Member of Parliament Calls for Dismissal of Media Official Following Assault on Afghan Girl

One day after the head of Iran's Social Emergency Service confirmed reports of the assault on a young Afghan girl in Khomeini Shahr, Isfahan, Mohammad Javad Abtahi, the representative of Khomeini Shahr, wrote a letter demanding the dismissal of the media official responsible for publicizing the incident. Reza Jafari, head of Iran's Social Emergency Service, reported on Saturday, June 1, that the five-year-old girl was abducted by three assailants while playing in front of her home, and her semi-conscious body was found hours later in ruins. The girl's name, Bahareh, was mentioned in a report by the Shafaqna news agency. Meanwhile, officials from the Afghan embassy in Iran also confirmed the incident and stated that the police and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees are investigating it. However, on Wednesday, June 5, a letter from the representative of Khomeini Shahr was published in Iranian media and social networks, stating: 'As you are aware, Mr. Jafari, the head of the Social Emergency Service, clumsily publicized the issue of the assault on the Afghan girl in Khomeini Shahr, while it is unclear if the assault is certain.' This letter, written by Mohammad Javad Abtahi to Anoushiravan Mohseni Bandpay, head of the Welfare Organization, is dated June 2 of this year. The letter continues: 'Secondly, it is unclear how many assailants there were, thirdly, it is unclear what nationality they were, and fourthly, it is unclear what the motives of the perpetrator or perpetrators were if the incident is true.' This member of the Education and Research Commission of Parliament further wrote: 'Unfortunately, the enemies of the Islamic Revolution and Imam Khomeini (RA) have taken advantage of this opportunity, targeting Islam, the Prophet, the Ahl al-Bayt, Imam Khomeini, and the leadership and the martyr-loving people of the province with slander and defamation on various domestic and foreign networks.' Mohammad Javad Abtahi concluded: 'Therefore, I request immediate action for his dismissal from the presidency of the Social Emergency Service and to publicize the result to reduce tension and unrest in the city.' After the publication of this letter, Mahmoud Sadeghi, a representative from Tehran, tweeted that he was surprised by Abtahi's letter and reported that he was trying to contact him. Mahmoud Sadeghi later tweeted that Abtahi had just called him and confirmed the letter's authorship, defending its content vigorously; he stated that the details of the matter are still unclear and that publicizing it has caused family concerns and anti-revolutionary exploitation, especially since the crime took place in a city named after Imam Khomeini. Previously, in early June 2011, 12 'thugs' entered a garden where a private party was being held, imprisoning men in a room and gathering girls and women to assault them. At that time, Mohammad Javad Abtahi, the representative of Khomeini Shahr, stated regarding that incident that 'assaults may occur in other cities and places as well,' emphasizing that publicizing this issue 'removes the stigma of the act' and 'provides an opportunity for the criminals to hide and escape.' In those days, Ismail Ahmadi-Moqaddam, the commander of the police force, also criticized the publication of news related to rape cases in Iranian media, stating that reflecting this news reduces the sense of security in public opinion. Mosi Salemi, the Friday prayer leader of Khomeini Shahr, also stated at that time: 'Of course, those who were assaulted were not people against peace,' noting that of the '14 people' present in that garden, 'only two of them were family members.' In recent weeks, with the publication of reports related to the 'sexual abuse' case at Mo'in High School in Tehran and other similar reports, protests and criticisms regarding officials' approach to these incidents and delays in passing laws to protect children from abuse have increased. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, himself entered the Mo'in High School case, calling the incident a 'crime' and in a directive to the head of the judiciary, demanded the implementation of divine limits concerning the convicted. This request from Ali Khamenei comes at a time when he has faced criticism regarding the 'acquittal' ruling for Saeed Tusi, a Quran reciter accused of sexual assault. The plaintiffs in the Saeed Tusi case have spoken about the role of Ali Moqaddam, the communications officer of the office of the Supreme Leader, in issuing the 'acquittal' ruling for Tusi.