BRIEF  ON  IRAN, No. 248
        Representative Office of
        The National Council of Resistance of Iran
        Friday, September 8, 1995



        3421 M Street NW #1032, Washington, DC 20007


NCR Delegation Distributes Women, Islam & Equality in
Beijing Conference, From a statement by the Secretariat of
NCR - Paris, September 7

        In the Women's Fourth World Conference in Beijing,
the National Council of Resistance of Iran widely
distributed a book, Women, Islam & Equality, which is
"dedicated to millions of oppressed women around the
world, particularly those in Islamic countries."  This is one
of the few historical studies of the struggles of the Iranian
women to achieve equality.
        The first chapter is a brief recounting of the history
of the Iranian women's movement in the past 100 years.
It charts the course of women's activities during the
Constitutional Revolution of 1906, when the first women's
associations and societies took shape.  A brief account of
the role of women during the 20-year reign of Reza Khan,
beginning in 1920, is followed by a summary of women's
situation after the rise to power of Mohammad Reza
Pahlavi.
        The second chapter deals with the regime of
Khomeini and his heirs, highlighting their treatment of
women, the darkest aspect of their rule. Contrasts are
drawn between internationally recognized norms and
standards on women's rights and the laws of the clerical
state.
        The third chapter offers perhaps one of the few
readings of Islam's approach to women and their
individual and social rights. Relying on the holy book, the
Quran, and the actual practices of the Prophet of Islam
with respect to women, this chapter tries to demonstrate
that pristine Islam, contrary to what the Iranian mullahs
propound, or conventional wisdom might have us believe,
views women as equal with men in every respect, in their
private, social, political and economic lives.
        Chapter four deals with the history of women's role
in the Resistance movement against the current regime.
Going back to the first days of the Revolution, when the
new order had assumed power, it tries to inform the
reader of the difficulties of the struggle for women's
rights by a Muslim organization faced with a regime that
considered itself the "guardian of Islam" and whose leader
claimed to be the vice-regent of God on earth.
        Chapter five introduces the architect of the Iranian
women's remarkable advancement within the ranks of the
Resistance. Maryam Rajavi, with 25 years of struggle
against two dictatorships, provides a vivid example of
belief in freedom and equality. Her emergence as the focal
point of hope for all Iranians, especially women, offers an
antithesis to the fundamentalist, misogynous mullahs of
Iran.
Russia Tells U.S. It's Going Ahead With Sale to Iran of Up
to 4 Nuclear Reactors, The Washington Post, September 7

        Russia has informed the Clinton administration again
that it is definitely proceeding with the sale to Iran of up
to four nuclear reactors, despite repeated U.S. appeals to
Moscow that it cancel the deal, U.S. officials said
yesterday.
        Moscow's decision may have set the stage for
Congress to force a cutoff of most U.S. economic aid to
Russia in retaliation, congressional sources said.
        Russia's decision to go ahead with the reactor deal
was criticized anew yesterday by State Department
spokesman Nicholas Burns, who said that top Russian
officials could not "have failed to understand our position
... [that any sale would] be a very serious issue" in U.S.-
Russian relations....


Iran's Coke Bottler Stops Operation Because of the U.S.
Ban, Reuters, September 5

        TEHRAN - Iran's main Coca-Cola bottler,
Khoshgovar's, said on Tuesday it was producing normally
as production of Coke by a second franchise came to a halt
apparently because of a trade ban by Washington against
Tehran....
        But newcomer Nushab was cutting its ties with the
United States because of the U.S. ban and would produce
local alternatives to Coke, the newspaper Resalat said on
Tuesday.
        Nushab said last week Coca-Cola had stopped
delivering its "secret formula" syrup, forcing it to stop its
production.
        A Khoshgovar staffer ... said: "We have had no
problems getting the (Coke) syrup from Ireland."
        "Our supplier has nothing to do with America," he
said without giving further details....
        The U.S. ban was imposed in June because of Iran's
alleged sponsorship of international terrorism and its
desire to acquire nuclear weapons....