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Iran denounces acts of terror, blasphemy

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Rouhani-Iran

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has condemned any act of violence perpetrated in Islam’s name, including the recent Paris shooting, as well as disrespecting religions under the pretext of freedom of speech.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns terror, violence and extremism under the pretext of defending religions as well as insults, blasphemy and provoking the sentiments of followers of other religions in the name of defending freedom,” Rouhani said on Tuesday.

Pointing to the recent Paris shooting which left 12 people dead, Rouhani said “the Islamic Republic of Iran, in principle, condemns such violent acts and does not attribute them either to Muslims or to Islam.”

He said that Iran is the flag-bearer of fighting violence, extremism and terror both in word and in deed, and supports countries plagued with terrorism.

The Iranian president also denounced the depiction of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on the cover of the latest edition of the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo.

He said the move was carried out in the name of supporting freedom, but in fact it provoked the sentiments of Muslims across the globe.

It is “regrettable” that the sacrilegious act was carried out in a country which claims to be an advocate of freedom, he said.

The Iranian president also warned that such measures will further fan the flames of extremism.

Rouhani’s remarks come nearly two weeks after an attack on the office of Charlie Hebdo, which left 12 people dead. Al-Qaeda affiliates claimed responsibility for the shooting.

Following the Paris shooting, the French magazine once again published a cartoon last week, depicting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on the cover of its new edition.

Muslims consider depicting Prophet Muhammad as blasphemous.

Iran FM Zarif meets with senior Afghanistan officials

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Zarif - Afghanistan

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met with a number of senior Afghan officials in Kabul on Tuesday.

In his one-day stay in Kabul, Zarif met with Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and submitted President Rouhani’s invitation letter to his Afghan counterpart to visit Iran.

President Ghani hoped the visit will take place soon, saying that consolidation of ties with Iran is of prime importance to Kabul as Tehran is Afghanistan’s long-standing ally.

He said that Afghanistan and Iran, which share common interests, should cooperate to fully tap into their capacities.

The Afghan president further said that the present peace and stability in Afghanistan will help promote security in the region, adding his government is investing in cooperation with neighboring countries as well as Islamic nations.

For his part, Zarif welcomed formation of the national unity government in Afghanistan which promotes participation of all people in the country’s affairs and said a new chapter has opened in the life of the nation.

As always, Iran will stand by Afghanistan in all areas, he said.

The Iranian foreign minister also said that Iran is planning to run long-term programs based on mutual interest.

In a separate meeting with Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Zarif said that Iran welcomes solid relations with Afghanistan, adding that both countries need to help the development process in the region.

The Afghan official hoped a future visit by President Ghani to Iran will result in working out cooperation agreements between the two countries in various fields.

Also in another meeting with former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the Iranian foreign minister hailed the role of former president in consolidating good and long-term relations [with Iran], saying it could help boost stability, security, progress and prosperity in the region.

Karzai appreciated Iran’s support for Afghanistan over years and said that Tehran has always played a positive role in boosting security and political development in Afghanistan.

Zarif also conferred with Afghan Government Executive Chief Abdullah Abduallah on issues of mutual interest.

The Iranian top diplomat then met with Afghan permanent representative to the UN, Zahir Tanin, at Iran’s Embassy in Kabul.

 

Restored Sphere by Arnaldo Pomodoro is unveiled in a Tehran Museum

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iran-Italy

On January 20, honaronline.ir posted a report on a ceremony in which a restored Sphere sculpture by veteran Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro was unveiled. The following is a partial translation of the piece:

The Sphere, a sculpture by Italy’s Arnaldo Pomodoro, was unveiled at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art with Director of the Visual Arts Center Majid Mola Nouruzi, Italian Ambassador to Iran Mauro Conciatori, Mazdak Feiznia representing the Feiznia Foundation, Hamid Ayni, a sculptor, a representative of the Pomodoro Foundation and a number of visual arts enthusiasts in attendance.

At the ceremony, before the artwork was unveiled, Mola Nouruzi said, “Organization of such an event is a reflection of good relationships between Iranian and Italian artists, and we are honored that there is an artwork by Pomodoro at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art.”

He added, “Restoration of the work which was carried out with the permission of the sculptor is a symbol of purging the earth of dust, attention to the environment and respect for artworks,”

As for Iran’s substantial presence after four decades in Venice Biennial next year, he stated, “Venice Biennial is a world event for the display of arts and fortunately, at the event next year, we are given an area 10 times bigger than that of previous years’.”

[…]

Thanking the Feiznias who contributed to the restoration of the sculpture, Italian Ambassador to Iran Mauro Conciatori said, “The sculpture was long exposed to pollution and had lost its luster, so it needed restoration.”

