World’s Prominent Painters Come Together in ‘Garden of Luminaries’

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April 22, 2017

The book titled “The Garden of Luminaries”, recently published by Aradman Publications, provides readers with a collection of diverse painting schools’ patterns along with a number of artworks by the world’s most prominent painters in the past millennium and a different outlook on the style of these maestros.

According to a Farsi report by the Khabar Online News Agency, using an art therapy approach, the book presents a collection of different art schools’ patterns used by the world’s famous painters to create everlasting masterpieces in the past 10 centuries, particularly the last 300-400 years.

It includes works by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519, Italy), Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564, Italy), Vincent Willem van Gogh (1853-1890, the Netherlands), Pablo Picasso (1881-1973, Spain), Oscar-Claude Monet (1840-1926, France), Marc Zakharovich Chagall (1887-1985, Russia), Salvador Dali (1904-1989, Spain), Andy Warhol (1928-1987, US), Frida Kahlo (1907-1954 Mexico), Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669, the Netherlands), and Gustav Klimt (1862-1918, Austria).

Works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919, France), Paul Cézanne (1839-1906, France), William Thomas Kinkade (1958-2012, US), Edvard Munch (1863-1944, Norway), Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640, Germany), Grant DeVolson Wood (1891-1942, US), Jacob Isaackszoon van Ruisdael (1629-1682, the Netherlands), Johan Vermeer (1632-1675, the Netherlands), Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972, the Netherlands), Edward Hopper (1882-1967, US), Rene Francois Ghislain Magritte (1898-1967, Belgium), and Camille Pissarro (1830-1903, US) are also included in the book.

van gogh “The Garden of Luminaries” also presents masterpieces by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543, Germany), John Singer Sargent (1856-1925, US), Jean-Honore Fragonard (1732-1806, France), Robert Campin (1375-1444, France), Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665, France), Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788, Britain), Henri Fantin-Latour (1836-1904, France), James Ensor (1860-1949, Belgium) and Francisco Goya (1746-1828, Spain).

The texts in the book have been compiled and translated into Farsi by Fatemeh Forqani.

The preface of the book reads: “Painting is an activity which helps develop creativity in children and young adults. It also helps adults achieve effective peace and tranquillity which contributes to the beautification of their lives.

In ancient schools of thought, colours and painting were also believed to have a soothing and pacifying impact. In the second chapter of the book, the readers are invited to paint the sketches of some of the works by the well-known artists listed above, in their own way and using their own creativity.

The book has 84 pages and has been published in 1,000 copies. Its price is about $4 in Iran.

Iran’s President Shouldn’t Be Afraid of US: Cleric

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IFP Editorial Staff

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April 21, 2017

“The president of Iran should not be afraid of the US,” Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani said in an address to worshipers at the weekly Friday prayers in the Iranian capital.

He should rather be able to offer an iron fist to the US and Israel, he went on to say.

The top cleric also urged the presidential candidates to avoid giving false promises that are impossible to be carried out, according to a Farsi report by ISNA.

“People should pick somebody who abides by, and is determined to enforce the precepts of Islam,” he added.

He said people should not fall for a handful of campaign slogans, but, before making their choice, ought to study the track record as well as positive and negative points of the candidates who have been qualified to run for president

Ayatollah Movahedi Kermani also called for the live televised broadcast of the forthcoming presidential election debates, saying the measure would boost the nation’s insight and knowledge about the candidates.

The live broadcast of the debates among the presidential candidates would be “one of the best ways” to enhance the Iranians’ awareness and help them identify the best hopeful, he added.

The senior cleric made the remarks after Iran’s Election Campaign Monitoring Committee decided on Thursday to call off the live broadcast of debates and to cover the debates in recorded version instead.

The decision has drawn widespread criticism among Iranian officials and people, and is expected to be revised or finalised in another session on Saturday.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Movahedi Kermani called for a massive voter turnout in the country’s upcoming presidential election.

He said massive participation of people in the presidential vote will show the Islamic Republic of Iran’s establishment is powerful and enjoys grassroots support.

