(15 Nov 2009)
++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. Pan of Iranian Parliament
2. Iranian MPs
3. Wide of podium
4. SOUNDBITE: (Farsi) Ali Larijani, Iran's Parliament Speaker:
"Of course, the recent actions of the United States of America against the Iranian nation reflect the very nature of the change (meaning no change has happened). First, was the extension of sanctions and restrictions for one more year against the Iranian nation by the American president and second was blocking the accounts and assets of the Alavi foundation in America. It is a real disgrace that after a year of empty speeches and slogans, the behaviour and conduct of this president in practice is no less similar to the actions of his predecessor."
5. Wide of Iranian MPs chanting slogans (Farsi) "Death to America"
6. SOUNDBITE: (Farsi) Ali Larijani, Iran's Parliament Speaker:
"The recent actions of this country (US), presenting unimportant and irrational proposals in the nuclear issue which they have called just and fair, all indicate that the alleged change was nothing but a deceitful symbol aimed at deceiving naive politicians."
7. Wide of Iranian parliament
STORYLINE:
Iran's Parliament speaker was the first Iranian high-ranking official to react to the seizure of the assets of four U.S. mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organisation long suspected of being secretly controlled by the Iranian government.
Ali Larijani, on Sunday, in the open session of Iranian parliament, called the blocking of the accounts and assets of the New York-based Alavi Foundation a "disgrace".
"It is a real disgrace that after a year of empty speeches and slogans, the behaviour and conduct of this president in practice is no less similar to the actions of his predecessor," Larijani said.
Prosecutors said the foundation managed an office tower on behalf of the Iranian government and, working with a front company known as Assa Corp., illegally funnelled (m) millions in rental income to Iran's state-owned Bank Melli.
A U.S. Treasury official has accused Bank Melli of providing support for Iran's nuclear programme, and it is illegal in the United States to do business with the bank.
U.S. officials have long suspected the foundation was an arm of the Iranian government.
A 97-page complaint details involvement in foundation business by several top Iranian officials, including the deputy prime minister and ambassadors to the United Nations.
The foundation has spent millions (m) of dollars over the years on philanthropy: buying property for four U.S. mosques, funding religious schools and language classes, and translating books on Islam.
The move to seize assets held by the Alavi Foundation will cripple the charity's work and put the government in the awkward position of potentially shutting down the houses of worship, which occupy buildings and land that Alavi owns.
There are no claims of wrongdoing at the mosques. And they will stay open as prosecutors try to take hold of the
hundreds of millions (m) of dollars in Alavi money and property.
Alavi was one of the few central sources of funding for American Shiite communities, which have far fewer resources than U.S. Sunnis.
Often, the Islamic day schools the centres run are among the few available.
It is extremely rare for U.S. authorities to seize a house of worship.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
