Spotlight on Iran (Week of May 5-12, 2011)

Highlights of the week Top conservative clerics put pressure on Ahmadinejad to fully obey Khamenei amidst political conflict between president, Supreme Leader Eye on Europe: Supreme Leader’s remark on spread of "Islamic awakening” to Europe makes waves Iranian media widely reports former Mossad leader’s statement on military attack in Iran Lean government: government decides to merge 8 economic ministries and reduce number of ministers from 21 to 17  Enforcement of Islamic dress code increases as summer approaches

Top conservative clerics put pressure on Ahmadinejad to fully obey Khamenei amidst political conflict between president, Supreme Leader

As the political conflict between Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad over Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi’s removal affair continues, this week top conservative clerics have voiced criticism of the president’s conduct in the affair, demanding that he comply with the Supreme Leader’s instructions.

Tehran’s Friday prayer leader Kazem Sediqi stressed that obedience to the Supreme Leader is imperative, saying that without the Supreme Leader’s support the government could lose the support of the people. In a direct address to the president at a religious conference, Sediqi said that words are not enough and that actions are needed to prove Ahmadinejad’s loyalty to the Supreme Leader. Referring to the president’s recent claim of having a father-and-son relationship with Khamenei, Sediqi noted that the Supreme Leader’s relationship with the president is nothing like that between a father and a son, since the president is a soldier of the Supreme Leader and owes him total obedience.

Top cleric Ahmad Khatami has also joined the ranks of the top conservative clerics criticizing the president. In an interview granted to Shoma, a periodical released by the conservative Islamic Coalition Party, Khatami said that if it wasn’t for the Supreme Leader’s support, Ahmadinejad would not have won so many votes in the last presidential elections.

Khatami criticized Ahmadinejad’s demonstrative ten-day absence from work, saying that people expected him to immediately implement the Supreme Leader’s instructions, convene the government, and promptly announce the intelligence minister’s reinstatement in accordance with the decree issued by the Supreme Leader.

Eye on Europe: Supreme Leader’s remark on spread of "Islamic awakening” to Europe makes waves

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s statement that the Islamic awakening that began in the Middle East and North Africa is expected to reach the heart of Europe has sent shockwaves through Iran.

In his last sermon, Friday prayer leader Kazem Sediqi cited the Supreme Leader’s remark, saying that the European nations humiliated by the U.S. are bound to rise up sooner or later.

An editorial in a weekly published on behalf of the Revolutionary Guards said that the Supreme Leader’s statement reflected an unavoidable truth. The upheavals in the Middle East and Africa have shown that the people’s wishes may well topple regimes that have lasted for decades, and the European nations are no exception to this rule. According to the weekly, the main causes of growing resistance in Europe, mainly dependence on the U.S. and internal instability, already exist, and before long Islamic awakening will affect Europe as well.

Conservative newspapers have also estimated that conditions are ripe for the spread of popular uprisings to Europe, as the continent’s public opinion is growing increasingly hostile to the policy of the U.S. and Israel. The daily Resalat argued that the citizens of Europe are no longer willing to bear the burden of the economic crisis brought about by governments serving the interests of the U.S. and Israel, and that the message carried by the Islamic awakening is therefore likely to fall on receptive ears also in Europe.

Iranian media widely reports former Mossad leader’s statement on military attack in Iran

A statement made by former Israeli Mossad chief Meir Dagan that an airstrike on Iran’s nuclear facilities is a foolish idea has stirred a great deal of interest in Iran this past week and gained extensive coverage from various news agencies and news websites.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast addressed Dagan’s remarks during his weekly press conference, saying that the "Zionists’ admission” of their foolish ideas was worthy of attention.

The conservative daily Keyhan claimed that Dagan’s statement and the comments it drew in Israel reflect "the Zionists’ helplessness and confusion” over the way to deal with Iran’s growing power.

The criticism provoked by Dagan’s statement in Israel, particularly that voiced by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, has also been extensively covered on Iran’s media.

The Iranian Diplomacy website said that Dagan’s statement is a reflection of differences of opinion in Israel’s leadership over the use of the military option with regard to Iran. An editorial published by the website said that the differences of opinion become sharper in light of the recent developments in the Middle East and the change in the regional balance of power. The website warned that a more negative approach from Iran’s Arab neighbors in the Persian Gulf towards its nuclear program may prompt Israel to reexamine the various options it has for dealing with Iran.

Lean government: government decides to merge 8 economic ministries and reduce number of ministers from 21 to 17 

This week the government has decided to merge eight economic ministries, bringing the number of ministers down from 21 to 17. The following have been merged on the government’s decision: the Petroleum Ministry and the Energy Ministry; the Labor Ministry and the Welfare and Social Services Ministry; the Housing Ministry and the Transportation Ministry; and the Commerce Ministry and the Industry and Mines Ministry. The government’s decision is part of the five-year economic program, designed to streamline the performance of the executive branch.

On the backdrop of the political power struggle between the government and the Majles, the government structure reform has also stirred tensions between the two authorities. Majles speaker Ali Larijani argued that the government’s decision was illegal as it had not been submitted to the approval of the Majles. Earlier, Larijani had sent the president a memo demanding he promptly submit his candidate for transportation and housing minister for the Majles’ consideration. According to Larijani, since it has been three months since the Majles impeached former transportation minister Hamid Behbahani in a vote of no confidence, the government must present the new minister to the Majles. Government representatives claim that since the transportation and housing ministries have been merged and placed under the authority of the current housing minister, there is no need for a Majles vote of confidence.

The decision to merge the Petroleum Ministry and the Energy Ministry was particularly criticized on grounds that, given its significance and complexity, the Petroleum Ministry should have remained independent.

Enforcement of Islamic dress code increases as summer approaches

This week, the morality police chief has announced tougher measures to enforce the Islamic dress code ahead of the summer season. He noted that the enforcement program will be more extensive and serious than ever before, and that police presence in public places will be increased. The program, employing 70 thousand policemen, will include enforcing the Islamic dress code in public places, stopping cars driving women without veils, and taking measures against dog owners walking their pets in public.

In previous years, the internal security forces also stepped up measures to enforce the Islamic dress code ahead of the summer season. Despite heavier enforcement since the conservatives regained power in 2005, in recent years clerics and conservative circles have repeatedly claimed that the government’s enforcement policy is unsatisfactory. They even accused the president of taking an overly tolerant approach with regard to Islamic dress code enforcement.

 

Top conservative clerics put pressure on Ahmadinejad to fully obey Khamenei amidst political conflict between president, Supreme Leader

As the political conflict between Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad over Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi’s removal affair continues, this week top conservative clerics have voiced criticism of the president’s conduct in the affair, demanding that he comply with the Supreme Leader’s instructions.

In his latest sermon, Tehran’s Friday prayer leader Kazem Sediqi stressed that obedience to the Supreme Leader is imperative, saying that weakening the "rule of the religious jurisprudent” (Velayat-e Faqih) is the same as weakening the people and the government, and that without the Supreme Leader’s support the government could lose the support of the people and become just like the government of Bahrain, which kills its citizens and insists on ruling them.

According to Sediqi, the Supreme Leader is not only a "religious jurisprudent” who commands absolute authority, but also a role model for millions of believers in Iran and elsewhere. He expressed his confidence that the government, the president, and the people understand the meaning of obedience to the Supreme Leader, stating that when the Supreme Leader issues a decree, it must be executed without a moment’s hesitation.

Sediqi went on to say that the prayers of those who do not accept the principle of "rule of the religious jurisprudent” are not accepted by God, even if they spent their entire lives in the mosque. God’s will is for all believers to fully obey the Supreme Leader, His representative on earth, and express it through their actions. He further added that the government ministers are first and foremost God’s creations and Shi’ites owing absolute allegiance to the Supreme Leader, and that being government ministers comes second. Also according to Sediqi, one government minister gave an example of the obligation to obey the Supreme Leader by saying that Khamenei even has the authority to decree a divorce between Ahmadinejad and his wife, in which case the president will be prohibited from touching her (Fars, May 6).

