IRAN--RAFSANJANI FAMILY, WOMEN IN THE MAJLES.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 001030


LONDON FOR TUELLER; PARIS FOR LEAF

E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/2/07
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KWMN IR TU
SUBJECT: IRAN--RAFSANJANI FAMILY, WOMEN IN THE MAJLES.
PART THREE IN A SERIES.

REF: A) ISTANBUL 770 B) ISTANBUL 960



1. CONFIDENTIAL. CLASSIFIED BY CONS THOMAS H. CARTER
FOR REASONS 1.5.(B) AND (D).


2. (C) SUMMARY: THE FAMILY OF ALI AKBAR HASHEMI
RAFSANJANI, ESPECIALLY HIS DAUGHTER FAEZEH, WILL REMAIN
POWERFUL DESPITE RAFSANJANI'S IMMINENT RETIREMENT, SAYS
AN IRANIAN BUSINESSMAN. AZAN TALEGHANI, DAUGHTER OF THE
LATE AYATOLLAH TALEGHANI, ADDS THAT FEMALE
REPRESENTATION IN THE MAJLES IS INCREASING BUT IRANIAN
WOMEN HAVE DIFFICULTY FINDING WORK IN ANY FIELD OTHER
THAN TEACHING. ADVOCACY GROUPS SUCH THE ISLAMIC WOMEN'S
INSTITITUTE OF IRAN, OF WHICH MS. TALEGHANI IS
PRESIDENT, HELP FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS AND PROFESSIONALS
FIND JOBS. THIS REPORT IS THE THIRD IN A SERIES.
REFTELS A AND B DEALT WITH THE US EMBARGO, IRANIAN
RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS, AND THE SEPARATION OF MOSQUE AND
STATE IN IRAN. END SUMMARY.

--------------
FAEZEH RAFSANJANI WANTS TO BE SPEAKER
--------------


3. (C) IF CURRENT MAJLES SPEAKER NATEQ-NURI WINS THE
NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AS EXPECTED, RAFSANJANI'S
OLDEST CHILD FAEZEH MAY BECOME SPEAKER OF THE MAJLES OR
A PRESIDENTIAL DEPUTY. SOURCE, A MULTI-LINGUAL AND
HIGHLY EDUCATED IRANIAN BUSINESSMAN, HAS A FRIEND WHO
PLAYS VOLLEYBALL FOR THE IRANIAN NATIONAL TEAM AND WHO
ATTENDED A DINNER IN JANUARY AT WHICH FAEZEH SPOKE.
(NOTE: FAEZEH IS CURRENTLY THE HEAD OF THE IRANIAN
ATHLETIC FEDERATION.) FAEZEH TOLD THE ASSEMBLY THAT SHE
WOULD WORK HARD AS SPEAKER OF THE MAJLES TO OPEN DOORS
TO THE WEST SO THAT ATHLETES COULD COMPETE
INTERNATIONALLY. SHE ALSO MENTIONED THAT SHE WOULD
REPRESENT HER FATHER IN THE POLITICAL ARENA AND THAT SHE
WOULD CARRY ON HIS FIGHT TO MODERNIZE IRAN.


4. (C) COMMENT: FAEZEH'S STATEMENTS MAKE CLEAR HER
SYMPATHY WITH PRAGMATISTS IN THE MAJLES. DURING LAST
YEAR'S ELECTION SEASON FAEZEH MADE SEVERAL CONTROVERSIAL
STATEMENTS SUCH AS HER BELIEF THAT WOMEN SHOULD BE ABLE
TO RIDE BICYCLES FREELY IN TEHRAN PARKS. SHORTLY AFTER
THE ELECTIONS THE CONSERVATIVE COALITION LED BY KHAMANEI
CONSOLIDATED POWER AND FAEZEH BECAME MUCH LESS VOCAL--
OUR SOURCES CLAIM SHE FEARED DECERTIFICATION. HER
WILLINGNESS TO SPEAK OUT AGAIN SIGNALS EITHER HER
GROWING CONFIDENCE, THE GROWING CONFIDENCE OF THE HARD-
LINERS THAT THEY ARE FIRMLY IN POWER AND NOT THREATENED
BY FAEZEH, OR BOTH. END COMMENT.

