BRIEF ON IRAN No. 441 Tuesday June 25, 1996 Representative Office of The National Council of Resistance of Iran 3421 M Street NW #1032 Washington, DC 20007 Anger at E.U. 'Deal' on Rushdie Fatwa, The Guardian, June 24 European Union countries are prepared to accept the validity of an Iranian fatwa ordering the killing of Salman Rushdie I return for assurances that Iran will not execute the death warrant.... In an attempt to head off a compromise, the International Rushdie Defence Committee denounced the plan, describing it as "a shocking and unacceptable position", which would undermine the moral authority of the E.U.... Britain is certain to oppose the idea, which is backed by France, Spain and Italy... Foreign Office sources insist that Iran cannot be trusted... Ireland, taking over the [E.U.'s] presidency on July 1, has excellent relations with Iran... It is also perceived, unlike Britain, to be both generally non-aligned and specifically distant from the U.S.... The Rushdie Defence Committee told Malcom Rifkin, the Foreign Secretary, on Friday: "An agreement to accept the current draft text would establish the dangerous precedent of cultural relativism: that the right to freedom of speech can be abnegated by religious dictate."... Arab Leaders Condemn Mullahs for Interfering in Gulf States internal Affairs Radio Israel, June 23, Mr. Arafat, the leader of Palestinian self-rule government in a speech at the Arab leaders summit in Cairo, denounced the Islamic government of Iran for what he called intervention in internal affairs of other countries and nations. In this regard, he immediately defended the leaders of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Agence France Presse, June 23, The final resolution of the Arab states summit, that was held on Saturday and Sunday in Cairo, states that Arabs lend their support to Bahraini government, which emphasizes it is the victim of a conspiracy to create insecurity... The resolution also demands that Iran honored the sovereignty of Bahraini government in the framework of mutual respects... and invite Iran to withdraw from all destructive operations against the government of Bahrain and the security and stability in the region.... Tehran Denounces Arab Summit, Radio Israel, June 23 An Iranian state-run paper, in its first reaction to the Arab leaders' summit in Cairo described it as "shameful for Arabs." Jomhouri Islami commented that those it called armed and combatant Muslims will obtain the wishes of Palestinians and the true objective of Arab nations through their armed struggle against Israel. The paper said that Arab leaders did not gain anything from this meeting and their soft reaction to the new Israeli government was shameful. It added that this summit was a demeaning maneuver, led by [Egyptian president] Mubarak, for supererogatory service to U.S. and Israel will lead to nowhere. Iran Slams U.S. Mediation Efforts in Afghanistan, Reuters, June 24 TEHRAN - Iran has criticized Washington for inviting Afghan faction leaders to attend U.S. Senate hearings, saying it was trying to thwart Tehran's peace efforts.... Iran's efforts to prop up Rabbani reflect its hostility to his main foes, the Taleban rebel militia, seen by the Tehran press as a tool of the United States, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to counter Iranian influence in its neighbor. 10,000 Arrested for Cleric-inflicted Drug Problems, Reuters, June 24 TEHRAN - Iranian police have arrested nearly 10,000 people and seized 6.6 tones of drugs in a month-long crackdown, Tehran radio said on Monday.... Possession of 30 grams (just over an ounce) of heroin or five kg (11 lb.) of opium is punishable by death in Iran. More than 1,000 people have been executed in drug-related cases since the laws took effect in 1989. Many addicts are sent to rehabilitation centers. Iran has an estimated one million drug addicts and is on a key transit route for drugs, mostly opium from which heroin is made, being smuggled to Europe fr