A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov.18

By

-

November 18, 2014

Comments of the Supreme Leader at a commencement ceremony at Imam Ali Military Academy appeared on the front pages of Iranian dailies on Tuesday. Considerable newspaper coverage was also given to whether or not Danesh Ashtiani [President Rouhani’s pick for science minister] will get the approval of parliament. On the international front, the last round of nuclear talks between Iran and P5+1 and speculations as to whether a final deal will be clinched by a November 24^th deadline grabbed headlines and generated several analyses in today’s newspapers.

Abrar: “Mahmoud Dowlatabadi, a well-known Iranian author, has been awarded the prestigious French award of Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.”

Afkar has quoted the governor of the Central Bank of Iran as stressing that an economic growth of 4.6 percent has been fulfilled and that the statistics released by the bank are accurate.

Aftab-e Yazd: “Where were those who keep criticizing the government of Rouhani for the poor quality of Tehran air when Ahmadinejad was in power?” is the question the daily has posed on its front page in a report about the barrage of criticism aimed at the Environment Protection Organization.

Arman-e Emrooz: “Access to information is a public right; the intelligent filtering plan will get ready in one month time,” said the minister of communications and information.

Asrar: “Inflation will land in the single-digit territory in the year which starts on March 21, 2016,” said First Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri.

Asrar: “The home stretch of marathon nuclear talks; foreign ministers of P5+1 are likely to join the Vienna negotiations.”

Ebtekar: “Reformism is in quest of strengthening the establishment,” said former President Mohammad Khatami.

Ettela’at: “Empowering women is a prerequisite of sustainable development,” said Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Shahindokht Molaverdi.

Farhikhtegan: “Air travel has seen a 12-percent growth between March 21 and October 22, 2014.”

Hambastegi: “By setting up armed groups and massacring people, enemies give rise to Islamophobia,” said the Supreme Leader at a commencement ceremony at Imam Ali Military Academy on Monday.

Iran: “Cancer claims 30,000 lives in Iran on a yearly basis.”

Javan has put its speculation about the result of nuclear talks in Vienna under “Partial agreement rather than a comprehensive deal is the most likely nuclear scenario in Vienna”.

Jomhouri Islami: “Establishment of sustainable security in the region requires closer cooperation between Iran and Russia,” said Chairman of the State Expediency Council Hashemi Rafsanjani in a meeting with visiting Speaker of Russian State Duma Sergei Naryshkin.

Kar va Kargar: “Public healthcare should not turn into a political or partisan concept,” said the health minister.

Mardomsalari: “Iranian young pop singer Morteza Pashaei has been buried overnight.” His burial was delayed for hours as a huge number of people turned up for his funeral.

Mardomsalari: “Reformism is committed to the religion which regards public viewpoints as valid, “said former President Mohammad Khatami.

Resalat: “The flimsy excuses that the West turns to have thrown obstacles in the way of nuclear talks,” said Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly Ali Larijani in a meeting with visiting Speaker of Russian State Duma Sergei Naryshkin.

Resalat: “Extending the term of the acting science minister [until the president’s pick finally secures a vote of confidence from parliament] requires a decree by the Supreme Leader,” said Elias Naderan, a principlist MP.

Roozan: “Secretary of the State Expediency Council Mohsen Rezai might field his candidacy for parliamentary elections next year.”

Sepid: “Medicine imports are six times more than exports,” said the director of Iran’s Food and Drug Administration.

Shahrvand: “Iran is enveloped by air pollutants; air quality in seven cities has reached an alarming level.”

Two endangered species roam in search of real protection

By

Emad Askarieh

-

November 18, 2014

Laristan Wild Sheep, a rare species, lives exclusively in the Hormod Protected Area in Fars province, southern Iran. Also known as Laristan mouflon (Ovis orientalis laristanica), the wild sheep is believed to be the smallest of its kind in the world and that spells out why “miniature” is frequently used to describe it.

The number of the sheep has sharply declined in recent decades, landing mouflon on the red list of threatened species.

The Persian onager is another animal which is listed as “critically endangered” and “extremely rare”. Also called the gur, Persian wild ass or zebra, it is a subspecies of onager native to Iran. Poaching for meat or hide is to blame for the sparse population of the mammal.

