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Iran’s Security Intertwined with That of Afghanistan: Shamkhani

By
IFP Media Wire
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Iran's Security Intertwined with That of Afghanistan- Shamkhani

“Preventing the emergence and spread of Takfiri terrorist groups requires coherent and coordinated measures by all neighboring countries,” Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said in a meeting with Afghanistan’s National Security Advisor Mohammad Hanif Atmar in Tehran on Monday.

He expressed concern over the continuation of financial, arms and intelligence assistance provided by some reactionary countries in the region to Takfiri and terrorist groups under the guise of establishing religious schools and social institutions.

Shamkhani added that such moves by the reactionary states would increase insecurity as well as religious and sectarian rifts and undermine the Afghan government’s efforts for the country’s development.

The SNSC secretary emphasized that further consultations between Tehran and Kabul would boost stability and peace along the border between the two countries and prepare the ground for the two sides to benefit from lasting and common interests.

 

Need for more Iran-Afghanistan Cooperation

Atmar, for his part, said Iran had played a constructive role in the establishment of the national unity government in Afghanistan, adding that Tehran and Kabul must hold more negotiations on ways to strengthen the Afghan government.

He added that the escalation of insecurity and political discord in Afghanistan would spread terrorism and insecurity into other countries in the region.

Afghanistan has been gripped by violence and insecurity since the United States and its allies invaded the country as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror in 2001. Many parts of the country remain plagued by militancy despite the presence of foreign troops.

During the past 16 years, the Taliban militants have been conducting terrorist attacks across the country, killing and displacing civilians.

In addition, the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, which is mainly active in Syria and Iraq, has recently managed to take recruits from Afghan Taliban defectors.

‘Iran, EU to Go Ahead with Nuclear Deal without US’

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Senior Iranian MP Yahya Kamalpour noted that since the European states have expressed their commitment to the JCPOA, Iran needs to prepare itself for remaining committed to a nuclear deal minus the US.

In a Farsi interview with ICANA, Kamalpour referred to the US president’s strange statements about the JCPOA which stand in stark contrast to the international law, and said Iran and the European Union must remain committed to a new version of the JCPOA minus the US.

He went on saying that the US and the EU are at loggerheads over their commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Kamalpour said the EU is against the US efforts to pull out of the JCPOA and this has left the two sides divided over the nuclear deal.

He referred to the US efforts to withdraw from the nuclear deal following its repeated breach of promises through imposing various sanctions on Iran and said with its unilateral pullout of the JCPOA, the US would violate an international agreement, paving the way for its own isolation across the world.

The lawmaker added that no country has ever accepted the US stances towards the JCPOA.

“All the involved states have remained faithful to their commitments under the JCPOA and this has left the US and the EU divided over the nuclear deal,” he noted.

The Iranian lawmaker referred to the recent statements by the EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini and said as the European official mentioned, the EU will remain committed to the nuclear deal with Iran even if the US decides to pull out of it.

He once again warned the US of international isolation if it violates the nuclear deal, and said Iran will not remain silent towards the US breach of the deal.

“Iran will adopt reciprocal measures against the US,” he said, adding there is no need to adopt a preemptive measure at this stage.

“We need to wait and see whether or not the US will pull out of the deal and then make an appropriate decision based on the US move,” he noted.

According to an earlier report by Foreign Policy, Trump is putting Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the US State Department on the sidelines when dealing with Iran on the JCPOA.

The move has reportedly come after a “contentious” meeting between Trump and Tillerson. According to the report, Trump told a group of staffers to find a “case” that he can use to justify a 90-day review of the deal.

His hope is that he can find evidence to declare Tehran is not in compliance with the agreement, something the State Department has failed to do, the Foreign Policy said.

“The president assigned White House staffers with the task of preparing for the possibility of decertification for the 90-day review period that ends in October — a task he had previously given to Secretary Tillerson and the State Department,” said one source close to the White House.

