Iranians given priority for investment in country: Rouhani

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September 27, 2015

Iranian investors and entrepreneurs are given precedence as far as making investment in the country’s economic sector is concerned, President Hassan Rouhani said.

“Iranian entrepreneurs, managers and investors, both inside and outside the country, always take priority when it comes to presence in different economic areas in the country,” said President Rouhani in a meeting in New York with Iranian elites and entrepreneurs residing in the United States.

President Rouhani is in New York to attend the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

He said there is very good potential for investment and entrepreneurship in Iran, touching upon the “special conditions” created for economic development in the country following the conclusion of a nuclear agreement between Tehran and six world powers.

“Today, good opportunities have been created for further activities in the economic, scientific and industrial sectors, which should be utilized in the best way possible to boost the country’s progress,” said the visiting Iranian president.

Referring to the unfair sanctions imposed on Iran over its peaceful nuclear program, the president said the country made great achievements while under sanctions.

“One of the reasons behind the success in the [Vienna] talks was that the negotiators of the other side found out that Iran is able to revamp its economy [even] when under sanctions, and that they cannot gain concessions from us,” said the president.

He said the Americans have committed “injudicious and unacceptable” acts against the Iranian nation over the past decades, namely the US shooting down of an Iranian airliner and its support for the former Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein during the eight-year Iraqi imposed war on Iran.

Nevertheless, the president emphasized, “The Iranian people have no problems with the American people and [they] respect each other.”

Iran’s FM regrets Riyadh’s lack of cooperation with Tehran on Mina tragedy

By

Golrokh Askarieh

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September 27, 2015

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif deplored Saudi Arabia for its insufficient cooperation with the Islamic Republic in addressing the problems facing Iranian pilgrims after a recent crush near Mecca which killed hundreds, including 136 Iranians.

“This year, we witnessed two bitter incidents in Hajj (season),” Zarif, who is in New York, said in an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Saturday.

“It is necessary that the Saudi government take serious decisions about the mismanagement of the executive agents of Hajj (pilgrimage),” he said.

The Iranian top diplomat further criticized Saudi Arabia’s measures in the aftermath of the crush in Mina, saying, “We are not witnessing sufficient cooperation (on the part of Riyadh).

In another development, Zarif sent separate messages to his counterparts in the Muslim countries whose nationals have been killed or injured in Mecca.

Extending condolences to his Muslim counterparts on the deaths, Zarif hoped that the Saudi executive officials would understand the scope of their heavy responsibility for the annual Hajj services.

To handle the Hajj pilgrimage in the best way, Zarif added, Riyadh needs to prepare the ground for consultation and cooperation with the other Muslim nations and use their experiences to avert such tragedies in the future.

The deadly crush has killed pilgrims from Iran, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Burundi, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Senegal, Somalia, Tanzania and a number of other countries.

Iran FM urges timely implementation of JCPOA

By

Golrokh Askarieh

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September 27, 2015

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called for the timely implementation of a nuclear agreement reached between Iran and six world powers.

Zarif, who is in New York to attend the 70th annual session of the UN General Assembly, held a meeting with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano on Friday.

The top Iranian diplomat expressed hope that Tehran and the IAEA would proceed with positive cooperation to clarify outstanding issues over the country’s nuclear program.

He also expressed hope that clarification of outstanding issues would help Iran and the UN nuclear agency implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reached between Tehran and the P5+1, in a new atmosphere.

Zarif thanked Amano’s efforts to implement a road map signed between Iran and the IAEA in July for Tehran’s civilian nuclear program.

On July 14, Iran and the IAEA signed a road map regarding the Islamic Republic’s nuclear work in the Austrian capital of Vienna. The agreement was clinched on the same day Iran and the P5+1 – the United States, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany – finalized the text of the JCPOA in Vienna.

Amano, for his part, expressed the IAEA’s readiness to continue cooperating with Iran, particularly on the road map, in a positive atmosphere.

The IAEA chief paid a day-long visit to Tehran on September 20 and held talks with senior Iranian officials over the implementation of the road map.

As part of the road map, the IAEA is required to finish its investigations into Iran’s nuclear activities and submit a report to the agency’s Board of Governors by December 15.

Zarif-Mogherini meeting

The Iranian foreign minister held a separate meeting with European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in New York.