He then touched upon the process of vetting the hopefuls, which is a duty of the Guardian Council.

“If any candidate has an objection to the Guardian Council’s decision while it is vetting the hopefuls, he should write a letter to the council to be considered. But he should accept the council’s final decision, and not kick up a fuss [over the issue,]” he said.

Ayatollah Movahedi Kermani then referred to the unrest created by protesters following Iran’s 2009 presidential election.

“[After the 2009 election,] some individuals defied the law, created problems for people and brought disgrace upon themselves,” he underlined, urging everybody to comply with the law.

The interim Friday prayer leader also said the president should lead a simple life, reach out to the needy and avoid cronyism.

“The president should also be able to boost economy and pay attention to production and job creation,” he added.

He also said the president should dedicate himself to serving the people.

Campaigning officially started on Friday for Iran’s 12th presidential election, a day after the Interior Ministry announced the final list of six candidates vetted by the Guardian Council to run in the presidential election.

Iranian Candidates Start Presidential Campaigns

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IFP Media Wire

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April 21, 2017

Rouhani’s main rivals in the race appear to be Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi, a senior cleric who heads a major charity organization, as well as Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf.

Rouhani’s deputy Es’haq Jahangiri as well as two more low-key candidates are the other contenders who had their qualifications approved by the Guardian Council, Iran’s top vetting body.

They were among more than more than 1,600 hopefuls who registered to run for president. The voting will be held on May 19 when Iranians will also choose the city and village councilors.

The Interior Ministry announced the list of the qualified candidates late Thursday night after receiving it from the Guardian Council, effectively allowing them to launch their election campaigns.

Key figures disqualified by the council were former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his deputy Hamid Baqaei.

Several lawsuits have been brought against both men over administrative violations during Ahmadinejad’s tenure, Judiciary spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei has said.

The election commission ruled on Thursday that live TV debates would be banned, prompting criticism by Rouhani and other candidates.

Rouhani narrowly won the election last time with 51 percent in the first round, helped by a divided Principlist camp.

If no candidate wins more than 50 percent, a run-off between the top two is held a week later.

This time around, Raeisi has emerged as a front-runner for the Principlists. He runs a religious foundation in the holy city of Mashhad, which takes care of the shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam of Shia Muslisms.

Qalibaf came second to Rouhani in 2013. He is a war veteran, former Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) commander and police chief.

The other two candidates are moderate Reformist Mostafa Hashemitaba and Principlist Mostafa Mirsalim, both veteran office holders since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Iran Hopes Astana Process Would End Syria Crisis

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IFP Editorial Staff

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April 21, 2017

Tehran recently hosted a two-day expert meeting attended by representatives of Russia, Turkey, the United Nations, and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The meeting was part of the International Meeting on Syria, also known as Astana Process. In a communique released after the meeting, the Iranian foreign ministry reaffirmed the necessity of dealing with all aspects of the Syrian crisis at the same time, and expressed the hope that the Astana Process would put an end to the Syrian crisis.

Here is the full text of the communique:

In the framework of the International Meeting on Syria (Astana Process), Tehran hosted the Expert Meeting and the meetings of the Joint Group by the three Guarantor States, on April 18-19, 2017.

In Tehran meetings, delegations of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation and the Turkish Republic discussed the draft documents proposed to the three parties, including documents pertaining to the ceasefire regime (declared on 30 December 2016 in Syria) and its implementation, exchange of detainees and abductees. A delegation of experts from the United Nations joined the trilateral meetings as observers, bringing in invaluable expertise and technical assistance.

The Tehran meeting was held in preparation for the 4th International meeting on Syria, due in Astana on May 3-4, 2017. All delegations agreed to hold next expert-level meeting prior to the high-level meeting on May 2nd.

Reaffirming the necessity of dealing with all aspects of the Syrian crisis at the same time – military aspect and combat against terrorism, finding a political solution through intra-Syrian agreements and the humanitarian aspect – the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its hope that the Astana Process and other international efforts would bring an end to the Syrian conflict as soon as possible and pave the way for an effective and inclusive combat against terrorism which is a demand of the international community.

