We Are Captured by Violence

In its editorial titled "What Happened to the Code of Manners," the newspaper Etemad reviews news and statistics regarding the increase of violence in Iran, stating: "We are captured by violence. Violence against each other, violence against children, women, the elderly... parental and elder abuse have also entered our literature. We are captured by violence. From those who produce films and series promoting violence to those who turn forests into deserts, from those who dry trees to those who quarrel in public streets, from those who curse in the privacy of their homes to those who beat the drum of punishment and execution from the pulpit of the congregation and Friday prayers, which should be a place of manners and moderation." The editorial writer emphasizes that "all of these are clear and hidden forms of violence, and violence has a thousand shapes and branches, both open and hidden." He writes, "Those who, in their positions and to maintain their positions, constantly beat the drum of threats and verbal violence should know that being the angriest people in the world is not suitable for us... We are a nation that has been moderate with friends and tolerant with enemies. Our mystics and sages did not allow the slaughter of a rooster at home. Our literature is full of themes of patience, peace, moderation, and human kindness. We deserve to be among the most serene, patient, and tolerant people in the world, not the angriest. What has truly happened to us?" The newspaper Bahar headlines the statements of Ahmad Khatami during Friday prayers in Tehran with "Execute Them," stating: "Ahmad Khatami, from the one-sided pulpit of Friday prayers in Tehran, called for decisive action against the leaders of the sedition, labeling them as rebellious and prescribing the death penalty." The newspaper notes: "These inflammatory remarks come at a time when a closer look at the positions of the country's officials regarding the situation of the imprisoned shows that there have been gradual openings in their status in recent months, and some had even expressed hope for lifting the house arrest before the Nowruz holiday." Bahar also emphasizes that "the days when these remarks were made by the Friday prayer preacher are noteworthy. These remarks were made during a time when a kind of silent protest and latent tension is observed in society, part of which was seen in the early weeks of January 2018. In such circumstances, these remarks are more likely to pour gasoline on the fire rather than reduce the existing political and social tensions in Iranian society, especially if we consider these remarks as the viewpoint of part of the power institutions in the political system." The newspaper Shargh reports that, according to Mohammad Kazemi, the Deputy Chairman of the Judicial Commission of the 10th Parliament, there is a possibility of "visiting county prisons," stating: "The visits of representatives of the people to prisons will continue." After eleven representatives visited Evin Prison, Mohammad Kazemi said: "The coordination took a long time, but overall this visit was useful and effective and left a positive impact," adding that "the relevant committee has decided that in provinces where the number of detainees is still significant, they will definitely visit the prisons." At the same time, Shargh quotes Alireza Rahimi, a representative from Tehran, who was present during the visit to Evin Prison, stating: "Besides Tehran, the provinces of Khuzestan, Hamadan, Fars, and Isfahan are among the provinces where individuals are detained due to recent events." According to this newspaper, Alireza Rahimi stated on his Telegram channel about the detainees from the January protests, citing the head of the prison organization, that "the total number of prisoners from the January events was 4,972, of which 94.73% were men and 5.27% were women," and from this number, "4,534 people have been released, and 438 are still in custody, in addition to 55 others detained by the Ministry of Intelligence." This parliament representative noted that "50% of the detainees were between 19 and 25 years old, and 27% were between 25 and 32 years old." Alireza Rahimi stated that in addition to Tehran, in four provinces "Khuzestan, Hamadan, Fars, and Isfahan," the detention of protesters continues, and he told Shargh: "Given that many other detainees are in cities and provinces, we hope that the opportunity for similar visits to other prisons for regional representatives will be provided." Meanwhile, the newspaper Etemad reported that "law enforcement forces managed the recent unrest without resorting to 'harsh suppression,'" but the same newspaper referred to the "bitter events of January" and emphasized that "it is now the turn of the responsible authorities at other levels to understand the dissatisfaction correctly, investigate the roots, and work to gain public satisfaction to prevent the recurrence of the bitter events of January." This newspaper pointed out that "the Minister of Interior has identified generational change, lifestyle, and technology as the three factors of recent protests," writing: "According to many political analysts, neglecting the demands of society has increased the level of dissatisfaction and creates a smoldering fire beneath the ashes." The newspaper Jahan San'at reported that Hassan Rouhani, during his trip to Kerman province, emphasized that "we are far from dictatorial conditions," stating: "Our country enjoys an Islamic system and is far from the dictatorial conditions of some countries in the world. The people of our country can freely express their opinions and criticisms and propose solutions to problems." This newspaper also noted that "Hassan Rouhani delivered speeches in various parts of his trip to Kerman province," and "although the President's remarks during this trip were accompanied by various statistics indicating economic progress in the country, especially in Kerman province, the credibility of his statements in the economic atmosphere of the country seems somewhat difficult." The newspaper Shargh reported on the "street reaction to the removal of the headscarf," stating that the wave known as "the girls of Revolution Street" has taken on new dimensions, such that some users affiliated with the principlist movement or Hezbollah also attempted to show their opposition to what has happened by going onto telecommunications boxes and waving the Iranian flag. Meanwhile, the number of girls arrested for placing their headscarves on sticks has increased, and according to the Tehran Police Information Center, 29 people have been arrested in this regard." This newspaper pointed out that "the story began when a girl named Vida Mohaddess placed her headscarf on a stick on a telecommunications box in one of the streets of Revolution Square and waved it." With the publication of photos and videos of this action on social media, girls and women, and of course some men, also joined this movement, and among some of the images, there were even veiled and chador-wearing girls who stood on telecommunications boxes and raised their demands. Shargh also noted that the first images related to the support of veiled girls for "the girls of Revolution Street" were of "a chador-wearing girl standing on a telecommunications box in one of the streets of Mashhad," but "after that, a cleric whose images were repeatedly published stood exactly at the same spot, holding the Iranian flag and waving it. Various interpretations were made of this image until it was finally revealed that this cleric, who seems to be the Imam of the mosque at Ferdowsi University in Mashhad, is opposing the movements related to the girls of the revolution." The newspaper Neday-e Eslahat reported that "statistics from the Civil Registration Organization of Tehran province show that 37 girls and boys under 15 years old became parents in the capital." This newspaper wrote that "you might think that 15-year-old parents could be in the birth statistics of villages and cities around Tehran, while this statistic is 80% for the city of Tehran," meaning that "the story of child marriage is not happening in Sistan and Baluchestan or Khuzestan and other cities, but we are witnessing the legal registration of child marriages in the heart of the capital." The newspaper Qanoon headlines with "Shadow Parliament," stating: "Saeed Jalili, after launching the 'Shadow Government,' has initiated a new project. This newspaper refers to Saeed Jalili as a 'failed candidate' in the 2013 presidential election and mentions his proposal for the 'interrogation' of responsible officials during Friday prayers. According to Qanoon, Saeed Jalili stated that "in the case of the recent snowfall and similar cases, officials who have been negligent should be invited to public forums like Friday prayers to answer their performance to the people. Interrogation means questioning, and this should not only be done by the parliament but all officials should be present in public forums and be questioned about their performance."