The contract to buy 60 Boeing 737 Max planes within two 30-jet batches was finalized between Boeing and Iran Aseman Airlines on Saturday in Tehran.
At the presence of Iranian Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare Ali Rabiei, the contract was inked between Iran’s third largest airline, Aseman Airlines and the American plane maker Boeing in Tehran on Saturday for buying 30 Boeing 737 Max passenger jets while following delivery of the first batch, the company will order additional 30 jets.
The official noted that five percent of the deal will be paid by the Iranian airline while the remaining 95%, which is a considerable amount, will be financed by the American giant; “I am pleased that the measure can upgrade the country’s air fleet in order to capture regional markets.”
“Fortunately, Iran Aseman Airlines is becoming increasingly stabilized as evidenced by the rise in number of its operating planes from 8 to 21.”
Rabiei maintained that foreign airlines are annually selling tickets in Iran worth about four billion dollars and called for fundamental changes in the country’s airline in an effort to boost revenues.
Iran’s labor minister also slammed the twin terrorist attacks in Tehran emphasizing “in the absence of martyrs of Holy Shrines, terrorist governments would be ruling the region.”
Also at the ceremony, Aseman CEO Hossein Alaei said a US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) permit is expected to be granted in a month.
He further underscored that the deliveries will start in 2022 and within two years, the carrier will receive all 30 planes of the first batch.
The deal for 30 Boeing 737 Max jets would be worth $3 billion while room exist for ordering 30 more aircraft of the same type.
The deal is the first contract between an Iranian airliner and the American giant since President Donald Trump took office in January this year.
Boeing 737 MAX is an American narrow-body aircraft series being developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes as the fourth generation of the Boeing 737, succeeding the Boeing 737 Next Generation.
Iranian people across the country took to the streets to celebrate the reelection of President Rouhani in Presidential elections, announced on Saturday.
Cars packed the streets and horns sounded in celebration, as people of Tehran carried flags and portraits of President Rouhani who swept to victory on Saturday and will now begin a second term as president.
The impromptu rallies, which snarled traffic in some cities including the capital Tehran, were a chance for many to breathe easily again after a tense campaign between Rouhani and his main opponent Ebrahim Raeisi.
“I’m happy and a bit relieved after a month of stress,” said 27-year-old Afshin told AFP as he joined a large crowd gathered in Vali-Asr Square in central Tehran.
Across the country, young men and women, many wearing the purple of the Rouhani campaign, chanted slogans and sang together in the streets until the early hours of the morning.
Cars honked amid patriotic chants as more and more people filled the streets after dark, completely blocking traffic across wealthier north Tehran.
One group screamed with joy as a young boy threw batches of Rouhani photos into the air.
“I’m very happy because I’ve reached what I wanted, which was not Mr. Rouhani himself, but the path of reform, freedom and progress,” said Pegah, 25.
Many were determined to ensure Rouhani now kept his vows to improve civil liberties and reform the economy.
“In the same way we campaigned for him, we will demand he keep his promises,” said Afshin.
Videos on social media showed huge crowds in all four corners of the country.
“We didn’t leave Mashhad; we took it back,” chanted young people in the holy city of Mashhad, Raeisi’s hometown.
In the Azeri-speaking city of Tabriz in northwest Iran, crowds performed folk dances and local songs at a packed stadium as teenagers waved lighters in the air, while in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, it was the drum-heavy Bandari music that got thousands of revelers dancing.
The police were deployed to control the exuberance, and despite a few scuffles, no arrests were reported.
In Tehran’s Vali-Asr Square, police tried in vain to disperse the crowds, saying they lacked a permit to gather, only to back down when the numbers became too great, and let the party continue.
Rouhani garnered 23.5 million votes out of 41.2 million ballots cast, while Raeisi bagged 15.7 million votes. Iran has 56.4 million eligible voters.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei praised Iranians for their big turnout after voters queued up for hours to cast their ballots. The strong turnout of around 73% of eligible voters was “massive and epochal,” he said.
Hassan Rouhani has won Iran’s 12th presidential election, receiving a popular mandate for another four years in presidential office.
Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli appeared at a press briefing on Saturday to declare Rouhani the winner of the Friday election with 23,549,616 votes, or 57 percent of the total ballots.
Rahmani Fazli said that a total of 41,220,131 votes had been cast, and that the results he was announcing were almost definitive.
