Posted on 07/01/2002 12:27:48 PM PDT by knighthawk
TEHRAN -- Iran is committed to upholding laws guaranteeing human rights with due regard to Islamic precepts, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid-Reza Assefi said here on Monday.
Addressing a gathering of domestic and foreign reporters, he said that Islam teaches its followers to observe each other's rights.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has expressed its concerns to UN officials over the violation of human rights worldwide, particularly those of Muslim minorities all across European countries," Assefi informed.
Terming the recent visit of a delegation from the UAE's official news agency WAM to Tehran as "successful," he said that the Iranian president has accepted an invitation from the Emirati side for him to visit the UAE.
The spokesman further pointed to Tehran-Abu Dhabi relations as an important factor in preserving and strengthening stability and security in the region, and announced Iran's readiness to remove existing misunderstandings in relations between the two states.
He stressed that both the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah, Seyed Ali Khamenei, and President Khatami are firm believers in the policy of detente in the country's relations with other states.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman also expressed Iran's strong opposition to any foreign-led attack on Iraq aimed at changing its leaders.
"Iran is firmly opposed to any attack against any country, particularly Iraq, aimed at changing governments or the regime in place," Assefi said, adding that such an attack would constitute an "absolute violation of international conventions and does not contribute at all to calming crises." Asefi was reacting to warnings of a possible U.S. military operation aimed at overthrowing or assassinating Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Referring to the current visit to Iran by Iraq's Culture Minister Hamad Yussef Hammadi, Assefi said existing political problems between the two neighbors who fought a bloody war between 1980 and 1988 were also evoked.
"We have common concerns over the regional situation," Assefi said, adding that diplomatic talks between the two neighbors focus on the "consequences of the Iran-Iraq war as well as the question of Iranian pilgrims and cultural cooperation." The United States has been hinting that an attack on Iraq might be the next step in its unilaterally declared "war on terror." The spokesman also blasted the U.S. policies in the Middle East and said the new peace blueprint introduced by U.S. President George W. Bush would only "complicate" the Middle East situation and "leaving Israel's hands free to proceed with its repression" against the Palestinians.
"Mr Bush has made irrational and unreasonable declarations which have again complicated the Middle East situation," Assefi said.
"This has given U.S. the feeling that the Americans want to justify, like they do every time, a new (Israeli) aggression against the Palestinians and to leave Israel's hands free to proceed with its repression," he declared.
Commenting on last week's speech by Bush who called for ouster of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Assefi said: "It is up to the Palestinian people to decide who represents them, to choose their leaders." Bush gave a long-awaited Middle East policy speech last Monday and called for Palestinians to dump their leaders as a condition for U.S. support for an independent Palestinian state.
Assefi aslo dismissed as 'baseless and unfounded' recent claims by the U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice and said her comments on the Palestinian nation is a blatant example of U..S intervention.
Assefi said the claims of Rice and of the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on the Palestinian nation are yet another glaring example of U.S. policy of interference in affairs of other countries and nations.
He said the U.S., through its arrogant actions and stances, does not allow other nations, including the Palestinians, to independently exercise their right to decide their own fate and determine their future.
He added this shows that the U.S. has a monopolistic grasp of the concept of democracy and is merely supporting the kind of democracy that would fall within framework of the U.S. interests and policies.
The Iranian official said the global community, especially certain European states and the Muslim and Arab countries, have not welcomed or dismissed recent U.S. policy, particularly the U.S. President George W.
Bush's plan to change Palestinians' leadership.
He stressed that the plan is non-democratic and violates the recognized rights of the Palestinian nation.
Police arrests 30 at "depraved" party: paper
IranMania, July 01 2002
TEHRAN, July 1 (AFP) - The police has arrested 30 young girls and boys during a "depraved" birthday party in the southern city of Shiraz, the Kayhan paper reported Monday.
The police unit arrested the youth recently while they were dancing together at a teenager's birthday party, and the raid came following complaints by neighbours of the popular Shiraz neighbourhood, the conservative daily said.
Five of the youngsters, including two musicians, one singer and a cameraman were sentenced to suspended prison terms as well as 74 whip lashes, the paper said adding that the others were sentenced to 40 whip lashes and a cash fine.
Tehran's police chief Mohammad Mehdi Sadoughi announced Saturday that police had launched a new campaign against "depravity" among the nation's youth.
"We will fight against loud music in cars, all kinds of harassment, drug users and notably fights between groups of young people," the daily Norouz quoted him as saying.
Special police units equipped with new four-wheel-drive vehicles have greatly reinforced their presence in numerous northern and eastern quarters of Tehran, Iran's capital of 10 million people.
As well as stopping and checking the occupants of cars, they have also stepped up raids on parties in north Tehran and well-to-do residential areas, rounding up hundreds of youngsters every week-end.
Officials regularly crack down on so-called "depraved" parties where Iran's strict Islamic laws have been flouted with alcohol, drugs and mixed-sex dancing.
Iranian writer to face court for "offending" clergy
IranMania, July 01 2002
TEHRAN, July 1 (AFP) - Iranian reformist writer and journalist Hashem Aghajari has been summoned by the conservative judiciary on charges of having "offended" the Shiite clergy, the Kayhan daily reported Monday.
Aghajari "was summoned to the Hamedan court, because it is the town where he delivered his controversial speech in which he offended the clergy and the sacred values of Islam," said the head of the western city's tribunal, quoted by the conservative daily.
Ayatollah Zekrollah Ahmadi did not specify the date the writer has been asked to appear in court, but called on the Hamedan population to "stay calm and avoid any kind of tension."
"Everyone should rest assured that judicial officials will treat this case in an independent manner, setting aside any partisan political consideration," he added.
Aghajari, a member of the pro-reform leftist Organization of the Mujahedin of the Islamic Revolution, angered the country's conservative clerics when he demanded religious reform in Iran during the recent public address.
Aghajari said Muslims "should not blindly" follow religious leaders and called for a "religious renewal" of Shiite Islam.
His speech sparked widespread anger among religious circles, and on Sunday a leading cleric even compared the reformist journalist to British writer Salman Rushdie, who was condemned to death in February 1989 by a religious decree for publishing "The Satanic Verses", a book which the authorities deemed blasphemous.
Following criticism by reformist President Mohammad Khatami, Aghajari sent a letter to parliament speaker Mehdi Karubi Thursday, apologizing for his remarks and said he did not mean to question the clergy's "incontestable role in the reformist movement".
If people want on or off this list, please let me know.
In thei rminds, having a secular government that does not impose Sharia is a violation of human rights.
Get it now?
So what does all this "Iran is committed to upholding laws guaranteeing human rights with due regard to Islamic precepts" mean in real life?
No one is a fan of the regime, but looking at what some of what the U.N. calls "human rights" I think "due regard" to Christian precepts is very warranted. Or any religion's precepts, for that matter.
Someone forgot to tell these ladies:
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