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Iran unveils high-tech radar systems

By
Emad Askarieh
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Iran radar systems
Iran radar systems

The advanced radar systems, Arash-2 and Kayhan, were unveiled on Monday on the occasion of the national Iranian Air Defense Day in a ceremony attended by high-ranking military commanders, including Commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili.

The Iranian commander said Kayhan, which is a two-dimensional radar system, is capable of detecting and tracking hostile aerial targets, including conventional aircraft and stealth jets that fly on high altitudes.

The Arash-2 radar system can track targets at an estimated altitude of 100,000 feet, Esmaili stated.

The Iranian commander also said Talash-3, which is a new indigenous surface-to-air missile defense system and which was successfully test-fired recently, will be unveiled on September 22.

September 22 marks the beginning of the Sacred Defense Week, which commemorates the bravery and sacrifices of the Iranian soldiers who fought in the 1980-1988 Iraqi-imposed war and defended their country against enemy aggression.

In recent years, Iran has made great strides in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly assured other countries that its military might poses no threat to other states, saying that its defense doctrine is entirely based on deterrence.

Islam promotes compassion rather than violence

By
Emad Askarieh
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Arman Newspaper-Khatami
Arman Newspaper-Khatami

Cultural interactions are instrumental in bringing communities closer together, said Mohammad Khatami, who heads the International Center for Dialogue among Cultures and Civilizations, after he visited an exhibition of hand-woven carpets by Razi Miri at the House of Artists in Tehran. On Monday September 1, Arman-e Emrooz, a Tehran-based daily, published an excerpt of the comments of the former Iranian president. The following is a translation of the daily’s coverage:

“We are appalled by what is happening in Gaza today and sympathize with the oppressed people of Palestine. That is what our Iranian-Islamic culture instructs. In our culture, which is widely known as being a sympathizer with those subjected to injustice, the savagery that state-sponsored terrorism imposes on the Palestinians is condemned,” the head of the International Center for Dialogue among Cultures and Civilizations said.

The fact that 113 Surahs [chapters] of the holy Koran start with ‘In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful’ rather than ‘In the name of God, the Revengeful” suggests that the holy book keeps reminding the faithful of the importance of compassion and mercy and that Islam promotes compassion rather than violence.

Recalling the peaceful coexistence of Muslim Iranians with followers of other faiths, he said, “Once when I was in a Western country, I announced that ‘Iranians are not anti-Semitic.’ I said in Iran Muslims, Jews, Zoroastrians and Christians live side by side. Although many states have subjected Muslims and non-Muslims alike to injustice, in Iran followers of different faiths co-exist. Anti-Semitism and Holocaust are the products of the Western culture; in Iran the culture of tolerance, support for the weak, and coexistence prevails. This attribute is engraved in Iranian culture and is underlined by the Muslim faith.”

The former president described the Iranian-Islamic culture of the nation as what draws a distinct line between the Iranian people and those who commit acts of violence in the name of Islam, and said, “The fact that 113 Surahs [chapters] of the holy Koran start with ‘In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful’ rather than ‘In the name of God, the Revengeful” suggests that the holy book keeps reminding the faithful of the importance of compassion and mercy and that Islam promotes compassion rather than violence.”

He added, “If there has been war and Jihad in our land, it has been inspired by the anti-violence instructions of the Prophet and his infallible household. We have simply put up defense when we have been subjected to aggression. Was the 8-year war [Saddam’s Iraq] imposed on us anything other than self-defense? We were minding our own business. They attacked us, and the Iranian people acted in self-defense, such resistance is holy.”

When we are subjected to acts of violence, we will put up resistance and stand up for our rights as we are required to. This is another Iranian trait which has its roots in Islam.

Mr. Khatami expressed regret over the fact that a bunch of extremists hide behind the concept of Jihad to kill other people, decapitate anyone they dislike, and sell women and asked, “Is this violent behavior compatible with the instructions of Islam?”

He went on to say that violence in any form or shape, whether in relations between the state and people or in relations among members of the public is unacceptable. “However, when we are subjected to acts of violence, we will put up resistance and stand up for our rights as we are required to. This is another Iranian trait which has its roots in Islam.”

It is appalling to see that some are hiding behind Islam to commit all kinds of crimes, including beheading, and violate all moral principles and at the same time brazenly cast themselves as true believers of the faith.

