Funeral of influential dissident politician
(31 Aug 2017) LEAD IN:
Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of Iranian dissident politician Ebrahim Yazdi who died in Turkey aged 85.
STORY-LINE:
Mourners carry the coffin of Ebrahim Yazdi on their shoulders.
He was one of the country's most influential dissident politicians and a former foreign minister.
Hundreds have come to pay their respects at the Hosseinieh Ershad mosque in the north of Tehran.
Many of Yazdi's political allies as well as ordinary Iranian citizens are among the crowd.
Yazdi died at age 85 on Sunday in Izmir, Turkey, where he was being treated for complications from cancer after being denied a US visa for follow-up treatment in Houston, Texas, in January. He had worked as a researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas until the mid-1970s.
Yazdi was a close ally of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the late leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. However, his party, the Freedom Movement, later turned against the clerics as they consolidated power. Yazdi was frequently sentenced to prison on security charges, including an eight-year term in 2012.
A former member of parliament, Yazdi resigned as foreign minister in 1979 in protest of the takeover of the US embassy by militant students who kept 52 Americans hostages for 444 days. Washington later cut diplomatic relations with Tehran.
Yazdi argued that the takeover led to a harsher stance by Washington against Iran's Islamic revolution and emboldened former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to wage an eight-year war against Iran, which left more than a million casualties on both sides. He was among a small group of politicians who believed the war should have come to end in early 1980s. It lasted until 1988.
Yazdi was the English-language spokesman for Khomeini during the revolution, both in exile in France and in early 1979 after the toppling of pro-Western monarch Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
During his long stay in the US in the 1960s and 1970s, Yazdi established the biggest Muslim association in the country in Houston and earned a reputation for protesting the Shah in various states.
Ali Shakouri Rad, a reformist politician, says Yazdi always sought freedom and pursued peace and reforms. He calls the late politician an icon.
At Thursday's funeral the crowd occasionally raises the traditional demand for the release of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi who have been under house arrest since 2011. They both challenged the 2009 re-election of former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Some Iranian leaders, including President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as well as former reformist President Mohammad Khatami offered condolence messages after Yazdi's death.
Yazdi's body has been buried in Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in southern Tehran, home to a shrine to Khomeini and the gravesites of many prominent Iranians.
Yazdi is survived by his wife, Sorour Talieh Yazdi, four daughters and two sons.
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Leader of anti-govt groups predict anti-govt candidates to win seats
(2 Mar 2012) SHOTLIST
++AP Television is adhering to Iranian law that stipulates all media are banned from providing BBC Persian or VOA Persian any coverage from Iran, and under this law if any media violate this ban the Iranian authorities can immediately shut down that organisation in Tehran.++
1. Interior of Tehran's Hosseinieh Ershad, a main polling station in northern Tehran, with people lined up to cast their vote
2. Close of a local resident holding an Iranian flag and his identification documents
3. Tilt up from desk and identification cards
4. Pan of voters
5. Tilt down of Ali Motahari, incumbent moderate conservative lawmaker and a leading anti-Ahmadinejad candidate
6. Motahari talking to a man
7. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Ali Motahari, moderate conservative lawmaker and a leading anti-Ahmadinejad candidate
Our people will take part actively in this election due to their political and social maturity, and this is evident as you see (referring to many people voting) in this polling station. Regarding our own political group I am optimistic that a considerable number of them will be elected.
8. Motahari walking, a man tells him (Farsi) I will vote for you, Motahari answers (Farsi) many thanks
9. ID cards on desk
10. Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Expediency Discernment Council and conservative rival of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2009 presidential elections, surrounded by media
11. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Expediency Discernment Council and a conservative rival of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2009 presidential elections:
The next parliament will be a coalition and none of the lists will have a majority, but conservatives with a range of political opinions will have majority.
12. Wide of media surrounded Rezaei
STORYLINE
Iran's hard-liners have been so effective at crushing the opposition, they are now left brawling among themselves.
That's the messy political scramble in Friday's parliamentary elections, the first major voting since the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June 2009 and the mass protests, chaos and crackdowns that followed.
The balloting on Friday is a popularity contest among various conservative factions, which were once united against reformists and are now sniping at each other and picking sides in the power struggle between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his opponents within the ruling Islamic theocracy.
In a main polling station in northern Tehran, Ali Motahari, a moderate conservative lawmaker and a leading anti-Ahmadinejad candidate said he was optimistic that his group will win a considerable number of the parliament seats.