The following are the photos Tasnim News Agency put on its website on October 27 of the two rare animals. Take a look.

Iran’s Mahmoud Dowlatabadi wins French prestigious award

By

Emad Askarieh

-

November 18, 2014

French ambassador to Iran, Bruno Foucher, has presented Mahmoud Dowlatabadi, a veteran Iranian writer, with the prestigious award of France’s Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on November 17 that the award which bears the signature of France’s culture minister was handed to the Iranian author in a ceremony in the residence of Ambassador Foucher in Tehran.

The French ambassador, Dariush Shayegan – a prominent thinker – and Mariam Asgari – the translator of Missing Soluch, a novel written by Dowlatabadi – took the stage in the event and talked about the different aspects of Dowlatabadi’s literary works.

The French envoy said that the intellectual society and book lovers in his country have gained greater familiarity with the Iranian writer since the release of his works in France. He also highlighted the standout features of Dowlatabadi’s play, story and novel writing.

Shayegan, for his part, said, “Dowlatabadi is undoubtedly one of the biggest novelists in contemporary Iran. To create his works, he did not drink 50,000 cups of coffee – like what Honoré de Balzac did in the matter of 20 years at the expense of his life to create The Human Comedy, a literary masterpiece of the 19^th century.

He further said, “However, Dowlatabadi penned Kelidar – one of the most attractive and biggest rural epics of modern Iran – in the course of 15 years after going through many ups and downs.”

Dowlatabadi hails from Khorasan, the birthplace of Iran’s literature and philosophy, Shayegan said, adding that the great writer has embodied both the greatness of this land and its scars.

He further hailed Dowlatabadi’s intellectual honesty and world-class novelty in a media-addled world and said, “Like any other true artist, Dowlatabadi is sensitive and full of stress. He’s been hurt by something from inside, and is concerned about those individuals whose brave dreams always stay in conflict with petty realities in a world which looks the other way when it comes to the internal and heartfelt desires of truth and freedom seekers.

“This unknown, or less-known, Sphinx – who knows, perhaps he is widely known. – is a man in exile in his internal quest of self-enlightenment.”

Mariam Asgari was the next speaker who explained how she rendered Missing Soluch from Farsi into French.

“A translator is always dissatisfied and I had a dissatisfied feeling all the way as I translated the book. For me, translating Missing Soluch was equal to translating an entire region; it was the translation of a culture and a history. […]”

Later France’s Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres was conferred upon Dowlatabadi, who in turn thanked the French culture minister, the French ambassador in Tehran and France’s cultural attaché.

The veteran Iranian writer talked about writing and the pain associated with it, and then read parts of Eugène Ionesco and Marcel Proust’s works, raising some points about the French civilization and literature.

The ceremony was attended by big literary and art names such as: Dariush Shayegan, Nasrollah Pourjavadi [a university professor], Kambiz Derambakhsh [a cartoonist and graphic designer], Omid Rouhani [an actor and film critic], Taraneh Shayegan, Sedigh Tarif [a traditional singer], Leili Golestan [a translator], Mahdi Ra’fat, Javad Mojabi [a poet, writer and researcher], Kianush Ansari, Media Kashigar, and Fakhreddin Fakhreddini [a painter], as well as Davood Mousaei and Hassan Kiaeyan (publishers of Dowlatabadi’s works).

Mahmoud Dowlatabadi, born on August 1, 1940, is an Iranian writer and actor, known for his realist depictions of rural life based on personal experience. He has penned great novels, among them:
Kelidar is a saga about a Kurdish nomadic family. The ten-volume book is praised for its heroic, lyrical, and sensual language as well as its detailed portrayal of political and social upheaval. Dowlatabadi spent over a decade writing the book.
In Missing Soluch, an impoverished woman raises her children in an isolated village after the unexplained disappearance of her husband, Soluch. It was his first work which was translated into English.
Thirst (Persian: Besmel) is a novel on the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988). It is written mostly from the perspective of an Iraqi.
The Colonel is a novel about nation, history, and family. It is the story which unfolds during and after the Islamic revolution in Iran in the 1980s. This book, whose translations into German and English are available in international markets, has yet to be published in Iran. The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance says that the content of The Colonel needs to be revised before it is given the go-ahead to go to press.
Dowlatabadi said in a ceremony also attended by a deputy culture minister on November 16 that he has some complaints to make about his authorship rights which have been trampled for years.
In August 2014, Iran issued a commemorative postage stamp for Mahmoud Dowlatabadi.

