BRIEF  ON  IRAN
        No. 163
        Monday, May 8, 1995


        Representative Office of
        The National Council of Resistance of Iran
        3421 M Street NW, #1032
        Washington, DC 20007



"Erosion Of Rights For Iranian Women," The Washington
Times, May 7

        "... This is what Islamic fundamentalism in power means
to the women of Iran:
        "… Legal age for marriage has been reduced from 18 to
14 so as to induce girls to leave school sooner and get
married.  The percentage of girls in schools and universities
has been on a constant decline since the revolution.
        "… Women are now required to wear hejab, which
covers female from head to foot.  Arrests and imprisonment
are inflicted on women who ignore the edict.  In fact the hejab
code, enforced by hejab street patrols, calls for 74 lashes to be
inflicted on the spot since the 'crime' is self-evident.
        "… All women judges were dismissed and female
students were banned from law schools.  Religious courts have
replaced secular courts.
        "… Women are also denied admission to most scientific
and technological faculties.
        "… Polygamy has been legalized.
        "… Women's faces, as of January 1993, are banned in
product advertising, even if they wear the hejab, as well as
barred on product trademarks.
        "All these retrogressive changes were accompanied by a
tidal wave of religious propaganda targeting women as
'unequal' and 'impetuous,' 'biologically and naturally inferior'
to men...."

"Reports: Russia to Sell More Reactors, Centrifuge to Iran," The
Associated Press, May 6

        "MOSCOW - Russia reportedly plans to sell three more
nuclear reactors to Iran, a move that would increase tensions
with the United States at next week's summit in Moscow....
        "... the Interfax news agency cited a top Russian nuclear
regulator as saying Moscow is going ahead with the centrifuge
sale, despite objections from Russian regulators....
        "Interfax cited an unidentified official at the Atomic
Energy Ministry on Friday as saying Russia would sign three
new contracts, totaling $2 billion, for reactors at an Iranian
power plant.
        "The official denied that Russia planned to sell
centrifuges to Iran.
        "But on Saturday, Interfax cited Yuri Vishnevsky,
chairman of the Federal Nuclear Safety and Radiation
Inspection, as saying he expects the Atomic Energy Ministry
to sign a contract with Iran for a centrifuge...."


"GOP Leaders Warn Against Iran Nuke Deal," The Associated
Press, May 7

        "WASHINGTON - Republican leaders threatened
'catastrophic consequences'  for U.S. aid to Russia if Moscow
sells nuclear technology to Iran, and demanded Sunday that
President Clinton stand tough in summit talks with Boris
Yeltsin....
        "Appearing on NBC's  'Meet the Press,'  [House Speaker
Newt] Gingrich ... said,  'I think it would have catastrophic
consequences in Congress'  if the sales goes through without
safeguards to ensure Iran cannot make a nuclear bomb....
        "The administration and Congress view Iran as a
terrorist nation that cannot be trusted with a nuclear arsenal.
Echoing language used by Clinton and his advisers, Gingrich
called the pending sale  'totally intolerable.'..."


"Iran: Will Fight Holy War Against U.S. If Deemed Necessary,"
The Associated Press, May 6

        "NICOSIA, Cyprus - Iran on Saturday warned the United
States against escalating the two countries' economic dispute
into armed conflict, saying the Islamic Republic was prepared
to fight a holy war to defend itself....
        "The embargo, which cuts off billions of dollars worth of
Iranian crude oil purchases by U.S. firms, is intended to
hamper Tehran's alleged sponsorship of terrorism and pursuit
of a nuclear weapons capability....
        "U.S. officials have expressed concern at what they call a
buildup of anti-aircraft missiles and other weaponry in an
Iranian-controlled part of the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway
to the oil-rich Gulf...."