Isfahan, Nov 27, IRNA -- Majlis Vice Speaker Mohammad-Reza Khatami here Tuesday said religious governments that send religious scholars behind the bars for speaking their minds can never be defendable, and vowed to use all efforts for the establishment of real Islam in Iran.

Khatami, speaking at a ceremony entitled "With the Intellectuals of the Nation", said Iranians never accept a religion that has no message of freedom or justice for its followers, and advocates using people as a tool for power infighting.

"Mankind has a bitter memory of certain religious governments, where violence was practiced in the name of religion," he said.

"In religious governments, except for Prophet Mohammad's (PBUH) and Imam Ali's (AS), there have always been certain social strata in power who declared themselves as sacred and misused people's beliefs for their own gain."

Men, Khatami said, will never accept such governments, and have always rejected them with all their might.

The Majlis vice speaker added that Iranians have always believed in the noble religion of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), the real Shi'ism of Imam Ali (AS), and the Islamic system as propagated by the late founder of the Revolution Imam Khomeini.

"Where were those who are now authorizing assassination of intellectuals in the name of religion in Imam Khomeini's time, and how old were they in that time those who now target Imam's companions under the guise of the faithful?" he questioned.

Khatami said real Islam can only come true where there is freedom of expression, not in an atmosphere of dictatorship.

"It is only for Islam's urge to promote freedom and rule of justice that it is regarded as a religion championing the salvation of mankind," he said.

The secretary-general of the Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF) said Iranians will have to suffer certain costs to have a better understanding of real Islam, stressing that people must realize real Islam from a religion that is hanging over it.

He said Imam Khomeini believed that in an Islamic government, even Communists should have a say, and regretted that a university lecturer with strong religious and Revolutionary credentials has been convicted of blasphemy for trying to expose untrue Islam to the nation.

"How can you compare an Islam which propagated justice and freedom for all, with the one that advocates disgracing intellectuals?" Khatami asked.

He said it is the responsibility of religious leaders to introduce real Islam to the Iranian people from what "others are trying to make us believe as real Islam".

"The religious leaders must introduce real Islam to the people as it was the people who followed the leaders to make the revolution.

The IIPF leader said Iranians accepted that Islamic Revolution in which, as the late Imam put it, public vote topped all the affairs of the country.

"How can you compare that Islam with the fact that there are now 10 to 12 people can nullify all the demands of the people?" Khatami questioned.

MP pessimist over electoral bill's approval

Mashhad, Khorassan prov, Nov 27, IRNA -- Member of the Second Khordad Fraction in the parliament expressed pessimism over the enforcement of the electoral bill set forth by the government.

Talking to IRNA, Mohammad Baqer Zakeri said the parliament has to go ahead with its consultations with the Guardians Council and the leadership over the government bills to reach a clear outcome.

Otherwise the Guardian Council would find fault with the proposed bills as similar cases have happened in the past.

However, the MP termed as "illogical" calls from some parliamentarians for holding a referendum over wether the bills should be approved or not.

There are many other ways which have not yet been tried, he said adding that discords among officials over the bills could be solved through dialogue.

The present circumstances reveals the fact that the dialogue principle championed by President Khatami has not yet been given enough attention in th country.

Iranian parliament previously approved general outlines of an electoral bill which dispenses with the need for supervisory Guardians Council to vet candidates for key state posts.

The bill received a majority approval of the MPs, following lengthy deliberations in which opponents and proponents voiced their views in the Majlis floor. The government has cited the bill as aiming to increase people's participation in elections and reduce wanton disqualification of hopefuls.

It is one of the two bills, proposed by President Mohammad Khatami, which were submitted to the parliament in September.

The other bill redefines the presidential authority to warn any of the highest ranking officials of the three constitutional powers whenever needed and mete out punishment in case the warning is not heeded.

The bills have to go through the Guardians Council's vetting. If rejected, the Expediency Council might be called for final arbitration. Khatami first announced his intention to present them late in August "in order to better respond to the aspirations of the people".

The announcement has been met with mixed reaction, with some people saying that the bills were contrary to the Constitution, since they sought excessive authority for the president and interfered in other state powers.

Others have hailed them, saying they could enable Khatami to deliver better on his promises of establishing the rule of law and a civil society.