Iran blames widespread social ills on U.S., 'obscene' chewing gum

NICOSIA — Iran is preparing a crackdown on what authorities term rampant disorder in the Islamic republic.

The crackdown has begun with seizures of what Iranian authorities term obscene chewing gum.

The effort is being organized by the Iranian military, security services and the Basij vigilantes loyal to the ruling clergy. Officials said the regime is facing a soaring crime rate that includes drug use and a violation of Islamic principles on family issues, such as a rising divorce rate.

Officials have blamed the introduction of Western mores into Iran. They indicated that the target of the crackdown would start with those identified as dissidents and political agitators.

"The enemy is trying to infiltrate the country by expanding the acceptance of social vices," Mohammad Niazi, head of the military's judicial section, said. "We have to deal with the social vices which are posing a threat to society and to families."

Iranian police have already seized 600,000 sticks of chewing gum that bear obscene pictures. Authorities said police have also seized 62,000 obscene compact discs, 12,000 pornographic videotapes and more than 124,000 obscene playing cards since March.

Interior Minister Abdulvahed Mousavi Lari said the illegal drug trade has been a major problem and blamed the West for its increase. Lari said 90,000 of the 150,000 inmates in Iranian prisons were convicted of drug-related offenses.

The minister said the divorce rate in Iran has risen 20 percent over the last year. Lari criticized what he called the failure of authorities in addressing the problem.

Later, Deputy Interior Minister Gholamhossein Bolandian warned that authorities must not launch a sweeping crackdown but must pinpoint those behind unrest in Iran. He urged authorities, largely out of the domain of the government and run by the ruling clergy, not to stifle the media.

"It is not right to impose various types of hardships against those who criticize the information and security measure of the country," Bolandian said. "The authorities in charge of such issues must maintain a dynamic relationship with the people and particularly the critics, trying to convince them to resort to logic and fruitful dialogues."

Meanwhile, Iran's hardliners have accused Britain of attempting to overthrow the government by inciting students to revolt.

A leading hardline daily recently carried the headline "Civil disobedience by decree of London". The daily Kayhan also printed similar stories.

Relations with Britian warmed up two years ago after Teheran pledged not implement a religious edict against outlawed Iranian author Salman Rushdie.

The accusations against Britain began last week after the London-based Guardian ran an article saying that members of Iran's most powerful national student organization termed the presidency of Mohammad Khatami's a failure. The Guardian quoted student leaders as saying they planned to "civil disobedience" to force the government to implement Khatami's reform program.