Iranian Film ‘Zar’ among 2017 Best Horror Movies

By
IFP Media Wire
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Farahi’s debut feature film has been announced as the winner of the Spotlight Gold Award which celebrates incredible films with the second highest scores from the competition jury panel composed of industry professionals: filmmakers, independent film consultants, film festival organizers and programmers and horror film critics who have been in the business for almost two decades.

All the best films will be presented during the Atlanta Horror Film Festival, October 20-22, in Georgia. And all the winners will receive a personalized Certificate of Excellence in Filmmaking.

This is the first time an Iranian production has made it to the winners of the website competition, Cinematicket.org reported.

‘Zar’ tells the story of a just married couple who are in a villa in north Iran for their honeymoon. The fearful tales about the villa gets them involved in an adventure they did not ask for.

The cast includes Mohammad Reza Ghafari, Hadis Miramini,  Samaneh Kavandi, Sanaz Safaei, Sina Soheili, Vana Hemati, Amirhossein Eshqabadi, Asal Hashemi and Misaq Zare.

Born in Tehran, Nima Farahi, 32, started his cinematic career by making short films and as assistant director in some movies. His short films have been shown in many international festivals including Cannes in France and Busan in South Korea.

Although horror movies are popular across the world, there have been few productions in this genre in Iran. In the past years, the only Iranian horror film which made it into the international scene was ‘Fish & Cat’ directed by Shahram Mokri.

Being Mokri’s assistant director in that film, Farahi seems to have followed in his footsteps in the making of ‘Zar’.

The Spotlight Horror Film Awards is dedicated to promoting experienced and new filmmakers of the horror genre through a unique and important international film competition. It values each film based upon its artistic merit alone.

The festival publicizes the award-winning films through social media platforms, various websites, press releases, and email campaigns to industry leaders, film festival organizers, and more.

Iranian Female Swimmer Breaks Guinness Record

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iranian Female Swimmer Breaks Guinness Record

It is already a strange thing to hear that an Iranian girl has set a record in swimming. However, it becomes an extraordinary issue when one finds out she has swum in the open waters of Bushehr in southern Iran while wearing handcuffs for three hours to set an interesting record in Guinness Book.

Elham Asghari, the 36-year-old Iranian woman, says her dream has been realized and she has managed to have her name in the Book of World Records, even though the Guinness has not yet recorded her name in its website.

Since a few years ago she was swimming in Iranian waters to set a new record and now as she claims she has achieved her dream to have her name in the Guinness Book of Records.  According to her, she is the first Iranian female swimmer known globally.

Of course, Elham believes that this is just the beginning and she can beat more world records.

In a Farsi interview with the Shahrvand daily newspaper, Asghari said she has swum for three hours in open waters with her hands cuffed.

Here is the full text of this interview:

Q: You set a record in swimming in open waters with your hands cuffed! It’s Unbelievable!

A: I was practicing in Turkey for nearly one year. As all my exercises were carried out with Islamic dressing, my body reacted to the water of the lake and I got sick and could not be in training for nearly a year. At the same time, in Turkey, I applied for a Guinness world record, but in another item. Due to my injuries and sickness, I couldn’t set the record during the period asked by Guinness. Therefore, after getting better I applied once again, but it was rejected.

Q: Why did you decide to set a swimming record with your hands cuffed?

A: After these events, with the guidance of Mr Ziari, who is in charge of the Guinness office in Dubai, we found a new item and that was swimming with cuffed hands. The record belonged to an Italian man and no one had been able to break it within the past 10 years. Some in different parts of the world had tried to break the record, but all to no avail.  However, I was able to set a new record by swimming for 3 hours in the waters of Bushehr with tied hands.

Q: Did you face problems setting this record?

A: I am the first Iranian woman to set a record in swimming. When setting it, I had a full cover on. I was wearing a headscarf and body cover. Of course, the Guinness Representatives did not have the opportunity to be present in Iran, and we had to set the record by sending a video. It cost me nearly 300 million Rials (about 8,000 US dollars), while I did not receive any support.

Q: It’s unbelievable; why should a person swim with her hands cuffed?!

