Tehran's Daily Newspaper Review
We have our own big numbers. Versus the 2.6 dollar embezzlement rubbed in the face of the government, Iran daily reported of “massive privatization in the economy” worth of 26 billion dollars. The Iranian national volleyball team’s first-time championship in Asia, important enough to bring a letter of felicitation from the Supreme Leader, was also covered by Iran, as well as all other Iranian dailies. “The Arab World should heed Iran’s worries” the newspaper quoted Egypt’s UN envoy Majed Abdul-Aziz. The ping-pong between the government and the judiciary continues as in response to Chief Magistrates angry comments, Ali-Akbar Javanfekr tried to explicate his Wednesday editorial, arguing that he did not place the blame of the 2.6 billion dollar embezzlement on the Judiciary, but had called for all bodies admitting their share of the scandal.
Jomhouri-ye Eslami interviewed economic experts and members of the parliament, who warned about recurrence of large-scale bank frauds. Legal loopholes and non-transparent interactions between banks are the main cause of such abuses experts stated. During his visit to the city of Zanjan, Sadegh Larijani called the list of economic corrupters submitted by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the Judiciary a publicity stunt, adding that many of the cases mentioned in the list were not supported by any evidence. “Trips to Appropriate the Revolutions” was the title of Jomhouri-ye Eslami’s editorial, warned about US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Egypt and American plot to manipulate the direction of the Egyptian Revolution in a course which preserves the interests of Israel.
Kayhan featured a comprehensive report on the core story and sidelines of the mega-fraud of Iran's banking system. “Will the Melli Bank President return?” Kayhan asked rhetorically, referring to Mahmoud-Reza Khavari, now residing in his 3 million dollar worth house in Toronto, Canada. Discovery of massive helium resources in South Pars field, protests in reaction to unjust verdicts issued against Bahraini doctors and Ayatollah Jannati’s warning about hidden hands trying to infiltrate the probation process of Saderat Bank embezzlement case also appeared on the front page. Kayhan’s editorial focused on the arrest of five Iranian directors charged with cooperation with BBC Persian. As the channel’s access routes to Iran are cut, it will turn into another detached-from-reality channel such as that of Mojahedin-e Khalgh’s TV channel, reproducing its delusions, not reflecting the reality of Iran.
Shargh’s top headline concerned Ayatollah Khomeini’s grandson. In a meeting with war veterans, Seyyed Hassan Khomeini spoke of those [political] groups who do not want the society to return back to its normal situation and seek their advantage in tension. Shargh also covered the news of Melli Bank no-show president Khavari traveling to Canada, calling him “the missing piece of the mega embezzlement puzzle.” Another interesting quotation came from a once patron of Ahmadinejad, the outspoken Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi. Several years after Ahmadinejad's claim that the country is actually governed by the 12th Shi’a Imam, Mahdi (AS) the ayatollah criticized such remarks. On the first week of the Persian academic year, Sadegh Zibakalam spoke bitterly about the Higher Education’s excessive focus on political issues inside the universities instead of paying attention to academic concerns.
Tehran-e Emrooz regarded Khavari’s refusal to return to Iran as the new phase of “financial Fetneh”. The newspaper’s editorial elaborated further on the rationale behind using this term. According to the author, Hassan Vazini, occurrence of such great a scandal in a year dubbed “The Year of Economic Jihad” by the Supreme Leader, the intricate political and economic network behind the financial abuse and the heavy blow the ruling system received in terms of credibility vis-à-vis its citizens all bespeak of a premeditated decision to undermine the Nezam.
Vatan-e Emrooz covered the upper fold of its front page with a large photo of the Iranian volleyball team celebrating its first Asian championship, accompanied by a headline reading: “Flying over the China Wall”. The newspaper quoted a religious leader, Ayatollah Sobhani, who once again criticized birth control, saying that it was not in the interest of the country and Iran has the capacity to feed 150 million citizens. He also asked for policies which sustain the Shi’a majority in Iran.
* Notes:
The editorial section of Iranian newspapers is not always the work of the editor-in-chief or the senior editorial staff of the newspaper, but can be a contribution by experts and politicians (typically agreeing with the newspaper’s political stance.)
Vatan-e Emrooz daily 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.