He went on to say, “From my perspective, the presence of an artwork by the Italian artist in Tehran and the attention given to its maintenance remind us of the strong historical bonds between Iran and Italy. Although a gap has appeared between the two countries in the past, art once again has brought them together.”

As for relations between the Italian Embassy with Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Conciatori stated, “Relations between the two are extremely good and pretty soon we will embark on a lot of joint programs. An exhibition featuring artworks by Iranian-Italian artist Bijan Basiri at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art as well as another expo showcasing the works of Bianchini, an Italian physician who lives in Iran, in the same museum are examples of such cooperation; the artworks of such artists are like a bridge linking the two nations.”

The representative of the Pomodoro Foundation at the ceremony said, “Pomodoro could not travel to Iran to observe the restoration of its work because of old age.”

Arnaldo Pomodoro, an Italian sculptor and artist, was born in the Italian city of Morciano in 1926. At present, he lives in Milan. The artist is well known for his spherical and columnar sculptures. Some of his works are on display in the Vatican Museum, Trinity College, Dublin, the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington D.C, Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, the de Young Museum in San Francisco and the University of California, Berkeley.

Of his artworks in Iran, one is on display at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art; another is housed in the library of Niavaran Palace; and a third stands outside the parking lot of Eram Amusement Park.

 

Iran, Russia ink defense cooperation agreement

By
Emad Askarieh
-
General Hossein Dehqan

Iran and Russia on Tuesday signed an agreement on defensive and military cooperation in Tehran.

The document was signed by the defense ministers of the two countries after a meeting in Tehran.

Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan held talks with his Russian counterpart, General Sergei Shoigu, who arrived in the Iranian capital on Monday night.

The agreement calls for the expansion of military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow.

It also includes provisions that entail closer cooperation on “maintenance of regional and international peace, security and stability, and the fight against various types of terrorism, separatism and extremism.”

The Russian defense minister is heading a delegation of senior officials.

[…]

Enemy cannot prolong its pump war

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Pour Mohammadi

Iran’s justice minister has lashed out at those critical of the direction of nuclear talks with P5+1, saying that Iranian negotiators will not compromise the stances of the nation and those of the revolution.

On January 19, Arman-e Emrooz daily quoted Mostafa Pourmohammadi as saying that the enemy cannot prolong its oil war against Iran. The following is the translation of his remarks at a ceremony marking the martyrdom anniversary of Shahid Sayyid Navvab Safavi [an anti-Pahlavi cleric]:

Critics should stop saying that [the country’s] negotiators are over-optimistic, or that they have budged and do not properly defend the stances of people and those of the revolution.

Some even go further and say ‘You have pinned much hope on foreign assistance for reforming the economy.’ These people should be told, ‘If you do not believe in what your friends say, at least trust what the enemies say.’

Obama says that one problem associated with the talks is that Iranians have no trust in the US. This is true and at the same time very important. At the climax of the talks and at the peak of comings and goings we proved that we are defending our ideals to the best of our ability.

First, the enemy admitted that Iran is a regional power and second that ‘they [the Iranians] have no confidence in us [the US]’.

The slogan that ‘We continue to stand up and put up resistance’ remains as valid as ever, but it will produce good results if and when it comes with planning and wisdom.

From the outset, sanctions were imposed to cripple Iran’s economy and force us into submission, but on the back of the nation’s patience and prudence Iran has managed to keep in check the inflation and blunt the blade of sanctions.

The enemy cannot drag on the oil war. If the enemy had succeeded in securing its intended results from slapping anti-Iran sanctions, it would not have walked on the path to self-destruction by sending the oil prices plunging. The pump war cannot rage on.

A bedside visit by the health minister to an acid attack victim

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Hashemi

Health Minister Hassan Hashemi, who is also a veteran ophthalmologist, has paid a third bedside visit in as many months to Soheila Jorkesh, a 27-year-old woman who fell victim to an acid attack in Isfahan in late 2014. The following is a partial translation of a report Shahrvand, a daily, carried on January 19:

On January 18, Hassan Hashemi paid a visit to Farabi Hospital in Tehran where Soheila Jorkesh is hospitalized to get the latest about her condition and the course of treatment.

After examining her eyes, Hashemi said, “Several operations have been performed on her injured eyes and skin so far to restore her vision. The corneas of both eyes along with the tissue that holds the eye lens have been damaged.”

Underscoring the efforts of the medical team to restore vision in the victim’s left eye, the health minister said, “Right now, she is in good condition. The response of the injured eye to light and movement shows that the eye nerve is not damaged, but more operations are required. If everything goes well, within three to six months a corneal transplant will be carried out.”

Highlighting the fact that the government attaches significance to meeting the needs of the victims, he added, “The government has tasked us with providing quality healthcare to all Iranians; that’s an obligation and we feel duty-bound to honor it. Of course, promotion of culture in society is an important matter which should not be neglected, so that such aberrant behaviors which are below the dignity of the Iranians are not repeated.”

