Letter from Parliament to the IRGC

The newspaper Shargh highlighted in its Saturday issue the sending of a 'letter from Parliament to the IRGC two months before the ISIS attack' to the Parliament building, stating: 'A few days have passed since the terrorist attack on Baharestan, and now criticism of the protection system is gradually increasing from various corners.' This newspaper, referring to 'the official letter from the Parliament presidency to the IRGC regarding the potential ISIS attack,' quoted Aladdin Boroujerdi, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Parliament, as saying: 'The responsibility for the protection of Parliament is fundamentally with the IRGC. Specifically regarding the possibility of an ISIS attack in recent months, an official letter was sent to the IRGC from the Parliament presidency. Two months prior, it was emphasized that this possibility is serious and must be taken seriously, and necessary actions should be taken in this regard.' Aladdin Boroujerdi also stated: 'Given the stable security atmosphere in the country, the sensitivity threshold in responsible organizations was low and did not match the new regional situation. In light of the incident that occurred, we must maintain this sensitivity at its maximum level. The terrorist attack on June 17 was a warning to distance ourselves from any negligence.' The Shargh newspaper noted that Massoud Pezeshkian, who did not 'suspend the Parliament full of incidents' on June 17, quoted the deputy speaker of the tenth Parliament as saying: 'If terrorists had entered the chamber from the balcony, they would have created a catastrophe for the country and the system from that position with complete control over the chamber.' According to this newspaper, while the IRGC's protection commander stated, 'Designs, forecasts, and security designs had been made, but most resolutions were not implemented,' the director of Parliament's security also announced that 'security agencies had issued necessary warnings about the potential terrorist attack on Parliament.' Ameneh Shirafkan, in her report for the Shargh newspaper, wrote that a few days after the attack on the Islamic Consultative Assembly, with a series of statements and published information, 'the scenario of the terrorist attack on Baharestan has entered a new phase. A new phase that shows that the protection of Parliament was informed by security institutions during the potential terrorist attack.' The headline 'My Table Minus Meat' from the Citizen newspaper reports a field research study about the purchasing power of meat in 14 regions of Tehran and other cities in Iran, stating that 'the pockets of Iranians are empty for buying red meat. Their income and expenses do not match to go to the butcher on the streets or the nearest fruit and vegetable market or even chain stores to buy red meat, even frozen.' This newspaper noted the rising prices of red meat, indicating that in areas like Rail Station Square in Tehran, the price of 'sheep meat is 45,000 tomans per kilogram, beef is 36,000 tomans, and chicken is 7,200 tomans per kilogram,' stating that Iranian families are becoming professional chicken eaters. Looking at the prices, they have no choice. The white signs of the butchers have the same significance as the signs of gold, coin, and currency exchange offices. Every day, a higher price settles in front of each kilogram of meat and lamb muscle and beef sirloin and fillet, etc. The Citizen newspaper emphasized the decline in the purchasing power of red meat for Iranians, stating that according to the latest data from the Statistical Center and the Central Bank of Iran, statistics show that in a decade, the purchasing power of meat has decreased by 25%. Researcher Hossein Raghfar in the field of poverty and economic justice also stated that the results of a study show 'from 2006, red meat consumption has decreased, and this trend continues.' Zahra Jafarzadeh in her report for the Citizen newspaper visited several butchers and red meat supply stores in 14 regions of Tehran and quoted meat sellers in areas like Aryashahr, Hashemi, and Navab as saying: 'People in the area are economically weak. Some come asking for meat scraps,' while others 'are looking for chicken skeletons,' and 'some come asking for meat worth 5,000 to 10,000 tomans.' Several butchers in areas like Rey Street, around the market, and Northern Kargar stated, 'People cook their stews with chicken feet,' 'sometimes families send their small children with 1,000 tomans to buy meat,' or 'people's money does not reach to buy meat.' Even suppliers in the Darus area told this newspaper: 'The high price of meat has affected the purchasing power of all regions.' The newspaper Etemad reported on the hashtag 'Student Cooking' regarding the notable protest of female students in the dormitory of Chaman University against worn-out facilities, stating: 'In mid-June, the dust and heat of Ahvaz combined to make frustrated female students demand explanations from dormitory and university officials. At that time, they themselves did not think that this time, the unresolved issue would turn into news circulating in social networks and various media.' According to this newspaper, 'The protest of the residents of the Hazrat Masoumeh dormitory of Chaman University against the hot rooms and the old and ineffective cooling devices this time moved out of the circle of university and local news and became the headline of national news. However, 'what caused the sudden widespread dissemination of this protest on social networks was a video released by the students showing that dormitory officials had closed the entrance doors before dark to prevent the girls from leaving the dormitory to protest outside.' Azita Jalali, the secretary-general of the Islamic Student Association of Chaman University, told