Speaking at a religious conference held on Saturday, May 7, to commemorate the death of Fatima, Prophet Muhammad’s daughter and the wife of first Shi’ite Imam Ali bin Abi Talib, Sediqi once again stressed the president’s duty to obey the Supreme Leader. Addressing Ahmadinejad directly, Sediqi said that words are not enough and that actions are needed to prove his loyalty to the Supreme Leader. A war cannot have two commanders, Sediqi said. There is only one, while the rest are soldiers required to follow his commands. The president is a soldier of the religious jurisprudent, and has a religious obligation to obey his instructions.

The Tehran Friday prayer leader also added that the citizens had voted for the president thanks to his commitment to the Supreme Leader, a commitment which he now has to fulfill. Referring to the claim made by the president last week of having a father-and-son relationship with Khamenei, Sediqi noted that the Supreme Leader’s relationship with the president is nothing like that between a father and a son, since the president is a soldier of the Supreme Leader and owes him total obedience (Fars, May 7)

The president with the Supreme Leader at a religious ceremony in Tehran (May 7)

Senior conservative cleric Abolqassem Khazali also discussed the president’s duty to obey the Supreme Leader. According to Khazali, it is a duty that even applies to senior clerics. The Assembly of Experts member noted that winning 20 million or even 40 million votes in the elections is meaningless without the Supreme Leader’s approval (Fars, May 7).

Top cleric Ahmad Khatami has also joined the ranks of the top conservative clerics criticizing the president. In an interview granted to Shoma, a periodical released by the conservative Islamic Coalition Party, Khatami said that if it wasn’t for the Supreme Leader’s support, Ahmadinejad would not have won so many votes in the last presidential elections. Most of the people who had voted for the president, Khatami said, had done so because he had Khamenei’s support. While the Supreme Leader had not privately or publicly suggested who to vote for, the public voted for Ahmadinejad assuming it was him Khamenei would rather see in power, as Ahmadinejad did have the Supreme Leader’s support in the first four years of his term.

Speaking about the intelligence minister’s sacking affair, Khatami said that while the president has the authority to remove government ministers, it is the Supreme Leader’s role to intervene in sensitive issues when he senses a threat. Khatami criticized Ahmadinejad’s demonstrative ten-day absence from work, saying that people expected him to immediately implement the Supreme Leader’s instructions, convene the government, and promptly announce the intelligence minister’s reinstatement in accordance with the decree issued by the Supreme Leader.

Khatami further noted that the president has to be willing to take criticism. When senior clerics who support the president and look after his interests warn him to be wary of the "deviant faction” (referring to his advisor Rahim Masha’i’s supporters), he has to consider their opinion. Khatami added that one cannot ignore that the president is a man of values and courage who has done a great deal for the country. He must, however, avoid repeating the kind of mistakes he has been making recently (Asr-e Iran, May 6).

The political crisis in Iran’s leadership is also evident in a remark made this week by Assembly of Experts deputy chairman Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi. At a meeting with Basij commanders, the senior conservative cleric said that the Supreme Leader’s instructions have divine authority and are universally binding. The Supreme Leader’s view encompasses state interests, global conditions, and regional developments, and his instructions therefore reflect the overall interest of Islamic society. Yazdi also discussed the necessity of fighting against the "deviant faction” that acts among some of Iran’s leaders and containing its influence (Fars, May 8).

Eye on Europe: Supreme Leader’s remark on spread of "Islamic awakening” to Europe makes waves

Speaking at a meeting with thousands of teachers held on the occasion of Teacher Day, marked in Iran last week, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that the Islamic awakening that began in the Middle East and North Africa is expected to reach the heart of Europe. Khamenei said that the day will come when the nations of Europe rise up against their politicians and rulers, who have yielded to the cultural and economic policy propagated by the U.S. and Zionism (Mehr, May 4).

In a sermon delivered last Friday, May 6, Tehran’s Friday prayer leader Kazem Sediqi cited the Supreme Leader’s remark, saying that the movement of awakening in the Middle East will spread to the heart of Europe. The protest movements of the Arab world strengthen the world’s advanced nations, and revolutions will gradually reach across borders. The European nations humiliated by the U.S. administration are also bound to rise up sooner or later and demand compensation for the humiliation they went through, Sediqi said (IRNA, May 6).

