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NEWS & LETTERS,
August-September 2002
Workers and students struggle in Iran
Grassroots resistance to Iran’s fundamentalist and
totalitarian regime has continued to intensify in spite of a renewed effort by
the ruling clergy to crush any expression of dissent. On July 9, a demonstration
in Tehran on the anniversary of the 1999 government raid on students was
attacked. Several student leaders were arrested. A larger student demonstration
had been cancelled for fear of a massive police assault. The following week
police attacked a demonstration of 15,000 workers who had gathered in front of
Tehran’s social security department to protest against poor working
conditions, low pay and a revised labor law that makes firings easier. They
chanted: “Capitalists--leave the labor law alone,” and “We are former
soldiers, now we are hungry.” CASUALTIES OF REPRESSION Several political prisoners are in severe danger:
Manuchehr Muhammadi, a leader of the United Student Front, an organization that
demands a secular government, is near death and has just been transferred to a
prison for mentally ill patients where he has been severely beaten. Muhammadi
has developed severe osteoporosis from malnutrition and a hunger strike and is
unable to walk as a result. Muhammadi’s brother, also a student activist is
also in prison. Siamak Purzand, a 73-year-old dissident journalist and
husband of feminist activist and legal scholar Mehranguiz Kar, has been
sentenced to 11 years in prison. On July 25, he was forced to appear on
television to “confess to being a Western spy.” He was convicted of
promoting Western culture and advocating a secular state. The Islamic Republic has now strengthened its police
force through a “Special Unit” which is openly armed and in charge of
attacking and viciously beating youth and women who display any expression of
resistance. Women are beaten for not wearing a full chador, wearing white or
colorful overcoats, showing their hair or exchanging glances with men. Youth are
arrested at parties. A visiting Iranian dance teacher from the U.S., Mohamad
Khordadian, was arrested and given a 10-year suspended jail sentence for “corrupting”
the youth. DISPUTES WITHIN CLERGY In this environment, one faction of the clergy has
expressed dissatisfaction with corruption within the government. Ayatollah
Taheri of Isfahan resigned on July 10 and sided with another Ayatollah,
Montazeri who has been under house arrest since 1998. Both had been staunch
allies of Khomeini. Following Taheri’s resignation, the supreme religious
leader Ayatollah Khamenei banned newspapers from discussing this case. One
newspaper, Noruz, was subsequently banned for six months for publishing articles
about the resignation. This policty of censorship was approved by President
Khatami. The “Freedom Party” of former prime minister
Bazargan who helped bring Khomeini to power in 1979, has now been banned and 35
of its members have been sentenced to prison terms. The reformist wing of the
Parliament associated with the Participation Front, led by Mohamad Reza Khatami
(the President’s brother) and Saeed Hajjarian (former head of the secret
police who was shot two years ago) is now threatening to resign from the
parliament. This wing constitutes 70% of the Iranian parliament. The
Participation Front has also advocated mending relations with the United States
government. --Sheila Sahar, July 28, 2002 |
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