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Top Iranian Officer Hopes Sustainable Peace Prevails in Muslim World

June 14, 2018

The top Iranian commander sent separate messages to the military officials of Islamic countries on Wednesday, offering warm wishes on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, which celebrates the end of Ramadan, the holy Muslim month of fasting.

In his message, Major General Baqeri expressed the hope that increasing unity within the Islamic Ummah (society) and promotion of friendly relations among Muslim nations and armed forces would foil the plots of enemies against Islamic territories, particularly against the holy city of al-Quds (Jerusalem), and establish sustainable peace and calm in the Islamic world.

Known as the Feast of Breaking the Fast, Eid al-Fitr is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims all around the world.

The observance traditionally begins with the sighting of the new moon of the 10th month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

Iran, South Africa Resolved to Promote Bilateral Ties

IFP Editorial Staff

June 14, 2018

In a Wednesday meeting, Zarif and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa exchanged views on various dimensions of bilateral ties as well as key regional and international questions.

The top Iranian diplomat also held a joint meeting with five South African Cabinet ministers (foreign affairs, defence, development, transportation, trade).

During the talks, they discussed ways of expanding and boosting mutual relations.

South African Visit’s Achievement

Speaking to reporters after the end of his three-day visit to South Africa, Zarif said he held concise and constructive negotiations during his stay in Pretoria.

“We held good talks on expansion of mutual relations and agreed to assign the two sides’ expert committees to press ahead with bilateral relations,” he said.

Zarif said the Iranian delegation held an important meeting with its South African counterpart at the level of experts and discussed a number of areas including trade, transportation and banking relations.

He also described his meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday as good and constructive and said during the talks the African president underlined the urgency for expansion of the two sides’ relations.

Zarif said the president also assigned the South African expert committees as well as related officials to conduct studies in the mentioned areas.

According to Zarif, an expert delegation from South Africa is expected to visit Iran within the next few weeks to finalise deals aimed at enhancing mutual relations.

“In overall, I felt a strong political will on the South African side to expand bilateral ties. There are appropriate grounds for enhancing relations and hopefully the goal will be achieved during the upcoming visit of South African delegation to Iran for further talks,” he said.

Zarif described South Africa as a very close ally of the Islamic Republic which has always stood by Iran’s undeniable right for use of peaceful nuclear energy.

Zarif arrived in Pretoria on Tuesday at the head of politico-economic delegation.

He last visited South Africa back in October 2017 to attend the 13th meeting of the two sides’ Joint Commission.

Iran and South Africa share historical bilateral relations. Iran supported the South African liberation movements.

The Islamic Republic severed its ties with South Africa in 1979 and banned doing any business with the African country in protest against its apartheid policies. However, in January 1994, Tehran lifted all trade and economic sanctions against South Africa and diplomatic relations were reestablished soon.

Iranian MPs Propose Motion on Granting Amnesty to Political Offenders

IFP Editorial Staff

June 13, 2018

That was announced by legislator Mohammad-Javad Fat’hi, who said the Parliament’s Presiding Board has received the two-starred motion signed by more than 70 lawmakers.

The motion envisions amnesties or the commutation of some sentences for offenders as well as immunity from prosecution for Iranian expatriates.

“Such a decision receives good feedback worldwide as far as human rights are concerned, especially at a time when we are under pressure and accusations that there are a large number of executions in Iran,” said Fat’hi, who sits on the Parliament’s Judicial and Legal Commission.

“The adoption of this law would be a step forward,” the parliamentarian added.

“The Clause 2 of the motion envisions amnesties for those convicted of, or charged with political and security offences,” he added.

However, he said, the offenders must meet certain requirements if they are to be pardoned.

“For example, the person charged with security offences must not have committed physical acts of sabotage such as setting a bank on fire or vandalizing public property,” he said.

“Espionage is also an exception because this a despicable offence in the eyes of all nations,” he added.

The lawmaker said the proposed law also grants immunity from prosecution to Iranian expats who want to return to Iran provided that no lawsuit has been filed against them by another person.

If passed by the Parliament, the motion would save the lives of many prisoners sentenced to death and commute the terms of those sentenced to life in prison.

The motion is part of the Parliament’s efforts to decrease the number of executions. In an earlier move, the lawmakers passed a law that prevents the execution of those charged with minor drug offences.

The law has effectively decreased the number of executions in the country, saving many inmates on the death row.