Hashemi stated, “Over the past two decades, there have been several acid attacks as a result of which some people have sustained serious injuries or even lost their sight. We should not allow such incidents to take place in our society.”

The health minister went on to say that ever since the incidents in Isfahan, there have been a number of other acid attacks mostly because of personal motives or family feuds.

Hashemi said that the interior minister has been following up the case to identify and arrest those behind the acid attacks.

Saying that government will pick up the tab for all treatment fees, the health minister added, “If the victims needed to be treated abroad, the fees would be paid. However, for the time being, there is clearly no need for such a move.”

Dr. Hashemi is no stranger to visiting patients in hospitals. After an acid attack in November, he paid a bedside visit to Dr. Siamand Anvari, the administrator of Tehran’s Ziaeian Hospital who had fallen victim to a professional feud. He also visited six children who sustained injuries following a landmine explosion in Kurdistan Province; he even performed eye surgery on one of the victims, Shokhan, a 7-year-old girl.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Jan. 20

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Iranian Newspapers Headlines
Iranian Newspapers Headlines

The advance of the Iranian national soccer team to the quarterfinals of the AFC Asian Cup in Australia following three back-to-back group-stage victories dominated the front pages of the Iranian dailies on Tuesday. A huge rally outside the French embassy in Tehran in protest against the publication of cartoons by a French weekly insulting the Prophet Muhammad was on the cover of many dailies too. The foreign minister’s expression of Iran’s readiness to strike a deal with P5+1 within a month made front-page headlines as well.

 

Afarinesh: Russia says Iran and P5+1 will have clinched a nuclear deal by the end of March.

Afarinesh: A brigadier general with the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps was martyred in an airstrike by Israel on Syria’s Golan Heights.

 

Afarinesh newspaper 1- 20

Afkar: “Iran’s strategy is preservation of Iraq’s territorial integrity,” said Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani.

 

Afkar newspaper 1- 20

Aftab-e Yazd: Some Tehran residents who ride the subway to work ended up on the same train with President Rouhani and his foreign minister yesterday. During the impromptu meeting on board the subway car, a number of residents asked the president to keep the nuclear talks on the same track they have been so far.

Aftab-e Yazd: “We went out for a walk to leave a tense atmosphere that prevailed in the conference room,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said of the walk he took alongside US Secretary of State John Kerry on the streets of Geneva earlier this week.

 

Aftabe yazd newspaper 1- 20

Arman-e Emrooz: “We won’t face any problem even if oil prices plunged to $25 a barrel; no scenario has been put forth to raise gasoline prices,” said Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh.

Arman-e Emrooz: “Nuclear talks have entered a sophisticated stage,” said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

 

Armane emruz newspaper 1- 20

Asrar: “The private sector does not face any restriction forging economic cooperation with America,” said President Rouhani’s Chief of Staff Mohammad Nahavandian.

Asrar: “People cannot be denied social networks,” said Evaz Heidarpour, an MP who has a seat on parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

 

Asrar newspaper 1- 20

Ebtekar: Those who thronged outside the French embassy in Tehran in protest at insults to Prophet Muhammad called for the expulsion of the French ambassador and the impeachment of Iran’s foreign minister.

 

Ebtekar newspaper 1- 20

Emtiaz: Moshfegh Kashani, an Iranian poet, has passed away.

 

Emtiaz newspaper 1- 20

Etemad: “Stability in Afghanistan will be to the benefit of both Iran and the US,” said Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Etemad: Cries of anger at Charlie Hebdo were heard in Tehran’s Neauphle-le-Château [a street where the French embassy is located].

 

Etemad newspaper 1- 20

Ettela’at: President Rouhani and his ministers took the subway to work on the Clean Air Day: Monday.

Ettela’at: Iran’s National soccer squad advanced to the Asian Cup quarterfinals in style, booking a berth among the eight top Asian teams.

 

Ettelaat newspaper 1- 20

Iran: “Do not sacrifice national interests for factional considerations,” Foreign Minister Zarif said in comments aimed at those who have stirred up commotion in protest at nuclear talks.

Iran: “Reza Ghoochannejad, broke down the resistance of the Emirati team at the 90th minute; Iran 1- UAE 0.”

 

Iran newspaper 1- 20

Jamejam: Expressing Iran’s readiness to conclude a nuclear deal by theanniversary of 1979 Islamic Revolution [February 11], the foreign minister said, “The wrong approach of the US has prolonged the talks.”

 

jame jam newspaper 1- 20

Javan: In a message, the leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement has warned Israel to “get your shelters ready”.