--------------
FAEZEH'S GENDER NOT IMPORTANT
--------------


5. (C) SOURCE SAYS FAEZEH'S GENDER IS NOT AN ISSUE
BECAUSE SHE IS A RAFSANJANI AND BECAUSE OF HER STRONG
PERSONALITY. THE MAJLES HAS A GROWING CONTINGENT OF
FEMALE REPRESENTATIVES, INCLUDING FARZANI MAYED OF
ISFAHAN AND FARZANI MAJOUB OF TEHRAN. MAHJOUB IS A
PRAGMATIST AND THE DAUGHTER OF DR. (FNU) MAHJOUB, FORMER
MINISTER OF EDUCATION UNDER THE SHAH. SOURCE BELIEVES
WOMEN WERE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION
BUT WERE SHORTCHANGED BY KHOMEINI AND HAVE NOT YET BEEN
GIVEN PROPER CREDIT OR AUTHORITY.


6. (C) COMMENT: REGARDING FAEZEH BECOMING SPEAKER,
SOURCE'S LENSES MAY BE A BIT ROSE-COLORED. A SURVEY OF
OTHER IRANIANS COMING THROUGH ISTANBUL PRODUCED ONLY
OPINIONS TO THE CONTRARY. ONE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEE SAID A WOMAN COULD NEVER ACHIEVE A LEADERSHIP
POSITION IN IRAN. EVEN NOW THERE IS DISAGREEMENT ON THE
TALLY OF FAEZEH'S ELECTION RESULTS FROM LAST SPRING.
LIBERAL SOURCES SAY SHE RECEIVED THE MOST VOTES OF ANY
CANDIDATE AND WOULD BE SPEAKER BUT FOR THE FACT THAT SHE
IS A WOMAN. MEANWHILE TWO OF THE MAJOR IRANIAN DAILIES
CLAIMED SHE RECEIVED THE SECOND HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES,
AND SEVERAL CONSERVATIVE SOURCES CLAIM SHE SIMPLY
RECEIVED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES OF ANY FEMALE
CANDIDATE. END COMMENT.

-------------- --
OTHER RAFSANJANI CHILDREN COMING INTO THEIR OWN
-------------- --


7. (C) PRESIDENT RAFSANJANI WILL REMAIN POWERFUL AFTER
HIS RETIREMENT IN AUGUST, SOURCE SAYS, THANKS TO THE
GROWING WEALTH AND INFLUENCE OF HIS FAMILY. IN ADDITION
TO FAEZEH, THE PRESIDENT HAS TWO OTHER CHILDREN.
RAFSANJANI'S SECOND CHILD, YASSER, CONTROLS THE IMPORTS
OF MANY MAJOR EAST ASIAN COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS IN
IRAN AND IS SAID TO HAVE POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS; HIS
OTHER SON, MEHDI, IS DOING WELL AS THE HEAD OF A
BUSINESS GROUP WHICH HAS TIES TO GERMAN, CANADIAN, AND
JAPANESE FIRMS. SOURCE CLAIMS THE RAFSANJANI FAMILY
OWNS MOST OF RAFSANJAN--AN IMPORTANT PISTACHIO-GROWING
TOWN AND REGION--AND PRODUCES "RAFSANJAN PISTACHIOS"
WHICH ACCOUNT FOR NINETY PERCENT OF ALL PISTACHIO
EXPORTS FROM IRAN. HE ADDS THAT THE FAMILY ALSO
CONTROLS THE PROFITABLE "FREE-TRADE ZONE" ON QESHM
ISLAND IN THE PERSIAN GULF.


8. (C) COMMENT: SOURCE VIEWS THE WEALTH OF THE
RAFSANJANI FAMILY IN A FAVORABLE LIGHT, BUT OTHER
IRANIANS ACCUSE THE PRESIDENT OF CORRUPTION AND
NEPOTISM. THE CONTROL OVER THE RAFSANJAN PISTACHIO
BUSINESS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY OTHER SOURCES, ALTHOUGH
THE NINETY PERCENT FIGURE MAY BE HIGH. RAFSANJANI'S
CONTROL OVER THE QESHM FREE ZONE IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE.
IN ANY CASE, THE RAFSANJANI FAMILY IS ASSURED OF A LARGE
AND STEADY INCOME FROM THEIR BROADENING VENTURES. END
COMMENT.

