Spotlight on Iran (Week of May 12-19, 2011)

Highlights of the week Majles, government still at odds over ministry merger "Arab spring has come to Palestine”: Nakba Day as seen by Iranian press Subsidy policy reform beginning to take effect: sharp increase in gas prices World Media Day: criticism of low internet penetration; details on website filtering by authorities

Majles, government still at odds over ministry merger

Last weekend President Ahmadinejad announced the dismissal of the petroleum minister, the welfare minister, and the industry minister. The president’s announcement reflects his determination to implement the government’s decision to merge these ministries with the energy, labor, and commerce ministries, respectively—despite reservations voiced by the Majles about the implementation of the plan.

The disagreement between the government and the Majles over this issue reached a new peak last weekend when Majles speaker Ali Larijani accused the president of violating the law, while the president said Larijani considered himself the sole representative of the law and accused him of working against the government. The controversy between the two branches called for the intervention of the Supreme Leader and the Guardian Council, which took the side of the Majles and ruled that the president must submit his ministry merger plan to the Majles’ approval.

Following the president’s announcement, his opponents strongly criticized the dismissal of the three ministers before the Majles approved the merger of the government ministries. The critics argued that the dismissal announcement was designed to let Ahmadinejad continue the ministry merger despite reservations from the Majles and the Guardian Council.

It has also been argued that leaving three important economic ministries, particularly the Petroleum Ministry, without a permanent minister severely compromises Iran’s national interests and international status, and may even jeopardize the future of its oil industry.

"Arab spring has come to Palestine”: Nakba Day as seen by Iranian press

This week the Iranian press has widely reported the Nakba Day events, even though they were relegated to a relatively marginal place compared to the coverage of domestic political happenings in Iran.

Editorials in major conservative newspapers were dedicated to the anniversary of the State of Israel’s establishment, and non-surprisingly expressed Iran’s official, well-known stance towards Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Iranian press claimed that this year’s Nakba Day events were marked by the wave of popular uprisings that spread across the Arab world in recent months, and also reflected the key position of the Palestinian issue on the regional agenda.

According to the daily Keyhan, the Nakba Day events in the Arab world show that the wave of support for the Palestinian cause has now for the first time spread beyond Palestine’s physical borders, and that protecting the Palestinians is currently the top priority for the Muslim nations. Thanks to the waves of Islamic awakening the Palestinian nation is now in Muslim hearts, and the Israelis themselves admit that Israel’s position on the international scene has grown weaker and that it is undergoing a process of crumbling.

The daily Resalat also associated the Nakba Day events with the happenings in the Arab world, arguing that their effect could be felt in the large-scale demonstrations held in Arab countries on the occasion of Nakba Day, being a symbol of Islamic awakening in the region. The Palestinian people have come to realize that it no longer has to face Israel alone, and that the Muslim nations—and even those that are not Muslim—will stand by their side until Israel’s coming defeat.

Subsidy policy reform beginning to take effect: sharp increase in gas prices

Recent data released by the National Iranian Gas Company indicate that the price of gas has sharply increased by 66 to 100 percent this past month. The price of gas for home consumption has increased from 70 tomans (about 7 cents) per cubic meter last year to 120 tomans.

The sharp increase in gas prices is stirring considerable public criticism. Majles Energy Committee member Jahanbakhsh Amini strongly criticized the way home consumption gas prices are calculated under the subsidy policy reform, warning that many citizens will not pay their gas bills as a result of the dramatic price increase.

A blog entry published by an Iranian blogger says that the gas bills recently sent to Iranian citizens are cause for severe distress, and that many have no intention of paying them.

Meanwhile, Majles Economy Committee member Mohammad-Reza Khabbaz has warned this week that this year’s inflation rate in Iran could reach 40 to 50 percent.

World Media Day: criticism of low internet penetration;
details on website filtering by authorities 

On the occasion of World Media Day, marked on May 17, Iranian media criticized the insufficient internet penetration rate in Iran compared to other world countries. According to Iranian media, the main reason for the relatively low penetration rate is the faulty internet infrastructure and the restrictions imposed by the authorities on connection speed.

In its editorial, the economic daily Donya-ye Eqtesad emphasized the figures released by the National Internet Development Center, according to which about 70 percent of Iran’s web surfers use slow connections. The daily called on the government to acknowledge the large difference between Iran and other world countries in the sphere of internet development, and look into ways to expand the use of broadband connections and improve the citizens’ web surfing quality.

The Majles Research Center also addressed the need for increased government involvement in programs to promote information technology and the internet. A report published by the center last week, dealing with computer and information technology projects included in the multi-year development program, calls on the government to secure the necessary financial resources for the implementation of the development program and not let existing cyber threats put the projects on hold.