The candidate with the second largest number of votes was Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi, who garnered 15,786,449 votes, or 38.5 percent.
Mostafa Aqa-Mirsalim and Mostafa Hashemi-Taba, the other two candidates, received 478,215 and 215,450 votes respectively.
President Rouhani will speak live on state television at 6:00 p.m. Iran time (1330 GMT) on Saturday.
Iran’s 12th presidential election was held on Friday. Elections were also simultaneously held for City and Village Councils.
Voting hours were extended several times due to a high turnout in the polls.
Six candidates had been approved after vetting by the Guardian Council to run in the election. In the final days of campaigning, however, two of the candidates, namely First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri and Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, withdrew from the race in favor of President Rouhani and Raeisi, respectively.
Winners of the 35th Fajr International Film Festival (FIff) were announced, with ‘The Home’ from Iran snatching Golden Simorgh for Best Film in the main competition section.
The festival’s awards ceremony took place late Thursday at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall.
According to fajriff.com, Iran’s Culture Minister Reza Salehi-Amiri, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Director of Iranian Cinema Organization Mohammad-Mehdi Heidarian, plus a large number of A-list Iranian and foreign film directors, producers, critics, journalists, academics, and stars attended the ceremony.
Addressing the participants, the secretary of the festival, Reza Mirkarimi said, “I would like to extend my gratitude to all those who worked round the clock to help me make this up-and-coming event possible. We are now more than ever determined to turn FIff into an annual event for those vying for global peace, justice and dignity both in their films and in their workings.”
Hosted by prominent actor Ashkan Khatibi, the ceremony was broadcast live in both English and Persian.
Full list of winners follows
International Competition (Cinema of Salvation)
Golden Simorgh for Best Film: ‘The Home’ by Asghar Yousefinejad, Iran
Silver Simorgh for Best Director: ‘Ivan D. Gaona, Guilty Men’, Colombia
Silver Simorgh for Best Actress: ‘Margita Gosheva, Glory’, Bulgaria
Silver Simorgh for Best Actor: ‘Stefan Denolyubov, Glory’, Bulgaria
Silver Simorgh for Best Script: ‘The Home’, Asghar Yousefinejad, Iran
Silver Simorgh for Special Jury Prize — Art Direction and Cinematography: Zhu Jinjing (Cinematography), ‘Wang Tou (Art Director), ‘Mr. No Problem’, (China, France)
Silver Simorgh for Best Short Film: ‘Online Shopping’ by Qasideh Golmakani, Iran
Members of the panel of jury in this section were: Florian Gallenberger (Germany), Jessica Woodworth (USA), Lech Majewski (Poland), Mieko Harada (Japan), Uberto Pasolini (Italy), Fatemah Motamed-Aria (Iran), and Rasoul Sadrameli (Iran).
Muhammad al-Ameen Award
‘Babaei’, Mozaffar Hosseinkhani Hezaveh, Iran
Asian Film Awards
Best Asian Film: ‘Returnee’ by Sabit Kurmanbekov, Kazakhstan
Best Asian Director: Shahrbanoo Sadat, ‘Wolf and Sheep’, Afghanistan/Denmark/France/Sweden
Best Asian Short Film: ‘Not Yet’ by Arian Vazirdaftari, Iran
Members of the panel of jury in this section were: Hamida Omarova (Azerbaijan), Omirbaev Darezhan Karazhanovich (Kazakhstan), Zeki Demirkubuz (Turkey), Nejib Ayed (Tunisia), and Kamal Tabrizi (Iran).
Interfaith Award
‘Knife in the Clear Water’ by Wang Xuebo, China
Jury members are Michał Legan (Poland), Katia Malatesta (Italy) and Hojatollah Ayoubi (Iran).
NETPAC Prize
‘The Home’ by Asghar Yousefinejad, Iran
The members of the jury in this section were: Anne Demy-Geroe (Australia), Rolando B. Tolentino (Philipines) and Houshang Golmakani (Iran).
Presided over by Reza Mirkarimi, the 35th edition of FIff took place from April 21 to 28 in Tehran.
The European Union’s energy commissioner headed to Iran to strengthen ties following a growth in trade ties in response to the easing of sanctions.
EU Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete left Friday for Tehran for the inaugural bilateral business forum on sustainable energy, UPI reported.
