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

Iran News
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- Human Rights
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- Lifestyle
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Culture
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Home Blog Page 4677

Zarif comes back home from Pakistan visit

December 10, 2015

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif returned home on Wednesday evening after his two-day visit to Islamabad.

Zarif visited the Pakistani capital to attend the Heart of Asia-The Istanbul Process Ministerial Conference aimed at discussing ways of helping the Afghan government solve its problems.

The conference was attended by top officials and representatives from more than 40 countries, including Afghanistan’s neighbors, some European countries and the United States.

In addition to delivering speeches at the foreign ministerial conference and on the sidelines of the meeting, the foreign minister held bilateral talks with his counterparts and heads of state from some participating countries.

Zarif held talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Zarif also discussed issues of mutual interest as well as the latest regional and international issues in separate meetings with his Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Tajik and Afghan counterparts.

The visit to Pakistan was Zarif’s fourth visit to Iran’s eastern neighbor since he took office two years ago.

Rouhani slams Trump’s Islamophobic rhetoric

Golrokh Askarieh

December 10, 2015

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says those who make anti-Muslim allegations under the pretext of fighting terrorism are themselves supporters of terrorism.

“Unfortunately, today, certain individuals across the world, under the pretext of combating terrorism, announce that Muslims should not be allowed into other countries and this is while these individuals are themselves among founders and supporters of terrorism,” President Rouhani said in reaction to Islamophobic and xenophobic rhetoric by US presidential hopeful Donald Trump on Wednesday.

He added that those aiding terrorist groups should be held accountable for the crimes committed by terrorists.

Trump, the leading candidate for Republican presidential nomination, on Monday called for a ban on Muslims entering the US, the latest in a series of bigoted remarks about Muslims and non-European immigrants on his campaign trail.

Trump, whose campaign has been marked by controversy from the beginning, stood by his anti-Muslim proposal on Tuesday, saying it was a temporary move in response to last week’s mass shooting in San Bernardino, California.

[…]

Ardestan Grand Mosque (PHOTOS)

Fatemeh Askarieh

December 10, 2015

Ardestan Grand Mosque is a historical monument in the northern part of Isfahan Province.

The Muslim house of worship which was built by Master Mahmoud Esfahani dates back to the Seljuq era (1037–1194).

It is one of the oldest mosques in Iran and the first two-story and the second four-portico mosque in the world of Islam.

The following images of the mosque have been released by Mehr News Agency:

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The cooking of 80-ton pottage in Shiraz (PHOTOS)

Fatemeh Askarieh

December 9, 2015

Preparations to cook the biggest pottage in the world are underway in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz.

Cooking pottage and distributing it as votive food is an age-old tradition to mark the demise anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad.

This year the end product is expected to weigh 80 tons, making it the biggest pottage in the world ever.

The following images have been released by Mehr News Agency:

A word with a president who appreciates our problems

Emad Askarieh

December 9, 2015

The republication by Ettela’at newspaper on December 6 of an interview former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami gave to Lebanon’s As-Safir’s daily has stirred a controversy, prompting the Culture and Media Court to bring charges against Ettela’at daily’s Managing Editor Mahmoud Doaei, calling for his case to be heard at the Special Court for the Clergy.

In reaction, Ettela’at chief released a letter to President Rouhani explaining his reasons behind the re-release of the interview conducted by Lebanon’s leading Arabic-language newspaper. The following is the translation of part of Doaei’s letter addressed to the president and those who have become “overjoyed” or “concerned” by the court’s decision:

[…]

Following the republication in Ettela’at newspaper of an interview the former Iranian president gave to the editor-in-chief of Lebanon’s As-Safir, the head of the Culture and Media Court filed charges against me and called for the case to be heard at the Special Court for the Clergy.

In the meantime, certain media and websites denounced as illegal (!) the release of the interview and – in an overjoyed manner – went as far as ask for the case to be heard in the court. It came despite the fact that no legislative institution has ever made any law on this, and the Supreme National Security Council has openly announced that it has made no decision.