Iranian FM’s Reaction to Tillerson’s Contradictory Remarks

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IFP Editorial Staff

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April 21, 2017

Speaking in an interview with IRNA, Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif said what the US statesmen need today, more than any other time in history, is to refrain from employing worn-out and useless rhetoric, be pragmatic in the remarks they make and display placid and rational behaviour, showing that they have understood Iran’s realities.

“US statesmen should have learnt their lessons very well from the history, particularly the events and trend of developments in the past four decades,” the Iranian top diplomat noted.

The Americans should know that, under no conditions, have they ever achieved favourable results using the language of sanctions and threats and uttering violent and hostile remarks against Iran and Iranians and will never manage to do so, he went on to say.

Iran’s top diplomat added that the former US statesmen and foreign policy officials also never managed to enact their unrealistic and flawed policies against Iran.

“One day, they send a letter to the US Congress and say that Iran has fulfilled all its commitments on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) [signed between Iran and P5+1] and the next day, in contradictory statements, accuse Iran of harbouring nuclear ambitions, referring to the [nuclear] deal as an agreement to appease Tehran.”

Reiterating what he had posted on his Twitter on Thursday (April 20) in reaction to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Zarif said by levelling unfounded accusations against Tehran, the US cannot retract its confession that Iran has fulfilled all its JCPOA commitments.

He said the US should know that it no longer will be able to divert the international community’s attention [from the nonfulfillment of its JCPOA commitments] by making baseless allegations, the falseness of which has been proved by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after closing the possible military dimensions (PMD) file on Iran.

Commenting on Tillerson’s remarks that the US will review its policies towards Iran and the JCPOA, Zarif said, “The deal was an outcome of a review by Tillerson’s predecessors of Washington’s seriously flawed past policies towards Iran and the region. Such policies have been proven wrong in practice for several times.”

Referring to the repetition of unfounded anti-Iran claims by Tillerson and other US officials about terrorism and missile tests, Zarif said, “Iran maintains that its interests, and those of other countries, lie in subduing the unrestrained terrorism imposed on the entire region and the world far from all humanitarian standards, which has, unfortunately, been born out of and spread by the US miscalculations and imprudence and as a consequence of its regional partners’ calumnies about Iran over the past few decades.”

He stressed that undoubtedly, the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a leading country in the fight against this unblessed and ominous offspring, will continue to be in the forefront of the battle to establish peace and security in the region and the world.

The Iranian minister, once again, stressed the peaceful and defensive nature of Iran’s missile defence programs, saying they are the Iranian nation’s absolute and natural right which are not in contradiction to any of the international standards and regulations and the only criterion for the continuation of which is recognizing the defensive needs of the Iranian nation.

Zarif added the collective memory of all people and elites of the world remembers how an arrogant and totalitarian and belligerent dictator imposed a destructive and ominous war on Iran, its people and, even the world, and caused them to witness and suffer a terrible tragedy and, more ghastly than that, was supported by the world powers and a number of the regional states.

“Iranians will never let such bitter historical experiences happen to them again and, by no means, want to suffer the same irreparable losses and experience another devastating war. Iran’s missile defence systems have been deployed and are strengthened exactly to those ends. This policy is not against any country, is quite rational and aimed at bringing peace and stability to the region.”

The Iranian foreign minister also said in view of its experiences and as an independent state, the Islamic Republic of Iran will never allow others to pass tendentious remarks about its purely defensive and transparent policies.

There is no doubt that the interventionist comments and statements made by the US officials will fail to have any impacts on Iran’s deterrent and defensive programs, he added.

He called on the US officials to be pragmatic and realistic in making their remarks and moves, urging the US secretary of state to change the wrong direction he is following at present and honour his country’s commitments to the implementation of the JCPOA.

Zarif said, “As stressed by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Iran will not be going to be the country to breach the JCPOA first. However, it is prepared to deal with any possible scenarios that may unfold to safeguard the interests of the Iranian nation.”

