IRAN: THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION IS COMPLETE
REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS' HEGEMONY:
OVER THE PEOPLE
On Saturday 20 August, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered
a key change in the high command of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
(IRGC). Brigadier General Mohammad-Ali (Aziz) Jaafari has been appointed to
establish "the IRGC centre for strategy" which will "draw up the
new strategy and implement the necessary changes to ensure rapid and efficient
transformation of the country's civilian infrastructure and resources to
military footing under the control of the IRGC". Khameni instructed Jaafari
to "identify and propose key individuals and scientists in the
Revolutionary Guards for membership in this important centre". Jaafari is
to work closely with President Ahmadinejad, with whom he shares a close
friendship. (Iran Focus 20 Aug)
OVER THE MILITARY
Iran Focus also reports that Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, the commander of
the IRGC, has been asked to "devise a new command structure and military
strategy for the IRGC that would give the elite military force unlimited access
to national resources and absolute priority over the regular army in case of a
foreign military confrontation". (Iran Focus 20 Aug)
OVER THE POLICE
On 10 July, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Brigadier General
Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam to the position of police chief. Moghaddam, who was
deputy commander the paramilitary Bassij and commander of the Islamic Revolution
Guards Corps (IRGC) in Greater Tehran, is a long-time ally of President
Ahmadinejad. Iran Focus reports that in a decree read out on the state radio
Ayatollah Khamenei said the police force's top priority was "to create
security all over the country at a level worthy of the Islamic Republic".
Iran Focus comments that the appointment of Ahmadi Moghaddam brings the
country's police force under the complete domination of the Revolutionary Guards
and signals a readiness to crack down harder on what the ultra-conservatives see
as "deviation" from the country's rigid religious laws. Farhad Nasseri,
an Iranian analyst based in Dubai told Iran Focus, "This is part of an
overall trend to extend IRGC hegemony over all military, intelligence and even
civilian institutions. Ayatollah Khamenei is taking no chances. He wants his own
men in control everywhere." (Link 3)
On Sunday 28 August, Ayatollah Khamenei appointed Revolutionary Guard, Brigadier
General Mohammad-Kazem Moazzenian as the new chief of the Intelligence
Protection Organisation of the State Security Forces.
POLICE TO ENFORCE "ISLAMIC VALUES"
Under orders from their new police chief, Iran's police have commenced a
crackdown on "models of corruption", or in other words poorly-veiled
women. (Iran Focus 27 Aug) Jamal Karimi-Rad, Iran's new Minister of Justice
vowed on Saturday 20 August, that "improperly-veiled women" will be
treated as if they had no Islamic veil at all. "Being improperly veiled and
not wearing a veil are no different," declared Jamal Karimi-Rad. "When
it is clear from the appearance of a woman that she has violated the law, then
the crime is obvious and law enforcement agents can take legal measures against
her."
ISLAMIC PARAMILITARIES AS SHARIA LAW ENFORCERS
Iran's State Prosecutor, Ghorban-Ali Dorri Najafabadi (a Shiite cleric and
former head of the Iran's dreaded secret police, the Ministry of Intelligence
and Security), told journalists in Tehran on 25 August, "There are about 18
different law enforcement agencies, and may be even more, in the country."
He listed the State Security Forces, certain branches of the Intelligence
Ministry, the Revolutionary Guards, and the Bassij militia as amongst Iran's
"law enforcement forces". (Iran Focus 25 Aug)
According to Brigadier-General Hossein Zolfaqari: "In circumstances when
the police are not present or when they require assistance or when they for
whatever reason do not wish to carry out their tasks, uniformed members of the
Bassij can in accordance with the law act against apparent crimes."
Iran's new Justice Minister, Karimi-Rad, has also made it clear that members of
the para-military Bassij and the notorious Ansar-e Hizbollah, government-organised
gangs of hooligans, are regarded as law enforcement agents in clergy-ruled Iran.
(Iran Focus 25 Aug)
Since Thursday 18 August, plain-clothes agents of Iran's State Security Forces (SSF)
have been conducting stop-and-search operations in Isfahan, central Iran. Iran
Focus reports that drivers are stopped and ordered to show their identity cards
before their vehicles are thoroughly searched by plain-clothed SSF agents. (Iran
Focus 19 Aug)
The State Security Forces have also launched a crackdown against "young
people harbouring anti-government sentiments". (Iran Focus 20 Aug) And in a
move that will further entrench the isolation of Iranians, police have been
ordered, "...to use all means, including helicopters, to locate and
confiscate privately-owned satellite dishes, which are illegal in Iran."
(Iran Focus 20 Aug)
FOREIGN POLICY
Iran Focus also reports that Mohammad-Reza Jaafari, the commander of Iran's new
Lovers of Martyrdom Garrison, which has recruited more than 50,000 potential
suicide bombers for "martyrdom operations" recently hinted to the
Persian weekly "Parto-Sokhan" that if the US ever attempted to strike
Iran' s nuclear installations, then the theocratic state could make use of
long-term "sleeper cells" in the West to destroy United States'
interests all over the world.
Jaafari also said, "The Imam [Khomeini] said years ago that Israel must be
wiped off the face of the Earth, but so far practical steps have not been taken
to achieve this. Our garrison must spot, recruit, organise and train
martyrdom-seeking persons to be able to materialise this objective. Any delay in
fulfilling the strategy of the Imam and the Supreme Leader in this regard will
not be to the advantage of Islam or the revolution." (Link 4)
FROM THE MACRO TO THE MICRO
Lest anyone monitoring the big picture be tempted to forget the flesh and blood
human beings within it, here is an Iranian story that could doubtless be told by
more than one family. It is a situation that will probably become even more
common in the new Iran.
The Sabian Mandaean Association of Australia reports that in 2000, Muslim
vigilantes kidnapped Miss Layla Zahrooni (then aged 10 yrs) from her school. The
Muslims then informed the Zahrooni family that Layla had converted to Islam and
could not therefore be returned to an infidel family. (As Mandaeans, the
Zahroonis follow the teachings of John the Baptist.) The Muslims placed Layla in
an Islamic institution.
In 2004, Layla (aged 15 yrs) succeeded in escaping and finding her way back to
her family. But on 4 April 2005, Iranian authorities discovered Layla (16 yrs)
in the city of Sosangerd. They seized her from her distraught family and
forcibly married her to a Muslim man.
Links
1) Defending The Islamic Revolution -- The Corps Of The Matter
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/08/dfead359-312f-4497-8686-559b29a226a6.html
2) Hardliner takes over as Iran's new president. 3 Aug 2005
http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3147
3) Iran puts police under Revolutionary Guards control. 10 Jul 2005
http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2796
4) Iran's "suicide operations" chief vows to hit U.S. Interests. 23
Aug 2005
http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3429
THERE IS NOT ONE CHRISTIAN NATION ON EARTH WHERE MUSLIMS ARE PERSECUTED.
Yet in most nations where the majority of the population are Muslims, there is systematic government persecution of Christians.
"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."
--Article 18 of the Universal
Declaration of
Human
Rights--
Christian Conversions - According to the Bible - Can NEVER be forced.
Any Conversion to Christianity which would be "Forced" would NOT be recognized by God. It is in
His True and KIND nature, that those who come to Him and choose to believe in Him, must come to Him OF
THEIR OWN FREE WILL.
Don't Let anyone tell you that Christians support Forced Conversions.
That is False. True Christianity is NEVER forced.
Core Universal Rights
The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one's belief or religion
The right to join together and express one's belief