Senior Shiite Cleric Thanks Pope for His Stance on Islam

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August 21, 2016

According to a report by Jomhouri Eslami newspaper, as translated by IFP, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi penned a thank-you-letter to the Pope on account of the Catholic leader’s recent denial of any relationship between terrorist operations by Takfiri [extremist] groups and Islam.

“I explicitly announce that according to Muslim scholars and the vast majority of Muslims, Takfiri sects are renegades of Islam and deemed to be the greatest scourge on humanity,” he wrote in his letter which was handed to the Pope by Iran’s Ambassador to Vatican City.

In his letter, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi also condemned the July murder of a French priest by terrorists at a church in France.

His remarks came after Pope Francis defended Muslims and stressed that ‘Islam is NOT terrorism’.

In early August, the Pope said, “I think it is not right to identify Islam with terrorism.

“It is not right and it is not true.”

Francis was responding to a question about the killing on July 26 of an 85-year-old Roman Catholic priest by knife-wielding attackers who burst into a church service in western France, forced the priest to his knees and slit his throat.

The attack was claimed by ISIS, as reported by The Express.

He said, “I think that in nearly all religions there is always a small fundamentalist group.”

“We have them,” he said, referring to Catholicism.

“I don’t like to talk about Islamic violence because every day when I look at the papers I see violence here in Italy – someone killing his girlfriend, someone killing his mother-in-law. These are baptised Catholics.”

“If I speak of Islamic violence, I have to speak of Catholic violence. Not all Muslims are violent.”

He said there were various causes of terrorism.

The Pope said, “I know it dangerous to say this but terrorism grows when there is no other option and when money is made and it, instead of the person, is put at the centre of the world economy.

“That is the first form of terrorism. That is a basic terrorism against all humanity. Let’s talk about that.”

Turquoise Mine in Neyshabur, Northeastern Iran

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Fatemeh Askarieh

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August 21, 2016

For at least 2,000 years, Iran has remained an important source of turquoise, which was named by Iranians initially “Pirouzeh” meaning “victory” and later after Arab invasion “Firouzeh”.

In Iranian architecture, the blue turquoise was used to cover the domes of the Iranian palaces because its intense blue colour was also a symbol of heaven on earth.

Here are Mizan’s photos of a mine in Neyshabur in Khorasan Razavi Province:

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Kimia Alizadeh, First Iranian Woman to Win Olympic Medal

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IFP Editorial Staff

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August 21, 2016

Kimia Alizadeh, the 18-year-old Iranian taekwondo player, won a Bronze medal in Rio Olympics and made history by becoming the first Iranian female athlete winning a medal in Olympic Games.

Hegemonic Powers Not Opposed to Secular Islam: Leader

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Fatemeh Askarieh

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August 21, 2016

In a Sunday meeting with a group of clerics and prayer leaders in Tehran on the occasion of World Mosque Day, the Leader said a “secular Islam,” which is restricted to individual or collective worship, is not the subject of hostility for domineering powers, Press TV reported.

What bullying powers are opposed to is a “powerful Islam” which lays the foundations for a socio-political system and guides nations towards prosperity, Ayatollah Khamenei added.

US Crippled in West Asia by Revolutionary Islam

The Leader highlighted the Islamic Revolution’s clout and the significance of Revolutionary Islam, saying they have practically crippled the US in West Asia.

“Thanks to revolutionary Islam and the Islamic Revolution, the world bullies have failed to achieve their main objective, namely ruling the region, and the US is practically crippled in the West Asia region,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, as reported by Tasnim.

Pointing to the complicated and diverse attempts made by the enemies since the 1979 Islamic Revolution for cultural infiltration into Iran, the Leader said the “constant and multi-layered” hostile moves are aimed at undermining people’s religious faith.

Likening the Islamic Revolution to an earthquake that shattered the pillars of the hegemonic system, Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran could have also become a follower of the US if the Iranian nation had not remained faithful to Islam.

A great miracle of the Islamic Revolution is that the youth of today are more steadfast than the young generation at the time of the 1979 Revolution despite a whole host of plots for cultural infiltration and undermining people’s beliefs, Ayatollah Khamenei added.