Zarif and Mogherini discussed new rounds of talks between Iran and the EU.

The Iranian foreign minister said on July 28 that Tehran and the EU have agreed to revive stalled talks.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Mogherini in Tehran, Zarif said Iran-EU “high-level” talks are to resume in the “near future.”

Zarif attends UN meeting on Afghanistan in New York

By

Golrokh Askarieh

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September 27, 2015

‘Political resolve, goodwill key for comprehensive nuclear deal’

Foreign ministers of Afghanistan, Iran, China, the US and the representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy Affairs attending a meeting of Peace Development and Afghanistan Regional Cooperation reiterated the need for supporting the Afghan government.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attended the meeting at the invitation of Afghanistan’s Executive Chief Abdullah Abdullah.

The meeting on Afghanistan was held on the sidelines of the 70th UN General Assembly meeting in the New York on Saturday.

During the meeting, participants underlined the role of the friendly neighbors of Afghanistan and the international community in protecting peace, security, unity and territorial integrity of Afghanistan.

Party politics: A party for women or partisans of women’s political activity?

By

Golrokh Askarieh

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September 26, 2015

Partisan activities are one of the main indicators of development in democratic societies. Parties can serve as a yardstick to measure the development of a country’s political structure. Like men, women which make up half of the country’s population have to be active in partisan politics before seeking to have a share in the administration of the country’s affairs. A look at women’s presence in active political parties in Iran shows that their role in partisan activities is meager.

Sharq daily on September 14 published remarks by three active Iranian women in a sit-down which focused on the reasons behind women’s not-so-active involvement in partisan work and the effective ways to talk women into participating in political activities.

Azar Mansouri, a member of the Union of Islamic Iran People Party [a reformist party], Masoumeh Rezaei, a political director at Zeynab Society [a principlist group] and Soheila Jelodarzadeh, a member of the Worker House [reformist] and a member of the Association of the Women of the Islamic Republic criticized the lack of self-belief in women and poor performance of parties and said that women’s involvement in political affairs should not be highlighted simply in the run-up to election.

They also stressed the need for a rise in the number of women MPs in the Islamic Consultative Assembly and said that higher female representation in parliament and formation of independent all-women parties can greatly contribute to female participation in different tiers of party management. The following is a brief translation of what they said in the round-table:

Partisan activities

Rezaei: Women who lack self-belief depend on men. Women’s parties are not flourishing in our country. […] Women are asking for a share in executive posts, the Assembly of Experts and the Expediency Council, but they remain dependent on men’s parties when decisions are made on the indicators and numbers [of women in those chambers]. The ticket women approve of is the one men offer with a few women on the list.

Independent women’s parties

Rezaei: […] Presently the principlist and reformist parties do not have enough dynamism to pursue partisan agenda and women’s rights which have been envisioned in the Constitution. […] Women have reached [political] maturity, but in practice they fail to act properly because of their dependence.

Mansouri: […] Politics is a masculine realm in our country and women have not been given enough opportunity to prove themselves. If you compare parties in Iran with those in developed nations which have democratic processes, you will see a void. […] No party in Iran has dedicated a defined place for women in leadership posts and the secretaries general of all recognized parties are selected from among the ranks of men. The parties’ inattention to women’s issues is the very reason why we need parties to be [specifically] formed for women. […]

Women’s parties, a shortcut

Mansouri: […] The failure of political parties, principlist and reformist alike, has prompted women to move toward forming their own parties. Women have to have their own parties so that they can pursue their own demands. […]

Women’s place within parties

Jelodarzadeh: We should not talk in a dreamy world. We should consider the realities on the ground. […] If parties are part of the democratic structure, they should take on a real form and be given the opportunity to conduct their activities. […]

Now in the post-sanctions era, we should not repeat the past mistakes; rather, we should set the stage for partisan activities. An intraparty challenge will help women find their rightful place in top tiers of the country’s leadership without forming women’s parties.

[…]

Involvement in political activities

Jelodarzadeh: Women can form an alliance to overcome the challenges. Women’s political alliance helped set the stage for naming a female minister. Women can tap into this tactic in the upcoming elections too. The fate of a nation is what matters. Development would be a nonstarter in the absence of women. […]

[…]

Women are not doing enough

Mansouri: … The countries which succeeded in increasing women’s political participation have either changed their electoral law or encouraged parties to put women on their tickets. […] The late Imam stressed the need for women’s participation in the administration of the country’s affairs and the Supreme Leader has said that women should try to win half of parliament’s seats. We need to tap into the potential of parties, or the country’s electoral structure should allow for it.

