Mehr Vision|No.5|August 2016 Page 1 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY

Persians in the Land of the Incas Page 2 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY

Contents

Post-sanction Iran seeks to jolt economic ties with Latin America 3

West playing with fire by curbing Aleppo liberation 6 US seizure of Iran’s money a tactic to goad Iran 7 Coup plotting: a US tradition 9 Turkey’s ‘Arab Spring’ moment: No Sisi and no more Gulen 10 How to read world when UK departing from EU 12 Brexit vote adds to global uncertainty, volatility and risk 13 ‘US exerts heavy influence over UN’ 15 Germany not to take Bush-style wrong reaction 16 World ‘failed to accurately address’ Palestinian issue 17

Bank Mellat to be reimbursed for reputational damage, loss of earnings 21 Thailand, Iran economies can be ‘complementary’ 23 Iran new potential market for Thailand 24

Mehr Vision Economy

Managing Director: Ali Asgari

Editorial Board: The wind carried him to the whiteness of the clouds 26 Seyed Amir Hassan Dehghani, The Empty Doorway 28 Mohammad Ghaderi, HamidReza Gholamzadeh Iran’s Natl. Botanical Garden piece of heaven on earth 29 Look up! There is an art gallery above you! 30 Editorial Coordinator: Journalism, thrill of pursuing truth on perilous path 31 Marjohn Sheikhi Olympic athletes now enjoy halal food 32 Contributors: ‘Son of Desert’ to explore Iranian central desert: planned for 2017 33 Lachin Rezaian, Marjohn Sheikhi, Persepolis threatened by drought, land subsidence 34 Parnaz Talebi, Maryam Khormaei, Bam Citadel to open to public after 13 years 35 Hossein Azari, Mohammad Ghaderi, Hamid Reza Gholamzadeh, Turkish GAP projects ‘bane of environment’ 36 Samad Habibi, Peyman Yazdani

Art Director: Mahboubeh Azizi News in Vision 37

Phone: +98-21-43051350 Email: [email protected]

Address: No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran

Mehr Vision welcomes contributions by readers which can be sent via email. Persians in the Land of the Incas

Cover Story Page 3 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Post-sanction Iran seeks to jolt economic ties with Latin America

By: Marjohn Sheikhi the European Union and a number of da Silva publicly defended Iran’s right major Asian countries refused to have to develop nuclear energy for peaceful economic cooperation with Iran under purposes. Ahmadinejad’s Latin Ameri- Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad excessive pressure from the United can tour then took him to Bolivia, Ven- Javad Zarif kicked off his first Latin States, it was perhaps inevitable for ezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Ecuador American tour to six countries on Aug. Iran to turn its eyes toward Latin Amer- where the two sides conferred on all 21, aimed at jolting Iran’s neglected ican countries which had wearied of potential venues of cooperation. economic ties with Cuba, Nicaragua, the American imperialistic attitude. The visits however came under crit- Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia and Venezuela. In late November 2009, Mahmoud icism, not just from the United States Ahmadinejad became the first Iranian which felt threatened and frustrated by Following the imposition of various president to have made a state visit to Iran’s continued attempts at maintain- trade and economic sanctions against Brazil since the mid-1960s. The visit ing political and economic links with Iran in a bid to force the country to gained special momentousness at the other countries despite the West’s best abandon its peaceful nuclear program, time the Western side of the world had efforts in isolating it, as well as the fact the Islamic Republic began to seek for been ‘hell-bent’ on undermining every that the development of Iran’s trade new trade markets in order to bypass effort by the Iranian government in es- and diplomatic ties with Latin America the economic deadlocks imposed by tablishing political and economic ties was seen by the US as Tehran’s expand- the West and keep its ample commer- with those other countries that had the ing influence in Washington’s backyard cial capacities alive. chance and freedom of choice to not and a threat to its national interests, Iran was grappled with the toughest board the Anti-Iranian sanction train but also from a number of political an- case of unjust sanctions during the of- with the US administration at the helm. alysts inside the country who believed fice of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and During Ahmadinejad’s visit, dubbed by that investing in Latin American coun- the US hostility toward the country was US Secretary of State as ‘quite disturb- tries, due to the long distance, would at its highest peak. At the time where ing’, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula not be ‘economical’ for Iran and that » Cover Story Page 4 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY the country is in a sense spreading it- self too thin. In foreign policy, too, they believed that Iran’s top priority should be with promoting relations with neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey, instead of attempt- ing to extend relations as far away as to Venezuela or Brazil with minimal impact on the country’s core foreign policy issues. Once President Hassan Rouhani took office in 2013, Iran’s relations with Latin America seemed to dwindle, or at least go back several rows behind the forefront of the country’s foreign poli- cy priorities (most notably, the closing of National Iranian Oil Company’s offic- es in Bolivia and Venezuela in 2014). It was the time where Iran was finally its. the country’s only embassy in the making tangible progress on its nuclear According to Bahram Ghasemi, For- Middle East would move from Cairo negotiations with the six world- pow eign Ministry Spokesman, Zarif’s trip to to Tehran. Iran’s exports of technical ers, and the United States had become Latin America shows the government’s and engineering services to the region directly involved in certain aspects of attempts at facilitating a trade boom had previously helped tremendously Iran’s foreign policy. With the negotia- between Iranian economic agents with with all-out expansion of economic tions finally leading to a positive con- those in other countries and is consist- relations and reducing the impact of clusion and the Joint Comprehensive ent with the objectives of ‘Resistance US sanctions against Iran, therefore it Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed on 14 Economy’ which includes among other is imperative for the country to follow July 2015 and coming into effect on tenets ‘targeted promotion of export- up on the same path now that the nu- January 16, 2016, Iran was now look- able goods and services…as well as clear case has been settled and there ing at a wider horizon of opportunities the promotion of foreign investment are more opportunities for investment which the lift of sanctions offered. for export purposes’ and increasing and exports. While Iran has maintained its good ‘regional and international economic Meanwhile, Chile has reopened its political relationship with many coun- collaboration’ as issued in a decree on embassy in Tehran, 35 years after its tries in Latin America, economy-wise, Feb. 19 by Leader of the Islamic Revo- closure, and it is likely that Zarif’s visit the country has not fared so well. Ac- lution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. to that country and his meetings with cording to Deputy Foreign Minister Considering the fact that Latin senior officials of Chile would further Majid Takht-Ravanchi, “there exist America encompasses 30 countries expand bilateral ties and improve dip- many areas for cooperation and joint with a total of 600 million populations, lomatic relations to the level of ambas- ventures, but until now we have not Iran’s improved relations with this part sadors. been able to benefit completely from of the world with its shared anti-US As maintained by Bahram Ghasemi, these capacities.” and anti-imperialist ideology will for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stra- Now accompanied by a 60-person certain open up many doors for meet- tegically supports a balanced outlook delegation consisting of business- ex ing economic interests of both sides. towards all countries and geographic ecutives from the private sector, For- According to International Mone- areas, and strengthening relations with eign Minister Zarif will make his first tary Fund, trade between Iran and Lat- neighboring and Islamic countries as trip to Latin America, specially aimed in America tripled between 2007 and well as comprehensive development of at bolstering economic ties. Zarif’s 2008, rising to $2.9 billion, and up to relations with Latin American and Afri- trip began in Cuba on August 21, then $4 billion in 2013. Figures estimated can states have always been a priority will proceed to Nicaragua, Ecuador, Iran and Venezuela’s bilateral trade of the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy. Chile and Bolivia, and finally ending at $19 million in fiscal year 2013. The Zarif’s six-nation tour, thus, in the in Venezuela. The trip, as stressed country invested $1.1 billion in Boliv- light of post-sanction opportunities, by Takht-Ravanchi, has the potential ia’s gas facilities during Ahmadinejad’ is expected to usher in significant im- to begin a new chapter in relations administration, which helped great- provements for economic, industrial between Iran and Latin America, as ly with the Latin American country’s and technical cooperation with Latin various contracts in the fields of oil, diplomatic ties with Iran as Bolivian America in the fields of pharmacy, dam energy, maritime, and transport are President Evo Morales lifted visa re- building, housing, dairy industry, as expected to be signed during the vis- strictions and declared in 2008 that well as oil and gas| Politics Politics Page 6 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY West playing with fire by curbing Aleppo liberation By Hamid Reza Gholamzadeh – support was possible; though they still oppose the siege. With Syrian Army and managed to funnel supports in lower its allies’ upper hand in the country’s While Syrian Army siege over Aleppo scale. war on terror and renaming of Al-Nusra, is completed and the biggest city of The idea was in fact raised more than western states and some regional Arab country is expected to be liberated in a year ago by Qatar and some Persian countries seem to be trying to rescue near future, West and some Arab states Gulf states who suggested the group terrorists in Aleppo and prolong Syrian try to hinder Assad government’s to split up with Al-Qaeda and they in war. achievement. return would provide the group with It is also important to have an eye on funds and supplies, according to a Reu- the other side of Syria to understand Aleppo is the biggest and second ters report in April 2015. The Arab coun- the situation in Syria and find out an- most important Syrian city after capital tries had suggested the idea to get rid of other evidence the government is gain- Damascus which was occupied by ter- notoriety and illegality of working with ing the upper hand in the devastative rorists and Takfiri armed groups in 2012. and supporting an Al-Qaeda-affiliated war. Reviewing last few months in be- Last week, Syrian Army and Russian forc- group. So in this way they could circum- havior of ISIL terrorist group shows that es cut the only border route to Turkey vent the international laws and work they losing the ground in Syria (and of and completed their siege around the with the same terrorists who were once course in Iraq as well) more and more city in a significant achievement during in allegiance with Al-Qaeda in order to and to keep their face, they have turned more than 5 years of war with terrorists use the terrorists to topple Bashar As- toward spreading fear by carrying out and Takfiris. The achievements of Syrian sad and pursue their regime change terrorist attacks in different parts of the army and its allies, though, are not lim- plan in Syria. world. Recent tragic events in Afghani- ited to this and they have been spend- Now, with the tough situation for stan, Iraq, Germany and France which ing recent months gaining momentum Al-Nusra in Aleppo, the same scenario were claimed by ISIL reflects the fact on the battleground. seems to be under way. Al-Nusra has that they are trying to bully the world The imminent recapturing of Alep- split off from Al-Qaeda and voices of and hide their losses on the battle po, and even the siege over the city, support for the group under the pretext ground in Syria and Iraq. has improved and will increase Syrian of humanitarianism is being heard from By supporting terrorist groups – di- government and Army’s position and west. Syria and Russia have considered rectly or indirectly – and curbing Syrian will drastically change the game in fa- three ‘safe corridors’ for nearly 250,000 government’s achievements, anti-Assad vor of Syrian President Bashar al-As- civilians and one for the fighters who lay countries are playing with fire as they sad and his resistance policy. In other down arms to evacuate the city; Assad have put collapse of Assad government words, liberating Aleppo would pave has also issued an amnesty verdict for on the top of their agenda, while it neg- the way for Syria – and Russia and 3 months for any fighter who lays down atively impacts their own security. Such Iran as its allies – to defeat Al-Nusra arms and surrenders to Army or releas- terrorist attacks by love wolves or ISIL Front on one hand, and ISIL which is es prisoners captured by terrorists. Yet, members across the Europe and other weakened both in Syria and Iraq on the United States who has the group parts of world can happen again unless the other hand. on its list of terrorist organizations, cast the Syrian government uproots the ter- There are two evidence marking the doubt on Moscow’s intent where Sec- rorists in the country and is ‘truly’ and significance of the ongoing develop- retary of State John Kerry claimed “it ‘honestly’ helped in that way. Other- ments in Syria. Split of Al-Nusra Front has the risk, if it is a ruse, of complete- wise, the current policy of west in sup- from al-Qaeda was a headline-mak- ly breaking apart the level of coopera- porting so-called ‘moderate’ terrorists ing news for many media outlets, but tion.” with their double-standards and imped- did not surprise so many people. It is French and British foreign ministers ing Assad’s victory by engaging him in a no secret that Al-Nusra has long been were next to stand against the siege prolonged war, will have no other result supported by states seeking remov- which can weaken terrorists in Aleppo but more sporadic terrorist attacks in al of Assad both in region and outside after about five years, talking of possi- their lands. the Middle East as so-called ‘moderate’ ble humanitarian catastrophe despite fighters who can fight Assad and Syrian measures such as safety corridors and Hamid Reza Gholamzadeh has done Army to follow a regime change policy distribution of warm food to the dis- his MA in North American Studies and in the war-torn country. However, when placed taken by Syria and Russian forc- his focus has been on US policies to- it was clear that Al-Nusra is affiliated es. German FM Frank-Walter Steinmei- wards the Middle East. He is also Engl- with Al-Qaeda, no more – at least direct er also joined the western officials to sih Chief Editor of Mehr News Agency| Politics Page 7 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Eric Walberg: US seizure of Iran’s money a tactic to goad Iran Interview by Lachin Rezaian In 2003, he ruled that Iran was legal- ly responsible for providing Hezbollah Canadian journalist specializing in the with financial and logistical support that Middle East, Central Asia and Russia helped the suicide bombers carry out has said US action is truly alarming and the attack, and thus was guilty. Lam- clearly is part of a tactic of goading berth concluded that the court had per- ruled that Congress did not usurp the Iran, pushing it in an attempt to bring sonal jurisdiction over the defendants authority of American courts by passing Iran to heel. under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities the 2012 law concerning the 2007 rul- Act, that Hezbollah was formed under ing. What looked to be a new window of the auspices of the Iranian government The situation is clear: the US ‘justice’ detente between the US and Iran, fol- and was completely reliant on Iran in system is not objective. The results of lowing the signing of the Joint Compre- 1983, and that Hezbollah carried out the the long process show it serves US po- hensive plan of Action on Iran’s nuclear attack in conjunction with Iran’s Minis- litical interests over any concern for jus- program has quickly turned opaque. A try of Information and Security agents. tice. US decree was issued to seize $2 billion Hezbollah, Iran, and Syria have contin- in assets belonging to the Central Bank ued to deny any involvement in any of uSome Iranian officials have called the of Iran (CBI), holding Iran financially the bombings. An obscure group calling US court’s recent ruling as ‘international responsible for the 1983 bombing that itself “Islamic Jihad” claimed respon- banditry’. How do you evaluate this? killed 241 Marines at their barracks in sibility, and that the bombings were President Rouhani has put it simply: the Lebanese capital, Beirut. The funds aimed to get the multinational forces “America’s judicial system violated the in question have been blocked since the out of Lebanon. principle of state immunity.” civilian trial in the bombing began in * In 2007, Lamberth awarded $2.65 The case revolves around Iran’s sup- 2011, but awaited the final legal touch billion to the plaintiffs, an amount he posed guilt by association with Hezbul- to bless the blatant theft. This came wrote at the time “may be the largest lah, and Hezbullah’s supposed perpe- when the US Supreme Court recently ever entered by a court of the United tration of the 1983 bombing. Since the upheld the Congress bill, with the ap- States against a foreign nation.” The bombing was never solved, there is no proval of President Barack Obama. judgment was divided up among the vic- case here. It is the US that is guilty in fall- Canadian expert on the Middle East tims; the largest award was $12 million ing short in its security precautions. Eric Walberg elaborated his viewpoint to Larry Gerlach, who became a quad- Shortly after the 1983 bombing, on the issue in an exclusive interview riplegic as a result of a broken neck he President Ronald Reagan appointed a with Mehr News correspondent Lachin suffered in the attack. military fact-finding committee. The Rezaian: * In 2008, the $2 billion was secretly commission’s report found senior US ordered frozen. military officials responsible for security uDoes the recent US court ruling * In 2010, victims of the Beirut attack lapses and blamed the military chain of question the credibility of the US justice sued the Luxembourg-based clearing command for the disaster. It suggested system? Why would the US act in a way house and bank Clearstream for alleg- that there might have been many few- which can only undermine its nuclear edly assisting Iran to move $250 million er deaths if the barracks guards had deal with Iran, reached after years of in frozen assets out of the United States, carried loaded weapons and a barrier talks, just as the Joint Comprehensive prompting the open seizure of all Irani- more substantial than the barbed wire plan of Action (JCPOA) implementation an assets at Citibank. the bomber drove over easily. The com- is under way? * In 2012, Lambeth ordered Iran to mission also noted that the “prevalent This is truly alarming. It clearly is part pay an additional $813m in damages view” among US commanders was that of a tactic of goading Iran, pushing it in and interest. US Congress buttressed there was a direct link between the navy an attempt to bring Iran to heel. Either this decision with a special law that spe- shelling of the Muslims at Suq-al-Garb that or to undermine the deal. Perhaps cifically directed the American bank to and the truck bomb attack. Obama has had second thoughts about turn over its Iranian assets to victims’ When you are so universally loathed the deal. families. and occupying another country, you The timeline is long and tortuous: * In 2014, Bank Markazi challenged should be very, very careful. Israel knows * In 2002, Judge Royce Lamberth the ruling. that well. Former Mossad agent Victor entered default against the defendant * Now, in 2016 Judge Lamberth got Ostrovsky, in his 1990 book By Way of (Iran) in a civil suit lodged by victims. the final word: the US Supreme Court Deception, has accused the Mossad of » Politics Page 8 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY knowing the specific time and location ton’s international and treaty obliga- to the US claim concerning Iran and the of the 1983 bombing, but only gave tions concerning “the sovereign immu- Beirut bombing--there isn’t--$2 billion general information to the Americans nity of states.” divided 241 equals $11 billion. Simple of the attack, information which was uWhat is the best reaction on behalf math means Iranian lives are ‘worth’ worthless. According to Ostrovsky, then of Iran towards the issue? Is there any $200,000, but US and French marines Mossad head Nahum Admoni decided way to have that money back? $11 million. against giving the specific details to the President Hassan Rouhani says Iran Americans on the grounds that the Mos- will soon lodge a complaint against uWhat international reactions can sad’s responsibility was to protect Isra- Washington with The Hague over a US the court decree bring? And who will el’s interests, not Americans. Ostrovsky court ruling that paves the way for the benefit the US decision? further claimed that among the high use of billions of Tehran’s frozen assets. Only the relatives of the Beirut level officers of the Mossad there was “The government will never allow for bombing victims and US pride are as- a view that if the Americans “wanted to the money that belongs to the Irani- suaged. Israel and Saudi Arabia are ea- stick their nose into this Lebanon thing, an nation be easily gobbled up by the ger for continued strife between the US let them pay the price.” Americans.” and Iran and putting the nuclear deal at The perpetrators of the bombing Rouhani should ponder Canada’s ex- jeopardy. In the meantime, Iran can only are still unknown, but the US insists perience. Canadians know only too well continue to work to renew its position it must be Hezbollah and thus, indi- about US creative accounting. Our irri- in world affairs, proving its anti-terrorist rectly, Iran. Both have denied respon- tant is the billions the US has charged credentials in its actions. sibility. Seizing the funds, given the as a tariff duty on Canadian softwood The Iranian parliament upped the inconclusive evidence and the security lumber, a problem which started in 1982 ante with a bill this week calling for lapses of the occupiers, can only be and remains unresolved, despite Prime compensation for the US actions against described as theft. President Rouhani Minister Justin Trudeau’s predecessor, Iran, including referred to the US Supreme Court rul- Stephen Harper, making a deal with his * US involvement in the 1953 coup ing on seizure of Iran’s blocked assets friend George Bush back in 2006. that overthrew Prime Minister Moham- as “a blatant robbery and a major legal Almost as if on principle, the US mad Mossadegh and reinstalled Mo- scandal for the US”, saying the move refuses to take any responsibility for hammad Reza Pahlavi as king of Iran; is indicative of Washington’s contin- its actions, let alone apologize, but, * a coup attempt known as the Nojeh ued hostilities toward the Iranian na- at least in this case, Uncle Sam gave coup in 1980 shortly after the Islamic tion. “They (the Americans) should be back most of its ill-gotten gains. That is Republic was established; aware that the rights of the Iranian unfortunately the relevant precedent * US support for Iraqi President Sadd- people cannot be violated and plun- here for Iran. Let the theft stand, or am Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War, in- dered,” he said, adding, “No thief can try to get a European country to pro- cluding the 223,000 victims and 600,000 take pride in his theft and think what pose some kind of mediation, or try to injured during that war; he has stolen belongs to him.” get the US to settle the matter in the * the deaths of 17,000 Iranian citi- International Court of Justice, as Pres- zens at the hands of US-backed terror uIs the move in violation to the US ident Rouhani is now doing, though groups; spying against Iran; confiscating obligations according to the Joint the US, unlike Iran, is not party to the Iranian assets; and US support for Israel. Comprehensive plan of Action (JCPOA)? international court. While there is little hope of the US Yes. Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel, who is This is how Iran settled the US down- government coughing up, the bill high- also a member of the country’s Expedi- ing in 1988 of Iran Air Flight 655, shot lights to anyone interested in US-Iranian ency Council told the Tasnim news agen- down by the US Navy (illegally) in Ira- relations why the road to smoother rela- cy on Tuesday “The US administration’s nian waters, killing all 290 civilians on tions will not be easy. move to seize $2 billion of Iran’s blocked board. The perpetrator was clearly the assets is definitely considered a breach US in 1988, though it did not formally Eric Walberg is a Canadian writer of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Ac- apologize to Iran. In 1996, the US and specializing in the Middle East, Central tion (JCPOA).” He further emphasized Iran reached a settlement at the Inter- Asia and Russia. He is a graduate of that Washington has regarded the nu- national Court of Justice which included Cambridge University and has lived in clear negotiations with Tehran as a tool the statement “the United States recog- both the Soviet Union and Russia, and for interfering in the internal affairs of nized the aerial incident of 3 July 1988 as then Uzbekistan, as a UN adviser, writer, the Islamic Republic and other region- a terrible human tragedy and expressed translator and lecturer. He has been al countries. The parliamentarian went deep regret over the loss of lives caused writing on East-West relations since the on to say that the US is trying to change by the incident.” 1980s, presently for Al-Ahram Weekly Iran’s behavior toward regional issues as As part of the settlement, the US did and is a regular contributor to several well as its internal policy through putting not admit legal liability but agreed to globally-recognized websites, and a the country under economic pressures. pay $61.8 million, amounting to roughly commentator on Voice of the Cape radio. 120 member states of the Non- $200,000 per passenger, in compensa- His articles appear in Russian, German, Aligned Movement denounced the US tion to the families of the Iranian vic- Spanish and Arabic and are available at ruling, calling it a violation of Washing- tims. Even if there was a shed of truth his website| Politics Page 9 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY

Coup plotting: a US tradition

By: Stephen Lendman

Were US dirty hands involved in enough to want Erdogan forcefully top- cenaries,” police state repression, and Friday’s failed attempt to oust Turkish pled isn’t clear. permanent war on humanity at home President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from America’s deplorable history sug- and abroad. power? gests possibly, ousting dozens of - gov “It’s not a pretty picture,” said Blum ernments, assassinating leaders, crush- - “enough to give imperialism a bad Relations with Obama are strained. ing popular movements, slaughtering name.” During Erdogan’s March 31 - April 1 millions, imposing its will on other na- Hegemons make more enemies than Nuclear Security Summit participation tions ruthlessly. friends. Longstanding US policy is con- in Washington, no meeting between Imperialism works this way. William sistent - bullying, intimidating, threat- both leaders was scheduled, no White Blum’s books and other writings docu- ening or otherwise pressuring other House invitation afforded. mented it, saying US policies are “worse nations to serve its interests or face its He’s more tolerated than welcome. than you imagine.” wrath. Establishment organization Brookings “If you flip over the rock of Amer- US intelligence likely knew about invited him to speak. ican foreign policy (throughout) the plans to oust Erdogan, yet didn’t warn Mayhem followed, his security past century, (here’s) what crawls him - perhaps because of direct or indi- guards making Washington look like out:” rect involvement. Ankara, assaulting journalists cover- “invasions, bombings, (subversion), How the plot affects US-Turkish - re ing his address, clashing with peaceful overthrowing governments, suppress- lations ahead remains to be seen. Will demonstrators outside the venue, pro- ing movements for social change, new leadership in Washington next testing his crackdown on press free- assassinating political leaders,- per year change current policies? dom, other human rights abuses, war verting elections, manipulating labor For now, things remain unsettled. on Turkish Kurds and support for ISIS in unions, manufacturing ‘news,’ death Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. Syria. squads, torture, (chemical), biological His new book as editor and contribu- It’s likely Washington prefers dealing (and nuclear) warfare, (radiological tor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US with someone else in Ankara - whether contamination), drug trafficking, -mer Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”| Politics Page 10 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Eric Walberg: Turkey’s ‘Arab Spring’ moment: No Sisi and no more Gulen Interview by Lachin Rezaian

Canadian journalist specializing in the Middle East, Central Asia and Russia has said Turkey’s version of the social media fueled its very own “Arab Spring”.

