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Iranians and Afghans Mourn Together over Horrible Murder of 6-Year-Old Setayesh

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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It was terrible news, but knowing it had happened in Iran was even worse. 6-year-old Setayesh, an Afghan child, had been killed, and both societies were united in sadness.

 

As reported by Tasnim News, the news of the murder of a 6-year-old Afghan girl has broken the hearts of both nations.

Almost 5 days ago, the girl went missing. For the people who live in this part of the world, when a girl goes missing it is a reminder of painful, historical events. A few days later her family received the worst news. Setayesh wasn’t alive anymore. She had been horribly murdered.

The story is extremely sensitive and can inflame old hatreds. Those who seek to raise divisions between the two nations are waiting for such inhumane crimes to fan the flames between the nations. Rumours are spread. This mission, however, failed this time. The story turned out differently, and in fact, created unity and sympathy between Iranians and Afghans.

The case progressed quickly with the help of local Iranians. The mystery of the Afghan girl’s murder was solved with Iranian cooperation. The Iranian friend of the culprit found out about the killing, and informed his father. Quickly, the father informed the city’s Imam Jome [The Mullah in charge of Friday prayers], and within a few hours, the police have found and arrested the murderer.

Right after this, the sympathy and unity are clear to see. A big group of Iranian locals pay a visit to Setayesh’s family to let them know that they will stand with them. In another admirable decision, representatives from the Immigration Office, the local governor, Police, and Ministry of Interior send their condolences and sympathy to the Qureishi family, letting them know that they will stand by them to see that justice is served.

The neighbourhood Iranians come together and construct condolences boards to console the broken hearts of the Afghans. The destiny of the two nations are so entwined that it seems like the Iranians have lost their own girls.

Afghans and Iranians gather together. The differences between them have lost their meaning now. Finally, the funeral of Setayesh Qureishi, the Afghan girl (or perhaps better, the Afghan-Iranian girl) takes place. The following is a report of an Afghan woman who was present at the funeral:

“Today was the funeral of an innocent girl whose murder brought the immigrant society together, regardless of their religion or race. I remembered when I heard from the neighbourhood mosque that a girl had gone missing, I hoped that, like in childhood stories, she’d be found and be home in a few hours. She never did, however. What happened to her breaks any human’s heart, but how a teenage boy can commit such a horrible murder is the responsibility of psychiatrists and sociologists. Today, however, was one of the most beautiful days which showed the unity of the immigrants and the Iranians. The ceremony after the funeral was held in two different neighbourhoods for men and women. The same morning, I paid a visit to the Imam Jome’s office. He is a very honest man who has always been very close to the immigrants living in the neighbourhood. He condemned this terrible event too, and said that what had happened has nothing to do with nationality or religion. It has broken the hearts of all of us.

“Iranians said that if it was necessary, they would sell their jewelry to make sure Setayesh and her family’s rights aren’t ignored.” 

“At noon, I went to the ceremony hall. Ladies arrived one after another, from all nationalities or ethnicities. Many Iranians were present at the ceremony with tearful eyes from the very beginning, as if Setayesh had been their own daughter. They all condemned the crime, and were asking for legal punishment. Amazingly, Iranian woman were saying that if it were necessary they would sell their jewelry to make sure Setayesh and her family’s rights aren’t ignored. They all were there to lift a burden from Setayesh’s family. It was great to see hope in her family’s face.

“Setayesh’s family depended on your kindness. Kind-hearted people came from all different parts of Tehran to join the sea of kindness and unity.

“The story is different from what is seen on social media. Iranian women were ready to sell their jewels to pay for the cost of a lawyer, but there are still rumours spread saying that Setayesh’s family were not allowed to have a ceremony. There was a glorious ceremony yesterday, many people came and went. The Imam Jome gave a speech. Representatives from different authorities came and gave their condolences. Despite all that, there are still rumours saying that the story has not been covered by the media, that the murderer is free, and so on. They are trying to sever the unbreakable links of the two nations, but it will never happen.”

 

Alborz off-road racing

By
Fatemeh Askarieh
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Alborz off-road racers attended a contest on Friday to be prepared for international competitions in Qazvin.

 

 

Mogherini: Iran Missile Tests don’t Violate JCPOA

By
Golrokh Askarieh
-

Iran conducted ballistic missiles tests on March 8-9 as part of military drills. The U.S. claimed the tests had violated the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorsed the JCPOA.

Mogherini also said that the JCPOA provided proof that “diplomacy works.”
“In July we said diplomacy works, in January [on the Implementation Day] we delivered it.”
Commenting on Iran fulfilling its commitments to the nuclear deal, the top EU official said, “Iran has delivered its side of the deal and so has the EU by lifting all the nuclear related sanctions against Iran.”
On the issue of human rights, for which Iran has always been criticized by the West, she said, “Our approach to human rights [in Europe] is that we have the highest standard of the world, even compared to our partners.”
She added, “We will always engage in dialogue with Iran, as this is the way in which we support the process that the EU has done.”
Mogherini also said the EU would do all it could to help Iran gain the full benefits of the nuclear deal, including encouraging greater engagement in the country from European banks.
She added the bloc had a “very strong interest” in deepening economic ties, and that greater financial links were a key basis for that. “We are doing all that we can to reassure our financial and banking system” that we “welcome their engagement in Iran,” she said.
Mogherini, who has been to Iran once before, visited Tehran for a one-day visit at the head of a high-ranking political and economic delegation. She was accompanied by European commissioners for energy, scientific research, technology, environment, education, industry.

Zarif: Iranians need to feel tangible impact of nuclear deal

For his part, Zarif said if Iranians don’t sense the effect of the deal, they would question the benefit of the agreement.
Zarif continued to say that the deal has paved the ground for international cooperation and lessened threats in the region, building a better future for the region and the people of Iran.
Calling the meeting between Iran and the EU “unparalleled”, Zarif said the two sides held talks on various issues and agreed to expand cooperation in the fields of economy and finance, crisis management, transportation, education and cultural exchange, peaceful use of nuclear energy, problems of refugees and displaced people, as well as the campaign against terrorism and drugs.

Opening an EU office in Tehran is on the agenda

Zarif also added that opening an EU bureau in Iran is on the agenda.
On the issue of Iran’s missile tests, Zarif said, “The test doesn’t violate the JCPOA or any of the Security Council Resolutions.”
Zarif said Saddam Hossein shamelessly used different kinds of weaponry against Iranians, therefore, “Iranians have the right to protect themselves.”
He added, “Some of our neighbors, of a much smaller size, spend far more on military weapons than Iran. They need to lower their military expenditure.”
Iran and the EU also issued four statements for cooperation in areas of human rights, science and research, economy, agriculture, transport, energy and climate change, nuclear energy, environment, education, culture, campaign on drug trafficking, and migration.
For instance, in the case of civil nuclear cooperation and the environment, the two sides have agreed on the following:

Civil Nuclear Cooperation

With a view to contributing to the implementation of measures listed in Annex III of the JCPOA, the two sides are launching a first cooperation project in the field of nuclear safety, aimed at assisting the Atomic Energy Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Iranian Nuclear Regulatory Authority through EU development assistance. In addition, the EU will share with Iran its experience acquired from stress tests carried out within the EU and in third-party countries. Additional options for cooperation in the civil nuclear field include joint fission and fusion research activities, as well as a possible regional nuclear safety conference and a nuclear business forum.

Environment

In recognition of the importance of protecting and conserving the environment and the role of resource efficiency in achieving green growth, and in acknowledgment of Iran’s pressing environmental challenges, the two sides intend to:
– Establish bilateral co-operation to address air, soil and water pollution, water resource management, conservation and the sustainable use of nature, biodiversity, desertification, and waste disposal management issues.
– Exchange experience, with a view to identifying appropriate policy responses, including projects to tackle cross-border pollution.
– Strengthen co-operation in international environmental forums, including in the framework of multilateral environmental agreements.