[…]

Ray of hope

Jelodarzadeh: […] We need to adopt a single strategy with the women’s society. I mean those who pay a huge price in dealing with their problems thanks to the lack of women’s presence in decision making processes in the country, those women who face difficulties for their education, career, and child rearing [among other things]. Women have to become united and work toward their goals. […]

The gap between the intellectuals and masses of people should be reduced. As long as the intellectuals fail to establish contact with people, they will have difficulty winning people’s votes in elections.

[…]

Different views on political participation

Mansouri: There are three viewpoints in this regard. The first argues women should take care of kitchen issues, not politics. The second one says the electoral law has not banned women’s running for elections. This one is dominant in our society, but we have yet to change the way executive officials and political players behave. The third contends women’s political participation will not materialize, because they are treated as second-class citizens. We need to create opportunities and tap into mechanisms to help women enter political activities. […]

Solution

Rezaei: Women should become mature enough to think that they need to join hands, work beyond factional lines and have strong determination [to get active in political affairs]. […]

Jelodarzadeh: We need to have a coalition for women across the nation. Women also need a concentrated leadership regardless of their leanings: principlist or reformist. Women need to work on their common goals.

[…]

Mansouri: The question of women’s participation comes to the fore before any election with parties highlighting it, but it is consigned into oblivion after elections. This is used as a tool to bring women to balloting stations, but after the vote women are denied any share and nothing positive happens for them. […]

Tenth parliament, a turning point

Mansouri: We need to take into account the quantity [the number of women who are active in political arena, parliament for instance]. […] Time has come for political movements to take more risks and help a larger number of women find their way into parliament. […]

Women’s presence in parliament opens up opportunities for political parties. If their presence is bolstered, we can remain hopeful about the future. We can even be optimistic about women’s presence in presidential elections in the not-too-distant future.

Iran death toll from Mina stampede reaches 136

By

Golrokh Askarieh

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September 26, 2015

The death toll of the Iranian pilgrims died in the Mina stampede reached 136, Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization announced Saturday.

Based on the latest announcement, the number of the injured Iranian pilgrims increased to 102.

The number of missing Iranian pilgrims has been reduced from 354 to 344, it added.

The pilgrims were on their way to Jamarat to perform Hajj rituals there. The Stoning of the Devil is part of the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.

Muslim pilgrims fling pebbles at three walls (formerly pillars), called Jamarat, in the city of Mina just east of Mecca.

It is one of a series of ritual acts that must be performed in the Hajj.

Based on the latest announcement by Saudi Arabia’s officials, the overall number of wounded pilgrims in the Mina incident stands at 4,000.

Many world experts, political and religious officials believe mismanagement was the real cause of the various incidents in this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, including the collapse of a huge crane, a fire disaster in a hotel, a fire which spread in the camp of the Egyptian pilgrims in Mina desert, and above all, the Mina stampede.

[…]

[Attorney General Ebrahim Raeesi, meanwhile, said Iran will try to have Al Saud Family prosecuted in international courts.]

Iran builds its biggest ever school in Sharjah

By

Emad Askarieh

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September 26, 2015

The director of Iranian schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has said that Iran’s biggest ever educational complex which is under construction in Sharjah will soon admit as many as 2,500 students.

Shahbaz Goodarzi made the comment in an interview with the Pupils Association News Agency (PANA) in early September and added that the educational complex in Sharjah is the biggest ever project of the Iranian Education Ministry at home or abroad.

The following is the translation of what else Goodarzi told PANA:

The biggest educational center in Iran is 18,000 square meters in area, but the complex in Sharjah – which is about 80 percent complete – is 29,500 square meters in area.

When complete, the complex can offer educational services to up to 2,500 students at all levels. Iran is about to turn this complex into an international school to admit students from all countries.

The school will follow the educational system of the International Baccalaureate (IB). This will help students who secure this school’s certificate land a job or continue their studies anywhere in the world.

Educational materials in this complex which are in line with the IB system [lessons and academic content] will be offered in English.

