Tehran's Daily Newspaper Review

A special edition published by Iran daily on Saturday on hejab has already raised anger among the conservative camp, and will be predictably the new government-induced controversy for the next few days. The edition, deemed by the Principlist media as an attempt to appease the less religious strands, included an interview with Ahmadinejad's former media advisor, the controversial Mahdi Kalhor, in which he, bluntly against the mainstream belief of the religious groups and the political system, calls the chador the worst manifestation of hejab, while claiming that its black color was an unfortunate legacy picked up from the West by the notorious Qajar King Nasser al-Din Shah. Tehran Prosecutor General has already called for punishment for the newspaper.

In large font, Jomhouri-ye Eslami published Ron Paul’s “confession” in the Republicans’ Iowa debate: “Washington’s policy against Iran is incorrect.” Jomhouri-ye Eslami also quoted a German politician, Frank Henkel, who said that Berlin is also on the verge of explosion. The newspaper employed a sarcastic tone to reflect an interview given by Iran's ambassador to Moscow Seyyed Reza Sajjadi, who said that the Bushehr nuclear power plant is ready to run “for another time”. Jomhouri-ye Eslami also criticized the fabric traders of Tehran's Bazaar for their “unreasonable resistance” against the enforcement of VAT. The newspaper’s editorial expressed sorrow over the plight of “Somalian Muslims,” bashing the West for today’s fate of this famine-stricken country.

Kayhan used another peculiar headline, this time to describe the events Britain: “British youth: we stand to the end; we don’t want monarchy”. Iran's demand of the UN to dispatch a human rights delegation to probe the handling of the unrest in Britain was also covered by the newspaper, as were the trial of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s daughter, Fa’ezeh, scheduled for today, and the controversial special edition of Iran daily on the hejab. The newspaper’s editorial was a comparison of the unrest in Tehran in 2009 and London in 2011. “The foundations of a [Western] civilization based for three hundred years on the relentless pursuit of whims and the denial of social virtues such as justice and virtue, is on the verge of collapse. The next in turn is the United States. It’s just a matter of time and nothing else,” the author concluded.

In response to a call by 92 US Senate members for the US president to sanction Iran’s Central Bank, Resalat quoted deputy Central Bank chairman on foreign exchange to assure its readers that the bank is exempt from sanctions according to international laws. “Britain resorts to the United States to crack down on citizens,” Resalat added, also reporting the second wave of the economic crisis to inflict the West. The editorial of the newspaper, “The Threat of Preoccupation with Political Bickering”, criticized the arguments –between Principlists- while the Arab Spring and the economic crises of the EU and the US have provided the best opportunity for Iran to promote the Islamic Republic.

Shargh’s banner headline was a letter to the City Council chairman by Tehran Council Reformist member Ahmad Masjed Jame’i, in which he had warned about the destruction of 800 historical buildings in Tehran in recent years. Shargh also quoted Deputy Majles’ Speaker Mohammad-Reza Bahonar, who claimed that abrogation of law started with Ahmadinejad's first administration. Even with a Principlist Majles and a Reformist government, we never witnessed the government refusing to enforce a law, Bahonar added. Surprisingly, the Principlists’ mastermind also referred to the post-election developments, saying that he did not believe that the 13 million who voted for Mousavi were Fetneh-perpetrators, and even the pre- and post-election Mousavi were two different figures. Davoud Hermidas Bavand took a look at the developments of the Arab Spring, particularly Bahrain and its upcoming elections, in Shargh’s editorial.

Tehran-e Emrooz’s major headline was against the “Astray Current”, which has “spearheaded the attack on hejab”. The newspaper ran a comprehensive report on the content of and reactions to Iran's special edition. The front page included an interview with Principlist economist Mohammad Khosh-Chehreh, in which he argued that fighting over shallow issues diverts attention from Economic Jihad, the current Persian year’s motto chosen by the Supreme Leader. In Tehran-e Emrooz’ editorial, Hesam Kaveh criticized laxity on quelling the Astray Current, believed by the author to be behind the special edition of Iran. According to the author, the goals of the Astray Current include creating a gap, particularly between the middle class and the underprivileged on the one hand and the clergy on the other; moving citizens towards secularism; abolishing the velayat-e faqih just to replace it with superstition in the name of religion; transforming the power structure through ‘soft war’, and establishing ties with power loci based abroad.

* Note: Vatan-e Emrooz does not publish on Thursdays.

Trouble with understanding some terms? Check our Glossary of Iranian Political Terms.

Briefing

Hamshahri (Citizen) is the official daily newspaper of Tehran's Municipality. Its general directions in politics, culture and economy are determined by the mayor of Tehran, currently Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

Iran is the official organ of the administration.

Jomhouri-ye Eslami (The Islamic Republic) was known as the official organ of the Party of the Islamic Republic, founded in 1979 and disbanded in 1987. Currently, it is an open critique of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's policies and is known to be a mouthpiece of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Kayhan (Universe) is a hard-line conservative newspaper. Its editor-in-chief –currently Hossein Shari’atmadari- is appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader. Shari’atmadari’s editorials often spark off controversy and debate inside Iranian political circles.

Khabar (News) is a principlist daily newspaper which adopts a critical stance towards Ahmadinejad's policies.

Resalat (Mission) belongs to the moderate wing of the principlist camp. Resalat’s best known analyst is Amir Mohebbian, its political editor.

Shargh (East) is a moderate reformist newspaper. It was the most popular and influential reformist newspaper in its first period of publication which lasted from August 2003 until September 2006.

Tehran-e Emrooz (Tehran Today) is a ‘principlist reformist’ newspaper, connected to Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.