US to Pay Dearly for Anti-Iran Measures: Larijani

July 6, 2017

“They might think that they can create new problems for us, but they cannot impose costs on us and evade paying anything themselves,” Larijani said on Thursday, addressing a gathering in Rasht, northern Iran.

He referred to the support provided by world powers for terrorist groups, and said it has not been limited to the past few years. “They have been sponsoring terrorism for so many years,” he added.

“They might even think that they create problems for us by making anti-Iran decisions, but it is not so,” Larijani said.

Enormous Book Garden Inaugurated in Tehran

IFP Editorial Staff

July 6, 2017

The Tehran Book Garden, Iran’s biggest scientific and cultural complex, opened in the capital city on Wednesday, July 5, in a ceremony attended by the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Ali Larijani, and Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

The idea to establish the complex, as a permanent alternative for holding the Tehran International Book Fair, was first put forward in 2004. The project, however, was completed in 2017.

The complex has the world’s biggest bookshop which has a large number of books suitable for children, young adults and adults. It has eight movie theatres, an amphitheatre, and two science halls for children and young adults.

The garden has been designed in four separate blocks. Block A, titled “Baharestan”, consists of a permanent and a topical bookshop. Block B, named “Khialestan” is home to a pathway named the “Pathway of Culture” which, per se, comprises of a number of main entrances, the “Wonderful Corridor” and the “Depository”. Block C, known as “Negarestan” consists of the garden’s main amphitheatre, a gallery and a shop selling cultural products. And finally, Block D, called “Sarvestan”, includes a specialized exhibition and a hall as well as a number of workshops for children and young adults.

In addition to the four blocks, the cultural complex has a stereo hall, a boulevard, a prayer room, a restaurant and a lake.

Different Sections

With a gross floor area (GFA) of 25,000 square metres, the world’s biggest bookshop provides children and adults with the largest number of books suitable for their age group. These two age groups are supplied with some 400,000 books in 70,000 topics. In addition, books suitable for all age groups, from children to adults, are available in this bookshop. On top of the bookshop, a giant 25,000-square-metre roof garden has been built. In addition to the green roof, 20,000 square metres of green spaces have been created inside the garden.

The garden has a giant science complex for children and young adults. The section, which has an area of 12,000 square metres, is a science amusement park.

The book garden is also home to the country’s biggest art gallery. With a GFA of 1,700 square metres, the gallery has been set up to host painting and visual art exhibitions.

Robotic Club

The garden’s robotic club is a unique part of the complex. The members of the club can take specialized courses in artificial intelligence. The club also provides its members with the opportunity to share their information with their fellow members and those of the similar clubs across the world.

Following that of the Tehran Book Garden, the world’s second to fourth biggest bookshops are Barnes & Noble® Store (14,300 square metres) in New York City, Powell’s Books (6,300 square metres) in Portland and Strand Book Store (5,000 square metres) in New York City. The interesting point is that the area of the bookstore in the Tehran Book Garden is almost same size of the aggregate area of these three American bookstores.

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How Serious Are Internal Divisions in Iran?

IFP Editorial Staff

July 6, 2017

How Serious Are Internal Divisions in Iran? — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, and Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani in a gathering of Judiciary officials on July 2, 2017

The analysis by Haaretz is half right but at the same time half wrong drawing on wrong premises.

The analyst rightly discerns the stable standing of the Islamic Republic in the region but makes a blatant mistake in trying to find the consequences of Iran’s internal divisions in its regional policy. This is the same mistake that the US and its allies have committed many times over the past decades without learning a lesson.

Last month, the two main political camps in the Islamic Republic, the conservatives and the reformists, unanimously condemned the interventionist statements made by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. He had called for a regime change in Iran through interfering in the domestic affairs and realignment of the political factions of the country.

Having misunderstood the internal divisions in Iran, the US top diplomat had pinned hope on the reformist camp to topple the Islamic Republic. But he immediately faced fierce criticisms voiced by reformist figures who vehemently denounced the US and reaffirmed their allegiance to the Islamic Establishment.

Just recently, a plot by the US and its regional allies to broaden divisions in the Islamic Republic was foiled by the Iranians’ high turnout in the presidential election on the one hand, and the crushing response of the religious minorities to their demands on the other.

In less than one week ahead of the presidential election in May, the Friday prayer leader of the Sunni-populated city of Zahedan in southern Iran said the Sunnis proudly devote themselves to Iran. In response to a question on the foreigners’ efforts to broaden ethnic and religious conflicts in Iran, he called on all Iranians from all walks of life to stick to legal and political principles to resolve disputes and achieve their legal rights.

Last month, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) fired several missiles at the positions of ISIS terrorists in the Syrian city of Deir az-Zor in retaliation for twin terrorist attacks on Iran’s parliament and the mausoleum of late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini in Tehran. The missile strikes were carried out from two Kurdish-populated cities in Kermanshah province, western Iran. The strikes were aimed at sending a clear message to the terrorists: Iranians do not hesitate in defending their country against enemies’ attacks. The message became clearer after the participation of former commander of IRGC, Major General Mohsen Rezaee, in the Sunnis’ Eid al-Fitr Prayer in the province.