[Founded in 1968], The International Baccalaureate, formerly known as The International Baccalaureate Organization, is an international non-governmental educational foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Coverage of Hajj tragedy by Iranian newspapers on September 26

By

Golrokh Askarieh

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September 26, 2015

Iranian newspapers on Saturday dedicated much of their front-page space to the deadly stampede in Mina on Thursday which claimed hundreds of lives.

Ettela’at: Up to 2,000 Hajj pilgrims have fallen victim to Saudi incompetence.

Following the catastrophic stampede in Mina near Mecca, the Supreme Leader declared three days of national mourning.

Abrar: The bodies of those killed in Mina are likely to be transferred back home on Monday.

Abrar: President Rouhani has urged Saudi Arabia to cooperate with Iran in offering aid to Iranian pilgrims.

Abrar: The White House has offered condolences to the families of those who died in the Mina stampede.

Afkar: The Supreme Leader has declared three days of national mourning following the deadly stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia.

Afkar: The Saudi government’s mismanagement came to light following the tragic incident in Mina.

Aftab-e Yazd: Tragedy leaves 131 Iranian pilgrims dead, 60 injured and 365 missing in Mina.

The Supreme Leader has said that the Saudi government has a duty to assume responsibility for this bitter incident.

Aftab-e Yazd: The Saudi government should provide answers to the world of Islam.

Amin: Tragedy in Mina; three days of national mourning in Iran.

Arman-e Emrooz: Mina became a place of sacrifice for Hajj pilgrims.

One-hundred-thirty-one Iranian pilgrims were killed and 366 are missing following the stampede near Mecca.

Arman-e Emrooz: The world of Islam is mourning the loss [of Hajj pilgrims].

Asr-e Iranian: The world is united against the incompetence of the Saudi government.

Indian and Pakistani scholars have lashed out at the Saudi government.

Asrar: A major Saudi crime

Hundreds are killed in the safe land of God

Ebtekar: The serial incompetence of the House of Saud

A bloodbath involving Hajj pilgrims

Etemad: Mina, a place of sacrifice

A stampede in Mina coupled with Saudi mismanagement has resulted in the deaths of up to 2,000 pilgrims.

Ghanoon: The world is mourning the Mina tragedy.

The exact cause of the stampede and the number of victims have yet to be determined.

The Iranian Cabinet is on standby to facilitate aid to the victims of the crush.

Hambastegi: A tragic death for Hajj pilgrims

Friday prayers across Iran have condemned Saudi incompetence.

Hemayat: Time has come for the Al-Saud family to be put on trial.

Hemayat: “The Saudi government should be held accountable for the Mina incident,” said Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani.

Hosban: “Saudi Arabia is not competent to manage the Hajj,” said Tehran Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Emami Kashani.

Iran: Tragedy in Mina

Iranian statesmen have been given a special assignment to follow up the tragedy.

Jamejam: Evidence that the al-Saud family is incompetent

Javan: “The priority of the Saudi government is to attack Yemen, not to ensure the safety of Hajj!” said the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Javan: “Why have the top scholars of Saudi Arabia and al-Azhar Mosque opted for silence?” renowned Iranian director Majid Majidi asked in reaction to the Mina tragedy.

Jomhouri Islami: The global coverage of Saudi incompetence following the tragic incident in Mina which left some 1,300 pilgrims killed.

Following the deadly stampede, senior clerics and political and cultural figures have released messages of condolences.

The President has tasked four of his ministers and the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization to follow up the case and make sure the bodies of the victims are transferred back home and the injured are tended to immediately.

Kaenat: The bloody day of Hajj; tragedy in Mina

Labbayks (affirmative answers) which remained unfinished

Kayhan: Al Saud Family made a pile of dead pilgrims.

Khorasan: The world of Islam is gripped by anger and sadness after Mina turned into a place of sacrifice.

Mardomsalari: Iran’s Democracy Party has called for Hajj to be salvaged from Saudi incompetence.

It has said that the presence of President Rouhani in the UN should be used to help set up a fact-finding mission by the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation.

Payam-e Zaman: Worshippers across Iran have condemned the Saudi inefficiency in handling the Hajj rituals.

Qods: Save the world of Islam.

After supporting terrorists for years, the tragedy in Mina completed the cycle of Saudi crimes and incompetence.

Qods: A Saudi Royal Court cleric has said that pilgrims intentionally walked to their deaths.

