This column features excerpts from the editorials, commentaries, and news articles of the leading Iranian newspapers.

Tuesday’s headlines
SHARQ: Mother of Iranian astronomy dies
TEHRAN-E EMROOZ: Tehran-North highway to be inaugurated in 1391 (Iranian calendar year which falls between March 2012 and March 2013)
JAME JAM: 42 tons of cracks burnt in deserts of Kahrizak
HEMAYAT: Ban on imports of 323 agricultural commodity items lifted
DONYAYE EGHTESAD: New managing director of Tehran Metro named
QODS: Gaddafi sets certain conditions to resign
FARHIKHTEGAN: Civil servicemen’s salary will likely increase 8 percent next year
SHARQ: Stop impeachments, says vice president for parliamentary affairs
IRAN: Central Bank governor says we will not allow gold prices exceed world prices
KAYHAN: 170 industrial projects inaugurated in Fars Province
Leading articles
SHARQ in an editorial, written by former vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar, says today the major issue for women is to enjoy equal rights as men do. Women and men are equal by nature, but they shoulder different responsibilities. This modern view rejects the beliefs that women are inferior to men, and therefore deserve to be deprived of their individual and social rights. This view, which is based on religious teachings, was strongly supported by the late Imam Khomeini, the Founder of the Islamic Republic. He made serious efforts to make men and women enjoy equal rights but faced a wave of objections. Imam Khomeini enthusiastically welcomed women’s participation in various social and political activities and encouraged them to continue their education at higher levels. He was also opposed to the idea of segregating male students from the females at universities. Imam’s viewpoint paved the way for the progress of women in society. Now, we are witnessing the results of his considerable efforts.
TEHRAN-E EMROOZ in an editorial says one of the major questions about the recent developments in the Arab world is: What will be the security repercussions of the downfall of the regimes of Mubarak, Ben Ali and now Qaddafi and quick developments in Yemen, Bahrain, and others on the Zionist regime. The toppled regimes and those which are now facing problems, by controlling public fury against the Israeli regime, had created a relative security around Israel. The Zionist regime, from the outset of its establishment, had serious concerns about its security. The writer goes on to say that certain Arab government which now their systems have collapsed or facing problems were once at the core of the war against Israel. All those who know about history are aware of this fact that in the four Arab-Israeli wars Egypt and its nationalist slogans featured highly in the campaigns. But the masses got disappointed of radical Arab states with the humiliating defeat of Arabs in the wars. The defeats also put the legitimacy of Arab rulers into question. This gradually pushed the Arab rulers to accept the existence of Israel and turn to the West. The writer adds Western and Israeli analysts and politicians have expressed serious concern over new developments in the Arab world, events that may not lead to the benefit of Israel and the West.
JAVAN in an interview with Elyas Naderan, a Majlis deputy and a university professor, discusses issues related to economic corruption and other subjects. He says, as the representative of people, he expects the Judiciary to observe justice and seriously investigate charges against individuals apart from their social status or political affiliation. He said every year more than 100 MPs are subpoenaed to answer charges against themselves in which some are cleared in the initial stage, some others are referred to courts and then some are cleared of charges and some are convicted. Naderan added when MPs feel obligated to attend courts there is no reason that some persons consider themselves as exceptional. Naderan said he is not “disappointed” about the performance of the Judiciary and that he does not think there is no will among Judiciary officials to deal with well-connected persons. The parliamentarian said he requests the Judiciary to consider “expediency of the system” and “public confidence” above personal interests. On the case of Mahdi Hashemi (the son of Hashemi Rafsanjani), the lawmaker said obviously the Judiciary has certain documents against him and that he should appear in court to answer charges. He added Rafsanjani himself should cooperate in this regard.