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From the MEMRI Iranian Media Blog

June 26, 2009

The following are recent reports from MEMRI's Iranian Media Blog and from MEMRI's Arab Media Blog on recent events in Iran.    Check MEMRI's Iranian Media Blog (http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/) frequently for breaking news from Farsi sources that you will find nowhere else.

Iranian Preacher: The Protests Are Targeting the Leader's Sanctity Iranian Expediency Council member Ahmad Alam Al-Hoda, who is a mosque preacher in Mashhad and a supporter of Ahmadinejad, stated June 25, 2009 that the protests were aimed at violating the sanctity of the leadership, which derived from a connection to God. To read the whole article please click here. Iranian Daily: BBC Correspondent Responsible for Neda Soltan's Death Iranian media outlets quoted a report in the pro-Ahmadinejad daily Javan , which is affiliated with the IRGC, to the effect that a BBC journalist in Teheran, who has since been expelled from Iran, is responsible for the death of protester Neda Soltan. To read the whole article please click here. Karroubi: Ahmadinejad's Government Is Illegitimate In a June 23, 2009 meeting with the editorial staff of his newspaper, the reformist daily Etemad-e Meli , Mehdi Karroubi stated that he did not accept the election results and that Ahmadinejad's government was illegitimate. To read the whole article please click here. Mousavi: I Will Not Give In; Peaceful Protests Must Continue In a statement published June 25, 2009, Mir Hossein Mousavi stated that he had no intention of abandoning the struggle, in spite of the press campaign against him.  He reiterated his allegations about "sweeping election fraud" and persecution of the protesters, adding that those responsible for this continue to spread lies and to blame him for their own crimes. To read the whole article please click here. Iranian Website: 70 University Professors Who Hid Mousavi Arrested An Iranian website close to Mir Hossein Mousavi's circles reported that 70 professors from universities across the country had been arrested, after meeting yesterday with Mousavi and transferring him to an unknown location. To read the whole article please click here. Khamenei Warns Of Anarchy, Dictatorship If Election Results Not Honored; Ahmadinejad Supporters Threaten Larijani Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said yesterday at a meeting with Majlis members that the people and the state would not submit to pressure by the demonstrators, and that if the law (i.e. the election result) was not honored, there would be anarchy that would lead to dictatorship. To read the whole article please click here. IRGC Official: Eight Basij Members Killed During Protests Ali Fazli, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), announced today that eight Basij members had been killed during the protests, and that the security forces were acting determinedly against the lawbreakers. He denied reports that he had been removed for being too lenient in putting down the protests. To read the whole article please click here. Ayatollah Montazeri: Iranian Regime's Actions Could Bring It Down In an announcement, Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri stated that the actions of the heads of the Iranian regime, who presume to rule in the name of Islam, do not reflect the religion, and are unacceptable. He stated that the regime's repression is distancing the people from it and from Islam, and warned that the use of the military to spill the people's blood is reminiscent of the actions of the deposed Shah Pahlavi, and could lead to the regime's downfall. To read the whole article please click here. Ahmadinejad to Obama: Change Before It's Too Late In a speech today in the city of Asalouyeh in Iran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the American and European peoples were envious of the freedom in Iran and of the Iranian people's keen participation in elections. He recommended to U.S. President Barack Obama to rectify his behavior, to refrain from interfering in Iran's domestic affairs, and to not repeat the disgrace of his predecessor George W. Bush. To read the whole article please click here. Iranian Sources: Khamenei Bows To Pressure From Qom Ayatollahs Iranian sources are claiming that following pressure from the senior ayatollahs in Qom, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei yesterday ordered the Guardian Council to extend, by five days, its examination of complaints about election fraud. To read the whole article please click here. Qatar Emir Praises Iran's Democracy Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani said during a meeting in Paris with the city's mayor that Iran's stability was important to the Gulf states and to the West, and that in the three decades since the Islamic Revolution in Iran there had been four presidents, while in other Arab countries there had been no changes of president. To read the whole article please click here. Reza Pahlavi: Iranian Authorities Being Assisted By Hamas Iranian presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi has called on the public, via his Facebook page, to participate in a major silent protest today in front of the Majlis in Tehran and in other demonstrations in the city, against the arrest of protestors and "the merciless murder of the people." Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, stated that the Iranian authorities are being assisted by Hamas operatives in putting down the protests. To read the whole article please click here. Iranian Dissident: Khamenei Is Repeating Shah's Mistakes Iranian dissident journalist Isa Saharkhiz has stated that the "oppressing dictator" Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is imitating Shah Pahlavi, and that like him he sent military forces to deliberately spill the blood of the people. To read the whole article please click here. 