Iran, EU Resume Environmental Cooperation

By
Golrokh Askarieh
-

The agreement was reached in a meeting in Tehran on Sunday between Iran’s Head of the Department of Environment Massoumeh Ebtekar, and visiting EU Commissioner for the Environment Karmenu Vella.

“Iran is willing to use global experience in the field of green economy in order to forge a link between the environment and development, and move towards sustainable development,” Ebtekar said.

“Dust and sand storms have affected health, the economy and the environment of Asian, African and European countries. There is a need for global cooperation to fight the phenomenon scientifically,” she added.

Referring to the Ramsar, Basel and Stockholm Conventions in Tehran, Ebtekar called on the EU to cooperate with Tehran to remove environmental problems in the region in line with those conventions.

For his part, the EU Commissioner for the Environment said the new opportunity that has been created in the post-sanctions era [which started on January 16 as anti-Iran sanctions were lifted] should be seized for multilateral cooperation on the environment.

“The EU is implementing policies on protecting the environment all over the world, without considering political and geographical borders,” Vella added.

The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the Convention was signed in 1971.

The Basel Convention is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the movement of hazardous waste between nations.

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an international environmental treaty, signed in 2001 and effective from May 2004, that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants.

Iranians Should Sense JCPOA Results: Zarif

By
Golrokh Askarieh
-

“The people of Iran should sense the results of the nuclear agreement as soon as possible, otherwise they will question the usefulness of the deal for Iranians,” Zarif said Saturday at a joint press conference with the European Union’s Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini in Tehran.

“It is necessary for the other side, particularly the US, to honor its commitments in practice, not on paper,” he stressed.

Since one of the main purposes of the JCPOA was to enable Iran to regain access to international financial systems, Tehran will mount pressure on Washington to set the ground for non-American banks to cooperate with Iran.

The JCPOA excludes American banks, but the US has given a commitment not to hamper relations between other banks Iran, Zarif stated.

He further said that the main field of cooperation between Iran and the EU would be ensuring the implementation of the JCPOA, the lasting nuclear deal between Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) that took effect on January 16.

“We are confident that the European Union has political and economic interests in the implementation of the JCPOA. We will cooperate with the EU on the removal of obstacles and full implementation of the JCPOA,” the top Iranian diplomat went on to say.

Heading a high-ranking economic and political delegation, Mogherini arrived in Tehran on Saturday to meet senior Iranian officials and discuss issues of mutual interest, including the JCPOA and regional developments.

Iran’s Diplomacy, Armed Forces Following Same Goal: Rouhani

By
Golrokh Askarieh
-

“Our diplomacy and Armed Forces pursue the same goal: national security, national might, stability, and development in the country,” Rouhani said in an address to the Iranian Army’s military parade in Tehran held on the occasion of Iran’s National Army Day.

“We have the book, logic, prudence, and rationality in one hand, and the sword in the other hand, and we see these two beside each other,” the Iranian president noted.

“If the Armed Forces serve to counter any aggression on our national interests, our diplomacy also aims to safeguard the Iranian nation’s rights in the arena of negotiation,” he added, stressing that the country needs soft power and hard power together.

“As Armed Forces well defended the nation’s rights during the eight-year Sacred Defense (Iraqi imposed war on Iran in the 1980s), our diplomats also bravely and powerfully protected the nation’s rights at the negotiating table against world powers,” he went on to say.

President Rouhani said Iran’s objective in the recent nuclear negotiations was to maintain and reinforce Iran’s military might, adding, “Those who say we do not need hard power are naïve people, and those who reject the need for soft power have a short-sighted view.”

