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Plaza Opened in Heart of Square in Central Tehran

March 14, 2017

In a ceremony attended by Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the plaza of Valiasr Square was unveiled. The square is one of the major ones in downtown Tehran.

Here are Tehran Picture Agency’s photos of the plaza and its monument:

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Islamic Virtual Network Needed to Counter West’s Cyber Colonialism

IFP Editorial Staff

March 14, 2017

Saeid-Reza Ameli Renani, the head of the Faculty of World Studies at the University of Tehran, highlighted the need for establishing a virtual network for the Muslims world to help create a healthy atmosphere in the cyberspace and improve relations among Muslims.

According to a report by IFP, held under the scientific supervision of Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli, the confab was attended by the Muslim world’s elites and thinkers as well as domestic and foreign Islamologists.

Speaking at a recent conference, Ameli provided examples of the widespread use of the Internet and its great popularity, asking the question: “Are we moving towards a new culture in this new era?”

He noted that virtual colonialism is the West’s modern type of colonisation, adding, “Currently, the US is colonising the world by means of virtual networks. In fact, we are not undergoing a transition from one tool to another, but a change from one social and cultural system to another one. In the virtual environment, a slight alteration in an algorithm can lead to a change in a concept or a life reality.”

“Now that it has become possible to be present everywhere, if we fail to be omnipresent we are lazy and lack an effective system or plan to counter the Satan’s domination,” he quoted Ayatollah Ebrahim Amini, a member of the Assembly of Experts, as saying, stressing that at present there are two approaches to globalisation: Top-down and bottom-up.

“The former is evident in the efforts by the US and European states to dominate the world, whereas, the latter is an approach to be adopted by anybody, even someone living in a small remote Iranian village.”

Commenting on the cyberspace’s cultural issues and the concept of cyberspace culture, he said it is not plausible to study and discuss cultural, political and economic issues each in isolation.

“Currently, the main focus is on the centrality of culture. At present, people have a large number of options and choices at their disposal. If what they are presented with fails to be attractive enough, they will definitely opt for another one.”

He concluded his speech by proposing to set up a special virtual network for Muslims, saying, “The virtual environment has provided us with the opportunity to create our own eco-system. We can create our own place, space and location in the virtual environment and officially and privately set up the Muslims’ network on the Internet to have a healthy atmosphere.”

“Internet has the capacity to provide Muslims with a healthy atmosphere for exchanging experience and knowledge with each other in numerous fields and on different topics and help them have a network for launching different campaigns to, by using all the available facilities, be able to move and work towards a better future. God has promised us a better future saying the earth will be inherited by the righteous ones,” he noted.

Iranians Running ‘No to Road Accidents’ Campaign

IFP Editorial Staff

March 14, 2017

Iranians Running ‘No to Road Accidents’ Campaign 9

Launched for the first time last year ahead of the New Year holidays, people in Iran are running the campaign ‘No to Road Accidents’ to raise people’s awareness about car crashes.

Road accidents cause injury and disability to 100 people on an average daily in the country. A major travel season in Iran, the first two weeks of every Nowruz (New Year) holidays see the highest number of travelers and also road accidents, according to a report by Financial Tribune.

The campaign was launched by the Iranian Red Crescent Society volunteers to address the alarming rate and encourage travelers to drive more carefully.

Here are Tehran Picture Agency’s photos of the campaign in the Iranian capital:

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Iranian People Warned against Use of Dangerous Firecrackers

IFP Editorial Staff

March 14, 2017

The head coach of the Iran Pro League club Esteghlal Tehran, Alireza Mansourian, has published a photo of himself in social media urging people to avoid endangering their lives on Chaharshanbeh Soori, a fire festival held on the eve of the last Wednesday of the Iranian calendar year (which – this year – ends on March 20), and instead enjoy their time by celebrating the night.

Some people celebrate Chaharshanbeh Soori by exploding dangerous firecrackers and detonating explosives which can, sometimes, lead to disastrous events.

The photo shows Mansourian wearing a firefighter’s outfit and holding a piece of paperboard on which it is written: “Say no to dangerous Chaharshanbe Soori. Merriment yes. Danger no.”

‘Nowruz Khani’, Tradition to Show Gratitude towards Spring’s Arrival

Fatemeh Askarieh

March 14, 2017

With only half a month to the arrival of spring, a number of people, dubbed Nowruz Khans – singers performing traditional songs heralding the emergence of the new season and Nowruz – come to the villages of Mazandaran Province (in northern Iran) and announce the arrival of the new year, season and time for a thorough housecleaning.

People in Iran annually mark the arrival of spring by holding the Nowruz festival, where Nowruz Khans sing folklore and local songs and recite poems praising Shiite Imams.

According to a report by IFP, Nowruz is a traditional Iranian festival and holiday starting at the exact moment of the vernal equinox, marking the commencement of spring. It is considered as the start of the New Year among Iranians.

Nowruz Khani, or singing for Nowruz, is an age-old tradition practiced by natives of the northern Iranian provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran, in which within some 15 days to March 20 or 21 – the end of the year in Iran – and prior to the beginning of Nowruz celebrations, some people go to the door of their neighbours’ houses and sing songs for them.

Nowruz Khans deliver their performances in groups of up to three people. The leading member of the group, who is also a poet, can play melodies and tunes with his own voice. One of the other two group members, called Nowruz Khan’s friend, sings the songs along with the main singer. The third one, dubbed ‘Khorjin Dar’ (saddlebag holder), goes to the doorstep of the houses and, by singing folklore and local songs heralding the arrival of spring and flourishing of the plants, prays to God for their resident’s full health and prosperity in the new year.
The owners of the houses also give them money, candies, walnut, eggs, beans and raisin in return.

Nowruz Khans improvise their songs and poems. An experienced Nowruz Khan is the one who is more skilled at extemporizing. Sometimes, their performance features music and, sometimes, only singing. Most of the poems and songs are recited or sung either in Mazandarani dialect or Farsi.

Nowruz Khani is a pretext for preserving the ancient tradition of the ancestors, commemorate and respect life, create happiness and bring people joy. The tradition is aimed at promoting friendship among people and bringing them greater satisfaction prior to the arrival of the New Year.

The youths developing an interest in Nowruz Khani over the past few years and it being upheld and practiced in Iranian festivals, have been effective in keeping the tradition alive.

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Iranian Charity Brings Smile to Faces of Immigrant Family

Fatemeh Askarieh

March 14, 2017

Iranian Charity Brings Smile to Faces of Immigrant Family (32)

“Varesin” is an Iranian charitable NGO, formed by photographers and volunteers who try to find the poor throughout Iran and use their abilities to resolve the disadvantaged people’s problems.

They recently visited a Pakistani immigrant family who lives in poor conditions in southern Tehran. In addition to their absolute poverty, three children in this family suffer from diseases and the entire family are illiterate, and these add to the household’s problems.

Varesin brought this family items such as refrigerator, carpet, television, bed, bicycle, closet and food. This NGO is also going to build them a bathroom, according to a Farsi report by Mehr.

Here are photos showing the smiles returned to the faces of this Pakistani family:

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