Meanwhile, Iran’s media has published information on the authorities’ policy of website filtering. According to the information, a committee headed by the judiciary has set five main criteria for filtering websites: publication of content that undermines public morality, content that offends the sanctity of Islam, content that compromises public safety and order, content that goes against state authorities and government institutions, and content that encourages computer crime.

Citing unofficial data, Mehr News Agency reported that 90 percent of the websites filtered by the Iranian authorities operate outside of the country, and 10 percent are Iranian websites.

 

Majles, government still at odds over ministry merger

Last weekend President Ahmadinejad announced the dismissal of Mas’oud Mir-Kazemi, the petroleum minister; Sadeq Mahsouli, the welfare minister; and Ali-Akbar Mehrabian, the industry minister. The announcement was made as part of the implementation of the government’s decision to merge these ministries with the energy, labor, and commerce ministries, respectively. Mehdi Ghazanfari, the commerce minister, was put in charge of the Industry Ministry, while Abdolreza Sheikholeslami, the labor minister, was put in charge of the Welfare Ministry. The Petroleum Ministry was left without an appointed minister, and the president announced he will take charge of the ministry himself.

The president’s announcement on the three ministers’ dismissal came several hours after some Iranian media reported that the government and the Majles had resolved their major differences on the merger of the government ministries. The disagreement reached a new peak last weekend when Majles speaker Ali Larijani accused the president of violating the law, while the president said Larijani considered himself the sole representative of the law and accused him of working against the government. At the height of the controversy, the Majles speaker claimed that merging the ministries without the Majles’ approval was illegal and that the ministers should retain their posts as long as the Majles has not approved the ministry merger and the ministers in charge of the ministries the government has decided to merge have not obtained a vote of confidence.

The dismissed ministers (right to left): Mir-Kazemi, Mehrabian, Mahsouli
(Donya-ye Eqtesad, May 15)

The controversy between the two branches called for the intervention of the Supreme Leader and the Guardian Council, which took the side of the Majles and ruled that the president must submit his ministry merger plan to the Majles’ approval. Council chairman Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati ruled that according to Article 133 of Iran’s constitution, any change in the ministers’ authorities as well as any merger of government ministries requires the approval of the Majles, and that the ministers in charge of merged ministries are considered new ministers and are therefore required to obtain a vote of confidence from the Majles members.

Following the president’s announcement on the dismissal of the ministers, the Majles speaker said he was not interested in discussing the values lying behind the decision, adding that the controversy over the ministry merger issue had been resolved following a meeting he had held with the president, which was also attended by the Supreme Leader (Fars, May 14). 

Despite Larijani’s remarks, several Majles members strongly criticized the president’s decision to lay off the three ministers before the Majles has approved the merger of the government ministries. The president’s critics claimed that the president’s decision was a manipulation designed to allow him to continue the ministry merger process despite the objections of the Majles and the Guardian Council. Critics also claimed that leaving three important economic ministries, particularly the Petroleum Ministry, without a permanent minister severely compromises Iran’s national interests.

Majles Research Center chairman Ahmad Tavakoli said that the ministers’ dismissal is inconsistent with the constitution and with national interests. According to Tavakoli, the simultaneous impeachment of the three ministers sends a message of instability to Iran’s society and to the international community. Tavakoli, considered one of the president’s strongest political opponents in the conservative bloc, claimed that the government should have submitted to the approval of the Majles a bill specifying the government ministries to be merged and the authorities of the new ministries, during which time the three government ministers should have retained their posts. He added that leaving ministries without ministers before the Majles had approved the merger was uncalled for, and that the dismissal will have an adverse effect on Iran’s national economy and internal politics (Mehr, May 14).

Majles member Ali-Asghar Zare’i also criticized the ministers’ dismissal, saying that even though it was in the president’s power to lay off government ministries, his decision ran counter to national interests. It is inappropriate, Zare’i claimed, for three main economic ministries to function without full-time ministers, let alone in a year declared by the Supreme Leader as the "year of economic jihad” (Fars, May 14).

At the same time, Majles deputy speaker Mohammad Reza Bahonar sent a letter to the president claiming that the decision to lay off three ministers before the Majles had confirmed the authorities of the new ministries merged by the government was legally problematic (Fars, May 15).