He also referred to his recent remarks at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit held in Turkey’s Istanbul earlier this week, saying, “There I clearly stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military, political, and economic might is not (aimed at being used) against its neighbors and the Muslim world’s countries.”

“Italy to invest 4bn Euros in Iranian Rail”

By
Golrokh Askarieh
-

Advisor for the ITINERA S.P.A company for international affairs Pino Arlacchi told IRNA on Sunday that he has signed agreements with two leading Iranian transporation companies.

He said the company is preparing to enter next phases of investment projects related to banking and insurance issues.

He said he saw no real obstacles in promoting transactions with Iran as his company could use euro instead of dollar in transactions with Iran.

A senior official in Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Abbas Nazari said Italy is to join two railway construction projects in Iran.

Director General of the Organization for International Affairs Abbas Nazari said based on an agreement signed with Italian companies, they are to contribute in construction of flash trains travelling between the cities of Qom and Arak and also between Tehran and Hamedan.

He said Iran and Italy are also to cooperate in building an engine test center in Tehran and setting up training courses.

According to the official, the projects are to receive insurance coverage from Italy’s Sace Company.

Iranian officials had already announced that Italian insurance agency Servizi Assicurativi del Commercio Estero (SACE) is ready to cover Tehran-Rome deals up to an unlimited ceiling.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, heading a 250-member political and economic delegation, arrived in Tehran on April 12.

Iran, Venezuela must boost international cooperation: Zarif

By
Golrokh Askarieh
-

In a meeting with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez in Tehran on Saturday, Zarif said Tehran has always maintained good relations with Caracas.

“We are ready to further enhance mutual relations within the framework of common interests,” the Iranian minister said.

He added that the imposed sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program have caused problems for the country in the oil sector, saying that Tehran currently seeks to revive its previous capacities.

Zarif said he would pay a visit to Latin American countries and Venezuela in particular to hold more consultations with his Venezuelan counterpart on finding new capacities for cooperation.

The Venezuelan foreign minister, for her part, said in talks between Caracas and member countries of the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), they have always recognized Iran’s right to return its oil production ceiling to the previous figure.

OPEC said on April 13 that Iranian crude production in March was 3.3 million barrels per day (mb/d), up from 2.9 million in January.

Iran has maintained that it is targeting the production of 4 mb/d in the new Iranian year (started March 20).

Rodriguez said Venezuela was keen to bolster cooperation with Iran in medical, banking and mineral sectors and hold more consultations about ways to develop the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

Jahangiri: Iran sees no limits in enhancing ties with Venezuela

By
Golrokh Askarieh
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He made the remarks in a meeting with Venezuelan Vice President for Economic Affairs Miguel Pérez Abad.

He stressed that the two countries enjoy strategic and all out relations.

Noting that the Iranian nation has been exposed to many political and economic pressures after the victory of the Islamic Revolution and said Iran has now managed to reduce its reliance on oil revenues and is able to meet its needs for foodstuff and many other strategic areas using domestic resources.

Pointing to sharp drop in oil prices, he said all oil producing countries should try to make this strategic in order to push up oil prices.

The Venezuelan official stressed the interest of his country in expanding mutual relations.

She also handed to Jahangiri the written messages of the Venezuelan President Nicola Maduro for Iran’s Supreme Leader and President.

Green Film Fest to promote environment protection: Ebtekar

By
Golrokh Askarieh
-

Art, as an important tool, can greatly promote environmental protection efforts, said Masoumeh Ebtekar on Satursday.

The International Green Film Festival is going to encourage people to protect the environment,’ Ebtekar added.

The Vice President called on all interested parties across Iran to help the festival score a big success.

‘We ask for the extensive cooperation of all provinces to make the festival a real success” she said.

Many films have been sent to the national and international sections of the festival and this demonstrates how eager artists are to participate in the environmental event, she said.

Iran’s 5th International Green Film Festival will occur between 13 and 20 May 2016 in Tehran and other major cities.

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