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Syria to emerge winner from war against ISIL

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Rouhani-Muallem

President Hassan Rouhani says he is assured that the Syrian nation will emerge winner from the ongoing battle against ISIL terrorists.

“We are certain that the Syrian nation will be the ultimate winner of this battle,” President Rouhani said in a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem in Tehran on Tuesday, referring to the ongoing battle between Syria and foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists.

“Today, it has become clear for the [Middle East] region and the world that the Syrian government and army are capable of countering terrorists and safeguarding the country,” Rouhani added.

He stated that foreign support for ISIL militants has merely stoked up violence and insecurity in the Middle East.

Muallem, for his part, expressed gratitude to the Islamic Republic for its support of Syria, saying Tehran and Damascus are fighting on the same front.

The Syrian foreign minister criticized the United States and its allies for supporting the terrorists fighting the Syrian government.

Referring to the latest Israeli airstrikes on Syria, Muallem said the Zionist regime and its supporters are set to destroy the economic infrastructure in Syria and strike a blow to the Syrian nation.

Israeli warplanes carried out two air assaults against an area of the Damascus International Airport and another airport in the town of Dimas on Sunday.

The Syrian army issued a statement later in the day, saying the air attacks by Tel Aviv were aimed at helping the ISIL militants operating in the Arab country.

Israel has carried out several airstrikes in Syria since the start of the conflict in the country in 2011.

Leave your shoes and preconceptions outside before coming in

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Rockhampton Mosque in Queensland

A sign posted at the front door of the Rockhampton Mosque in Queensland, Australia urges visitors to leave “shoes and preconceptions” at the front door before entering the house of worship.

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Agency) on December 8 filed a report on a December 6 function at the mosque during which non-Muslim Australians were given a chance to get familiar with Islam. The following is the translation of the report:

In Rockhampton, a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia, a large crowd of citizens of all ages and beliefs read the sign and willingly obliged as they packed into the house of worship for an “Open Mosque Day”.

The event, organized by the Islamic Society of Central Queensland (ISCQ), was designed to dispel the myths and misconceptions surrounding Islam and Muslims.

The participants had a guided tour of the mosque, attended Q & A sessions, and put forward their questions on Islam and its followers.

The female participants were given a chance to try the hijab [the Islamic covering]. The guests were also entertained by traditional foods of different Islamic cultures.

The ISCQ’s president Riaz Ahmed said that the service was all about promoting understanding and tolerance based on mutual interest and respect.

We humans share values which are much bigger than our differences. We have to respect and cherish those values, he added.

Mike Ryan, a city official in Queensland was among the guests listening to the imam at the mosque who fielded questions by curious visitors.

“I think it is very important that we understand each other,” he said, adding, “Having listened to the imam today, I can see parallels through the teachings and experiences I’ve felt as a Christian. They [Muslims] have the same thoughts, feelings, love and dislikes as everybody else.”

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Dec. 10

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Iranian Newspapers Headlines
Iranian Newspapers Headlines

President Rouhani’s comments at a conference on World against Violence and Extremism in Tehran dominated the front pages of the Iranian newspapers on Wednesday. Most dailies focused on Mr. Rouhani’s 10-point plan to turn up the heat on terrorism and extremism and his appeal for December 18 to be designated as World Day against Violence and Extremism. Also grabbing headlines were the comments of the director of the Atomic Energy Organization that Iran is not supposed to ship its nuclear fuel overseas and those of Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi about the most recent rounds of nuclear talks in Muscat and Vienna.

 

Abrar: “Procurement of equipment for Arak Reactor does not amount to breach of Iran’s commitments,” said the spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

 

Abrar newspaper-12-10

Aftab-e Yazd: Reformists are eying 200 parliamentary seats in the early 2016 legislative elections.

 

Aftabe Yazd newspaper-12-10

Arman-e Emrooz: Some 1 million birds are poached in Fereydunkenar [on the Caspian coast] each year. Authorities take no action.

 

Arman newspaper-12-10

Asrar: “Talks with P5+1 will soon get underway,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Asrar: “President Obama and Secretary Kerry are interested in solving the nuclear issue. Iran is not supposed to ship any fuel overseas,” said Ali Akbar Salehi, the director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

 

asrar newspaper-12-10

Etemad: In next year’s spending package, more than $300 million has been allocated to efforts to create jobs for the youth. The amount the package’s health chapter allots to prevention is too small.