Etemad: 'The news that gained such a wide scope might not have happened if there had been trade unions. However, since 2009, the student council at Chaman University, like many other organizations, has been dissolved.' While 'the student council is the one that follows up on students' welfare issues so that students do not have to protest individually and in groups for every issue, if this council had been active, it would not have reached this point.' The newspaper Javan, close to the IRGC, in a note titled 'Student Cooking with Freedom of Expression' wrote: 'The hashtag 'Student Cooking' is the voice of students trapped in the student dormitory of Ahvaz protesting the cooling system in 50-degree heat during Ramadan.' This newspaper also referred to the treatment of students, including closing the dormitory doors on female students to prevent their protests, as 'brutal treatment' and wrote: 'What is interesting is the gas chamber approach of the management of Ahvaz University during Rouhani's government and imprisoning students in broad daylight due to protests over the lack of cooling systems in the dormitory, and how much the self-proclaimed intellectuals are absent from tweeting against the president of Chaman University and government officials.' The newspaper Iran, close to the government, also reported with the headline 'The Hot Hashtag Student Cooking' that 'the wear and tear and high heat above 50 degrees have rendered the cooling systems of Ahvaz State University ineffective.' This newspaper stated that simultaneous with the protests of students in front of the 'Hazrat Masoumeh dormitory of Chaman University, several social media users also reacted to these events by launching the hashtag 'Student Cooking.' One user tweeted: 'Changing the name of the hot season in Khuzestan to Student Cooking is something only Chaman University can do, and we can congratulate this honor.' Another social media user tweeted: 'The cooling system in 50-degree weather is like oxygen for breathing and survival, now the girls of Chaman University dormitory are deprived of this oxygen.' The Iran newspaper noted the continuation of these protests, stating: 'Students protested three times in May and June this year, but found no ear to listen to their concerns. Ultimately, with the rising heat in recent days, the cooling systems of the dormitories almost stopped working. After this incident, students protested to the dormitory manager, asking him to follow up on the issue, but they received no response from the dormitory manager, leading some female students to gather at the main entrance of the dormitory and chant slogans. A protest that went beyond the university and the university president and reached the level of society.' This newspaper criticized the 'negligence of officials regarding the cooling system of the dormitory,' quoting Governor Gholamreza Shariati of Khuzestan regarding the students' protests: 'We are seeking to resolve the students' problems and will employ all available resources in this regard. According to discussions with the president of Chaman University, it was stated that the necessary budget for purchasing new chillers and repairing the chillers has been provided, but the relevant officials have not taken action in this regard. I have asked the university president that if this issue is indeed true, to seriously deal with those who have been negligent.' The newspaper Qanoon, in a report titled 'Treasure on the Path to Darkness,' wrote: 'Once again, the name of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art has come to the forefront in social media and networks, and of course, as has been customary in recent years, this prominence is not due to any good news but rather once again due to suspicious news and rumors that have shaken the bodies of artists and supporters of modern art over the past two years.' According to this newspaper, 'The story of the Contemporary Art Museum in the new era began with a statement from the Iranian Painters' Association on June 15. A statement that this association issued regarding the recent interview of Ali Moradkhani, the artistic deputy of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, with the ILNA news agency about sending museum works to Berlin and Rome, which made its way to the media.' The Qanoon newspaper wrote that the Iranian Painters' Association emphasized that the artistic deputy of the Ministry of Guidance 'never provided a clear and documented response regarding the guarantee of the safe return of these works,' quoting the association's statement: 'Isn't it our right to be concerned about the safety of the museum's treasure, concerned about public funds? The main reason for all this uproar is that artists and representatives of visual arts associations, for whatever reason, did not receive a simple and clear answer to their most legitimate question from you. We only demand transparency and will continue to do so.' The Painters' Association addressed the artistic deputy of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, stating: 'We want to know officially about these three issues: how the guarantees from the governments of Germany and Italy regarding the return of the works to the museum are secured, how the contract and European credit of the company that is responsible for insuring the works is structured, and the transparency of the contract that is approved by the legal office of the Ministry of Guidance or the legal office of the presidency.' The Qanoon newspaper emphasized the 'concerns of the supporters of art in the country,' stating: 'The treasure of the Museum of Contemporary Art does not belong to any individual or specific institution; it is part of the national wealth of this land, and its officials must hold themselves accountable for every single question and questioner.'