Iran to build hydroelectric power plant in Armenia

By

Emad Askarieh

-

November 18, 2014

Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian has announced that Tehran and Yerevan have finalized an agreement on the construction of a hydroelectric power plant in Armenia.

“The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for building a hydroelectric power plant in Armenia has been finalized and the Iranian companies will start construction of the power plant soon,” Chitchian said in Tehran on Monday.

Recalling the hi-tech capabilities and the international reputation of Iranian water and power firms, he said Iranian water-management and power plant construction companies are active in 41 countries around the world and export a large amount of related products to other countries.

Iran and Armenia have taken major strides toward deepening their relations in recent years, particularly in the economic sector.

Chitchian and his Armenian counterpart Yervand Zakharian in a meeting in Tehran in October voiced willingness to enhance bilateral relations, particularly in the energy sector.

[…]

Iran’s FM, EU’s Ashton to attend working lunch in Vienna

By

Emad Askarieh

-

November 18, 2014

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has traveled to the Austrian capital, Vienna, to take part in a new round of nuclear talks with P5+1.

On Tuesday morning, Zarif, who heads Iran’s negotiating team, left Tehran for Vienna, where he is scheduled to attend a working lunch with Catherine Ashton, the chief negotiator of the six world powers, later in the day.

The two senior diplomats are expected to review the progress of ongoing talks on Tehran’s nuclear issue and look into ways to continue the discussions.

The new round of talks between Iran and the world powers in Vienna is slated to last for one week from November 18 to 24.

Representatives from Iran and the P5+1 group – Russia, China, France, Britain, the US and Germany – wrapped up their latest talks over Iran’s nuclear energy program in the Omani capital, Muscat, on November 11.

The extent of Iran’s uranium enrichment and the timetable for the removal of anti-Iran sanction were high on the agenda of Muscat negotiations.

Iran and its negotiating sides are in talks to work out a final deal aimed at ending the longstanding standoff over the Islamic Republic’s civilian nuclear work as a November 24 deadline draws near.

Sources close to the Iranian negotiating team say the main stumbling block in the way of resolving the Western dispute over Iran’s nuclear energy program remains to be the removal of all the bans imposed on the country, and not the number of centrifuges or the level of uranium enrichment.

Tehran wants the sanctions entirely lifted while Washington, under pressure from the pro-Israeli lobby, insists that at least the UN-imposed sanctions should remain in place.

Iran’s non-oil exports rise 28 percent

By

Emad Askarieh

-

November 18, 2014

Iran’s non-oil exports since the beginning of the Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2014) have increased 28 percent compared with the same period last year.

“The value of non-oil exports since the start of the current year has increased by over 28% compared with the same period last year,” Hossein Tajour, the director-general of the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran for Renovation and Administrative Development, told a forum in North Khorasan Province on Monday.

He said the figures also included gas condensates.

Noting that the technical-engineering, tourism, workforce and transit services constitute the bulk of Iran’s non-oil exports, he said the Asian countries have been the destination of 93% of the country’s exports this year.

Iran’s Customs Administration announced earlier this month that the country’s non-oil exports have witnessed significant growth in the first seven months of the year, bringing in over $27 billion.

It noted that 55 million tons of commodities have been exported during the same period.

[…]

Basij supports the nuclear negotiating team: General

By

Emad Askarieh

-

November 17, 2014

The Iranian people and Basij [volunteers] support the nuclear negotiators whether they strike a deal that would safeguard the Iranian rights or leave the negotiating table without clinching an agreement, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) quoted Commander of the Basij Force Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi as telling a news conference Monday. The following is the translation of the report the official news agency filed on his comments:

Failure to stick to Iranian rights is what no one supports, the commander said as he likened the nuclear issue to the borders of the country. “If a single kilometer of the Iranian border is violated, the military, in its entirety, will step in to retake the Iranian territory. Nuclear energy is an Iranian entitlement.”

He went on to say, “We won’t allow anyone to bargain over the rights of the Iranian people and leave a black mark on it. Of course, we know that the government won’t acquiesce to a deal that does not protect Iranian rights.”

