Iran oil chief’s future is in lap of clergy

Press, 29 September 1979, Page 8

Iran oil chief’s future is in lap of clergy

NZPA-Reuter Teheran The future of Iran's controversial oil chief Mr Hassan Nazih, appeared increasingly uncertain yesterday after the religious press claimed he had been sacked because of pressure from Muslim workers, ■ The-National •>lranian Oil Company Strongly denied the report, and said Mr Nazih, who turned up at this office as usual, had received the support of the industry’s most important workers in the southern oil-fields. The daily “Islamic Republic,” mouthpiece of the ruling clergy; splashed the news of Mr Nazih’s dismissal across its front page, but in an inside story admitted that the article was based on unconfirmed reports, Mr Nazih told the Iranian press that he would never

be sacked, and had no in- 1 tention of resigning from the post to which he was appointed by the Prime MinisIter (Dr Mehdi Bazargan) immediately after the overthrow of the Shah in February. N.I.O.C’s chief spokesman told NZPA-Reuter the workers of the Khuzestan oilfields in south-western Iran had asked Mr Nazih for permission to down tools as a protest against the clergy’s campaign to oust him. Mr Amir-Mahmoud FakhrDai said the N.1.0.C. chairman in reply had ordered all the company’s employees to report to work and not to stage any demonstrations in his support. In Abadan, at the southwestern tip of Iran, a NZPA-Reuter correspondent, ; Harvey Morris, reported that I an anti-Nazih demonstration!

had been called by Islamic groups. Islamic workers at the Abadan refinery — the world’s largest — said Muslim clergymen had entered the refinery on Monday and told the work-force that those who objected to Mr Nazih should put up posters voicing their opposition to the N.1.0.C. chairman. N.1.0.C.’s Teheran headquarters claimed that Mr Nazih, a prominent lawyer and human-rights campaigner under the Shah, had the support of all the company’s work-force.

The Teheran evening newspaper, “Islamic Revolution.” said a representative of the oil industry’s Muslim associations had left for the holy city of Qom to discuss the Nazih case with Iran’s unofficial Head of State, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeiny.