Heard in Iran This Week
on Radio Farda
(Prague, Czech Republic -- April 14, 2006) Radio Farda's major stories this week included various aspects of the Iranian nuclear programme, on which Radio Farda staff interviewed a host of experts and important figures in the field, as well as the growing trend of "hidden divorces" in Iran.
>> With what most observers saw as the failure of Tehran's talks between ElBaradei and Iranian officials over Iran's intentions to continue with uranium enrichment activities, China -- a country with strong and extensive economic ties to Iran -- has decided to play a more important role in trying to resolve the issue through diplomatic efforts. Radio Farda broadcast on April 14 an interview with Iranian international affairs expert Davoud Hermidas Bavand, who analyzed the visit of the Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister to Iran and Russia from April 14-18 and the extent of China's influence on the other permanent members of the UN Security Council, who are expected to meet again in Moscow on April 18.
>> Radio Farda extensively covered on April 13 ElBaradei's talks with Iranian officials in Tehran. The IAEA chief said at the end of his one-day visit that Iran should take confidence-building measures to reassure the international community of her non-military intentions. Radio Farda covered all aspects of the fast-developing story -- including a report on students at an Iranian university, who plan to celebrate the "breakthrough" in Iran's nuclear drive by eating a huge yellow cake on April 16.
>> On April 12, Radio Farda broadcast an analytical report on the phenomenon of "hidden divorce" in Iran. A prominent Iranian social scientist tells Radio Farda that, as divorce is frowned upon by society, most women who wish to either keep their social "integrity" intact or stay with their children refrain from taking legal divorce, and instead stay with their "estranged" husbands in an arranged co-existence. In most cases, the children are not even aware that their parents are practically separated from each other and that they are being raised with a "big lie".
For more on these and other coverage of Iran, please visit:
http://www.radiofarda.com -- Radio Farda's Persian-language website
http://www.rferl.org/reviews/farda.aspx -- "Focus on Farda" bi-weekly review
http://www.rferl.org/reports/iran-report/default.asp -- "RFE/RL Iran Report" weekly analysis
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarchive/country/iran.html -- RFE/RL English-language coverage of Iran
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