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Foreign Aid to Bam Earthquake Victims Disappears

March 15, 2004
Radio Free Europe
Bill Samii

Iranian Red Crescent Society head Ahmad Ali Nurbala said in the 9 March issues of "Iran" and "Hambastegi" newspapers that most of the foreign funds sent to Iran after the December earthquake in the Kerman Province city of Bam never reached the victims, Reuters reported.

Nurbala said the Red Crescent received only $1.9 million in aid, but documents show that more than $11.8 million in aid came from overseas organizations. Nurbala called on the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance and the Foreign Ministry to account for the foreign aid.

Kerman Province Governor-General Mohammad Ali Karimi said on 8 March that international media exaggerated the amount of foreign aid, state radio reported. "The people of the region think that foreign countries have fulfilled their promises, but unfortunately no cash aid was received from foreign countries; and all their offers of assistance did not go beyond words." And on 4 March he said, "Unfortunately by magnifying the amount of financial and material domestic and international aid the media have increased the expectations of the people of this region to such an extent that they believe we can build two towns the size of Bam with this amount," ILNA reported.

Karimi attended a 4 March gathering of about 500 people from Bam and answered their questions about relief operations and the town's reconstruction, ILNA reported. The meeting became a riot after the actions of unidentified hooligans. Karimi explained, "After the mention of the problems and the issue of foreign relief, some malicious group started chanting provocative slogans while riding on their bikes in the streets of Bam and attempted to destroy public properties." He added that police arrested a number of these people.

Ali Shafei resigned as the governor-general of Bam in reaction to this demonstration, "Sharq" newspaper reported on 10 March, according to Reuters. Sources told "Sharq" that Shafei was attacked during the demonstration, and he resented this because he lost his home and family members in the earthquake and because he has put in a lot of effort to help the people since then.

http://www.rferl.org/reports/iran-report/

[DoctorZIn]

Banned Weekly Draws Similarities Between Goats an Mullahs

March 15, 2004
AFP
IranMania

TEHRAN -- The Iranian conservative-controlled judiciary has closed down Tabarestan, a weekly magazine, for drawing similarities between goats and Iran's ruling Islamic clerics, press reports said Monday.

In its last issue before being ordered shut down by the judiciary, the weekly published an article denouncing the misdeeds of the goat, branding it a destructive animal "whose distinctive sign is to have a long beard".

A large photograph of a white goat with a beard of almost 10 centimetres (four inches) adorned the front page.

Wearing a beard is considered mandatory for men by Muslim clerics and ardent believers.

According to the newspaper, the goat is an animal which does not respect "the democratic rights in a herd of sheep" and even stops the sheep from "freely bleating".

Tabarestan also added that the goat "destroys everything in its way, eats the roots of plants and the leaves of trees."

"It is a twisted animal which always tries to impose its will and tramples the rights of the flocks of sheep by using its horns."

"All our misfortunes come from the goats and their kids", the weekly said, adding that it "is astonishing that the number of the goats is on the increase."

The Iranian judiciary, a bastion of the conservatives, accused the weekly of insulting "the courageous people of Islamic Iran by comparing them with a herd of sheep."

The judiciary also reprimanded the weekly for publishing writings contrary to social morals, notably by printing salacious extracts from a recent book on the "Private Life of the Shah and Farah", the ex-imperial couple toppled by the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The Tabarestan satire followed a landslide victory for conservatives and hardline clerics in the February 20 elections after the wholesale disqualification of reformist candidates by a conservative watchdog body.

http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=23455&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

[DoctorZIn]

Important!!!!

The next 24 hours may prove highly significant in Iran.

Tomorrow is Chehar Shanbeh Suri in Iran. It is an ancient Zoroastrian holiday that is banned by the Islamic regime. Most anti regime events have taken place on major holidays such as this.

I am hearing that the situation is going to heat up significantly.

I will try to keep you informed.

[DoctorZIn]

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