A while ago, the esteemed Tehran Prosecutor called – in a meeting attended by a number of managing editors, including me – for a ban on the release of news stories about and images of Mr. Khatami. At the same meeting, I said that Ettela’at newspaper did not accept that call. I argued that such a decision is based on [personal] taste, not laws.

I also said that Ettela’at will proceed – while keeping its distance from ballyhoo – with its logical trend in releasing news reports on Mr. Khatami who is a popular, noble and cultured revolutionary figure and an old friend of the [late] Imam and the Supreme Leader, stressing that the daily views its coverage [of materials on the cultured figures] as a service to the establishment, revolution and people.

[…]

The Public and Revolutionary Courts Act, adopted on July 6, 1994, has outlined the responsibilities and powers of the prosecutor […]. This reveals that the decision by Tehran’s Public and Revolutionary Courts Prosecutor Mr. Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi in placing a limit on the freedom of mass media, including IRIB and the press, and barring them from mentioning the name and releasing the image of Mr. Khatami, the former Iranian president, runs counter to the principles which stipulate the former president’s basic constitutional rights as a citizen.

Such a decision also amounts to violation by the prosecutor of the principles of the law, such as the legality of punishments, and the law on respect for legitimate freedoms and civil rights adopted in 2004.

Given the powers Article 113 of the Constitution bestows upon the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, you are expected to interact with the Judiciary chief so that necessary measures are taken to stop the illegal trend [of putting limitations on media].

[Article 113: After the office of Leadership, the President is the highest official in the country. His is the responsibility for implementing the Constitution and acting as the head of the executive, except in matters directly concerned with the office of the Leadership.]

Migratory birds in Zayandeh Rood River (PHOTOS)

Fatemeh Askarieh

December 9, 2015

A week after water began flowing again on the river bed of Zayandeh Rood in central Iran, thousands of migratory birds have descended on the river to claim a share of the joy of humans residing on the banks of the river.

The following images have been released by different news websites:

I disagree with you, Mr. President!

Golrokh Askarieh

December 9, 2015

President Rouhani has appealed to university students to “critique authority”, telling them that “criticizing some institutions is a bit difficult, so lead off with the Executive branch and the president”.

President Rouhani made the call as he addressed students at a ceremony at Sharif University of Technology on December 7. In reaction to the president’s comments on critiquing those in power, Sadegh Zibakalam – a political analyst and a university professor – has said that people’s representatives in parliament, not university students, should analyze and assess the performance of the government.

The following is the translation of a piece by Zibakalam Arman daily published on December 8:

On Monday, the president was among students at Sharif University of Technology to mark Student Day. President Rouhani brought up issues at the university which received a hearty welcome from the audience.

The fact of the matter is that December 7 and his speech marking Student Day provided the president with the opportunity to indirectly broach his ideas and viewpoints, among them his statements on the accountability of the power structure. The president said that no office holder can shy away from accountability.

Basically authority comes with accountability. You cannot wield power but fail to account for the decisions you make simply because of the power you exercise.

The president also focused on critiquing authority and placed the main burden for critically analyzing the power on the shoulders of universities. I do not see eye to eye with the president on this subject and believe that the role universities are expected to play is clear and defined from a sociological perspective. University is a place where science and research should be developed.

The critique Mr. Rouhani has raised should happen, but universities are not supposed to place such a critique top on their agenda. Authority should be critiqued by parliament which is the most important institution in a democratic system. In other words, people are the ones who are expected to critique the government and the latter should be accountable to the former.

It is quite natural that the government cannot be answerable to all members of society, thus parliament [which represents people] should hold the government accountable. In an undemocratic system, the government does not feel accountable for what it has done or has failed to do.

The other way around, in a parliamentary democracy the representatives of people and in a later stage media outlets should critique authority as well as the policies and decisions of the government.

