Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham in a statement on Sunday underlined Tehran’s support for unity and stability in Yemen, and condemned the recent terrorist attack in the country by the al-Qaeda-affiliated militia.
“Undoubtedly, consultations and partnership of all streams and parties in the political process and the Yemeni people’s vigilance will uproot this ominous phenomenon,” she added.
Fourteen soldiers were executed by al-Qaeda militants in Yemen in an apparent revenge attack after a recent army crackdown in the East of the volatile country.
The soldiers, who were travelling home to Sana’a on a public bus, were ordered off and taken to a market in Seiyoun on Friday. Their bullet-riddled bodies were found on a road near the city about three hours later.
Ansar al-Sharia, the local al-Qaeda offshoot, said its militants had killed the soldiers for taking part in military operations against the group.
The Yemeni army has recently sent extra troops to the Wadi Hadramout region in Northeastern Yemen in an attempt to stop Ansar al-Sharia declaring an Islamic emirate in Seiyoun.
One government official said the killings appeared to be an act of revenge.
Farhad Fakhreddini is a renowned Iranian composer and conductor
Farhad Fakhreddini is a renowned Iranian composer and conductor who led Iran’s Radio and Television Orchestra (1973-1979) and went on to lead Iran’s National Orchestra (1998-2009). He has composed music for several popular TV series such as Sarbedaran, Roozi Roozegari and Imam Ali. Niusha Mazidabadi of Tajrobeh (Experience) has interviewed this prominent musician of late. The following is an excerpt of the interview published in a 30th issue of the monthly out in July 2014:
You have been a conductor both before and after the revolution and have worked with many musicians. How do you think Iranian orchestra is faring?
In the past what would worry me most was the small number of vocational schools for music in Tehran. When I was a teacher at the National Vocational School for Music, I would tell my colleagues, “I wish we had at least five such schools across Tehran so that students wouldn’t have to travel all the way from faraway neighborhoods of the capital to this school.” That wish was not granted, besides big cities such as Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashhad didn’t have music schools at all and no one seemed to be caring. After the revolution, things changed and the government cared less about music, but that didn’t stop people showing more and more interest in music. One of the reasons for growing interest in music was that parents felt it was safer to entertain their children at home, rather than let them pursue outdoor hobbies. Consequently, a large number of youngsters found their way into the world of music. […]
You think the number of musicians has increased as compared with before the revolution?
The numbers are not comparable. Before the revolution, we wished to have more youngsters signing up for music courses at vocational schools. After the revolution, private institutes cropped up. Famous musicians taught in theses institutes and many of those who took their music courses turned out to be good musicians themselves. I believe Iranian musicians are in good shape today.
Prior to the revolution, the academic aspect of music seemed to be stronger. Quality-wise, do you think musicians today are better than their pre-revolution peers?
I cannot answer that question definitively. What I can say is that the enthusiasm of today was non-existent in the past. I have also conducted orchestras elsewhere in the world, but the warm welcome concerts receive here in Iran is unique. I believe the fact that the Iranian broadcaster does not cover concerts should be credited for the warm welcome music events receive here in Iran. It should be noted that orchestral performances are far from lucrative, given that ticket prices are low and government does not lend financial support to the music industry. Up to 50 percent of what is fetched in a concert is spent on the organization of the event and on the pay of musicians. Let me assure you, in the absence of real fervor, musicians won’t achieve much. What is promising is that young musicians are still in contact with and taught by their older peers. I too belong to a generation of older musicians. I have played music in different orchestras. I don’t want to sound self-complimentary, but I belong in the ranks of musicians who have trained great students. It is an undeniable fact that some of my students have shined in different parts of the world including in Moscow, Vienna, Saint Petersburg, Toronto, etc. Anytime the Symphony Orchestra wanted to bring a new musician on board, the National Orchestra was the first place it would look at.
Let’s shift our focus back to the National Orchestra. Ever since the 11th government came to power, both [Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance] Mr. Jannati and [his deputy Ali] Moradkhani have announced their intention to revive the National Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra. A few months ago when you and Mr. Sahbai were officially named as leaders of the two orchestras, everyone knew something was on the horizon. But most recently, it has been announced that musicians willing to take up position in the orchestra have to take a test. Do you think the test is necessary?
They ran the test by me first. It is designed to identify talented musicians who haven’t been able to find their way into the orchestra. Under new the arrangements those who are capable will be given a chance to be admitted to the orchestra.
As a conductor you have always tried to maintain your independence. Some musicians, though, compose anything someone places an order for. How have you managed to maintain your artistic independence?
I work on things that are close to my beliefs. For instance, I composed the soundtrack of Avicenna TV series because I believed he was a great philosopher who attached importance to music. It is a great pleasure for me to have composed for such a great individual. Although someone had placed an order for the soundtrack, for me it was a labor of love.
What about the soundtrack of Imam Ali TV series?
Well the lyrics of that series were my biggest musical discovery. In my research I found out that those lyrics dated back to the time Prophet Muhammad was still alive. WhenMuawiyah asked the Prophet what made him so elated that his Abaya slipped off his shoulders onto the ground, the Prophet said, “The words conjure up the memory of a friend, and when the memory of a friend is brought up, one should get happy.” The relics date back to 14 or 15 centuries ago and I used them in the music of Imam Ali TV series. That was the result of a very long study involving ancient Iranian songs. Some might suggest that I have walked off the path of the Iranian music. That is not true.
In conclusion, if the NationalOrchestra is reinstated, do you have a repertoire to work on?