'Kayhan': Mousavi Has Foreign Backing And Should Stand Trial In several articles, the Iranian daily Kayhan , which is close to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, accuses Mir Hossein Mousavi of responsibility for the protests, of incitement, of desecrating the honor of the regime, for the losses in lives and property, and for collaborating with foreign elements – primarily the CIA. To read the whole article please click here. Iranian Daily: Neda Soltan Killed By Mojahedeen-e Khalq The Iranian daily Vatan-e Emrouz , which is identified with the Ahmadinejad government, stated that it was the Iranian opposition organization Mojahedeen-e Khalq that had killed Neda Soltan and circulated her pictures in the media and on the Internet, in order to fan the flames of the protests in the country. To read the whole article please click here. Report: IRGC Deployed On Streets Of Tehran Division 10 of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) yesterday was extensively deployed throughout the streets of Tehran, and is controlling the city. To read the whole article please click here. Iranian Blog: IRGC Tehran Commander Fired An unidentified Iranian blog, Cherikonline, reports that Ali Fazli, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in Tehran, was fired yesterday from his position for only "minimally" following instructions from Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to put down the June 20 demonstrations together with the Basij. The blog states that IRGC members refused to participate in putting down the rioting, and that senior IRGC commanders were compelled to use alternative forces. To read the whole article please click here. Key Difference Between Iran, Iraq Regarding Role Of Clerics According to the Iraqi daily Al-Sabah Al-Jadid, while the population in both Iran and Iraq are Shi'a Muslims, there is a fundamental difference in the way they view their clerics. The Iranians view their clerics as central to the political system, whereas the Iraqis think clerics should limit themselves to offering advice but should not take part in the daily political action. And these are the fundamental differences between Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Iraqi religious authority Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani. The Iranian constitution creates velayat al-faqih (the Rule of the Jurisprudent) and grants the supreme leader enormous power. The Iraqi constitution provides no such role to the Iraqi clerics. To read the whole article please click here. Iraqi Daily 'Al-Mada' on Exorbitant Cost of Ahmadinejad's Election In Iran Writing in the Iraqi daily Al-Mada , columnist Walid Al-Haidari attributes Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's support for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the recent election to ideological and propaganda reasons. He said that the Iranian regime has always resorted to agitating the poor as a means of strengthening the alliance among the financial authority of the bazaar, the wealthy clerics, and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). To read the whole article please click here. Britain Freezes $1.6 Billion in Iranian Assets Britain has frozen $1.6 Billion in Iranian assets as part of the U.E. and Security Council sanctions on this country. To read the whole article please click here. Iraqi Daily Compares Speeches by Iran’s Shah and Iran’s Supreme Leader According to the Iraqi daily Al-Sabah Al-Jadid , the sermon delivered by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Friday brings to mind the last speech by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1978. The subject of both speeches was the same. Both speeches addressed broad popular demonstrations with acts of violence, the fall of victims, and the arrest of key political figures. To read the whole article please click here. Iranian Blogger To Obama: Your Inviting Iranian Diplomats To July 4 Celebrations Shows Your Indifference In a blog named "Where Is My Vote," the blogger addresses U.S. President Barack Obama, saying that the U.S.'s invitation of Iranian diplomats to U.S. July 4 (Independence Day) festivities shows his indifference to the cry of Iranians and to their plight this past week. To read the whole article please click here. Iranian Blog To Palestinians: A Farsi-language blog, titled "Raining In Open Mouth" addressed the Palestinians, saying: "We have spent billions of dollars to assist you, and the Iranian nation helped you, while 30% of the nation lived below the poverty line. Our children are under psychological pressure from their books and TV as a result of watching harm done to to your kids [i.e. Iranian children do not like to read books or watch TV because they are full of the suffering of Palestinian children]. To read the whole article please click here. Iranian Blog To Mousavi: Do Not Breach The Trust Of The Nation A blog post on the Farsi-language blog of Dr. Mehdi Khazali, who is the son of Ayatollah Khazali, wrote to Mir Hossein Mousavi, quoting a Koran verse: "I am ready to give my blood, but I warn you, if you breach the trust of the nation by keeping silence, you will be held responsible near Imam Husseyn and the nation in your other life." To read the whole article please click here. Photo: Iranian Clerics Demonstrate In Support Of Mousavi To read the whole article please click here. Bahrain Blocks Paper After Ahmadinejad 'Slur' Bahrain shut down its oldest daily newspaper for "violating the country's press code," the official news agency reported Monday, a day after the paper published a report that suggested Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was Jewish. To read the whole article please click here. Mousavi Associate: We'll Fight Until