The general further said thanks to his busy schedule he cannot follow the detail of the nuclear case. “What is obvious, though, is that the Iranian nuclear negotiators have upheld the dignity of the nation and have taken the right stand in recent days.”

We expect the US to drop its excessive demands and sign a fair deal, he said.

[…]

A National Moderation Conference is to be held at Iran’s National Library

By

Emad Askarieh

-

November 17, 2014

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on November 17 quoted Seyyed Reza Salehi Amiri, the current director of the National Library of Iran (NLI) and the head of the Policymaking Council of the Moderation Conference, as saying that Seyyed Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the late Imam Khomeini, will deliver a keynote speech at the National Moderation Conference which will be held on November 19.” What comes below is the translation of part of his comments at a press conference:

At the conference, a number of state and scientific figures will deliver speeches and expert-level meetings will be held.

The conference, which is organized by the Strategic and Policymaking Council, is comprised of three scientific, executive and media committees. The get-together is intended to study the concept of moderation from philosophical, religious, cultural, political and economic perspectives.

Articles submitted to the secretariat have been published in seven volumes. […]

The ministries of Science and the Interior, the Center for Strategic Research, affiliated with the Presidential Office, and a number of scientific associations are among 30 bodies contributing to the event.

Not a penny from the government coffers has been spent on organizing this conference which is going to be held extravagance-free.

After speeches by a number of scientific figures, six expert-level round tables with different topics will be held, namely ‘Moderation from the perspective of Islamic thinking’, ‘Moderation from the viewpoint of Iranian thinkers’, ‘Moderation and women’, ‘Theoretical foundations’, ‘The sociology of moderation’, ‘Thinking and the political behavior of moderation’ and ‘The approach of moderation and development’.

On August 10, IFP posted the translation of an interview Mosalas magazine conducted with Salehi Amiri under the heading of ‘Role of National Library in turning moderation into a discourse’.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 17

By

Emad Askarieh

-

November 17, 2014

The last farewell to Iranian pop singer Morteza Pashaei, whose untimely demise at the age of 30 met with the outpouring of grief, put several snapshots of his funeral procession on the front pages of Iranian dailies on Monday. A surprise visit by Omani Foreign Minister Youssef bin Alawi bin Abdullah to Iran was another top story of the day. Speculations as to whether or not the President Rouhani’s fourth pick to lead the ministry of science will get a nod from parliament grabbed a lot of front-page attention. The last story of the day revolved around the silver medal that 2012 Olympic gold medalist Behdad Salimi bagged in the 2014 World Weightlifting Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan, losing the title of the world’s strongest man to Roslan Albegov from Russia.

Afarinesh: “Striking a nuclear accord [between Iran and P5+1] will be easier than having the talks extended,” said the German foreign minister.

Afkar: “Rome seeks to beef up economic relations with Tehran,” said the Italian ambassador to Tehran.

Aftab-e Yazd: “A nuclear deal can be clinched swiftly,” said Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani.

Arman-e Emrooz: “The traditional intermediary in nuclear talks between Iran and P5+1, the Omani foreign minister, paid a surprise visit to Tehran.”

Asrar: British Premier David Cameron said that he was committed to rebuilding diplomatic relations with the Iranian government.

Asrar: “Acting Science Minister Mohammad Ali Najafi has not accepted the resignation of his deputy in charge of the Education Department and the head of the ministry’s Board of Trustees.”

Asrar referred to speculations that go around in some circles about a film which is expected to be screened in parliament on the day MPs will decide whether or not to grant Danesh Ashtiani [President Rouhani’s pick for science minister] a vote of confidence. The footage is said to be a prelude for the chamber to deny him a nod.

Ebtekar: “A few more ministers might face a vote of no confidence; headwinds of questioning and impeachment are blowing in the way of the government, shifting the goalposts for the government.”

Emtiaz: “Book-reading rate in Iran is in a pitiful state,” said the Secretary General of the Public Libraries Authority.

Etemad: “Air pollution has sent Director of the Environment Protection Organization Masoumeh Ebtekar to parliament [to answer questions by MPs].”

Etemad: “In an explicitly-worded letter, 760 academics have appealed to MPs to give Danesh Ashtiani a vote of confidence to take over the Ministry of Science.”

