HUNDREDS PARTICIPATED AT MR. KHOSOR SHAHANI'S BURIAL

TEHRAN 12 May (IPS)    Khosro Shahani, one of the pioneers of modern Iranian satirical journalism was buried Saturday in Behesht Zahra cemetery near Tehran, sources said, adding that hundreds of people, mostly journalists and intellectuals took part at the funerals.

Mr. Shahani died Friday in his apartment in Tehran of cancer. He was 73.

Born in Shahrood, northeastern Iran, he started journalism in Mash-had, the capital city of northeastern province of Khorasan, but moved quickly to the capital where he became a celebrity with a satirical column in the twice-weekly "Khandaniha" (Worth Reading) named "Felt-Making Workshop", introducing a new satirical style, tackling mostly social and cultural life of the society.

At the same time, he was the parliamentary correspondent of the then leading evening daily "Keyhan" (the same that after the Islamic revolution became the mouthpiece of intelligence community under Mr. Hosein Shari'atmadari, an agent specialising in interrogation of intellectual and political dissidents, appointed by the leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i). ENDS SHAHANI DIED 12502