Kharrazi: West needs to get familiar with real Islam

By

-

November 22, 2015

The West needs to be familiarized with real Islam, not what the extremist groups, which are supported by some regional countries, are portraying, said the head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations.

“In order to confront the terrorism Europe faces, the first step is to cut off the financial and military aid provided to the terrorists by certain regional countries,” Kamal Kharrazi told visiting Chairman of the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Crispin Blunt on Saturday.

Blunt accompanied by a British parliamentary delegation is in Tehran on a three-day visit.

“Certain countries follow a strategy of promoting Wahhabism in other countries by establishing religious schools that brainwash young people, especially in poorer nations,” Kharrazi said, adding that such institutions should be banned.

Many graduates of these religious schools are under the influence of Wahhabism, as is the case with many terrorist groups operating in the Middle East today, he said.

Kharrazi said that Western countries have turned a blind eye on such activities.

“These activities have created instability in the region and other parts of the world, including in Europe,” he added.

For their part, members of the British parliamentary delegation hailed the nuclear deal between Iran and P5+1, expressing hope that the agreement could pave the way for further expansion of ties between the Islamic Republic and the West.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 22

By

Golrokh Askarieh

-

November 22, 2015

Comments by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif – at a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the UN – that the two recent UN resolutions against Iran were among the bitter comedies of our time made front page headlines in Iranian newspapers on Sunday. The Iranian dailies also gave coverage to a ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and Iran’s proposals for the global energy markets.

Ettela’at: The holy objective of human rights should not be used as a tool for political purposes, said the foreign minister at a ceremony in Tehran to mark the 70^th anniversary of the United Nations establishment.

Mohammad Javad Zarif further said that a rights resolution against Iran was approved through undemocratic methods, adding this shows such measures lack credibility.

Highlights of Ettela’at newspaper on Nov. 22

Abrar: Rouhani will host seven presidents in Tehran [in the summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum on Monday].

Abrar-e Eghtesadi: Iran, China and four Asian countries will be connected via rail along the ancient Silk Road.

Afarinesh: The time has come to an end for adopting double-standard policies on the region, said Speaker Ali Larijani in a meeting with the chair of the UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

Arman-e Emrooz: Rumormongering about the departure of the industry minister

Will the president make good on his promise in May? Will [Mohammad Reza] Nematzadeh leave office?

Asrar: People are not aware of their civil rights, said the director of the Administrative Court of Justice.

Asrar: There is one bank branch for every 3,650 Iranians.

Bahar: Tehran Governor General has ordered the report on Varamin incident be made public, saying that the pressure group will be referred to judicial officials.

Varamin MP Hossein Naghavi Hosseini: Calm is the order of the day. Why do you make a fuss?

Naghavi Hosseini has been expelled from the Followers of the Leader [Rahrovan-e Velayat], a principlist caucus in the Islamic Consultative Assembly.

Bahar: The health minister has called for the Healthcare Transformation Plan to be critiqued fairly.

Ebtekar: Six orders of Iran’s oil minister for the world’s energy market

Etemad: “Oil is more important or gas?” Zanganeh: Wisdom!

Etemad: Tehran Governor General has called – in a letter to his deputy – for an investigation into what happened in Varamin on Friday, saying the report should be ready by Monday noon.

[An authorized gathering of Reformists in Varamin, Tehran Province on Friday came under attack allegedly by hardline Principlists who tried to disrupt the gathering].

Farhikhtegan: Chief of Staff of the Iranian armed forces Major General Hassan Firouzabadi has said that the fight in Syria should be transparent.

He further said that we need to learn a lesson from the brave, transparent presence of the Russians in Syria and that other powers should be transparently present in the fight against ISIS.

Iran: Court revealed the true intentions of Babak Zanjani [who is on trial for massive corruption].

Questions by the judge in the case of Babak Zanjani challenged the so-called oil defendant.

Javan: Basij is not dependent on government budget, said Mohammad Reza Naghdi, the commander of the volunteer force.

Jomhouri Islami: “Daesh [has a mother: the invasion of Iraq. But it also] has a father: Saudi Arabia [and its religious-industrial complex],” wrote The New York Times.

Kaenat: Iran and Germany stress the need for normalization of banking relations.

Kar va Kargar: The trip by President Putin to Tehran is a big step toward [boosting] mutual ties, said the Iranian ambassador to Moscow.

Kayhan: The Intelligence Ministry has announced that its agents have busted two terrorist groups near the country’s eastern and northwestern borders.

Resalat: Those who have nurtured ISIS blame those who take on ISIS, said the Iranian top diplomat.

FM Zarif: Those countries which know nothing about elections speak of free elections in Syria.

Rooyesh Mellat: The oil minister has said that raising crude exports is Iran’s inalienable right.