Iran Condemns Paris Terror Attack

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IFP Editorial Staff

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April 21, 2017

In a statement on Friday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi strongly denounced the terrorist incident in the French capital, Paris, and sympathized with French people.

He said the West’s support for “criminal terrorists” and its double-standard policies in dealing with the issue of terrorism have emboldened the terrorists to launch another strike at the heart of Europe.

He reiterated that terrorism is the most immediate threat to global peace, stability and security, and can be eradicated only through the common understanding and firm resolve of the international community.

“US Links with MKO Gross Breach of Int’l Law”

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IFP Editorial Staff

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April 21, 2017

US Links with MKO Gross Breach of Int’l Law

Member of Iran’s Parliament Ali Bakhtiar has hit out at the double-standard policies adopted by the US and some other Western countries vis-à-vis the terrorist Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), saying Washington officials’ having links with kingpins of the anti-Iran group is a flagrant violation of international law.

In a Farsi interview with ICANA, the Iranian lawmaker touched upon a recent meeting between a top US senator and the MKO ringleader as well as Washington’s unflinching support for the terror group in recent years.

“The MKO is a notorious terror group on the international arena, and all countries admit that it has a dark track record and mercilessly killed Iranian as well as Iraqi people; but despite such a dark record, Americans have done all they could since the terror group was established to support it,” said Bakhtiar, who sits on the Parliament’s Judicial and Legal Commission.

“Of course, the US is not expected to act otherwise because, at the moment, it is regarded as the biggest supporter of terror groups in Syria and Iraq,” he added.

He criticized the US double standards, and said the White House, on the one hand, puts resistance groups such the Lebanese Hezbollah movement on the list of terrorist groups, and on the other, removes the MKO from the list. This is while resistance groups only defend their countries while MKO members have the blood of thousands of innocent people on their hands, he added.

This approach shows the US and its Western allies are using terrorism as a tool to advance their interests, Bakhtiar went on to say.

“The connection between the US and the MKO terrorist group will definitely have no result other than a new defeat for the country because Washington’s investment in a group which is politically and militarily bankrupt will bear no fruit,” said the parliament representative.

Under the current circumstances, he said, the only way for MKO members to survive is to submit to the United States, and they have made a lot of efforts in recent years to please their American masters.

US Senator John McCain recently sat down with MKO ringleader Maryam Rajavi in the Albanian capital, Tirana.

In the meeting where other MKO members were also present, Rajavi thanked McCain for Washington’s unwavering support for the terrorist group and moving them out of Iraq.

She also rehashed her baseless allegations and accusations against Iran, and said, “Regime change in Iran is a prerequisite to the establishment of peace and stability in the region and in the world.”

Iranian Interior Ministry Announces Names of Six Final Presidential Candidates

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IFP Editorial Staff

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April 20, 2017

The Iranian Interior Ministry has announced the final list of candidates qualified to run in the presidential vote.

The Iranian Interior Ministry’s Elections Headquarters on Thursday night (April 20), released the final list of the candidates, who have qualified to run in the country’s May 19 presidential election, in its statement No. 8.
According to a Farsi report by IRNA, the final list of the candidates whose qualifications have been approved by the Guardian Council is as follows:

Mostafa Aqa-Mirsalim
Mostafa Hashemi-Taba
Es’haq Jahangiri
Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf
Hassan Rouhani
Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi

Also, among the candidate hopefuls were the former Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, his vice-president, Hamid Baqaei and Mohammad Hashemi Rafsanjani, the brother of late Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani who was a former president and the former head of Iran’s Expediency Council. However, they failed to qualify to run in May’s election.
The vetting body examined the qualifications of more than 1,600 candidates over the past few days.
“We held the final session on examining the qualifications of the presidential election nominees today and fortunately reached a conclusion after five days of numerous sessions,” the council’s spokesman, Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei, said before releasing the final list.
The qualified candidates can start election campaigning as of now until 8 a.m. May 18, the Interior Ministry said in the statement.
Iran will simultaneously hold the 12th presidential election and the 5th City and Village Councils Elections on May 19.
Observers predict a high turnout in the election in which voters will pick the next president for a four-year term.
The five-day registration process for the presidential election ended on Saturday (April 15) and the Guardian Council started vetting presidential election hopefuls the following day.
Earlier this week, the commander of the Special Units of the Iranian Police Force said that 20,000 police officers would be deployed across the country to ensure security for the votes.