The split between Ahmadinejad and the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei dates back to last year, when many conservatives turned into strong critics of Ahmadinejad after he dared challenge Khamenei over the choice of intelligence chief in April and other policies.
The vote is also a curtain raiser for next year's presidential election.
A defeat for Ahmadinejad's supporters would virtually guarantee a Khamenei loyalist as the next president and present a seamless front against Western efforts to curb Iran's enrichment programme.
But a strong showing for Ahmadinejad's backers would throw him a political lifeline and the chance to exert some influence over the next presidential election.
Mohsen Rezaei, a conservative rival of Ahmadinejad's in the 2009 presidential elections, predicted that none of the lists will have a majority in the next parliament.
Iran's parliament carries more powers than most elected bodies in the Middle East, including setting budgets and having influential advisory committees such as national security and foreign affairs.
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7 Dec 09/16 Azar: Iran Student Day: Green Mov. resorts to violence, again.
On student day tens of thousands of students marched scattered in nearly every city chanted Hezbollah, Hezbollah and Death to those who oppose Welayat al-Faqih. Mousavi's Green Cult, which is marginalized and has failed to overthrow the Iranian government, attempts to put mosques on fire and place bombs in locations such as the Hosseiniyeh Ershad once again resorted to violence, mainly rioting.
Imambara of Rudauli (The Hidden gem)
By Prof.Mazhar Naqvi
Hussainia Irshadia is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and well- maintained Imambaras of India. Located on Lucknow-Faizabad road in small but a most revered town Rudauli, the Imambara owes its existence to a prominent Taluq-E- Dar (Landlord) of Awadh Chaudhry Irshad Husain and his love for martyrs of Karbala. The floral embellishment and stucco work on the exterior of the impressive edifice of the structure surpasses in beauty and grandeur of even the prominent Imambaras of Lucknow.
Chaudhry Irshad Husain was born in 1886 and inherited Taluq-E-Dari at the age of two and half years. As he was a minor, he received his Riyasat (state) through the Court of Wards on March 7, 1907. He completed his education from the famous Colvin Taluq-E-Dar College and then embarked upon the task of fulfilling his passion for constructing elegant buildings. He built sprawl.ing Irshad Manzil complex that houses the Imambara and an equally fascinating mosque with heavy ornamentation. Locals describe the complex as Taj Mahal of Rudauli.
Chaudhry Irshad was a man of high thinking and simple living. Although he constructed very magnificent buildings and spent lavishly on their decoration, he used to live in a simple room containing his bed, a table and two chairs only. He devoted his maximum time to welfare activities and carried out educational reforms in Rudauli. After his marriage with Begum Anisunnisa, daughter of Hadi Hussain of Mautaqpur in 1905, Chaudhry Irshad was blessed with a daughter who however survived only for two years.
He tried to found solace from the grief that confronted him following the loss of his beloved daughter by dedicating his life to the memory of the sufferings and afflictions of Imam Husain and his small band of followers at Karbala. His tremendous attachment to Imam Husain is indicated by the every brick of Imambara and the meticulous decoration of its interiors with the help of grand chandeliers, glasses, screens and richly embroidered relicts installed during Muharram every year. He himself carefully selected each and every item for decorating the Imambara and undertook travels for the purpose. The most prominent masons were engaged for the ornamentation of exteriors.
As Marasim-e-Azadari were facing a tough time following the emergence of some anti- Ahle-bait elements and annexation of Awadh Kingdom in 1856, Chaudhry Irshad strived to fill the vacuum by developing Rudauli as a center of azadari. He ensured that prominent Zakirs address Majlises at the imambara not only during Muharram but also on other occasions as well. At his invitation, Maulana Syed Ibne Hasan Naunahrvi addressed Majlises at Hussainia Irshadia for 58 years consecutively.
It is not known as to why Chaudhry Irshad preferred his Azakhana to be called as Hussainia Irshadia instead of Imambara the term normally used to signify any building dedicated to the memory of Karbala martyrs in North India. In Hyderabad Deccan the word Ashurkhana is commonly used for such holy structures. In Bahrain, the term matam is preferred. The only logic that might have come to the mind of Chaudhry Irshad to go for deviation from the popular use of term Imambara to Hussainia could be the existence of Hussainia Ershad in Tehran (Iran). Hosseiniyeh Ershad is a non-traditionalist religious institute established by Nasser Minachi. It was closed for a time by the Raza Shah Pahlavi government in 1972. The institute is housed in a large, domed hall, and is used for lectures on history, culture, society, and religion. The facility also includes a large public library, where most of its users are college students. Since his own name was Irshad and he had built Imambara that was not only full of grandeur but also aimed at offering facilities at par with Hosseiniyeh Ershad, the builder and his descendants encouraged the term Hussainia to give it distinctiveness.
