Tirgan; A Splendid Festival of Ancient Persia

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July 6, 2021

Special rituals were performed during Tirgan Festival, including the rituals of Ab-Pashi (splashing water), Fal-e-Kouzeh (using a vase for augury), Tir bracelet and Baad (wind).

Water has a significant place in Tirgan Festival. That is why this festival is usually staged along a river or a fountain.

One of these rituals is splashing water on others to get rid of the sweltering summer heat during the month of Tir (mid-June to mid-July).

Another of the Tirgan rituals is Fal-e-Kouzeh or Chak-o-Dowlah, as known in the central city of Yazd.

As part of the ritual, a girl is given a green vase of clay, which is called Dowlah, the day before the festival. She fills up the vase with clean water and puts a green silk handkerchief on its mouth. Then, she takes the vase and visits anyone who has a wish and asks them to take part in the festival.

They throw small objects, such as rings, earrings, hair clips, coins, and the like, into the Dowlah. The girl then takes the vase under an evergreen tree, such as a cyprus, and leaves it there.

On the day of Tirgan Festival, after the water splashing ritual, all those who threw objects inside the vase and had a wish, gather around and the girl brings the vase there. Most of the participants in this augury are women. During the ritual, the elderly take turns to sing songs aloud and at the end of each verse, the girl takes an object out of the vase. Accordingly, the owner of the object finds out which verse corresponds to her wish.

At the beginning of the festival, after eating sweets, participants tie a rope, known as Tir-o-Baad (Tir and wind), which is woven out of seven threads of different colors, round their hands. They untie the rope nine days later, take it to a high place, like a rooftop, and let it blow away in the wind, so that the rope takes their demands and wishes as a message to where it should.

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Iranian Product Protects Mothers and Fetuses from Electromagnetic Radiation

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IFP Editorial Staff

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July 6, 2021

The binders, recently presented in the market, are helpful as electromagnetic radiation from cell phones and Wi Fi systems are everywhere. Studies show such radiation negatively affect the growth of cells, DNA multiplication and the performance of brain cells. This is why health experts believe such radiation is most damaging for children during the fetal period and infancy, when cells are growing fast.

One of the benefits of the Iranian abdominal binders, compared to similar foreign products, is that they do not contain silver particles and are not in direct contact with the skin. The binders also reflect radiation. This is while foreign binders absorb the radiation and this generates heat, leading to an uneasy feeling on the stomach area.

According to Nano-Technology Innovation Council, the Iranian abdominal binders use special anti-electromagnetic-radiation fabric, which has already obtained certification by the Health Ministry. The fabric has also won two gold medals from the International Invention Festival and has obtained a medal certificate from the United Nations-affiliated World Intellectual Property Organization.

The binders, using the fabric, also help mothers physically. They prevent a sagging lower stomach, prevalent in women after child birth, and backaches, common during pregnancy.

Iranian Female Referee to Appear in Men’s Futsal World Cup

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IFP Editorial Staff

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July 6, 2021

Gelareh Nazemi’s greatest sporting dream has come true and she will be judging matches at the Men’s World Cup.

2021 Futsal World Cup will be held in Lithuania and Gelareh Nazemi along with Ebrahim Mehrabi Afshar are the two Iranian referees of this cup. Nazemi has earlier refereed in the World’s Clubs Cup, Youth Olympics, and World Cup qualifiers in the Asia for men’s futsal, but the World Cup is different for her. However, she does not want to be the referee of the final match of this cup because she would like to see Iran in the final.

Here is Entekhab news website’s interview with Nazemi:

Q: Do you have a dream greater than refereeing in the World Cup?

A: No. This was my biggest dream. Refereeing in the World Cup is something that everyone cannot experience. Every time I have refereed in an important competition I have said it and this time I say it is the result of the efforts made by all the referees in Iran.

Q: This is the first time an Iranian female referee has been invited to such a competition. Do referees from other countries have similar experience?

A: No. This is the first time that female referees have been invited to the World Cup. Although the Europeans have experience in the Men’s League and other competitions, it is normal for them to referee men’s competitions, but it is the first time they have been given the opportunity to referee in the World Cup. I looked at the list, I do not know all the referees and the names of some of them do not indicate whether they are male or female, but among the ones I know there are Italian and Russian referees. Most likely, we may have a female referee from the Americas.

Q: Except you, Zari Fat’hi was also nominated for these games but she was not selected.

A: Four Iranian referees were nominated. This is an important event. We are the only country with four referees at this level. It shows the power of our referees.

Q: But there is always a lot of criticism about refereeing in Iranian leagues.

A: The referee and the refereeing are not detached from objections. It is rare for two teams to be satisfied with refereeing in a game. I admit there are always mistakes, but the number of our football and futsal referees and their abilities are supreme. I consider myself the representative of these referees. There are many referees like me and better than me in Iran who have worked much harder but have not been seen.