A: This item was already existing in the world and I was not the person to invent it. They put police handcuffs on me and I swam for 3 hours without using my hands. I was doing front crawl with hands cuffed. So, the pressure was on my waist. Before this, I was in a camp in Bushehr and practiced for a month and half. It was very difficult, but I could reach my goal because I had a high motivation. Of course, the skills learned in recent years helped me so much in setting the record.

Q: Now, are you looking for a new goal?

A: I would never stop because setting records is part of my life. Now, with my goal achieved, it’s a lot easier for me to break records in other Guinness items. My main goal is to become the Guinness main record holder in the water sports and swimming. They called me “the ambassador of perseverance”, so I will continue my swimming gear. With just setting a record nothing is over for me.

IRGC Condemns Israeli Attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque

By
IFP Media Wire
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IRGC

“The new movement in Palestine, which – thanks to Palestinian youth’s efforts and their reliance on the option of resistance – has become a nightmare for Zionists and supporters of the Holy Quds (Jerusalem) occupiers, has ended the dream of institutionalizing Israel and Judaizing Quds,” the IRGC said in a statement on Monday.

It said the equation has now changed in the interests of the Palestinian Resistance after seven decades of occupation of the Palestinian lands.

The IRGC noted that the aggressive and criminal moves taken by the Zionist regime “indicate Zionists’ fear of the formation of a new Intifada” and deepening of the Palestinian nation’s fight against Zionists.

The statement at the same time noted that imposing unprecedented and harsh restrictions against al-Aqsa Mosque is doomed to failure.

Tensions began to soar in the Old City of the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds after Israel fully closed off the compound to Muslims after a reported shootout on July 14 near the site that left two Israeli soldiers and three Palestinians dead. The move sparked far-and-wide condemnations across the Muslim world.

It restored access to the compound later, but placed metal detectors at its front, prompting Muslims to refuse entering the site.

‘Legal Procedures in Iran None of Trump’s Business’

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Amoli Larijani

Speaking in a meeting with top Judiciary officials on Monday, July 24, Iranian Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani blasted the recent statement by the White House which urged the Islamic Republic to release the Iranian-American criminals behind bars in Iran.

“The laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran are among the most modern ones in the world,” said Ayatollah Amoli Larijani, according to a Farsi report by Mizan.

“The legal proceedings in Iran are based on the law and the Sharia Law, and our judges don’t care about remarks by people like [US President Donald] Trump, and discharge their legal responsibilities in the best way possible,” he added.

He then referred to the Islamic teachings and the traditions of infallible Imams on dealing with individuals charged with an offence.

“Our judges don’t care about the nationality of the defendant, and deal with the case only based on logic, the Sharia Law, and the country’s law as stipulated in the code of [civil/criminal] procedure. … Legal proceedings in Iran are none of the US president’s business,” said the Judiciary chief.

He went on to say that Iran does not recognize individuals with dual nationality.

“Some points have been mentioned in the [White House] statement regarding the trial of people with dual nationality. They (US officials) should know that we, based on our laws, do not recognize the ‘dual-nationality’ concept and believe individuals with two nationalities are considered Iranian nationals and they are treated exactly in the same way as other Iranians are dealt with.”

Accordingly, he added, neither the US nor any other country has the right to interfere in this issue, the Judiciary chief highlighted.

He then touched upon Washington’s claims that an American national has gone missing in Iran.

“The [White House] statement says that Iran must return this US national. This is a pointless and illogical demand because Iran has, time and again, announced through official channels, namely the Foreign Ministry, that the individual has left Iran, and Tehran has no information about his fate. The United States’ repeating its claims is really irrational. Of course, evidence shows the person in question has been seen in some countries, but this has nothing to do with Iran,” Ayatollah Amoli Larijani said.

He then underscored that Iranians who are in US jails must be freed.

“We remind the US of its forty years of encroachment upon Iranian people’s rights, and we are telling them that the Iranian nationals who are incarcerated in America’s horrifying prisons against all international laws and rules must be released as soon as possible,” the Judiciary chief underlined.