Canadian expert on the Middle East Eric Walberg believes that the role of Turkey’s social media was decisive in mobilizing the broad public within min- utes and to get them to the streets in support of President Erdogan. “Fortunately for Erdogan, unlike in Egypt, the army was no longer the monolith it was in Kemalist days, head- ed by a ruthless general eager to crush other officers fed up with Erdogan join- along with Erdogan’s Gulenist rivals. the fledgling democracy,” he said. Wal- ing in, and didn’t expect the hundreds Labor Minister Süleyman Soylu told berg underlined that Turkey’s version of thousands who turned out in the Haberturk TV, “The US is behind the of the social media fueled its very own streets within minutes in support of coup attempt. A few journals that are “Arab Spring”. the beleaguered president. The coup published there have been conducting In an interview with Mehr News, collapsed, but not before 60 deaths. activities for several months. For many Eric Walberg answers the questions on Erdogan has done much months we have sent requests to the the issue: house-cleaning since coming to power US concerning Fethullah Gulen. The US in 2003, working to make Turkey im- must extradite him.” uWho do you think are the main mune to its Ataturk tradition of military The journals Soylu was referring and real perpetrators of plotting rule. He purged the officer class follow- to are the American Enterprise Insti- attempted coup in Turkey? ing a mass trial of alleged conspirators tute website, where “Could there be a The sense of disappointment, dis- in what was dubbed the Ergenekon coup in Turkey?” by Michael Rubin, ap- satisfaction, distrust of Erdogan has terrorist organization, a spin-off of the peared in March comparing Erdogan’s continued to grow since his decision to CIA’s Operation Gladio. He relied on fate to that of the overthrown Egyp- involve Turkey in the uprising in Syria in Gulenists in the judiciary, not a wise tian President Morsi. The other is the 2012, breeding and opening the doors move. Washington Post, where an oped by to terrorists and refugees. The coup Over 500 people were arrested by former US ambassador to Turkey Eric was a disaster waiting to happen, de- 2011, most since acquitted, with many Edelman called for Erdogan to “reform spite Erdogan’s crack down on the mili- judicial documents exposed as fake, or resign.” tary over the past decade. though Ergenekon and Gladio are not. Could the likes of Rubin and Edel- He burned one bridge after anoth- The dubious Ergenekon investigation, man even be inciting allies-of-conven- er--Israel, Syria, Russia, the Kurds, the and corruption investigations, also ience ISIL to perpetrate terrorist bomb- West. Just before the coup, he was fi- spearheaded by Gulenists, targeting ings in Istanbul and Ankara, to give the nally realizing the failure of his moves, the Erdogan’s son Bilal, led to a crack- restive military a convenient pretext to the need to staunch the flow of blood, down against the Gulenist in 2013. The carry out a coup? Is the coup a neocon refugees and hard feelings all around. gloves were off, and Gulenists in the use of “soft power” to install a more The coup’s spark is believed to be government had good cause to join amenable leader in Turkey? a small fraction of the General Staff with others disaffected with Erdogan. -- followers of the influential preach- But the “deep state” behind the uWhat do you think is the reason for er Fethullah Gulen. They gambled on coup is not just remnants of Ergenekon early suppression of the coup? Why » Politics Page 11 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY was the coup repelled immediately? trust the West, which had held him in is even sending out peace signals to Fortunately for Erdogan, unlike in their sights from the start. Egypt’s Sisi, though there will be no Egypt, the army was no longer the The Syrian uprising, unlike that in palling it up with Egypt’s coupmaker. monolith it was in Kemalist days, head- Tunisia and Egypt, was doomed, given Perhaps the long-suffering Kurds, his ed by a ruthless general eager to crush the lesson of Libya and Assad’s support most important neighbours, will give the fledgling democracy. And social by the military. It has been downhill for him a window of opportunity, despite media played a decisive role in mobi- Turkey ever since. Russia lost patience his intransigence there. In 2013, even lizing the broad public within minutes, with the mess the West had made, now as Erdogan was launching the attack to get people to the streets. “There supported by Turkey, and unilaterally on the Gulen movement, that bleeding is no power higher than the power of moved to join Iran to support Assad wound on Turkish society looked like it the people,” exhorted the president on and reverse the ISIL gains in a stunning might finally be healing. After tentative national TV, as his followers fought the display of targeted bombings, leaving olive branches on both sides, Abdullah mutineers at the barricades. Turkey’s the US et al speechless, and, finally, re- Ocalan spoke out from jail, appealing version of the social media fueled its lieved, though ungrateful. to his militant followers the PKK to lay very own “Arab Spring”. In a fit of peak, Erdogan had Rus- down their arms or take them to north- sian planes shot down, a futile act, ern Iraq. uWhat consequences, positive or given his real crisis: Syrian refugees. The Syrian and Turkish Kurds have negative, does the losing coup have The result of his own doings, they proven to be the only reliable local for the future of Turkey, Erdogan’s were pouring into Turkey--along with groups who have the grit and will to government and the Army itself? terrorists. Then, when ISIL lost Erdo- fight ISIL, pitting the fuming Erdogan The future of Turkey still lies in gan’s implicit support, their suicide against even his western allies, now Erdogan’s hands after 15 years in bombings moved to Istanbul and An- anxious to end the Syrian nightmare control, but it’s not a happy future. kara. any way possible. The coup is a time- Looking back, the turning point in an Erdogan’s abandonment of Assad ly clarion call to cooperate against the already chaotic international order recaps the US undermining of the final common foe, ISIL. Erdogan, the Kurds, is 2011 -- the original Arab Spring. Afghan leader Najibullah in 1992, pav- the Russians, the Iranians, and--belate- The charismatic Erdogan, up to that ing the way for the Taliban and al-Qa- ly--the West have been pushed onto point, looked like the new face of the eda, the ISIS of the day. Syrians are the same page. Muslim world, smart, savvy, bristling now living out a replay of the collapse The failed coup couldn’t have come- against the empire (both US and Is- of Afghanistan, complete with millions -and failed--at a better moment. - Er raeli), trying to make peace with Tur- of refugees, a faux ‘Islamic state’, and dogan was eager for a military coup key’s bugaboo, the Kurds and their western duplicity. The difference is, in Syria against its president. Instead, party, the PKK. this time with Turkey on board the con- he got his own coup. But, he has been But, whether through hubris or spiracy, and Russia left to clean up the given a reprieve. Can Erdogan use it bungling, these gestures collapsed. mess. wisely? The Turks like to say, “No mat- His “Zero Problems” policy with neigh- Remnants of Kemalists in the mil- ter how far you have gone on a wrong bours became anything but, leaving itary will go, but this is not a pretty road, turn back.” Turkey surrounded not by ‘friends’ but future. How could Erdogan get it so by enemies. wrong? Canadian Eric Walberg is known He abandoned first Muamar Gadd- worldwide as a journalist afi in Libya in 2011, and then his uWhich factions and parties in specializing in the Middle East, ‘friend’ Bashar Assad in 2012. Libya Turkey could have taken advantage of Central Asia and Russia. A graduate became a failed state, a haven for the coup, which could not? of University of Toronto and terrorists. Assad was pushed to use The Gülen movement, once allied Cambridge in economics, he has all his military strength against a mot- to Erdogan, now fingered behind the been writing on East-West relations ley gang of al-Qaeda clones and na- coup, has lost bigtime. Its many schools since the 1980s. He has lived in both ive westernizers, to prevent a similar and all its assets have been seized, and the Soviet Union and Russia, and fate for Syria. its members arrested. The coup has then Uzbekistan, as a UN adviser, But Erdogan bet on the wrong broken its back. writer, translator and lecturer. He horse. Assad had refused to take his Given the heaven-sent reprieve last has written for al-Ahram Weekly friend Erdogan’s advice to dismantle week, Erdogan is already reinventing (Cairo), and is a regular contributor the Syrian state and hand over power himself, returning to the 2003 promise to Dissident Voice, Iranian and to the opposition, dominated increas- of “Zero Problems” with neighbours. Turkish news agencies, and is a ingly by al-Qaeda groups, now led by He apologized to the Russians, quickly commentator on Voice of the Cape something that calls itself ISIL (Islam- settled the stand-off with Israel, and radio. His books include Postmodern ic State in the Levant), but is neither renounced any desire to reach accom- Imperialism. You can reach him Islamic nor a state. Assad refused to modation with the ISIL groupings. He athttp://ericwalberg.com| Politics Page 12 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY

hear bad news on financial as well as capital market for a while. Negative How to read world when UK mental consequences of the UK with- drawal from the European Community affects investments and degrades dare departing from EU of traders to establish a kind of constant and regular business. Money value in the Europe will drop considerably and many of bilateral commercial arrange- ments between the UK and other EU members will be captured by uncer- tainties and instabilities. Such a trend will make the US wealthier and bulk of capitals will flow to the United States. Of course, the UK is not an exception. It will suffer, too, painful economic constraints for years. In the view of legal issues, while the UK is intended to keep separated from global powers, it might be inevi- table for the UK to go up to the US feet gradually. It seems logical to the UK authorities to maintain their influence on international initiatives. Universal groupings to decide on international matters, particularly in the forum of By: Amir Saed Vakil ciency. The responsive interdependency the United Nations will be changed plays as guardian of objective elements dramatically. The EU is undivided now The community of European countries of the Community, while the prevalent and to reach agreement between per- provides the most prominent instance values and relative mechanisms, them- manent members of the UN Security of actual harmony among individual selves, create necessary adequacy of Council seems more difficult. Even sovereignty and collective solidarity the European interdependency. Un- Iran, after sanction relief era, should shoulder to shoulder. doubtedly, many issues dictate some be more conservative about the way values and impacts to members of the which tries to foster its financial as The distinguishing line for the Euro- European Community and such the de- well as commercial relations with the pean Community begins from the point velopments can be analyzed politically, UK which is no longer follows the EU that the very fundamental values spring economically, and legally. policies. concrete norms and rules which ensure From political point of view, it To sum up, I would like to read the the community’s progressive integri- seems that the European Community world at least up to 2020 under these ty. To continue the transcendence, the will be changed to a more correlated lines: the European value of responsive European glory of unity allows contin- entity, albeit less powerful. I mean, on interdependency brings a more con- uous eminence of the standardized as the one hand, the EU will be confront- solidated EU which is more weakened well as systematized values, based on ed with some scattered movements economically, but is stronger in adher- participation of the public. To illustrate, to withdraw from the Community by ence of European identity. The EU- ar the recent survival story of Greek in the other members. Consequently, main chitecture will be reconstructed by less Community and the issue of sharing asy- country-leaders of ideology of Euro- powerful European countries which are lum-seekers in the Europe introduce us pean unity such as France and Ger- placed at the same level adequately. “responsive interdependency” as a sort many will be significantly faced with The United States will play more effec- of typically European basic value. more challenging campaigns which tive roles at the stage of political as well The value of responsive interde- may approach to get rid of the EU. as economic and financial matters. The pendency, apart from its dominant On the other hand, smaller countries US needs more endeavors to obtain Eu- economic aspect, is originated by the like Scotland and Northern Ireland will ropean accompanying for most of its in- regional cooperation and aimed at take some distance from their tradi- ternational ambitions. fairly distribution of common goods, tional parent-country to remain more which explain why the members prefer loyal to the EU. Nonetheless, the EU Dr. Amir Saed Vakil is a professor of interdependence rather than independ- states will be more committed to keep international law and lawyer who has ence generally; i.e., why the communal united which can be construed as a re- written and translated dozens of papers self-determination is more benefited sistance to survive European identity. and books on international law, human in comparison with personal self-suffi- In the economic scale, the EU will rights and constitutional rights| Politics Page 13 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY American analyst Dr. Steinbock: Brexit vote adds to global uncertainty, volatility and risk