If we had enough money, we’d call up as many musicians as we can afford. In the National Orchestra players of Iranian instruments are not going to be a fixture. But if on a certain occasion, we had to play Iranian instruments, we would invite guest musicians and solo performance would be at the center of pieces involving Iranian instruments. Pieces are being composed for the orchestra. We don’t want to be singer-centered so that we can bring different instruments to the attention of the public. That said, we will introduce new singers to the artistic community. We hope to have the budgetary arrangements in place so that we can get the show on the road in a few months.
The original title of the interview which appeared in Tajrobeh Monthly was “Distance from Singer-centeredness”.
Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani issued a statement on his website on August 5, 2014 to mark the first anniversary of the rise to power of President Hassan Rouhani’s government of Prudence and Hope. The following is the translation of Ayatollah Rafsanjani’s statement which was released one year to the day President Rouhani was confirmed in office:
Praise to God that over the past year, the government of Prudence and Hope has begun to pick up the pieces in different sectors. Revamping the foreign policy based on esteem, wisdom, and expediency has particularly seen the green shoots of hope grow.
In the history of world nations, especially in that of the honorable Iranian nation which has a brilliant civilization under its belt and has entwined it with Islamic culture as the essence of heavenly religions, there have always been ups and downs. Strengths and weaknesses as such coupled with the public opinion about them are a clear manifestation of learning from past mistakes and drawing a roadmap for the future.
At times there have been incidents the Iranians have not played a role in. For instance, in the past foreign foes have sometimes taken advantage of imprudence on the part of Iran’s rulers, and that has resulted in the invasion of the country and or occupation of the whole land or some parts of it. Unfortunately history has piles of records in connection with separation of such parts from Iran.
According to the Koran [verse 39 of An-Najm Surah] “That man can only have the fruit of what he has strived for.” Other events emanate from the collective will of the Iranian nation. If we exclude the heartfelt conversion of Iranians to Shiism in the past, the meaningful and collective presence of people in the major stage of the uprising and their standing by its religious and political leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, is the best example in contemporary history.
Before the revolution, foreign powers supported the former regime and tried to sabotage the popular uprising against it. Even after the revolution, some foreign advisors and lots of people who plundered Iran’s rich resources, including oil, under the pretext of economic activities did not unpack their luggage after leaving Iran and fostered the illusion that they would return before long.
However, when they saw sheer determination on the part of people and clerics to run the country efficiently, they turned to conspiracies for which there are numerous undeniable documents revealing their involvement in revolts, secession plots and assassinations. When in their think tanks they made sure how to tempt and incite Iraq’s Baath regime to invade Iran, they explicitly stated that this time around the Islamic revolution would collapse or some parts of Iran would secede. Later I saw their ominous plots in writing at the Baath army’s command centers. They were aimed at overrunning Tehran in a week, invading Khuzestan Province or at least advancing on Behbahan and Masjed Soleyman [two cities in Khuzestan Province in southwestern Iran].
In the most international of world organizations, those wielding the unjust veto power expressed open hostility toward Iran and regularly lent financial, military, propaganda, and intelligence support to the Baath regime. Still, the 8-year Sacred Defense [Iran-Iraq war 1980-1988] and its military and political achievements are a practical manifestation of the Koran [verse 7 of Mohammad Surah] which says: “If you make efforts in Allah’s way, he will help you”.
In the post-war era, Iran’s greedy enemies sough to capitalize on the destruction of five provinces, a halt to production and historical deficiencies, assuming that the Iranian people would finally beg them for help. However, the 8-year reconstruction period was confirmation of the capabilities of the Iranian youth who constructed the country’s infrastructure through development plans. It was foreign investors who financed the country’s national projects in return for economic gains, which is common practice in today’s world.
When the stage was set for political and cultural development, in the next step, the Supreme Leader drew on the Constitution to piece together the general policies of the establishment. Among other things, the most important achievements of this time were the 20-year Economic Outlook Plan and the amendment of Article 44. If they had been implemented properly, the world would have witnessed an economic revolution in Iran.
The previous government could have built on our road map and oil revenues over the eight years it was in power to take the nation toward the peaks of knowledge and technology and make it a regional best, yet unfortunately, the country resorted to populist policies. Hopelessly entangled in the daily grind, executive officials overlooked the upstream documents of the country.
To cover up their weaknesses in taking huge steps toward the country’s goals, they downplayed the development plans, and viewed them as nothing but ‘paper pulp’. After eight years, despite substantial oil revenues unprecedented since the discovery of petroleum, the country plunged into the worst inflationary recession ever and suffered a hike in unemployment. To economists these disastrous conditions are ‘wretchedness’.
Thank God that the honorable Iranian nation returned to its historical vigilance after those eight years and opted for the culture of moderation to stem the tide of going too far, and by doing so proved to the world that those eight years were unsuited for Iranian history. There is no denying that every country might have such wrong policies.
The government of prudence and hope which represents the collective will of the Iranian people is seeking to overcome the country’s shortcomings on economic, cultural, social, religious, political and even foreign policy fronts. Praise to God that over the past year, the government of Prudence and Hope has begun to pick up the pieces in different sectors. Revamping the foreign policy based on esteem, wisdom, and expediency has particularly seen the green shoots of hope grow. Hopefully the government will spot the shortcomings of the past year to improve things in the future.
We should not forget that our nation’s key to success in uprising, in victory, and in consolidation and continued existence of the revolution is ethnic, tribal, and religious unity along with territorial integrity, faith in officials and compliance with the Supreme Leader. In the past at any stage that our enemies have tried to take advantage of shortcomings in one of those areas, some divisions have surfaced. In fact, the enemies still pin their hope on such plots, and unfortunately as ever extremists are beating the drums of division.
