مهدي خلجي
Summary of Today's BroadcastRFE/RL Persian ServiceSunday, July 21, 2002 - Guards' statement against the reformists - Khatami's trip to Malaysia - EU parliamentary delegation in Tehran - Court sentences rapist to be dropped off cliff - Moderate conservatives on shaky grounds - Diplomats with no skills Guards Corps Slams Reformists The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' high command accused the regime's reformist faction of subversion. In a statement issued after the Supreme Leader's anti-US speech on Saturday, the IRGC high command warned the reformists that their "tendency towards secularism" and their attempts to weaken the position of the Supreme Leader would not be tolerated. * RFE/RL's Mehdi Khalaji says the statement would have no impact on the factional conflict, since the IRGC has little influence in the conservatives' decisions. Furthermore, the political position of the IRGC is also uncertain, since there could be more reformists than conservatives within the top ranks of the IRGC. (Mehdi Khalaji) * By attacking privatization, free-market reforms and integration in the world economy, IRGC's anti-capitalist statement rejects the economic policies of the Third Five-Year Economic Development Plan, a law passed by Majles and approved by the Supreme Leader. (Fereydoun Khavand, Paris) Khatami Heads Iran's 91-man Delegation to Malaysia * President Khatami took off for a three-day visit to Malaysia along with a 91-member delegation that also includes his wife Zohreh Sadeqi. Despite statements of mutual support, Iran and Malaysia do little business with each other. In 2001, Malaysia imported $125 million of oil and another $23 million non-oil goods from Iran, while Iran's imports from Malaysia totaled $300 million. (Alireza Taheri) EU Parliamentary Delegation Discusses Human Rights Violations in Tehran * Elmar Brok, chairman of the EU parliament's foreign affairs committee, said yesterday in a press conference at the end of his five-man delegation's visit to Iran that Tehran's human rights violations were discussed with Iranian officials. His host, Mohsen Mirdamadi, head of the Majles national security and foreign relations committee, had been sentenced to six months in jail as the managing director of the reformist newspaper Nowruz. Brok said the EU does not support the US Axis of Evil position on Iran. He called for Saddam Hussein's resignation and said some Iranian officials agreed that Saddam's resignation would end the Iraq crisis. (Alireza Taheri) Court Sentences Boy's Rapist to Fall from a Cliff * A Mashhad court sentenced a man who had raped and murdered his 16-year-old nephew to being thrown off a cliff in a sack. If he somehow survived, he would then be hanged. Sorbonne University law professor Farhad Ameli tells RFE/RL that since the 1950's many countries have abolished the death penalty, but not in countries such as Iran, Sudan and Nigeria, where Islamic laws are being implemented. Most of the activities of international human rights defenders, such as Human Rights Watch, are focused on these countries. (Golnaz Esfandiari) Moderate Conservatives Lose Momentum * With the new, more extreme direction of the daily "Entekhab" (Choice), moderate conservatives lost their tribune and with it, their momentum. Due to their reliance on the hardliners for financial support, moderates cannot act independently and the change of direction of Entekhab revealed the shaky ground on which they were standing. (Mehdi Khalaji) Tehran's Envoys Have No Skills The diplomatic representatives of the Islamic Republic in foreign countries lack political skills and diplomatic