Sobh-e Sadeq, a weekly published on behalf of the Supreme Leader’s Revolutionary Guards representative, dedicated its latest editorial to Khamenei’s statement, claiming it provoked fear and anger in the West. It is a statement that reflects logic and unavoidable truth, the article said. Europe’s history has already shown how political and social changes can topple royalist regimes and facilitate the establishment of republican regimes in their stead. The storm stirred by the Islamic revolution in Iran continued growing under the watchful eyes of the imperialists and the oppressors, expanding to leave a mark in other regions. The fall of the Egyptian and Tunisian regimes and the uprisings in Libya, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia carry a single message: the people’s wishes may transform even those regimes that have lasted for decades. The European nations are no exception to this rule.

The weekly argued that the main factors responsible for resistance in Europe, mainly dependency on the U.S. and internal instability, already exist, and that all that is needed is an excuse for them to break out. If the Islamic awakening in the region has clear-cut results, its influence on the political and social developments in the West will increase. The European governments’ move away from democracy has given the public reason to distrust those governments. While European public opinion is exhausted and lacking in political motivation, the enthusiasm triggered by the Islamic awakening will likely have a gradual impact on the thought and behavior of Western society, willing to rise up over the insufficient conditions prevailing in Europe and make far-reaching changes to the nature of the administration (Sobh-e Sadeq, May 9).

The conservative daily Resalat likewise estimated that the Islamic awakening will spread through the entire globe. The voices of resistance are already heard in the heart of Europe, and Western society is ready for a popular uprising against the century-old influence of the U.S. and Zionism. With the economic and social crisis gripping Europe, the flames of Islamic awakening started in the Middle East and North Africa will reach Europe as well.

According to an editorial published by the daily, the West is currently in need of the human values that can be provided by the Islamic revolution, being the symbol of humanity, faith, truth-seeking, and resistance to arrogance that it is. The takeover of Europe by the U.S. and Zionism after the two world wars made the continent thirst for justice. The people of Germany protest the fact that their tax money is used to compensate the Zionists for the Holocaust, and the people of Britain do not understand why British soldiers must follow American orders across the globe to secure U.S. interests. The French, the Italians, the Spanish, the Norwegians, and the Greeks also do not understand why they should bear the burden of the financial crisis that stems mostly from America’s faulty policy. The governments of Europe provide Israel with financial and military aid at the European taxpayer’s expense while the people of the continent suffer from economic crisis, unemployment, and lack of social services. Given this state of affairs, there is no doubt that the Islamic awakening, which does not discriminate against nation, will also reach Europe (Resalat, May 8).

The daily Keyhan also discussed Khamenei’s remarks on the expansion of the "Islamic awakening” to the heart of Europe. An editorial titled "To the heart of Europe” says that the recent developments in the Middle East and North Africa show that the uprisings in the Arab world do not stem primarily from economic problems, but rather from resistance to the policy of the U.S. and Israel, forming the basis for the "culture of Islam”. The struggle against American and Zionist belligerence results not from the geography of Islam but rather from its culture, and there is no reason, therefore, why it should stop with Muslim countries.

Thanks to the regional developments, public opinion in the world, and in Europe in particular, has seen the true face of the U.S. and Israel. Western public opinion now understands that the U.S. and Israel were just using slogans about human rights, peace, freedom, and democracy to justify the aggression they employ across the globe. The developments in the Arab world are expected to exacerbate the economic crisis in Europe, affect the social structure on the continent, and increase resistance to U.S. and Zionist policies. These factors, coupled with the U.S. and Israel’s inability to contain the popular uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa, will lead, according to the daily, to the expansion of the Islamic awakening to the heart of Europe, as stated by the Supreme Leader (Keyhan, May 9).

Iranian media widely reports former Mossad leader’s statement on military attack in Iran

A statement made by former Israeli Mossad chief Meir Dagan that an airstrike on Iran’s nuclear facilities is a foolish idea has stirred a great deal of interest in Iran this past week. Last weekend, Dagan said there is nothing to gain from an air raid on the nuclear facilities, and that anyone attacking Iran needs to understand that it could start a regional war which will include missile fire from Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

The report on Dagan’s statement was emphasized by Iran’s news agencies and news websites. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast addressed Dagan’s remarks during his weekly press conference, saying that the "Zionists’ admission” of their stupid ideas was worthy of attention. When asked to comment on Dagan’s remarks, Mehmanparast said that Israel’s declarations must be considered part of its attempts to mobilize support for the claim that Iran’s nuclear activity is meant for military needs. "The declarations made by the authorities of the Zionist illegal regime are of no importance to us,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman said (Mehr, May 10).