Of course, the Iranian nation fathomed the divine enunciation stipulated in the Koran [verse 18 of Az-Zumar Surah]: “Those who listen to different speeches and preaching and follow the best, those are the ones whom Allah has guided and they are indeed men of wisdom.” Actually, the key to the immortality of a dynamic and democratic society is that everybody expresses his/her ideas and the government is the rule of people over people in the true sense of the word.
However, the extremist minority uses the positions it has to play down the voice of the majority as nothing but commotion. And like Kharijites of Nahrawan [Muslims who initially supported the authority of Imam Ali – the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad – but later rejected his leadership, and therefore are regarded as apostates in Shiism] think of themselves as the essence of right. Those who once accused Imam Ali – the hero of the Battle of Khaybar – of inaction towards his enemies whereas during the Battle of Siffin [fought between Imam Ali and Muawiyeh] they refused to fight, citing the fact that it would amount to atheism if they took on the Muslims who had put copies of Koran on spearheads; those who abandoned their allegiance to Imam Ali and finally one of them, ibn Muljam al-Dulaim, assassinated Imam Ali in the name of protecting Islam in the Mosque of Kufa while he was performing prayer.
Anyway, I hope that after one month of worshiping God in [the fasting month of] Ramadan all Muslims, especially Iranians, have garnered individual and social refinement and made the most of this opportunity, for in this month the Devil is banned from tempting people and the gates of Hell are closed.
On Quds Day [an annual event held on the last Friday of Ramadan initiated by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979 to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and oppose Zionism] we proved that the innocent Palestinian nation, particularly the displaced children and women of Gaza, are not alone and the Islamic Ummah is one entity.
Houshang Seyhoun is a household name for people who are interested in Iran’s architecture. His artistic and architectural career which spanned over half a century is known to all Iranian culture and art lovers.
Under his belt, he has the experience of designing the Mausoleum of Omar Khayyam, and the tombs of Avicenna, Ferdowsi, Kamal ol-Molk, Nader Shah Afshar, Colonel Mohammad Taqi-Khan Pessian, and scores of immortal architectural works such as Toos Museum and Bank Sepah building in [Tehran’s] Toopkhaneh Square as well as lots of other residential buildings, paintings and Siah-Qalam works [the genre of paintings or drawings done in pen and ink].
Add to his tireless efforts years of teaching in the Faculty of Fine Arts in University of Tehran.He created a special architecture style in Iran by offering a harmonious and balanced mix of Iran’s traditional architectural styles and the modern technology-based style.
Shargh Newspaper in its July 14th issue published an interview with Seyhoun in which the interviewer, Ali Farasati, who is a faculty member at the California State University, has asked questions about the history of monumental architecture in Iran and around the world. It should be noted that Seyhoun passed away at the age of 94 on May 26, 2014 in Vancouver, Canada.
An abridged version of the multisession interview comes below.
The history of art and architecture is basically reviewed from two perspectives: pre-Islamic and post-Islamic. Do you think the two are distinguishable? If yes, what are their similarities? And if no, why is it so?
I do not see eye to eye with you on such a classification and I have some reasons for it. First of all, Iran’s architecture follows a continuous trend which has not stopped due to ideological, social and political ups and downs in the country. The preliminary documents on Iran’s architecture show a never-ending movement and a measured trend. T
hose, who seek to offer such a classification, cherish a presupposition or prejudgment which affects their judgment about artistic issues and the history of architecture. Architecture is not a phenomenon created instantaneously. We cannot say it is a chapter and what comes next is another chapter. […]
It is true that some architectural works such as mosques, religious sites, mausoleums and holy shrines serve religious purposes in society, but they are among national architecture as well. After the emergence of Islam, the Iranian architecture was the continuation of the very architectural activities Iran embraced before Islam.
Pre-Islamic Architecture in Iran
The oldest historical buildings in Iran date back 2,500 to 3,000 years. Are there any outstanding architectural buildings older than the remains of Takht-e Jamshid (Persepolis) and Pasargadae? I mean something which comes with special (hidden) architectural and artistic values. What are the standout features of these works?
Persepolis-Fars-Iran
Of the oldest historical buildings in Iran, one can mention Chogha Zanbil Ziggurat, which has the form of a [terraced step] pyramid. It used to be a temple with stairs leading to a door which opened to a site designed for worshipping. Bricks are the main building materials of the site. Some cuneiform texts have been found on the site, and some other writings seem to have been added to them later on. Pasargadae and Takht-e Jamshid are the other ancient works which have survived the passage of time.
On a path in Kangavar en route to Kermanshah stands a temple constructed by the Greeks. New mountain excavations, about 20-30 years ago, unearthed a Greek Hercules. We know of some other Greek temples elsewhere in the country, for example close to Kazerun, which have been built with stones.
Pasargadae and Takht-e Jamshid were built exactly when the Greek civilization and architecture were on the rise. Do you think these structures were inspired or affected by the Greek civilization in any way?
Chogha Zanbil Ziggurat-Iran
This question is raised by many. I don’t know about the origin of the idea that the Achaemenid architecture has been under the influence of Greeks. At any given time, an invisible wave surfaces in different parts of the world and results in the formation of unplanned,still unrelated, forms and conditions which in turn give shape to forms which conform to other works.
A structure similar to Chogha Zanbil Ziggurat in Iran can be found in Maya civilization in Latin America. It comes across as surprising that these two forms are very much identical as far as their appearance is concerned. This came as the Americas had was not discovered to people in the East back then.
Or the palaces and buildings the Achaemenid kings erected at that time conjure up similar ideas about the form of the Iranian and Greek architectures. A study of Shah Mosque, which was built in the Safavid era concurrent with the Renaissance movement in Europe, reveals qualities of architecture in Italian Renaissance, although the two forms of architecture were not related. […]
What has remained of the pre-Islamic Zoroastrian fire temples? How did those buildings look and what were their symbols?