--------------
AYATOLLAH TALEGHANI'S DAUGHTER GIVES INPUT
--------------


9. (C) IN EARLY MARCH AZAN TALEGHANI, PRESIDENT OF THE
ISLAMIC WOMEN'S INSTITUTE OF IRAN, CAME THROUGH ISTANBUL
ON HER WAY TO A UN CONFERENCE IN NY. MS. TALEGHANI IS
THE DAUGHTER OF THE LATE AYATOLLAH MAHMOUD TALEGHANI, A
PIVOTAL FIGURE IN THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION. ACCORDING TO
MS. TALEGHANI THE NUMBER OF WOMEN IN POLITICS IS
GROWING. DURING THE SHAH'S TIME THERE WERE NEVER MORE
THAN FOUR WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT, NOR DID THE NUMBER RISE
AFTER THE REVOLUTION. FOLLOWING THE 1992 PARLIAMENTARY
ELECTIONS, HOWEVER, NINE FEMALE MEMBERS WON POSITIONS IN
THE MAJLES. FOUR MORE WERE ELECTED IN THE 1996
ELECTIONS, BRINGING THE TOTAL TO THIRTEEN. TALEGHANI
SAYS FOUR OF THE THIRTEEN WOMEN IN THE MAJLES ARE
LIBERAL/PRAGMATISTS, THREE ARE CONSERVATIVES, AND THE
OTHER SIX DO NOT HAVE CLEAR AFFILIATIONS. SEVERAL
FEMALE LIBERAL CANDIDATES WERE NOT CERTIFIED BY THE
COUNCIL OF GUARDIANS IN THE LAST ELECTIONS OR THE NUMBER
COULD HAVE BEEN HIGHER.


10. (C) MS. TALEGHANI SAYS THE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEM
WOMEN FACE IN IRAN IS THE INABLITY TO ENTER THE WORK
FORCE. THE PRIMARY TASK OF HER ORGANIZATION IS TO GET
WOMEN INTO WELL-PAYING JOBS. THE ORGANIZATION'S MOST
SUCCESSFUL VENTURE SO FAR IS A TEXTILE COOPERATIVE,
MANAGED AND STAFFED BY WOMEN, WHICH MAKES CLOTHING FOR
EXPORT TO DUBAI. SUCH SUCCESS IS RARE IN IRAN, SAYS
TALEGHANI, AND MOST WOMEN WHO WORK ARE TEACHERS. MORE
YOUNG WOMEN THAN EVER BEFORE ARE RECEIVING SECONDARY AND
HIGHER EDUCATION, BUT OUTSIDE OF TEACHING THERE ARE FEW
PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN. MS. TALEGHANI WAS
A TEACHER FOR MANY YEARS AND ACTUALLY HAD FAEZEH
RAFSANJANI AS A STUDENT. TALEGHANI SAYS FAEZEH WAS "NOT
A REMARKABLE STUDENT," BUT IS PLEASED WITH HER
POLITICAL SUCCESS AND WITH THE PROGRESS THIS REPRESENTS
FOR IRANIAN WOMEN.


11. (U) NOTE: SOURCE'S FATHER--AYATOLLAH MAHMOUD
TALEGHANI--WAS A UNIVERSITY TEACHER AND LEFTIST ISLAMIC
THEORIST PERSECUTED THROUGHOUT THE SHAH'S REGIME. HIS
FAMILY HAD DEEP ROOTS AMONG THE BAZAARI (MERCHANT CLASS)
IN TEHRAN, AND MAINTAINS EVEN NOW SOME OF ITS
CONSIDERABLE INFLUENCE. ACCORDING TO JOHN STEMPEL'S
"INSIDE THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION" TALEGHANI "...WAS
IDOLIZED BY THE URBAN POOR AND BY THE YOUNG
INTELLECTUALS IN BOTH MUJAHADIN AND FEDAYEEN CIRCLES FOR
HIS OPPOSITION TO THE SHAH.... HE WAS THE ONLY
INDIVIDUAL [AT THE TIME OF THE REVOLUTION] WHOSE
PERSONAL REPUTATION WAS IMPRESSIVE ENOUGH TO DEFY
KHOMEINI." A DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI
AND AYATOLLAH TALEGHANI THREATENED THE REVOLUTION AND
COULD HAVE RESULTED IN CIVIL WAR, BUT TALEGHANI
EVENTUALLY CONCEDED TO KHOMEINI FOR THE SAKE OF UNITY.
HE DIED SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.


HUGGINS