Mashallah Shamsolvaezin is the former editor-in-chief of leading reformist dailies Jame-eh, Neshat, Tous and Asr-e Azadegan. In an exclusive interview with Rooz, Shamsolvaezin discusses the Minister of Culture’s accusations, the hard days ahead, and the Ahmadinejad Administration’s increasing incompetence.
Rooz (R): The suppression of the press is not a new phenomenon. What is a little surprising is that the executive branch is taking the lead in this suppression. Is it true that the administration has become determined to seriously confront critical publications?
Mashallah Shamsolvaezin (MS): Yes, Mr. Ahmadinejad’s advisors have announced that a committee is in charge of monitoring the press. Then the Minister of Culture, Mr. Saffar Harandi, announced that journalists are planning a coup. Perhaps Mr. Saffar Harandi has not reached a level to understand what is the meaning of what he says. They just make accusations on all fronts.
(R): Why does Mr. Harrandi use phrases that ministers usually shy away from using?
(MS): I believe that the Ahmadinejad Administration has reached a complete dead-end, particularly when it comes to the press. On the one hand, it suffers from severe political divisions and heavy criticism. On the other hand, their main opponents, the reformists, are criticizing them for their handling of domestic and foreign issues. Hence the administration tries, in its own imagination at least, to manage the crisis by pointing the finger at the press. Essentially, when you look at things from their point of view, you see that they have no other choice: they have to accuse the press. This is nothing new and you should not be surprised by it.
(R): Who is in charge of confronting the press? The judiciary? The administration? Unknown groups?
(MS): I don’t see a difference. The same team that had previously housed itself in the judiciary is now controlling the Ministry of Culture. We have not forgotten! So now they are doing the same work in the executive branch, without having the need to go through the judiciary. Tehran’s prosecutor general Saeed Mortazavi and these types who announce the verdicts just sign the papers. Some “above-the-court will” is behind the shutting down of newspapers.
(R): Do you think that other publications are in danger of being shut down in the next few days, especially given the remarks of some government officials about crossing red lines?
(MS): Regardless of the meaning of such remarks, you see that even some of the managers in radio stations that aired diverse programs have been removed. Journalists who work in new and innovative fields have been restricted, and so on. These are all signs that the administration will continue to operate in this manner. We have to make ourselves prepared for even worse developments.
(R): Where is the endpoint of such an approach toward the press?
(MS): There is no endpoint when it comes to confronting the fourth branch, the press. I have said before that whoever wants to topple the fourth branch of democracy will himself be toppled with it. You must know that the Ahmadinejad Administration is too weak to be able to topple the fourth branch of democracy. Take a look at Iran’s recent history: whoever has begun a war with the press has been toppled. Journalists might suffer some occasional setbacks but they will be triumphant at the end.