I have no idea where the idea of fire temples has come from. I have been unable to find anything on this. The fact is that a fire temple is a special venue, a four-wall structure with a dome overhead, and the fireplace is at the center and below the dome. A few ancient fire temples still stand in the country, chief among them is Niasar Fire Temple in the vicinity of Kashan.
The monument has four sections with as many bases, forming a square and having a dome overhead. Many an ancient relief shows the image of this temple. Another fire temple sits near Pasargadae. […] Borujerd too is home to a fire temple which turned into a mosque after the advent of the Islamic age. It is still up and running there.
The Effect of Islam
Was it a technical need of the time to build a dome? Or was it significant because of climatic and symbolic aspects?
Sheykh Lotfollah mosque-Isfahan-Iran
Dome was a technical necessity. There is direct correlation between buildings and architecture, and economy and money. That the Sassanid [kings] used the technique to provide covering for their buildings should basically have an economic reason.
Their predecessors, the Achaemenid people, used columns and stones for their structures, and for sure it was much costlier. Regardless of construction materials which were in abundance, the Sassanids worked out this solution to save time and raise construction speed. Naturally, their solution, which was vaulting in the form of domes, was matched with that time’s science and technology to prove workable.
[…] As for the second part of your question, I should say that the dome assumed a symbolic form in some cases, especially after the emergence of Islam. In Islamic architecture, a sky-blue dome in a spherical form amounts to reconstruction of thought directed at the heavens […]
Perhaps a metaphysical idea lies behind it, an idea which suggests the thoughts of an individual who believes in spiritual matters should ascend to the skies and to the infinite realm. And dome is a symbol for this.
[…]
How did Islam affect the Iranian architecture after it was welcomed in the country and what changes did it bring about? Did it exclusively affect the construction of religious buildings or did it leave its mark on other forms of art and architecture?
Islam has highlighted certain matters which deserve respect. It has also rejected certain things such as sculpting and drawing images on the buildings, especially on religious buildings. You know that the use of images, whether in the form of paintings and reliefs or sculptures, was common in religious buildings outside Iran such as churches and other Christian sites before Islam […]
In post-Islam Iran, this field of art lagged behind. Although this artistic field was conspicuous by its absence in the mosques, it was later replaced by other forms of art. The Iranian artists cannot sit idly; they need to unleash and express their inner feelings one way or another.
Sculpting was banned but the Iranian artists turned to geometry, calligraphy and other forms which were mostly abstract. Much of what they did in new ways was artistic masterpiece.
What Is Iranian Architecture?
Generally, can we employ the term “Iranian architecture” for Iran which is a multiracial country with a climatic variety?
Well, since Iran sits on a limited geographic expanse of land, whatever happens within it should be named as “Iranian architecture”. The difference between Iran and other countries lies in Iran’s geographic and climatic variety. For instance, northern Iran is a green, humid area with high precipitation, whereas central and southern Iran is dry and hot, with no lush green areas.
Naturally, different climatic conditions call for varying architectural styles. This is why the architecture used in the mountainous areas distinctly differs from that in the desert; in other words, the former cannot be implemented in the desert. […]
Based on ancient works and apparent differences in style, the history of Iran’s architecture following the Sassanid era can be placed in eight distinguished periods: the Arab rule, the Sassanid, the Saljuq, Mongols, the Safavid, the Zand dynasty, the Qajar and the Pahlavi. Do you approve of this categorization? How do you define the indicators of each?
To introduce the staggered architecture history, one needs to employ the tags used for different government types. As the history of societies ran their course, each period created their own artistic works, among them architecture, under the influence of economic, social and cultural factors of the time. So such staggering cannot be opposed because they were realities which had taken place and they are out of our control and beyond what we wish.
The fact is that many things have happened during each of these periods under the influence of which architecture too has experienced some ups and downs. […] All through these periods, we have witnessed a fixed, still continuous and forward-moving trend in architecture.
This was the case until the Qajar period which saw Iran’s artistic and cultural activities wane, but toward the end of the Qajar period and the first years of the Pahlavi era the global architecture underwent drastic turbulence due to the Industrial Revolution and scientific developments in Europe. Out of such big changes the modern architecture was born.
The Effect of European Styles
Golestan Palace-Tehran-Iran
Each period of Iran’s architectural history, especially the recent history, has been concurrent with one of the European architectural styles. Are the effects of such styles traceable in the Iranian architecture, I mean especially in the period following the Safavid kings up until now?
Yes. Iran has been affected by the European styles in many cases. It is quite evident not only in architecture but also in other cultural aspects. For example, religious ceremonies such as holding special mourning sessions and Ta’zieh Khani which are usually done today were not customary before the Safavid period which introduced such ceremonies to Iran’s religious culture.
Ta’zieh Khani reached its peak in the Qajar period because the Qajari kings established more ties with foreign countries, and religious theaters of Italy and other European nations influenced Iran’s ceremonies. Ta’zieh Khani is, in fact, a tragic opera because you can see acting, costumes, icon-making, music and singing in it. […]
Back then, the (Qajar) shah would travel to Europe quite often […] Affected by operas and ballets there, the shah brought shaliteh (short creased skirts) and tights to Iran. Women in his Haramsara started to use these items. Everything was under the influence of Europe from architecture to clothes, columns and plaster works which were in style at that time.
Plasterwork is popular again today despite all the changes it went through. The effects are usually related to those parts that were absent before. But when it comes to the Safavid architecture including Masjed Shah, Ali Qapu, Chehel Sotoun (Forty Columns), Hasht Behesht (Eight Paradises) and Isfahan bridges, they are one hundred percent Iranian.