training, according to Ardashir Siani, a professor of Azad University of Iran. * Tehran University professor of international relations Davud Hermidas Bavand says most foreign posts are assigned at the recommendation of top officials to people with no political or diplomatic background. He tells RFE/RL that the practice, which has had negative impact on Iran's foreign relations since the revolution, continued under Khatami despite his campaign promise to fight nepotism. (Amir-Mosaddegh Katouzian) Kiarostami, Scorsese tapped by France's Film Foundation * Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami and American director Martin Scorsese were elected by the board of France's Film Foundation to jointly head the charity that funds the first feature films of talented young directors. (Jean Khakzad, Paris) Animation Filmmaker in Germany * Ali Sazandeh, German-based animation filmmaker, whose films "Yarn" (Kamva) and "Contradiction" (Tazad) were shown in a Philadelphia student film festival and in Germany, tells RFE/RL that in "Yarn" he shows relations between people with different ways of thinking. "Contradiction" begins when two parallel forces infringe upon each other's territory. (Shahram Mirian, Cologne) WORLD * Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres holds talks with Palestinian officials. (Jamshid Chalangi, Cairo) * Sudan and Christian rebels reached on agreement after 33 days of negotiations in Nairobi that would allow Christians in the south to vote on secession within three years. A spokesman for Sudan's largest political organization Mirghani Mosaed, tells RFE/RL that his party opposes division of Sudan, but would respect Christians' vote as set forth in the Nairobi agreement. (Farideh Rahbar, Cairo) * Spanish forces evacuate uninhabited island off Morocco's coast. (Ahmad Ra'fat, Rome) * New York Times reports that civilian casualties in Afghanistan are a result of the US war tactic. (Golnaz Esfandiari) * Azerbaijan's Democrat party stages an anti-government rally in Baku. (Mani Kasravi, Moscow) * Senate to vote on the formation of Science and Technology Corps to do research on ways to maintain communications in emergencies. (Fariba Mavedat, London) * Iraq suspended Al-Jazira network's correspondent for 10 days. Saudi Arabia protested to Qatar's government that Al-Jazira insulted its royal family. Qatar says Al-Jazira is independent. Hussein Abdolqani, director of Al-Jazira's Middle East news, tells RFE/RL that the Arab world is still not used to the freedom of speech in Al-Jazira's programs. (Jamshid Chalangi, Cairo) * German interior ministry tells Welt AM Sonntag that the number of asylum seekers have dropped by 30,000 this year. (Shahram Mirian, Cologne) * Saudi Arabia lifted its ban on exports to Iraq. (Farideh Rahbar, Cairo) * An Italian town holds a beauty pageant for girls over 200 pounds. (Ahmad Ra'fat, Rome) ARTS AND IDEAS Power and Government in the Passage of Time: A Historical Review * Tehran-based professor of political history Gholamreza Mirza Saleh charts the gradual decline of the Ottoman Empire. (Nazi Azima) Weekly medical advice (Dr. Mansur Moslehi, Los Angeles) Weekly Interview: Poet Simin Behbahani * In an interview with RFE/RL's Ehsan Naraghi who is visiting Tehran, prominent poet Simin Behbahani talks about Persian poetry's relation to music and the international popularity of Persian poets such as Rumi. (Jean Khakzad) مهدي خلجي (راديوآزادي): بيانيه سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامي در شرايطي صادر مي شود که محافظه کاران تهديدهاي امريکا عليه ايران را جدي و مقابله با آن را ضروري قلمداد مي کند. با اين