Saheb Ghalam: The minister of culture and Islamic guidance has said that international auctions will be held in Iran.

Shahrvand: The controversy over the release of an image showing a man taking drugs in Tehran Subway

Tehran’s subway system has turned into a corridor of social ills.

Highlights of Ettela’at newspaper on Nov. 22

By

Golrokh Askarieh

-

November 22, 2015

♦ The holy objective of human rights should not be used as a tool for political purposes, said the foreign minister at a ceremony in Tehran to mark the 70^th anniversary of the United Nations establishment.

Mohammad Javad Zarif further said that a rights resolution against Iran was approved through undemocratic methods, adding this shows such measures lack credibility.

♦ The winners of the Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Award [presented yearly to the best Iranian authors] were announced.

♦ The prosecutor general has sounded a note of warning to unauthorized financial institutes.

Ebrahim Raeisi has said that the unauthorized financial institutes should adapt themselves to the country’s monetary and financial system and act within the frameworks set by the Central Bank or they will risk shutdown.

♦ Foreign Policy: “With allies like this [Saudi Arabia], who needs enemies?”

The US magazine wrote in an article (November 20): “Since the 1970s, the Saudi government and its allied religious establishment have exported their extremist version of Sunni Islam around the world — all financed by their oil money.”

♦ The Iranian oil minister has put forward six proposals for [adoption by] the gas exporting countries.

Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said in a ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) that Iran’s does not need the permission of OPEC or any other organization to raise its crude exports to global markets.

♦ The second-in-command in the Iranian navy has said that the naval forces are prepared to counter any threat [against the country].

Rear Admiral Seyyed Mahmoud Mousavi told Ettela’at that Iran constantly monitors the activities and movements of other countries in regional and international waters.

♦ Iran posted a 4.8 percent increase in the number of births in the six months to September 23.

The country’s death rate was down by 9.8 percent in the same period.

Breathtaking fall scenery in Botanical Garden (PHOTOS)

By

Fatemeh Askarieh

-

November 22, 2015

The National Botanical Garden in suburban Tehran is the largest in the Middle East.

The garden, which is 145 hectares in area, also doubles as a genetic bank for plants which are on the verge of extinction.

The following images of the fall in the garden have been released by Young Journalists Club:

Anti-Iran Resolutions “Historical Jokes”: Zarif

By

Golrokh Askarieh

-

November 22, 2015

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday lashed out at the United Nations Human Rights Committee’s recent resolutions against Iran.

On Thursday, the committee adopted a resolution, authored by Saudi Arabia and co-sponsored by Qatar and some other Arab countries, the United States and other Western powers, which condemns attacks against what it describes as the Syrian moderate opposition and accuses Iran and Russia of interfering in Syria.

The committee also adopted a resolution with 76 votes in favor, 35 against and 68 abstentions, which accuses Iran of human rights violations.

Speaking at a conference held in Tehran to celebrate the 70th establishment anniversary of the UN, Zarif deplored such resolutions as “jokes of history”.

He said countries with no idea about constitution or elections are talking about free elections in Syria.

“Those who have nurtured Daesh (ISIL) are criticizing those who are fighting Daesh,” the Iranian minister regretted.

“Unfortunately they get votes because of certain considerations,” Zarif said, lashing out at the countries that vote in favor of such resolutions.

Iranian UN envoy had also earlier slammed the resolution against Tehran and Moscow, saying the move would only discredit the UN.

The non-binding resolution is aimed at undermining the campaign against terrorism and extremism and will only discredit the UN and its General Assembly, Iran’s Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Gholamhossein Dehghani said on Friday.

Iran is active in Syria upon an official request made by the Syrian government to provide consultations to the war-hit country, he noted.

Dehghani also rejected the UN resolution containing allegations of human rights violations against Tehran as unsubstantiated, describing it as a result of Iranophobic policies.

The Canada-drafted resolution that contains spurious allegations against Iran reveals an attempt at “selective and political” distortion of the facts about Iran, he added.

Iran Condemns Mali Terror Attack

By

Golrokh Askarieh

-

November 22, 2015

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has condemned Friday’s terrorist attack on a hotel in the Malian capital of Bamako that killed 19 people.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari expressed sympathy on Saturday with Mali’s government and nation on the deaths of innocent people in the terrorist incident.

Describing extremism and terrorism as common threats to the world, the spokesman called for concerted efforts by all countries in the fight against the inhumane phenomena.

On Friday, heavily armed gunmen stormed the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, seizing scores of hostages and leaving bodies strewn across the building.

Terrorist groups al-Mourabitoun and al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack, which ended when Malian commandos entered the building and rescued 170 people, many of them foreigners.

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said two militants were killed in the commando operation.

His government increased security at strategic points around Bamako at the start of a declared 10-day state of emergency.