World Mosque Day Marks Israel’s Crime against Aqsa Mosque

The Leader also touched upon the international occasion, the World Mosque Day, and said Iran insistently demanded that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) designate August 21 as World Mosque Day in an effort to draw attention to Israel’s burning of the al-Aqsa Mosque in 1969.

On this day 47 year ago, Aqsa Mosque was set on fire by an Australian settler in coordination with Israeli officials and military forces. The fire gutted the southeastern wing of the mosque.

Iran Condemns Deadly Terrorist Attack in Turkey

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IFP Media Wire

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August 21, 2016

On Sunday, Qassemi strongly condemned the suicide attack, which hit a wedding ceremony in the city of Gaziantep on Saturday, and offered the Iranian people and government’s condolences to the bereaved families.

“Such (terror) acts by Takfiri extremists have targeted the peace and security of regional states,” Qassemi said, stressing that the countries in the region need to seriously combat the phenomenon.

He added that killing of innocent people and civilians in a wedding celebration showed one more time the Takfiri terrorists’ “sinister and evil” intentions against humanity.

The terrorist attack hit a large group of people from a wedding party, security sources said.

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told broadcaster NTV the blast appeared to be the work of a suicide bomber.

Mahmut Togrul, a member of parliament for Gaziantep from pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party, said it was a Kurdish wedding. Daesh (also known as ISIL and ISIS) has been blamed for suicide bombings on Kurdish gatherings in the past.

Turkey faces multiple security threats from Daesh at home and across the border with neighboring Syria as well as from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Environmental Education to Be Provided in 108,000 Schools: Ebtekar

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IFP Editorial Staff

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August 21, 2016

VP Asks Iranians to Use Helpline to Report Domestic Violence

According to a report by Mehr, as translated by IFP, Ebtekar said that with the help of the Ministry of Education, the Department of Environment has devised guidelines and instructions which will be communicated soon and implemented in 108,000 schools across the country.

She made the remarks in an address to the closing ceremony of Khwarizmi International Award for teenagers in Shahid Beheshti Teachers Training Faculty in Iran’s north-eastern city of Mashhad.

The Department of Environment has inked a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Education on environmental activities, which has yielded considerable achievements, she noted.

“This year, especial educational programs have been envisaged for the schools that are adjacent to the country’s [natural] Protected Areas,” she noted.

Based on the programs, rangers will attend the classes in their uniforms to present students with significant details about their job, wildlife, etc., in an effort to raise public environmental awareness, Ebtekar noted.

She announced that a secretariat of eco-schools has been established in Iran’s north-eastern province of Khorasan Razavi, which, along with education, focuses on environmental issues.

“It’s good to know that environmental issues have found their way into students’ textbooks and student-run environmental groups are pretty active in the country,” she went on to say.

Ebtekar highlighted the importance of students’ role in sustainable development and said, “Students have formed pro-environmental groups in Khorasan Razavi and have taken valuable measures, which are laudable.”

Referring to the entrepreneurship as an important part of Khwarizmi International Award and its close relationship with environment, Ebtekar noted that, “Irrespective of our job types, we all have to keep watchful eyes on environment.”

Ebtekar stressed that the Department of Environment is willing to kick off productive cooperation with Khwarizmi International Award if it shows enthusiasm in environmental fields such as climate or environmental diversity.

She renewed her warning about the shortage of water resources in the country and stressed that “agricultural and irrigation patterns should undergo changes in some areas.”

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on August 21

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IFP Editorial Staff

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August 21, 2016

Newspapers on Sunday continued covering the medals won by Iranian athletes in Olympic games, particularly the Gold one bagged by Hassan Yazdani in freestyle wrestling.

They also covered the ongoing debates and remarks about Russia’s use of Iranian airbase, and the reaction of Iranian Defence Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan.

The controversy over the Iranian Oil Ministry’s contracts has also taken the Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh to the Parliament, where they should discuss the contracts and revise them if necessary.

