thursday.
It said tourists were harassed by hardline "hezbollah" vigilantes while visiting historic sites on Wednesday.
"A group of about 30 hezbollahis gathered and chanted 'Death to America' and other slogans against the style of dress of the female tourists," it said.
Under Iran's interpretation of Islamic
dress codes, women must cover the hair and disguise the shape of their
bodies when in public.
IRGC Commander: IRGC Follows Political Line of Leadership, State-Controlled Tehran Times, August 11
HAMEDAN - Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) General Yahya Rahim Safavi said here on Tuesday that the IRGC follows the definite political line of the leadership, which was once the late Imam's political viewpoints and now those of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei who is Vali-e Faqih (supreme religious jurisprudent)….
"Some segment of press are weakening the IRGC, the Information Ministry, Majlis and government…," regretted Safavi….
He said that Basijis protect internal
security and serve as a powerful deterrent force against foreigners' incursion…
Safavi said that in the Third Five-Year Development Plan (2000-2004) number
of Basijis is expected to double the present figure [five million] with
a view to confronting domestic and foreign conspiracies.
Everyone Is Lying, State-Controlled Daily Arya, August 4
During the visit to the student's dormitories by 50 members, Dr. Kouhi, head of Tehran University's dormitories, told them: "More than 2,000 university applicants were beaten up… The State Security Force announced that only 120 persons had taken part in the march, but it presented a list of 250 detainees. Assuming that the 120 persons who protested were arrested, the rest must have been dragged out of their beds in the middle of the night and assaulted brutally…."
Kouhi added: "Jamali with the highest marks in the 1993 entrance exam, was blinded because tear gas was fired directly at him. Where in the world is tear gas lobbed directly at people's faces? Now, there is a list of 65 other students who are about to be arrested."
"The State Security Force fired directly at the students. The Interior Minister and other government authorities were among the students, when one of them was shot in the eye and died later [in the hospital]. What can one do? He was only two meters away from Mr. Tajzadeh (Deputy Interior Minister)," Kouhi lamented.
"We spent more than 250 million rials, to wipe off the blood of students from the dormitories' floors, walls and doors," he said.
Kouhi added: "The morning after the
incident, we went to Province's Security Council… The acting
commander of the State Security Force, Nazari, gave a completely false
report except for the verse he read from the Quran. Fifteen days later,
he is submitting a totally different story. Everyone has restored to lies
while there are no excuses justifying the attack on the dormitories."
"People May Be Disillusioned" About Khatami, State-Controlled Daily Sobh-E Emrouz, August 4
People are getting ahead of developments.
If that happens, Mr. Khatami would lag behind. This is dangerous for the
state, because the public may be disillusioned and look to other solutions.
Three Dead in Armed Robbery in Iranian Holy City, Agence France Presse, August 12
Tehran - Three people were killed and seven others wounded in an unusual daylight armed robbery in Iran's holy city of Qom, the daily Kayhan reported Thursday.
Kayhan reported that one of those killed was the head of the Massumeh mausoleum. The mausoleum is a major site of pilgrimage for Shiite Moslems.
One of the robbers was set upon by the shopkeepers, and injured in the hand, but the others managed to escape, IRNA said. It did not say how many were involved.
Iranian law prescribes the death penalty for armed robbery.