The head of the International Center for Dialogue among Cultures and Civilizations went on to say that infusion of Shiism into Iranian mentality has led to the emergence of a calm, patient and immortal trait among Iranians who have maintained their high spirit and remained unbroken throughout history despite experiencing failures, sufferings, aggressions and famine. They have also pinned their hope on a future built on the foundation of compassion, cordiality and mercy. “Iranians have always favored amicable relations between the state and the public, similarly, they want friendly relations between them and other nations.”

He added, “Immorality in the modern world has made life difficult on the international stage. Respect for others is an outstanding quality of the Iranian culture.”

Mr. Khatami stated, “The Prophet of Islam has openly declared that his mission is to help morality evolve. It is appalling to see that some are hiding behind Islam to commit all kinds of crimes, including beheading, and violate all moral principles and at the same time brazenly cast themselves as true believers of the faith.”

He described Iran as being among a handful of countries that have overseen the emergence of great civilizations and said, “Civilizations are a manifestation of social grandeur. On the one hand, culture creates civilizations, and on the other it reflects civilizations.”

After inspecting various sections of the exhibition, Mr. Khatami said that Persian rugs perfectly mirror the Iranian mindset as well as delicacy and beauty. “The creators of such beauty experience a lot of difficulty to make life beautiful for others.”

 

Parental treatment of girls, Do’s and Don’ts

By
Emad Askarieh
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Parental Girl upbringing
Parental Girl upbringing

The family takes on more emotionality when girls are present at home and the atmosphere in the house is given an air of spirituality. There is no doubt about the high position of girls in the rich Iranian culture. Due to the significance given to them as the mothers of tomorrow and the future builders of the country, a correct upbringing and proper treatment of them is of the essence too.

Resalat Newspaper on 28 August 2014 published an interview with Dr. Zahra Asemi, a psychologist, on the treatment of girls. The publication of the article was timed to coincide with the birth anniversary of Hazrat Masoumeh (Peace be upon her), the sister of the eighth Shiite Imam, which is celebrated as girls day in Iran. What comes below is an excerpt of the interview:

Zahra Asemi, who has a Ph.D. in psychology, knows the entire holy Quran by heart and has done research in the field of psychology. She argues that girls need to be given more parental love and tenderness to be safe from mental harms.

Dr. Asemi, please tell us about how girls are different from boys as far as their feelings are concerned?

First of all I should say that boys’ mentality and behavioral manifestations inherently differ from those of girls as far as certain attributes go. They act differently because of their gender and some biological and social factors. For instance, for boys general issues matter most, but girls pay more attention to specifics.

Boys have a better practical memory, whereas in girls’ minds the area that handles verbal activities is more active. While facing problems and failures, girls act more emotionally and display more excited reactions than boys. Encountering similar situations, boys fail to let out their feelings or they express them less noticeably than girls. Unlike boys, girls like to flaunt their beauty, that is to say, they have more theatrical and show-off behaviors. Girls get more easily influenced by others, whereas boys show more resistance to those trying to influence them.

In the Iranian-Islamic culture, to be a girl means to be the darling of the family.

Another distinction is that girls respond to audio stimuli better, but boys get affected by visual stimuli. Islam draws people’s attention to the duties of men and women in married life, urging men to tell “I love you” to their wives and recommending women appear before their husbands in a well-groomed fashion and with feminine adornment. Such instructions have their roots in the same gender differences.

Why are girls more sensitive, sentimental and irritable? At what age do these character traits come to the surface?

Biologically and physiologically, the left hemisphere of women’s brain which is responsible for controlling and processing emotions and feelings is larger and more active, that’s why moods based on emotions and their manifestations such as grief and sorrow, fear, happiness, love, resentment and irritation are more evident in girls. However, the right hemisphere of the brain which deals with anything revolving around wisdom and cognitive processing is larger in boys. This explains why their behavior is less dependent on feelings and emotions.