The commission said the forum aims to bring more than 50 European companies with 40 of their Iranian counterparts to lay the ground work for joint partnerships in the energy sector.
While departing Brussels, the commissioner said trade between the EU and Iran is up 79 percent, with exports from Iran quadrupling since a multilateral nuclear agreement brought sanctions relief to the Islamic Republic in January 2016.
Following the conclusion of the JCPOA, Europe has the opportunity to shift towards a more constructive approach towards Iran.
“Now we want to take this success story one step further,” he said in a statement.
“The energy sector will feature prominently in our future relations and we are committed to fully tap into its economic and social potential while contributing to achieve our climate commitments.”
Iranian state media this week said the EU was already establishing stronger bilateral ties in the agricultural sector. The EU stressed the two-day forum in Tehran is geared toward clean energy and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
According to IRNA, non-oil exports for the 11 months to March 20 were up 33 percent.
International Monetary Fund projections said the economy of Iran, one of the top oil producers in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), should grow at a rate of about 4.5 percent, but wax and wane between growth of 6.6 percent this year and 3.3 percent through 2018.
A profile of the ease of doing business with Iran from Britain, which is now still part of the EU, said “Iran is the biggest new market to enter the global economy in over a decade.”
The first debate among the six candidates of the 12th Iranian presidential election has been aired live on state television.
The candidates outlined their plans for the post. They were given an equal time to garner as many votes as possible in order to win the ticket to the office.
The live broadcast, which lasted for three hours, aimed to reduce the candidates’ campaign spending and pave the way for eligible voters to make their choice based on the sharp-cut and unambiguous plans represented during the program.
The six candidates running for the presidential election are Seyed Mostafa Aqa-Mirsalim, Seyed Mostafa Hashemi-Taba, Es’haq Jahangiri, Hassan Rouhani, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi.
Iranians will go to the polls on May 19 to elect the country’s next president.
The six Iran presidential hopefuls
Upon entering the headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in the capital, Tehran, Rouhani was asked if he was ready, to which he responded, “We’re probably all ready that we have come [here].”
Meanwhile, Mehr news agency reported that the debate had been put off half an hour to 16:30 local time (1200 GMT) upon the request of Rouhani’s camp.
Morteza Heidari, the renowned Iranian television news host and presenter who moderated the debate, also said he was prepared for the task and everything had been rehearsed
Iranian presidential candidates Hassan Rouhani (3rd L) and Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi lead the group of hopefuls to the IRIB studio in Tehran where a debate is due to be held on April 28, 2016.
There will be three live televised debates in total. Today’s debate focused on social issues while the next two will revolve around economic and political matters.
The candidates have drawn lots to determine their seating arrangement for the debate. Every effort seems to have been made not to leave any room for accusations of partiality.
According to schedule, Fars News Agency reports, the candidates can hold a meeting of 15 minutes with the aides and advisors after 90 minutes of debate.
The debate began with Heidari outlining its format and regulations and how the time would be broken up between the candidates.
Settlement on outskirts of cities
Aqa-Mirsalim was the first candidate to answer the first question about settlements on the outskirts and peripheries of cities. This too was determined through a draw. Aqa-Mirsalim expressed his serious concern about lack of management of natural resources. He said correct water management would be the first step to reduce immigration from rural areas to cities. He added that lack of attention to proper spatial planning was the main reason behind immigration.
The other five candidates then took two-minute turns to make their own remarks on the issue and challenge Aqa-Mirsalim. Hashemi-Taba said Iran is plagued with severe environmental crisis. The third hopeful, incumbent Rouhani, said that immigration to big cities is a major problem not only in Iran but in most countries. He added that unemployment and low income are major reasons behind immigration to big cities. Qalibaf, for his part, said social and economic imbalance is a major reason behind immigration. Jahangiri said attention to immigrants to big cities must be the first priority in tackling their problems. Raeisi said the first priority is to have correct figures on immigration to big cities. While Qalibaf put the number of outskirts dwellers at 11 million, Raeisi said the figure belongs to four years ago and currently stands at around 16 million.
Aqa-Mirsalim then retook to the podium and said immigration should be curbed before it gives rise to social crises and added that 350,000 illegal wells have wasted the country’s water resources and caused immigration. The candidate said social facilities must be distributed evenly in cities and villages and expressed regret that some 10.2 million Iranians are totally illiterate. He noted that suitable housing must be provided in small towns and villages to prevent immigration.