Ahmadinejad Steps Down; Regime: Mousavi Will Stand Trial Associates of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mohammad Khatami have said that the group supporting Mousavi does not recognize the results of the election or their confirmation yesterday by the Guardian Council, and will not stop its fight. To read the whole article please click here. Iranian Majlis Member: Factions Must Declare Positions; America, European Countries In Plot A member of the Majlis presiding board called today on political factions to declare "transparently" their positions regarding the recent skirmishes and regarding Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's Friday sermon. To read the whole article please click here. Iranian News Agency: Sun Has Set On British Empire – So Stop Interfering The Iranian news agency Mehr reports that Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said June 21 that Britain sought to sabotage the Iranian presidential election through agents whom it sent to Iran posing as ordinary tourists. To read the whole article please click here. Rooz Report: IRGC Issue Strong Warning To Internet Users The online daily Rooz reported: "As the news about the post-election turmoil in Iran are widely disseminated through Iranian and non-Iranian websites across the globe, which paints a picture of the recent violence that is completely different from what the Iranian state-controlled radio and television network portrays, the Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) issued a harsh warning signaling its intent to confront web users, accusing them of instigating violence on the streets..." To read the whole article please click here. Rooz On 'Shocking Brutality of Plainclothesmen' The online daily Rooz wrote: "While newspapers and the state-run television of the Islamic Republic of Iran try to attribute the recent violence to reformist presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi’s supporters, the conclusions of an investigative Majlis committee stress the direct interference of counter-insurgency and plainclothesmen in the destruction and destabilizing the public domain of the country. To read the whole article please click here. Khatami: Rioters Not From The People Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami said yesterday that "the rioters are not from the people." To read the whole article please click here. Chavez Urges 'Respect' For Iran Election Outcome Iran's Press TV reports that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said that the world must respect Iran and the "triumph" of its incumbent president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the election. According to the report, Chavez said in his weekly radio and television address yesterday, "We call on the world to respect Iran, because there are attempts to undermine the strength of the Iranian revolution... Ahmadinejad's triumph was a triumph all the way. They are trying to stain Ahmadinejad's triumph and through that weaken the government and the Islamic revolution. I know they will not succeed." To read the whole article please click here. Ahmadinejad: Real Democracy Obtained Only In Framework Of Religion Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that the free participation of 40 million people in Iran's elections is a challenge to the false democracy of the West, which is immersed in despair and is proof that real democracy is obtained only in the framework of religion. To read the whole article please click here. Iranian Guardian Council Spokesman: Percentage Of Fraud In Election – Normal Iranian Guardian Council spokesman Abbas Ali Kadkhoedaei has confirmed that the percentage of votes surpassed 100% only in 50 cities in the country, and not on 170, like the candidates claimed. He added that this was a normal deviation. To read the whole article please click here. New on MEMRI TV: Iranian Filmmaker Samira Makhmalbaf - Ahmadinejad Has Soiled the Streets of Iran with Our Blood and Wants to Lead the Region to War To read the whole article please click here. New on MEMRI TV: Khamenei's Representative in Syria, Mojtaba Al-Hosseini - The West Is Behind Demonstrations in Iran To view this clip on MEMRI TV, click here To read the whole article please click here. Iranian Daily: The Protestors Are Like a Terrorist Movement; Khatami: That Is an Unfair Comparison The conservative Iranian daily Resalat compared the current protests to those staged in the past by the "terror organization" Mujahideen Khalq (an Iranian anti-regime organization). The daily also characterized Mousavi's and Karroubi's conduct as a first step on the road to dictatorship. To read the whole article please click here. Cartoon In Kuwaiti Paper: 'Terrorism' And 'Nuclear Program' Jump For Joy At Ahmadinejad's Election Win To read the whole article please click here. In Lebanon, Nasrallah, March 14 Forces In War Of Reactions Over Iran Elections The general secretariat of the March 14 Forces in Lebanon praised Iranian people's courage and their adherence to freedom, expressing hope that stability and moderation would replace Iranian extremism and Iran's policy of interference in Lebanon's and other countries' internal affairs. To read the whole article please click here. Report: Group Of IRGC Soldiers Announces Its Support For The People In a June 17 blog post, a group of soldiers from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) announced that it would stand with the people and would not serve "those who betray the vote of the people," who "seek authority and monopoly." To read the whole article please click here. FROM MEMRI TV: Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Calls for Partial Recount of the Election Ballots Click here to view the clip To read the whole article please click here. Mousavi Headquarters Official: Regime Elements Attempting To Force