TEHRAN People from different walks of life, experts and MPs expressed support for the Leader's decree on the Press Law, saying it was a state decree and is binding on all citizens even on those who do not agree with him.
Talking to the TEHRAN TIMES on the issue, the Secretary General of the Labor House Alireza Mahjoub said, the Sixth Majlis had better not hurry in this regard. They could send a delegation to the Leader to inquire about his views.
The Leader is a pillar of the system and abiding by his guidelines is very essential for all of us, he said.
Mahjoub condemned the dictatorship of majority over minority and vice versa and said we must not resort to dictatorship for safeguarding the freedoms.
Freedom and independence are inseparable, he said, adding, when we talk of the freedoms it means that we are talking of the Constitution.
The Leader's word means abiding by the Constitution, he added.
The editor-in-chief of the weekly Siassat, Ne'matollah Shahbazi, talking to the TEHRAN TIMES said, "When the Leader issues a state decree, even those who do not agree with the decree must follow it. A member of Parliament too must follow the Leader's decree even if he does not agree with it." Those who are talking about freedom today, did not allow anybody to speak against Imam's ideas. They neglect their past performance and give a new interpretation of velayat-e faqih, Shahbazi said. Some currents like the Freedom Movement are not expected to follow the Leader, but those who claim to be followers of Imam must follow the Leader as well.
Nowadays instead of criticism, destruction dominates our press, he said, adding, since the new Press Law was passed only few months ago, the MPs must have waited for some time to test it and then remove its shortcomings.
Those who put the amendment to the Press Law on the agenda of their election campaign automatically would give priority to the factional interests over national interests.
The new amendment would prepare the ground for the antirevolution forces, instead of paving the way for the revolutionaries, he concluded. Meanwhile, a group of college students here Sunday issued a communique voicing support for the Leader's decree of the same day that vetoed a controversial bill for rewriting the present Press Law of Iran. The college students Basij of Shahid Beheshti University and Tehran University told the Majlis that rather than undue preoccupation with the present Press Law, fight against poverty and corruption deserved to have higher priority on the agenda of Iran's Parliament. The students said the present Press Law had been adopted only toward the end of the previous session of the Majlis, and that it was now too premature to suspect its impropriety.
In another development, a group of fifty Monday gathered in front of the Majlis to voice their anger at the scuffle that disrupted the floor of the Majlis Sunday.
Meanwhile, according to a report, a large number of people rallied outside the Majlis on Monday in support of the Leader. The crowd chanted "U.S.-Style Reforms, Never, Never!" and "Woe the Day That My Leader Gives Me the Command for Jihad. The World's Armies Will Not Be Able to Stop Me." The afternoon Kayhan newspaper reported that demonstrators were planning to stay on into the night and that some had called for reformist MPs who challenged Leader's decree to be "seriously dealt with." According to another report the professional associations at the Tehran Bazaar were planning a demonstration today outside the Majlis in support of the Leader's decision.
Official and religious groups also published statements praising Leader's action and slamming reformists who objected to it.
Meanwhile Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani in a letter to Hojjatoleslam Karrubi, thanked the MPs for excluding the press bill from their agenda and giving priority to the economic issues.
People from various walks of life in Abadan expressed their hatred against the statement of the Abadan representative in the Majlis, Rashidian.
Some of inhabitants of Abadan, even those who had voted for him called for the expulsion of Rashidian from the Majlis.
Rouhangiz Namdari, a councilor of Abadan, told the TEHRAN TIMES, we condemn any disrespect to the Leader in any form.
The head of the Imam Relief Committee of Abadan, Baqer Ghaffari, said, we firmly confront with those who disrespect the leadership.
The people of Abadan are the devotees of the Leader, Soleimani, another member of the Abadan Council said.
The Islamic Combatant Board and the Lovers of Sarallah assembled in the Mosa bin Ja'far (AS) Mosque of Abadan and renewed their allegiance to the Leader.
The Friday prayer leader of Khorramshahr called for firm stance against Rashidian. Seyed Abolhassan Nouri said, "We will make an Ashura in which the new hypocrites will be lost.
Some of the leaders of the Khordad 2 are the standard-bearers of this current, he said, adding the Hezbollah will destroy those who imitate people like Taqizadeh and Molkam Khan.
Meanwhile, the Union of High School Islamic Associations in a statement yesterday said, the Press Bill which was going to create tension in the society, ended in a good result with the deliberation of the Leader. The measure of the committed Majlis deputies, particularly Hojjatoleslam Karrubi, must be appreciated, it added.