4-Year-Old Girl Asks Ayatollah Khamenei to Buy Her a Pink Hat

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July 2, 2016

Mahdi Qazikhani was a 30-year-old man with three children. He was killed by Takfiri terrorists on December 7, 2015, in Aleppo, Syria. Nahal, his only daughter, is four years old. Her mother relates a funny conversation she had with Ayatollah Khamenei.

“One day, they called and said we are invited to the Leader’s Iftar ceremony [a meal served for Muslims to break their fasting]. I was very happy about the invitation, and dressed up my children. Like a very important ceremony, I bought new clothes and shoes for myself and my children so as to be well-dressed in our meeting with the Leader. We – my first son, the 7-year-old Mohammad Matin, and I – were both impatient for the meeting,” Qazikhani’s wife, Fatemeh Bagheri, said.

“That day in the meeting, I was so much impressed by the Leader’s charisma that I was just crying. Meeting him personally was very different from watching the Leader on TV. I couldn’t control Nahal anymore. I was worried that she would get lost, but my friends told me no one can get out of the Leader’s house. Then I was relieved.”

“I delivered the letter I had written to the Leader, and my only request was that Ayatollah Khamenei prays for my children.”

“I forgot to check Nahal for a couple of minutes, and I didn’t know where she has gone. I was confident that she couldn’t leave the place, so I didn’t look after her. Mohammad Matin was also in men’s section alone. I told myself I’d better leave them alone so that they could have good memories of the meeting.”

“After a while, Nahal came back.

Where were you? I asked.
I was with Haj Agha [a title given to high-ranking men or clerics].”

“I thought she had met one of the senior men, and been busy playing and talking to him. I didn’t know she meant the Leader.

What did Haj Agha say? I asked.
I saw Haj Agha’ hat [turban] on his head. I said, “Has your mother made the hat for you?” His answer was yes. I said, “Would you give it to me?” He said, “This is mine, I need it. I’ll buy you another one.” Then I said, “If you want to buy me a hat, buy a pink one”.”

“At the moment, I laughed at Nahal’s words, and didn’t even imagine that she had said such things to the Leader. When we returned home, my friends called me and said Nahal’s photos are published in the Internet. In the photos, she is talking to the Leader and he is laughing. There I realized the ‘pink hat’ story was the details of her conversation with the Leader. I showed her the Leader’s photo, and asked her if she had requested the same man to buy her a pink hat. She confirmed and once again told me the story.

What else did the Leader say?
She asked about you and my brothers, and asked me why I had not brought my brothers with myself.”

“I was extremely happy. I kissed Nahal and was glad she had such an opportunity,” Bagheri noted.

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Photo Story: From Childish Dreams to Palestine on Fire

By

Golrokh Askarieh

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July 2, 2016

Mahmoud Alkurd, a conceptual and fine art photographer, has portrayed the innocence of poor Palestinian children and their expectation for victory in his photographs and posters.

According to a report by Fars, as translated by IFP, Alkurd start his photography career in 2013. He grew up in Gaza and finished his education in English literature.

Mahmoud began teaching himself photography. Driven by passion and eagerness, he started creating photographs that illustrate specific concepts in an artistic way.

His works have been shown in various international exhibitions and won numerous awards. In recent years, he has worked on several personal projects. The series “We Feel Freedom” is one of his collections that include photos of 51-day war of Gaza.

Alkurd’s poster “Palestine on Fire” offers a painful view of the incident.

He is the designer of the famous poster “Palestine on Fire”. The poster was designed following the brutal crimes of the child-killer Zionists [Israel], who burnt a Palestinian infant to death.

The Palestinian artists’ works, along with those of Naji Salim al-Ali and Bushra Shenan, were recently put on display in Iran’s South Khorasan province to mark “Palestine Cultural Week”.

Here are some of Alkurd’s works:

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Iraqi Officials Condemn Saudi FM’s Remarks about Popular Forces

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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July 2, 2016

Hashd al-Shaabi, in a statement released on Thursday, argued that Adel al-Jubeir’s calls for the dismantling of the Popular Mobilization Units exceeded all limits, calling on the United Nations to take measures against him.

The statement further pointed to Hashd al-Shaabi as the main force fighting the scourge of ISIS terrorism, noting that Saudi Arabia is pursuing a spiteful political campaign against the Popular Mobilization Units through its officials and ambassador to Baghdad Thamer al-Sabhan as well as pro-Riyadh media outlets.

Hashd al-Shaabi also urged the Iraqi Foreign Ministry to take a firm stand in the face of Saudi Arabia’s abusive policies, as reported by Press TV.

Iraqi National Security Adviser Faleh al-Fayyad also told Arabic-language al-Sumaria television network on Thursday that the top Saudi diplomat’s “demand for the dismantling of the Popular Mobilization Units reflects the scope of his narrow-mindedness. Such comments are not beneficial to bilateral relations [between Baghdad and Riyadh]. It is outside the purview of Jubeir or anyone else to debate the issue.”

“The world has begun to realize that Hashd al-Shaabi is a key factor in the fight against terrorism. The force crushed ISIS, which operates to cause sectarian tensions in Iraq and is poised to kill 70 percent of the Iraqi population,” Fayyad said.

Earlier, Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmad Jamal strongly condemned Jubeir’s comments as “meddlesome”.

Jamal, in a statement released on Wednesday, expressed Baghdad’s distraught over Saudi Arabia’s repeated intervention in Iraq’s domestic affairs, calling on Riyadh to stop Saudi nationals from joining ISIS terrorists.

“Hashd al-Shaabi is an official party that incorporates various walks of the Iraqi nation. It is part of the national Iraqi defense forces, under the control of the National Operational Command, and receives its budget from the Iraqi government,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi strongly advised the Saudi envoy to Baghdad to stand firmly committed to its diplomatic duties and avoid meddling in Iraq’s internal affairs.

MP Warns Iranians against Travelling to Turkey

By

Golrokh Askarieh

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July 2, 2016

In an interview with Mizan, as translated by IFP, Morteza Saffar Natanzi, member of Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, pointed to the recent terrorist attacks in Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport, in which 41 including one Iranian were killed, and said, “Officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should warn Iranians who have plans to travel to Turkey against such a visit.”

The recent suicide attacks at Atatürk, Turkey’s largest airport and the third busiest one in Europe, were the third of its kind in Istanbul this year.

“This is the second time in the past two weeks that explosions are hitting Turkey and spreading a feeling of insecurity throughout the country,” Saffar Natanzi noted.

“The country is in serious peril as long as Takfiri [extremist] groups are not eradicated”, the Parliament member added.

“People and the authorities should join forces against such threats and take decisive measures to curb the spread of extremism”.

Newly-Purchased Planes to Be Added to Iran’s Fleet by Autumn: Official

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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July 2, 2016

After the implementation of the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers back in January, world’s giant plane-makers started their competition to sell their planes to Iran, and France was the first one to send positive signals to Tehran.

According to a report by Khabar Online, as translated by IFP, President Hassan Rouhani signed a contract with France’s Airbus immediately after the JCPOA implementation during a visit to Paris.

Based on the contract, Iran purchased 118 passenger planes from the French company.

Earlier this year, Iranian Minister of Transport Mahmoud Akhondi announced that agreement had been made with the American plane-manufacturer Boeing as well.

Recently, it was rumoured that a number of Airbus planes has been delivered to Iran secretly. However, Deputy Transport Minister Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan rejected the rumours in an interview with Khabar Online, saying that no newly-purchased plane has arrived in the country yet.

“The negotiations for plane contracts have not finished yet. As soon as the talks are over, the implementation phase will begin,” he noted.

“We are in the final stages of negotiations, and the new planes will be delivered to Iran by autumn,” Fakhrieh Kashan noted.

General Bagheri’s Appointment as New Chief of Iran’s Armed Forces Sends Important Message

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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July 2, 2016

Here’s IFP’s translation of his remarks, as published in his Telegram channel and reported by Mashreq:

The appointment of Major General Mohammad Bagheri as the new Chief of Staff of Iranian Armed Forces sends a very important message to the country’s military rivals.

Although the basic trends will remain intact, the appointment will:

1- Add up-to-date strategic thought to the Armed Forces’ structure;

2- Considerably enhance coordination among the Armed Forces;

3- Prioritize new types of threat, including cyber-threats;

4- Increase the strength of Iranian Armed Forces’ international presence, particularly that of the IRGC Quds Force, and generally boost the “geopolitical agility” of Iran’s military system;

5- Move the Armed Forces towards a combination of speed and efficiency, especially with a focus on basic information operations.

Of course this does not mean that the path was different under the command of General [Hassan] Firouzabadi; it is the same path, which is going to be pursued in a “more revolutionary” way.

Iranians Mark Int’l Quds Day with Mass Rallies

By

IFP Media Wire

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July 1, 2016

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Millions of fasting Iranian people have taken to the streets this morning to attend nationwide rallies to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, who have been suffering from Israel’s atrocities for decades.

Venting their anger on the Tel Aviv regime and its allies, demonstrators call for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, Judaization of the holy city of al-Quds and construction of Israeli settlements across the West Bank.

Carrying placards and chanting slogans against Israel and the US, marchers voiced their support for the people of Gaza and the West Bank, and reiterated their opposition to the occupation of the Palestinian territories by Zionists.

Hundreds of Iranian and foreign reporters are covering the rallies across the country.

Following the rallies, people of Tehran are going to attend the Friday prayers, to be led by Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Khatami. Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Hossein Salami will also deliver a speech before the prayers.

Each year, the International Quds Day is celebrated on the last Friday of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

The event’s raison d’être is renewing support for the Palestinians and fierce denunciation of Israel.

The day is also seen as the legacy of the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini, who officially declared the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as International Quds Day back in 1979.

Cause of Liberating Quds Makes Resistance Axis Invincible: IRGC

By

IFP Media Wire

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July 1, 2016

“The cause of liberation of al-Quds and freeing the oppressed people of Palestine from the yoke of hegemony and crimes of the Zionist usurpers … has today made the anti-Zionist resistance front invincible in the region,” read part of a statement issued by the IRGC on Thursday, one day ahead of the International Quds Day.

It added that the resistance front has now turned into an “iron fist” of the Islamic Ummah in the face of those who prefer leniency and compriomise with the fake Zionist regime of Israel.

It underlined that the axis of resistance and the third Intifada (uprising) of Palestine have made every corner of the occupied territories insecure for the usurper regime.

Elsewhere in the statement, the IRGC described Israel as the “number one” enemy of security in the region and world.

It also called on the Iranian nation to have a massive and “revolutionary” presence in the upcoming Quds Day rallies.

The International Quds Day, which falls on July 1 this year, is an annual event during which demonstrators express their solidarity with the Palestinian people and opposition to the occupation of the Palestinian territories by the Zionist regime of Israel.

The day is seen as the legacy of the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini, who officially declared the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as International Quds Day back in 1979.

Iran Welcomes Steps By Russia, Turkey to Mend Ties

By

IFP Media Wire

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July 1, 2016

On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said Tehran “welcomes the political will as well as measures taken by leaders of neighboring Turkey and Russia to mend their relations.”

Iran “hopes that normalized ties between the two countries would serve the interests of the Turkish and Russian nations as well as all people in the region,” he said.
The Iranian official also expressed hope that efforts to resume normal Turkey-Russia relations would bear fruit as soon as possible, saying such a political achievement could strengthen regional peace and cooperation as well as the fight against terrorism.

Last November, the Turkish military shot down a Russian Su-24 during an anti-terror mission in Syrian skies near the Turkish border.

The Russian fighter jet went down in the mountainous Jabal Turkmen area of the Syrian province of Latakia. The pilot lost his life in the crash, while Syrian government forces rescued the Russian navigator on board, who survived the crash.

Ankara claimed that the Russian jet had violated its airspace despite repeated warnings. Moscow, however, rejected the allegation, saying the aircraft remained in Syrian skies throughout its mission and received no warnings from the Turkish military.

Back then, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani called for Russia and Turkey to show restraint in the aftermath of the incident, saying the two sides should follow up on the issue “with insight and prevent the recurrence of such incidents through prudence and patience.”

Turkey further angered Russia by refusing to apologize over the deadly incident, which Russian President Vladimir Putin described as a stab in the back.

In response, Russia slapped a series of sanctions on Turkey, saying the bans would not be lifted until Moscow received an apology from Ankara.

For the first time since the outbreak of the political crisis in Ankara-Moscow ties, Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone conversation on Wednesday and agreed to meet in person.

The call came after the Kremlin said Putin had received a letter from Erdogan, in which he had apologized to his Russian counterpart over the incident.

Putin has ordered his government to start the process of normalizing trade ties with Turkey.

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 30

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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June 30, 2016

The top story in all Iranian newspapers was the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s meeting with the country’s judiciary officials. During the meeting, the Leader called on the Judiciary to design alternatives for prison term.

The terrorist attacks in Turkey as well as the calls for people’s participation in Friday’s Int’l Quds Day rallies also received wide coverage by Iranian newspapers.

These headlines, along with many more issues, are presented as follows:

Abrar:

1- In Soldiers’ Bus Crash, We Are Responsible and Guilty as Well: Army Ground Force Commander

2- Kerry Praises Iran’s Role in Fight against ISIS

3- No Change in Iran’s Behaviour after JCPOA: McGurk

Abrar-e Eqtesadi:

1- Iran Resumes Flights to Istanbul

2- Iranian Exporters Starting Serious Competition in Russian Market

3- Export of Gold and Silver Permitted on 2 Conditions

Aftab-e Yazd:

1- Boeing Made No One Worried! Why Opponents of Governments Have Kept Silent on Purchase of Plane from US?

2- End of Secret Friendships: Why ISIS Is Attacking Turkey?

3- Plan for Girls to Graduate [from High School] in Earlier Ages So as to Get Married Sooner!

Arman-e Emrooz:

1- Fire of ISIS in Turkey: 1 Iranian Killed and 3 Wounded

2- Rouhani to Iranian Youth: You Shouldn’t Be Afraid and Back Off

Asia:

1- CIA Publishes Report on Iran’s Gold and Foreign Exchange Reserves

2- Protest: I’m European, Not British

3- Europe’s Financial Centre to Be Transferred from London to Frankfurt: 300,000 People May Get Out of Britain’s Stock Exchange

Asrar:

1- We Don’t Want Tension with Any of Neighbouring Countries: Rouhani

2- 72% of Iranian Population Suffering from Long-Term Drought

3- 2.5m People on Verge of Unemployment

Ebtekar:

1- Iran’s Development Depends on All-Out Cooperation between All Three Branches of Iranian Government [Judiciary, Parliament, Gov’t]

2- We Don’t Think about Aggression, But We’re Firm in Powerful Defence: Rouhani

3- Defending Palestinian Causes Not to Be Forgotten: Rafsanjani

Etemad:

1- Rouhani’s Double Mission: (A) Smart Confrontation with Plots to Denigrate Gov’t, (B) All-Out Movement towards Economic Growth

2- Iranians Trapped by Terror: Night of Blood and Fire in Istanbul; Turkey Gets Cheaper and Cheaper

3- Defending Palestine Means Defending Iran’s National Interests [Editorial]

4- India Cancels Ban on Trade with Iran

5- Only $27bn of Oil Income Earned in 2015

Ettela’at:

1- Leader Urges Judiciary to Strongly Confront the Offending and Corrupt People inside the Judicial System

2- The Country’s Conditions Are Improving: Larijani

Farhikhtegan:

1- Bioterrorism: Truth or Illusion? Were Ali Dadman [an ex-minister’s son], Farajollah Salahshoor [Iranian filmmaker, director of Prophet Joseph TV series], Nader Talebzadeh [Iranian filmmaker, director of The Messiah], and [former MP and IRIB correspondent to US] Bijan Nobaveh Vatan victims of bioterrorism?

Hamshahri:

1- Competition of Boeing and Airbus on Iran’s Market

2- Palestine, Still the First Priority of Muslim World

3- [Afghan] Rapists of Young French Tourist Sentenced to Death

Jame Jam:

1- Cry of Rage: Muslim People Will Show Their Solidarity with Palestinians in Friday’s Quds Day Rallies

2- Turkey under Shadow of Fear and Insecurity: 300 Killed and Wounded in Atatürk Airport Attacks

3- Quds Day, Symbol of Confrontation with American and Takfiri Islam [Editorial]

4- Turkey Paying the Price for Supporting Terrorists [Op-Ed]

Javan:

1- Design Alternatives for Incarceration Sentence: Leader to Judiciary Officials

2- Fire of Terrorism on Gate of Tourism: After Erdoğan’s Apology Letter to Putin, Terrorists Attacked Istanbul Airport

3- Kerry’s Hypocritical Praise of Iran: Iran Has Been Helpful to US Interests in Iraq in Certain Ways

4- American Woman Who Has Recently Converted to Islam: I Feel Amazed by Seeing People Attending in Quds Day Rallies

Jomhouri Eslami:

1- Iranian People’s Bank Accounts Not to Be Disclosed to FATF

2- Erdoğan’s Conflicting Policies Spoiled Turkey’s Stability and Peace

Kayhan:

1- We Have No Perspective for Cooperation with Iran: World Bank

2- Quds Day, the Compass of Muslim World

Khorasan:

1- Leader Underlined Duty of Defending the Oppressed on Quds Day

2- Quds! We Won’t Leave You Alone: 38th Quds Day to Be Marked in 850 Cities and 80 Countries

Quds:

1- Quds, We’ll Come!

2- No One Thinks about Palestine’s Freedom, Except Iran

3- Resistance Is Alive, from Yemen to Bahrain, and from Syria to Lebanon

Rah-e Mardom:

1- Crisis of Driving Culture in Iran

2- Message of One-Digit Inflation Rate in Time of Economic Recession

Resalat:

1- Judiciary Should Have a Revolutionary Performance: Leader

2- Arabs Sold Quds in a Very Cheap Price: Sheikh Qassim

3- Car Prices in Iran 2.5 Times More than Those in Global Market

4- We Shouldn’t Let Israel’s Crimes Be Forgotten: Rouhani

Roozan:

1- Turkey’s Role in Dust Pollution Crisis

2- Rouhani’s Gov’t Is a Modern Coalition Gov’t: Analysis

Shahrvand:

1- Iran’s Red Crescent to Become Middle East’s Centre for Rescue Operations: Red Cross Chief in Tehran

2- Attack on Turkey’s Heart: 41 Killed in Suicide Attack in Airport

3- Top Iranian Officials Call for People’s Attendance in Int’l Quds Day Rallies

4- Iranians Buy More Jeans that Europeans

Shargh:

1- All Iranian Major Generals: A Report on Highest-Ranking Iranian Officers after 1979 Revolution

2- Bitter Revenge on Erdoğan: Interview with Family of Iranian National Killed in Istanbul Airport Attacks

3- Referendum in Britain and the Issue of Democracy [Editorial by Zibakalam]

Vaghaye Ettefaghieh:

1- Being a Revolutionary Doesn’t Mean Going to Extremes: Leader

2- No One Wants Bibi: Netanyahu Is Abandoned in His Own Country

Vatan-e Emrooz:

1- Leader Call for Pursuit of Int’l Legal Cases

2- US Secretary of State: We’ll Continue [Imposing] Anti-Iran Sanctions

3- I’m Sorry for People on Dust Pollution Case: Deputy Head of Environment Dept.

IRAN FRONT PAGELatest News and Views From Iran, Middle East and the World

IRAN FRONT PAGELatest News and Views From Iran, Middle East and the World

IRAN FRONT PAGELatest News and Views From Iran, Middle East and the World

IRAN FRONT PAGELatest News and Views From Iran, Middle East and the World

4-Year-Old Girl Asks Ayatollah Khamenei to Buy Her a Pink Hat

Photo Story: From Childish Dreams to Palestine on Fire

Iraqi Officials Condemn Saudi FM’s Remarks about Popular Forces

MP Warns Iranians against Travelling to Turkey

Newly-Purchased Planes to Be Added to Iran’s Fleet by Autumn: Official

General Bagheri’s Appointment as New Chief of Iran’s Armed Forces Sends Important Message

Iranians Mark Int’l Quds Day with Mass Rallies

Cause of Liberating Quds Makes Resistance Axis Invincible: IRGC

Iran Welcomes Steps By Russia, Turkey to Mend Ties

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 30

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