Most media also criticized the president’s decision to lay off the three ministers in the merger. The economic daily Jahan-e San’at (World of Industry) argued that, on top of the legal aspect of the decision, there are many questions about the ministers’ dismissal that the government needs to answer. An editorial published by the daily states that the president should have waited to obtain the Majles’ approval for the merger before laying off the ministers, and that the ministers’ dismissal does not benefit the country under the current political and economic conditions (Jahan-e San’at, May 15).

Farda, a website affiliated with the pragmatic conservative bloc, expressed concerns that following the dismissal of Mir-Kazemi, the petroleum minister, Iran may lose its status as the president of OPEC, the organization of petroleum exporting countries, since only a minister or acting minister may serve as the organization’s president (Farda, May 15). Mehr News Agency reported this week that, having taken on himself the role of petroleum minister, Ahmadinejad himself may be appointed as the president of OPEC.

The economic daily Donya-ye Eqtesad (World of Economy) argued that the president’s decision could have severe repercussions for the oil industry. The decision to merge the petroleum and energy ministries was taken without first consulting with experts, according to an editorial published by the daily. The oil industry has no room for experimentation. It is an industry that requires organizational and executive stability, and does not tolerate new organizational changes. Reckless decisions may endanger the development of the oil industry and the oil fields, and may pose a threat to Iran’s status in the global oil industry (Donya-ye Eqtesad, May 16).

The government daily Iran was among the few to express support for the president’s decision. An article by Ali-Akbar Javanfekr, the president’s media advisor, strongly criticized Majles Research Center chairman Ahmad Tavakoli for the remarks he had made with regard to the affair. The dismissal of the three ministers and the Majles speaker’s statement that the merger issue had been resolved show that Tavakoli’s claims are groundless and that the government had acted appropriately and in accordance with the law. Javanfekr called on Tavakoli to put an end to the extremist statements against the president and the government, since his views and remarks compromise the position of Majles members (Iran, May 15).

"Arab spring has come to Palestine”: Nakba Day as seen by Iranian press

This week the Iranian press has widely reported the Nakba Day events, even though they were relegated to a relatively marginal place compared to the coverage of domestic political happenings in Iran.

Editorials in major conservative newspapers were dedicated to the anniversary of the State of Israel’s establishment, and non-surprisingly expressed Iran’s official, well-known stance towards Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Iranian press claimed that this year’s Nakba Day events reflected the key position of the Palestinian issue on the regional agenda amidst the wave of popular uprisings that spread across the Middle East and North Africa in recent months.

An editorial published by the conservative daily Keyhan on the anniversary of "the formation of the illicit seed known as the false, barbaric Zionist regime” said that the 63rd Nakba Day was unlike all the other anniversaries of Israel’s establishment marked before. The Palestinian-led struggle against the Zionists has endured for years, and in recent years there has been more evidence for the coming death of the "Zionist regime”. The recent developments in the Middle East and North Africa, however, have been a catalyst for the process of Israel’s death. After six decades of crime, bloodshed, and considerable efforts towards the realization of the slogan "from the Tigris to the Euphrates”, the Zionists are currently facing despair and helplessness. Faced with the Islamic awakening, the Israelis themselves admit that they are concerned about the possibility of yet another revolution in the region that would jeopardize Israel.

The daily argued that the latest Nakba Day demonstrations have deeper meaning than in previous years. "The great, blessed event” that has occurred is that the wave of support for the Palestinian cause has spread beyond Palestine’s physical borders, and protecting the Palestinian people is now the top priority for the Muslim nations and the independent, freedom-loving governments, after three decades during which the role of Palestine’s defender was played solely by Iran.

On the anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel, the slogan of the nations rising up against the region’s dictators is not only "the people want the regime to fall”, but "down, down with Israel”. Egypt’s desire to establish relations with Iran and Hamas, two of the United States’ and Israel’s greatest enemies, is yet another proof of Israel’s predicament and the change in the regional balance of power in favor of the resistance camp. Thanks to recent regional developments and the waves of Islamic awakening, the Palestinian nation is now in Muslim hearts, and the Israelis themselves admit that Israel’s position on the international scene has grown weaker and that it is undergoing a process of crumbling.

Nakba Day, Keyhan concluded, marks the beginning of the third intifada. In the not too distant future, the friends of Khomeini and the nation of Hezbollah may witness a Middle East where Israel and American domination are a thing of the past (Keyhan, May 16).

The daily Qods also argued that Nakba Day reflected the crumbling of the State of Israel and the change in its position as a result of regional developments. Sixty-three years after Palestine was occupied the Palestinians are still under occupation, but a simple analysis of Tel-Aviv’s situation indicates that with each passing day, the leaders of the "Zionist regime” are becoming increasingly besieged by world public opinion and their enemies.