Social justice
Raeisi was next up on the podium. He responded to a query on social justice and how to establish and promote it in Iran. In the four minutes allocated to him, Raeisi said the GINI Index, a measurement of the income distribution of a country’s residents, shows class divide has increased in Iran, adding that tripling subsidies handed out to lower classes would be a good way to narrow the social gaps. He noted that tax evasion must be prevented to promote social justice.
Rouhani stressed the importance of striking a balance between eastern and western parts of the country. Qalibaf said promoting social justice would be difficult as long as urban crises are not resolved. Jahangiri said social justice is not limited to economic issues but also includes education, political and judicial matters.
Raeisi one again took to the podium to give his responses and explanations about questions raised by the other hopefuls. He said joblessness and shutdown of production units are major problems facing the country’s economy. He added that the next administration must make plans to narrow social gaps in a bid to promote justice.
Housing
Hashemi-Taba was the third candidate who took to the podium to responsd to a debate question about his plans to solve the country’s housing problem. He said bank loans and mass construction would be good ways to tackle the housing problem, adding that job creation would help resolve this issue.
Jahangiri said unoccupied housing units are the main obstacle to solving the housing problem and added that increasing bank loans and establishing housing investment funds would be good solutions to this issue.
Hashemi-Taba then retook to the podium and used his five-minute time to answer the raised questions.
Youth marriage
Rouhani was the next hopeful taking to the podium to respond to a debate question about his plans to encourage the youth marriage. He said unemployment was the main problem facing the promotion of youth marriage and added that boosting hope and avoiding unnecessary limitations in the society are key to solve problems. He said hope for future has increased in the Iranian society and employment has improved. Hope for future and employment are the best ways to promote youth marriage in Iran, Rouhani added.
Raeisi said banking facilities, housing and employment are the main necessities to promote marriage among young Iranians. The other candidates also offered their viewpoints with Qalibaf challenging Rouhani on an alleged pledge that Rouhani had made during the previous presidential campaign to create four million jobs. Rouhani denied ever making that promise.
Rouhani then said oil revenues and taxation are major sources of the administration’s income and noted that his administration has reduced dependence on oil revenues to below 30 percent.
Cutting down on red tape
Jahangiri was the fifth presidential candidate to use his four-minute time to outline his plans on reducing bureaucracy in executive bodies. He said the current administration has managed to change the security-based approach to social issues and added that most of the Iranian people are not satisfied with municipalities and banks. The current first vice president said the establishment of an e-government was the major step to reduce bureaucracy.
Raeisi said an electronic government would increase transparency and facilitate the administrative processes. Rouhani said some media outlets undermine the social capital in the country. In this segment, Qalibaf questioned the reason behind Jahangiri’s candidacy, implying that Jahangiri has only registered to support Rouhani.
Jahangiri said forceful measures would fail to solve social problems and added that he took part in the presidential election as a representative of the Reformist camp. The current first vice president emphasized that the 11th administration has managed to increase petrochemical production by nine million tonnes.
Environmental challenges
Qalibaf was the last hopeful taking to the podium to answer a question about his plans to tackle the environmental challenges if elected president. He said the dust storm problem is currently plaguing 20 Iranian provinces and added that inappropriate measures taken inside the country has led to this crisis.
Jahangiri said the current administration has succeeded in taking essential measures to solve the environmental problems. He added that 70 percent of the dust storm problem stems from reasons beyond Iran’s borders.
Qalibaf defended the performance of Tehran Municipality in the environment-protection sector, saying it has used garbage to generate power and produce compost. The mayor of Tehran added that over 20,000 hectares have been planted with trees around the capital.
With all the six candidates having taken to the podium, the moderator announced the end of the first section of the debate and called a break before the beginning of the second round.
Round 2
In the second section, each candidate was given two minutes to answer a question raised by the moderator. Draws determined the candidate and the question that he answers.
Rouhani explained his plans to promote employment for women, saying his administration has managed to create 700,000 jobs for women. He added that women account for over 50 percent of university students in Iran.
As per the draw, Aqa-Mirsalim next responded to a question about his plans to solve the heavy traffic problem in big cities and said giving priority to public transport would be the best solution to the issue.
