AFP, Jan. 9 - Iran's spiritual leader, Khamenei banned drinking Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola, because that would aid Zionism and the World Arrogance (United States).

High prices, falling rial

Kayhan, Jan. 4 - Quoting a retired employee: "The cost of sending abroad a five-kilogram gift is equivalent to my retirement pay of $45.00." This demonstrates that the cost of a 10-kilogram package that used to be $8.00 is $68.00. Tickets at D izin ski course used to be $1.45; they now cost $3.65.

Kayhan, Jan. 2 - A reader wrote that the price 1,000 pieces of bricks has risen from $4.36 to $7.30. Declining gas pressure and the closure of brick kilns have said to cause the price rises. Another reader wrote that the price of a television set sold by cooperatives to government employees has doubled from $284.00 to $582.00.

Jomhouri-Islamiv, Jan. 2- Poor timing in announcing commodity prices has delayed the implementation of the new phase of the plan to punish and fight those raising prices and hoarding goods. After a 20-day respite, neither pricing nor punishment s by government agents have been undertaken.

Reuters, Jan. 3 - The Iranian currency continued to lose its value, falling for the first time to 3,020 rials to a dollar. This reflects a failure in the government policy to stabilize the exchange rate. Last October, the regime arrested dozens of mon ey dealers and limited others to sell only $1,000 to people traveling abroad.

Sanctioning torture, assasinations abraod

Ressalat, Dec. 28 - The head of the Majlis Judicial Affairs Commission announced that the Majlis has begun debating the final adoption of the bill on "Islamic" punishments, particularly the portion dealing with ta'zirat (torture).

"The Commission's ratifications include specifying punishments for persons hindering the security forces' enforcing of their duties... and for Iranians abroad who conspire against Islam," he said.

NCR Secretariat, Jan. 3 - The adoption of this bill legalizes the assassination and torture of the Resistance's activists and Iranian dissidents outside Iran. The action is also intended to intimidate and terrorize Iranians abroad who have expressed their extensive support for the Iranian Resistance following the election of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi as the Resistance's President.

In July, 50,000 Iranians held rallies and demonstrations in 16 countries worldwide in support of Mrs. Rajavi.

Education in crisis

State television, Jan. 2 - Education Minister Najafi recalled that despite his ministry's extreme need for human resources, the employment status of 50,000 contract teachers is yet undetermined. Given the restrictions placed on the ministry, he added, the ministry has postponed admitting students in the country's specialized centers, reducing the capacity of teacher training centers from 37,000 to 16,000 students a year.

Tehran radio, Dec. 24 - A deputy to the Minister of Education said: "In addition to the shortage of educational settings, equipment, facilities and financial credits, we are 80% short in health instructors and 70% in athletics coaches... Each student has only 40 cm space for camping and 17 cm space for sports activities. This is 360% less than international standards. Ninety percent of schools lack a mess hall.

Satellite dishes

AFP, Jan. 2 - Interior Minister Ali Mohammad Besharati said that immediately after the Council of Guardians gives its final approval to the law banning satellite dishes, the security forces are prepared to destroy them. Anyone refusing to remove the ante nnas by then will be prosecuted, he stressed.

Factional feuding,

Ressalat, Dec. 29 - A Majlis deputy questioned lack of action by Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance concerning the bill signed into law by the Majlis, banning the ministries and government institutions from publishing and marketing newspapers or per iodicals. Referring to the daily Hamshahri, published by Tehran's municipality, he said: "Is this not a breech of that law?... The municipality should undertake its main tasks of collecting garbage, expanding the greenery and monitoring the correct impl ementation of the city's regulations; these are more useful than other peripheral activities."

Ressalat, Dec. 29 - There is no doubt that Hamshahri continues to be published without any legal permission. Published at the behest of Tehran's mayor, this is an outright breach of the law. These days, the Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, is promoting a daily called 'Iran." On the basis of what law and permission, IRNA is allowed to publish a newspaper.?

Crash kills air force chief

UPI, Jan. 8 - The air force commander, Brig. Gen. Mansour Sattari, and several other senior air force officers were killed when their JetStar plane crashed near Isfahan. Brigs. Ardestani, commander of operations; Yassini, chief of staff; Shoja'i, comm ander of engineering corps; Razaqi, commander of air force control, and seven other officers were also killed in the crash.

