BRIEF  ON  IRAN, No. 246
        Representative Office of
        The National Council of Resistance of Iran
        Wednesday, September 6, 1995



        3421 M Street NW #1032, Washington, DC 20007


In Different Countries, Resistance's Bases On Iran-Iraq
Frontier, Mojahedin Hold Annual Congress, From a
statement by the Press Office of the People's Mojahedin of
Iran- Paris, September 4

        Yesterday, on the 30th founding anniversary of the
People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, thousands of
members, cadres and officials of the Mojahedin in
different countries, including Germany, the United States
(Washington and Los Angeles), Britain, Italy, Sweden,
France and the Netherlands, as well as in five Resistance
bases on the Iran-Iraq frontier, took part in the
organization's annual Congress.
        In this nine-hour Congress ... elections were held for
six members of the 23-member Leadership Council of the
Mojahedin. The two-year term for the six, elected in
August 1993, had expired. They are Mmes. Fahimeh
Arvani, the Mojahedin's Secretary General, Ozra Alavi
Taleqani, NLA's deputy commander in chief, Mahboubeh
Jamshidi, the army's Chief of Staff, Batoul Raja'i, ranking
member of the General Command, and Mmes. Sepideh
Ebrahimi and Mahnaz Maymanat.
        Participants in different locations participated in the
Congress through a telephone conference call and directly
took part in the voting.
        At the outset, on behalf of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the
Resistance's President-elect, Mrs. Fahimeh Arvani, 35, was
appointed as the Coordinator of the Offices of the
President-elect in countries where such offices have been
established. Mrs. Mahnaz Maymanat, 36, was introduced
as the Chief of Staff of the President-elect. Subsequently,
Mmes. Arvani and Maymanat resigned from their posts in
the Mojahedin organization.
        Mrs. Shahrzad Sadr, 35, Mrs. Rajavi's Chief of Staff
since 1993, was unanimously elected by the Mojahedin as
the organization's Secretary General. Mrs. Sadr joined the
Mojahedin 16 years ago.
        Four other members of the Leadership Council were
re-elected.  Mrs. Sepideh Ebrahimi was elected as the
Mojahedin's deputy Secretary General.


Rushdie Calls for Tough Action against Iran, Reuters,
September 3

        LONDON - Author Salman Rushdie on Sunday called
for tough international action against Iran unless the
Islamic death sentence on him is lifted....
        Rushdie, who lives in hiding under 24-hour
protection, told BBC Television: "The European Union
asked Iran almost five months ago to give a clear
guarantee that these threats were no longer in operation.
        "They began a charm offensive with various Iranian
leaders ... all said they were calling off the dogs, but when
asked to give the assurance in writing they refused to do
so.
        "If we don't get these assurances pretty soon I think
it is about time to start losing patience and using some
rather strong measures against the Iranians."...


Pushing Back the Veil; Can the U.N. Conference Help Iran's
Feminists?, Newsweek, September 4

        ...Ever since the 1979 revolution enshrined Islamic
theology as state law, women have...been barred from
initiating divorces, banned from serving as judges,
relegated to such second-class status that "blood money"
for killing a women is only half that for killing a man. The
most visible sign of women's subjection - the...veil - is also
the most powerful sign of the regime's power, and
therefore about the last thing it would give up....
        In recent months the Parliament has approved laws
ensuring...some men who are divorcing their wives must
pay them the equivalent of wages for a 24-hour-a-day
servant for the duration of their marriage. ...
        In the eyes of many Iranian women, no real
progress is possible as long as the regime sticks to a
conservative interpretation of Islamic law.
        ...All Iranian women want fairer treatment, no
matter what their political views, and as one female
professional put it, Even Rafsanjani's daughter wouldn't
like it if her husband took a second wife."


Iran Leader Says Music Corrupts Youth, Reuters,
September 4

        NICOSIA - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei says music is incompatible with Islamic ideals
and teaching music corrupts youth, according to Iranian
newspapers.
        "Teaching young people to read and play music
makes them depraved and leads to corruption," Khamenei
was quoted as saying by the daily Resalat, received on
Monday.
        "In general, the promotion of music is incompatible
with the high ideals of the Islamic system (of
government)," Khamenei wrote in answer to a written
question from the imam (cleric) of a local mosque....