Javan: “If more pressure is exerted, we will leave the negotiating table,” said Iran’s nuclear negotiator Seyyed Abbas Araghchi.

 

Javan newspaper 1- 20

Kayhan: What bothers people is multiple price hikes, not cutting out the cash subsidies handed out to high-income individuals.

 

Kayhan newspaper 1- 20

Mardomsalari: “Driving a wedge between people is the historical plot of colonial powers,” said Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

 

Mardom salari newspaper 1- 20

Resalat: “Iran and Russia have inked an agreement for the construction of two more nuclear power plants,” said Director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi.

 

Resalat newspaper 1- 20

 

Attack on Hezbollah unveils Israel’s support for terrorism: Official

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Shamkhani

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said Tel Aviv’s recent attack on members of the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement showed the Zionist regime’s continued support for Takfiri terrorists in the region.

An Israeli helicopter strike in Syria on Sunday killed six Hezbollah members, including a commander and the son of the movement’s late military leader Imad Mughniyah.

“The move is undoubtedly in line with (Israel’s) continued cooperation with Takfiri terrorists,” Shamkhani said in a meeting with the visiting Iraqi Interior Minister Mohammed Salem al-Ghabban in Tehran on Monday.

The senior Iranian official further noted that the attack is part of Tel Aviv’s ploy to ensure its security by resorting to terrorism as a means to plunge regional countries into internal conflicts.

Earlier in the day, Iran’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement, strongly condemned the Israeli attack and described it as a “savage terrorist act”.

Shamkhani congratulated the Iraqi official on the continued victories of the country’s army and volunteer forces in their fight against Takfiri terrorism.

The process of eradicating terrorism in Iraq and restoring peace and stability to the country is going on rapidly despite the intelligence aid, arms supplies, and financial supports provided by certain regional and trans-regional countries for the terrorist groups in the country, he added.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants made swift advances in much of northern and western Iraq in summer 2014, after capturing swaths of northern Syria.

However, a combination of concentrated attacks by the Iraqi military and the popular forces, who rushed to take up arms after top Iraqi cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa calling for a fight against the militants, have blunted the edge of the ISIL offensive and retaken many towns and villages.

Discrimination still prevails in US, says tweet by Leader marking Martin Luther King Day

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Leader tweet

The official account of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, ‏@khamenei_ir, has tweeted on the occasion of Martin Luther King Day, saying “discrimination still prevails in the US.”

The tweets marked the birthday of the prominent civil rights activist on Monday.

“Today, not only Asian, African & Latin American nations but also American ppl are treated out of injustice by the US,” said one tweet, using hashtags #Ferguson and #MLK.

This year’s celebrations were held in the wake of nationwide Black Lives Matter demos over the past months in protest at racial profiling against African Americans, which were triggered by police killings of two black men in Ferguson and Staten Island.

Another tweet criticized the US government over its failure to establish social justice in the country, adding that “recent protests of blacks in US clearly proves this fact.”

“Many years have passed since equality of blacks & whites was first declared on paper in US, but discrimination still prevails,” read a tweet.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a social activist, who led the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968.

He pressed for the adoption of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which is the first US civil rights legislation aimed at outlawing discrimination.

The African Americans in the United States are being “trampled by US system just for having dark skins,” said another tweet.

Protests have been held in the US since a grand jury decided not to indict police officer Daniel Pantaleo in Eric Garner’s chokehold death in New York City and two weeks after another grand jury decided not to indict former policeman Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

Unlike the fatal shooting of Brown, the chokehold death of Garner, a father of six and grandfather of two, was recorded by a cell phone and widely seen, contributing to the public outrage. In the video, Garner repeatedly told police officers “I can’t breathe!”

Iranians hold rally on insulting cartoon outside French embassy

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Rally against charlie Hebdo

Large crowds of Iranians staged a rally on Monday outside the French embassy in Tehran to protest against the insulting cartoons of Prophet Muhammad published on the cover of French weekly Charlie Hebdo.

The protesters chanted ‘Islam will be victorious’, ‘Israel is destroyed’ and ‘Down with France’, and carried placards in English, French, German and Arabic, saying that ‘My Prophet is Muhammad (PBUH).’

Iran has already condemned the ‘provocative’ publication of a new insulting caricature of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on the cover of Charlie Hebdo, calling it an insult to Islam.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said the publication of the insulting cartoon “provokes the sentiments of Muslims the world over.”

In remarks on the sidelines of nuclear talks in Geneva, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif called for mutual respect among different cultures.

“We believe that sanctities need to be respected and unless we learn to respect one another it will be very difficult in a world of different views and differing cultures and civilizations,” he told reporters.

“I think we would have a much safer, much more prudent world if we were to engage in serious dialogue, serious debate about our differences and then what we will find out that what binds us together is far greater than what divides us,” he said.

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