Can Religious Minorities Run in Iran Local Elections?

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IFP Editorial Staff

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April 20, 2017

Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has ordered the commissions monitoring City and VillageCouncils elections to comply with the law concerning the candidacy of religious minorities, which allows them to run, a top parliamentarian told ISNA.

EsfandiarEkhtiari, who represents the Zoroastrian community in the Parliament, said he had written a letter to Larijani indicating that under the law, religious minorities must not be banned from running in the election.

The MP wrote the letter after the supervisory Guardian Council announced that the law, which allows religious minorities to run in local elections, is against the Islamic law (Sharia).

In his letter, Ekhtiari said the law questioned by the Guardian Council Secretary Ahmad Jannatihad already been applied to previous rounds of voting where religious minorities were actually allowed to file their candidacy.

Ekhtiari highlighted in his letter that if religious minorities are not allowed to run in this round of local elections, thiswill be a violation of the Constitution and justice.

In the letter, he asked the Speaker to study the matter in accordance with the Constitution and announce the necessary instructions accordingly.

After Larijani issued his order, Ekhtiari further told ISNA that a meeting was also held with members of the commissions tasked with overseeing City and Village Councils elections. He said most of the commissioners agreed that the law in question must remain in effect, and must be enforced to the letter.

“Under the Constitution, it is only the Parliament which is authorized to pass legislation, and the Guardian Council can only express its jurisprudential viewpoint on the bills and motions approved by the MPs within the legal deadline,” said Ekhtiari.

“If the Guardian Council finds the legislation in violation [of laws and regulations], the Parliament will either rectify the legislation or insist on the legislation in which case the matter will be handed over to the Expediency Council to settle,” the parliamentarian added.

“So, a law approved 20 years ago and implemented in elections for several times needn’t be interpreted, and should the law need to be reformed, it must be done through the submission of a new bill or motion,” Ekhtiari further said.

However, despite Larijani’s clear order, the Guardian Council Spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei once again repeated the GC’s stance on Thursday, and stated that the Guardian Council is always allowed to declare illegitimacy of the country’s laws.

Iranians Take to Streets to Celebrate Persepolis FC’s Championship

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IFP Editorial Staff

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April 20, 2017

Persepolis Football Club celebrated championship of the Persian Gulf Pro League on Wednesday at Azadi Stadium in Tehran in the presence of over 80,000 fervent fans.

The Reds cruised to championship within three weeks of the end of the league after a 2-0 away win against Machine Sazi on April 15 and a string of impressive performances that ended their league title drought since 2008.

On Wednesday, they played with Padideh and won the game 4-0 in Tehran, where they were officially crowned the champion.

Last year, Perspolis came within a touching distance of winning the league with their Croatian boss and former Team Melli head coach BrankoIvankovic, but lost to Esteqlal-e Khuzestan on goal difference, Financial Tribune reported.

In separate messages after the trophy ceremony, FIFA and the AFC congratulated the Reds on their decisive championship.

“Congratulations to Persepolis, who have won the league in Iran for the 10th time tonight, ending a drought dating back to 2008. More than 80,000 fans were there to celebrate with them,” FIFA wrote on its Instagram page.

The AFC also posted “Champ10ns! 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆” to congratulate the Iranian team’s 10th championship.

Perspolis, one of the most popular teams in Asia, will add a star to their badge for their 10th title in season 2017/18.

People from all walks of life took to the streets of Tehran after the game and celebrated the historic title. Here are YJC’s photos of the night in Tehran:

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