West must stop supporting terrorists: Iran’s Larijani

By

Golrokh Askarieh

-

November 22, 2015

Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has slammed the West’s double standards in the Middle East, calling for an end to foreign support for terrorists operating in the region.

“If Western countries seek to fight terrorism, they must first change the existing mindset toward them because regional countries believe that the West is using the issue of terrorism as a tool [to achieve their objectives],” Larijani said in a meeting with Chair of the UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Crispin Blunt in Tehran on Saturday.

Larijani said that Western countries need to ask their regional allies to stop providing the terrorist groups with weapons and oil.

The Iranian Majlis speaker also stressed the importance of developing a common understanding about ways to battle Daesh Takfiris and other terrorist groups.

Larijani emphasized that regional nations have no trust in Western states due to their double standards in the Middle East.

He said sustainable security should be established in the region, adding, “Interference of countries such as the United States has not only failed to restore stability in the region, but intensified problems of [regional] states.”

The British parliamentarian, for his part, said insecurity and instability in the Middle East would be detrimental to all countries in the world.

He added that Britain seeks to prevent the spread of terrorism with the help of major regional countries like Iran.

Time is ripe for the establishment of stability in the Middle East, Blunt said.

He also stressed that London seeks to restore its relations with regional countries.

Heading a parliamentary delegation, Blunt arrived in Tehran on Friday for a three-day visit at the invitation of Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian Parliament.

Adeli again picked as GECF secretary-general

By

Golrokh Askarieh

-

November 22, 2015

Mohammad Hossein Adeli, the Iranian secretary-general of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), was reinstated on Saturday.

Adeli was elected as GECF secretary-general for a second two-year term in a foreign ministerial meeting of GECF member states in Tehran.

Adeli presented a report to the participants about his activities over the past two years he led the organization.

The GECF also picked Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh as deputy chairman and Qatar’s Minister of Energy and Industry Mohammed Saleh Al Sada as chairman of the Forum.

Azerbaijan was given the status of an observer in the GECF.

The third Summit of leaders of the GECF member states will be held in Tehran on 23 November in which the heads of states of nine countries will participate.

So far, the presence of the presidents of Bolivia, Russia, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Venezuela and Iraq has been confirmed. Turkmen president will also attend Monday’s meeting as a special guest.

Russia, Iran, Qatar, Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, and the United Arab Emirates are the main members of the gas exporting body. Observer countries are the Netherlands, Iraq, Oman, Peru, Azerbaijan and Norway.

GECF members account for 42 percent of global gas output, 70 percent of global gas reserves, 40 percent of piped gas transfer, and 65 percent of global trade of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Did Paris fall victim to a faulty trend or a decision?

By

Emad Askarieh

-

November 21, 2015

IS does not pose a direct threat to Iran and the country should not join the anti-terrorism coalition, an Iranian expert in Middle Eastern affairs has said.

In a world where there are different readings, and stances are subject to swift change, it’s not a calculated move to join a fluid current whose direction, strategy and tactics are not well defined, Seyyed Ali Moujani said, adding such a move may be carrying a hefty price tag.

Following the telephone conversation between the Iranian and French presidents in the aftermath of the Paris terrorist attacks, in which President Rouhani voiced Iran’s readiness to join France in the fight against terrorism anywhere in the world, some Western diplomats suggested that Iran is likely to join the anti-IS coalition.

Even at home, given comments by the Iraqi foreign minister that IS had threatened Iran, some experts brought up the issue of direct confrontation between Iran and the terrorist grouping, though some described it as utterly wrong and said that Iran shouldn’t walk down that path.

Should Iran join the anti-IS coalition? Should Iran shift its strategy in dealing with IS and get involved in a direct battle against the terrorist group?

In an interview with Fararu.com, Seyyed Ali Moujani, a researcher and author of “Roots of the Revival of the Islamic Caliphate and its Geopolitical Impact”, has talked about terrorism in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks. The following is the translation of his remarks in the interview that was published by the news website on November 21:

It seems that there is no cohesion in the words of the countries that are fighting terrorists, especially IS. Instead, there is a great deal of confusion.

For instance, we initially heard President Hollande say that France sought to fight terrorism, but only 48 hours later, he said that IS had declared war on France.

I believe in a big European capital which fell victim to terrorism, it has not been clear whether what happened stemmed from a faulty trend or a decision.

Iran has encountered different forms of terrorism in the post-revolution era. To us, terrorism is not a black or white, good or bad concept. To Iran, a nation’s resistance in the face of invaders does not constitute terrorism.

But to some countries which talk about the fight against terrorism, the resistance of people in South Lebanon in the face of occupation or that of the Afghan and Iraqi nations is deemed as terrorism. Interestingly, their interpretation is in contrast with the historical traditions of their own countries.