As the latest show of grown-up interactions between Iranian political camps, Ali Reza Zakani, a former conservative lawmaker, called for a self-restraint at his camp.

As the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia in line with some European states have pinned their hopes on the terrorist Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO or MEK) to make a regime change in Iran, a call for a unilateral ceasefire by a conservative politician was warmly welcomed by many reformist figures.

In response, one of the main figures of the reformist camp, Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, called for a national dialogue. In a post on his Twitter, he wrote, “In an appropriate move, Mr. Zakani has advised his camp to observe a unilateral ceasefire, but why unilateral? Let’s start a national dialogue.”

The high turnout in the recent elections is a sign of true religious democracy in Iran and the current interactions between the conflicting political camps is one of the main fruits of such democracy.

Despite their bitter disputes over many issues, the camps are united against the foreign enemies and prioritize the national security over their factional interests.

In a nutshell, if the Israeli analyst was familiar with the concept of religious democracy, he would not wonder why Iran’s regional standing is not undermined by it internal divisions.

Iran-Total Gas Deal Sparks Controversy in Tehran

IFP Editorial Staff

July 6, 2017

The opponents and proponents of the deal signed on July 3 have missed no opportunity to state their opinions about it. But the main question is whether or not they are all qualified enough to express their ideas.

Iran and a consortium headed by Total signed a five-billion-dollar gas deal to develop the South Pars offshore gas field’s phase 11. The consortium consists of Total from France (with a share of over 50%), CNPS from China (30%), and Petropars Group from Iran (lower than 20%).

In his remarks during the signing ceremony, Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said this is a very good day for Iran’s oil industry. He also expressed the hope that the industry develops into a new phase with the signing of the deal.

Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the spokesman for the Iranian government, also said with signing the agreement, Iran has demolished the wall of sanctions.

The deal has sparked mixed reactions among a larger number of Iranian political and economic players. Government officials have warmly welcomed the deal, while the issue of signing new oil contracts with foreign companies particularly the French giant of Total has been controversial provoking serious disputes inside Iran over the past months.

In one case, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, ordered the officials in charge that no new oil and gas contracts for international companies must be awarded without necessary reforms.

In a letter to Iran’s First Vice-President, Es’haq Jahangiri, two weeks before signing of Iran-Total gas deal, former lawmaker Ahmad Tavakoli criticized the government for violating its own approvals about the necessity of observing security measures in dealing with foreign companies.

As the founder of the corruption watchdog, non-governmental organization Justice and Transparency Watch, Tavakoli also said as stipulated in the Leader’s guidelines on oil contracts with foreign companies, the government is obliged to observe all security considerations.

“The 8th stipulation of the guideline says that the companies’ access to the secret information about Iranian oil fields should be discussed in the National Security Council,” Tavakoli added.

Now most of the critics say their main question is whether the government has addressed the issues raised by Tavakoli. But there are other opponents of the oil deal who have taken one step further. Ali Reza Zakani, a former Iranian MP says he is against the deal for reasons beyond what Tavakoli raised in his letter.

“We are against the deal because the French company left Iran alone during western sanctions and is notorious for its corrupt deals,” he added.

The proponents of the deal, however, view it as a victory for the Islamic Republic. In response to the critics, Zanganeh said the gas deal was signed despite opposition from inside and outside the country because the opponents begrudge Iran’s dignity and achievements particularly its restored relations with the world.

He also stressed the deal has been signed according to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. “Based on the government approvals, a seven-member board is now assigned with making sure the deal does not violate any government approvals. The board is comprised of four former ministers and three other senior officials,” he said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the signing ceremony, Zanganeh also said Iran has invested five billion dollars, but Total is expected to invest nearly six billion dollars.

“Some critics say we have given away between 50 to 70 percent of the whole shares of the deal to the foreign side. But this is wrong. The whole income of Total and its consortium from the gas fields would stand at less than 15 percent in the next 20 years.”

This comes as Hedayatollah Khademi, a member of the presiding board of Iranian parliament, says the lawmakers are set to conduct a review of the deal with Total and expressed hope that there will be an appropriate mechanism to oversee the deal.

“We also hope the French side remains committed to its pledges under the deal and won’t leave it unfinished,” he said.

He went on saying that over the next couple of days, the parliament’s presiding board will enter into correspondence with the Oil Ministry to get the details of the deal.

“Having got the details, the relative commission will begin a probe into the agreement,” he said.

The statements of the lawmaker reveal an important point: Neither the opponents, nor the proponents are not aware of the deal’s details. It seems the Oil Ministry has decided to keep the details secret.

So, it goes without saying that all the opinions expressed for or against the deal are based on some partial media speculations.