The striking point is that throughout universe God has bestowed upon His creatures special talents and capabilities in line with the role He has given each one of them to play. For example, men are responsible for the external management of the household and supporting the family members, therefore they are given a bigger share of logical thinking and wisdom. But the responsibility to manage the household, rear and bring up children, and create a gentle and emotional environment at home lies with mothers. So women are granted the bulk of emotional capabilities and intelligence. That is why women seem to be more emotional, affectionate and as a result more irritable. However we should not forget that the potential God has put in a human’s soul and body could turn into a weak point if it is not brought under control. Thus, the pure emotions of girls are viewed as God-given blessings which are meant to play a prominent motherly role when they are controlled and remain in moderation. These mental characteristics have been there inside the two genders, both men and women, since birth but they reach their peak and show themselves fully in teen years.

What points do you think parents should take into account when treating the girls?

Imagine you have a few flower pots at home. Which one do you think needs more attention and care?

Surely, the one which is more delicate, sensitive and vulnerable. Well, where does Islam stand on girls?

The Prophet of Islam says, “Girls, or women in general, are tender as basil”. You know basil gets wilted sooner than other herbs; it means its innate delicacy and freshness makes it more vulnerable. The prophet states that girls should be given more parental care, attention, gentleness and love so that they can be protected against mental harms. Since they have a great mission to accomplish in the capacity of wives and mothers, they should be able to transfer emotions to their spouses and children.

What are the behavioral and educational no-go zones for parents when it comes to girls, especially when they are in teen years?

Teen age is a time when people experience different crises, namely puberty, sexual desires, identity formation, peer pressure, disorderliness and restlessness, and conflicts of values. This period makes teenagers, girls in particular, stressed or depressed, confused and unsafe. Improper behaviors parents may show in their interactions with children, especially with teenage girls, would aggravate such harms. This renders it more than necessary for mothers and fathers to practice self-control to avoid such problems.

What are the behavioral musts when it comes to treating girls?

Not only teenage girls, but also all children, are in need of four vital things in their lives:

1. Unconditional acceptance: I love my child because s/he is my kid. So my love, affection and care for her/him are not a reaction to his/her behavior or conduct, rather they are unconditional and permanent.

2. Respect: More than anything else teenagers need to see the family respect their characters. The more parental respect they get, the more immune they would be against delinquency and social disorders. Also the amount of respect children are given by others mainly depends on how much respect parents accord to them.

For teenage girls, who are getting close to the age of social and sexual puberty, any mental development such as a sense of dismay and disappointment, morphological changes in girls such as developing feminine body organs, as well as social events like failure to pass a test make them feel confused and disturbed, overshadow their self-esteem and self-confidence and push them toward aggressive behavior or isolation. Nonetheless, the girls could easily face all these situations and regard any obstacle as removable if they are loved and respected by their parents in the family environment.

Girls are always viewed as dad’s endeared kid, mom’s companion and a helping friend and caring sister of their siblings.

3. Love: Children should be given constant love and affection, and they should receive affection through their parents’ verbal and behavioral expressions as well as the way they look at them. Parents should make sure they constantly express their love for children and their belongings. In other words, you need to love your child and at the same time prove to him/her that you love and respect whatever associated with them such as their field of study, their friends and their taste.

4. Facilitation: It is a call for taking everything easy, but we should not forget that it does not mean to allow the family’s educational borders to be overstepped. It means to be or remain flexible within the framework we have agreed on for the family atmosphere. For example, if your teenager prays, you should thank God, but if s/he says their prayers late or does not opt to observe secondary prayers, you shouldn’t get tough on that.

Isn’t a lack of self-confidence to blame for many conflicts teenagers face? And what should be done to boost the girls’ self-belief and self-confidence?

If I do not get your confirmation and respect, or your respect for me is tied to something special, I won’t believe myself and I will always want to use certain tools in order not to affect the way you look at me. Well if I respect the values because of you or my parents, I won’t be studying, practicing chastity and modesty or doing other things which are politically correct just because of their positivity and merit, rather I am using them as a tool to gain acceptance. So once I end my relationship with you, I immediately put these tools aside because I don’t need them anymore. Therefore, I am not myself and my viewpoints and behaviors will change daily and in different situations involving different people. So unconditional acceptance and respect for teenagers by family members is the core tool we need in order to bolster their self-belief and self-confidence.

What should be done to institutionalize the Islamic culture in society and leave a positive, guiding mark on the youth, especially girls?