The End of Iranian Architecture
In books on the history of world architecture, the Iranian architecture comes to an end with the Zand dynasty. Is there any remarkable work afterward, something which could be internationally presentable? Or is it true that the Iranian architecture, as historians have put it, came to a stop back then?
Firstly, the Zand dynasty was in power for a short period, thus not so many architectural works originate from that period. However, a small number of works which have remained from the period in question are architecturally remarkable and represent their own era. These works are viewed as historical monuments such as The Vakil Mosque (Masjed-e Vakil) and Quran Gate (Darvazeh Koran) in Shiraz.
The Qajar period, however, saw Iran decline. The country suffered huge backwardness. […] Certain remarkable structures have remained from this era, though. An example of this is the Great Timcheh of Qom which is related to the Qajar period and is one of Iran’s national architectural masterpieces.
If you leave Tehran for Kashan, when you drive past Qom, before the very end of the road, you will see the bazaar and Timcheh on your left. It is very beautiful. There is nothing on the outside and all is inside. The interior part has been delicately built with bricks as if it were needlework. The structure contains three domes which have been created through geometrical forms and arches and curves. Looking at it, one may think how delicately a big opening has been covered with tiles. […]
Thanks to technological and scientific developments, especially after the First World War, architecture underwent changes in the Pahlavi period. The initial years of that period, affected by a special sense of nationalism and inspired by ancient Iran, the Achaemenid and then the Sassanid, witnessed their works copied and duplicated since the Pahlavis regarded the Achaemenid as the beginning of ancient Iran.
Drawing on such a mindset, they created some works, including the Tehran Police Department, Bank Melli, the first building of Ferdowsi Tomb which I renovated, Anoushiravan Dadgar High School, the old Muze-ye Iran-e Bastan (Archaeological Museum of Iran), and the like. The construction of all these structures was affected by the architecture of ancient Iran, something I think was wrong.
On the other hand, the progress of Iran had taken on a modernist form and this question was hotly debated right then. This can be found in the poems of Aref (Qazvini), Mirzadeh Eshghi, Malek al-Shoara and Iraj Mirza. Some of the buildings which were constructed in Reza Shah Period like the railway station, schools and University of Tehran were basically made by foreigners, especially the Germans and French.
If you take a look at the ceiling of the railway station in Tehran, you would see a Swastika in which the lines have been distorted creating a new image. Some schools such as Ferdowsi, Firuzkuhi and Noorbakhsh high schools were designed and built by the French. This makes it clear that it was the Qajar dynasty which started the Westoxification movement and it was continued by the Pahlavi shahs.
A tendency toward the West which emerged rapidly in a short time span denied Iranian architects the opportunity to implement Iran’s modern architecture with the help of Western techniques. […]
Later when the Faculty of Fine Arts was built, especially when it was managed by Iranian architects, it held seminars, conferences, and tours and offered special training courses, as the Iranian architecture style was given more attention as it tried to use new techniques.
Then efforts got underway to identify Iran’s noble art and architecture, survey historical monuments, and organize trips by university students and professors to the four corners of the world and to remote villages in order to discover the hidden aspects of the culture and art of the Iranian architecture.
No Remarkable Landmarks in Tehran
Kings of different dynasties tried to build and develop areas around the capital, like the Safavid in Isfahan and the Zand in Shiraz. But no remarkable landmark is seen in Tehran which was the Qajari capital. How do you explain that?
The buildings which were built in Tehran during the Qajar period are as follows: Sepahsalar Mosque, Golestan Palace, part of the bazaar and several other mosques such as Shah (now Imam Khomeini) Mosque. Unfortunately Reza Shah took some wrong measures among them the destruction of Tehran gates. […]
As you know, Tehran became the capital of Iran in the Qajar Period. Before that Tehran was just a village on the outskirts of Shahr-e Rey. It was located between Shahr-e Rey and Shemiran Village. The Qajar kings chose Tehran as their seat of government and as it was customary back then, they dug deep ditches around the new capital because Tehran was the target of enemies.
By doing so, they wanted to defend themselves. They built 13 gates on the ditches to control entry into and departure from the city. The amazing gates stood out in the area.
Unfortunately these gates are not in Tehran any more. Similar gates are still functional in Qazvin and in Semnan. Niavaran Palace too was one of the buildings constructed in the Qajar period which was repaired and reconstructed during the rule of Mohammad Reza Shah. It also housed the offices of the shah. […]
The capital of Iran is almost as old as that of the US but the two cities differ greatly as far as the urban development, buildings and attitude toward building the capital city are concerned? What’s your take on that?
We shouldn’t compare Washington with Tehran because each has been created under special circumstances which are not similar at all. Just like Paris, the US capital is a city designed by French developers. […] Another point is that the US adopted policies in keeping with its economic and technological demands.
In Iran, Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar hailed from a nomadic tribe. He sought not to be within the striking distance of his enemies, the Zand kings, so he selected Tehran as the seat of his government on military grounds only. He wanted to remain close to his tribe in Astarabad and the high mountains nearby which could serve defensive purposes in case of a possible withdrawal.
At first Tehran was more like a military sanctuary. By and by new buildings were erected without any planning. […] If you have a bird’s-eye view of the city’s old fabric, you will see a set of small, similar houses linked by narrow, dark alleys. Contrary to Washington, there was no planning for urban development in Tehran.
In fact, Tehran was a village which had grown lengthwise and widthwise in the same manner as a village did. Over time buildings rose to lay out streets for the city’s administrative, economic and security purposes. The streets met the traffic needs of the time, but now they fail to keep up with the demand of the current population, and thus the traffic congestion.