Follow Reza Khaasteh in Twitter via @Khaaasteh

Blues Coffee Shop, Hangout for Iranian Cruiser Motorcyclists

Fatemeh Askarieh

July 6, 2017

Blues is an African-American music that traverses a wide range of emotions and musical styles. “Feeling blue” is expressed in songs whose verses lament injustice or express longing for a better life and lost loves, jobs, and money.

Robert Hakoupian, 42, is the owner of the ‘Blues Coffee Shop’ in Tehran. He has established it to provide amateur musical players filled with a longing for motorcycling with a hangout to come together and hold live concerts. He is now planning to organize the cruiser motorcyclists into a cohesive group and involve them in charity events.

Robert, himself, has been crazy for motorcycles since his childhood. Later during his teenage years, he developed an interest in the Harley-Davidson motorcycles and bought his first bike in 2005. Cruiser motorcycles are not fast. They are mainly designed for group rides in the country roads.

Iranian cruiser motorcyclists are conformists fully observing the country’s rules. They are not affiliated with any illegal groups or organizations. They ride on the country roads in large numbers and view motorcycle riding as a lifestyle.

Robert and his friends do not care about their destinations. They are just crazy for the roads.

Here are Mehr’s photos of the motorcyclists and their café in Tehran:

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Iran Calls for Int’l Cooperation against Drug Trafficking

IFP Editorial Staff

July 6, 2017

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has criticized the absence of any consolidated international will to fight drug trafficking saying that all expenses should not be paid just by Iran and the other countries must take it seriously.

Ali Larijani, who was speaking at a conference in Tehran to discuss drug abuse and illicit trafficking, said drug trafficking is the dirtiest kind of organized crimes.

“Drug trafficking destroys the bodies and lives of people, hurts the families and creates social disparities, so it is a very annoying phenomenon for societies,” he added.

Larijani called the increase in production of different types of drugs “alarming”, saying that the hub of narcotics production is bordering Iran.

“In 2001, Americans went to Afghanistan to fight drugs and terrorism. Now 16 to 17 years have passed, but statistics show no decline in drug production, and instead it has increased,” he went on to say.

He also referred to the sacrifices made by the Islamic Republic of Iran in fight against drugs saying, “We [Iran] work as a shield in war on drugs, but why no one helps Iran and why the borders are not controlled?”

“Iran is partly controlling the path of drug trafficking, so the rest of the world needs to think of themselves, because Iran does not have to pay all the costs,” Chief of Iranian Parliament stressed.

Referring to the fact that terrorism today is funded by drug trafficking, Larijani said during diplomatic talks much stress is put on the issue of combating drug trafficking, but we do not see the results. There should be more diplomatic efforts to eliminate the sources of drug trafficking.

In another part of his statements, the Iranian official pointed out that now in Afghanistan various laboratories have emerged and modern equipment has been found.

“From where have they been brought to Afghanistan? The sources are clear. While all Western intelligence services say everything is under control, how is that they cannot root out narcotics trafficking, and eliminate these labs,” he asked.

Larijani concluded that in Iran there is a serious determination among the authorities in the field of counter-narcotics, and everyone emphasizes that it is important to combat this social harm.

Iran Has World’s Highest Rate of Drug Seizure

Elsewhere in the ceremony, Iran’s Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli also took the podium saying that the highest rate of drug discovery in the world could be seen in Iran.

He pointed out that the Islamic Republic of Iran is considered a successful country in primary prevention of drug abuse, and rehabilitation of addicts in the international community.

Rahmani Fazli also highlighted Iran’s efforts to fight against illicit drugs, saying that all of the country’s law enforcement, judicial and intelligence organizations have had “an acceptable performance” in this area.

“In order to reduce the access to drugs and psychotropic substances, 8,880 operations were launched in which we had armed clashes with smugglers,” Rahmani Fazli underlined.

The Interior Minister added that in the clashes, over 2,500 tons of illicit drugs, including narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, have been captured from the traffickers.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Rahmani Fazli stressed that organized crimes have endangered the peace and security of human beings around the world and have led to violation of human rights. It has also undermined the efforts to realize economic, social, cultural, political and civil development around the world.

Referring to this year’s slogan of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), “First Listen!”, he emphasized that listening to children and youths is the first step in helping them to have a healthy and safe life.

“This slogan directly refers to the need for expansion and institutionalization of the primary prevention in social communities especially in the families,” Rahmani Fazli added.

Iran shares hundreds of kilometers of borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan, and lies on the main trafficking route for poppy, the source of opium and heroin, from Afghanistan to the West.

Despite high economic and human costs, the Islamic Republic has been actively fighting drug trafficking over the past three decades.

Iran has spent millions of dollars to seal the borders and prevent the transit of narcotics destined for European, Arab and Central Asian countries. The war on drug trade originating from Afghanistan has claimed the lives of thousands of Iranian police officers.