Q: This success would not have been possible without the restriction of men’s participation in women’s football and futsal.

A: I agree. In many places, our women have been left out. These restrictions have led to opportunities.

Q: You have been given to judge at the highest level of futsal in the world. Don’t you regret why it is not possible for you to referee men’s competitions in Iran?

A: I have been refereeing since 2001. It was a long journey and I have been seen thanks to the media. We should not say that you have to referee men’s games in order to be seen. Everyone can be seen, wherever they show their best performance. It would be unfair to say that there is no support. I have never had a problem refereeing matches I have been invited to. Nobody told me you could not go. The federation and others have always supported me. Our team is in the World Cup, journalists are also in the competitions and they support me as before.

Q: You must have a lot of congratulatory messages in the past few days. Which message did you like the most?

A: I had messages from people from different walks of life, even from those who have nothing to do with futsal and refereeing. I am very happy to see our people happy with other’s successes. The best message came from a friend I do not know; she has planted a tree in my name. There were also friends who baked cakes and wrote my name on it. All these messages were exciting to me.

Q: Which team in the World Cup would you like to referee?

A: In the World’s Clubs Cup, I wanted to referee Barcelona’s game and I did. It makes no difference to me to referee for which teams here, but I would like to referee Brazil’s game just because of Falcao.

Q: And the final?

A: No, I do not want to referee the final. The final is the only game I do not want to think about at all. I would like the Iranian team to reach the final.

164 Iranian Inventions to Get International Patents

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IFP Editorial Staff

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July 5, 2021

The office says it has so far received over 2,200 applications seeking support for international registration of inventions, 364 of them have been verified. The support is key to helping inventors go through the difficult process of getting their inventions patented with well-known international authorities.

The Patent Office of Iran registers patents with the US, the European Union, Canada and China.

International registration of patents helps inventors keep the material and intellectual property rights of their work to themselves. This prevents their inventions or ideas from being stolen or illegally used.

The Vice Presidency for Science and Technology considers international registration of patents an indication of the general development of Iran’s innovation biome.

Delta Variant of COVID-19 Creates ‘Disaster’ in Southeast Iran

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IFP Editorial Staff

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July 5, 2021

Esmaeil Hossein-Zahi, the representative of the city of Khash, called for the immediate opening of makeshift hospitals to help the coronavirus-hit people across the province.

“The situation in Sistan and Baluchestan has gone beyond a disaster. The current facilitates of hospitals and medical centres are not enough. I call upon the Armed Forces to rush to people’s help by launching makeshift hospitals,” he said in a tweet.

The fifth wave of the coronavirus pandemic has recently started with the outbreak of the Delta variant. The representatives of the province have repeatedly warned about a humanitarian disaster in the region and the need for paying special attention to the province.

Wildlife in Iranian Wetland on Verge of Death Due to Drought

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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July 4, 2021

The wetland was supplied by water from the Karkheh river and its tributaries and is a major habitat for native fish and buffalos and a place where many local villagers earn a living.

The Hour-ol-Azim Wetland is the last survivor of the Mesopotamian Marshes in the southwestern Iranian province of Khuzestan.

A third of the Hour-ol-Azim Wetland is located in Iran and two-thirds of it lie in Iraq.

Now, drought is gradually sounding the death knell for the wildlife in the marshland.

Commercialising New Biotechnological Products Save Iran $400 Million: VP

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IFP Editorial Staff

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July 4, 2021

Sorena Sattari, who was speaking at the unveiling ceremony, added that Iran is known for its brands in the field of human biotechnology.

“We have large pharmaceutical companies in Iran and we are a developed country in the field of human biotechnology. But in application of biotechnology to cattle, poultry, aquatic animals and plants, we still have a long way to go,” he said, adding that Iran has witnessed good development in the latter fields over the past two years.

“The production of the 9 [new] products and their commercialization will ultimately save the country 400 million dollars in foreign currencies. This hinges on preparing the grounds for these products to enter the market.”

Sattari also said the sanctions have made a clearer impact on industries, where less knowledge-based companies are active.

“With the help of creative and knowledge-based companies, Iran can beat the sanctions. One of the industries now struggling against the sanctions is the agricultural industry and the food security sphere,” he said.

“These companies initiate fundamental and principal changes in this field. In fact, it is companies that guarantee countries’ power,” he added.

Sattari further noted that the vice presidency for science and technology began its steps in the field of food security three years ago. He said the potential of different sectors should be tapped to help develop technology in the country. The vice president touched on the vast research network of the ministry of agricultural jihad as a case in point. He said each one of these research centers should become a technological park to ensure they have effectual research outputs.

“The government should change [its role] as the research manager to the research consultant. As long as research is handed to the state sector, no result will come out.