Although we know that institutionalization of a culture takes place when many factors go hand in hand, because time is at a premium here, I just take a look at the role the family plays in this regard. To have constant and durable training, we need some factors to be present in the family:

1. Time management: It means, for example, if I want to teach my daughter the way girls should practice modesty and chastity I should know that I should start to do it at the right time. I shouldn’t let precious time slip away. Sometimes families ask us what they can do after the fact. They say their teenage boy or girl does not obey them. Well, these parents have begun to work out a solution too late. Childhood is the ripe time to educate a girl about modesty and chastity, not teen years.

2. Parents are role models: If parents fail to pay due attention to their behavioral patterns, their educational advice will not be heeded. For instance, imagine parents who want to have a disciplined daughter that acts in an orderly manner. If their behaviors show impatience or if they do their jobs with no proper time and financial management, what they do concerning their daughter is like flagging a dead horse.

Will this fleet-footed predator be pulled back from the brink of extinction?

By
Emad Askarieh
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Iranian cheetah
Iranian cheetah

Sarzamin-e Man [My Land], a monthly magazine that covers cultural and geographical issues, published a cover story in its August issue focusing on endangered Iranian cheetahs, also known as Asiatic cheetahs. The following is a translation of part of the report:

The fastest-running animal of Iran is approaching the point of extinction, a warning which on no account should fall on deaf ears. Iranian cheetahs whose only natural habitat in the world is Iran are in grave danger of dying out and very few of them still exist.

Unsustainable development has left the once unbeatable titleholder of speed in the dust. In fact, the best of nature sound to be no match for humans. Human intelligence has gained an unfair advantage over naturally selected biological traits which have millions of years.

Having imposed a lot of suffering on nature, intelligent humans are now eyeing a way to save this precious animal from extinction. A way that might look simple at first glance, but will involve an uphill struggle in every step.

To surmount such obstacles, the cooperation of all organizations and most importantly the public is imperative. Since the image of Iranian cheetah appeared on the jerseys of Iran’s national football team, many have by now heard the name of Asian cheetah and most probably know that it’s on the brink of extinction. Yet, there are still many more who don’t know much about this animal and even mistake it for leopard.

Asia and Africa are home to Asian cheetah, a region from which they have disappeared fast. Today, Asian cheetah, Amur leopard and Iberian lynx are the rarest and most endangered species of felines. […]

 

 

Iran suffer third defeat in FIBA World Cup

By
Emad Askarieh
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Iran And Serbia Basketball
Iran And Serbia Basketball

Iran’s national basketball team suffered a third consecutive defeat in the 2014 FIBA World Cup on Monday [September 1] when they took on Serbia.

According to Tasnim News Agency the final score of the must-win game for the Iranian side was 83-70. The fourth quarter was the only one in which Iran managed to outscore the Serbian squad.

Iran had lost their previous two matches to Spain and Brazil. The Iranian team will line up against Egypt at 13:30 GMT on Wednesday.

Iran will do all in its power to free al-Aqsa Mosque: Rouhani

By
Emad Askarieh
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ran-Hassan Rouhani
ran-Hassan Rouhani

“The administration of the Islamic Republic of Iran, like in the past, will use all tools at its disposal to save al-Aqsa Mosque and liberate the first Qibla (point of direction to which Muslims turn for prayers) of Muslims and will spare no efforts to help the oppressed Palestinians,” Rouhani said at a conference on World Mosque Day in Tehran on Monday.

He added that the Muslim world will not allow aggressors to continue their occupation of al-Aqsa Mosque.

“We are confident that the final victory belongs to Muslims,” the Iranian president pointed out.

Rouhani further condemned the extremist groups that kill women and children and destroy mosques in the name of Islam, saying a “bunch of ignorant barbarians” are serving arrogant powers by defaming Islam.

Over the past decades, Israel has tried to change demographic makeup of al-Quds by constructing illegal settlements, destroying historical sites, and expelling the local Palestinian population.

Over half a million Israelis live in over 120 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds. The international community considers the settlements as illegal.

 

A look at newspaper headlines across the country on September 1

By
Emad Askarieh
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Iranian Newspapers

A majority of Iranian newspapers on September 1, 2014 put the recent victory the Iraqi military has scored in cooperation with local militias against Islamic State terrorists on their front pages. Some Iranian analysts have credited solid military command and coordination between the Iraqi armed forces and volunteers for the achievement and suggested the role American air cover has played in ending the siege of Amerli is negligible. Here is a review of the newspaper headlines:

Kayhan: “Amerli has been liberated; IS terrorists have suffered a heavy defeat.” The cover story features a photo of Iraqi army vehicles advancing on the positions of the terrorist grouping as part of a “lightning offensive which broke the siege of Amerli”.