حال، بخش عمده اي از اين بيانيه به تحليل و داوري درباره جناح بندي هاي سياسي داخل ايران مي پردازد. در اين بيانيه آمده است: اما خطري که بدان توجه مي دهيم، پيدايش و نفوذ جرياني مرموز در پشت جبهه نيروهاي انقلاب است، جرياني که به دنبال تحريف و تغيير موقعيت عقيدتي و آرماني انقلاب و استحاله در نظام جمهوري اسلامي است. سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامي از همکاري پاره اي از ياران انقلاب با اين جريان سخن گفته و نوشته است: اين جريان در حوزه تفکر سياسي و اجتماعي گرايش شديدي به عرفي گرايي دارد و نه تنها به حذف ولايت فقيه مي انديشد بلکه تحت عنوان ايدئولوژي زدايي همه قواي خود را در مسير اسلام زدايي از حکومت و ارزش ستيزي در نهادهاي دولتي و سيستم قانون گذاري فعال کرده است. به نظر سپاه پاسداران، اين جريان داخل حکومت با کليه جريان هاي مخالف اسلام و جمهوري اسلامي هم صدايي مي کند و حتا آماده ارتباط و ائتلاف با آنهاست. از ديد سپاه پاسداران، اين گرايش سياسي درون نظام به صراحت از فسادهاي خياباني و علني حمايت و فحشا را تئوريزه مي کند تا شايد در سلسله انتخابات آينده به آراي عمومي دست پيدا کند. سپاه پاسداران در پايان بيانيه خود آمادگي اش را براي مقابله با اين جريان اعلام کرده و از جريان هاي سياسي خواسته تا آنها را تنها بگذارند و در اين تعارض جانب انقلاب را بگيرند. اين نخستين باري نيست که سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامي موضع گيري آشکار و صريح سياسي مي کند. از ابتداي پيروزي انقلاب ايران، سپاه پاسداران نه تنها به عنوان يک نهاد نظامي زير نظر رهبري، بلکه در مقام يکي از اهرم هاي مهم برخي جناح هاي سياسي به عرصه سياست قدم نهاده است. حتا چند سال پيش رحيم صفوي فرمانده سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامي در يک سخنراني صريحاً از شکستن قلم ها و بريدن زبان ها سخن گفت. ورود سپاه پاسداران به عرصه سياست داخلي و خارجي همواره با تأييد محافظه کاران و اعتراض پيدا و پنهان اصلاح طلبان روبه رو شده است. اين بار نيز رجب علي مزروعي، نماينده مردم اصفهان در مجلس شوراي اسلامي و عضو جبهه مشارکت به اين بيانيه اعتراض کرده و صدور چنين بيانيه هايي را مخدوش کردن اذهان و بازي کردن نقش سياسي براي سپاه دانسته است. آقاي مزروعي از تصميم نود نماينده مجلس براي سئوال از وزير دفاع درباره بيانيه سپاه خبر داده و گفته است: محور سئوال نمايندگان از وزير دفاع اين است که در اين بيانيه به مسائل سياسي و جناحي اشاره شده و به خصوص به صورت ريز در عرصه مسائل داخلي و خارجي و حتا بخش هاي اقتصادي به طرح مباحثي پرداخته که هيچ کدام جزو وظايف سپاه نيست. در روزهاي گذشته سازمان مجاهدين انقلاب اسلامي و جبهه مشارکت اسلامي در مقام نيرومندترين تشکل هاي اصلاح طلب زير ضرب فشار تبليغاتي محافظه کاران قرار گرفته است. حتا پاره اي از مطبوعات محافظه کار اين احزاب را به تلاش براي طراحي فروپاشي اجتماعي متهم کرده اند و از لزوم کنار زدن اين گروه ها از عرصه سياسي کشور سخن گفته اند. در عين حال، شماري از تحليل گران مي گويند ورود سپاه به چالش هاي تازه جناح هاي سياسي ايران نمي تواند بر آينده اين چالش ها چندان تأثيرگذار باشد، زيرا کانون اصلي تصميم گيري محافظه کاران در نهادهايي خارج سپاه است و سپاه پاسداران تنها نقش پشتوانه تبليغاتي محافظه کاران را بازي مي کند. علاوه بر اين، به گفته آگاهان، ديدگاه سياسي سپاه پاسداران نيز يک دست نيست و معلوم نيست که حتا در رده فرماندهي سپاه، اصلاح طلبان نفوذ بيشتري دارند يا محافظه کاران.
در پي سخنراني شديدالحن رهبر جمهوري اسلامي عليه آمريكا، روابط عمومي سرفرماندهي سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامي، در بيانيه اي سياسي اقتصادي، جمعي از شخصيت ها و تشكل هاي سياسي اصلاح طلب در حكومت ايران را به تلاش براي استحاله حكومت متهم ساخت. 90 نماينده مجلس، وزير دفاع را براي پاسخگوئي در باره مواضع سياسي سپاه پاسداران، به مجلس فراخواندند. شماري از تحليلگران مي گويند کانون اصلي تصميم گيري جناح محافظه کار هيات حاكمه، در نهادهايي خارج از سپاه پاسداران قرار دارد و همچنين ديدگاه سياسي سپاه پاسداران نيز يکدست نيست و معلوم نيست که حتي در رده فرماندهي سپاه، اصلاح طلبان نفوذ بيشتري دارند يا محافظه کاران.
