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Iran Opens Its First Autism Library

May 22, 2018

Saeedeh Saleh Ghaffari, the head of the association, said in an address to the opening ceremony on Tuesday that the library will help autistics boost their knowledge regarding their disease, as it owns a vast collection of autism books.

Saleh Ghaffari said official figures by Iran’s welfare organization say seven to eight thousands of Iranians suffer from autism, but she believes the real number of Iran’s autistic population could be up to ten thousand, ISNA reported.

According to a figure announced by the World Health Organization in 2013, reviews across the world estimate one child in 160 has an autism spectrum disorder.

Saleh Ghaffari said in Iran the rate is higher than the global average and this has aggravated problems of the association, which works to empower families of autism patients.

The head of the association said one of the basic problems facing Iran’s autistic population is a lack of understanding among people on how to treat them and accept them in the society.

“Autistic patients should be able to show themselves in the society,” he said.

The library, an initiative by an autistic member of the association, will be run by autistics themselves.

The building of the library was offered to the association by a Tehran donor.

Several celebrities, including actors Shabnam Qolikhani and Fatemeh Goudarzi, as well as a UNICEF representative, attended the opening ceremony.

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is defined as a wide range of conditions characterized by challenges with speech and nonverbal communication, repetitive behaviors and social skills. ASD is a “spectrum condition” that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees.

Lack of or delay in spoken language, lack of spontaneous or make-believe play, lack of interest in peer relationships, and persistent fixation on parts of objects are among other signs of this disorder.

Awareness about autism is growing in Iran through TV shows and educational campaigns. But families still struggle without any outside help and worry about the future when they are gone.

Railway Electrification Project in Iran Not Subject to US Sanctions: Russia

IFP Editorial Staff

May 22, 2018

According to the company’s CEO Oleg Belozerov, the Russian company “will be engaged in electrification which is related directly to railway transport.”

Speaking in an interview with Sputnik, he said, “We believe that this is a completely civilian project that does not fall under the [US] sanctions, but we are clarifying it.”

Belozerov recalled that Russian Railways had signed a contract and is preparing for the electrification of the Garmsar-Ince Burun railway line with the supply of track equipment and 40 locomotives.

The project is estimated to cost 1.2 billion euros ($1.41 billion). It will be financed from the Russian government’s state export credit to the government of Iran.

The work is scheduled to begin in July 2018.

In 2012, Russian Railways had completed one project in Iran — the electrification of the Tabriz-Azarshahr railway line.

General Soleimani Likes Muqtada al-Sadr Very Much: Iran Envoy

IFP Editorial Staff

May 22, 2018

General Soleimani Likes Muqtada al-Sadr Very Much: Iran Envoy

Speaking in an interview with IRNA in Baghdad, Masjedi dismissed speculation about a discord between Tehran and the anti-American cleric, describing al-Sadr as a “dear and influential friend and brother” of the Islamic Republic who is very much liked by many Iranian officials including General Soleimani.

Masjedi congratulated the political bloc led by al-Sadr on winning the highest number of parliamentary seats in the recent elections, saying that Iran “welcomes and supports the will of the Iraqi people”.

“Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr is a dear and influential friend and brother in our friend and neighboring country, Iraq,” he added.

Masjedi also lauded what he called “age-old and deep-rooted relations” between Iran and Sadr, saying the Islamic Republic had also close ties with the late father and uncle of the prominent cleric.

Highlighting Iran’s “warm and friendly ties” with Iraqi people of different strata, the ambassador underlined that Tehran has “constructive relations with all (Iraqi) groups and coalitions which have won the majority of seats” in the parliamentary election.

His comments came after al-Sadr’s Sairoon coalition took 54 out of 328 seats in the May 12 parliamentary election in Iraq, Tasnim reported

With no bloc winning the 165 seats required for an outright majority, negotiations to form a coalition government in Iraq are expected to drag on for weeks.

In comments in April, Muqtada al-Sadr expressed readiness to resolve some disputes between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

In July 2017, Sadr made a rare visit to Saudi Arabia and met the crown prince and other officials in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah.

US’ Coercive Diplomacy Doomed to Failure: Iran

IFP Editorial Staff

May 22, 2018

Mohammad Baqer Nobakht says the US coercive strategy towards Iran since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 that brought down the US-backed regime of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi has produced no results.

Likewise, the strategy recently announced by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is also doomed to failure, he said, speaking in his weekly press conference on Tuesday.

Pointing to a 1980 attack by the US to rescue the US embassy staff taken hostage in Tehran that failed in Tabas Desert in central Iran, and the US’ veiled support for the Iraqi invasion of Iran in 1980s, Nobakht said the US has failed to force a change in Iran’s behaviour.

“Could the US [economic sanctions] weaken the Islamic Republic? Could they weaken our economy? I recommend reading the reports by the International Monetary Fund describing Iran as the eighteenth economy across the globe,” he said, according to a report by Entekhab news website.

The spokesman was responding to earlier remarks by Pompeo, in which he threatened to impose the “strongest sanctions in history” against Iran that would ultimately destroy Iran’s economy, unless it capitulated to a series of 12 “basic requirements”.

The list not only urged Tehran to permanently shut down any nuclear-related programs, but also to give up its regional policy.