While the idea of Zionism did grow in strength in the first years after Israel’s establishment thanks to Western support, in recent years it has been on the decline in view of Israel’s repeated defeats. Israel is facing numerous internal problems, primarily migration outflow and its citizens’ considerable disappointment with the continuing efforts to expand and further establish Zionism. The Zionist regime is facing a weakness so severe that those media affiliated with it are forced to admit this weakness.

The identity of the Palestinian people is currently recognized across the globe, and the Palestinian resistance has revitalized the three of intrepidity in Palestine. One should hope that the world’s freedom-loving people will soon bear witness to the fruits of the tree—that is, the collapse of the Zionist regime.

May 15 is the anniversary of Palestine’s loss, but it can increase awareness and knowledge of the enemy among Muslims wherever they are. The Zionists are now afraid of their own shadow, and Nakba Day teaches the Zionists that they cannot occupy lands without paying the price (Qods, May 16).

The daily Resalat also associated the Nakba Day events with the happenings in the Arab world. The effect of the popular uprisings in the Middle East is evident in the large-scale demonstrations held by Muslim nations on the occasion of Nakba Day, Resalat said. These historic demonstrations are a symbol of Islamic awakening in the region. Those who took part in them came not only to express sympathy with the Palestinian people, but also to avenge the blood of the Palestinians and Lebanese murdered by Israel and demand that their rights be restored.

The leaders of Israel must get used to the fact that the slogan "death to Israel” will be heard all across the globe from now on. The Palestinian people have come to realize that they no longer have to face Israel alone, and that the world’s Muslim and even non-Muslim nations will stand by their side until Israel’s defeat (Resalat, May 17).

Subsidy policy reform beginning to take effect: sharp increase in gas prices

National Iranian Gas Company figures published by Iran’s media this week indicate that the price of gas has sharply increased by 66 to 100 percent this past month. Fars News Agency reported that the price of gas for home consumption has increased from 70 tomans (about 7 cents) per cubic meter last year to 120 tomans. In the government and business sector, the price of gas increased from 100 to 200 tomans per cubic meter, while gas for agricultural consumption increased from 60 to 100 tomans per cubic meter.

The sharp increase in gas prices is stirring considerable public criticism. Majles Energy Committee member Jahanbakhsh Amini strongly criticized the way home consumption gas prices are calculated under the subsidy policy reform, warning that many citizens will not pay their gas bills as a result of the dramatic price increase. He said that the calculation of the gas prices was unreasonable and inappropriate, and that it did not take into account Iran’s normal minimum gas consumption: about 120 cubic meters per month for a two-person family. Amini said he had received many complaints from people whose gas bills amounted to 500-600 thousand tomans, warning that the National Iranian Gas Company may be in trouble if large numbers of citizens decide not to pay their bills.

Majles member Abdolreza Torabi also criticized the way the gas prices have been increased, saying that the increase should have been gradual and taken place over a period of five years. By opting for a sudden increase in the prices of energy products, the government has created a situation where the cash benefits it transfers to Iranian citizens’ bank accounts are not enough for them to pay their bills (Mardom Salari, May 16). 

A blog entry published by an Iranian blogger says that the gas bills recently sent to Iranian citizens are cause for severe distress, and that many have no intention of paying them. According to the blogger, several days ago a taxi driver who makes 200,000 tomans a month told her he had received a 150,000-toman gas bill. He became so upset that he tore the gas bill to pieces. Of every 10 people she talked to about the situation, 6 to 8 told her that they did not intend to pay their gas bills (http://z8un.com, April 27).

Iranians paying their gas bills

The prices of food are also expected to increase in the coming weeks. The head of Iran’s union of food vendors has reported this week that the prices of about 70 percent of all food products will rise by 9 to 12 percent next month (Fars, May 17).

Meanwhile, Majles Economy Committee member Mohammad-Reza Khabbaz has warned this week that this year’s inflation rate in Iran could reach 40 to 50 percent. He noted that while the government has brought in provisions to monitor price increases following the implementation of the subsidy policy reform, these are temporary measures that cannot hold back price increases for long (Aftab, May 13).

World Media Day: criticism of low internet penetration; details on website filtering by authorities

On the occasion of World Media Day, marked on May 17, Iranian media criticized the insufficient internet penetration rate in Iran compared to other world countries. According to Iranian media, the main reason for the relatively low penetration rate is the faulty internet infrastructure and the restrictions imposed by the authorities, which make it impossible for Iranians to surf the web at an acceptable speed.

