The Content of Three National and Local Newspapers Provokes Anger Among a Group of Parliamentarians

The articles of three newspapers, "Vatan-e Emruz", "Navad", and "Shakheh Sabz", on the 7th and 8th of Esfand have provoked anger among a group of parliamentarians, leading them to issue a warning to the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance to take action against these publications. Mohammad Qasim Osmani, a representative from Boukan and a Sunni himself, accused "Vatan-e Emruz" and "Navad" of publishing content that insults Sunnis. According to ISNA news agency, Osmani added that "Vatan-e Emruz" has insulted "respected figures of Sunnis" and that "Navad" disrespected the wife of the Prophet Muhammad and the "sacred beliefs of Sunnis" in its issue on the 8th of Esfand. He urged the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance to "form a press oversight committee as soon as possible to address the chain behaviors that contradict the unity of Muslims." It seems that this parliamentarian's reference is to the article "Abu Musa Ash'ari; Hypocrite or Infidel" in the "Reflections" section of "Vatan-e Emruz" on the 7th of Esfand, which accused this historical Sunni figure of having "a mask of hypocrisy" during the reign of the first Imam of the Shia and of preventing people from assisting the Imam during the Battle of Jamal. The author of this article also mentioned that "in the raids of Thaqafi, it is said that his mother, Zabiha, was known for theft." The article also portrayed Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Imam of the Shia, as a "powerless" individual who, due to "expediency," could not confront Abu Musa Ash'ari. The sports newspaper "Navad" also quoted political science professor Sadegh Zibakalam on its front page, stating: "Some said Aisha was on a camel / Faiza was on a motorcycle." ISNA reports that Massoud Pezeshkian, who chaired the parliamentary session on Tuesday, responded to this warning by saying that "the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance must follow up on this issue, and we, as parliamentarians, will also pursue the insults made." The "Sunni Online" website, which covers news related to Sunnis, introduced Abu Musa Ash'ari as "one of the esteemed companions of the Prophet" who, according to them, "holds a very high position among Sunnis." This site added, referring to the article in "Vatan-e Emruz," that "the repetition of insults to the sacred beliefs of Sunnis, especially in the press, creates the impression that those insulting the beliefs of Sunnis see themselves in a kind of security enclosure that threatens them with no accountability or punishment for these insults." Another protest raised in the parliamentary session on Tuesday came from representatives of Qom, Urmia, and 134 other representatives regarding a satirical piece in the local newspaper "Shakheh Sabz," published in Qom. This newspaper questioned the security situation of the Qom power plant area in its issue on the 7th of Esfand, likening it to a jungle where people openly shoot each other with Kalashnikovs. "Shakheh Sabz," which the protesting representatives associate with reformists, wrote in its piece: "My child of the 80s! In our time, the power plant had two meanings. The first was the name of a facility for generating electricity and also nuclear energy from water and uranium, and the second, which is apparently more important, was the name of an area resembling a jungle in Qom. You may ask why a jungle? Were there dangerous animals living in the power plant? No, my child! It was dangerous, but it wasn't a jungle; it was a battlefield resembling a jungle!! Not because of animals, but because of some people, people who would take Kalashnikovs in broad daylight and kill others..." According to Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani in a verbal warning to the Minister of Guidance, most of the residents of the Qom power plant area are Turkish-speaking and "half of the martyrs of Qom province are from this area." He, along with Nader Qazipour, a representative from Urmia, and 134 other representatives, issued a statement requesting the Minister of Guidance to convene the press oversight committee and take "swift action" against "Shakheh Sabz," as they claimed its satirical piece "caused division and ethnic nationalism." The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, who is also Azerbaijani-speaking, responded to this warning by asking the Minister of Guidance to ensure "necessary follow-ups are made to prevent any issues." Meanwhile, Mousa Hosseini Kashani, the director-general of Guidance in Qom, told Tasnim news agency that "Shakheh Sabz" has received a "written warning," and the editor-in-chief of this newspaper has also "dismissed the satirist and suspended the service editor." However, the representative from Urmia announced that the prosecutor of Qom has ordered the suspension of "Shakheh Sabz" and issued an arrest warrant for its editor-in-chief. This is not the first time that content in newspapers has been perceived as insulting to Azerbaijani speakers. In Mordad of this year, protests from parts of the people of Tabriz and Urmia against the publication of a note in the newspaper "Tarh-e No" led to a written warning and referral of the case to court. This local newspaper published a piece titled "The Seven Labors of Rostam," quoting "Rostam," the main character of the Shahnameh, which included the phrase "Turk of non-noble descent." Protesters believed this piece was accompanied by "ethnic insults." One of the most controversial cases that also drew reactions from some Iranian officials was related to the airing of a segment from the television program "Fitileh." Following the airing of this program in Aban of last year, a number of citizens from East and West Azerbaijan provinces, where the majority of the population are Azerbaijani speakers, deemed this program "offensive" and held protest gatherings, calling for action against those responsible. In this context, the people of Tabriz and Urmia protested against the publication of content "against Azerbaijanis" in a publication.