Summary of Today's BroadcastRFE/RL Persian ServiceSunday, July 21, 2002 - Guards' statement against the reformists - Khatami's trip to Malaysia - EU parliamentary delegation in Tehran - Court sentences rapist to be dropped off cliff - Moderate conservatives on shaky grounds - Diplomats with no skills Guards Corps Slams Reformists The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' high command accused the regime's reformist faction of subversion. In a statement issued after the Supreme Leader's anti-US speech on Saturday, the IRGC high command warned the reformists that their "tendency towards secularism" and their attempts to weaken the position of the Supreme Leader would not be tolerated. * RFE/RL's Mehdi Khalaji says the statement would have no impact on the factional conflict, since the IRGC has little influence in the conservatives' decisions. Furthermore, the political position of the IRGC is also uncertain, since there could be more reformists than conservatives within the top ranks of the IRGC. (Mehdi Khalaji) * By attacking privatization, free-market reforms and integration in the world economy, IRGC's anti-capitalist statement rejects the economic policies of the Third Five-Year Economic Development Plan, a law passed by Majles and approved by the Supreme Leader. (Fereydoun Khavand, Paris) Khatami Heads Iran's 91-man Delegation to Malaysia * President Khatami took off for a three-day visit to Malaysia along with a 91-member delegation that also includes his wife Zohreh Sadeqi. Despite statements of mutual support, Iran and Malaysia do little business with each other. In 2001, Malaysia imported $125 million of oil and another $23 million non-oil goods from Iran, while Iran's imports from Malaysia totaled $300 million. (Alireza Taheri) EU Parliamentary Delegation Discusses Human Rights Violations in Tehran * Elmar Brok, chairman of the EU parliament's foreign affairs committee, said yesterday in a press conference at the end of his five-man delegation's visit to Iran that Tehran's human rights violations were discussed with Iranian officials. His host, Mohsen Mirdamadi, head of the Majles national security and foreign relations committee, had been sentenced to six months in jail as the managing director of the reformist newspaper Nowruz. Brok said the EU does not support the US Axis of Evil position on Iran. He called for Saddam Hussein's resignation and said some Iranian officials agreed that Saddam's resignation would end the Iraq crisis. (Alireza Taheri) Court Sentences Boy's Rapist to Fall from a Cliff * A Mashhad court sentenced a man who had raped and murdered his 16-year-old nephew to being thrown off a cliff in a sack. If he somehow survived, he would then be hanged. Sorbonne University law professor Farhad Ameli tells RFE/RL that since the 1950's many countries have abolished the death penalty, but not in countries such as Iran, Sudan and Nigeria, where Islamic laws are being implemented. Most of the activities of international human rights defenders, such as Human Rights Watch, are focused on these countries. (Golnaz Esfandiari) Moderate Conservatives Lose Momentum * With the new, more extreme direction of the daily "Entekhab" (Choice), moderate conservatives lost their tribune and with it, their momentum. Due to their reliance on the hardliners for financial support, moderates cannot act independently and the change of direction of Entekhab revealed the shaky ground on which they were standing. (Mehdi Khalaji) Tehran's Envoys Have No Skills The diplomatic representatives of the Islamic Republic in foreign countries lack political skills and diplomatic