“Canada’s Plan to Restrict Ties with Iran Strategic Mistake”

IFP Editorial Staff

June 13, 2018

Expressing dissatisfaction with the vote, Qassemi said in a Wednesday statement that although the approval of the motion is in its early stages and it needs another vote to be signed into law, it would be a strategic and fundamental mistake with devastating result if ratified.

Such a motion shows the Canadian legislators’ lack of accurate and sufficient information on the clear and logical positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran in confronting the ominous phenomenon of terrorism, said the Iranian spokesman.

In the past decades, the Iranian people have been victims of violent terrorism supported by some known foreign countries, Qassemi said.

Therefore, he added, considering their moral principles and noble cultural teachings, the Iranian nation has always been a pioneer in the fight against these phenomena, particularly at a time when extremism and terrorism is expanding in the region and the world.

“The world’s public opinion will never accept the baseless and false accusation that Iran supports terrorism.”

Qassemi further warned against the consequences of adopting such inconclusive and unfounded motions.

He also expressed the hope that the Canadian government, with full knowledge of the clear policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and understanding the present-day conditions of the region and the world, would prevent the final adoption of the motion and its destructive effects on bilateral relations.

Liberals in Canada’s House of Commons passed a strongly-worded Conservative motion condemning the Iranian government on Tuesday.

The move saw Prime Minister Justin Trudeau call on the government to “abandon its current plan and immediately cease any and all negotiations or discussions” to restore diplomatic relations, and to immediately list the IRGC as a terrorist entity under Canada’s Criminal Code.

Iran President Issues Orders to Push Down Soaring Prices

IFP Editorial Staff

June 13, 2018

Mahmoud Vaezi, the Chief of Staff of President Rouhani, said the issue of soaring prices across Iran has been raised and seriously explored during cabinet meetings.

Rouhani is expected to hold a special meeting with his cabinet ministers on the issue on Monday, Vaezi was quoted as saying in a report by Donya-ye Eqtesad.

According to Vaezi, during the upcoming meeting, the top officials will explore the current satiation and make a final decision to put an end to the price hikes.

He went on to say that certain organizations which receive US dollars at the governmental price of IRR 42,000 don’t have proper control over the pricing process.

“The president has urged all relevant organizations to step into the fray and contribute to efforts to control the soaring prices,” he said.

Vaezi also said all goods reserved in the stores should be distributed among people and added the car manufacturers should sell their products based on the fixed prices.

The soaring prices come amid rapid drop of the Iranian rial’s value against US dollar. The prices of gold and cars and the exchange rate for the US dollar reached record high in Iran on Monday with each dollar traded for over 70,000 Rials in Tehran’s foreign exchange market.

Meanwhile, the price of various models of vehicles has risen between 20 million and 400 million Rials over the past two weeks. This comes as a number of leading foreign car manufactures including Peugeot, Citroen, and Hyundai have already decided to leave Iran. Meanwhile, some other manufacturers have limited their output, and this has led to a further rise in prices.

Reports say a similar hike in price is taking place in the housing market that has made buying or renting a house or a flat not affordable for most people.

Back in April, the Iranian government tried to force the rate of 42,000 IR Rials per US dollar after the exchange rate surpassed 60,000 Rials but to no avail because the prices of the dollar and other foreign currencies have kept rising since March.

Selling Cranberry Kernels: A Strange but Profitable Job

IFP Editorial Staff

June 13, 2018

You may already know that cranberries, those small sour fruits that you probably can’t stand to eat alone, are good for you. They are among the fruits that are particularly high in antioxidants, which can play a key role in protecting the body from many of our modern-day diseases.

But have you ever thought you could make money out of those tiny edible seeds in cranberries?

An Iranian came up with the idea 17 years ago and then won himself a well-paid job.

Abbas Hashemi Golestani, 42, is a loyal costumer of factories producing cranberry jam and compote.

He buys the waste seeds, separate their kernels in his small workshop and sells them to his customers.

The Iranian newspaper Shahrvand has conducted an interview with Hashemi, in which he explains his strange job, market conditions, clients and prices.

Following is an excerpt of the interview:

How did such an idea come to your mind?

Seventeen years ago, I had a job that linked me to various compote and jam factories. At the time, some factory owners told me they want to sell their waste seeds. I did some research and found out cranberry kernel is helpful in treating a lot of health problems and could create huge demand. Then I decided to launch my own business.