Interview by Lachin Rezaian the UK government to trigger the Ar- ticle 50 of the EU Treaty, which would A recognized expert on international start a formal withdrawal process. In business told Mehr News that the UK turn, UK Prime Minister David Cameron referendum will foster substantial has indicated that a new PM must over- economic uncertainty, market see the Article 50 process. So what’s volatility and political risk, which could likely to follow next are tough discus- lead London and Brussels back to the sions in the next EU Summit on June negotiating deal. 28. It will parallel with a UK parliament debate which must rule on the new pe- Whatever the Brexit outcome is, tition that considers the referendum the UK referendum will increase global outcome non-binding. As Slovakia takes economic uncertainty, market volatility charge of the EU presidency on July 1, ibility than within the EU, or with the and economic risk, said Dr Steinbock. it must deal with the Brexit talks. How- US as a critical EU ally. But it would also He stressed while no final Brexit out- ever, the defining moment belongs to have less global muscle. come will happen overnight, all scenar- the UK Conservative Party conference ios will prove costly. in early October when a new prime uWhat are the impacts of Britain’s Following is the full text of Dr. Stein- minister should trigger the Article 50 vote to leave the EU on other European bock’s interview to Mehr News Agency: process. countries as well as the US? In the medium-term, much depends uHow do you think of the idea uHow do you predict the on how London would rebuild its global “Britain outside the European consequences of Britain’s exit from engagement. It could retain its mem- Union”? What are the positive and the European Union in its domestic bership of the European Economic Area negative connotations? What are the and foreign policies? (EEA), like Norway. Or it could opt for a immediate results till now? The UK referendum demonstrated negotiated bilateral agreement, such as In the past weeks, I have been on a that most Britons (52%) are currently that between the EU and Switzerland, multi-country tour in Europe, includ- for a Brexit. However, most members of Turkey and Canada. Or it could choose ing the UK. The referendum outcome the parliament favor pro-EU views (al- World Trade Organization (WTO) mem- was hardly a surprise. It reflects UK’s most 70%). In the UK, the sovereign is bership without specific agreement economic malaise following the global the Parliament, not the government. So with the EU, like Russia or Brazil. crisis, the European debt crisis, and the the question is, will the UK follow the In light of the likely spillover chan- Britons’ ambivalence about the EU, the views of its citizens or its MPs. nels (trade, investment and financial euro and integration. As I predicted prior to the referen- linkages), Ireland, Luxembourg, the In the short-term, most econom- dum, the UK referendum will foster Netherlands – Europe’s traditionally ic implications of the Brexit would substantial economic uncertainty, mar- open, free-trade economies – would be mainly negative. In April, the UK ket volatility and political risk, which be most exposed to the UK spillovers. Treasury estimated that an exit could could lead London and Brussels back In contrast, Russia and Eastern Europe, cause an almost 10% loss of GDP, sub- to the negotiating deal; to a still anoth- along with France would be least affect- stantial plunge of household wealth, er referendum; a different deal; or an ed by adverse spillovers. falling exports, rising prices and possi- eventual Brexit. Despite the referen- Economically, the US would be ble recession. Other reports have re- dum outcome, all these options are still significantly more vulnerable to fi- peated similar points. However, most viable. If, on the other hand, the Brexit nancial-market volatility than a trade Brexiteers, despite their ambivalence would not undermine the EU, further breakdown. From the US perspective, about quality jobs and economic stag- integration would occur in a more rig- an adverse scenario could mean credit nation, were motivated by concerns id and protectionist bloc dominated tightening, impaired trade finance, and about immigration and security – that by the policies of the largest European reduced lending by European banks. is, political and social issues, not just economies, particularly Germany and Politically, the transatlantic relationship economic concerns. to a lesser degree France. would take a hit because Washington Unlike Germany, Brussels has urged In the case of an eventual Brexit, the would lose its most important ally with- London to exit soon, but that requires UK would have more geopolitical flex- in the EU. » Politics Page 14 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY uIs there also possibilities that other If a Brexit will happen eventually, the which London’s City would like to avoid. EU members would seek to leave the UK is likely to reassess many of its ex- Certainly, a Brexit would also require European Union, following Britain’s isting trade, investment, financial and most multinationals that operate in the move? geopolitical ties, even if the substance UK to reassess their location benefits, In the short term, much depends on of its foreign relations is likely to pre- as well as EU’s likely geopolitical evolu- whether Brussels can contain the eco- vail. In the near-term, a Brexit would tion in the medium-term. nomic uncertainty, market volatility and have a significant impact on many of political risk. In the UK, the referendum UK’s economic partners. In light of the uWhat about the policy of other has energized the pro-EU Scotland, likely spillover channels, Ireland, Lux- countries regarding London? Will they which might try to stop the Brexit and, embourg, the Netherlands – that is, also switch theirs, being concerned if that fails, could seek ‘Scotexit’ – that Europe’s open, free-trade economies – over an imminent unstable situation, is, divorce from England. would be most exposed to the UK spill- like China which rely on Britain’s In Western Europe, the Brexit out- overs. In contrast, Russia and Eastern market to access the EU? come is likely to support Euro-skeptics Europe, along with France, would be Unlike the US, China is significantly in countries that have an unfavora- least affected by adverse spillovers. less exposed to the Brexit. London has ble view of the EU, including Greece, Internationally, the UK’s greatest a historical “special relationship” with where living standards have plunged; trade, investment and financial part- Washington, which is broad and deep France, where President Hollande’s ners would be most exposed to ad- in terms of economics, politics and se- pro-EU socialist government is under verse spillovers, particularly its former curity; China doesn’t. China’s new trad- fire from both left and right and the Na- colonies, Hong Kong and Singapore, ing Silk Road initiatives enter Europe tional Front’s Marine Le Pen is the likely South Africa, as well as the US, Cana- through Southern and Eastern Europe, President in 2017; and Spain where the da and Australia. In turn, the US would not the UK. And as Beijing has only be- leftist Podemos and anti-system move- be significantly more vulnerable to fi- gun critical financial reforms, it is not ment have grown into a major political nancial-market volatility than a trade vulnerable to British portfolio flows or force before the impending elections. breakdown. bank claims in the way that the US. is. In turn, China’s largest trade partners are the US, Japan and South Korea, not the UK. Nevertheless, China is indirectly ex- posed. In relative terms, Hong Kong – China’s Special Administrative Region – may be the most exposed country in the world to the Brexit. It is true that, in the past few years, relations between the U.K. and China have steadily warmed, from Chinese investment in British power and high- speed rail to London’s role in Chinese financial markets and regulation. In spring 2015, the China-led Asian Infra- structure Investment Bank (AIIB) was Moreover, several EU economies - In the Middle East and North Africa, dramatically boosted by the UK’s- par including Italy, France, Sweden and Bel- the most exposed economies would be ticipation. In turn, President Xi’s state gium, Netherlands - have already ex- Qatar and Turkey. A medium impact visit to the UK in October 2015 herald- pressed willingness to hold a UK-style would also be felt in the Gulf (UAE, ed deals worth over $60 billion. EU referendum. If anti-EU forces will Bahrain, Kuwait) and the Middle East However, in the final analysis, the win in these countries in the coming (Israel, Lebanon, Egypt). The UK expo- UK’s eventual Brexit would be a great months, future history will see the UK sure of Saudi Arabia is relatively lower. economic and political loss to Washing- referendum of June 24 as the beginning Conversely, if a Brexit will eventually ton, but only a temporary and partial of the end for the EU. take place, some non-European econo- setback to China. mies could become beneficiaries if the uDo you think London will change UK must seek new trade arrangements Dr Steinbock is the founder of the policies regarding its relations with outside Europe. Difference Group and has served as the other countries, especially in terms of In the case of a Brexit, most EU-re- research director at the India, China, trade and economic ties? Is it possible lated financial institutions would leave and America Institute (USA) and a for companies in Britain considering the UK. On the other hand, a continued visiting fellow at the Shanghai Institutes relocation due to the uncertain market EU membership would force the UK to for International Studies (China) and conditions caused by Brexit? conform to EU’s financial sector rules, the EU Center (Singapore)| Politics Page 15 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY ‘US exerts heavy influence over UN’ InterviewHR expert by Marjohn Joe Stork: Sheikhi

Joe Stork, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa division, told Mehr News that the US has a very long record in influencing the UN decisions by having cut off funding to particular UN agencies and threatened others.

The UN report, released on June 3 and covering the period from January to December 2015, documents the begin- ning of air strikes by the US-backed, Sau- di-led coalition in Yemen on 26 March 2015. According to the report, intensive aerial bombardment took a devastating fice did not remove the Saudi coalition Can anyone believe that these funds toll on the civilian population and ‘grave from the ‘list of shame’,” he said, adding and contributions have not affected oth- violations against children increased “There is every reason to think it was a er UN decisions in regard to Iran’s nucle- dramatically as a result of the escalating serious threat – consider Saudi decision ar program or the Palestinian issue? conflict.’ The report lists the Saudi Ara- to cut off all assistance to Lebanon after “The US has a very poor record when bia-led coalition for killing and maiming that country refused to join Saudi in cut- it comes to this sort of thing, having cut and attacks on schools and hospitals, ting diplomatic relations with Iran a few off funding to particular UN agencies maintaining that 60 per cent of child months ago.” and threatened others,” Stork said. “And casualties (death of 510 children and The UN Secretary General said re- the US campaigned heavily (and suc- 667 more injuries) were attributed to moving Saudi Arabia from the blacklist cessfully) one year earlier to keep Israel Saudi Arabia. was ‘one of the most painful and difficult off that very same list.” The report, obviously, ruffled the decisions’ he had had to make, citing the One year has passed since the Sau- feathers on Saudi Arabia’s sensitivities prospect of countries defunding UN pro- di regime launched airstrikes in Yem- of its rights record at home and abroad, grams for the reason he had caved in to en, and more than 9,400 people have and prompted the Arab state to pressure pressure from the Riyadh regime, who been killed and at least 16,000 others the UN into removing the Saudi Ara- is actually chairing a UN human rights injured since the onset of the aggres- bia-led military coalition from the UN’s panel. In Stork’s opinion, what Ban did sion. The war is still continuing and ap- blacklist on children’s rights violations. – “publicly calling out the Saudis and parently, the UN has failed to take deci- The pressure and threat to de-funding making totally clear that he felt forced sive measures to bring Saudi Arabia to several UN programs by Saudi Arabia to make that decision – this was a strong halt its aggression in Yemen. When the caused the UN Secretary General Ban statement and a good decision.” most representative inter-governmental Ki-moon to cave in – in what Amnesty “Remember it was not just Saudi Ara- organization of the world in charge of International called an ‘unprecedent- bia but its other GCC friends who made maintaining international peace and se- ed’ and ‘unconscionable’ move – and the threat to cut off funding. So of course curity finds itself in despair for perform- announce that he was ‘temporarily’ re- the threat was serious,” he stressed. ing its duties, what else could be done moving Saudi Arabia from the blacklist. While this was the first time the UN to stop the ongoing senseless war and However, Saudi diplomats to the UN has ever removed a country from such suffering in Yemen? were quick to describe the change as a list, the international organization had Stork said while the UN Office of the an ‘irreversible’ moral victory, Amnesty backed off from including Israel in last High Commissioner for Human Rights reported. year’s report as a regime responsible for has done a good job of documenting When asked whether he finds the UN the death of hundreds of children and Saudi (and other) violations in Yemen, chief’s stance on this issue credible, Joe injury of thousands in the 2014 armed “decisive measures” are the purview of Stork, deputy director of Human Rights conflict in Gaza. It makes one wonder, the Security Council, where the perma- Watch’s Middle East and North Africa when Saudi Arabia with an assessment nent members often stand in the way of division, said Ban Ki-moon has made a of 1.1% share of UN funding in current serious measures – like how the US has strong statement in this regard; “one year and an average of about 0.8% share protected Israel. can argue whether Ban responded in in the last decade can so easily have its “And the Security Council permanent the best way to the ultimatum by Saudi name cleared off from a blacklist, where members have a terrible record when Arabia and other states to cease fund- does that leave a country like the United it comes to supporting the Secretary- ing UN humanitarian programs if his of- States with 22% share of the funding. General – just look at the dispute with » Politics Page 16 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY

believed that “the decision to remove of numerous books and widely published Saudi Arabia from the blacklist, particular- articles on the Middle East, he has ly as it was the leading contributor to the lectured widely at universities and public maiming and killing of children in Yemen forums around the world. Stork served as a during 2015, will have a lasting effect in Peace Corps volunteer in Turkey and holds terms of the UN’s credibility in reporting an M.A. in International Affairs/Middle on human rights in Yemen.” East Studies from Columbia University. Wille, who is responsible for re- searching abuses and conducting local Belkis Wille is the Yemen and Kuwait and international advocacy on human researcher with Human Rights Watch. rights issues affecting Yemen, further In 2009, she documented alleged war added that “it will be very hard for the crimes and crimes against humanity UN to restore any kind of trust and ob- with the Al Mezan Center for Human jectivity into its reporting after this.” Rights in Gaza. Wille received her Morocco a few months ago over Ban bachelor’s degree from Harvard using word “occupation” to characterize Joe Stork, deputy director of Human University, her graduate diploma in law status of Western Sahara,” he added. Rights Watch’s Middle East and North from City University London, and her Belkis Wille, the Yemen and Kuwait re- Africa division, is a general expert on LLM in human rights and humanitarian searcher with Human Rights Watch, also human rights issues in the region. Author law from the University of Essex| German MP: Germany not to take Bush-style wrong reaction Interview by Hamid Reza Gholamzadeh uWith this incident and train attack - for which ISIL claimed responsibility - According to a German MP Munich what consequences are imaginable for shooting will not have considerable German society? Are we going to see a impact on the country as an open society. police state? Emergency situation? Or anything else? prevent further incidents and improve In an interview with Mehr News ISIL wants us to overreact. They want situation? Agency, German-Iranian MP Omid us to shut our open societies and to The way the Munich police handled Nouripour has shared his views with the shrink our civil rights. Then it’s easier the situation yesterday, far from spread- news agency on Friday shooting spree in for them to argue that western socie- ing fear, is the right thing to do. Also our Munich which claimed 9 lives before the ties in general are opposing Islam. This government should take every measure attacker killed himself. is why our reaction is so decisive. 9/11 necessary to protect the people without Here is his answers: was not such a success for Al-Qaida than creating the illusion that there’s 100% the Bush’s wrong reactions were. So safety possible. Open societies are vul- uThere has been no evidence so far we have to react smartly, carefully and nerable. that the attacker was a lone wolf; thoughtfully. can you comment on possible reasons uConsidering good points you behind the attack? uGermany was a pioneer in addressing mentioned about necessity of smart I wouldn’t rule out any possible migrant crisis. It might be too early to reaction and hospitality toward background for the moment. Jihadi-ter- judge, but does the public opinion still refugees, (and some rare misbehavior rorism, right-winged-terrorism, men- support this humanitarian view? in social networks), what German tal illness: everything is imaginable. There are more than 8 million people people can do? But there are some facts indicating he in this country being engaged in chari- It’s not a fight against Islam, it’s a wasn’t an ISIL (DAESH) member. ty-work for refugees. Frequently and fight of democratic citizens of any faith That is he shot himself at the end volunteering. They are not shouting at against extremism. We need the solidar- without taking innocents with him. This social media all the time. We shouldn’t ity of democrats. is not DAESH-style. Other example: on a think the loud haters on Twitter are the video you can hear him talking about his majority in Germany. Omid Nouripour is an Iranian-German “treatment” and being bullied now for politician, a member of Alliance ‘90/The seven years. This is not the DAESH-nar- uWhat measures can or should be Greens and a member of the German rative of heroism. taken by govt. and security bodies to parliament| Politics Page 17 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Anti-Zionist rabbi: World ‘failed to accurately address’ Palestinian issue ing through this law, it breaks through the barriers, people now distribute and share what you say, and that has opened the eyes of the people, that the propa- ganda that Muslims hate Jews and so should suffer because they are stubborn people is false. I think that helps a lot in creating sympathy we have. The Zionists themselves are troubled about this, and just recently in Califor- nia, the Zionists have put out the publi- cation of Hasbara (meaning ‘plain expla- nation’). They have faced big problems in universities, because the young peo- ple start to be more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. So, statistically, they said check this out. Instead of debating who is right, right away they start ask- Interview by Payman Yazdani, Mohammad in western countries. What is your ing: do you support Hamas, do you sup- Ghaderi; edited by MNA English desk analysis of this? port Hezbollah, thus the minds of the Our Rabbis always said Zionism is real- people start shifting from supporting Rabbi Weiss believes Zionism is ly the work of the Satan. It does not make Palestinians. In University of California systematic desecration of the true sense when the United Nations founded in Irvine three weeks ago, a Zionist rabbi laws of the Judaism; it has been a Jewish state when they just created to raised the question in the Q&A (and it advertising violence, discrimination, make democracy in the world. The ma- was the first question) and asked me ‘do and occupationism. jority of people living in Palestine are you support Hamas?’ I questioned him Muslims. How they make such a state, back ‘you are concerned with Jewish Jewish religious scholar Rabbi Yis- everything defies logic, they were given bloodshed, aren’t you?’ ‘Where were roel Dovid Weiss, a spokesman for ‘Jews the control of the Jewish community you before?’ ‘Are you concerned with against Zionism’ sat earlier in May with that did not want them, their 68 years the scope of bloodshed?’ ‘How many Mehr News International Service in of imprisoning of the Palestinians, so we Jews destroyed their souls because they an interview about the Zionism and its believe this is the work of the Satan, and are not religious, because of what Zi- multiple dimensions, the corrupt nature therefore, USSR disappeared overnight, onism assumed, because they tried to of the Israeli regime which Rabbi Weiss we believe rebellion against God will not transform Jews? Were you concerned believed violated the fundamental rules be successful. We, as the Jewish people about Jewish people? We don’t con- of the Judaism. believe that state will end and it has done violence, we are not talking about Rabbi Weiss emphasized that the to end, we pray to God to end it with- that. They are trying to trick people so world had systematically failed to ad- out any bloodshed and any suffering. that they stifle the voice of opposition dress the issue of Palestine in an envi- We can draw upon a little logic that for and discredit anybody who opposes ronment devoid of mutual vituperation many years, the mainstream media was them. This is the common approach and accusations of supporting violence in the hand of the Zionists. They were that they try to disqualify us. The fanat- to anti-Zionist Jews who cared what had able to show the world it [Palestine] is ics ridicule, dismiss and estrange Jews. been happening in Palestinian lands. a land without people and that Muslims We have large communities and when it The mainstream media, Rabbi Weiss hated the world. They were able to tell comes to basic law, they have to come believed, had succeeded in having the the western world that were ignorant of to us. They have no choice. When cer- world believe that Palestinians were the Muslim community, ignorant of the tain religious issues happen they have to hostile to Jews and that this has been a Middle East, and whatever the Zionists come to Jewish communities to resolve land without people and saved for the said was accepted. But now we have the them. But they discredit anybody who Jews. Internet, the alternative media, differ- stands in opposition. We are children of u We have seen anti-Zionist sentiments ent agencies and ways that are wreck- the holocaust, we lived it. But we’re not » Politics Page 18 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY

going to use the holocaust to oppress lands until today and the personal anec- to re-evaluate the problem would not the people. That’s the Zionist ploy to dotes of how we lived together in peace, solve the problem. The solution seems use the holocaust again in such a way as then the world will start to identify that to be quite simple; when South Africa their modus operandi. They use the guilt something has gone wrong, that what kept saying ‘it’s impossible, it’s impos- of the holocaust to trick the world to the Zionists are saying about the root of sible’ and then they stopped the apart- help and support them to have a state. the conflict is not the truth. The world heid even though they were afraid the The majority of my family were killed in needs to step back and ask, what is the blacks would kill the whites and all the Auschwitz, and we, the entire anti-Zi- problem? But it keeps on buying that things and they had such a high pres- onist community, understood that the this is a religious conflict and something sure not from the politicians and not punishment of the Nazis would be by should be done to remedy. You are in a the United Nations (UN). The UN rec- the hands of God, but to take the Jews’ quagmire, what to do about Palestine? ognized South Africa as an official na- blood that was spilled to rebel against Two religious groups who are fighting, tion-state and who stood up against God and make a state, that’s a second could not live together, so you should them was Nelson Mandela [which was holocaust. think of a second solution. Nobody likes labeled as], the terrorist. But even- to give a man a strong medication like tually the grassroots, the people did uWhat do you think the duty of chemotherapy, but you find no choice everything including the boycott to put Muslims and other anti-Zionist groups and do whatever that you can. Look at pressure on politicians to stop the re- against the anti-human atrocities of the the Jerusalem, we see large Jew com- gime. The world keeps saying you can’t Israeli regime should be? munities going to New York where the keep on supporting Zionism, it’s not I can humbly say that we are stating largest anti-Zionist communities are just right. In Gaza, they keep on saying mere facts and are not prophets and living; so, why can’t we live together? I that we have elections and Hamas won would not definitively tell people what would like to meet Iran’s Leader in order the elections and got the control. Then, to do. If you want to prescribe medica- to tell him that the world should see and everybody started saying they are go- tion for a certain type of sickness, you we should talk. I went to Gaza and we ing to knock bombs but in fact they have to diagnose it first. And so, we have met Ismail Haniyeh. He embraced us, are not going to admit the legitimacy to first diagnose what the issue is before but they would not write nothing about of the state. Imagine Germany would trying to solve it. The issue in my opinion this back in the US. We held a press con- have won World War II and they would is that the world wants to portray this ference with some Muslim groups and have taken over the French under- as a Jewish-Muslim conflict, a religious we said nothing against Jews. Therefore, ground or the French resistance. Then conflict, which serves as a major basis it is not a religious conflict. That is the the French resistance would have said for the Zionist regime and leads to Ar- issue which needs to be clarified to the enough, enough, we can’t take it any- abs’ contempt of the Jews. Unfortunate- world that the Muslim groups should more and German’s would say OK we’ll ly, the world is delinquent in being out- keep on saying that we don’t have a re- stop. We’ll stop because we are not get- spoken and clarifying that the conflict is ligious conflict. ting anywhere but it’s not enough; you misdiagnosed. In other words, the Arab Zionism is a flawed political move- will have to make a public speech and world should have stood up and written ment that is really illegal and is a recent say we recognize Germans and Nazis as the historic truth of how Jews flourished creation and that’s where the problem the proper rulers of the land. So they » in Egypt and even Iran and all the Arab started. Hammering to solve the issue, are demanding Gaza that the people in Politics Page 19 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY

Gaza will have to say Israel is legitimate. is very careful to call them Zionist, but they don’t step back and say how dare Not only stop bombing, not only stop that the world should be basically saying you? They advertise into the world that the resistance, but also they claim that we’ve had a wrong story here, it’s not come and visit the whole city, the ba- Israel is legitimate. Where is humanity about religion and we have lived togeth- sis of all religions, come visit, and then in that? Why is that right? And that’s er in peace and working on that system; they go and make a remark which is why they are able to continue occupa- again I would say reluctantly, because against every religion in the center of tion of Gaza because the world keeps there is a great rabbi, Rabbi Moshe Dov Judaism; you see it’s full of hypocrisy , on saying they deserve what’s coming Beck , now in his eighties, he is a great falsehood. to them because they are so stubborn man, he always says “you may say that In question of ISIL for instance, they because they don’t want to go along I’m wrong in my logic, and you say that’s don’t have the morals that dictate us with the world democracy or peace. the case the whole logic when we talk what to do. We know we have to follow Nobody steps back and says “why about Zionism maybe wrong; he says we the Torah, you can’t kill and are not al- should they recognize the occupation should talk about the solution, because lowed to steal, everything is taught to of them?” This is all because the Zion- the fact of the problem is that definitely us. They have made the Rabbinate sys- ists are leading the conversation and the problem is Zionism not the religion; tem, they have their law system which are telling everybody how they have we do hope humbly that I would feel is not Jewish at all, that is a secular sys- to think. This is against the logic and that if we go this form about being care- tem that is considered blasphemy by against humane way of thinking. But ful to differentiate between Judaism and Jews. You have to go to Torah. If you’re it’s not being put in that perspective. Zionism and you know then you would living in Iran you have to follow the law We do not condone violence, we have be able to approach the problem and of the country. If a Jew and a non-Jew a different history, and we do not have the issue but the way it is working today has a dispute, you go to law system but arms. Instead of talking about violence, you can’t. if two Jews have problem they have to go to Jewish court because it’s called blasphemy. And then make a Jew- ish state and they made a law system that’s blasphemy in enough itself to make the whole law system and that’s not good enough they made a rabbin- ate and a chief rabbi, why? They made that for window dressing. They made a new language, we have a language called ‘old Hebrew’ that is a Bible and they made a new language called ‘mod- ern Hebrew,’ why did they make it? Be- cause they need to test the religion. So it’s all facade and false. They don’t care that the Jews die and we have a lot of stories they really don’t care, they are happy, there is a bomb in France be- cause then Netanyahu comes marching in France and says ok everybody come to the Palestine, come up to Israel, because we are safe, even the Jews in France who are not so religious and we should speak about the roots of the uAnd what’s the reason that the Israe- maybe Zionists said you go home. They mentality that if we should knock Ha- li regime or Zionist regime is supporting have a win-win situation, they agitate, mas, we stifle them, they are going to some terrorist groups like ISIL in Syria create hate of Jews, anti-Semitism, and be quiet, would they? You cannot op- and the region? then they are happy that Jews have press people, it would never go forever, It’s all one narrative, one story. one way to come to us, where Jews and they would not vow allegiance to We have God who dictates how mor- got killed it’s ok. All the Jews have to the Jewish state. But how that could be als [should be]. The fact that these leave almost every Arab land, because expected! It’s wrong! And it’s the world phonies, these heretics- purely here- we distrust everything, they are happy, that just keeps on dancing to that tune. tics- they eat pig, they don’t keep the because they created this. They would You asked about Muslims and what Sabbath, openly desecrates the Sab- prefer to sacrifice the whole Zionism in they should do. I think they really should bath, they have the gay rights parade, order to have the control over the land, concentrate on defining what the issue in the center of a religious community they don’t care whether it’s Jew or is that they have to come up with; the is- and they say [religious Jews], how you Arab, they beat, and they assassinate. sue is not the Jews; the Jews are typical dare to demonstrate against that? You Any group who would help them, they to Zionists; here in Iran the leadership know you have to accept other people, would welcome| Page 20 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Economy

Page 21 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY

Sanctions expert: Bank Mellat to be reimbursed for reputational damage, loss of earnings Interview by Mohammad Hosein Azari tioned by HM Treasury and after the The case of Bank Mellat is a long UK Supreme Court dismissed HM running case, which began seven years Treasury’s appeal, the Bank is pursu- ago in 2009 when the UK government Sarosh Zaiwalla, Senior Partner of ing a damages claim against the HM issued notification prohibiting dealing Zaiwalla & Co., has announced that Treasury to the tune of US $4bn in the with Bank Mellat. This decision of the Iran’s Bank Mellat will receive what UK Courts. government was challenged by Bank is fairly owed to it to compensate On 10th May, the HM Treasury had Mellat in the London Court. In June for the many years of reputational applied to the Commercial Court to 2013, my firm had a breakthrough in damage and loss of earnings it has determine three preliminary issues re- the case when a Judgment by the Su- suffered. lating to heads of losses under which preme Court of the United Kingdom Bank Mellat can claim its losses falling held that the sanctions imposed by Bank Mellat, Iran’s largest private- under those heads as damages. the UK government on Bank Mellat, in ly-owned bank, has been fighting a le- It was the first ruling in favor of an 2009, were both irrational and unlaw- gal battle since 2009 against sanctions Iranian company since international ful. The UK Supreme Court then asked that it said were wrongfully placed on sanctions were lifted on the Islamic the London High Court to assess Bank it by the European Union and the UK Republic last month as part of a nucle- Mellat’s losses, which the bank can Treasury over alleged links to Tehran’s ar deal with world powers. claim as damages for its unlawful list- nuclear program. Mr. Zaiwalla has described the judg- ing by the UK government. The bank Led by Sarosh Zaiwalla, a lawyer ment as the first big legal success for has now commenced a claim in the for the Iranian bank at Zaiwalla & Co. an Iranian corporation challenging London High Court claiming USD 4 bil- Solicitors, the bank challenged the Eu- the sanctions regime and predicted it lion damages against the UK govern- ropean Council’s assertion that it en- could open the door to others. ment. The trial of this claim will take gaged in conduct that supported Iran’s In an interview to Mehr News, place shortly. nuclear program and ballistic missile sanctions expert Sarosh Zaiwalla, an- The subsequent positive court programs. It initially won a case before swered the following questions on the judgment of the Supreme Court, fol- the EU’s General Court, which ruled issue: lows a victory in the European Court in January 2013 that there wasn’t in January 2013, where the Europe- enough evidence to support the Euro- uWhy did the Bank Mellat sanction an Court of Justice said there was no pean asset freeze on the bank. pop up? Why was it an abrogation of evidence connecting Iran’s largest Bank Mellat was unlawfully sanc- the international law? private bank to the government’s » Economy Page 22 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY nuclear programme. legal victory? cal decisions. How would you evalu- The Bank Mellat case clearly shows ate the stance and decision taken by uWhat is the stature of our Bank the world that even in the world of the Supreme Court? Mellat foreign trade and what impact sanctions, the rule of law still applies The United Nations Treaty on In- did the sanction have on its revenues? in the Western world, particularly in ternational Human Rights, which Bank Mellat has claimed in the the English Court. The UK Supreme every member of the United Nations English Court that it has suffered sub- Court judges showed great independ- has signed, no country is allowed to stantial damages because of the UK ence and courage to hold the UK gov- interfere with the property rights of government’s actions. It is the bank’s ernment’s conduct as both unlawful any individual without due process. position that it has suffered substan- and irrational. This makes it essential that actions tial losses as a result of the govern- Regardless of international politics, taken by the government, like impos- ment’s listing of Bank Mellat. Europe says there must be a reason to ing sanctions for political reasons, are curtail the rights of an entity or indi- based on good reliable evidence and uWhen and how do you expect the vidual. The EU court held that the EU not on the whims and fancy of any US$4 billion damages to be cleared Council was wrong in its designation government. by HM Treasury? of the bank as the bank did not fit the The next scheduled hearing to de- EU’s criteria for sanctions. The -mes Sarosh Zaiwalla founded Zaiwalla cide on the compensation for Bank sage that this shows to the world out- & Co. Solicitors in April 1982 with Mellat from HM Treasury is scheduled side of Europe is that there is a true offices in Chancery Lane, London. for October 2016. We are quietly opti- independence of the EU Court, which He has been involved in over 1200 mistic that the bank will receive what is willing to fight against its sister in- International Energy, Maritime and is fairly owed to it to compensate for stitutions. Unlike cases we are seeing Construction Arbitrations in London the many years of reputational dam- from the US, we can see that true jus- and worldwide either as a solicitor, age and loss of earnings it has suf- tice can be sought and delivered from Counsel, party-appointed Arbitrator or fered. the European courts. Sole Arbitrator. Recently, he succeeded for Bank Mellat of Iran against the UK uYou have deemed the law case as ‘a u The case was an interesting ex- Government in the UK Supreme Court crucial victory for Bank Mellat’. What ample of the difficult terrain of court challenging legality of Iran nuclear are the significances of this major ‘interference’ with essentially politi- sanctions|