University professors and students can critique authority, but it should not be forgotten that such a responsibility is placed on universities when political groups, parties and parliament turn into rubber-stamp institutions. Such a parliament does have room for individuals like Mohammad Mosaddegh [an Iranian prime minister who championed the nationalization of the oil industry], Seyyed Hassan Modarres [a notable cleric who supported the Iranian Constitutional Revolution] and Mehdi Bazargan [the first Iranian prime minister after the victory of the Islamic Revolution].

The fact is that independent and freedom-seeking deputies should be given a seat in parliament, those who fear no one and can critique state officials and political movers and shakers.

By and large, the president floated the question of critiquing authority and the accountability of officials. That such a question has been raised was quite helpful. We should be happy and thank God that he raises such issues, simply talking about such issues is not enough, though.

Turkey’s troop deployment to implement a dangerous plot

Golrokh Askarieh

December 9, 2015

Turkish troops with tanks and armored personnel carriers crossed the border into Iraq in early December and took up position in a camp near the Daesh-held northern city of Mosul.

On December 8, Javanonline published an analysis on one possible motive behind Ankara’s move. The following is the translation of part of that analysis:

Sources close to Popular Forces [fighting alongside the Iraqi Army against Daesh terrorists] have revealed that fugitive [former vice-president] Tariq al-Hashimi has returned to Iraq along with Turkish military forces and is based in the camp of Zalkan near Mosul.

The same sources say that al-Hashimi is in touch with former parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi as well as Atheel al-Nujaifi, a former governor of Nineveh Governorate who stands accused of playing a role in the fall of Iraq’s second largest city to Daesh militants.

Hashimi was sentenced to death three times by the Iraqi Judiciary after being found guilty of leading assassination squads and ordering terrorist explosions. As a result of terrorist acts in which Hashimi was implicated, a large number of Iraqi citizens, mostly Shiites, lost their lives.

These sources say that Osama al-Nujaifi and Atheel al-Nujaifi act in coordination with the Turkish intelligence and Army. They are said to have cooperated with al-Hashimi in setting the stage for Turkish troop deployment to Iraqi soil.

The Turkish military presence near Mosul is meant to prevent Popular Forces from closing in on the city to wrest its control from Daesh militants. It is also designed to provide enough manpower for a US and Turkey-backed initiative to declare a Sunni region in Iraq after Mosul and al-Ramadi have been liberated.

The same sources say that the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, specifically its president Masoud Barzani, is a key coordinator between Turkish officials, leader of al-Hashd al-Watani and the US military for the deployment of Turkish forces near Mosul.

They say that Turkish forces used the cover of night to advance deep into the Iraq soil and opted for a new blackout before they officially announced their presence on Iraqi soil.

A spokesman for the so-called Nineveh Liberation Forces has said that Turkish troops are preparing to help the international coalition retake Mosul from Daesh militants and to that end Baghdad is expected to send in more troops.

The revelations about contacts between al-Hashimi and Osama al-Nujaifi and Atheel al-Nujaifi with the US and Turkey ahead of and during the Turkish incursion into Iraq come at a time when the United States says that it plays no role in this, and that Turkish military deployment in Iraq is not part of the operations of the international anti-terror coalition.

Turkish officials, who say that they shot down a Russian bomber in November for violating their country’s airspace, say their military incursion deep into the Iraqi territory is designed to take on Daesh. Given the previous revelations about Ankara’s ties with and support for the Daesh terrorist grouping, Turkey’s claim sounds more of a joke than reality.

Principlist MP delivers wide-ranging speech on Student Day

Golrokh Askarieh

December 9, 2015

December 7 was Student Day in Iran. Universities across the country hosted ceremonies, including speeches by prominent figures, to mark the occasion. Tehran MP Ali Motahari delivered one such speech at the capital’s Shahid Beheshti University.