training, according to Ardashir Siani, a professor of Azad University of Iran. * Tehran University professor of international relations Davud Hermidas Bavand says most foreign posts are assigned at the recommendation of top officials to people with no political or diplomatic background. He tells RFE/RL that the practice, which has had negative impact on Iran's foreign relations since the revolution, continued under Khatami despite his campaign promise to fight nepotism. (Amir-Mosaddegh Katouzian) Kiarostami, Scorsese tapped by France's Film Foundation * Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami and American director Martin Scorsese were elected by the board of France's Film Foundation to jointly head the charity that funds the first feature films of talented young directors. (Jean Khakzad, Paris) Animation Filmmaker in Germany * Ali Sazandeh, German-based animation filmmaker, whose films "Yarn" (Kamva) and "Contradiction" (Tazad) were shown in a Philadelphia student film festival and in Germany, tells RFE/RL that in "Yarn" he shows relations between people with different ways of thinking. "Contradiction" begins when two parallel forces infringe upon each other's territory. (Shahram Mirian, Cologne) WORLD * Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres holds talks with Palestinian officials. (Jamshid Chalangi, Cairo) * Sudan and Christian rebels reached on agreement after 33 days of negotiations in Nairobi that would allow Christians in the south to vote on secession within three years. A spokesman for Sudan's largest political organization Mirghani Mosaed, tells RFE/RL that his party opposes division of Sudan, but would respect Christians' vote as set forth in the Nairobi agreement. (Farideh Rahbar, Cairo) * Spanish forces evacuate uninhabited island off Morocco's coast. (Ahmad Ra'fat, Rome) * New York Times reports that civilian casualties in Afghanistan are a result of the US war tactic. (Golnaz Esfandiari) * Azerbaijan's Democrat party stages an anti-government rally in Baku. (Mani Kasravi, Moscow) * Senate to vote on the formation of Science and Technology Corps to do research on ways to maintain communications in emergencies. (Fariba Mavedat, London) * Iraq suspended Al-Jazira network's correspondent for 10 days. Saudi Arabia protested to Qatar's government that Al-Jazira insulted its royal family. Qatar says Al-Jazira is independent. Hussein Abdolqani, director of Al-Jazira's Middle East news, tells RFE/RL that the Arab world is still not used to the freedom of speech in Al-Jazira's programs. (Jamshid Chalangi, Cairo) * German interior ministry tells Welt AM Sonntag that the number of asylum seekers have dropped by 30,000 this year. (Shahram Mirian, Cologne) * Saudi Arabia lifted its ban on exports to Iraq. (Farideh Rahbar, Cairo) * An Italian town holds a beauty pageant for girls over 200 pounds. (Ahmad Ra'fat, Rome) ARTS AND IDEAS Power and Government in the Passage of Time: A Historical Review * Tehran-based professor of political history Gholamreza Mirza Saleh charts the gradual decline of the Ottoman Empire. (Nazi Azima) Weekly medical advice (Dr. Mansur Moslehi, Los Angeles) Weekly Interview: Poet Simin Behbahani * In an interview with RFE/RL's Ehsan Naraghi who is visiting Tehran, prominent poet Simin Behbahani talks about Persian poetry's relation to music and the international popularity of Persian poets such as Rumi. (Jean Khakzad) مهدي خلجي (راديوآزادي): بيانيه سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامي در شرايطي صادر مي شود که محافظه کاران تهديدهاي امريکا عليه ايران را جدي و مقابله با آن را ضروري قلمداد مي کند. با اين حال، بخش