The conservative daily Keyhan claimed that Dagan’s statement and the comments it drew in Israel reflect "the Zionists’ helplessness and confusion” over the way to deal with Iran’s growing power. According to the daily, the remarks plunged the Zionists into greater despair than before because of the many operations carried out during his term as chief of Mossad, including the killing of Imad Mughniyah, the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists, and the spread of the Stuxnet computer worm (Keyhan, May 10).

The criticism provoked by Dagan’s statement in Israel, particularly that voiced by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, has also been extensively covered on Iran’s media. The Asr-e Iran website reported that Dagan’s remarks stirred a media and public storm in Israel, and that "radical elements” in Israel said that the remarks were serving Iran (Asr-e Iran, May 8).

The Iranian Diplomacy website called Dagan’s statement a reflection of differences of opinion in Israel’s leadership over the use of the military option with regard to Iran.

An editorial published on the website says that, considering the risks involved in a direct military confrontation between Iran and Israel, both countries have so far preferred to use other capabilities to contend with one another. Iran prefers to employ its influence in Lebanon and the Palestinian scene, as well as such groups as Hezbollah. Israel, being aware of the threat posed to it by Iran’s cooperation with Hezbollah, also prefers to avoid provoking Iran when possible.

The website pointed out the differences of opinion in Israel over the preferred strategy to deal with Iran. While PM Binyamin Netanyahu’s advisors believe that the military option should remain on the table, Meir Dagan rules it out. Even though Dagan no longer serves in an official capacity, his remarks reflect ongoing differences of opinion in Israel with regard to Iran.

The website estimated that the differences of opinion in Israel become sharper in light of the recent developments in the Middle East and the change in the regional balance of power, which may alter Israel’s strategy towards Iran. Israel is currently examining the new conditions in the Middle East. Due to the recent developments, it has adopted a relatively moderate approach with regard to Iran. For example, its reaction to Iranian vessels’ crossing the Suez Canal was no more than moderate, and it denied recent reports on military maneuvers in Iraq in preparation for a possible Israeli attack in Iran. However, it may reconsider this approach if the position of Arab countries in the Persian Gulf on Iran’s nuclear program changes as well. So far Iran’s Arab and Sunni neighbors in the Persian Gulf have taken a conservative stance towards the nuclear program and made no public statements against Iran despite pressure from the U.S. In light of recent regional developments, these countries will take a stronger stand against Iran’s nuclear activity, which may allow Israel to reexamine the various options it has with regard to Iran (Iranian Diplomacy, May 8).

Lean government: government decides to merge 8 economic ministries and reduce number of ministers from 21 to 17

This week the government has decided to merge eight economic ministries, bringing the number of ministers down from 21 to 17. The following have been merged on the government’s decision: the Petroleum Ministry and the Energy Ministry; the Labor Ministry and the Welfare and Social Services Ministry; the Housing Ministry and the Transportation Ministry; and the Commerce Ministry and the Industry and Mines Ministry.

Welfare and Social Services Minister Sadeq Mahsouli, Industry and Mines Minister Ali-Akbar Mehrabian, and Petroleum Minister Seyyed Mas’oud Mir-Kazemi are expected to leave the government following the merger.

The government is required to bring down the number of ministers from 21 to 17 by 2012 under the five-year economic program. The government structure reform is designed to streamline the performance of the executive branch.

The government structure reform brought more tension to the already strained relations between the government and the Majles. Speaking at a Majles session held on Tuesday, May 10, Majles speaker Ali Larijani said that the merger of the government ministries was illegal since it was not approved by the Majles. According to Larijani, the government should have presented the merger plan to the Majles and submit the names of the appointed ministers of the merged ministries to the approval of the Majles (Mehr, May 10).

