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Title Iran: 1) Information on the treatment of Freemasons by the Shah's regime; 2) Information on the treatment of Freemasons by the Islamic government of Iran since 1979

Publisher Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Country Islamic Republic of Iran

Publication Date 1 September 1992

Citation / Document Symbol IRN11549

Cite as Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Iran: 1) Information on the treatment of Freemasons by the Shah's regime; 2) Information on the treatment of Freemasons by the Islamic government of Iran since 1979, 1 September 1992, IRN11549, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/3ae6ac0210.html [accessed 9 March 2012]

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Iran: 1) Information on the treatment of Freemasons by the Shah's regime; 2) Information on the treatment of Freemasons by the Islamic government of Iran since 1979

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)


Further Reading

Freemasonry in Iran