Moon Not Sighted By Iran Ayatollah To Declare End Of Fasting

Hassan Shojaee Aliabadi the chairman of the Article 90 Committee of the Majles told Mehr news agency on Saturday, May 30, that people have repeatedly called on the committee to make sure that Rouhani would be put on trial as soon as possible. Article 90 was established many years ago to hear complaints from citizens.

The moderate news website Rouydad24 wrote: "This comes while the same parliament believes that the people's views are not important about other matters including their opposition to a bill that calls for restricting the access to social media."

The report pointed out that Lawmaker Morteza Aqa-Tehrani, a member of the ultraconservative Paydari Party has said: "Even a million signatures on a petition cannot stop the bill to restrict Internet access."

The campaign to put Rouhani on trial "as the man responsible for the country's economic problems" was launched during his presidency after former Central Bank Governor Valiollah Seif (pronounced Sayf) was sentenced to 10 years in jail on charges of manipulating the foreign exchange market. The verdict against Seif was later revoked, but the call to put Rouhani on trial continued with new accusations. Members of the current hardliner parliament have charged that Rouhani's "inefficiency" led to major economic problems for Iran.

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The new calls for Rouhani's trial come as the country's economic problems have seriously worsened during the 10 months conservative Ebrahim Raisi has been president. The move could be his supporters' plan to blame Rouhani for the problems Raisi and his economic team have not been able to solve.

Another aspect of the issue is Iran’s stalled nuclear talks with the United States and continuing sanctions. The only person in Iran who can authorize a new agreement is Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whom many see as the one who is ultimately responsible for the economic crisis and inflation topping 40 percent.

During the past months nearly all prices in Iran have redoubled while Raisi ands his government have failed to control inflation. Iranian journalist Ebrahim Alizade, who is the editor of Tejarat News website, wrote in a 29 April Tweet: "Today, on the same day that President Ebrahim Raisi reassured the nation that he is constantly thinking of controlling the markets…prices of meat and car parts have gone up and the price of detergents is going to increase next week."

Despite rising prices, the Raisi administration has been constantly blaming the former government rather than trying to offer a solution. That is why economic observers believe Raisi's hardliner supporters are buying time by pursuing the idea of putting Rouhani on trial. However, even some of Raisi’s supporters criticize the government for blaming its predecessors.

Moreover, there is no indication that Article 90 Committee chairman’s remarks are true. A few days ago, some government officials were adamant that legal action has been taken against former vice president Es'haq Jahangiri, former Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh and former Housing Minister Abbas Akhundi for being responsible for the economic crisis. But it was soon revealed that the claim was false.

There has been talk of a debate between Raisi and Rouhani about the state of the economy.

Rouhani is not likely to agree to take part in any debate with Raisi, but if such a debate ever takes place, he proved during the 2017 election campaigns as Raisi's rival that he is capable on unabashedly attacking Raisi and leaving him speechless, particularly as Rouhani is an intrepid speaker while Raisi can is prone to make blunders.

Some Iranian activists bombarded Parviz Parastui, the lead actor of the film, with questions about his political stances during the Q and A that followed the screening of One Thousand and One Day at 'Red Carpet with Parviz Parastouei' at Lumiere Cinema in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Activists said Parastui who has appeared in more than fifty Iranian films never speaks about "human rights violations in Iran" and "regime atrocities" such as the killing of hundreds of protesters in nationwide protests in November 2019.

They also criticized him for his praise of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Qods Force Commander Ghasem (Qasem) Soleimani who was killed in a targeted US drone strike as he arrived at Baghdad airport on January 3, 2020.

Parastui who has on some occasions criticized the clerics in power for corruption refrained from directly answering the questions on his relationship with Soleimani but implied that he could not speak freely and said he always feels as if he is walking a tightrope "to keep everyone happy."

Before the event, Sam Rajabi, a former judoka champion who now lives in the US, insisted that Parastouei explain about his relationship with Soleimani, while filming him on his mobile. Parastui refused to respond, and the encounter ended in Parastui knocking the mobile out of Rajabi's hand. The video taken by Rajabi has gone viral on social media with hundreds commenting in support or against Parastouei.

There was also a heated argument between a group of activists and Gohar Kheirandish, an Iranian actress who spoke in Parastui's support outside the venue of the event.

"Mr Rajabi has democratically and in an acceptable tone asked a question … and faced physical violence," one of the actor's critics said in a tweet while accusing the veteran actor of being a "government-sponsored" artist.

It is the duty of an artist who has found fame and money because of people's support to speak up and take people's side when they are oppressed, another critic argued on Twitter.

Some others have defended the actor saying being an outspoken critic is not easy for those living under an oppressive regime. "Sam Rajabi definitely knows that Parviz Parastui and Gohar Kheirandish are neither pro-regime revolutionaries nor super-religious," one of Parastouei's supporters tweetedwhile arguing that activists' demands for candid expression of artists' political views puts them in danger.

Yet others have questioned the US government about granting visa to a "Soleimani supporter".

Hardline Iranian media, such as the IRGC-linked Fars news agency, have alleged that the opposition Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization was behind the confrontations with Parastui and Kheirandish. But regime opponents of different persuasions have criticized the event as a publicity stunt in support of the Islamic Republic

Directed by Habib Ahmadzadeh, One Thousand and One Day -- also known as the Legend of Bonasan: The Genie in the Lamp -- is the story of a genie that must compose a melody with help from four humans to create a human miracle or he would be expelled from the Solar System for eternity and according to its director, is a film in praise of peace.