The following are the highlights of his speech Tabnak.ir, an Iranian news website, quoted the principlist deputy as saying:

The question is whether we still need to have a student movement. We do not seek to bring about regime change, all we are after is to reform the system. The answer to the question above is in the affirmative: We always need to have a student movement, because authority needs to be critiqued, otherwise governments grow corrupt.

Authority always needs to be critiqued, but in doing so certain manners should be observed. When you are critiquing something or [the performance of] someone you should have thorough knowledge about the question at issue and be fair as well. Criticism stands somewhere between cajolery and mudslinging, we are in the habit of the latter though.

Students should not mince their words; neither should they try to swim with the tide. Students should not be afflicted by the same problems they seek to remedy. They should not be shackled by wealth, power or sexual desires; after all, they are monitoring things in society.

We cannot build on the fact that our revolution has a leader to shirk our responsibility. The presence of the leader does not take away our responsibility. Depending on their status, everyone needs to critique and pursue reforms.

There are three things that may harm our society and the Islamic Revolution. One is misinterpreting the revolutionary concept of the rule of the religious jurisprudent. Some view this concept as a drag on democracy and freedom of expression. That is not the case, because this principle prescribes the rule of faith and ideology and not an individual.

In practice, we are dealing with holier-than-thou individuals who do not approve of any opinion opposed to that of the Leader. It comes despite the fact that the Supreme Leader has time and again said he has never asked anyone not to critique him.

Another misinterpretation in our society revolves around protection of the establishment. Some build on this principle [protection of the establishment] to seek to stamp out any opponent and critic. The so-called Serial Murders were one such example. A number of individuals killed Dariush Forouhar and his wife supposedly to protect the system. They [Dariush Forouhar and his wife] were entitled to their opinions, though.

We fail to pay enough attention to Chapter Three of the Constitution which focuses on the rights of people. Under this chapter eavesdropping, extrajudicial punishment and imprisonment without authorization are not legal. Unfortunately, the Islamic Consultative Assembly does not pay attention to this chapter. And if a foolish individual like me says something, they say Motahari has acted foolishly by making such comments.

In 2009 if authorities had issued permission for assemblies and if protesters had been given airtime on TV to air their grievances and get an answer, things could have been controlled and the establishment wouldn’t have had to pay such a heavy price.

Hijab is not limited to women. No one should deny the principle of Hijab. Our family system is based on Islam which has its own regulations. We cannot say that stimulation of sexual desires is ok but fulfillment of such desires is not. Otherwise, we have to open night clubs.

If you suggest that we reopen the night clubs and promote a Western lifestyle in society, that is your opinion, not Islam’s.

Serious relationships [between men and women] should fall within the framework of marriage, either permanent or temporary. Young men and women cannot have intimate relations outside that framework. […] That is what Islam prescribes. If you are suggesting otherwise, that is another thing.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Dec. 9

Golrokh Askarieh

December 9, 2015

The much-anticipated closure of Iran’s PMD file at the IAEA Board of Governors dominated the front pages of Iranian newspapers on Wednesday. The comments of the government spokesman in a news conference also appeared on the cover of dailies.

Ettela’at: P5+1 has called for Iran’s case at the International Atomic Energy Agency to be declared closed.

A PMD resolution drafted by P5+1 will be put to the vote at a December 14 meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors.

Highlights of Ettela’at newspaper on Dec. 9

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Dec. 9

Abrar: A motion introduced by a number of MPs calls for life imprisonment to replace the death penalty for individuals found guilty of drug smuggling.

Abrar-e Eghtesadi: Air France to resume flights to Tehran

Abrar-e Eghtesadi: Iran and Finland are to make joint investment in the field of trade.

Aftab-e Yazd: Rouhani’s bread and hope is better than Ahmadinejad’s bread and cheese, said a former advisor to the former president.

Mehdi Kalhor further said that the conduct of Ahmadinejad ran counter to the principles of justice.