A 121st issue of Hamshahri Mah Monthly dedicated its economy pages to a long report on the status of employment during the government of President Rouhani. The 20-page report featured the views and analyses of 10 university professors, economists and executive officials. The following is an excerpt of the viewpoints of nine of the interviewees and an abridged Q and A with Saeed Laylaz, an economic researcher and a university professor.
Hassan Taei, Deputy Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare: A decline in economic growth, improper foreign policy and a rise in non-productive, speculative activities are to blame for the unemployment hike in the country.
Ahmad Rousta, Shahid Beheshti University professor: The first mechanism to defuse the crisis goes through creation of a good entrepreneurial atmosphere and creation of interest among investors to put their money in productive businesses. To that end, giving professional counseling to families, steering the workforce toward fairly sustainable jobs, and paying more attention to housing and tourism can be effective. We need to have long-term management when it comes to employment.
Hossein Raghfar, Economist and Al-Zahra University professor: A lack of bright prospects when it comes to development of financial and credit institutes is one of the problems the country’s economy is wrestling with. We are in a crisis triggered by unemployment and this could have social and psychological ramifications.
Bahman Arman, Economist: Ties between our banking sector and the rest of the world are very limited. We have missed out on many opportunities and are unable to secure the inflow of foreign investment. Because of tensions, our technological interaction with industrialized countries is very limited. Concentration of focus on infrastructure by developing the railway and irrigation systems and building hospitals and dams and entrusting such projects to private local contractors can be very useful.
Jafar Nikkhahan, Head of the Social Welfare Department at the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare: As long as oil money is directly linked to government spending, employment and production won’t get the attention they deserve. But when that source of revenue is taken away from the government, it will be forced to rely on tax, a process that involves focus on production. Only then will the government become a real supporter of manufacturing.
Ali Ghanbari, University professor: What should be done is to pay more attention to social capital. Ties between the public and the government should improve so that the former could be more hopeful about the future. The government needs to stand up for our national interests and pursue a hands-off approach to economy. We need to wean our economy off oil and pave the way for more private investment in the country. In the meantime, the government needs to turn up the heat on corruption.
Kamal Athari, University professor: The policies of the previous government, especially in the housing sector, were a major contributor to unemployment in the country. Housing creates unsustainable employment. The amount of capital the housing sector draws is three to four times as much as the industry. To defuse the country’s economic crisis and ease the strain of unemployment, a knowledge-based economy should be introduced. Recognition of intellectual rights is the first requirement for the new system.
Kamran Nadri, Imam Sadegh University professor: The most important thing the government can do is to inject stability into the pricing system which has nothing to do with sanctions and is directly related to local fiscal policies.
Zahra Karimi, Mazandaran University economics professor: Sanctions have dealt a blow to business. For the economy to post growth, sanctions need to be lifted. But that is not all. Another problem has to do with inflation. In the past, inflation and unemployment used to counteract each other. A rise in one would result in a decline in the other. But our economy is suffering from inflationary recession in which high inflation is coupled with high unemployment. We should not move toward zero inflation – rather we need to incorporate anti-recessionary policies and low inflation.
Saeed Laylaz
Disruption to the country’s economic growth began in 2007. That came two years after the inflow of capital took a hit. It was in the same year (2005) that industrial investment began to nose-dive. Back then it was clear that unemployment would soon skyrocket. In other words, the country’s unemployment woes have nothing to do with sanctions and speculations that sanctions are to blame for those problems are a big lie.
And now an excerpt of the interview with Laylaz, who believes the country’s employment prospects will remain bleak at least for a couple of years and says the only way out of the unemployment crisis goes through investment in manufacturing. He blames unemployment on a decline in investment and productivity which in turn stems from wrong economic policies. He also urges the government to “increase its share of development investment in order to urge the private sector to follow suit”. This renowned researcher says suggestions that sanctions are to blame for the country’s high unemployment rate are “a big lie”. He also predicts that the economy will go through a difficult period over the course of the next two years. The following is an excerpt of the monthly publication’s interview with Laylaz:
Can we blame a decrease in the ranks of the youth for a decline in the employment rate?
Economically speaking, it doesn’t make any difference who is and who is not inside the employment cycle. What is important is that some are in the ranks of consumers but play no role in production.
How are the economic prospects of the country over the next two years?
Figures show that in the 12 months to March 21, 2013 out of an active population of 24 million 12.2 percent was unemployed. That means there were as many as 3 million jobless people in the country and the remaining 21 million provided for the entire population of less than 80 million. Those figures were worked out based on a standard which viewed one hour of work per week as employment. When an individual works only one hour a week, s/he cannot provide for himself/herself, let alone for a few people. That puts a lot of strain on the country’s wealth production system which manifests itself through a decline in investment as well as in gross fixed capital formation (GFCF). According to statistics, during the same 12-month period GFCF stood at around 161,000 billion tomans, that is 23.7 percent of the country’s GDP of 680,000 billion tomans. Three years earlier the same index stood at 26.5 percent of GDP. The declining trend started in 2005. In 2009 it was in negative territory and in the following year it stood at no more than 7 percent. In 2011 it was less than the rate of economic growth. In 2012 the economic growth and investment rates plunged to record lows, declining by 22 percent over the year before. That means the prospects of wealth production and employment are going to be bleak for at least two more years.
You talked about the problems. What do you think is slowing down economic growth and keeping unemployment high?