Unfortunately, Chaudhry Irshad died on October 23, 1954 with several other plans for the Imambara in his heart. His mortal remains were buried at Karbala near the tomb of Hazrat Abbas on 11 February 1956.His father Ahmad Husain also lies buried on the pious land of Karbala. Chaudhry Irshad’s son Ali Muhammad Zaidi carried on the legacy of his illustrious father very well. He was born on December 5, 1914 and a man of extra-ordinary literary caliber. He authored famous books like misbashul zaireen al aza, apni yaden, Rudauli ki Baten, Barabanki, Ibne Hasan aur Rudauli and Taqbi-E-Husn. He died on January 24, 2004 and his descendants live in Khyaliganj Based Nauroli House in Lucknow and give due attention to the maintenance of Imambara and observance of rituals like the days of Chaudhry Irshad. ( Reference available on Request)
Women cast their ballots in presidential elections; Friday prayers
++AP Television is adhering to Iranian law that stipulates all media are banned from providing BBC Persian or VOA Persian any coverage from Iran, and under this law if any media violate this ban the Iranian authorities can immediately shut down that organisation in Tehran.++
1.Tilt down Hosseinieh Ershad (religious institute) to women queuing to vote
2. Wide of women in queue
3. Mid of women in voting booth, pan to other women
4. Close of woman
5. Various of women
6. Mid of women casting ballots
7. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Mahdieh (only name given), Tehran resident:
To be honest, I'm taking part in the elections just for one specific reason. I want to vote for Mr (Hasan) Rowhani because I don't want Mr (Saeed) Jalili to win.
8. Mid of women casting ballots
9. Mid of women queuing
10. Election officials at table with identity cards
11. Rear shot of women talking to man
12. Wide of Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani, conservative cleric, approaching podium
13. Wide of worshipers chanting slogans
14. Cutaway of cameraman
15. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani, conservative cleric:
All people must come to the ballot box so the world can see the power of the Islamic system.
16. Presidential hopeful Mohammad Gharazi listening to sermon
17. Various of worshippers
18. Pan from election officials to worshippers queuing to vote
19. Close of identity cards on table
20. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) no name given, local resident and hardline voter:
With every ballot we drop, we make sure that the political epic stated by the Supreme Leader is realised and, secondly, with the fingers we put on the ballot paper, we trample the enemy under our fingers.
21. Close of ballot papers
22. Mid of hardline voter holding child who cast his ballot
STORYLINE:
Iranian voters appeared to heed calls to cast ballots on Friday in a presidential election that has suddenly become a showdown across Iran's political divide: Hard-liners looking to cement their control and re-energised reformists backing the lone moderate left in the race.
Long lines, including ones for women, snaked outside some voting stations in Tehran and elsewhere.
The enthusiasm suggests an election, which was once viewed as a pre-engineered victory for Iran's ruling establishment, has become a chance for reform-minded voters to re-exert their voices after years of withering crackdowns.
To be honest, I'm taking part in the elections just for one specific reason. I want to vote for Mr (Hasan) Rowhani because I don't want Mr (Saeed) Jalili to win, said one woman who was voting at the Hosseinieh Ershad religious institute.
There is no clear front-runner among the six candidates trying to succeed the combative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose eight-year era is coming to an end because of rules blocking a run for a third consecutive term.
But influential figures on all sides have appealed for a strong turnout, indicating both the worries and hopes across an election that has been transformed in recent days.
Iran's loose coalition of liberals, reformists and opposition activists - battered and fragmented by relentless pressures - have found last-minute inspiration in former nuclear negotiator Hasan Rowhani, the only relative moderate left in the race.
A victory by Rowhani would be seen as a small setback for Iran's Islamic establishment, but not the type of overwhelming challenge posed four years ago by the reformist Green Movement.
It was brutally crushed after mass protests claiming Ahmadinejad's 2009 re-election was the result of systematic fraud in the vote counting.
And hardline views could be heard at polling booths nearby.
Iran's election overseers allowed eight candidates on the ballot out of more than 680 registered.
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