Who are your customers?

My main clients are owners of herbal medicine shops, who in turn extract oil and produce cream from cranberry kernels.

In 2014, Iran ranked sixth globally in cranberry production. This means that we also produce a lot of cranberry seeds. Have you ever considered exporting your product?

Not yet. But some people who hold more capital and power than me have exported their products to Turkey. I believe if people in Iran and around the world become aware of the benefits of these little seeds, we can export large shipments of the product.

How much do you pay for the waste seeds and how much do you sell the kernels?

We buy the seeds for 3500 IRR ($0.08) per kilogram. The separated kernels are sold for around 40000 IRR ($0.9) per kilo.

And what about your sales?

I usually sell between 500 kilos and 10 tonnes of kernels in each deal.

Are you satisfied with your income?

To be honest, No! Herbal medicine sellers and those who extract oil from cranberry kernel make much more profit.

However, I love my job and I can’t abandon it. I hope that with the help of the government I would be able to hire more employees, export the product and make profit.

The cranberry seed oil is a rich source of fatty acids used in food, cosmetic, fragrance, soap and skin and hair care formulations.

Among other applications, it is believed that cranberry seed oil has inflammatory properties and may be useful in the treatment of gingivitis, rash, eczema, and other skin lesions.

It is also believed that the oil can be used as a sun screen, in toothpaste, creams for prevention of skin irritations, bath oil, antiperspirants, shampoos, and lipsticks.

Imam Khomeini Port; Largest Gateway to Iran’s Global Trade

IFP Editorial Staff

June 13, 2018

Located 80 kilometres from the centre of Khuzestan province, it plays a very important role in the loading and unloading of essential goods for the country.

The large port complex, located at the northernmost point of the Persian Gulf, is connected to the rail and road routes of the central and southwestern part of the country and serves as the gateway to international trade for the provinces located in this region.

What follows are photos of the port retrieved from Tasnim News Agency:

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Nostalgic Sounds, Songs Reverberate through Tabriz Museum of Sound

IFP Editorial Staff

June 13, 2018

Running this unique museum, which started its activity as the first sound museum in the country with the aim of rebuilding and preserving the rich music of Azarbaijan, was a useful and effective move by the province’s cultural heritage organization to strengthen valuable cultural treasures in the field of music.

According to the Tabriz Modern news website, the Museum of Sound has been run by a researcher, musician and headmaster of the Tabriz Music House, Hossein Sajedi.

Sajedi, also an author of several books, has collected different kinds of musical instruments of ethnic and national origin. He has also provided the grounds for the opening of the Museum of Sound in Tabriz.

“We are doing our best to expand the research and educational areas in the field of music by establishing workshops and building a specialised music library,” noted him.

Tabriz Museum of Sound can provide a suitable space for introducing national and native rituals and provide an appropriate context for scholars and students in the field of Iranian and Azarbaijani music, said the researcher.

Over 300 items related to “sound” are showcased in this museum. In addition to existing objects, the “Audio Archive” section can be considered as one of the most important sections of the museum.

Valuable works of music in different fields are kept here and they are available to scholars and researchers who want to gain sufficient and comprehensive knowledge about music of this region, Sajedi said.

“Audio files of calls to prayers, holy Quran recitations and other religious and national events are also displayed at the museum. Among other items showcased are old doorknockers, bells, radios, gramophones, discs, recorders, black-and-white televisions, etc.”

With the assistance of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department of the East Azarbaijan Province the historical house of Amir Parviz has been renovated to be used as the Museum of Sound.

Tabriz, the capital of the north-western Iranian province of East Azarbaijan, has been designated as the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) capital of tourism in 2018.

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Trump’s Deal with Kim Jong-un Grabs Headlines in Iran

IFP Editorial Staff

June 13, 2018

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on November 19

All newspapers today covered the historic agreement between US President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un signed after an unprecedented meeting in Singapore on Tuesday.

Based on the ambiguous deal, North Korea commits itself to denuclearization, and the US, in turn, will halt its joint war games with South Korea, and give security assurances to Pyongyang.

The above issues, as well as many more, are highlighted in the following headlines and top stories:

Afarinesh:

1- Trump Trying to Exaggerate His Deal with North Korea: Analyst

2- Trump: I Didn’t Give Concessions as Obama Did