 

Etemad newspaper-12-10

Ettela’at: Parliament has voted for the general outlines of a bill designed to lift the country out of recession.

 

Ettelaat newspaper-12-10

Farhikhtegan: Basij and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps have been officially named by parliament as bodies in charge of implementing “Promotion of Virtue, Prevention of Vice”.

 

farhikhtegan newspaper-12-10

Iran: President Rouhani has put forth a 10-point plan to take on terrorism and extremism at a World against Violence and Extremism conference in Tehran.

Iran: The price war has sent oil prices down to $65 a barrel.

 

Iran newspaper-12-10

Iran Daily: World auto giants eager to cooperate with Iran.

Iran Daily: The AEOI [Atomic Energy Organization of Iran] stresses Tehran’s commitment to Geneva deal.

 

Iran daily newspaper-12-10

Javan: “Under no circumstances will we cross the country’s red lines. Talks in Muscat were on the verge of failure,” said Iranian nuclear negotiator Seyyed Abbas Araghchi.

 

Javan newspaper-12-10

Jomhouri Islami: The pipeline that takes Iranian natural gas to Pakistan will be laid in 18 months.

Jomhouri Islami: Security has tightened in the US and around its missions overseas after Senate released a CIA torture report.

 

Jomhouri eslami newspaper-12-10

Kaenat: Authorities have said Mehran Border Crossing is packed with pilgrims who want to cross the border to Iraq to attend religious ceremonies there, urging pilgrims not to flock the crossing.

Kaenat: “President Rouhani has ordered popular social networks to remain accessible,” said Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati.

 

Kaenat newspaper-12-10

Mardomsalari: “Each year between 600 and 700 acid attacks take place across the country,” said Police Chief Brigadier General Esmail Ahmadi Moghadam.

Mardomsalari: “Ignorance of the public in a society is the best means [for rulers] to put down uprisings” said Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

 

mardom salari newspaper-12-10

Payam-e Zaman: Iran’s nuclear chief has floated the formation of a Joint Nuclear Energy Council in the Persian Gulf region.

 

Payame Zaman newspaper-12-10

Resalat: “The veto power has paralyzed the United Nations. Major power efforts to serve their own interests have given rise to violence,” President Rouhani told an anti-violence conference in Tehran.

 

Resalat newspaper-12-10

Roozan: “There is no ban on [Mohammad] Khatami’s appearance on TV programs,” said Ali Motahari, a principlist MP.

 

Rouzan newspaper-12-10

Sayeh: “Iran will definitely have been out of recession by yearend [March 21, 2015],” said First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri.

Sayeh: President Rouhani has called for December 18 to be designated as World Day against Violence and Extremism.

 

SAyeh newspaper-12-10

Sharq: “Violence in the name of religion is a disgrace,” said President Rouhani.

Sharq: “The Intelligence Ministry respects the privacy of citizens,” said the Iranian intelligence chief.

Sharq: Up to 70 percent of the shares of three banks belongs to a single person.

Sharq: “Iran Bar Association has tasked an in-house panel with piecing together an anti-corruption plan,” said Seyyed Mahmoud Alizadeh, a board member of the association.

Sharq: “Iranian people have warmly welcomed a call by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps to propose names for RQ170 [an Iranian-made drone]. So far, 900,000 mobile phone messages and e-mails have been received,” said Head of the IRGC Public Relations Department Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif.

 

Shargh newspaper-12-10

Vatan-e Emrooz: The US and Saudi Arabia are capitalizing on [the Iranian] government’s inactive oil diplomacy to further push down global crude prices.

 

vatane Emrooz newspaper-12-10

 

Strikes don’t make Israel more secure: Iran official

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Iran-Syria
Iran-Syria

A senior Iranian official says Israel’s recent airstrikes against Syria do not make the Tel Aviv regime more secure.

Such measures do not have any bearing on Israel’s growing insecurity, said Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani in reference to the aerial attacks at a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem in Tehran on Tuesday.

Israeli warplanes carried out two aerial assaults against an area of the Damascus International Airport and another airport in the town of Dimas on Sunday.

Shamkhani further criticized some countries’ efforts to create a no-fly or buffer zone in Syria’s border regions, saying that such measures will “damage the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” instead of “establishing security and alleviating the pains of downtrodden Syrians.”

