Mohajerani Expresses Regret Over Closure of Neshat Daily
September 12, 1999 - 0:0
TEHRAN Iran's Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ataollah Mohajerani on Saturday expressed regret over closure of the persian language daily `Neshat'. Talking to Iranian and foreign reporters at a press conference, Mohajerani said closure of a daily should be on the basis of trial but unfortunately, the judge in charge of the Press Court has taken a hasty action which is not something new on the part of the Press Court. Mohajerani said the legal action against Neshat stemmed from publishing of an article, which had been written and sent to the daily by someone living abroad, criticizing an article already printed from Mr. Jalaipour. He said that he does not believe that the article had been against the Islamic sharia law.
Last Sunday, the Press Supervisory Board, composed of prominent jurists, did not reach the conclusion that Neshat daily's article was in contrast with the religious foundations. He added that he had been informed that the writer of the article published by Neshat had said that he was Muslim, believed in religious foundations of Islam, and his essay was not in contrast with Islamic canon law rather it was written from a sociological point of view.
Asked to comment on Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei's recent remarks on publication of anti-Islamic issues by some dailies, Mohajerani said: "If you ponder on the remarks of the Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution, you will find out that he said that anyone who negates interests of a religion with rudeness is apostate. The Leader also said that he had not reached that conclusion and to that end he had commissioned a group to follow up the issue." Asked why a banned daily is immediately replaced by a new daily with a new title, Mohajerani said that had been for more than a year that the daily `Akhbar-e Eqtesadi' (economic news) had the publication license and the group working for a banned daily decided to continue their press activities in another daily.
This is not something illegal, he added. "At a time when a law has been passed in Jordan, that forbids courts to close a daily before any trial, if we prevent journalists of a banned daily from working in other dailies it will be displeasing," said Mohajerani. A reporter pointed to the remarks by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei about the press, and said the issue does not concern the profession of working for the press rather there are some segments of the press today which are jeopardizing the country's security.
"My understanding of the Supreme Leader's remarks is not that the press have jeopardized national security, rather a supervisory procedure is underway at the Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry on the basis of which dailies violating the laws are warned in writing in accordance with the press law,'' said Mohajerani. Answering a question that "the religious dignitaries are dissatisfied with function of the press; why your inference about the press does not accord with that of all religious dignitaries?'' Mohajerani said, "we have always been in contact with the religious dignitaries and it is not the case with all the religious dignitaries holding similar view points on the press." On rumors about his resignation, dismissal or impeachment, Mohajerani said he had never been thinking about resignation.
One will resign who is facing a crisis and problem with his job and who is incapable of solving issues, said Mohajerani, adding that he was fully aware of his duty at his Ministry. Besides the moral interests, impeachment has financial benefits, said Mohajerani, adding that within a period of 20 days his book on impeachment had been reprinted six times.
On possibility of his dismissal by President Mohammad Khatami, Mohajerani said, "We have devoted ourselves to implementation of programs and policies of Mr. Khatami and that's the right of the noble president to dismiss a minister, who is not successful in his job.'' Elsewhere in the press conference, Mohajerani said domestic print media are popular due to their dynamism. He said the people turn to domestic press instead of foreign radios and if this chance is taken away from people, they will not stand idle and would turn to foreign media, added Mohajerani. On his meeting with the Judiciary Chief, Ayatollah Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, Mohajerani said the meeting had been misportrayed and Shahroudi's remarks had been misquoted by certain segments of domestic press.
He said Shahroudi had said at the meeting that legal authority of the Press Supervising Board should be increased in order for the judicial system to enter the scene at final stage if necessary. "This is highly different from what was published," Mohajerani said. (IRNA)
Last Sunday, the Press Supervisory Board, composed of prominent jurists, did not reach the conclusion that Neshat daily's article was in contrast with the religious foundations. He added that he had been informed that the writer of the article published by Neshat had said that he was Muslim, believed in religious foundations of Islam, and his essay was not in contrast with Islamic canon law rather it was written from a sociological point of view.
Asked to comment on Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei's recent remarks on publication of anti-Islamic issues by some dailies, Mohajerani said: "If you ponder on the remarks of the Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution, you will find out that he said that anyone who negates interests of a religion with rudeness is apostate. The Leader also said that he had not reached that conclusion and to that end he had commissioned a group to follow up the issue." Asked why a banned daily is immediately replaced by a new daily with a new title, Mohajerani said that had been for more than a year that the daily `Akhbar-e Eqtesadi' (economic news) had the publication license and the group working for a banned daily decided to continue their press activities in another daily.
This is not something illegal, he added. "At a time when a law has been passed in Jordan, that forbids courts to close a daily before any trial, if we prevent journalists of a banned daily from working in other dailies it will be displeasing," said Mohajerani. A reporter pointed to the remarks by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei about the press, and said the issue does not concern the profession of working for the press rather there are some segments of the press today which are jeopardizing the country's security.
"My understanding of the Supreme Leader's remarks is not that the press have jeopardized national security, rather a supervisory procedure is underway at the Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry on the basis of which dailies violating the laws are warned in writing in accordance with the press law,'' said Mohajerani. Answering a question that "the religious dignitaries are dissatisfied with function of the press; why your inference about the press does not accord with that of all religious dignitaries?'' Mohajerani said, "we have always been in contact with the religious dignitaries and it is not the case with all the religious dignitaries holding similar view points on the press." On rumors about his resignation, dismissal or impeachment, Mohajerani said he had never been thinking about resignation.
One will resign who is facing a crisis and problem with his job and who is incapable of solving issues, said Mohajerani, adding that he was fully aware of his duty at his Ministry. Besides the moral interests, impeachment has financial benefits, said Mohajerani, adding that within a period of 20 days his book on impeachment had been reprinted six times.
On possibility of his dismissal by President Mohammad Khatami, Mohajerani said, "We have devoted ourselves to implementation of programs and policies of Mr. Khatami and that's the right of the noble president to dismiss a minister, who is not successful in his job.'' Elsewhere in the press conference, Mohajerani said domestic print media are popular due to their dynamism. He said the people turn to domestic press instead of foreign radios and if this chance is taken away from people, they will not stand idle and would turn to foreign media, added Mohajerani. On his meeting with the Judiciary Chief, Ayatollah Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, Mohajerani said the meeting had been misportrayed and Shahroudi's remarks had been misquoted by certain segments of domestic press.
He said Shahroudi had said at the meeting that legal authority of the Press Supervising Board should be increased in order for the judicial system to enter the scene at final stage if necessary. "This is highly different from what was published," Mohajerani said. (IRNA)