He also pointed to the numerous crimes committed by the US during its aggression on other countries as well as its violation of prisoners’ rights.

“The US didn’t refer to Guantanamo as a prison in order to be able to torture inmates easily. They announced waterboarding is not torture, so that American Nazis could easily commit crimes.”

Iran Condemns Terrorist Attack in Pakistan

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Pakistani security officials inspect a destroyed vehicle after an explosion in Lahore on July 24, 2017 / Photo retrieved from AFP

In a statement on Monday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Bahram Qassemi strongly denounced the attack which killed and wounded dozens of people.

He also expressed sympathy with the Pakistani nation and government, and condoled with the victims’ relatives.

“We believe that the only way to escape this wave of violence and terror in the region and the world is to deal honestly with this ominous phenomenon,” he noted.

“We say that terrorism and the business of terrorism should not be used for political purposes within the framework of double standards,” Qassemi added.

At least 26 people were killed in a car bombing in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Monday. The blast, which left over 50 others wounded, struck police stationed near a market on the outskirts of the city.

Officials said a suicide bomber on a motorcycle targeted officers guarding a demolition site at the vegetable market.

Iran President Meets Top IRGC Commanders

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iran President Meets Top IRGC Commanders

During the Monday meeting, which was attended by IRGC Chief Commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari and Quds Force Commander Major General Qassem Soleimani, Rouhani appreciated the efforts made by the ‘dedicated’ forces of IRGC.

President Rouhani stressed that promoting unity and ensuring coordination among all forces and institutes of the Islamic Establishment is required to translate the guidelines of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution into reality and to offer services to the nation.

According to a Farsi report by the government’s official website, the Iranian president expressed hope that under his new government, the concerted efforts of all armed forces would lead to the immediate meeting of people’s demands.

He also hoped that during the next four years, all the relative institutes and departments would increase their efficiency in their specialized fields through complete transparency.

Rouhani further expressed his hope that strengthening the military power of IRGC and the army through acquiring new technologies would further guarantee the country’s security.

IRGC Commander Major General Jafari, for his part, congratulated Rouhani on his re-election as Iran’s president and praised the Iranian nation for their huge turnout in the presidential election in May.

He also expressed IRGC’s readiness to establish all-out cooperation with the government in all fields to achieve the goals of the Islamic Revolution.

Meanwhile, other IRGC commanders briefed President Rouhani on the latest activities of their military units and thanked the government for its support for promoting the country’s defensive capabilities as well as fighting against terrorism in the region.

Among other commanders attending the meeting were IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, Brigadier General Esmail Kowsari, the deputy commander of IRGC’s Sarallah Unit, and Brigadier General Gholam-Hossein Gheibparvar, the head of IRGC’s Basij Organization.

US Lawmaker Says Saudi Textbooks Taught at ISIS Schools

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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US Lawmaker Says Saudi Textbooks Taught at ISIS Schools

Since the emergence of such terrorist groups as al-Qaeda and ISIS, analysts have rushed to point to the ideological commonalities between Saudi Arabia and these radical groups. They have also blamed Saudi Arabia for its ideological and financial support for the terrorist groups in the region.

The point has grabbed more headlines after some officials in the US – an ally of Saudi Arabia – explicitly unveiled new evidence on the ideological relations between Wahhabism and the ISIS terrorists. The following report released in Farsi by the IRIB News Agency has shed light on the US officials’ contribution to the issue:

The Chairman of US House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-proliferation and Trade, Ted Poe, in a meeting called “Exploring Saudi Arabia’s Textbooks”, said that the ISIS terrorists teach Saudi textbooks at their schools.

Poe said Saudi Arabia simultaneously fuels and fights the flame of terrorism in the region, adding the textbooks taught at the schools of Saudi Arabia inspire extremism and serve as the base of the ideologies of terrorist organizations like ISIS and al-Qaeda.