عمده اي از اين بيانيه به تحليل و داوري درباره جناح بندي هاي سياسي داخل ايران مي پردازد. در اين بيانيه آمده است: اما خطري که بدان توجه مي دهيم، پيدايش و نفوذ جرياني مرموز در پشت جبهه نيروهاي انقلاب است، جرياني که به دنبال تحريف و تغيير موقعيت عقيدتي و آرماني انقلاب و استحاله در نظام جمهوري اسلامي است. سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامي از همکاري پاره اي از ياران انقلاب با اين جريان سخن گفته و نوشته است: اين جريان در حوزه تفکر سياسي و اجتماعي گرايش شديدي به عرفي گرايي دارد و نه تنها به حذف ولايت فقيه مي انديشد بلکه تحت عنوان ايدئولوژي زدايي همه قواي خود را در مسير اسلام زدايي از حکومت و ارزش ستيزي در نهادهاي دولتي و سيستم قانون گذاري فعال کرده است. به نظر سپاه پاسداران، اين جريان داخل حکومت با کليه جريان هاي مخالف اسلام و جمهوري اسلامي هم صدايي مي کند و حتا آماده ارتباط و ائتلاف با آنهاست. از ديد سپاه پاسداران، اين گرايش سياسي درون نظام به صراحت از فسادهاي خياباني و علني حمايت و فحشا را تئوريزه مي کند تا شايد در سلسله انتخابات آينده به آراي عمومي دست پيدا کند. سپاه پاسداران در پايان بيانيه خود آمادگي اش را براي مقابله با اين جريان اعلام کرده و از جريان هاي سياسي خواسته تا آنها را تنها بگذارند و در اين تعارض جانب انقلاب را بگيرند. اين نخستين باري نيست که سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامي موضع گيري آشکار و صريح سياسي مي کند. از ابتداي پيروزي انقلاب ايران، سپاه پاسداران نه تنها به عنوان يک نهاد نظامي زير نظر رهبري، بلکه در مقام يکي از اهرم هاي مهم برخي جناح هاي سياسي به عرصه سياست قدم نهاده است. حتا چند سال پيش رحيم صفوي فرمانده سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامي در يک سخنراني صريحاً از شکستن قلم ها و بريدن زبان ها سخن گفت. ورود سپاه پاسداران به عرصه سياست داخلي و خارجي همواره با تأييد محافظه کاران و اعتراض پيدا و پنهان اصلاح طلبان روبه رو شده است. اين بار نيز رجب علي مزروعي، نماينده مردم اصفهان در مجلس شوراي اسلامي و عضو جبهه مشارکت به اين بيانيه اعتراض کرده و صدور چنين بيانيه هايي را مخدوش کردن اذهان و بازي کردن نقش سياسي براي سپاه دانسته است. آقاي مزروعي از تصميم نود نماينده مجلس براي سئوال از وزير دفاع درباره بيانيه سپاه خبر داده و گفته است: محور سئوال نمايندگان از وزير دفاع اين است که در اين بيانيه به مسائل سياسي و جناحي اشاره شده و به خصوص به صورت ريز در عرصه مسائل داخلي و خارجي و حتا بخش هاي اقتصادي به طرح مباحثي پرداخته که هيچ کدام جزو وظايف سپاه نيست. در روزهاي گذشته سازمان مجاهدين انقلاب اسلامي و جبهه مشارکت اسلامي در مقام نيرومندترين تشکل هاي اصلاح طلب زير ضرب فشار تبليغاتي محافظه کاران قرار گرفته است. حتا پاره اي از مطبوعات محافظه کار اين احزاب را به تلاش براي طراحي فروپاشي اجتماعي متهم کرده اند و از لزوم کنار زدن اين گروه ها از عرصه سياسي کشور سخن گفته اند. در عين حال، شماري از تحليل گران مي گويند ورود سپاه به چالش هاي تازه جناح هاي سياسي ايران نمي تواند بر آينده اين چالش ها چندان تأثيرگذار باشد، زيرا کانون اصلي تصميم گيري محافظه کاران در نهادهايي خارج سپاه است و سپاه پاسداران تنها نقش پشتوانه تبليغاتي محافظه کاران را بازي مي کند. علاوه بر اين، به گفته آگاهان، ديدگاه سياسي سپاه پاسداران نيز يک دست نيست و معلوم نيست که حتا در رده فرماندهي سپاه، اصلاح طلبان نفوذ بيشتري دارند يا محافظه کاران.
در پي سخنراني شديدالحن رهبر جمهوري اسلامي عليه آمريكا، روابط عمومي سرفرماندهي سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامي، در بيانيه اي سياسي اقتصادي، جمعي از شخصيت ها و تشكل هاي سياسي اصلاح طلب در حكومت ايران را به تلاش براي استحاله حكومت متهم ساخت. 90 نماينده مجلس، وزير دفاع را براي پاسخگوئي در باره مواضع سياسي سپاه پاسداران، به مجلس فراخواندند. شماري از تحليلگران مي گويند کانون اصلي تصميم گيري جناح محافظه کار هيات حاكمه، در نهادهايي خارج از سپاه پاسداران قرار دارد و همچنين ديدگاه سياسي سپاه پاسداران نيز يکدست نيست و معلوم نيست که حتي در رده فرماندهي سپاه، اصلاح طلبان نفوذ بيشتري دارند يا محافظه کاران.