The above issues as well as many more are covered in the following headlines:

Abrar:

1- Iraqi Parliament Speaker Meets Iran’s FM Zarif

2- Iran’s Defence Might and Missile Power Demonstrate Progressive Nature of the Country’s Defence Industries: IRGC

3- UN Secretary General: 130m People in the World Need Help for Survival

Afkar:

1- 108,000 Environmental Schools to Be Established: Department of Environment Chief

2- Transfer of S-400 Missile Defence System to Iran Is Not True: DM

3- Water Crisis to Become More Severe

4- Iraq’s Territorial Integrity Is a Major Principle for Regional Stability: Larijani

Aftab-e Yazd:

1- Iran-Russia Relation Is Not Anymore Like that of Wolf and Sheep

2- Iran Will Sue Russia Once Again If They Fail to Fully Implement S-300 Deal: DM

3- Online Trade of Special Animals: $112 for an Owlet

Arman-e Emrooz:

1- Presence of Russian Planes [in Iran] Is None of Parliament’s Business: DM

2- Russia’s Use of Iranian Airbase Is a Based on a Decision Made by the Establishment: DM

3- Defence Minister Says Iran Has Received S-300 Missile Defence System

4- US: It Was Iran’s Own Money We Returned

5- Iran to Receive $1.3bn More from US

6- General Offices for Women Affairs to Be Established in Iranian Ministries

7- They Give Muslims Infertility Injections: Cleric

Asr-e Rasaneh:

1- Human Error, Cause of Recent Fires in Iranian Petchem Complexes

2- Mashhad, the Destination of 50% of Foreign Tourists Coming to Iran

Asrar:

1- Iran Not Looking for Conflict in Middle East: Zarif

2- Social Media Won’t Be Filtered: Cyberspace Official

3- DM: [Homegrown] Bavar-373 Missile Defence System to Be Put into Service This Year

Ebtekar:

1- Betraying the Water: Need for a Change in Cultivation Patterns Underlined by Ebtekar

2- Iranian Wrestler Yazdani Hunts Gold out of Blood

3- We Don’t Need to Revise Our Values for Joining Modern Int’l Community: Imam Khomeini’s Grandson

Emtiaz:

1- $2.8bn Cigarettes Smoked in Iran Each Year

2- Police Starts Prosecution of Tax Evaders

3- 10% Increase in Number of Tourists Arriving in Iran: Official

Etemad:

1- Oil Day of Parliament: Oil Minister to Attend Parliament to Defend 4th Version of Iran Oil Contracts

2- Rouhani Will Be Re-Elected with More Votes than Previous Elections: Special Aide Younesi

3- Iran and Cuba’s Chambers of Commerce Sign Agreement

Ettela’at:

1- Iran Will Stand by Iraq in Fight against Terrorism: Rouhani in Meeting with Iraqi Parliament Speaker

2- Iran’s First Homegrown Turbojet Engine to Be Unveiled Today

3- Pentagon: We’ve Not Given Saudi Arabia a Blank Check for Killing People in Yemen

4- Nasrallah: Resistance Front to Win Possible War with Zionist Regime [Israel]

Haft-e Sobh:

1- Economic Revolution Using Credit Cards: Government’s Last Attempt to End Economic Downturn

Iran:

1- $4.1bn Foreign Investment Attracted in Industry: Ministry

2- Unity among Ethnicities and Religions to Eradicate Terrorism in Iraq: Rouhani

Javan:

1- President Rouhani Politically Threatened at His Home! Reformist Figures Visit Rouhani’s Home and Threaten to Cut Their Support

2- Millions of Yemenis Approve National Unity Government

Jomhouri Eslami:

1- Iran’s Daily Oil Exports Hit 2m Barrels

2- Millions of Yemenis Hold Demonstration Rally in Support of High Political Council

Kayhan:

1- Historic Day of Oil Industry: Take the Experts’ Warnings Seriously

2- Iranian Wrestler Yazdani Gifts His Olympic Gold Medal to Imam Reza Shrine

Khorasan:

1- New Aspects of Iran-Russia Military Deal: DM in Reference to Russian Planes’ Presence in Hamadan Airbase