He said the real nuclear progress was nailed down when the reformist government [of Mohammad Khatami] was in office.

Aftab-e Yazd: Even if the heavy rainfalls of recent weeks persisted for 30 years, the problem of water shortage in the country wouldn’t be solved, said Parviz Kardavani, the father of the country’s desert studies.

Arman-e Emrooz: The Iranian Army is to stage anti-terror maneuvers near Tehran.

Arman-e Emrooz: A historic decision by Seyyed Hassan Khomeini [the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic]

There is no reason not to run for the Assembly of Experts.

Asr-e Iranian: The secretary general of Iraq’s Badr Organization has vowed to destroy the tanks Erdogan has deployed on Iraqi soil.

Asr-e Rasaneh: An Iran-Oman gas deal will be signed soon.

Bahar: Mahmoud Doaei, the managing editor of Ettela’at daily, has said that he has received no warnings and that he would forge ahead with its current approach.

[It came after some principlist news agencies reported that Doaei has been summoned to the Special Clerical Court after his newspaper ran a report featuring the image of former President Mohammad Khatami at a time when the ban on coverage of news stories related to the reformist president remained in effect.]

Ebtekar: With measures to set up Book Courts, alarm bells have been sounded for plagiarists.

Eghtesad-e Pooya: In a meeting between the Iranian oil minister and the Russians, the largest Russian oil company has signaled its readiness to make investment in Iran.

Etemad: The government spokesman has said that the administration will take effective steps with regard to the house arrest [of the two presidential candidates who disputed the results of the 2009 vote and thus sparked massive unrest].

Ghanoon: This man can single-handedly render the US unsafe.

Donald Trump has called for a complete shutdown of Muslim entry to the US.

Hambastegi: The director of the National Tax Administration has said that he has not resigned, nor has he been replaced.

He further said VAT won’t increase next year.

Hamshahri: Some 150 MPs have thanked Tehran Municipality for offering services to Shiite pilgrims in neighboring Iraq for Arba’een ceremony.

Hemayat: The judiciary chief has criticized certain groups for putting pressure on the Guardian Council [ahead of elections].

Iran: The presence of three global automotive giants in Iran has been finalized, said the minister of industries, mines and trade at an Iran-Finland trade cooperation conference.

Jahan-e Sanat: Foreign investors have found their way to Isfahan and Mashhad.

A $350 million investment for development of the country’s airports

Javan: Seventy MPs want the death penalty to be removed from the anti-drugs law.

Jomhouri Islami: Three German, Swedish and French carmakers have agreed to make it to the Iran market after the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Jomhouri Islami: Tehran MP Ali Motahari has said that protecting the establishment should not be used as an excuse to set aside all opponents and critics.

Kayhan: Britain is still in the grips of flooding.

Khorasan: Some 7,000 Russian troops have taken up position near the border with Turkey.

Mardomsalari: To mark People with Disabilities Week, a center has been set up to support people with spinal cord injuries.

Resalat: The Guardian Council has informed the Interior Ministry of the software-related problems of electronic voting.

Rooyesh Mellat: Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to the Supreme Leader, has said that Iran won’t accept any new claims after the PMD case has been closed.

Shahrvand: The first vice-president had a busy schedule in Alborz Province Tuesday.

Billion-dollar attempts by some regional countries to foil the nuclear talks did not produce the intended result, Eshagh Jahangiri said.

SMT: Japan has expressed readiness to cooperate with Iranian motorcycle manufacturers.

Taadol: The possible military dimension (PMD) case plays a role in how next year’s spending package is drafted, the government spokesman said.

Mohammad Bagher Nobakht further said that P5+1 has closed Iran’s PMD case so the 12 resolutions the IAEA Board of Governors has issued against Iran will be revoked.

Vaghaye-e Etefaghiyeh: Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-e Ravanchi has said that the problem of LC and SWIFT will be settled and Iran’s frozen assets will be released next month.