When economic growth and wealth production in a country are disrupted, unemployment becomes rampant. Growth is rooted in investment and productivity, two fronts we have problem with. In recent years, [annual] investment has been between $30 billion and $50 billion short of what it had to be. In other words, the capital shortage has amounted to between $350 billion and $400 billion. Unemployment is a natural end-result of such shortage. Coincidentally, if productivity had not declined at the same rate, unemployment would have been much higher. In fact, a major part of the country’s unemployment is glossed over by non-productive jobs. Considering the trend of capital formation, the unemployment rate could have been between 16 and 17 percent. By old standards, we have as many as 5 million jobless people. So if productivity and employment rates pick up, those who have stopped seeking employment will definitely return to the job market. For instance, Iranian women are both educated and motivated to have jobs, but in light of the fact that the stage is not set for their employment, they show little interest in seeking jobs. I believe a decline in investment and decreased productivity are the important factors affecting the country’s employment status.
Some view sanctions as another factor. What do you think?
That is a big lie, because disruption to the Iranian economy began in earnest in early 2008, whereas sanctions were imposed in 2012. The adverse effects of sanctions on an economy manifest themselves in a year or so. Still if we had taken appropriate measures, we could have prevented those negative effects. Disruption to the country’s economic growth began in 2007. That came two years after the inflow of capital took a hit. It was in the same year (2005) that industrial investment began to nose-dive. Back then it was clear that unemployment would soon skyrocket. In other words, the country’s unemployment woes have nothing to do with sanctions and speculations that sanctions are to blame for those problems are a big lie.
What impact do you think too much dependence on oil has had on the rise in unemployment?
I don’t see dependence on oil revenues as a major factor here. Certainly, more investment and reliance on local production rather than on imports will boost employment. But evidence suggests that the decision to turn to the services sector and imports has not been the main culprit. Investment was disrupted in 2005, but thanks to previous inflow of capital, economic growth continued into late 2007. Only afterward did the decline in indices begin to become more and more apparent.
What is to blame for the considerable decline in investment?
In 2012 current expenditures registered a 100 percent increase over 2008, whereas development spending posted no change at all. That was a choice rather than a necessity, driven by promises to bring oil money to the tables of the people. In 2004, the government’s public expenditures stood at 22,000 billion tomans. The figure soared to 90,000 billion tomans in 2012. That means during an 8-year period, current expenditures rose 5-fold, whereas development expenditures grew only 2-fold. In 2012 the volume of development expenses was lower. Under such circumstances, economic growth and employment do slow down. If they don’t, economics should be written off as a branch of science.
How do you see the performance of the government over the past year, particularly as far as employment is concerned?
Under the new government, inflation which is one of the primary factors that prompts the private sector to avoid investment has been brought under control. That political stability has made a comeback, essential items are being priced and hasty decisions are avoided has pushed the economy into positive territory since the beginning of 2014. The fact that the economy has posted growth is promising. In 2012 the government’s development expenditures stood at 15,000 billion tomans. That figure is expected to rise to 40,000 billion in 2014. That means positive developments are on the horizon.
What do you suggest the government do to speed up growth, facilitate investment, and subsequently push down unemployment?
In order to facilitate investment and secure the return of the private sector to economic activities, we need to work on infrastructure. Maybe the government should increase its share of investment in development projects to encourage the private sector to follow suit. If the government decided to increase its investment, it would have to rely on its own revenues rather than on the money it receives from the Central Bank. There are indications, including a decline in inflation, that President Rouhani is serious in not using the Central Bank money. In that case, the only way to compensate for the government’s budget deficit is to increase energy prices. Of course, that is possible. Implementation of a second phase of the targeted subsidies proved wrong those who were concerned about the consequences of a rise in energy prices. If people knew that the revenues the government secured from such price hikes were used for the right purpose, and if the government were reliable, they would definitely assist the government. So the government can secure private investment in the energy sector over the next two years.
“One of the main economic programs in the Government of Prudence and Hope (President Hassan Rouhani’s administration) is to pay especial attention to the provinces with high tourism capacities and with historical background so that we can enhance the production of handicrafts and bring more currency (into the country),” said Masoud Soltanifar in Shahrekord, the capital city of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.
Soltanifar, who is also the vice president, said among the 460 known types of handicrafts throughout the world, 160 branches of handicrafts are practiced in Iran.
The vice president added that it was necessary to provide the ground for boosting handicrafts sector in the country, calling it Iran’s historical and cultural identity.
Iran has a long tradition of producing artisanal goods including Persian carpets, ceramics, copperware, brassware, glass, leather goods, textiles and wooden artifacts including wood inlaying (an art which consists of carving on inlaid pieces of wood and creating embossed designs on them). The country’s carpet-weaving tradition dates from pre-Islamic times and remains an important industry contributing substantial amounts to rural incomes.
An estimated 1.2 million weavers in Iran produce carpets for domestic and international export markets. More than $500 million worth of Iranian hand-woven carpets are exported each year, accounting for some 30% of the world market.
Addressing a large crowd in the southwestern Shahr-e Kord city on Wednesday, the president added the Iranian nation supported the “brave resistance of great and patient Palestinian and Gazan people” over the past month.
Muslims in Gaza stood firm in the face of bloodthirsty Zionists’ bombs and missiles, and emerged victorious, said the president.
“The great, brave and resistant Iranian nation has always been ready to [defend] not only Iran’s interests but the interests of the Muslim world and the oppressed people in the world,” he added.
The Israeli regime’s 29 days of relentless offensive against Gaza claimed the lives of at least 1,875 Palestinians, including 430 children, and wounded over 9,600 others. A 72-hour ceasefire took effect on Tuesday. The Israeli military says 64 of its soldiers have been killed in the conflict, but Hamas puts the fatalities at more than 150.
Syria has been gripped by a deadly conflict since 2011. According to the United Nations, more than 160,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the turmoil that has gripped Syria.