Rah-e Mardom: This time around, Hajj pilgrims fell victim.

Around 365 Iranian pilgrims are missing following the stampede.

Resalat: The mismanagement of the Saudi government was to blame for the stampede.

Rooyesh-e Mellat: Iran is mourning after the Supreme Leader declared a three-day mourning period across the country.

Roozan: The Saudi government organized a bloody Feast of Sacrifice in Mina.

Sayeh: Was it an accident? Or did they fall victim to politics?

A look at the deadly days of Mecca

Setareh Sobh: There are speculations as to what caused the tragedy in Mecca.

Shahrvand: Following the Mina tragedy the cabinet has convened an extraordinary session.

Sharq: They died innocently in the vicinity of Kaaba.

Siasat-e Rooz: Muslims around the world are asking the House of Saud why Mina turned into a slaughterhouse of pilgrims.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on September 26

By

Golrokh Askarieh

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September 26, 2015

The tragic death of hundreds of Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia dominated the front pages of Iranian newspapers on Saturday.

Ettela’at: Up to 2,000 Hajj pilgrims have fallen victim to Saudi incompetence.

Following the catastrophic stampede in Mina near Mecca, the Supreme Leader declared three days of national mourning.

Highlights of Ettela’at newspaper on September 26

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on September 26

Abrar: The bodies of those killed in Mina are likely to be transferred back home on Monday.

Abrar: President Rouhani has urged Saudi Arabia to cooperate with Iran in offering aid to Iranian pilgrims.

Abrar: The UN nuclear chief has said that he is certain about the authenticity of Parchin samples.

Abrar: The White House has offered condolences to the families of those who died in the Mina stampede.

Afkar: The Supreme Leader has declared three days of national mourning following the deadly stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia.

Afkar: The Saudi government’s mismanagement came to light following the tragic incident in Mina.

Aftab-e Yazd: Tragedy leaves 131 Iranian pilgrims dead, 60 injured and 365 missing in Mina.

The Supreme Leader has said that the Saudi government has a duty to assume responsibility for this bitter incident.

Aftab-e Yazd: Foreign leaders have lined up to meet with President Rouhani in New York.

Aftab-e Yazd: The Saudi government should provide answers to the world of Islam.

Amin: Tragedy in Mina; three days of national mourning in Iran.

Amin: Sadegh Zibakalam [a prominent university professor] has urged President Rouhani to meet with President Obama [in New York].

Arman-e Emrooz: Mina became a place of sacrifice for Hajj pilgrims.

One-hundred-thirty-one Iranian pilgrims were killed and 366 are missing following the stampede near Mecca.

Arman-e Emrooz: The world of Islam is mourning the loss [of Hajj pilgrims].

Arman-e Emrooz: The chairman of the Expediency Council has paid an unofficial visit to Qom.

Asr-e Iranian: The world is united against the incompetence of the Saudi government.

Indian and Pakistani scholars have lashed out at the Saudi government.

Asr-e Rasaneh: Exports of iron ore will come to a halt in four years.

Asrar: The largest European trade delegation in Tehran

Asrar: “Iran seeks interaction with the rest of the world more than ever before,” President Rouhani said in New York.

Bahar: Ayatollah Yasrebi has urged the critics of the Rouhani government to end their “theatrical concerns”.

“You are more worried about the wealth you amassed in those eight years [a reference to Ahmadinejad presidency],” he said in comments aimed at the so-called Worriers [supporters of Ahmadinejad].

Ebtekar: The serial incompetence of the House of Saud

A bloodbath involving Hajj pilgrims

Emtiaz: “After the removal of sanctions, Iran won’t exclusively sell crude oil,” said the minister of economy.

Etemad: Mina, a place of sacrifice

A stampede in Mina coupled with Saudi mismanagement has resulted in the deaths of up to 2,000 pilgrims.

Ghanoon: The world is mourning the Mina tragedy.

The exact cause of the stampede and the number of victims have yet to be determined.

The Iranian Cabinet is on standby to facilitate aid to the victims of the crush.

Ghanoon: “Break the 36-year-old taboo [and meet with President Obama],” said Sadegh Zibakalam [a university professor] in a letter to President Rouhani.

Hambastegi: The energy minister has warned about water shortages, saying rationing might be around the corner.