Waste, pollution

State television, Jan. 4 - Thirty percent of the 45 million cubic meters of water obtained from underground sources in the Central province are wasted. The province's Governor said the poor state of the water distribution network is the main reason fo r 13 million cubic meters of water being wasted annually.

Salam, Jan. 3 - One million cars using seven million liters of gasoline in Tehran everyday create two tons of lead daily.

Guards' top brass display fear of NLA, public uprisings

State television, Jan. 4 - A number of senior Guards Corps' commanders, including Rahim Safavi, Acting Commander in Chief; Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, the Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Mohammad Ali Ja'fari, the Ground Forces' Commander; mullah Ibrahim Ra zini, in charge of cultural and ideological affairs of the Guards Corps and the Head of the Special Clergy Court, and Alireza Afshar, the Commander of the Bassij Resistance Forces, took part in a roundtable discussion.

Referring to the presence of the "last remnants of counterrevolutionaries on foreign soil," Zolqadr boasted: "In the no war situation, the Guards Corps is defending the 700 km western border with utmost prowess, vigilance and preparedness...

"The Corps' another responsibility is to protect the country's sensitive and vital centers, major population areas, including Tehran and provincial capitals. Upon Khamenei's instructions, two years ago the Corps set up the Sarollah garrison to carry ou t this task, particularly in Tehran, the seat of the government and closely monitored by the Revolution's enemies. The garrison is now protecting Tehran with complete control and readiness. It has also set up similar garrisons in the country's major pop ulation centers in provincial capitals."

Protests, strikes continue in Iran cities

Instead of our regular weekly feature, this issue offers a brief on growing public discontent throughout Iran. Below is a compilation of some of the these incidents since the start of the new year

Isfahan, Jan. 8 - Strikes by students at Isfahan's Azad University branches in Najaf-Abad, Khomeini-Shahr and Khorasgan, begun on January 5, in protest to the doubling of tuition, forced the university officials to back down and temporarily postpone th e tuition increases.

Mashad, Jan. 4 - Students in Khosravi high school in the northeastern city of Mashad clashed with Bassijis and set on fire the school and the Bassij center therein. The protests spilled over to nearby streets, where the students destroyed a number of government centers. Local officials arrested at least two students and stationed Guards at the scene of the clashes.

Kashan, Jan. 5 - Students at the Technical College of Aran and Bidgol, near the city of Kashan (central Iran), clashed with the Guards Corps, setting the college's bus ablaze. The Guards arrested a number of the students.

Shahr-e Kord, Jan. 5 - Students at Shahr-e Kurd University, western Iran, staged a protest against the policies of the university officials. Two students were arrested.

Zabol, Jan. 5 - Students at the university in this southeastern city held a rally to protest the university's lack of accommodations for the students.

Tehran, Jan. 5 - Physiotherapy students at Tehran's medical school held a protest gathering in front of the Rehabilitation Department, demanding that officials review the situation of the students and graduates.

Fereidoon Kenar, Jan. 5 - dozens of families in this city in northern Iran, protested against the authorities' inaction to halt the rising waters of the Caspian Sea. Two days later, flood waters swept away an elementary school student as she tried to cross the school's yard. Clashes broke out as Guards were sent to prevent her parents and other families from beating up the school's principal.

Isfahan, Jan. 4 - Scores of students began a sit-in across campus at the University of Isfahan, preventing vehicles from entering the university's premises. The action was taken to protest the oppressive conduct of the officials and their disregard fo r the students' demands. The mullahs' regime has segregated the buses, allocating a few to female and a number to male students. The sit-in continues despite threats by authorities.

Isfahan, Jan. 4 - Shopkeepers in Isfahan clashed with security forces attempting to arrest one of them. Guards' reinforcements clamped down on the shopkeepers, arrested the said person and locked up his shop.

Nahavand, Jan. 4 - Dozens of invalids gathered in front of the Governor's Office in the city of Nahavand (western Iran). They protested authorities' disregard for their needs and chanted antigovernment slogans.

Source:

The Mojahedin command headquarters inside Iran,
Iran Zamin weekly,
Tehran dailies

Back Home