2- Millions of Yemeni People Roar under Saudi Storm: Nearby Area Bombed by Saudi Coalition

Mardom Salari:

1- Westerners Introduce ISIS as True Islam: Islamic Human Rights Commission Chief

Resalat:

1- We Won’t Let Oil Industry Be Given to Aliens: MP

2- DM: Russia Has Offered Sale of S-400 Missile Defence System

3- Yazdani Wins Gold for Iran’s Freestyle Wrestling after 16 Years

Roozan:

1- Qalibaf, Current Mayor of Tehran, a Serious Option for Conservatives: The 5-Star Man of Cons

2- New Phase of Foreign Investment in Post-JCPOA Era: Foreign Companies Working in Iran Enter Production Phase

3- Change in Middle East Equations after China’s Arrival: What’s Beijing Looking for in Syria?

4- Leader’s Remarks Are Boycotted by Global Media Empire: Cleric

Shahrvand:

1- Reverse Immigration of Elites: VP Says 1 Elite Is Returning to Iran Each Day

2- Children without Homeland: Lives of 100,000 Children in Aleppo in Danger

Iran Urges Involvement of Sunnis in Iraq’s Political Structure

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IFP Media Wire

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August 21, 2016

In a meeting with Iraq’s parliament speaker in Tehran on Sunday, Shamkhani described the active presence and involvement of moderate Sunnis in the Arab country’s political system as “an inevitable necessity.”

“Commitment to democracy and (giving) every (Iraqi) group a share (in governance) according to its democratic merits will be the path to unity and stability (in Iraq),” Shamkhani told the visiting Iraqi speaker, Salim al-Jabouri.

He further referred to countering the threat of terrorism as Iraq’s immediate priority, and said that defeating the Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) terrorist group will strengthen national solidarity in Iraq and bring the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds closer together.

Contrary to Daesh’s claims, Iraq’s Sunni Muslims have suffered the brunt of economic, social and political damages caused by the terrorist group, Shamkhani added.

He further reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to supporting the Iraqi government and nation in the war on terrorist groups.

Jabouri, for his part, slammed terrorism as the most serious threat to the entire region, and emphasized the necessity for rapport and unity to defeat terrorists.

The Iraqi speaker arrived in Tehran on Saturday morning for talks with senior Iranian officials on the latest developments in his country.

Iran, a close ally of Iraq, has been supporting the Arab nation in the fight against Daesh since the terrorist group invaded Iraq in summer 2014.

Iran to Make Supersonic Cruise Missiles Soon: DM

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IFP Media Wire

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August 21, 2016

Speaking at a ceremony in Tehran on Sunday, held to unveil a homegrown turbojet engine, Dehqan said Iran has made great strides in improving the range, velocity and precision of its missiles and will soon gain supersonic cruise missiles.

Iran can now design missiles with any range and degree of precision, he explained, saying the navigation systems of the missiles have been diversified to fit for electronic warfare.

The range of all Iranian missiles have been extended two or three times and their utilities have been also diversified, he added, referring to a project adapting coast-to-sea missiles to be launched from the air.

Thanks to upgraded engines, the Iranian coast-to-sea missiles can now hit the targets at a distance of 100 kilometers from the coast, he went on to say.

Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made great headways in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the arms sphere.

Back in January, the Iranian Navy test-fired coast-to-sea and sea-to-sea cruise missiles named “Noor” (Light) with a range of 150 km during a massive naval drill in southeastern coasts of Makran, east of Strait of Hormuz.

On Friday, Brigadier General Dehqan underscored that there are no limits to improvement of the quality and range of homegrown missiles.

“Our missiles have the highest destructive power and enjoy high accuracy, durability and reliable tactical status, and we face no limits on the range, accuracy and quality of the products,” the senior general said on August 19.

‘Sacred Defence’ Museum in Tehran Displays Sacrifices Made to Save Iran

By

Fatemeh Askarieh

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August 21, 2016

Modern technologies, including visual, interactive, and mixed systems are used in the presentation of items and stories. The tour guides, who explain about these items to the visitors, have been either commanders or warriors in the 8-year war, dubbed the ‘Sacred Defence’.

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