Earlier this week, the economic daily Donya-ye Eqtesad (World of Economy) published an editorial titled "Internet penetration in Iran: figures and doubts”. The daily expressed its disapproval of the fact that there exist contradictory figures on internet penetration rate in Iran: the National Internet Development Center estimates Iran’s internet penetration rate at 32.6 percent; the Statistical Center of Iran puts the number at 11 percent; while the figure given by the Internet World Stats organization is 54 percent.

The daily emphasized the data released by the Internet Development Center, according to which 70 percent of Iran’s web users have low-speed connections, while only a small percentage (about one and a half million web users) enjoy high-speed internet access, which is still slow compared to other countries due to the access speed limitations imposed by the authorities (up to 128 kbps). This means that the country’s relevant authorities, particularly the Telecommunications Ministry and the internet service providers, do not effectively cater to the demands of the web users. The daily called on the authorities in charge to bring Iran’s internet access figures in line with other countries, recognize the sizeable difference between Iran and the rest of the world, and look into ways to improve access to fast internet connections and improve the surfing quality of Iranian citizens (Donya-ye Eqtesad, May 15). Mehr News Agency also provided up-to-date information on the number of web users. According to National Internet Development Center data, there were 24,550,000 web users in Iran in March 2011 (representing a penetration rate of 32.6 percent compared to 26.5 percent in March 2010 and 21.8 percent in March 2009). The National Internet Development Center considers every person over the age of two who uses the internet at least once a month as a web user. About 10 million users (some 41 percent of the total web-surfing population) use wireless connections (GPRS) to access the internet, 7 million (about 29 percent) use dial-up modems, 1.4 million (5.7 percent) access the internet using ADSL lines, and 5.6 million (23.3 percent) connect through optic fiber technology.

Mehr News Agency stressed that the internet penetration rate in Iran is low compared to other countries, including some of Iran’s neighbors. Even in countries with similar internet penetration rates (such as Turkey), web users enjoy much greater access to high-speed connections (Mehr, May 14).

This week, the Majles Research Center discussed the need for increased government involvement in initiatives to promote information technology and the internet as part of the multi-year development program. According to the program, about 60 percent of Iranians should gain access to high-speed internet by 2016-2017.

A report published by the center last weekend specifies the projects included in the multi-year information technology and computer development program. The center argued that it is highly important to meet the goals outlined in the program, such as the expansion of electronic government and high-speed internet services.

According to the report, despite cyber threats that, in the past, held back the development of some internet projects, it is necessary to turn the threats into opportunities and continue the trend of information technology development in light of its significance for Iran’s economic and social progress. The Majles Research Center stated that the government must secure the necessary financial resources for the implementation of the multi-year development program (Majles Research Center website, May 13).

Meanwhile, Iran’s media has published information on the authorities’ policy of website filtering. Last year, in accordance with the computer crime law, the judiciary established a committee headed by the prosecutor-general to decide on criteria for website filtering. Members of the committee include representatives from the ministries of education, telecommunications, intelligence, justice, science, and Islamic guidance, the head of the Islamic Propaganda Organization, the head of Iran Broadcasting, a representative on behalf of the internal security forces, an information technology expert, and a Majles representative.

The committee set five main criteria for filtering websites: publication of content that undermines public morality, content that offends the sanctity of Islam, content that compromises public safety and order, content that goes against state authorities and government institutions, and content that encourages computer crime.

Among other things, the authorities filter websites involved in the sale or illegal distribution of passwords and data that may provide access to websites or government and public information; websites that publish content on web espionage, computer system hacking, or encouragement of computer crime; websites involved in illegal online trade or commercial activity; websites that distribute software for combating website filtering or guides on circumventing website filtering; websites that spread content encouraging violence, suicide, and drug use; websites that publish information or links to websites shut down by the authorities, disqualified publications, or media affiliated with groups or factions acting against the law; websites that encourage such crime as violation of public order, damage to property, robbery, forgery, and drug and alcohol smuggling; websites that publish content prohibited by the Supreme National Security Council; websites that publish illegal audio and video works, or works unapproved by the Islamic Guidance Ministry.

Mehr News Agency reported that, according to unofficial data, about 10 percent of websites filtered by the Iranian authorities operate inside Iran, while the remaining 90 percent are foreign-based websites. In an interview given to the news agency, Issa Zarepour, the managing director of the Islamic Guidance Ministry’s Digital Media and IT Development Center, said that the Telecommunications Ministry, rather than the Islamic Guidance Ministry, is responsible for website filtering. Zarepour denied media reports claiming the budget earmarked for website filtering amounts to 18 billion tomans (about 18 million dollars).

Pictures of the week: Iranian flotilla for Bahrain’s Shi’ites

 

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