Jahangiri was asked about his plans to boost the social status of the elites. He highlighted the fact that Iranian elites have greatly increased the country’s scientific ranking in the world.
Raeisi responded to a question about his plans to promote the culture of sportsmanship and said winning medals in sports is very important for the country.
Qalibaf and Hashemi-Taba also in turn provided answered to the questions posed to them. In this section Qalibaf displayed a screenshot of the Iranian president’s website which he claimed confirms his remarks about Rouhani’s pledge during the previous campaign to create four million jobs.
The next and final section of the debate involved each candidate providing their concluding remarks. This section involved a verbal back and forth between Qalibaf and Rouhani over some of the claims against the latter by the former throughout the debate.
Full English Video of Iran 2017 presidential candidates hold first live debate on social affairs
NPC Head Marzieh Shah-Daei said Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) have been signed with four international companies following implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Director of National Petrochemical Company (NPC) made the remarks on the sidelines of the 13th International Iran Petrochemical Forum (IPF 2017) on Saturday morning in Tehran.
“The Iranian petchem industry was warmly welcomed following sanctions removal and talks have been held with credible international companies like Shell and Total,” she added.
Shah-Daei, while noting that four cooperation agreements have been so far inked, said “Iranian firms and holdings could take the emerged opportunity to attract technology and investment to the country.”
The official said the foreign parties were conducting technical analysis in order to determine the precise amount of investment; “the petrochemical industry requires large volumes of investments hence the need to rely on foreign financers.”
NPC managing director went on to stress that the JCPOA paved the path for cooperation between Iranian and foreign firms as evidenced by increased presence of foreign parties inside the country.
Marzieh Shah-Daei, while referring to the need for 40 billion dollars of financial resources for investment in new petchem projects, enumerated major advantages of the Iranian industry including favorable geographical location, low production costs as well as feedstock diversity.
On resolving banking issues, she maintained that foreign firms had agreed to launch cooperation with banks in a bid to prepare grounds for guaranteed investment.
NPC head later emphasized that priority was given to projects which consume natural gas and help complete the production chain.
Production volume of the Iranian petrochemical industry has reached 62 million tons while the figure is expected to hit 72 million tons with inauguration of seven new complexes by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (to end March 21, 2018).
Last year, Iran deployed 21 million tons of petrochemical products worth 9.4 billion dollars to international markets.
National Petrochemical Company (NPC) of Iran is holding its 13th International Iran Petrochemical Forum (IPF 2017) with collaboration of Iranian Inc. for Contemporary International Conferences & Fairs (IICIC), on 22-23 April 2017 at IRIB Int’l Conference Center in Tehran, Iran.
Iran and Portugal have signed a document on abolition of visas for those holding political or service passports in a meeting in Tehran on Saturday.
The document was signed at the end of a meeting between Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary and Iranian Affairs Hassan Ghashghavi and Portugal’s Secretary of State for Internationalization, Jorge Costa Oliveira.
The measure is considered a highly significant step toward further development of political, economic and cultural relations between the two countries.
During the meeting, the Portuguese official highlighted the many fields for expansion of political, economic and cultural cooperation with Iran, expressing his country’s readiness to make every effort in this regard.
Ghashghavi, for his part, voiced his satisfaction at the signing of the document on the abolition of visas for holders of political and service passports, and warmly welcomed the expansion of bilateral ties in all areas.
He also stressed Tehran’s keen interest in furthering cooperation with Lisbon in trade, tourism, academic and parliamentary fields.
The Iranian official further noted that the abolition of visa with Portugal as a Schengen Area member state is an effective measure in bringing the two countries closer than ever and increasing mutual transactions.
Tributes will be paid to the great Persian poet Sa’di Shirazi in a ceremony at his tomb in Shiraz, Fars Province on April 21 which is observed as National Sa’di Day.
There are several programs to commemorate the world-famous Persian poet Sa’di. President Hassan Rouhani will attend the ceremony in Shiraz on April 20 and 21 to speak about the poet.
Among the programs are appreciating a number of Sa’di experts.
Meanwhile, a number of Iranian and Tajik literati are to gather at the Tajikistan Academy Theater of Lakhuti in Dushanbe today to commemorate Sa’di.
The guests are to discuss Sa’di’s role in the development of Persian literature in Tajikistan, the Iranian cultural attaché’s office in Dushanbe said in a press release on Friday.
