Conservative Becomes Iranian Parliament Speaker
May 29, 2004
Reuters
ABC News
Iran's parliament has elected the country's first non-cleric assembly speaker since the 1979 revolution, following February polls in which conservatives overturned the reformist majority.
Conservative party leader Gholamali Haddadadel, whose daughter is married to a son of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is viewed as a pragmatist. The parliamentary vote was broadcast live on state radio.
Iran's parliament speaker not only steers debates in the chamber but also votes in powerful committees such as the Supreme National Security Council.
The speaker sits on the Expediency Council that arbitrates between parliament and the Guardian Council, the Islamic Republic's 12-man constitutional watchdog.
Iran's new parliamentarians, who took over the reins of power with chants of "Death to America", voted overwhelmingly for Mr Haddadadel to replace Mehdi Karroubi. Of the 266 who cast votes, 196 backed Mr Haddadadel. Iran's parliament has 290 seats.
Mr Haddadadel heads the Islamic Iran Developers Party, Abadgeran, that leads a coalition at the heart of Iran's new parliament. He has said hardline parties will aim to transform Iran into an "Islamic Japan".
In his inaugural address he attacked the US occupation of Iraq and fighting in Shiite holy cities.
"This nation will not forgive those who desecrate the holy shrines," he said. His words were greeted by a chorus of "Death to America".
Many reformists dismissed February's election as a bloodless coup after the Guardian Council banned thousands of reformist candidates from standing.
Technically, Mr Haddadadel's appointment is temporary because lawmakers who voted for him have not yet approved each other's credentials. However, this approval is considered a formality.
Two traditional conservatives take over as deputy parliament speakers, replacing two of Iran's most outspoken reformists.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1118927.htm
Ebadi softens her controversial stands
SMCCDI (Information Service)
May 29, 2004
http://www.daneshjoo.org/generalnews/article/publish/article_6408.shtml
Shirin Ebadi, the controversial Nobel Peace Prize, seems having changed her tactics following witnessing a fierce peaceful and democratic manner opposition by members of the Iranian Diaspora. From softening some of her anti-US rhetoric and accepting the existence of "some" rights abuses in Iran to scarifying individuals or hosts with controversial background who are intending to legitimize the Islamic regime, she is trying to navigate in the turmoil created by the genuine and secular opposition groups located in the US.
Ebadi who has faced a mediatic debacle especially after the protest action made, at the UCLA, by several Iranian groups, composed of Monarchists and Republicans, seems having understood that she can't continue voicing a one sided Islamic regime's foreign policy and its promotion of sham "reforms from within" without softening her anti US rhetoric and acknowledging "some" aspect of the rule of terror and oppression in Iran. It's to note that few idealist or misinformed American writers continue to promote Ebadi based on the advices and information given by some few members of the Iranian Community, residing in the US. These writers forget that most of their sources were in their younger age part of the so-called Iranian Intelligentsia, such as Mohamad Sahimi or the very ambitious and deluded Mehranguiz Kar, who helped bringing the backwarded clerics to political power in Iran. Worst, some of them, such as, Kazem Alamdari and Nayereh Tohidi, teachers at UC, were part of fanatic Marxist Guerilla groups involved in several murders.
Anyhow Ebadi has been seen, recently, trying to calm the increasing anger of the Iranian community which is echoed for millions of enchained Iranians via the Los Angles and WDC based TV and Radio networks. Her anti US rhetoric has soften astonishingly and the latter has started to criticize the Islamic regime on several topics while refusing to attend controversial gatherings, such as the one, organized by IAPAC.
Of course, fidel to her past controversial and revolutionary background with Islamic roots, she still claim that the status of Iranian women has improved and that more than 63% of Iranian students are female. She omits to state that the Iranian women are in general much more advanced, compare to herself, in many aspects of their thoughts and aspirations from the first day of the 1979 Islamic revolution. The latter doesn't find necessary to mention that many studies, such as some branches of Medical schools or scientific studies, are banned for the current 63% female students in contrary to the secular education which existed before the Islamic revolution. Most of the current female students are condemned to follow studies, such as, in Textile or Wowing Rug which their industries are at the edge of collapse in Iran due to the ill policies of the ruling clerics and their Islamist technocrat advisors, such as, Ebadi's own brother who's an influential advisor of the current rgime.
Ebadi who made Human Rights Studies at Tehran University in 1973, is claiming that "the "limit" of Human Rights is traced by "Democracy". It's of course not necessary to remind that based on her idea, the Taliban regime was not in a total transgression of Human Rights principles nor as it will any type of so-called reformed Islamic regime in Iran which is Ebadi's main goal.