(Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his compilation)
Politics: March 2008 Parliamentary Elections
- Ali Saidi, representative of the Supreme Leader in the Revolutionary Guards, referring to the Usulgarayan [Principalist] alliance running for the Iranian parliament: “Principalism is a mentality, and should not take the shape of a political party or interest group.”
- Ayatollah Mahdavi-Kani suggests that Usulgarayan is given a broader definition so “more political activists loyal to the Islamic Republic can participate [in parliamentary elections].”
- Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, dean of the Imam Khomeini Research Institute in Qom, urges the voters and candidates not to think of their personal gains when it comes to voting or running for office. “We are all to face God in the day of doom. How would you answer his gaze?”
Politics: General
- Minister of Cooperatives announces that providing housing for singles is a priority for the ministry.
- Spokesman of the Council of Guardians: “In case, may God forbid, any parliamentary candidate has been disqualified [by the Council of Guardians] because of the candidate’s political orientation and inclination, it is unlawful, and their candidacy will be approved, so they can run for the Islamic Consultative Assembly [parliament].”
- Tabnak ridicules the television series Pedarkhandeh [Godfather] which is about the life and times of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. “The show was meant as a piece of propaganda, but historical inaccuracies in the series has made it a piece of anti-propaganda.”
- Under the title “The president and the hopes” Tabnak ridicules the TV program Tehran 20, which has shown the Iranian president kissing an eight-years-old girl from Bushehr who writes a letter to the president because her parents can’t afford to send her sister Zahra to kindergarten. Ahmadinejad, by presidential decree, fulfilled the wish of the girl.
- Revolutionary Court acquits Abbas Abdi, former hostage and later head of the Gallup Institute in Tehran, of espionage for the U.S. and Great Britain. Abdi was arrested after he published a poll showing more 74 percent of Tehran’s population desired normalization of U.S./Iran-diplomatic relations.
- Khedmat publishes a lengthy article accusing Abdi of having “a huge amount in British Pounds” in his home, and also “300 five-Pahlavi [gold] coins.”
Diplomacy
- Hardline Iranian press embraces Barack Obama.
- Ali Saidi, representative of the Supreme Leader in the Revolutionary Guards: “Defeat of the Zionist regime was formed in the shadow of the spirituality of the Lebanese Hezbollah… The religious zeal of the Hezbollah fighters nullifies the superiority of the invasive army of Israel… Israel’s defeat is the defeat of the United States.”
- Khedmat attacks Hossein Mar’ashi, ally of Rafsanjani, who, according to Khedmat has said: “People have the feeling that we are wasting our money in Palestine. We have more problems with Arabs than with the Israelis.”
- Iran-Egypt rapprochement faces no impediments.
- African leaders support Iran’s nuclear program.
Economy and Trade
- Iran claims 6.7 percent growth.
Religion, Culture, and Society
- Mahdaviyeh Hospital, the first women-only hospital in Iran, opens in Tehran.
Photo of the Day
- Motorcycle parade remembering anniversary of Islamic Revolution.