 

Kayhan Newspaper-09-01

 

Ettela’at quoted President Hassan Rouhani as telling the visiting Finnish foreign minister that, “Throwing an obstacle in the way of the peaceful nuclear technology is our red line. If P5+1 do not seek to stifle Iran’s advances in science and technology, there will be room for an accord.” At the meeting, the Finnish top diplomat said, “Normalization of EU-Iran ties at a time when the world is grappling with grave and complicated issues is a must.”

Ettela’at: “P5+1 should not take advantage of Iran’s restraint. Unfortunately, there exists a mindset among American politicians that makes them think by imposing sanctions and shouting threats they can get what they want,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says.

Ettela’at:Vice-President for Religious and Ethnic MinoritiesHojatoleslam Ali Younesi says, “Efforts to promote tourism do not run counter to Islam. Those who incite opposition to the tourism industry seek to channel its profits to other countries.”

 

Etelaat Newspaper-09-01

 

Javan, which unofficially reflects the viewpoints of Islamic Revolution Guard Corps strategists, has highlighted the rather harsh reaction of the Iranian foreign minister to imposition of a new round of sanctions by the US on Iran. It features an analytical report headlined “The wall of mistrust in America rises further” which deals with the potential impact of new sanctions on nuclear talks between Iran and P5+1. It quotes the foreign minister as saying, “Tehran will act in kind in reaction to US sanctions.”

Javan: “With Yemen no longer within Saudi orbit, the fall of Al-Saud dynasty is precipitated.”

 

Javan Newspaper-09-01

 

Iran: “The West needs to have the UN Security Council approve the deal with Iran,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said.

Iran: “An online movement has been formed to say ‘Yes to National Production’”.

 

Iran Newspaper-09-01

 

Resalat, a newspaper run by traditional conservatives, leads on an interview with Dr. Seyyed Abdollah Motevalian, a university professor and Middle East expert, which is entitled “An assessment of 40 achievements the [Palestinian] resistance secured in the war with the Zionists”.

Resalat: “The Islamic State has been created to give the US an excuse to interfere in Islamic countries,” said [Former Foreign Minister] Ali Akbar Velayati [who now serves as an adviser to the Supreme Leader for international affairs].

 

Resalat Newspaper-09-01

 

Siasat-e Rooz,whichreflects the views of principlists,leads on new sanctions the US has slapped on Iran in a piece headed “Rusty Options” which tries to suggest Washington wants nuclear talks between Iran and P5+1 to fail. It claims that through sanctions the United States wants to force Iran to leave the negotiating table and then point a finger of blame at Iran for being non-cooperative.

Siasat-e Rooz asks the Iranian diplomacy machine why it is so eager to promote ties with Saudi Arabia in an article entitled, “Riyadh is not reliable”.

 

SiIasate Rooz Newspaper-09-01

 

Hemayat: “US plans to build consensus against Russia tumble as cracks appear in the European Union over Russia sanctions”.

Hemayat: “There are not enough judges in the Iranian judiciary,” says the head of the Supreme Administrative Court.

 

Hemayat Newspaper-09-01

 

Etemad: “President Rouhani’s strategy is to liberalize the economy,” Economist Saeed Laylaz says.

Etemad: Rasoul Montajabnia, a clergyman close to Mehdi Karoubi, has proposed the formation of a single reformist party to replace small groupings.

 

 

Etemad Newspaper-09-01

 

Travelogues Can Boost Tourism

By
Emad Askarieh
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Iran-Naser Khosro Travelogues
Iran-Naser Khosro Travelogues

Sarzamin-e Man [My Land], an Iranian journal dedicated to cultural and geographical studies, in its August issue ran a report on Nasir Khusraw and his travelogue. What comes below is a translation of the article the monthly magazine carried:

“How long are you going to drink wine which takes a toll on your mental health? You should be sober […] What you do should enrich your wisdom.”

“Where can I find wisdom?”