“Effort by the regional and extra-regional supporters of terrorist groups in creating the war of attrition in Syria is doomed to fail,” noted the Iranian official.

Muallem said that by the Syrian people’s resistance and unity “and the support of friendly countries like Iran, Russia, and Iraq,” terrorism can be eradicated in the region.

Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey — are reportedly supporting the militants operating in Syria.

Chehreh Rock in southwestern Iran in photos

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

Chehreh Rock is located in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province in southwestern Iran. The rock stands 100 meters away from an abandoned village by the name of Mah Gardi. Chehreh Rock, which is two meters high and three meters long, sits on a rocky hill which is 800 meters in height.

Although residents of the village have abandoned it to live in urban areas, its intact natural attractions and bubbling springs have always kept it as a destination for tourists and nature enthusiasts.

Being perched on a towering cliff edge, Chehreh Rock is visible from afar, including different areas of Sarfaryab.

Erosion is the reason behind the emergence of the rock formation. In fact the soft composition of the rock beneath coupled with water and wind erosion has contributed to the formation of the rock.

The following is a photo gallery of Chehreh Rock that Irandeserts.com has posted on its website:

 

President highlights 10 strategies for urgent anti-terrorism fight

By
Emad Askarieh
-
WAVE
WAVE

President Hassan Rouhani put forward ten strategies to launch an immediate war against terrorism.

Addressing an international gathering on violence and extremism on Tuesday, the president also suggested that December 18 be designated as the World Day Against violence and Extremism.

He said designation of a day to promote a violence-free world will help keep alive the memory of those who have unfairly been killed and reinvigorate the global determination to take on violence and extremism each year.

December 18 marks the day when the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to vote for a proposal put forth by President Rouhani calling for a World Against Violence and Extremism (WAVE).

He proposed ten ways to promote an instant campaign against violence and extremism in the world.

He said the countries which have initiated, organized and financially supported terrorist groups should distance themselves now from them and stop their direct and indirect assistance to these groups.

He said such groups should also help the victim countries with financial, information and military aid.

He noted that Iraq and Syria have suffered extreme losses due to the assistance provided to the terrorists. Countries which are to blame for such losses must compensate for the damage.

Stressing that terrorists recruit their forces from unemployed and deprived people, President Rouhani underscored the necessity of establishing an international fund to generate jobs and help countries which have fallen victim to terrorism develop.

He also said religious schools should be established with the objective of correcting the wrong extremist and violent notions followed by the terrorists. They should also promote the true image of beneficent Islam in the world.

He pointed to the need for a global campaign to confront misuse of cyber space and social networks by terrorists.

He said countries which are located on the terrorist’s mobility route should have stronger political will and devise better mechanisms to stop easy movement of terrorists.

The Iranian President went on to stress the need for the international community to try to make amendments in the United Nations structure especially in the Security Council and its use of veto mechanism which at times poses serious threat to the global peace and security.

This very mechanism, President Rouhani added, has been quite ineffective and practically paralyzed the international organization.

The inefficiency of the UN Security Council seriously undermines international peace and security, encourages acts of aggression, disappoints victims and paves the way for violent actions, he added.

He urged the international community to resolutely follow up the rehabilitation of the UN which is periodically gripped by paralyzing problems.

He finally hoped that the WAVE conference in Tehran could come up with effective and practical ways to promote the culture of peace and coexistence as well as the spirit of fighting violence and extremism in the world.

President Rouhani opened the two-day WAVE conference Tuesday morning with experts and scholars from 40 countries participating in the event.

In September 2013, during his UN visit, President Rouhani put forward a proposal to the UN General Assembly calling for the ‘World Against Violence and Extremism’. The proposal — WAVE — was approved by the UN General Assembly last December with an overwhelming 190 votes as the WAVE Act.

According to a conference official, no statement would be issued at the end of the conference but instead a directive would be presented based on the address of President Rouhani at the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2013.

Change is needed in approach to preserving the establishment: MP

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Ali Motahari
Ali Motahari

On December 8, Etemad, a daily, carried an in-depth report about national University Student Day [December 7] and the speeches made to mark the occasion. The following is the translation of part of the report dedicated to a speech by Tehran MP Ali Motahari:

The speech by Ali Motahari was met with a very warm welcome. Slogans were chanted in his favor, with participants hailing him as a shining example of a true principlist. The extent of welcome even caught Motahari by surprise. The crowd was so large that organizers had to let him in through a backdoor of Chamran Conference Hall at Tehran University.

