(Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his compilation)
Religion, Culture, and Society
- Kayhan editor Shariatmadari attacks Ayatollah Sane’i’s claim that stoning of adulterous women is not permissible in the absence of the Twelfth Imam, and accuses the ayatollah of deviating from the line of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Grand Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini.
- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivering a speech to the families of war veterans, martyrs and war wounded in Fars Province: “By standing by Islamic principles, and by constantly struggling to realize national aspirations, the great people of Iran follow the path of the honorable martyrs, and by reaching the peak of worldly and after-worldly honor, the nation demonstrates its gratitude to [the martyrs] and their families in all eternity.”
- Ayatollah Ali-Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani defends Azad University, which has been under attack for some time: “No one owns the Azad University but the people of Iran.”
Economy
- Ayatolah Abdollah Javadi-Amoli: “One can’t fight economic corruption by getting one and imprisoning another. One needs to provide an economic plan which is against economic injustice.”
- Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi’s students and supporters stage demonstrations against the Judiciary office in Qom, claiming the Judiciary does not support the Ahmadinejad government’s fight against economic corruption.
- Khatami-era economic advisor Mohammad Sattari-Far says the ills of the Iranian economy are not due to “economic mafia,” but “widespread government intervention in the economy.”
- Ayatollah Amini, Friday Prayer leader of Qom: “Unrestrained inflation has brought the people to their knees.”
- Tehran mayor Qalibaf attacks the economic policies of the Ahmadinejad government: “The government wrongly believes distribution of money is the same thing as distribution of wealth.”
- E’temad slams the Ahmadinejad government’s mismanagement of Iran’s oil income.
- State-owned hotels to be privatized.
- Former commander in chief of the Revolutionary Guards, Mohsen Rezai says the government is deviating from the Fourth Development Plan.
- The rice crisis reaches Iran. More.
- According to Fars News Agency, The Unknown Soldiers of the Imam of the Era, a unit operating under the Ministry of Intelligence has dissolved a real estate mafia in Fars region.
Trade and Sanctions
- In an interview with a Swiss newspaper, a French businessman says economic sanctions against Iran are just a tale, and in reality, French companies have a very active presence in Iran.
- Iran begins $1.2 billion Sri Lanka refinery upgrade.
Nuclear Issue
- Nuclear cargo delayed by Azerbaijan arrives in Iran.
- 5+1 gives incentives to Iran if it gives up enrichment.
- Iran warns West not to cross Iran’s red lines by making demands to give up enrichment.
Diplomacy
- Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi speaking to a number of students from the universities of Yazd: “Separation of religion and the revolution is the chief goal of the enemy… The victory of the Islamic Revolution is one of the greatest blessings of God to mankind, and has deep importance to the happiness of man and is a rare historical phenomenon. Therefore one must introduce it to the entire world.”
- Three Iranian citizens arrested in Lebanon, accused of watching the private home of Lebanese leader Samir Geagea.
- Supreme Leader: Our resistance angers the enemy.
- Former president Mohammad Khatami warns against “forgery of the thoughts of the Imam [Khomeini]” and explains his interpretation of Khomeini’s doctrine of “Export of the Revolution”: “What did the Imam want, and what was his purpose of exporting the revolution? [Did he want that] we should by the means of gunpowder and [sponsorship]or groups sabotaging other countries? The Imam was fiercely against such behavior. He meant to establish a role mode here, which means that people should see that in this society the economy, science and dignity of man is respected and by reducing the social gap between the classes and by achieving relative welfare and improvement of affairs have a role model, and this was the most important way of exporting the revolution.”
- Ahmad Khatami, at Friday Prayers in Tehran: “Anyone attacking Iran is playing with the tail of a lion.” Seyyed Mohammad Khakzad of the public relations office of the Supporters of the Sacred Defense Cultural Institute says “the flag of Imam Hossein is being sent to America for the first time.” According to Khakzad, the flag is being delivered as a gift to “the community of Muslims in America.” Khakzad also expressed hope that the flag in the future also can be sent to other places in the Americas such as Argentina, and also the Far East.
Military and Security
- Commander Ja’fari, commander in chief of the Revolutionary Guards appoints Abdollah Eraghi to be chief of Basij in Greater Tehran Resistance Zone. Eraghi replaces commander Aghamir, who moves to the headquarters of the Basij.
Politics
- Government spokesman Gholam-Hossei Elham talking to school teachers in Gilan: “Today we are blamed by those who want the government to attend to the price of tomatoes instead of solving world problems…Such a short horizon and weak physique is truly surprising and is in contrast with Alavi [derived from the first Imam of the Shi’as, Ali] culture.”
- Hamid Ansari, deputy chief of the Institute for Publication of the Works of Imam Khomeini, says Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi and the “political current he represents” was an opponent to the revolutionary movement of Khomeni in the 1960′s and 1970′s, but is now “revising history to achieve supreme political power.” Tehran Mayor Qalibaf in an interview with Time Magazine: “The vote of the people was not a vote of support to the government.”
- The Documents and Research Institute of the Iranian Presidency opens an “All About Ahmadinejad” stall at the Tehran Book Fair.
- Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, says some people have misunderstood the message of his grandfather.
- The office of the Islamic Student Association of Hormozgan province is shut down by authorities.
Photo of the Day
