Highlights of the week
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The riots of Ashura 2009: yet another expression of the ongoing conflict between government supporters and the reformist opposition
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Internal debate sparked by Ahmadinejad's demand for compensation for the occupation of Iran during World War II
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More worrying economic data: Iran's foreign currency reserves drop for the first time in a decade
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Pictures of the week: the traditional Ashura ceremony attended by the Supreme Leader
The riots of Ashura 2009: yet another expression of the ongoing conflict between government supporters and the reformist opposition
Iran's ongoing political crisis, which began following the presidential elections, spread to the Shi'ite mourning rituals (Tasu'a and Ashura) marked early last week. Alongside traditional mourning processions held early last week across Iran with the approval and support of the authorities, severe clashes broke out in various areas in Tehran and in other major Iranian cities between security forces and protestors who sought to take advantage of the mourning processions to express support of the opposition.
During the two days of mourning (December 26-27), Rah-e Sabz, a news website affiliated with the supporters of the reformist opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi, extensively reported on severe clashes between security forces and opposition demonstrators in which at least eight demonstrators were killed, including Seyyed Ali Mousavi, the 35-year old nephew of opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi. The internal security forces shot in the air and used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, who chanted slogans in favor of the reformist opposition and against the regime (Rah-e Sabz, December 26-27).
More mass arrests of reformist activists were made by the authorities following the riots. Those reportedly arrested in recent days include Ebrahim Yazdi, chairman of the Iranian oppositionist organization "The Freedom Movement"; Emadeddin Baqi, a journalist and human rights activist; Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, a journalist and spokesman for the organization for protecting freedom of press; as well as senior officials in Mir-Hossein Mousavi's headquarters.
In a related incident, on the evening of December 26 government supporters broke into the auditorium of Jamaran Religious Center in northern Tehran while former president Mohammad Khatami was giving a speech on the occasion of the Ashura, forcing him to leave before he had the chance to finish his speech.
Former president Mohammad Khatami taken out of the religious center when government supporters break into the auditorium during his speech (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV6GQoJm59E)
Unlike the reformist websites, reports by official and pro-government media played down the protest demonstrations, preferring to focus on the traditional mourning processions. The official news agency IRNA reported on December 26 that internal security forces had deployed in downtown Tehran to maintain public order, and that a small group consisting of only 150 protestors attempted to disrupt public order during the mourning processions and was dispersed by the security forces on its way from the Imam Hossein Square to Revolution Square in downtown Tehran (IRNA, December 26).
In the wake of the Ashura riots, pro-government media have once again lashed out against the reformist opposition and its leaders. In an editorial published by Keyhan on Monday, December 28, the conservative daily accused the opposition leaders of cooperating with foreign intelligence services as part of a thought-out project to undermine Iran's stability and spark a civil war. The Ashura events, the article says, demonstrate that Iranians have lost their patience for the opposition's activities and are even more determined than the security forces to stand up to it and take strong action against it. According to the article, the opposition leaders must keep in mind that they are responsible for all developments, and they will soon have to pay the price for their actions. In another article by Hossein Shariatmadari, the editor-in-chief of Keyhan referred to the reformist opposition leaders as "servants of Israel", affiliated with Zionist circles and acting as Israel's fifth column inside Iran. Their crimes during the events of Ashura are no different than those perpetrated in AD 680 by Yazid Ibn Mu 'awiyah in the Battle of Karbala, leaving no room for doubt that they are the enemies of Islam, Imam [Khomeini], the regime, and the people. From now on, Shariatmadari writes, the masses will not remain silent about the incitement-spreading and outlaw leaders (Keyhan, December 29).
Fars news agency accused the opposition leaders of abusing the religious sentiments of the public during the Shi'ite days of mourning to further their political objectives. The news agency also questioned the deaths of several demonstrators during the clashes, including the nephew of Mir-Hossein Mousavi. Citing the internal security forces chief, the agency reported that no live ammunition had been fired at the demonstrators, insinuating that the opposition was responsible for the deaths of the demonstrators killed in the clashes in order to garner public support (Fars, December 27).
Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a senior cleric and Friday prayer leader in Tehran, also lashed out strongly against the violators of public order during the Ashura ceremonies, accusing them of an attempt to undermine the Iranian concept of "rule of the religious jurisprudent" and to personally fight against the Supreme Leader. In an interview granted to Fars news agency, Khatami said that the Ashura riots were part of a sequence of plots planned well before the presidential elections in order to undermine the stability of the regime. He called on the authorities to take strong, resolute action against those who disrupted public order, accusing them of offending the sanctity of Islam and the sanctity of Ashura in recent days (Fars, December 28)
In a special memorandum of opinion published in the wake of the Ashura riots, the Revolutionary Guards also condemned the violations of public order which took place during that day. Offending the sanctity of the Ashura reflects the dead end in which the "internal and external global anti-revolutionary arrogance" found itself following its attempts to achieve its objectives, the memorandum of opinion says, and the activity of the public order violators is proof of their affiliation with Iran's external enemies. The attempts of foreign and Zionist media to encourage offending the sanctity of the Ashura will not compromise, however, the resolve of the Iranian people to protect their sacred religious and revolutionary values, making them even more determined to thwart the plots concocted against them. In the memorandum of opinion, the Revolutionary Guards warn the planners of the riots that sooner or later they will have to pay the price for offending the sacred values of the Iranian nation (Fars, December 28).
Meanwhile, government supporters held demonstrations and processions on Tuesday and Wednesday (December 29-30) in a number of Iranian cities, in protest against "offending the sanctity of Ashura".
Demonstration of pro-government protestors in the city of Kermanshah, December 29
Internal debate sparked by Ahmadinejad's demand for compensation
for the occupation of Iran during World War II
President Ahmadinejad's demand that the three Allied Powers (US, Britain, and Russia) compensate Iran for the damage they caused it during its occupation in World War II has sparked an internal debate in Iran.
In a letter recently sent by Ahmadinejad to his office chief Esfandiar Rahim Masha'i, the president instructed the establishment of a team of experts in the fields of economy, politics, history, and law to assess the damage caused to Iran during its occupation by the Allied Powers in World War II. Ahmadinejad noted that it was Iran's right to demand compensation for the extensive damage caused to it by the Allied Powers following its occupation in August 1941 and despite the fact that Iran had declared neutrality early in the war (ISNA, December 21). In a press conference held during his recent visit to Copenhagen for the climate conference, Ahmadinejad said that he would soon send the UN Secretary General a letter specifying his demands for compensation.
In a lengthy interview given last week by Abbas Salimi Namin, the head of the Modern Iranian History Research Center, to Asr-e Iran (December 25), Namin, who is affiliated with pro-government conservative circles, justified the president's demand. He said that the occupation of Iran by the Allied Powers was the cause of considerable damage to the country and its people, and that it was the Iranian government's right to protect the rights of the Iranian people and demand compensation. During the occupation of Iran the Allied Powers perpetrated serious crimes against the Iranian people and caused intense hunger which resulted in the deaths of many Iranians. Namin added that if Israel was getting billions of dollars a year because Jews had died in World War II, Iran was likewise entitled to be compensated for the damage caused to it by the Allied Powers during the war.
Iran's occupation by the Allied Powers in August 1941 (Asr-e Iran, December 25)
In contrast, Mostafa Kavakabian, member of the Majles National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, criticized the president's proposal, saying that the government of Iran had better focus on demanding compensation from Iraq for the damage the latter caused to it during the Iran-Iraq War. According to Kavakabian, the Iranian public was now demanding compensation for the war forced on it by Saddam Hussein, and bringing up a demand for compensation for damage caused to Iran during World War II will only compromise the international understanding of Iran's demand for compensation for the Iran-Iraq War. Kavakabian further added that the issue of compensation for World War II was unworthy of being the top priority of Iran's foreign policy, and that bringing it up did not serve Iran's national interest and could even have a negative impact on its relations with the international community (Tabnak, December 23).
The reformist daily Aftab-e Yazd also criticized the president's proposal last week. An editorial titled "Are we truly interested in compensation?" says that those who have heard the president's proposal may think that Iran's situation is so good that its president allows himself to spend time on demanding compensation for damage caused over 60 years ago. Aftab-e Yazd also noted that the government had better focus on working out a compensation plan from Iraq for damage caused in the Iran-Iraq War before asking the Allied Powers for compensation for World War II. Furthermore, the damage caused to Iran by Russia and China by their conduct on the nuclear program, including the damage caused by the delays in the completion of the nuclear reactor in Bushehr, far outweigh those caused by the US and British occupation of Iran. How will it be possible, therefore, to justify a demand for compensation for damage caused to Iran more than 65 years ago when Iran grants extensive economic benefits to Russia and China, allowing them to take part in major energy projects in Iran (Aftab-e Yazd, December 20).
More worrying economic data: Iran's foreign currency
reserves drop for the first time in a decade
The Farda news website reported last week that for the first time in a decade Iran's foreign currency reserves dropped by eight billion dollars. According to recent data released by the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), the severe drop was preceded by a steady increase in Iran's foreign currency reserves in the years 1999-2009: the foreign currency reserves increased by 1.8 billion dollars in 1999-2000; 6.2 billion dollars in 2000-2001; 4.8 billion dollars in 2001-2002; 4.7 billion dollars in 2002-2003; 3.7 billion dollars in 2003-2004; 8.2 billion dollars in 2004-2005; 15.2 billion dollars in 2005-2006; 11.4 billion dollars in 2006-2007; 14.6 billion dollars in 2007-2008; and 7.5 billion dollars in 2008-2009.
Farda reports that the drop in the foreign currency reserves results from a sharp 84-percent decrease in Iran's balance of payments in the first five months of the Iranian year 2009-2010, as well as from a sharp 46-percent decrease in the country's oil revenues (from 56.4 billion dollars to 33.3 billion dollars) during the same period. The export of non-oil-based goods from Iran decreased by 6.6 percent (from 7.9 to 7.4 billion dollars).
The Central Bank figures also show that there were no outside investments in Iran's economy during the first five months of this year. In contrast, 283 million dollars were invested in Iran's economy in 2004-2005; 366 million dollars in 2005-2006; 468 million dollars in 2006-2007; and 640 million dollars per year in 2007-2008 and in 2008-2009 (Farda, December 29).
Those economic figures join other recently-released data about the escalating depression in Iran's economy. An article recently published in the economic daily Donya-ye Eqtesad ("Economy World") reported a considerable decrease in economic activity in Iran in the past year.
In early 2009, senior Iranian economy officials admitted for the first time that, with some delay, the world economic crisis was starting to influence the economy of Iran as well. Senior economic ministers issued warnings about the effects of the global crisis on Iranian trade, on the industrial sector, and on the Iranian stock market. During a convention on the effects of the global crisis on Iran's economy held in January 2009, Central Bank governor Mahmoud Bahmani said that the level of Iran's foreign currency reserves was satisfactory. However, he warned against the continuing import of luxury products to Iran, saying it could exacerbate the effects of the global crisis on the economy.
Pictures of the week: the traditional Ashura ceremony
attended by the Supreme Leader