Pompeo said the US government was ready for talks with Iran based on the 12 requirements, aimed at reaching a new accord that would replace the 2015 nuclear deal.

US President Donald Trump on March 8 pulled the country out of the 2015 nuclear deal, which placed confidence-building curbs on Iran’s nuclear program in return for the removal of anti-Iran international sanctions.

Nobakht said the Iranian government will by no means enter into talks with the US again, as the US pullout of the nuclear deal proved Washington cannot be trusted with keeping its words.

“We won’t talk with those who do not deserve to negotiate with a country that has been faithful to its commitments,” he said.

Number of Tourists Visiting Iran’s Yazd Province Up 11%

IFP Editorial Staff

May 22, 2018

Meisam Kouchakzadeh, a senior executive at the Department General of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism of Yazd, says the number of visitors to Yazd stood at well over 126,000 in the year to March 2018, up 11%, year on year.

“Most of the tourists were from France, Germany, Spain, Italy and China,” he noted, according to a report by IRNA.

He recalled that Yazd was registered on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage Sites, saying, “This important issue will be instrumental in increasing the number of foreign tourists visiting Yazd.”

“Given that Yazd’s ancient quarter has been internationally registered and the objective is to increase the number of tourists, the tourism infrastructure in the province should be improved and the number of good accommodations should be raised,” he said.

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee registered the historical city of Yazd on the List of World Heritage Sites on July 9, 2017.

Given that Yazd is a rich city in terms of ancient-cultural buildings, five of the historical monuments in the province have been globally registered so far.

Number of Tourists Visiting Iran’s Yazd Province Up 11% — Zarch; Longest Qanat of Iran, World

The historical quarter of Yazd Province spans 2,270 hectares, housing 6,500 ancient monuments out of which 1,850 have been registered on the national list of heritage sites.

Dowlatabad and Pahlavanpur gardens as well as the Zarch Qanat are other world heritage sites located in Yazd Province.

Yazd, along with Fars and Isfahan provinces, forms the golden triangle of tourism in Iran. Yazd is the first destination of foreign tourists, and the number of visitors to the city has risen five-fold. So, tourism is the most significant contributor to the development of the province.

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Tehran’s Cultural Heritage in Photos: Dabir ol-Molk House

IFP Editorial Staff

May 22, 2018

The house, located in Oudlajan neighbourhood in downtown Tehran, has become a hot historical attraction after being restored by Tehran’s Municipality.

The 140-year-old building, which is now used as a “Leisure House”, was built by Mirza Mohammad Hossein Farahani, nicknamed Dabir ol-Molk Farahani.

He was the director of royal secretariat under Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar (1848-96).

What follows are Tehran Picture Agency’s photos of the house:

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Iran’s Beauties in Photos: Lake Zrebar in Zagros Mountains

IFP Editorial Staff

May 22, 2018

Zrebar is one of the most beautiful fresh water lakes in the world. Interestingly enough, no river flows into the lake. Its water comes from a number of fountains and seasonal rains. The water on the surface of the lake is frozen in most days of winter.

Located in the Zagros Mountains within Kurdistan Province, Zrebar Lake is 1,285 metres above the sea level. It has a length of 5 km, a maximum width of 1.6 km and a maximum depth of 6 metres.

The lake is surrounded by mountains covered by forests of oaks. There are also trees of wild pears, hawthorn and almond.

Iran’s Beauties in Photos: Lake Zrebar in Zagros Mountains — Unbeatable “Buddy’s” Fish Kebabs

There is a great deal of folklore about the origins of this lake amongst the Kurdish people of the area. They believe the lake is a mythical one, particularly because its water is supplied by itself, not through the flow of any river.

Zeribar Lake is a major tourist attraction in Western Iran. There is a four-star hotel near the lake which provides tourists with an area to camp and appropriate amenities as well as security. There are also restaurants serving Kurdish dishes and delicious including grilled fish.

What follows are photos of Zrebar Lake retrieved from Karnaval.ir:

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Iran Agrees to Enhance Ties with World Intellectual Property Organization

IFP Editorial Staff

May 22, 2018

The agreement was made in a recent meeting between Iran’s Vice-President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari and the Director General of the WIPO, Francis Gurry, in Tehran.

The two sides also agreed to hold some training courses on intellectual property in Iran, a report by ISNA said.

During the talks, Sattari referred to the capacities of creative human resources in Iran and said such resources serve as a pillar for knowledge- based economy in Iran.

He then pointed to the growing number of startups in Iran and said today good startups have emerged in Iran in the fields of IT and biotechnology with young generations playing a key role in their development.

For a brief review of Iran’s achievements in various fields of science and technology, check the book “Science and Technology in Iran: A Brief Review”

Sattari underlined that the registration of inventions by Iranian youths has increased dramatically over the past years and added Iran expects the WIPO to offer appropriate services to the Iranian inventors.

Gurry, for his part, said there is a growing demand for registering patents and said given the current trend, the need for more trained assessors to deal with the trend is gaining momentum.

“The issue of assessment is a complicated one. Therefore, part of the assessment process is carried out based on supply-demand mechanism,” he noted.

The WIPO Director General also praised Iranian startups and said the organization appreciates Iran’s hard efforts in this field.