Talk’s Not Cheap on Iran Radio

Loose lips sink radio stations in Iran, where four broadcasting executives got prison terms after a caller to a talk radio program made the shocking suggestion that a popular TV soap opera character should be the role model for Iran’s women. The caller’s suggestion to remove the daughter of Mohammed, founder of Islam, as the figure dearest to Iranian women prompted an outcry in the predominantly Shiite Muslim nation much like that in the West when John Lennon pronounced the Beatles “more popular than Jesus Christ.” Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini angrily demanded the radio executives be punished for offending Islam, and the four were sentenced to terms ranging from four to five years in prison, with three to get 50 lashes as well. Their punishment, however, was preferable to the death sentence Khomeini ordered for the caller, who had the foresight to remain anonymous. The news wasn’t all bad, as the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported that Khomeini agreed to pardon the broadcasters after receiving an appeal on their behalf from Chief Justice Abdulkarim Moussavi Ardabili.

--In God he trusts, President Bush told a meeting of the National Assn. of Religious Broadcasters in Washington, assuring them that he prays daily for heavenly guidance. “There is no greater peace than that which comes from prayer, and no greater fellowship than to join in prayer with others. . . . All of us should not try to fulfill the responsibilities we now have without prayer and a strong faith in God,” Bush said. Even Bush’s critics can take hope that requests directed heavenward will be answered, the President opined. “I suppose there may be some people in Washington and all over the country who have already begun to pray ‘make it hot for George,’ ” Bush said. “Those prayers will be answered in time. Be patient.”

--Midterms and syllabi have replaced exit polls and debate spinning for Susan Estrich, campaign manager for the presidential campaign of Michael S. Dukakis. Estrich, 36, is back at Harvard Law School to teach criminal process and a seminar in election law. This semester Estrich will teach Tuesday through Thursday so that she can commute on weekends to Los Angeles, where her husband, Marty Kaplan, is a screenwriter for Disney Studios. Estrich, who has spent most of her days on the West Coast since the Nov. 8 election, says she’s also planning a magazine article on crime in politics, including a discussion of Massachusetts killer Willie Horton and his controversial furlough, which became a key issue in the campaign.