Manufacturing a product is the result of investment by the private sector. Iran is most dependent in the area of food security and the only way out is getting knowledge and technology into the field,” he said.

The new knowledge-based products unveiled on Saturday include producing Camelina Oil for the first time ever in Iran, breeding 2,000 Saanen and Murciana goats through cloning, producing food supplements for cattle and poultry, mass-producing enzymes used in food industry, manufacturing vaccines for fish and cattle and indigenizing the technology for production of biological agents used in greenhouse pest control.

Tehran Demands Action to Establish Fate of Abducted Iranian Diplomats

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IFP Editorial Staff

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July 4, 2021

The full text of the statement follows:

On July 4, 1982, a vehicle carrying four Iranian diplomats, namely Seyyed Mohsen Mousavi, Haj Ahmad Motavasselian, Taghi Rastegar Moghaddam and Kazem Akhavan, who were under the immunity of diplomatic police, were kidnapped by armed mercenaries of the Israeli regime in Lebanon’s al-Barbareh area in contravention of international regulations and conventions.

Now, on the 39th anniversary of this crime committed by terrorist elements affiliated with the Tel Aviv regime, the families of those diplomats, who have gone through extreme suffering and pain, still hope their loved ones will be freed and return home.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has announced, time and again, that there is evidence indicating these Iranian diplomats were handed over to Israeli forces after being illegally stopped and were then taken to Israeli prisons.

Since the terrorist move, and given the human, legal and political dimensions of the incident, the Islamic Republic of Iran has adopted extensive measures and followed up on the issue through regional and international institutions.

Given the Israeli occupation of Lebanon in 1982, the political and legal responsibility for the diplomats’ abduction lies with the Israeli regime and its terrorist-breeding supporters. Unfortunately, the Israeli regime’s lack of accountability has greatly slowed down the trend of discovering the dimensions of, and facts pertaining to this incident.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran honours the memory of the diplomats and reiterates that high on its diplomatic agenda, while taking regional and international aspects into account, is to make efforts to establish their fate.

By virtue of a report by the former UN secretary general and a letter by the then Lebanese prime minister to him in 2008, the foreign ministry urgently calls on the incumbent UN chief as well as other international and human rights organisations and institutions, including the Red Cross Society, to pay due regard to this humanitarian and rights issue which pertain to international conventions recognised by the international community, and heed the rightful demand of Iran and the diplomats’ families and children.

Accordingly, while expressing its gratitude to the friendly country of Lebanon, which has had good cooperation in terms of following up on the incident so far, the Iranian foreign ministry also calls on Lebanese authorities to make serious decisions on Iran’s proposals to set up a cooperation committed to coordinate and regulate the existing data and shed light on the hidden dimensions of the incident, and to heed the necessary recommendations in order to make further progress on the case, so that we will see joint measures with regards to this issue.

Saplings Planted in Memory of Environment Reporters Killed in Bus Crash

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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July 4, 2021

The saplings were planted on the sidelines of a ceremony, attended by Minister of Agriculture Kazem Khavazi and Managing Director of IRNA New Agency Mohammad Reza Norouzpour, to mark the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

The move was in appreciation of the media community’s assistance to the Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization to advance its mission.

On June 23, a group of 25 correspondents headed to the city of Piranshahr to visit the ongoing projects for revival of Lake Orumiyeh. Their bus overturned 15 kilometres away from the city, leaving Reihaneh Yasini and Mahshad Karimi, who were environment correspondents from IRNA and ISNA news agencies, dead. They were laid to rest in Tehran cemetery’s special section for the noted people two days later.

Ordibehesht House; Cultural Centre in Tehran’s Historic Oudlajan Neighbourhood

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IFP Editorial Staff

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July 3, 2021

After the house’s last residents left it some 20 years ago, the building gradually fell into ruins and turned into a shelter for the homeless. But, after strong campaigning, repair work started at the site last year.

During the repair work on the valuable structure, a wrong strike by a pick-axe created a hole and revealed an empty space behind.

The repair team followed the hole into a corridor and it ultimately led them to the discovery of a bathroom, ornamented with tiles, and pictures, created by the traditional sarooj mortar, that dated back to the Zandieh dynasty’s era.

Now, after 18 months of continuous work, this established house has turned into a “cultural centre” in the Oudlajan neighbourhood of Tehran, thanks to the efforts of Iranian architect Behrouz Marbaghi.

Oudlajan is one of the old neighbourhoods of the city of Tehran. It mainly consists of the three neighbourhoods of Emamzadeh Yahya, Pamenar and Nasser Khosrow, which make Oudlajan a rich historical neighbourhood, due to the numerous historic structures it hosts. The Old Oudlajan had 2619 houses and 1146 shops, and as such was the largest neighbourhood in the city, where the wealthy lived.

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