For instance, the leaders of the anti-Nazi resistance movement in France destroyed the country’s roads and bridges and killed French nationals only to stop the Nazi Army from overrunning the country and dealing a blow to the French sovereignty.

Therefore resistance is an admirable concept to the Iranians, whereas the anti-terror coalition views – without any dissection – any entity that stands up to it as terroristic one way or another unless it bows to the coalition or reaches a deal with it in which case acts of terrorism would be negotiable with terrorists. Talks between the US and the Taliban fall into that category.

These double standards and the lack of a detailed mentality do not allow Iran to take risks and board a wayward ship in choppy seas sailing against headwinds.

As for whether Iran should single-handedly take on IS or continue the current trend, I would say IS is growing in our backyard. What we need to pay attention to is that we should contribute to political, security and social stability in the region.

The present circumstances pose no direct threat to Iran, but IS is a major socio-cultural threat to the country.

If the unholy phenomenon of IS lives long, it can have a deep cultural impact on Iran’s neighbors and stoke ethnic, factional and tribal tensions.

In light of the fact that Iran is a country of ethnic, linguistic, religious and factional diversity, we need to tread very cautiously and take measures to soothe regional conditions and counter the cultural impacts IS seeks to leave in its wake. We also need to use these tools to stop violence in the region.

JCPOA sets the stage for Iran’s interaction with the rest of the world

By

IFP Editorial Staff

-

November 21, 2015

The minister of culture and Islamic guidance has said that opportunities have emerged for closer cultural ties between Iran and the rest of the world, adding that other countries including Italy are seeking to have cultural interactions with the Islamic Republic.

Ali Jannati made the remark at a ceremony in the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMOCA) on Friday to preview “In Quest of the Missing”, a collection of artworks by the late Farideh Lashai, a painter, writer and translator. Honaronline.ir on November 21 published a report on the ceremony which was also attended by Deputy Culture Minister for Artistic Affairs Ali Moradkhani and a host of Iranian and foreign guests, and remarks by the culture minister there.

The following is the translation of part of that report:

The culture minister said that Farideh Lashai is a world-class, influential artist, adding this exhibition which brings together her works from different centers and collections is of great significance.

Jannati pointed to the conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and said that JCPOA has undoubtedly had an impact on political, economic, cultural and artistic fronts. “It can set the stage for development of culture and art, and establishment of international interactions between [nations on different fronts including] culture and art.”

The minister then expressed hope that his ministry can introduce and promote Iran’s art to the world more than ever.

The culture chief also said that the letter of understanding the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art has signed with Germany’s Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation shows that the stage is set for artistic interaction [between Tehran and Berlin], adding that other nations such as Italy have called for [showcasing] TMOCA artworks and for the cultural interactions between with Tehran.

Majid Mola Norouzi, the head of the Culture Ministry’s Visual Arts Department, addressed the same ceremony and said the exhibition at the museum is different from the previous ones for having two Italian and Iranian curators working together.

He added that Mr. Germano Celant – who is a top European curator – and Ms. Faryar Javaherian will jointly be in charge of this exhibition.

As many as 130 works of Farideh Lashai, including paintings, video arts, glassworks and crystal designing, will be on display along with 40 other works at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (November 21 – February 26).

Farideh Lashai, born in Rasht in 1944, came to Tehran with her family in 1950. At 19, she went to Germany to continue her studies. For a while she studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and then went to the school of translation.

While in Germany, she was inspired by Bertolt Brecht, a German poet. In 1966, she went to Austria and worked in the Riedel Company, a famous glass company in southern Austria, where she also learnt crystal designing and engraving.

In addition to creating artistic works, Farideh Lashai spent a lot of time on literature. She held her first solo exhibition in 1974 in Tehran Gallery which mainly focused on nature.

In the 1990s and 2000s, she had a stronger presence in the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art.

She passed away on February 24, 2013 [after a long battle with cancer] at the age of 68.

[Farideh Lashai is renowned for her abstract contemporary paintings, which are a combination of traditional and contemporary views of nature.]

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

Kharrazi: West needs to get familiar with real Islam

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 22

Highlights of Ettela’at newspaper on Nov. 22

Highlights of Ettela’at newspaper on Nov. 22

Breathtaking fall scenery in Botanical Garden (PHOTOS)

Anti-Iran Resolutions “Historical Jokes”: Zarif

Iran Condemns Mali Terror Attack

West must stop supporting terrorists: Iran’s Larijani

Adeli again picked as GECF secretary-general

Did Paris fall victim to a faulty trend or a decision?

JCPOA sets the stage for Iran’s interaction with the rest of the world

About Us

Popular Articles

Smoked Mozzarella Recipes (5 Recipes!)

Iranian woman sets record by making 137 types of jam

Editor Picks

Tehran unveils “Kneeling Before Iran” monument at Enghelab Square

Iran marks Khorramshahr liberation anniversary