Other Majles members also argued that the government’s decision required an approval from the Majles, protesting the fact that the government had not consulted with the Majles on the implementation of the reform. In an interview to Mehr News Agency, Majles member Hossein Sobhani-Niya said that according to the five-year economic program, the government is required to submit to the approval of the Majles a plan detailing the areas of responsibility of the merged ministries as well as the new ministers. Extending the term of office of a minister in charge of two merged ministries without a vote of confidence from the Majles is against the law, Sobhani-Niya said (Mehr, May 9). Hossein Nejabat, deputy chairman of the Majles Research Center, also said that the merger of government ministries without the Majles’ approval was illegal (Jaras, May 9).

Earlier this week, the Majles speaker sent the president a memo demanding that he promptly submit the name of his candidate for transportation and housing minister to the approval of the Majles. Larijani said that as it has been three months since the Majles impeached former transportation minister Hamid Behbahani in a vote of no confidence, the government must present the new minister to the Majles. Government representatives claimed, however, that since the transportation and housing ministries have been merged and placed under the authority of Reza Nikzad, the current housing minister, the government is under no obligation to submit the minister’s name to the Majles’ approval.

Government opponents also criticized the implementation of the government structure reform. In an interview to the conservative daily Sharq, Majles Energy Committee spokesman Seyyed Emad Hosseini said that the decision to merge the petroleum and energy ministries was wrong considering the complexity and size of the Petroleum Ministry. It is a ministry responsible for oil, gas, and petrochemical companies, and is, according to Hosseini, a small government in its own right. He argued that the government’s considerations in deciding which ministries should be merged were political rather than strictly professional (Sharq, May 5).

Asr-e Iran, a website affiliated with the conservative pragmatic faction, also claimed that the decision on the government ministries to be merged was made on the basis of political considerations, and that one of the main reasons for merging the ministries was the president’s desire to remove ministers Mehrabian, Mahsouli, and Mir-Kazemi from office (Asr-e Iran, May 10). The website further stated that strategic mistakes had been made in the merger decision. For example, no single ministry can be put in charge of the oil and gas industries, the world oil market, the refineries, and the relations with OPEC, as well as electricity production, dams, and the sewer system. In a country with an oil-based economy, the website argued, the Petroleum Ministry must remain independent. A commentary article published by the website also said that the merger decision will not reduce the size of the government but only bring down the number of ministers, as the merger has no provisions for trimming the government structures and bodies under the merged ministries (Asr-e Iran, May 9).

Enforcement of Islamic dress code increases as summer approaches

This week, the morality police chief has announced tougher measures to enforce the Islamic dress code in Iran. Ahmed Rouzbahani said that the implementation of the moral security program, employing 70 thousand policemen, will begin as summer approaches.

He noted that the enforcement program will be more extensive and serious than ever before, saying that the police are determined to use all available means to combat "the Western cultural attack and corruption”. Rouzbahani noted that police presence in public places will be increased in the next several months, and that the police patrols will be renamed from "guidance patrols” to "moral security patrols”. Police presence in parks, forests, near rivers, on the streets, and in other public places will be increased. Citizens arrested in the Islamic dress code enforcement operations will be taken to a police station and released only after family members provide them with appropriate clothing. They will also be required to sign a statement agreeing to refrain from such actions in the future.

Rouzbahani added that, under the program, the police also intend to stop cars driving women without veils. He stressed that the non-enforcement of the Islamic dress code in cars is also considered a crime, and that cars are not considered private places. Police also intend to take measures against dog owners walking their pets in public. The police’s fight against dog owners has been made possible thanks to new laws recently passed by the Majles, which prohibit taking dogs (considered unclean animals in Islam) to public places (Aftab, May 9).

Moral security patrol

In previous years, internal security forces also stepped up the enforcement of the Islamic dress code at the start of summer. Since the conservatives regained power in 2005, the enforcement has grown considerably stronger after a period of leniency from the mid-1990s. In recent years, however, clerics and conservative elements have repeatedly claimed that the government’s enforcement policy is unsatisfactory, as a result of which women do not observe the practice of wearing veils. Ahmadinejad’s critics in the conservative bloc even accused the president of taking an overly tolerant approach with regard to Islamic dress code enforcement.

Pictures of the week: Tehran—a city stuck in traffic

 

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