The Iranian Cinema US Tour organized by Code Pink included screenings and discussions in Washington DC, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles in April.

Code Pink introduces itself as a women-led grassroots organization "working to end US wars and militarism" and supporter of peace and human rights initiatives. Code Pink condemns US sanctions on Iran.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf claimed before the official opening of the parliament's session on Saturday that there is a "story behind the story" over the disclosures about his family's shopping spree in Turkey.

Ghalibaf said that he was against the trip to Turkey, but his family decided to go Istanbul regardless of his opposition. He explained that his wife had to accompany her daughter and son-in-law to take care of his pregnant daughter, the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported.

The scandal broke on April 20, when videos began circulating on social media showing Ghalibaf’s family returning from Turkey with many pieces of luggage, in what appeared to be accessories for his daughter’s baby on the way. Later more reports emerged that the family also bought two apartments in Istanbul worth $1.6 million during the trip.

He claimed that the controversy about the shopping spree was "fiction," adding that the rumors about the excess baggage was all lies and accusations.

"Many told me that that there was nothing special about the trip as it was a private visit. My family did not use diplomatic passport and did not benefit from what they were entitled to based on protocols. They travelled like all other citizens. So, they told me I did not need to take an official position on it," said Ghalibaf.

He added: "But I told them that what they did was not acceptable and that they should apologize to the people. And they did apologize immediately before anyone said anything." Ghalibaf added: "Very few people would ever do that."

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However, the parliament speaker did not explain how his family could afford such a trip on his salary, when the fall in the value of the national currency has made monthly wages less than $200 for most Iranians.

Ghalibaf claimed that "some people who had political intentions continued mudslinging. All the evidence point to the fact there was a political project to tarnish my image." He asked: "How did they find out about the most private matters in my family? How confidential information was put at their disposal? And when they realized that the shopping was not anything important, they fabricated the story about buying real estate."

Ghalibaf further claimed that his political opponents were trying to tarnish the image of the parliament because Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had called it "a revolutionary parliament."

The Majles Speaker said that intelligence organizations have started an investigation the matter and I will chase the case until the end because it is the prestige and status of the Majls which is at stake.

The statement by Ghalibaf about the investigation comes while his aides including Mahmoud Razavi had charged earlier that a certain intelligence agency as behind the disclosures.

Following the meeting, some 233 lawmakers wrote a letter to call on the country's main intelligence agencies, the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence Organization, to confront "those who launched the mudslinging project against Ghalibaf."

Speaking in Ghalibaf's defense, last week Hossein Ali Shahryari the chairman of the Majles Health Committee told reporters that some lawmakers including Ghalibaf are so busy that they are often not aware of what their family members are doing. Shahryari further said that Ghalibaf should not be blamed for what his family members have done.

Meanwhile, Seyyed Jafar Tashakkori Hashemi, a former aide of Ghalibaf at the Tehran City Council said Ghalibaf's family members are financially independent of the Speaker and they go abroad for shopping like some nine million other Iranians who do so every year.

Ghalibaf’s defenders also resorted to another excuse, which sounded flimsy to many Iranians. They argued that the family’s trip was a “private matter.”

The support by 233 of the parliament's 290 lawmakers, possibly indicates Khamenei’s support for Ghalibaf’s re-election as Majles Speaker for next week. 

The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations said that security officers raided the homes of the several activists in Tehran on Saturday, arrested four and confiscated their electronic devices.

The spokesman of the association, Eskandar Lotfi, said in a tweet that three of the detainees were taken to the notorious Evin prison, adding that tens of their other colleagues from different parts of the country have been summoned to court.

According to reports, the officers used violence against some of the activists who resisted arrest, including Rasoul Badaghi, and broke glasses and furniture with a hammer.

During the latest round of nationwide rallies, demonstrators gathered in front of the Education Ministry building in Tehran on Thursday and its offices in various other cities to protest discriminatory regulations on a teacher ranking plan as well as the "continuous and systematic" suppression of union activists.

Teachers across Iran have staged several nationwide protests and strikes in the past six months and have vowed to continue protests until authorities meet their demands including, the implementation of decade-old legislation that would bring the salaries and pensions of 750,000 teachers in line with other civil servants.

Middle East Eye, based in London, reported that according to a complaint launched in a Florida court Virgin Island officials had been connected to an undercover US Drug Enforcement Agency informant by operatives of Iran-backed Hezbollah, the Lebanese party allied to Iran.

The operative allegedly offered the informant the use of a storage port on the island of Tortola, the most populous of the Virgin Islands, to hold Colombian cocaine en route to Miami.

Fahie was arrested by the DEA along with Oleanvine Maynard, manager of the territory's ports authority. Fahie, Maynard, and Maynard’s son Kadeem had allegedly forged their plan with the informant, who had posed as a member of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel and who had met "a group of self-proclaimed Lebanese Hezbollah operatives."

Fahie, who has since last year has been the subject of an enquiry into alleged corruption, was allegedly due to make $7.8 million from the scheme. Located in the Caribbean east of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, the group of islands is a British Overseas Territory with its own elected government.