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Society & Culture

From Province to Province, Authorities Raid Satellite Dish Workshops

August 22, 2013
Shawn Amoei
6 min read
From Province to Province, Authorities Raid Satellite Dish Workshops
From Province to Province, Authorities Raid Satellite Dish Workshops

From Province to Province, Authorities Raid Satellite Dish Workshops

This week in Iran, Mashhad renames streets after characters from the Shahnameh, a Sunni Friday prayer leader calls on Rouhani to keep his promises, Kurdish militants kill two Iranian border guards, Tehran endures intense ‘morality’ crackdown, and authorities expel 20,000 Afghan nationals from Kerman.  

Basij Crackdown on Satellite Dish Workshops

The Basij security force of Tehran Province, acting in its capacity as morality police, launched its annual campaign to uphold "moral security, “ ISNA reports. The first of three major crackdowns this week took place in western parts of the province, as authorities raided a workshop producing satellite dishes and related devices, seizing some 11,000 items in the process. According to Masoud Zahedian, head of the so-called Moral Security division of law enforcement, his forces confiscated 200 assembled dishes, and 1,000 more that were in the process of assembly, along with receivers and LNB devices.

Authorities arrested seven men at the workshop and detained another 100 affiliates from workshops in 18 different Iranian cities, tracking those connected shortly after the main operation in Tehran. Zahedian, speaking at a press conference in Tehran, explained that a majority of equipment is illegally smuggled in from the country’s western border, resulting in money laundering offenses and Iranian currency leaving the country. Zahedian warned individuals involved in smuggling, producing, or installing satellite equipment to cease their activities, as the police will not show leniency. Businesses who advertise on satellite TV will also be dealt with, he added.

Laws concerning the use of satellite dishes and receivers have changed several times over the past decade with parliament sometimes voting to prohibit use and at other times lifting the ban but restricting its use through complicated regulations. Though confiscation of satellites occasionally takes place, authorities commonly acknowledge the impracticality of enforcement. Summer morality crackdowns are also regular events; this year's upsurge in policing began immediately following the inauguration of Hassan Rohani and sharply escalated this week.

Fashion Policing Classes

In a separate interview with Mehr News, Zahedian cautioned women against “bad hejab,” or overly loose interpretations of strict Islamic dress codes. He acknowledged that Iranian women are fashion forward, posing challenges to their policing:  "The style of hejab in Iran has undergone some changes in fashion to reflect the particular season of the year or to match the color of women's clothing, so special classes have been created for officers to help them identify improper trends and deal with them."

Zahedian warned businesses that lax attitudes toward hejab and make up in the private sector will now be subject to monitoring, and employers will be fined for violations. The absence of clearly defined dress and make up rules make policing difficult, and enforcement is particularly tricky when dealing with fake tanning. Reports suggest that female police sometimes look for tan lines to determine if tans are the person’s natural skin color or a result of exposure to tanning beds and products. While women in Tehran Province were subject to a large-scale crackdown this week, Zahedian emphasized that violators are fined but arrests rarely take place.

Two Iranian Officers Killed By PEJAK Militants In Border Skirmish

Two Iranian border patrol officers, stationed along Kermanshah’s border with northern Iraq, were killed after a brief skirmish with Kurdish militants, Mehr News reports. The precise circumstances leading to the exchange of fire remain unclear. In an interview with Sobhe Razan, Karam Esfahani, commander of security forces in the area confirmed the death of two active duty officers by PEJAK. The Kurdish militant group, listed as a terrorist organization by the US, EU, UN, NATO, and a number of other states, has engaged in armed conflict against Iranian forces since 2004.

Mashhad To Name Streets After Characters In Shahnameh

According to a report by Shahrara Online, a new bill put forward in the City Council of Mashhad passed by a majority vote this week that would see the naming of new streets and roads in the city after names in Ferdowsi's seminal work of Persian literature, the Shahnameh (Book of Kings). Existing street names in Mashhad's 12th district will also be replaced with Persian ones from Iran’s national epic. The move comes as Mashhad's jurisdiction expanded into the nearby city of Tus, where the Mausoleum of Ferdowsi is famously located.

20,000 Afghan Nationals Expelled From Jiroft

The governor of Kerman Province issued an order last week authorizing the forcible expulsion of some 20,000 Afghans residing in the provincial capital, Fars News reports. Many Afghan refugees settled in Jiroft and other Iranian cities following the Soviet invasion in 1979, but have largely been unable to gain citizenship or permanent residency after three decades. Among the 20,000 deportees, many are Iranian born. The country's nationality law however doesn't recognize birthright citizenship, forcing a large number of individuals born and raised in Iran to settle in essentially what they would consider a foreign country. Mass deportations are not uncommon in Iran, such as the forcible expulsion of 100,000 Afghans in 2007. Mindful of the human rights abuses often accompanying expulsion by force, the provincial governor seemingly deferred responsibility by saying, "We sent requests to judicial and executive authorities expressing the need for the expulsion process to be carried out in a gradual manner, but necessary cooperation was not made [on their part]."

Sunni Friday Prayer Leader: President Rohani, Turn Your Promises Into Action

Molavi Abdolhamid, prominent Sunni Friday prayer leader in Sistan and Baluchestan, called on Rohani to deliver on campaign promise to promote equal rights for minorities, Nedaye Zahedan reports. Abdolhamid, who attended Rohani's swearing in ceremony, expressed disappointment about the absence of Sunnis among ministerial nominees. "We had asked Rohani to appoint at least two Sunnis for his cabinet, but his advisors believed that introducing a Sunni for a ministerial position would be met with opposition from parliament. We responded by asking Rohani to make the appointments anyway and steadfastly defend them. If parliament opposes them, they risk exposing themselves [for their intolerance]."

Abdolhamid acknowledged existing difficulties and obstacles facing the president, but added that ethnic and religious minorities in his province demand careful safeguarding of their rights, most notably through increased representation within the national and provincial government. "All we have asked for in the past 35 years is the dignity of Sunnis. And we seek this precisely as outlined in the Constitution's emphasis on equal rights allowing the exercise of our capabilities in service to our country.”

Following the remarks, Rohani restated his campaign pledge to treat religious minorities equally. Speaking at a ceremony in Tehran, he also addressed ethnic concerns, stating, “We do not have a Persian administration in Iran, nor do we have a Turkish or Arab administration. We have the administration of Iran and it is a unique umbrella that has brought everyone together."

Sistan and Baluchestan played a decisive role as the province with the highest percentage of votes cast in Rohani's favor (73%), allowing him to avoid a runoff.

 

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