“A seeker will be finally a treasure finder,” said the wise man, pointing at the Qibla [the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca which a Muslim needs to face while praying]

Nasir Khusraw [a Persian poet, philosopher, scholar, traveler and one of the greatest writer in Persian literature (1004 – l088 C.E.)] has stated the dream he had one night when he was 40 years old transformed his life drastically, sending him on a years-long trip which took him from Asia Minor,Aleppo, Tripoli, and Palestine to Tunisia, Sudan and Egypt, a journey which produced an invaluable travelogue consisting of meticulous details about the history and culture of these regions.

His travelogue is a treasure trove of information for today’s researcher, a travelogue which underlines the fact that a journey is not just moving from point A to point B. Rather, it is a process of observing, recording, exploring and extracting something good by which you can be remembered. From the perspective of Iranian history a journey amounts to an opportunity to experience and broaden one’s knowledge.

During the 3rd Nasir Khusraw Festival which closed on August 8, 2014, the secretary of the festival Reza Dabirinejad touched on the importance of travel, and said, “Writing a travelogue offers an opportunity to boost tourism, because a matter cannot be palpable unless it is recorded. It’s the vehicle of expression that turns travel into a cognitive, expressive, and communicative concept and lends it cultural and scientific value. Such a process will take travel up to a high level.”

 

Civic rights, an unfinished dream

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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happiness after rouhani elected
happiness after rouhani elected

When Hassan Rouhani launched his campaign nobody believed he could be a force to be reckoned with in the 2013 presidential race. In a speech on campaign trail he hailed “freedom”, and promised to save the country’s economy and ride out the storm Iran’s diplomacy was experiencing.

In the 50th issue of the Nasim-e Bidari (The Breeze of Awakening) Weekly out in August 2014, Mehdi Ghadimi has examined the performance of the government of Hope and Prudence and how committed it has been to the promises made by candidate Rouhani. To begin with, he praises the stress Rouhani has repeatedly placed on his promises on different occasions and ceremonies, and assesses the government’s performance in the areas of economy and diplomacy, healthcare and social wellbeing, and civic rights.

He says failure of the business index to grow in the short term is the main negative score on the government’s one-year report card, but, he adds, a drop in inflation and foreign exchange rates is among the upsides of the cabinet’s economic team. As for diplomacy, he describes as positive the country’s handling of the deadlocked nuclear dispute [with the West] and the subsequent steps toward the lifting of international sanctions.

Another campaign pledge of the president focused on the state of healthcare. The author believes the government has fared well on that front. Its good performance has been so compelling that even the cabinet’s outspoken critics have expressed satisfaction with the measures that, among other things, are aimed at universal insurance coverage and a tangible decline in the expenses associated with treatment.

But when it comes to social welfare, the demands of many workers in factories that were totally or partially shut down as a result of mismanagement in the previous government have yet to be met and failure to reactivate the guilds is indicative of low efficiency in the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare.

Ghadimi finally points to efforts to lay the foundation of a civic rights organization which will not be run by any three branches of government, saying for the bulk of the middle class, the elite and political activists this issue outweighs the government’s economic pledges. The organization in question can pursue its duties even after the rise to power of a new government. If materialized, it could be the most enduring legacy of the eleventh government. The following is the translation of an excerpt of the article:

President Hassan Rouhani’s push for a civic rights bill to be sent to the Islamic Consultative Assembly seems to be one of his key election promises, a campaign pledge which resonated with the bulk of the middle class, the elite and political activists more than the government’s economic vows. Elaborating on the major principles of civic rights, Rouhani touched on such issues as the rights of religious minorities and tribes, women’s rights and freedom of speech, as well as academic issues at a university level.

A look at the yearlong performance of the [eleventh] government reveals that it has taken acceptable steps in the right direction to fulfil its election promises. The fact that Hassan Rouhani during his first year in office named individuals such as Shahindokht Molaverdi as vice-president for women and family affairs, Elham Aminzadeh as vice-president for legal affairs, and Ali Younesi as his adviser on issues related to ethnic and religious minorities bodes a new and forward-moving attitude toward all these areas.

What Molaverdi did to pursue her responsibilities was not confined to following up the deliberations of MPs on laws concerning women; rather, she adopted a hands-on policy on the question of women’s presence in stadiums. Ali Younesi, for his part, visited border towns and the holy sites of different faiths in a bid to ease religious and tribal discriminations.