Ahmadinejad On Iranian People Ali Akbar Mohtashemi-Pour, who heads Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi's supervisory committee for votes, has said that Iran's Guardian Council is preventing the candidates' representatives from participating in the meetings of the Interior Ministry committee for managing the elections, thus making the fraud possible. To read the whole article please click here. Website Affiliated With Rezai: IRNA Lied To Serve Ahmadinejad The Iranian website Tabnak, which is affiliated with presidential candidate Mohsen Rezai, has accused Iran's official news agency IRNA, which supports Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, of publishing false election results in the candidates' home towns so as to create the impression that Ahmadinejad's rivals had not even managed to get a majority there. To read the whole article please click here. Student Basij: We're Awaiting A Sign From Khamenei To Beat Up Protesters In a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Student Basij from various universities across the country called the current situation the "quiet before the storm" and said that if he gave the word, they would "turn the [protestors'] world into Hell." To read the whole article please click here. Mousavi Supporters Launch Cyber-Attacks Against Gov't Websites In response to the Iranian government's blocking of websites of supporters of presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, yesterday supporters of Mousavi hacked government websites, including a temporary website of the Iranian news agency IRNA, placing a green “Where’s My Vote?” image on them. To read the whole article please click here. Report: Anti-Rafsanjani Demonstrations In Qom The Iranian website Khabaronline, which is identified with Majlis speaker Ali Larijani, reports that supporters of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad demonstrated June 15 against Hashemi Rafsanjani, in the city of Qom. To read the whole article please click here. Turkish, Qatari Leaders Congratulate Ahmadinejad Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday spoke to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by phone to congratulate him on his reelection.    Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani also congratulated Ahmadinejad by phone yesterday. To read the whole article please click here. Liberal Website: Rafsanjani Discusses Possible Removal Of Iran's Supreme Leader The liberal website middleeasttransparent.com reports exclusively, citing associates of Iranian Assembly of Experts chairman Hashemi Rafsanjani, that Rafsanjani is to meet with senior ayatollahs in the holy city of Qom to discuss the possibility of removing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.  To read the whole article please click here. Mousavi: Accepting Election Results – Submission To Tyranny And Dictatorship In a mass demonstration in Tehran yesterday, presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi called on his supporters to obey the law in their demonstrations over their "trampled rights," saying that he was willing to pay the price in the struggle over the values of the nation. To read the whole article please click here. Al-Arabiya: According To Iranian Interior Ministry Leak, Mousavi Won The Al-Arabiya website reported yesterday from Tehran, based on a leak by employees in the vote-counting apparatus in Iran's Interior Ministry, that the real winner in Iran's presidential election on Friday was Mir Hossein Mousavi, with 21 million votes – 57% of the 37 million votes cast. To read the whole article please click here. Nasrallah: Iranian Elections A Splendid Show Of Heroism Hizbullah has sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, to the Iranian people, and to the Iranian government, congratulating them on the elections that took place in freedom and order, as accepted in the purest democracy in the world. To read the whole article please click here. Hamas: Ahmadinejad's Victory – A Sign of His Policy's Success Hamas states that Ahmadinejad's reelection is a sign of the Iranian leadership's success in defending the Iranian people and its interests. The movement also praised Iran for its support of the Palestinians. To read the whole article please click here. Iran Blocks Websites Supporting Mousavi In response to the riots that have broken out in Iran over alleged fraud in the presidential elections, and as part of the efforts to prevent the riots from spreading, the Iranian regime has blocked prominent websites of Hossein Mousavi's supporters, including Aftabnews, Jomhuriyat, Shahabnews, Yaarinews, Norooznews, Ghalamnews and Entekhabnews. To read the whole article please click here. The Big Winner of the Iranian Elections: Khamenei Cartoonist: Amjad Rasmi To read the whole article please click here. Assad Congratulates Ahmadinejad on His Reelection Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad has sent a letter to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulating him on his reelection. Assad expressed his assurance that the friendship and cooperation between the two countries would continue to tighten, saying that both were pursuing a just and comprehensive peace in the region and the in world at large. To read the whole article please click here. Presidential Candidate Mousavi: I Have Come To End The Era Of Lies Iranian presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi said, speaking in Bandar Abbas last night, “I have come to put an end to era of the liar and file-maker government.”    In the last leg of his election campaign, Mousavi added, “I wonder how come those who keep forwarding unanswered greeting cards to the United States are the opponents of America – but then anyone who criticizes them is labeled either as Zionist, or as American.” To read the whole article please click here.