Economy Page 23 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Thailand ambassador: Thailand, Iran economies can be ‘complementary’ concluded in JCPOA, the country is now the largest natural gas reserves in the open to the world again. So, why don’t world. we expect Thailand to engage more We are ready to resume energy co- activities with Iran? Thailand has sent operation with Iran. Such cooperation the high level delegations to visit and can include oil and gas exploration and discuss about how we can promote production as well as trading in oil and closer cooperation in order to widen related products. and deepen the bilateral revelation in The Thai government is also inter- every area as the two countries have ested in investing in Iranian petro- potential to do so. chemical sectors. Currently, there is a As Thailand is the regional hub and joint venture investment of SCG, a Thai Interview by: Maryam Khormaei second largest economy in ASEAN, Iran Company, in the petrochemical indus- can take advantage of Thailand as a try in Asaluyeh, Iran. Thai ambassador believes gateway in expanding its trade to ASE- Both countries need to exchange Thailand and Iran economies are AN. delegations to discuss how we can in- complementary and names the Thailand is also aware of the invest- teract in doing this business for mutual cultural transaction and respect for ment opportunities in Iran, especially benefits. internal affairs of any country as the in the areas of manufacturing, urban ultimate goals of Bangkok. and infrastructure development. uExcept for energy market, in which Recently, several Thai companies as areas do the two countries can Mr. Rasmee Chittham Thai ambassa- well as the embassy participated in the cooperate with each other? dor to Tehran discussed a host of issues Iran Food and Hospitality Fair 2016. We Tourism is another key area of coop- with Mehr News including Thailand – hope to promote food and agricultural eration which will be beneficial to both Iran cooperation in the post nuclear products particularly Halal Thai food countries. Thailand and Iran can work era as well as the role of a democra- products to the Iranian market. together to promote two-way tourism, cy-based diplomacy to enhance closer As Iran is well –endowed with oil especially with the opening of the di- cooperation. and natural gas, Thailand sees great rect flight between Bangkok – Tehran Chittham thinks of the people to potential in developing cooperation by Thai Air Asia Airlines on 22 June. We people contact as a form of soft diplo- with Iran in the energy and its related also look forward to the opening of the macy laying the basis for broader rela- fields such as petrochemicals. direct flight of Thai Airways in October. tions with different states. This will surely enhance greater people uWhat position does Iran hold to people relations between two coun- uIn which areas do the two countries to Thailand with regard to energy tries. of Iran and Thailand tend to develop market? Even in food industry which Thailand cooperation in the post-JCPOA era? As you know we need to import is good at, we don’t want to compete Thailand and Iran are very close oil and gas because we are not an oil with Iran but to cooperate. Logistical- friends. Our historical ties date back producer country by ourselves. That ly, Thailand is a center for AEC (ASEAN more than 400 years. Last year, we is why Thailand relies on importing Economic Community). AS for Iran, celebrated the 60th anniversary of our energy products from the Middle East the country is also located in a very diplomatic relations. Thai government countries. So, Iran is another option for good position. Chabahar port, a free wishes to deepen and broaden cooper- us. We have to share the Market to bal- trade-industrial zone can be a transit ation in all areas with Iran especially in ance. Thailand does not want to only center of goods in transit being sent the field of trade, investment, energy, rely on the resources of one or two to neighboring countries of Iran such culture and tourism. countries. Since we have a very good as Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Recently, the Thai Deputy PM visited relations with Iran, we seek to explore Asian. Our economies can be comple- Iran in early February. Even before his the possibilities to import from Iran. mented with each other. visit to Iran, the Thai FM came here to Thailand recognizes the great poten- We also discussed the possibility for attend 9th JC meeting. Since the Irani- tials of Iran in the energy sector. Iran investment in hotel industry in Iran, an nuclear talks have been successfully has the fourth largest oil reserves and during the visit of Thai DPM, because Economy Page 24 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY your country needs at least twenty new hotels every year. However, at Senior Thai official: present, no Thai companies come to invest in this industry. But I will encourage them. Iran new potential market Furthermore, both countries can promote people to people contacts. A people center policy for Thailand including cultural cooperation and Interview by Parnaz Talebi exchanges are one of my priority. These would enhance closer co- operation between our two coun- Senior official of Thailand Ministry tries. of Industry said Iran is considered as a new potential market for Thailand uCurrently, Iran owns only a 99 particularly in the field of consumer million dollar share of Thailand’s goods. 200 billion dollars market which stands just for less than 0.5 percent In an exclusive interview with Mehr of the amount. So, what might be News correspondent in Thailand, Ms. the new areas of activity of Iranian Anong Paijitprapapon, Deputy Direc- businessmen in Thailand? Will tor General of Department of Industry Bangkok have any special plans to Promotion of Thailand Ministry of In- absorb more Iranian investment? dustry, answered some questions on Thailand welcomes Iranian in- Tehran-Bangkok trade ties and its pros- vestment, particularly in the areas pect after the removal of anti-Iranian which Iran is very progressive i.e. sanctions. science and technology, pharma- uHow do you describe Iran-Thailand’s ceutical and nanotechnology and current economic and industrial ties? for Bangkok to be present in the others. According to latest statistics (May Iranian market? In 2015, trade balance between 2015-April 2016) from Thailand’s Min- Thailand has high potential to pro- Thailand and Iran was around 357 istry of Commerce, Thailand has ex- duce various types of products, espe- million dollars, with Thailand hav- ported about USD 201 million’s worth cially consumer goods. Therefore, the ing a trade surplus of 287 million of products to Iran while the total im- major targets in Iranian market could dollars. port value of Iranian goods was about be any products which are interested The Thai government would like USD 81 million. by Iranian consumers, such as cosmetic. to encourage greater trade balance Thailand’s top 10 exports to Iran in with Iran through the exchanges 2016 include wood and wood prod- uDoes Thailand have any plans to of trade delegations, participation ucts, canned and processed fruits, rub- increase its share in Iran’s market? And in trade fairs and organization of ber products, rubber, beverages, fresh, how would the Ministry of Industry trade roadshows and exhibitions chilled, frozen and dried vegetables, contribute to this? between the two countries. Thai- batteries and battery parts, shoes and Based on the policy, Thai govern- land is also looking into the pos- shoe parts, cars and automotive parts, ment would like to build up a trading sibility of establishing distribution and compressors. relationship with Iran, which is recog- center at the free and special eco- Meanwhile, Thailand’s top 10 im- nized as a new potential market for nomic zones in Iran. ports from Iran in 2016 have been iron, Thailand. Ministry of Industry realizes Furthermore, during the visit steel and products, plants and plant the importance of this direction and of Mr. Somkid Jatusripitak, Depu- products, chemicals, fresh, chilled, fro- thus will play a vital role in promoting ty PM of Thailand, on 1-4 Febru- zen, processed, semi-processed aquatic relevant activities to support the na- ary 2016, a trade agreement was animals, fruits and vegetables, other fu- tional policy. signed aiming to increase to value els, medical and pharmaceutical prod- of trade between two countries to ucts, other textile products, cars and uHow much impact would lifting of 3 billion US dollars by year 2021. automotive parts, and compressors. anti-Iranian sanctions have on this Thailand is also interested to It is still expected that the export issue? promote joint venture investment and import values between two coun- Lifting anti-Iran sanctions would in Iran, particularly in manufac- ties would increase continuously. definitely boost up Thailand-Iran re- turing of goods, food processing, lations, particularly Thai-Iranian trade fishery| uWhat are the main fields of interest value| Page 25 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Culture Culture Page 26 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY

A tribute to Abbas Kiarostami; The wind carried him to the whiteness of the clouds

Written by Marjohn Sheikhi able to look at what’s in front of us, ese issued a statement in the wake of unless it’s in a frame.” And sometimes, Kiarostami’s passing, and described Abbas Kiarostami was a filmmaker we are unable to appreciate the value him as “one of those rare artists with that deepened the world’s of what we have, until it is gone. I will a special knowledge of the world, put understanding of Iran and its people not lie; when the news of his death into words by the great Jean Renoir: at the time western media were hell- hit media outlets on July 4, we were ‘Reality is always magic.’” bent on putting Iran in a black box completely taken by surprise; utterly Thierry Frémaux, the director of and call it a global threat. shocked at the great loss, unable to the Institut Lumière and of the Cannes believe it to be true, because Kiaro- Film Festival, paid tribute to Kiarosta- “The wind will carry stami was indeed a highly influential mi, describing him as “extremely gen- The cherry blossoms filmmaker in the world and the only tle, extremely tolerant, and curious All the way to the whiteness of the Iranian ever to win the Palme D’Or at about others.” clouds.” Cannes, but we were also shocked be- “He was a true artist…not only a - Abbas Kiarostami cause we had not expected it. When filmmaker, but also a great photogra- was the last time we sat down to re- pher, a great poet; one must rush to Former husband to Parvin watch The Taste of Cherry? When was read his books, his texts; a complete Amir-Gholi for 13 years and father to the last time we felt the missing space artist, magnificent,” he added. two sons – Ahmad and Bahman, Ab- in our hearts for long silences and Gilles Jacob, director and pres- bas Kiarostami was also a towering fig- long shots, searching for the meaning ident of the Cannes Film Festival ure in world cinema for his poetic way that eludes us but flashes before us at between 2001 and 2014, in a tweet of looking at ordinary life and bringing every corner of self-discovery? in French following the passing of profoundly humane films to the silver Kiarostami was not a follower of Kiarostami, said “Abbas Kiarostami screen. He was an artistic polymath, ‘let’s-overwhelm-audience-with-too- is no more, except in the hearts of perhaps unbeknownst to many cine- much-information’ movement. His those who loved him and his beauti- philes. He was a photographer, paint- films are a reflection of the real life, ful movies.” er and poet, in addition to being an and to him, even in the real life we Kiarostami was invited by the Os- extraordinary director of over 40 films receive less information than what he cars to join the Academy of Motion that had a powerful impact on the Ira- gave us; “I feel that [people] should be Picture Arts and Sciences in 2016, but nian New Wave. grateful for the little bit of information he never made it. “Not being able to feel the pleas- I give them,” and they were. In more Film critic Philip Concannon in an ure of seeing a magnificent landscape ways than one. exclusive correspondence with Mehr with someone else is a form of tor- The news of his passing sent shock- News talked about his personal expe- ture. That is why I started taking pho- waves through the world film indus- rience with Kiarostami’s movies. tographs. I wanted somehow to eter- try. Picture after picture resurfaced on “I first discovered Kiarostami’s work nalize those moments of passion and various social media, all showing him in the late ‘90s, when the Koker Trilogy pain,” Kiarostami said. in his signature sunglasses and serene was shown on television,” he said. “I He had once said, “we’re often not smile. American director Martin Scors- was living in Ireland then and this was » Culture Page 27 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY my first revelation that the world of freshness, and always retains its ca- Iranian life; “Like the breakthrough cinema was so much bigger than what pacity to enchant and surprise.” Japanese films of the 1950s, Kiaro- I had been exposed to.” When asked to select one film as stami’s work opened the door to a “It felt like nothing I had seen his favorite, he chose Homework, a whole culture, with other director before,” he went on to add, “The 1989 documentary film where young subsequently coming through fol- simple but involving and profound- boys of a primary school in Iran talk lowing his success.” ly moving storytelling, the way he about their parents, teachers, punish- However, he went on to highlight played with notions of fiction and ment, reward and homework in an ed- the main reason for Kiarostami’s ap- reality, the way his use of offscreen ucational system fraught with serious peal as his focus on people, their in- space was as important as what we weaknesses. teractions, their contradictions, and see on the screen.” “From such a simple premise, Kia- their mysteries. “It was fascinating to follow his rostami produces a revealing, mov- “He could capture something inef- career and to see how he continued ing and emotionally complex por- fable but true about human nature, to evolve as an artist,” he said rev- trait film about education, family, and he found beauty in the everyday,” erently. “He never stopped trying society,” he explained.” I have seen he said.” Even if his films were specifi- to find new ways of making films, this film just once around 15 years cally about Iran, Kiarostami like all tru- and to test the boundaries of what ago, but it remains vivid in my mem- ly great artists created work that had cinema could be, with formal exper- ory, with the final scenes being in- deeper universal resonances, allowing iments such as Ten, Five: Dedicat- credibly powerful.” them to move viewers and win admir- ed to Ozu and Shirin. His final films He maintained that while Home- ers across the globe.” Certified Copy and Like Someone in work seems to be one of his least- Considered one of the great mas- Love had the fluid, playful, curious seen and discussed films today, it is ters of world cinema, Abbas Kiarosta- quality of an artist completely free one that he would encourage people mi passed away at 76 on July 4, 2016 and in command of his craft.” to seek out. in Paris where he had been undergo- “I’m heartbroken that we will see Concannon talked highly of the in- ing hospital treatment for cancer. He no more Kiarostami films,” he lament- fluence and the role of Kiarostami’s may no longer be among us, but he ed, “but I’m looking forward to revis- films in bringing a great revelation will continue to live within his timeless iting his work, which never loses its to the knowledge of the west about creations of art and cinema| Culture Page 28 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY

speak, content just to be by his bedside, but though speaking was difficult, he wanted to talk, and we drifted into old times. I mentioned Chobi Mela, and with a wry smile he said, ‘These are the times when you reflect on the many things you never got round to in your life. Coming to see you in Dhaka is one of them.” I had taken a copy of our new book on Muslin, the fabled Bengal fabric. He insisted on going through it. I turned the pages one by one, going briefly over the contents, wanting to stop, as I knew it was an effort for him. But he wanted me to go on. This was one way we could con- tinue being together. For once, we didn’t talk politics or photography, or film, but The Empty Doorway small things, personal things. Things that needed to be said. I did stop at one stage, By: Shaidul Alam I was in Tehran for a show at the Tehran had a cherry and an apricot from the large Museum of Contemporary Arts, we met bowls of fruit that always greets a visitor Bangladeshi photographer and writer for the first time in his home in North East to an Iranian home. Then it was time to Shahidul Alam who had recently met Tehran. Since then, we’ve shared books say goodbye. A weak hand held me close with Abbas Kiarostami has written and stories, and every time I’ve been in as I kissed him on the forehead. The eyes a piece in memory of late acclaimed Tehran, assuming he too was there in be- followed as I walked through the door. filmmaker. tween his many film related travels, we Entrance to house of Abbas Kiarosta- would catch up on all that we had done mi. Tehran 21 June 2016. Photo: Shahidul We chose not to be photographed. and laugh at life. Alam/Drik/Majority World His broad smile was somewhat subdued, I had tried to get him across to our As we left the house, I took a photo of though the impishness of his chuckle still festival Chobi Mela several times. He was the empty doorway. On another day, this remained. The big hug didn’t work out. hesitant, saying his English was not up to is where Abbas would have been stand- Even in the generous light through the speed. Language had never been an issue ing and we’d have shared one last hug. large open window, a frail Kiarostami on the many hours we had spent togeth- Dhaka with tubes wasn’t how we wanted him er. Despite his stature as a filmmaker, he 5th July 2016 depicted. He had cancer, and the surgery was quite shy, and while expansive and had gone wrong. My young friend Man- argumentative in our moments together, Shahidul Alam is a Bangladeshi sour Kiaei had accompanied me and had he was self-conscious when it came to photographer and writer who was a only met the great man for the first time. public engagements. friend of Iranian world-famous director He wanted to photograph the two of us. June 2016 had been a crazy month, and photographer Abbas Kiarostami| We declined, saving the moment, for with two trips to the UK, one to when Abbas would be better, and more Tanzania and another to Iran to fit the Abbas, as I had known him. in. But the Iran trip at the end of Abbas Kiarostami Untitled 1978 Ð the month had an added incentive. 2003, from a series of 32 photographs, Besides friends related to the TV 122 x 93 cm. programme and film I was involved It was a delicate and elegant set of in, it was also a chance to meet silhouettes against the snow that first up with other old friends. Neither caught my eye in a gallery in Paris. My Shadi Ghadirian nor Rana Javadi knowledge of film being limited, I hadn’t were in town. Abbas Kiarostami at that time known that the author was a strangely, had not responded. He great filmmaker. Later, when I was com- didn’t answer the phone when I missioned to curate for the book “Blink” rang, and there was no answer to by Phaidon, Abbas Kiarostami was one of the email. But then someone rang my nominated photographers. It didn’t Mansour to ask if I could come work out. The negotiations between the over the next morning. It was only gallery and the publisher, simply took when we met that I realised how too long and we were coming up against ill he was. Visitors were forbidden. a deadline, but while publishers and gal- While he never mentioned it, see- leries quibbled over transactional details, ing me must have taken a special the two of us became friends. Later, when effort. I tried asking him not to Culture Page 29 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Iran’s Natl. Botanical Garden piece of heaven on earth By: Lachin Rezaian

If you are a nature lover and like seeing the world’s whole nature only in three hours, Iran’s Natl. Botanical Garden is a must to see.

‘You can see all nature’s variety here!’ This is what guides of Botanical Garden say to the astonished visitors. Founded in 1968, National Botan- ical Garden of Iran is located by the side of a highway between the capital, Tehran, and the city of Karaj. Although made around 40 years ago, the Garden was open to public in recent years. The place is planned to be the main center for horticulture and plant tax- onomy in Iran with area of about 150 the scope of their distribution through natural resources. hectares. various scientific methods. Accordingly, Iran’s powerful re- The Garden is home to 3000 spe- Research on methods of breeding search system has brought together cies of plants, shrubs and trees. of worthy species for protection is a collection of about 300 researchers Throughout a full visit around the another issue to be addressed in the in various fields related to natural re- wonderful garden you can see differ- Garden. sources and environmental sciences ent species of plant.Gaillardia gran- On a weekend in April, I visited this in this unrivaled complex and national diflora, Lonicera japonica, Gleditsch- park and truly it was the best time for treasure of Iran’s National Garden, try- ia caspica, Fraxinus excelsior, Atriplex visiting the big well maintained garden ing to take care of the live and unique canescens, Taxus baccata, Sorbus with charming atmosphere as well as museum of nature and at the same terminal, Frangula alnus, Danae rac- calming environment. time make the students and those in- emose, Quercus castaneifolia subsp In a three-hour tour inside the well- terested in nature and Botany more undulata, Zelkova carpinifolia, Tilia kept beautiful Botanical Garden you familiar with the advantages of Iran’s platypyillus, Ruscus hyrcanus, Tussi- can see many plants and species from plants. lago farfara, Urtica dioisa, Polysti- parts of the world are brought up here In fact, while the annual visit of the chum aculeatum, Cydonia oblonga, in different sections, including Aknorz, UK Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which Albizia julibrissin, Gleditschia caspi- Caspian as well as non-Iranian parts is the world’s second botanical gar- ca, to name a few. like American, Japanese, European, den, is close to 2 million, the number The purpose of establishing the Bo- Himalayan, and Caucasian parts. of people visiting the National Botani- tanical Garden was to produce a col- Still under construction, the gar- cal Garden of Iran in Tehran is only 50 lection of native and non-native plants den contains an arboretum, six lakes, thousand each year. outdoors or in greenhouses. hills to represent the Alborz and Za- Worse, the garden every year fac- The Garden plays an important role gros mountains and Himalayas, rock es with the nightmare of funding to in research field of Botany or plant garden, a waterfall, a wetland, desert pay for treatment and maintenance of sciences, horticulture, public educa- plants areas, a salt lake and a wadi, a thousands of plant species. tion and making people aware of the river about 1 km long, systematic area, All these issues perhaps are rooted importance and diversity of plants and fruit garden, picnic area with some pa- in the way the spectacular complex de- the need for their protection. vilions and other facilities. The botan- serves to be recognized to the people The Botanical Garden is also a re- ical and horticultural library has more and the whole world, the place that is source bank to protect genetically the than 11,000 volumes. the result of efforts and expertise of endangered species from extinction. Thanks to the country’s research a group of the most elite researchers National Botanical Garden of Iran system, the beautiful place is consid- and experts in the field of Botany, en- can help researchers know about the ered without doubt one of the most vironmental design and related scienc- country’s plant species and determine important achievements in the field of es to forestry and desert| Culture Page 30 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY

By: Marjohn Sheikhi

Tehran looks very different now; if you Look up! There is an art are walking the streets of the Iranian capital these days, make sure to turn your eyes upward, or you will miss the gallery above you! chance to see the biggest art gallery in existence.

If you are one of the lucky pedestrians walking the streets of Tehran or driving your car or riding on a public transpor- tation through the highways and vari- ous routes from May 21 to 30, you may want to turn your eyes upward to watch the billboards. No, this is not a well-dis- guised coercive technique in service of consumerism. You may be surprised to find all the commercial billboards across the Iranian capital void of any advertise- ments for food, clothing articles or kitch- en appliances. Instead, you will be pre- sented with a large-scale, breathtaking view of famous artworks by Iranian and international artists, from the post-im- pressionism of Van Ghog to the abstract expressionism of Jackson Polack to the pop art of Andy Warhol. The artists have population, such as Van Gogh’s The Star- billboard against the background of a been chosen from across the world from ry Night or Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with highway bridge in Tehran, and accord- the German expressionist Käthe Kollwitz a Pearl Earring. ing to description under the painting, to Danish-French impressionist Camille “When I see a painting on the bill- it currently resides in the Kunsthalle Pissarro to Japanese early nineteenth boards I recognize I become strangely Hamburg in Germany; “This one here is century artist Katsushika Hokusai. proud of myself,” said Saman, 24, a stu- called ‘Wanderer above the Sea of Fog’ But if you were also among the lucky dent of electrical engineering. “My field by the German romantic painter Caspar ones during May 5-21, 2015, then you of study does not allow me much free David Friedrich. He’s one of my favorite would remember the occasion as ‘A time to get acquainted with art and I’ve artists. Seeing this painting right before Gallery as Large as a City’ which expe- always felt a pang of remorse for being my eyes in such a large scale, even if just rienced its first tentative display in Teh- too immersed in mathematics and hav- a copy of it on a billboard, fires up my ran last year to avid enthusiasm from ing no time to spare to visit a gallery. I inspiration.” the residents of the capital as well as like what the Municipality has done with Not all copies are of paintings, how- applauding reviews from some foreign the city, though.” ever. Some of the billboards are dedi- media which called the initiative un- Mina, 31, by contrast, turned out to cated to pictures of objects of cultural precedented and ingenious. be quite well-versed in the vast field of heritage, such as an Iranian carpet with Every nation loves art, and every time art. A photographer and illustrator, Mina the image of a lion belonging to the 19th human beings gathered in one place, spends nearly all her time hunting for century, or an engraved steel plate dat- there always came a moment for some beautiful spots to capture. “I’m an art ing back to the Safavid era. Some paint- kind of appreciation for aesthetics. The major and seeing all of these wonderful ings also depicted some verses from tremendous success of last year’s pro- works of art spread around my home- Ferdowsi’s Shahnama, such as the fa- ject promoted Tehran Municipality un- town fills me with such a warm feeling mous tragedy of Sohrab, where Rostam, der the management of Mohammad of appreciation.” the father, kills his own son unwittingly. Bagher Ghalibaf to have another go at “I was pleasantly surprised to find this The billboards will be hosting the art- it. This time, 800 copies of artworks by painting as part of the displayed works works until May 30, and seeing the pub- artists across the world have been put in Tehran’s gallery project,” she showed lic’s positive views on the project, it is on display on 2000 billboards in Tehran. me a photograph on her cell phone of likely that Tehran Municipality will come Two-third of the works are from Iran and a painting depicting the back of a lone back for a third round of the city gallery by Iranian artists and the rest have been man standing on a cliff facing a misty next time. Or it may come up with an selected from the world’s major artists, valley that resembled a stormy sea. It even more ingenious idea to charm and some of which may be famous enough had a whimsical, mysterious feel about dazzle the art-lovers of the capital. We to be recognized by nearly half of the it. The painting was propelled on a huge should wait and see| Culture Page 31 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY

On occasion of National Journalists’ Day; Journalism, thrill of pursuing truth on perilous path