Expressing surprise over the massive turnout for the event, Motahari said in order to critique someone, some rules should be observed.

“The student movement should prepare itself to be critiqued, because it has strengths and weaknesses at the same time,” he said.

“A student is neither a layman nor a scholar, they stand somewhere in between and can plunge into ignorance without knowing it. However, students can play the role of social reformers, because they have an immaculate spirit which is typical of warriors,” he added.

Describing students as the ones who monitor social conditions, he stated, “Nothing can lead our revolution off its course. Of course, the presence of the Supreme Leader is helpful, but his presence does not reduce our obligations. Everyone who comes across injustice should roll up their sleeves and prevent vice.”

He denounced interpretations by some that the rule of the Religious Jurisprudence is a drag on freedom and said, “The problem lies with some followers of the Leader, not with the principle of the Religious Jurisprudence itself, and the Leader himself does not hold such views.”

Recalling a memory about the Supreme Leader, he said, “The Leader embraces criticism with open arms.” Nonetheless, he went on to say that when it comes to critiquing the Leader, his position as the Religious Jurisprudent should be honored, because he rules a school of thought. In the Religious Jurisprudence, it is the jurisprudent that rules not the individual.”

“Presently, anyone who expresses a contrary view is accused of being against the establishment which is wrong. Our second misinterpretation centers on how the establishment should be preserved. Unfortunately, some trample a number of principles to safeguard the establishment. They are under the wrong impression that they can do anything to protect the system. However, the principle of freedom for individuals stipulated in the Constitution forbids the arrest of people unless an indictment has been issued and a trial is swiftly held.

“Things have taken a turn for better and many people have reconciled with the establishment. Despite being harshly critical of it, they take part in annual rallies on February 11 [the victory day of the Islamic Revolution],” he said.

“It looks as if to some people everyone is a seditionist and a subverter unless proven otherwise. These are dangerous conceptions threatening the establishment. We should change our approach to preserving the establishment. I am of the opinion that a majority of students like the establishment and simply seek reforms,” he added.

He described the misinterpretation of freedom of speech as another problem, saying “Some undervalue freedom of speech. The press is the fourth pillar of democracy and can prevent a lot of offenses from happening providing that a considerable number of red lines are lifted.”

“Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [Article 18: Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion] everyone is free to think about and worship what he wants. This ideology emerged in Europe and has its roots in Medieval Inquisitorial courts. This concept is contradictory and its contradictions are reflected in the performance of the West. It is not approved of by Islam,” he cited.

Motahari, who is a member of parliament’s Cultural Committee, said, “As for the freedom of speech, strictness still persists. In the previous government, there was a harsh approach. I hope that things will be reformed; President Rouhani honors his pledges.”

When asked about the house arrest [of three people who doubted the results of the 2009 presidential election and stirred up sedition], he said, “Of course, I am not in charge of lifting the house arrest. I only follow up the case because I feel responsible as an MP and the son of a martyr.”

“We should convince each other through dialog and logic, and obstinacy coupled with commotion won’t resolve any issue,” he concluded.

Never ever will Iran roll out the red carpet for the US

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Haddade Adel
Haddade Adel

Gholamali Haddad Adel, a principlist MP and a one-time parliament speaker, has said in light of the fact that the blood of many Iranians has been shed it is impossible for the Islamic Republic of Iran to roll out a red carpet for the United States.

The Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) on December 8 reported the comments of Haddad Adel in a gathering dubbed “We are here as long as the struggle continues” in the University of Tehran to mark national Student Day (December 7). The following is the translation of what he said:

Students should be outspoken advocates of the quest for freedom, truth and independence. They should not allow our enemies and outsiders to interfere in the country’s internal affairs. This is what stands out about students, maybe all over the world.

Sixty-one years ago today Iranian students protested against a trip by Richard Nixon to Tehran which resulted in the murder of three students in the University of Tehran. Sixteen years later Nixon – US vice-president at the time – paid another visit to Tehran and was greeted with stone-throwing student protesters on the streets.

Prior to this event, some would not get engaged in any struggle; some only supported the fight against domestic tyranny, and some others believed that nothing could be done unless foreign despotism was confronted. However, the truth-seeking spirit of students showed that domestic tyranny and foreign despotism could be countered simultaneously.