Also in Iraq, the Takfiri ISIL militants took control of Mosul in a lightning advance on June 10, which was followed by the fall of Tikrit, located 140 kilometers (87 miles) northwest of the capital, Baghdad. Tikrit has been reportedly retaken by the Iraqi army.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian president said Tehran would continue its policy of “heroic flexibility” in dealing with the West, but will not surrender to big powers.
“It is prohibited to succumb to big powers,” Rouhani said
He added that the Islamic Republic would apply logic and better reasoning to redeem the rights of the Iranian nation.
Rouhani touched on the country’s successful talks to have parts of its assets unfrozen, saying the release of at least seven billion dollars in Iranian assets, held tyrannically by the big powers, is a first step.
“The Iranian nation will take the next steps with more power. The world knows that threats and sanctions against this great nation will have no effect,” he pointed out.
“The Zionists’ crimes are beyond imagination; they have left 2,000 martyrs and over 10,000 injured people, destroyed many residential buildings and even didn’t deny demolishing hospitals, schools and mosques in an area stretched over only a few tens of square kilometers within two or three weeks,” Amoli Larijani said, addressing high-ranking Judiciary officials in Tehran on Wednesday.
“These actions are war crimes,” he underlined.
Amoli Larijani blasted the Islamic governments for their weak reaction to the crimes, but, meantime, said the people of Gaza have grown more powerful than the past, and the Zionist regime which thought it could defeat the resistance in a few days has now withdrawn from Gaza with humiliation.
His remarks came after the Palestinian Authority announced its determination to sue Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its war crimes against Palestinian civilians in its nearly one-month terror campaign on the Gaza Strip.
“Everything that has happened in the last 28 days is clear evidence of war crimes committed by Israel, amounting to crimes against humanity,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki told reporters after meeting prosecutors at the ICC on Tuesday.
“There is no difficulty for us to show or build the case. Evidence is there … Israel is in clear violation of international law,” he added.
The complaint filed by Palestine details war crimes committed by the Israeli army over the past few weeks in Palestine.
Legal experts say the complaint is valid although the Palestinian Authority (PA) has yet to sign up to the Hague-based ICC.
Palestine is a non-member observer state at the United Nations and its ICC membership has been delayed only because of political quarrels.
Al-Malki has also asked the UN to end what he called Israel’s impunity, saying Tel Aviv must be held accountable for its crimes in Gaza.
The development comes days after the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution calling for an independent probe into Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International has urged the United States to halt fuel shipments to the Israeli military due to mounting evidence of war crimes.
The Israeli military aggression has taken the lives of more than 1,900 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and wounded nearly 11,000 others in Gaza since July 8.
The Tel Aviv regime has not even spared hospitals in its large-scale military offensive and continues to pound the medical centers that are in desperate need of medicine and equipment.
International bodies and human rights groups say civilians account for the majority of the victims of the ongoing Israeli war. Women and children make the bulk of the civilian casualties there.
Mohsen Rezaei and Austrian Ambassador to Tehran Friedrich Stift in meeting
An August 6th issue of Resalat Newspaper covered a meeting between Secretary of the Iranian Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei and Austrian Ambassador to Tehran Friedrich Stift. The following is a report the daily ran on the meeting:
The problem stems from the fact that Europe and the United States draw on fabrications and biased reports to issue statements against Iran and then slap sanctions on us, Mehr News Agency quoted Secretary of the Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei as telling the Austrian diplomat in Tehran.
At the meeting, Rezaei recalled the pacifist nature of the Austrian nation and said Vienna can fairly reflect the realties on the ground in Iran to the rest of Europe and prevent unfair fuss-making against Tehran.
He further said the political system of the Islamic Republic of Iran incorporates democracy and novel Islamic principles, adding the model of governance that has proved effective in achieving security is that of Iran which is based on our version of Islam, not that of some other regional countries or Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
On human rights, he said that Iran does not deny oversight, the problem stems from the fact that Europe and the United States draw on fabrications and biased reports to issue statements against Iran and then slap sanctions on us. That is why Iranians view human rights and the nuclear case as mere excuses [for the West] to put pressure on the Iranian people.
Recalling the status of Iran, especially on the economic front, he said that closer interaction between the two sides serves the interests of both. For instance, we can sell natural gas to European countries including Austria, he concluded.
Zarif, who is visiting Oman, talked to the press during the quadrilateral meeting on transit cooperation with Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. “The implementation of the transit treaty known as Ashgabat Treaty would be a good start for improved cooperation of signatories in regional and international levels,” Zarif said.
“Global trade and goods exchange in regional and international dimensions is ever-increasing and a secure transit corridor joining ports in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman to Central Asian countries is necessary to facilitate goods transit,” he added.
Zarif believed that Iran should see these transit and trade corridors as tools in path to development; however, “the path adopted in recent years as the roadmap for transit cooperation has fallen to disuse; notwithstanding, with Iran’s key role in the same transit route, we could work it out as a major route for transit in the region; thus reducing poverty and, extremism and terrorism emanating from that through development in the regions the route passes through,” Zarif told reporters.
“The region has long had a unique geostrategic position with a crucial role in transit; with growth of industries and the emergent global economy, the need to transportation and using logistics technology has found increasing weight over the time,” the foreign minister said.
“Such a position gives member countries strategic advantage which would be a source of considerable profit if they exploit the possibilities of the advantage in a well-planned manner,” Zarif asserted.
“Iran, with extensive transpiration network including in the land and sea, and having borders with 15 countries and rich natural resources, enjoys a special place in the region in terms of connecting transit routes,” added he, and believed that the meeting provided an exceptional opportunity for boost trade and goods transit to Asia and Europe.
He also believed that a ‘strong and efficient infrastructure’ in transportation and logistics was indispensible along with other opportunities.