Ettela’at: “Iran-Tajikistan Friendship Association paid tribute to Kamal Khujandi, a Persian poet born in Tajikistan.”

Ettela’at: “To exit recession, we are waiting for a decision by parliament,” said First Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri.

Ettela’at: “In a society where minimum freedom of critiquing is not guaranteed, we cannot think of growth and development,” said Director of the Environment Protection Organization Masoumeh Ebtekar.

Haft-e Sobh: “The world’s strongest man is no longer Iranian; Iranian super heavyweight lifter Behdad Salimi snatched a silver medal in the 2014 World Weightlifting Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan.”

Haft-e Sobh has described as the most memorable farewells to Iranian cultural and sports figures in the contemporary history the funeral procession of Nasser Hejazi, a legendary goalie and coach, Gholamreza Takhti, an Olympic gold-medalist wrestler, Ali Hatami, an film director, screenwriter, art director and costume designer, and Mohammad Ali Fardin, a famous wrestler-turned-actor. The headline – ‘Memorable Farewells’ – appeared on the front page of the paper after tens of thousands turned up for the funeral procession of young pop singer Morteza Pashaei on Sunday.

Hambastegi: “If granted the vote of confidence, I would work with fresh faces,” said Danesh-Ashtiani, the new pick for the Ministry of Science.

Hemayat: “US proposal in Muscat negotiations is reminiscent of the Treaty of Turkmenchay [an agreement between Iran and the Russian Empire, which brought the Russo-Persian War to an end in 1828. Under the deal, Iran ceded to Russia control of several areas in the South Caucasus],” said the chairman of parliament’s Nuclear Committee.

Iran Daily: “Iran forging regional oil consensus.”

Javan: “Iran stands 189^th among 190 countries when it comes to driving safety; deaths caused by car accidents are equal to a weekly plane crash with 350 on board.”

Jomhouri Islami: “The first final report about the violation of medical tariffs will be out in two weeks,” said the health minister.

Kar va Kargar: “Americans should distance themselves from the atmosphere of Oman talks to have a deal struck,” said the chairman of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

Kayhan: “A majority of MPs do not approve of President Rouhani’s pick for minister of science.”

Khorasan: “A United Nations committee has issued a statement in favor of Iran after investigating a complaint by Iran whenHamid Aboutalebi [a veteran Iranian diplomat who was Tehran’s choice of envoy to the United Nations] was denied a visa by the US.”

Mardomsalari: “There is no ambiguity about my credentials,” said Dr. Fakhreddin Ahmadi Danesh-Ashtiani, the new nominee for the top job at the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology.

Payam-e Zaman: “President Rouhani will show up in parliament Tuesday to stand by his proposed science minister.”

Qods: “Massive demonstrations have been staged in Europe in support of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

Resalat: “The perspective of the Vienna talks is not clear,” said Alaeddin Boroujerdi, an Iranian MP.

Roozan: “There was an outpouring of grief when the public paid their last respects to young pop singer Morteza Pashaei.”

Sharq: “An indictment is likely to be issued against those involved in the case of illegal scholarships,” said the prosecutor of the Supreme Audit Court.

Tafahom: “The number of unemployed Iranians will soar to five million in 7 years,” said the head of parliament’s Research Center.

Ayatollah Khamenei warns against Islamophobia

By

Emad Askarieh

-

November 17, 2014

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has warned against enemy plots aimed at spreading Islamophobia.

“Global ill-wishers and bullying powers are trying to use art, politics, militarism and all [other] means to keep the voice of pure Islam from being heard, but the voice has been heard, and an indication of that is hegemonic powers’ growing fear,” said the leader at a commencement ceremony at Imam Ali Military Academy on Monday in Tehran.

The leader said the enemies promote Islamophobia by creating armed groups that massacre civilians in the name of Islam.

Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that today, global tyrants are deeply worried about Islam’s power and that is why they are doing all in their power to spread Islamophobia across the world.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that Islam conveys the message of welfare, dignity, honor and peace for humanity but that the “ill-wishers” are plotting to prevent Islam’s real message from reaching other nations.

The Leader’s comments come as ISIL militants, who are currently wreaking havoc on Iraq and Syria, have been committing heinous crimes in the areas they have taken, including the mass execution of civilians as well as army troops and officers.