Students should get engaged in the country’s political issues. They should not remain indifferent to the fate of their homeland. Rather, they are expected to knowingly critique what is happening inside the country since society’s fate is in the hands of the same students.

Political questions should be reviewed critically in universities. Students should talk about fundamental and vital things that the revolution needs to survive. The point is that critical viewpoints should be aired out of commitment to and care for the country, and based on responsibility and conscience.

Students should remain vigilant not turn into tools in the hands of outsiders and foreigners as they walk down the political path. Also they should be vigilant not to lead the student movement off course.

After 1997 we learnt that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and foreign plotters had plans for Iranian universities and students. They attempted to prompt the students to stand up to the Islamic Republic on student day. That’s why they struggled to prod some people to take on the Islamic revolution on December 7.

The Americans were seeking to simulate the events that unfolded before the revolution. Since the student movement rose up against the regime of the Shah and gained support among people, the enemies thought that such movements can be launched in the era of the Islamic government as well.

It defies common sense to think that a university, which used to be a bastion of the fight against anti-revolutionaries, can change course today and act as the main supporter of the US. The attempts of those who sought to take action against the Islamic establishment misfired because they lacked logic and were only part of a plot dictated to universities.

Islamic Student Associations, Basij in particular, which have acted vigilantly over the years, are expected to insightfully and responsibly act in keeping with the Supreme Leader’s remarks at a gathering of Basij forces.

Questions have been recently raised in student circles as to why the Islamic Republic does not get along with the US or what the sticking point between Iran and the US is. I’ve come here today to provide you with an answer: these are front-page headlines of some newspapers, but to learn about what has gone wrong between the two countries we should look at what the US has done in the world following the Second World War.

In the wake of the War and the collapse of the former Soviet Union, the Americans viewed themselves as the unquestionable master of the entire world or the chief of the global village.

They are after oil wherever it is. The US is present anywhere oil can be found. They fix the prices of crude oil. They put the money they spend [on oil purchase] back into their pockets by selling their consumer products, quality and shoddy goods alike.

Recently, the chokehold death of a black man at the hands of the US police for illegally selling loose cigarettes took Americans, black and white, to the streets from coast to coast. Protesters shouted I can’t breathe – the dying words of the murdered black man. The US treats its own citizen this way, what would it do to us if it got its hand on us?

December 7 should live on in this country as a symbol of the quest for freedom and independence.

Iran hosts international confab against extremism, violence

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Iran-WAVE
Iran-WAVE

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani calls on the United Nations (UN) to play a more active role in the campaign against terrorism.

President Rouhani made the remarks on Tuesday in his opening speech at an international conference on the World Against Extremism and Violence (WAVE) in the Iranian capital, Tehran with participants from more than 40 countries attending the two-day event.

Rouhani also called for boosting regional and international cooperation to build a world free of violence.

He urged those states that support Takfiri terrorist groups to renounce violence and terror.

Senior political officials, intellectuals and delegates from some Asian, African and South American countries such as Iraq, Syria and Nicaragua are attending the event.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari and his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem are in Tehran to participate in the meeting. The two countries have been hit by the ISIL militancy.

On December 18, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to approve President Rouhani’s WAVE proposal, which calls on all nations across the globe to denounce violence and extremism. The Iranian president made the proposal in his address to the UN Disarmament Conference in New York on September 25.

Tehran Conference comes against the backdrop of the growing threat of violence and extremism across the Middle East, particularly the atrocities committed by Takfiri ISIL terrorists in the Middle East.

The Takfiri militants have seized swathes of land in Iraq and Syria. They have carried out horrific acts of violence in the two countries, including public decapitations. ISIL has also killed people from Shia, Sunni, Kurd and Christian communities in Iraq.

Iran to unveil 40 great oil projects at London conference

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Iran Gas Oil
Iran Gas Oil

A National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) official said Iran is to introduce 40 grand oil projects at a London Conference due in March 2015.

Moshtaq Ali Gohari who is the deputy chief of the company told reporters on Monday that the NIOC will unveil over 40 oil industry projects during the conference.

Most of the projects are related to South Pars and West Karoun oil fields, he said.

The official noted that they are mainly conducted in upstream oil industry as well as exploration and development activities.

He anticipated that disclosure of projects will fetch about $40 billion worth of investment for the projects.

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