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November, 1998.

30th November, 1998
28th November, 1998
Two More Dissidents Die 'Mysteriously' - The mutilated body of Pirooz Davami, an Iranian left-wing activist was found today. Pirooz was imprisoned and tortured in the Islamic Republic's notorious jails. Also Hamid Mossadeq a popular poet died today at the age of 59. He was also a lawyer and represented many Iranian dissident writers and journalists.
27th November, 1998
Thousands Turn Up for Foruhar Funeral in Tehran - Thousands of mourners, some chanting anti-government slogans, gathered in Tehran Thursday at the funeral of a murdered opposition leader and his wife.

A crowd of about 15,000 turned the ceremony for Dariush Forouhar and his wife Parvaneh at the Fakhar mosque into a nationalist rally.

Mourners carried portraits of the couple, found dead in their Tehran flat Sunday, and chanted ``Death to tyranny'' and ''Freedom of thought forever.''

Others sang patriotic songs and celebrated the late nationalist leader Mohammad Mossadegh, who helped inspire Foruhar and his small Iran Nation Party.

``Do you see the crowd?'' said one of the organizers. ``It shows how deeply rooted Iran's national movement and the ideals of Mossadegh are in the hearts of the people.''

At one point the crowd streamed past a row of buses waiting to take them to the cemetery, instead heading toward the site of the former parliament, a symbol of Iran's struggle for independence.

Police barred the way and there were scuffles but no apparent injuries.


22nd November, 1998
Dariush Foruhar and Wife Decapitated at Home - It is with great shock and sadness that we have received the tragic news of the murder of Dariush Foruhar and his wife in Tehran. Dariush Foruhar was the leader of the Iran Nation Party and an outspoken opponent of the regime. He also opposed the despotic rule of the late Shah and was imprisoned for many years. Shortly before the Shah's fall, Dariush Foruhar, Dr. Bakhtiar and Karim Sanjabi wrote an open letter to the Shah, warning him of the dangers of his autocratic rule. Although Foruhar supported Khomeini in the overthrow of the monarchy and served in the provisional government after the revolution, he soon realised the errors of his judgement and was a vociferous advocate of separation of state and religion.

His cruel and barbarous murder serves as yet another blood stain on the hands of the medieval Islamic Republic and proves beyond any doubt that the so called 'reformist' Khatami is nothing but a sham.

National Movement of Iranian Resistance condemns this atrocity and finds the Islamic Republic directly responsible for it. Long Live Iran, Long Live the Brave Sons and Daughters of our Motherland, Death to the 'Velayat-e-faqih'.


20th November, 1998
UN Resolution Condemns Islamic Republic for Abuses of Human Rights - A U.N. panel adopted a resolution Wednesday rebuking Iran for executions without due process of law and for discrimination against women and religious minorities such as the Baha'is.

The resolution was approved by the General Assembly's social, humanitarian and cultural committee by a vote of 63 to 35 with 60 abstentions.

A vote by the committee, which includes all U.N. members, is tantamount to formal adoption by the General Assembly, which last year adopted a similar resolution by 74 to 32.


13th November, 1998
Revolutionary Guards Set Fire to Forests in Piranshahr - The Revolutionary Guards fired mortar shells and set fire to large parts of the Piranshahr forest. Fire began when Revolutionary Guards followed protestors into the forest of the Jabr Hussein region to kill or arrest them.

In the course of this fire which continued until the next morning, large parts of this forest and 120 acres of pasture were completely destroyed.

More Power to Islamic Loyalists in Universities - AFP -Iran's parliament approved a law on Wednesday allowing Islamic militia and militant activists to play a more active role in universities.

The law in principle allows the militia, a force of Islamic loyalists, to "reinforce their presence" in universities and regulate cultural activities.

The paramilitary militia has launched a campaign to fight signs of Western culture in the Islamic Republic.


10th November, 1998
Khatami and Rafsanjani Apologise to Arafat for Comments Made by Khamenei - On November 6, the Palestinian newspaper "Al-Hayat al-Jadidah" and the "Voice of Palestine Radio" reported that Palestinian President Yasser Arafat had received messages from Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and former Iranian President and now the head of Iran's Council of Experts, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, apologizing for the recent remarks made by Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The messages also reportedly expressed thanks to Arafat for his mediation efforts that helped save Iran from a war with Afghanistan. Arafat helped effect the release of 10 Iranian prisoners held by the Taleban. Khatami's message reportedly stated, "You have removed from our backs a mountain of domestic pressures that almost involved us in the Afghan quagmire."

Still, despite the apologies from Khatami and Rafsanjani, Palestinian Authority officials continued to lash out at Khameini during a weekend visit to Iraq. On November 7, while holding talks with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad, Palestinian Authority Secretary General Tayeb Abdelrahim told Radio Monte Carlo that, "an extremist faction in Iran, led by Khamenei wants to aggravate the situation in the Palestinian territories to spark a civil war." He continued, "The Palestinian Authority is utterly convinced that the hard-liners in Iran have succeeded in infiltrating certain Palestinian factions which worked with Iran and received its aid in the past." However, Abdelrahim made a point of stating that his comments were not directed at Khatami or Rafsanjani, but at Khameini and his allies.


3rd November, 1998
Fire Kills at the Iranian Cultural Centre in Sweden - Joint Statement of Condolonce


2nd November, 1998
Parliament Passes Health Segregation Laws Again, BBC - The Iranian parliament has again passed controverial proposals to segregate health care in line with Islamic law, forcing medical staff to treat patients only of their own sex.

An earlier vote a few weeks ago was countermanded by the higher state body, the Guardian Council, after concerns were expressed over funding the segregation of hospitals.

The government and health experts had also criticised the parliamentary bill, and there was concern that lives would be put at risk where a doctor of the right sex is unavailable.

Details of the revised measures are still unclear.

They're to be considered again by the Guardian Council before becoming law.

NMIR : It is time that those so called Iranian 'intellectuals' who have laid all their hopes and dreams behind a saviour 'reformist' president realise that no mullah can reform the Islamic Republic. The mere fact that the above bill is presented to the parliament is enough proof that the Islamic Republic belongs to the medieval period and not to the 21St century. No possible real leaps of progress can be made unless this backward looking and reactionary cast who are ruling Iran are thrown into the dustbin of history. These so called 'intellectuals' have already once before presented Khomeini as the Ghandi of Iran and both themselves and our motherland has dearly paid the price. If they want to make the same mistake again, then they themselves will also be thrown into the dustbin of history.
Seperation of State and Religion the Most Fundamental Slogan of the Struggle Against IRI - (in Farsi)

Iran Denies Deal Over Convicted Nationals - The Iranian government has denied rumours concerning the exchange of Kazem Darabi, the convicted Iranian terrorist and the German national, sentenced to death for having had a sexual relationship with a Moslem Iranian girl.


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