The Republican Congressman went on saying that the curriculum of Saudi Arabia’s schools are awash with violence and conspiracies. Back in 2015, ISIS leadership drew on Saudi Arabia’s teachings in the schools across the kingdom to develop a curriculum for the schools within its own controlled-areas.

Poe also said back in 2006 that Saudi Arabia had pledged to cleanse its hate-mongering curriculum of violence by 2008, but no concrete changes have been made yet in this field.

A brief review of Poe’s statements reveals that influenced by Wahhabism, ISIS teaches terrorist methods to students at its schools. The videos Released by ISIS show that the terrorist group has put its focus on training children how to fight. In Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital of ISIS in Syria, the schools teach the students certain materials which prepare them for war and violence.

In a nutshell, ISIS draws on Wahhabism to brainwash the children and prepare them for big crimes. For example, ISIS teaches children how to carry out a suicide attack. In a strange mathematics exam in one of ISIS’ schools, the students were given amazing math questions: “How many weapons and ammunitions can a factory run by ISIS produce?” or “How many infidels can be killed in a car bomb blast?” The terrorist group also uses violent symbols like sword or weapon in teaching alphabets to the children.

The very fact that ISIS and Saudi Arabia use the same textbooks in their schools suggests the ideological commonalities between the two sides. There is no doubt that Wahhabi clergies have played a key role in the emergence and strengthening of the terrorist groups particularly ISIS in the region.

Patrick Cokburn, a contributor to The Independent, writes “The religious-education curriculum developed by the Wahhabi clergies is to be blamed for the spread of extremism… The ordinary people of Saudi Arabia are the best judges of the ideological meddling of Wahhabism in the education section of the country which paved the way for ISIS emergence.”

To put it differently, the terrorists of ISIS are the product of Wahhabism and the narrow account of Islam put forth by the Saudi Arabia. Wahhabism is the root of ISIS doctrine.

A former Democrat Senator, Bob Graham who once had called for the release of a certain report of the 9/11 Commission on the connection between Saudi Arabia and the hijackers behind the 9/11 attacks, says ISIS is the fruit of Saudi ideology, money and support.

On the commonalities between ISIS and Saudi Arabia, some analysts use the phrase “black and white ISIS.” In a piece published by New York Times, the Algerian contributor, Kamel Daoud writes, the Black ISIS cuts throats, kills and stones people, cuts hands, destroys humane legacies and ancient monuments and humiliates women and non-Muslims. The White ISIS commits the same crimes, but in disguise. The former one is ISIS and the latter, Saudi Arabia… Wahhabism is a depleted version of the ideology which ISIS draws on.

And the final word: It’s silly to think that the former US senator was concerned with human rights violations of Saudi Arabia when he called for the release of the report. As things stand, the US has always covered its role in the emergence of the terrorist groups like ISIS in the region. And now, it seems they are trying to point the blame finger at Saudi Arabian officials to pressurize them into giving more concessions to Washington.

Iran, Austria to Hold Joint Tourism Training Course

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iran, Austria to Hold Joint Tourism Training Course

“Right now, we are negotiating with the officials in MODUL University in Vienna to hold a joint travel and tourism training course there,” says Houshang Talebi, the president of Isfahan University.

In a Farsi interview with IMNA, Talebi added that last year the two sides held a training workshop on travel and tourism in Isfahan for tourism and hotel managers in Isfahan, which paved the way for expansion of bilateral relations between universities Isfahan and MODUL.

Talebi went on to say that the decision to expand the relations between the two universities was taken last year after talks with the head of Austrian Chamber of Commerce.

He also pointed out that MODUL University in Vienna is a reputable academic centre affiliated with the Austrian Chamber of Commerce.

“The university is well-known for the degrees it gives in tourism, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Master of Business Administration (MBA), and Commercial Management,” he said, adding, Isfahan University is planning to hold a joint course in tourism at MA level in the Austrian university.

He also said the admitted students will receive two diplomas.

“We expect to make the arrangements by the next couple of months to register the first group of students for the next semester,” he noted.

Austria has 22 public universities, 27 public colleges, 12 private universities and 21 universities of Applied Sciences.

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