Writers arrested

Radio France International, Sep. 17 - Thirteen Iranian writers were arrested by the Islamic Republic's security forces over the past week. The writers had gathered at the residence of the editor-in-chief of Takapoo magazine... to decide on the bylaws of a writers' center. They were interrogated and subsequently released on condition that they refrain from any further activities.

Garden parties banned!

Kayhan, Sep. 17 - The commander of Tehran's Security Forces warned people against holding garden parties in the suburbs which violate the Islamic code of behavior.

Written pledge not to violate the code!

Iran Zamin, Sep. 16 - According to a document received from Iran, any body intending to hold wedding parties or any other form of receptions, must sign a written guaranty with the Ministry of Interior promising not to infringe the regime's repressive regulations, otherwise the bride, the groom and the guests may be flogged, or their properties confiscated.

According to the Interior Ministry's form, the bride and her companions must be completely covered from head to toe; men are completely banned from entering the women's section; use of all musical instruments is banned inside the salon or in the cars; use of ornaments on the bridal car is restricted; taking films or photograph from the bridal caravan is banned; escorting the bridal caravan with motorcycles and hunking in the city are also prohibited.

Cultural repression

Akhbar daily, Sep. 17 - In a meeting entitled "cultural confrontation with manifestations of corruption," the Minister of Interior emphasized on the need to continue confrontation with "the manifestations of Western culture," which include women who do not properly observe the Islamic veil in public places.

Jewish emigration

Iran Zamin Weekly, Sep. 16 - The Jewish minority in Iran has dropped from 120,000 before the revolution to around 20 to 25 thousand, at the present time. Lack of judicial security and anti-semitic overtone in the regime's policies have been noted as the reasons for Jewish emigration to other countries.

FOREIGN

Mubarak incriminates Tehran>

Reuters, Sep. 17 - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Iran helped the gunmen who tried to kill him in Addis Ababa last year.

"There is information, the source for which is the confessions of the terrorists who were arrested. They confessed that Iran was involved and that it helped Sudan organize this operation," he told the London-based newspaper Al-Hayat....

S. Africa dismisses Tehran's claims

Reuters, Sep. 17 - Pretoria said in a statement that it strongly denied Iranian media reports that the two presidents had issued a joint communiqué after [Rafsanjani's] visit which ended on Saturday, expressing satisfaction with human rights and democracy in Iran.

Mutual pact against dissidents

Reuter, Sep. 17 - Turkish Interior Minister Mehmet Agar said an Iranian delegation had proposed a joint military operation against the PKK rebels trying to cross into Turkey from bases across the border in Iran...

Agar said Iran had also complained that outlawed Iranian groups were operating from Turkish territory, and that a security committee of officials from both countries would visit the eastern provinces of Agri and Van by Turkey's Iranian border to work on ways of tightening border security on both sides.

Capitalizing on Kurds

Reuter, Sep. 11 - Tehran this week appealed for international aid, saying nearly 200,000 refugees were approaching. UNHCR officials in Geneva said up to 75,000 people were on the move, although some were later reported returning home.

AP, Sep. 13 - Ahmad Hosseini, an official in Iran's Interior Ministry, said an additional 160,000 displaced people were stranded on the Iraqi side of the border. But the United Nations said it estimates only 15,000 are camped on the Iraqi side of the border.

The Christian Science Monitor, Sep. 17- UN officials in Tehran say they have released $3.6 million in emergency funds. Tehran is some 15 hours away by car, and little help has made it to the remote camps so far.

Norway to press for sanctions Iran Zamin, Sep. 16 - Norway is pushing through the UN for trade sanctions against the Iranian regime, said Mr. Eduard Grimstad, vice-president of the parliament, in an interview with the national radio, P4.

EU placates mullahs

NCR statement, Sep. 21- The National Council of Resistance strongly condemned the EU's projected agreement with Iran's terrorist theocracy over the fatwa to kill Salman Rushdie. The mullahs have reportedly promised not to carry out the fatwa on European soil. The Troika delegation has obviously sanctioned the regime's official persistence on upholding the fatwa and enforcing it outside Europe.

The negotiations with the Troika will not stop the mullahs from dispatching terrorists to Europe or hiring non-Iranian agents to carry out terrorist operations including the assassination of Salman Rushdie.

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