1) Information on this subject is currently unavailable to the
IRBDC.
2) According to The Associated Press, the Islamic government of
Iran has outlawed membership in freemasonry which is "an
international fraternal order to which many of the late Shah of
Iran's functionaries belonged" (27 Aug. 1981, 1).
Reuters reports on the dismissal of 485 employees of Iran's Oil
Ministry who were charged with being SAVAK agents, "supporters of
the former regime [Shah's regime], freemasons and former members of
parliament" (29 June 1980, 1).
A Tehran radio broadcast monitored by the British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC) also reports the dismissal of 480 (and not 485)
employees of Iran's Oil Ministry for the above-mentioned charges
(BBC Summary 1 July 1980, 1).
Reporting on the arrest of the members of an opposition group
(Arman-e Mostaz'afin), the BBC quotes a statement by the
Revolutionary Guards headquarters as stating that: "[a]ccording to
the evidence captured, part of the mini-group's finances and
supplies were being provided by the counter-revolutionaries abroad
as well as Freemason agents" (BBC Summary 15 Feb. 1982).
Another BBC report refers to the annulment of the licences to
practice of a number of lawyers due to their alleged "subservience"
to the Shah regime and "their connections with Freemasons, SAVAK
and foreigners, and their part in spreading corruption in the
society" (3 Jan. 1984).
BBC also reports on the law on political parties of Iran which
denies the right of a number of individuals including freemasons
"to establish a political group or party or become members of it"
(28 Dec. 1988, 1).
According to Middle East News Network,
Tehran Times
published an article by "a former politician" who had called for
the formation of "a Union of the Islamic Republic of Iran under the
framework of a confederation formed of Iran, the Central Asian
republics and some other states which had been part and parcel of a
'greater Iran'" (26 July 1992, 1). The above-mentioned politician
added that "the Anglo-Saxon and Russian plots separated these
Iranian parts from us and now the same plots are being continued
against 'dear Iran by the Zionists and Freemasons'" (
Ibid.).
Additional information on the above subject is currently
unavailable to the IRBDC.
References
The Associated Press (AP). 27 August
1981. Schehrezade Faramarzi. "Parliament Codifies Moral Behaviour."
(NEXIS)
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. 28
December 1988. "Iranian Officials on Guidelines for New Political
Parties." (NEXIS)
. 3 January 1984. "Iranian Lawyers'
Licences Revoked by Islamic Revolution Court." (NEXIS)
. 15 February 1982. "Iran: In Brief;
Action Against a Third Mini-Group." (NEXIS)
. 1 July 1980. "Other Reports; The
Purges in Iran." (NEXIS)
Middle East News Network (MENN). 26 July
1992. "Call for Union of the Islamic Republic of Iran." (NEXIS)
Reuters. 29 June 1980. "International
News." (NEXIS)
Attachments
The Associated Press (AP). 27 August
1981. Schehrezade Faramarzi. "Parliament Codifies Moral Behaviour,"
pp. 1-2. (NEXIS)
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. 28
December 1988. "Iranian Officials on Guidelines for New Political
Parties," pp. 1-3. (NEXIS)
. 3 January 1984. "Iranian Lawyers'
Licences Revoked by Islamic Revolution Court." (NEXIS)
. 15 February 1982. "Iran: In Brief;
Action Against a Third Mini-Group." (NEXIS)
. 1 July 1980. "Other Reports; The
Purges in Iran," pp. 1-2. (NEXIS)
Middle East News Network (MENN). 26 July
1992. "Call for Union of the Islamic Republic of Iran," pp. 1-2.
(NEXIS)
Reuters. 29 June 1980. "International
News," pp. 1-3.(NEXIS)