Scholars attended a seminar in Tehran on Sa’di and prominent French poet and novelist Victor Hugo.
Tehran’s Book City Institute hosted a meeting on Sa’di and Hugo (1802-1885) in on April 18 and 19.
Director of the Iranian Academy of Persian Language and Literature Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, delivered a keynote speech at the event.
Iranian literati, including Mir Jalaleddin Kazzazi, Ahmad Samiei Gilani, Fatemeh Eshqi, Tahmoures Sajedi, Fereydoun Majlesi, Asghar Nouri and French scholar Jean-Marc Hovasse spoke about the two prominent poets at the event.
The event was organized jointly by Sa’di Foundation in Tehran and Iran’s cultural office in France, as well as the Paris Diderot University to commemorate Sa’di National Day.
Victor Hugo is considered one of the greatest and best-known French writers.
Iranian carpet on UN wall
Also on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif recounted the story of an Iranian carpet adorned with a famous poem by Sa’di on a wall of the United Nations headquarters.
According to IFP, in a note posted on his Instagram page to mark Sa’di National Day (April 21) ahead of the event, Zarif told the story of the Iranian carpet as follows:
“Perhaps, the story of hanging the precious Iranian carpet which is adorned with the Sa’di’s most famous poem titled ‘Human Beings’ on UN’s wall is interesting for my friends.
“Almost all of us have read it at school that this famous poem is written above the portal of the UN. In 1982, when I first traveled to the US and visited the United Nations headquarters, I searched the building’s every nook and cranny but I could not find the poem. Later in 1988, when I was in Geneva [Switzerland] to take part in the negotiations on the UN’s Security Council Resolution 598, again, I failed to find the poem written anywhere in the European headquarters. I even asked some of my friends and more experienced people if they had seen the poem written anywhere in the buildings of the UN’s headquarters, but received a negative response.
“In 2004, during the period (2002–2007) I served as Iran’s permanent representative to the UN, I was informed that Mohammad Seirafian, one of the most famous carpet traders of the central Iranian province of Isfahan, had had a precious carpet, with a length and width of five meters, woven, at the center of which Sa’di’s poem had been sewn with golden thread. He had voiced willingness to offer the carpet to the UN as gift providing that they place or hang it up somewhere appropriate.
“Given the dimensions of the carpet, it was difficult to find a suitable wall to hang it up on. There were only a few walls at the UN headquarters suitable for the purpose. One was the wall on which the big 6X4 carpet given to the UN as a gift by Mohammad Mosaddeq, Iran’s prime minister during 1951-1953, was hung up and the other was that of the hall in which representatives held their talks. A Chinese carpet, nevertheless, was hung up on the latter.
“Given the large number of the gifts presented to the UN and inadequate room for all of them, I, inevitably, had to enter into negotiations with the then UN Secretary General [Kofi Annan] to convince him to hang up the carpet on a suitable wall as a symbol for the idea of the Dialogue Among Civilizations, put forward by the then Iranian president Mohammad Khatami. Interestingly, the year 2001 was named after Mr. Khatami’s idea at his proposal.
“In my later follow-ups, I was faced with a proposal by the UN to hang up the carpet on the wall adorned by the carpet presented by Mosaddeq and replace it with his gift, but I turned down the offer.
“A little bit later, I learned that they intended to detach the Chinese carpet from the wall and wash it. The surface of the wall on which the Chinese carpet was hung up, had enough room for two carpets. However, the Chinese one was hung up right at its canter. Nevertheless, with the assistance and thanks to the constant follow-ups of one my good colleagues at the representative office, we eventually managed to hang up the carpet ornamented with Sa’di’s poem next to the Chinese one, as you can see in the photo.
“In addition, we had Sa’di’s poem translated beautifully into English and wrote it on a plate pinned on the wall next to the carpet so that viewers could both enjoy the beauty of the Iranian art and further know about the sublime, elevated and deep humanitarian concepts of the Iranian culture.
“And finally Sa’di’s poem found its way into the UN.”
The translation of the poem reads as follows:
Human beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain.
Born in Shiraz in 1194 CE, Sa’di Shirazi, is known as a Sufi master, mystic and metaphysicist in the history of Persian literature. He was conferred the title ‘Master of Prose and Poetry’ in view of his proficiency in Persian literature, IRNA wrote.