Nonetheless, what stands out about President Rouhani’s civic rights record is the formulation of a civic rights charter, the first edition of which came out last winter. Reports from the Legal Department of the presidential office suggests all problems with the first edition have been addressed and a second edition is set to be released.

When efforts were underway to put together the civic rights charter [Hamidreza] Olumi-Yazdi, the dean of the Faculty of Law and Political Science at Tehran’s Allameh Tabatabaei University, who is Aminzadeh’s deputy, said the charter was not supposed to be sent as a bill to the [Islamic Consultative] Assembly for now, because of the possible opposition it might draw in the chamber.

After securing the Cabinet’s approval, a civic rights department is to be set up in the presidential office. That would be followed by efforts to set the stage for the establishment of a civic rights organization which will not be run by any three branches of government. The organization, he added, is expected to forge ahead with its undertakings concerning different articles of the civic rights charter even after a new government takes office. If it proceeds according to what the president and his legal deputy have planned for, it could be viewed as the most enduring legacy of the eleventh government.

However, the civic demands put forward by government supporters and those who are viewed as the support base of Rouhani’s government have gone unanswered. The camp backing Rouhani is demanding a wise approach to issues such as the house arrest of Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi [the two presidential hopefuls in the 2009 election] and the changing of the security atmosphere in universities and media outlets into a political one.

The government argues that such things are not within its powers, and simply vows to pursue them through appropriate channels. But the truth is that as usual the patience of the public is wearing thin and it cannot make do with such reasoning one year into the presidency of the new government. Therefore, failure to satisfy the demands of Rouhani’s support base and the gap it might create between the government and members of the public are viewed as the government’s Achilles’ heel three years before its term comes to an end.

Launch of the first alcohol rehab center in Iran

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Alcohol Rehab Center in Iran
Alcohol Rehab Center in Iran

The 484th issue of the Salamat [Health] Weekly featured an article on the launch of an alcohol rehabilitation center in Iran. The article brings together the views of Dr. Bahman Keshavarz, a well-known lawyer and head of the National Union at the Iranian Bar Association and those of Ebrahim Akhavi, a clinical psychologist at Qom Seminary School. Here is the translation of an excerpt of the article on alcohol addiction treatment and recovery in Iran:

Bahman Keshavarz: A first alcohol rehabilitation center has recently been launched in Iran. Clearly this seems somehow surprising because according to sharia consumption of alcoholic beverages is forbidden in Iran. And if the offense were repeated, it could even carry the death penalty.

In light of what was said, efforts by the Health Ministry to treat alcoholics may seem strange in the first place, but a thorough analysis of the move shows that not only is it not something odd, but it is a highly helpful and constructive measure which is hoped to produce effective results.

And even more to the point is that determining a proportionate punishment for crimes and offenses falls within the responsibility of government as part of its efforts to serve the public. When one commits an offense which incurs hadd [punishment which is not specifically determined by laws; rather, judges determine it on a case-by-case basis to prevent similar offenses in the future], they would be cleared of all charges and sins when the hadd punishment is administered. In other words, the offender would get even with society if and when they sustain their punishment.

That they may experience some trouble the government and society are obliged to solve is another case. Normally, the problems members of society grapple with are caused by reasons in which society and the government have a role or for which they are somehow to blame. So, the responsibility to rush to the help of the affected person lies with the government and society.

Establishment of a rehab center for alcoholics is one such responsibility. The important issue is that alcohol consumption does not divest the offender of the rights stipulated in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and chapter three of the Iranian Constitution.

The one who commits such an offense should suffer the punishment meted out based on religious and statutory laws, and at the same time remain entitled to her/his legal rights. To prevent people from committing such offenses – and other similar cases – training is needed. If people learn about the harms that come with alcohol consumption, they would build on conventional wisdom to avoid drinking alcohol.

Hojatoleslam Ebrahim Akhavi: In addition to the harms alcohol inflicts on the body, it would affect the consumer’s rationality as well. That’s why a religious ban has been placed on consumption of alcohol.

A glance at the rate of crimes committed under the influence and the physical and mental diseases caused by alcohol consumption proves drinking is harmful.

A careful study of divine orders […] reveals the stress God has put on red lines, and overstepping such red lines, regardless of frequency, would carry severe mental risks. […]

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