Sa’di is best-known for his ‘Bustan’ (The Orchard) and ‘Golestan’ (The Rose Garden) which present a peculiar blend of human kindness and cynicism, humor, and resignation in the form of stories and personal anecdotes.
The poet is also known worldwide for one of his aphorisms, ‘Human beings are members of a whole — in creation of one essence and soul’ which adorns the entrance to the Hall of Nations of the United Nations building in New York.
In the nineteen-eighties, when I was a child, my family rarely took vacations. There had been a revolution in Iran, and there was a war on. Most of our trips were to the gardens of family and friends; a couple of times we went to Shomal, as the green band of forests south of the Caspian Sea is known. In those days, travelling was all about us pleasing the group.
We once rented a house by the sea. Everybody had tasks. The women cooked. I was told to keep the frogs and cats away from my paranoid aunt. In the afternoon, when my uncle went jogging, I had to run behind him, carrying a boom box playing “Eye of the Tiger.” He had just returned from the front, and he loved “Rocky.”
That was a rare memory. At home and on trips, we often spent our time hiding from others. We gathered behind walls and inside houses to avoid the sternness of the Islamic Revolution. Public space was no fun: there was always someone disturbing your privacy, making you feel uncomfortable.
Now I look at the youth of today, who are hitchhiking their way through the country, discovering its islands, mountain passes, and changing-color deserts. It took more than three decades for Iranians to venture out once again; now they can’t seem to get enough of it. Newsha Tavakolian
The New Yorker
In 330 B.C.E., when Alexander the Great invaded Persia, he destroyed Persepolis. Today, schoolchildren visit the ancient capital and marvel that there was a time when the Persian Empire ruled over much of the world. Photograph by Newsha Tavakolian / Magnum for The New Yorker
A close up of the salt mountains, a part of Hormuz’s diverse geology. Tourists visit the area to marvel at the different colours and shapes of the salt.
A series of carpets laid out to dry after having been washed by professional carpet cleaners, near the royal graves of Naghs-e Rostam, that are carved out in the mountains. They are washing the tapestries for the coming Iranian New Year, that coincides with the Spring equinox, usually on March 21st. The tombs of Iran’s most revered pre-Islamic kings, like Darius, Xerxes and others have been raided long ago, but the reliefs cut out of the mountains’ rocks remain, just as an ancient Zoroastrian fire temple, for tourists to visit.
The Valley of Stars, on the island of Qeshm, was likely formed by prehistoric erosion, though legend holds that it was created by a falling star. Photograph by Newsha Tavakolian / Magnum for The New Yorker
One part of Hormuz island is coral red. The earth is used both for colouring fabrics and make-up. A worker who spends his days gathering up the red soil is waiting during a break.
A driver of a horse and carriage waiting for customers to drive around Isfahan’s Naghshe-Jahan square, or ‘Image of the world’. The city is famous for its Islamic architecture, promoted by the Safavid kings who not only solidified the Shiite faith in Iran, but also enjoyed watching Polo games from the massive balcony of the Ali Qapu palace overlooking the square. The Lotfullah mosque, seen in the background, has been closed for centuries as it was a sacred place for the members of the Shah’s harem but is now open to tourists.
The salt mountains are a part of Hormuz’s diverse geology. Tourists visit the area to marvel at the different colours and shapes of the salt. Mahtab, a tourist from Tehran, is taking a selfie.
The Persian Gulf island Qeshm has a very diverse geology, allowing tourists to visit deserts and mountains and in this case the ‘jungle of Hara’, a mangrove forest. In recent years Iranian tourists have started to discover this and other islands, located in the blue waters of the Persian Gulf. Long secret spots, visited mainly by Iranian hippies and adventurers, the islands are now attracting a wider range of visitors. They come especially in winter when temperatures are cooler and the air is less humid. Jungle of Hara- qeshm
In the fifth century B.C.E., Persia’s most revered kings were buried in the stone mountain at Naqsh-e Rustam. Robbers have looted the crypts, but tourists still come to see the reliefs cut into the rock. Photograph by Newsha Tavakolian / Magnum for The New Yorker
Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, falls on the spring equinox. In Masouleh, villagers mark the occasion by letting sheep out to graze. Photograph by Newsha Tavakolian / Magnum for The New Yorker