Written by Marjohn Sheikhi of experience in medical and scientific the six world powers to reach a deal on journalism, perceived her career with pas- the country’s nuclear program. During this ‘Being a journalist is hard work,’ you may sion and love; “journalism for me is not time, world news headlined the process of have heard these words from almost just a word, but a combination of crea- nuclear negotiations and people were fol- everyone in the journalism profession. tivity, honesty, alertness, confidence and lowing up on the news with apprehension Iran celebrates National Journalists’ courage,” she said. “These are the reasons and curiosity. Some would even argue that Day on Aug. 8 to express the nation’s why I am still pursuing this career with the the media also played a part in the conclu- gratitude for all the hardship endured by same enthusiasm I had five years ago.” sion of the nuclear deal; in fact, President journalists. “Each day at my work greets me with Rouhani thanked the active presence of a new kind of adventure,” she said with Iranian youth in the cyberspace who had “I am grateful to journalism for waking excitement. “It is hard work, but you can been in one way or another engaged with me up to the realities of the world.” - Edu- never accuse journalism of being boring.” the negotiations buzz, and deemed the ardo Galeano The pursuit of information can indeed role of media outlets highly effective on Being a journalist is hard work, this come with a rush of pure excitement and the path that ultimately led to signing of is the first thing my boss told me when I adrenaline-pumping experience, as beau- the agreement on July 14, 2015. came for my job interview three years tifully dramatized in ‘Spotlight’. But some- It was a race among Iranian media and ago, as a warning or perhaps as an amica- times it comes at the cost of great perils. press to be the first among their peers to ble advice to give me a chance to rethink According to Reporters without borders, broadcast the news to the world. And it my career choice if I did not see myself fit 80 journalists were killed in 2015, with was one of those few cases where we, at for the job description. Needless to say, I Iraq, France, Syria and Brazil among the Mehr News Agency, found ourselves per- did not heed the warning, because really, deadliest countries. The website puts the sonally involved in and concerned with the how hard could it be? There is an expres- number of killed journalists in 2016 so far course of the news. sion among us Iranians that says ‘this is at 35, with Syria, Mexico and Yemen hav- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid the toughest job in the world, after work- ing the highest number of fatality among Takht-Ravanchi who was among the nu- ing in the mines.’ Some would even go so journalists. The report published by the clear negotiating team called the nuclear far as to say journalism is even tougher Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) negotiations as part of our history and -ex than a mining job. Comparisons aside, no cites 199 jailed journalists worldwide in pressed his content over the fact that the one gets into journalism for the money. 2015, and 452 forced into exile since 2010. same view was present among the jour- The job may hold some flimsy prestigious There are also a number of missing cases, nalists who had been covering the news at appeal to those looking at it on the side- particularly in Syria and Iraq as two coun- the time. lines, but from inside, it is fraught with tries are currently suffering from terrorist No one can deny the power of written so many sleepless nights, anxiety-ridden activities and civil wars. words, and journalists are simply in pos- hours, exhausting commute on foot or by People in Iran commemorate Journal- session of that power. With power comes public transport in terrible climate condi- ists’ Day on August 8 (August 7, this year) responsibility, and those journalists who are tions, and just pure headache. But, this in memory of Mahmoud Saremi, Afghan- committed to excellence and moral prin- cannot be all, right? According to a survey istan bureau chief for the official Iranian ciples in their profession can bring positive conducted in 2014, there were 83,000 full news agency, IRNA, who was killed when changes to the world around them. time professional journalist employees Taliban militia seized the northern city in the United States. Deputy Minister of of Mazar Sharif and captured the Iranian Joseph Pulitzer, an American newspaper Culture and Islamic Guidance, Hossein En- consulate. Our National Journalists’ Day is publisher who is perhaps better known tezami, put the number of active journal- in fact a commemoration of the sacrifices for the Pulitzer Prizes, has left us with ists in Iran in 2016 at approximately 5,000. that journalists and reporters make on this this golden quote which I am leaving The figures are not staggering, of course, es- hazardous path toward truth and aware- here for those of you who are thinking pecially when one compares it to the whole ness. But I do not wish to end my piece Iranian population of 77.45 million in 2013. here, making it sound as if journalism is to become a journalist yourself: “I am Yet, being a journalist must have its appeals, bound to always have a sad ending. I would deeply interested in the progress and if it has attracted thousands of people to like to talk about one of my own experi- elevation of journalism, having spent my choose it as their profession when they ences as a journalist, at the time when all life in that profession, regarding it as a could have easily been working a 9-to-5 the world’s eyes had been focused on Iran: noble profession and one of unequaled office job (it is 8-to-4 in Iran, by the way). the period between June and July 2014, importance for its influence upon the Mitra, a young journalist with five years when Iranian nuclear negotiators sat with minds and morals of the people.”| Culture Page 32 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Olympic athletes now enjoy halal food Brazil Islamic Center, an Islamic NGO, has been working to provide food labelled ‘halal’ for Muslim athletes in Rio Olympics 2016.

The Islamic Center had been com- missioning the project to provide ha- lal food in Olympic Games during 8 months during which the Center per- suaded the Olympic organizing commit- tee on recognizing Islamic teachings in practice about eating food prepared according to Islamic practices. The Olympic organizing committee has been committed, during the negotia- tions, to prepare conditions for Muslim athletes in enjoying halal food by the Center. The Center will provide halal food for Muslim delegations in Rio. To this end, separate kitchens have been de- vised in the Olympic village along with a large dining hall which is capable of hosting more than 2,000 athletes and managers of Muslim delegations to Rio. The whole system of catering, preparation, and distribution of food is handled by the Islamic Center and un- der its supervision. The project complies with the health standards of the Olympic organizing committee. The workers and cooks are uniformed and easily identified. They are only eligible to commute to spaces where non-Is- lamic food is distributed and are banned from entering these sec- tions. The dining complex of Olympic village provides more than 65,000 foods to more than 18,000 athletes and delegation members; 8,000 athletes and delegation members will receive food with halal labels on them.

Islamic Center of Brazil has been working for 20 years in halal food industry with Brazil’s wider industry along with South American continent. The Center has the honor to provide halal food in major events including 2014 FIFA World Cup and Rio+20 in 2012| Culture Page 33 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY ‘Son of Desert’ to explore Iranian central desert: planned for 2017 Report by: Masoud Borbor , imagined. Max converted to Islam 12 the middle of the July; I want to be the translated by Samad Habibi years ago just ahead of its epic journey first to cross the desert in summer heat in the Sinai Desert. “I want to achieve to redefine the boundaries of human Italian famous desert-trotter has what has not been achieved by anyone; abilities: to run from sunrise to sunset, decided to come to Iran and explore I want to tread places not trodden by whatever kilometer I could.” the road not taken by any human being anyone before; I want to face challenges He defines crossing for July-August in the history of the desert: to cover on no one welcomed,” says Calderan, who is 2017, when the sands are hottest. Al- foot the central desert of Iran which in Iran this time to record another Guin- fons Gabriel once crossed the desert in stretches 400km north-south. ness record among his repertoire of the 1938 with his wife and defined it: “mov- ‘When someone says it’s impossible I mind-blowing superlatives. ing mammoth sand dunes, with twisted already feel that I can do;’ this is auda- His new plan is to cover 400km of Irani- routes, painful to cross.” cious sentence written in Max Calderan’s an central desert north-south to protect The proposal came by a certain Homa official website. His stamina belies the Asiatic Cheetah. The route he will take is Davari, a desert tour guide. She dubs the conventional wisdom and medical prac- not an easy route and no one so far has expedition ‘an environmental project.’ tice. He is beyond the understanding tra- gotten the gauntlet the inhospitable en- “Max is a desert-trotter, and so is Asiatic ditional people make of what the stren- virons of the Iranian desert usually had Cheetah. We have this parallel and a pre- uous task is and what the sport proper thrown. The sun warms this desert more text to organize the project accordingly. is. Calderan’s achievements go beyond than any other spot on the planet. The This project will grab many attentions to the most strenuous of the Olympics. His desert is northernmost part of the desert Asiatic Cheetah, a large cat on the verge distances covered in the desert simply band which rounds the earth. NASA has of extinction,” tells Davari to Mehr News. dwarf that of the Olympic Marathon. He recorded a hottest temperature of 71 de- Max is quick to agree to the project is a master of desert and single-handed- grees Celsius (159 degrees Fahrenheit) and is invited to Iran officially. He is not a ly crossed the passages no human being in the region, which gives the desert the stranger to the Middle Eastern deserts. In dared to ever. epithet ‘hottest place on earth.’ 2014, Aljazeera recorded a documentary Crossing 250km of Sinai Desert under “I had been telling myself that people featuring Max Calderan, aptly entitled torrid conditions of 50 degrees Celsius usually speak of the hottest temperature ‘The Son of the Desert,’ aired worldwide and by fasting in day of holy month of recorded ever; many people would expe- to publicize this newly-convert Muslim of Ramadan is a demanding task not even rience the temperature, however not in Christian stock| Culture Page 34 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Persepolis threatened by drought, land subsidence “In recent years, unregulated under- ground water use had been the major cause of drying of the plain in a tree plantation project near Persepolis; the issue invites serious measures by the authorities in provincial and national levels,” Yousefi asserted. “The northern part of the plain in outskirts of Rahmat Mount has huge cracks which continue to Naghsh-e- Rostam; cracks had been discovered in a village, Shoul, near Marvdasht, with widest cracks in Karbal near the histor- ical complex; cracks had become wider 1 centimeter annually during past 10 years, however, it was 50 meters within two years only,” he told Mehr News. Caveat also comes from a local ar- chaeologist Nowrouz Rajabi who reit- erates warnings on impending damage threatening Persepolis; “the public is about pernicious effects of activities on By Samad Habibi also subject to dangers; the under- the site, but farming had been contin- ground water levels has shrunken se- Agricultural activity in the villages ued untrammeled. verely, drying up the bed of the river near Persepolis historical complex had Tahmouras Yousefi, Head of Center Kor. Rice is grown in the vicinity of the exacerbated already tense situation of Geology in South (Shiraz Office) tells site despite the conditions of drought; in the land subsidence as a result Mehr News local correspondent that rice planting exhausts water resourc- of droughts and unregulated use of Marvdasht plain had been a site of sig- es in Marvdasht plain near Gediyoun underground water. nificant land subsidence, with a gen- village, only 1 kilometer from Perse- eral trend also afflicting the province; polis; this would lead to a disaster of Persepolis now faces new threat: the “Fars province suffers the maximum fall far-reaching consequences; agricultur- region with land subsidence has now in the level of water which makes the al activity should be slowed in these moved to a distance of 600 meters from province’s plains subject to cracks and regions for an effective solution to the the major site and has raised concerns sinkholes,” he added. land subsidence,” he demanded| over the millennial monument. In 2008, it was discovered that Persepolis was subject to land subsidence. The solution however was ill-devised and authorities filled the cracks by earth transported from elsewhere by trucks. Located in dry climate, Persepolis had been erected through 200 years by different Achamenid potentates on a ground mainly composed of limestone, which is subject to wind erosion rela- tively easily. Droughts of recent years rendered the region unsuitable for agri- culture. However, in villages near Perse- polis, water had been increasingly wast- ed in traditional rice plantations; this contributes to even more severe land subsidence. Authorities have warned Culture Page 35 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Bam Citadel to open to public after 13 years

Report by: Asma Mahmoudi , translated by Samad Habibi

The world’s largest adobe building has only recently been finding its past glory after reconstruction of its most beautiful part which is planned to be opened to interested public.

Built around 500 BC, Bam Citadel was hit by the earthquake which equal- ly devastated City of Bam in the desert province of Kerman. The quake demol- ished 90 per cent of this invaluable ar- chitectural monument, but the revival attempts, having started almost imme- diately after the quake, addressed the rebuilding of the citadel through a combination of traditional and modern methods of reconstructing an ancient tourists rushing to the Citadel by the the Citadel was a source of inspiration building. The initial efforts sought to opening of the seat of the Governor by and symbolized the life in a city in the restore the strength to the castle and next New Year’s Eve (21 March 2017); middle of the desert; now however, the save its historical identity and hue as however, to see that future as a reality, perennial efforts are yielding and local well. we need much-required resources to people feel euphoric and excited about In the process of construction, dif- invigorate the construction process and the view of the new restored building,” ferent academicians and experts par- instill some hope to the body of the an- he told Mehr News. “The internation- ticipated in a multinational workshop cient giant building.” al welcome has been quite satisfactory to erect the citadel anew; now, after so “Seat of the Governor is the high- and the city’s airport largely contribut- many years, the citadel is yet to find its est point in the Citadel where it gives ed to this influx of tourists, bringing in past glory. The testimony to this is the breathtaking landscape and view to the foreign tourists more than ever.” flow of large groups of tourists on daily city itself and the remaining part of the “The news of the opening of the basis who come to Bam only to behold Citadel; the clearing of the rubble has Citadel stole the headlines during the the gem of the orient. The estimations been completed almost 99 per cent, News Year’s holidays when for almost show that 99 per cent of the historical with strengthening and bolstering of two weeks, the Citadel saw thousands citadel has been restored to its former the building following; in the course of of tourists coming and paying pilgrim- structure, with efforts still underway in the restoration, research and technical age to this monument; the Citadel yet other parts. work had been carried out regularly, awaits world recognition through UN- Afshin Ebrahimi, head of Bam Inter- since the rubble was the most valuable ESCO World Heritage List,” Ashk con- national Heritage, an NGO to register part of the Citadel where it gave the re- cluded. the citadel in UNESCO World Heritage searchers rare historical information as Mohammad Jahanshahi, another List, told Mehr News local correspond- to the origin of the rocks and the adobe local official, deputy-head of local Cul- ent on Wednesday that the restoration incorporated into the building,” he de- tural Heritage Organization also spoke work would give the public access to tailed for Asma Mahmoudi, Mehr News to Mehr News on the topic; “according seat and office of the Governor (hakim local correspondent. to figures, the Citadel topped the list neshin) and the first porch of the Cita- Bam Governor Mr. Reza Ashk joins of domestic and international tourist del. He was satisfied with the process the conversation later with a depic- visits last year [2015]; after the quake, of construction; “the reconstruction tion of Bam just after the quake which we had the historic record low in the turned the Citadel to one of the largest impinged upon the minds of the lo- number of incoming visitors, only alle- architectural workshops ever to restore cal people a painful experience of the viated by other provincial attractions historical monument and the embod- death of the loved ones and a public such as Lout Desert, Meimand Village, iment of a national solidarity and col- morning of the devastation of the Cit- and Rayen Citadel; the Citadel in Bam laboration to restore a monument of adel as well; “in 2003, the Citadel was will restore the past boom in tourism a long-gone civilization,” he told Mehr demolished by the quake; this struck with restoration efforts bringing good News. “We predict to have swarm of the people with grief and gloom, since tidings,” he said|

Culture Page 36 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Turkish GAP projects ‘bane of environment’ Reported by Masoud Borbor, translated by Samad Habibi

A civil society of 1550 Iranian citizens have written to the UN believing Turkish huge dam projects over Tigris and Euphrates had contributed devastatingly to severe droughts in the downstream regions in Iraq and Syria.

The signatories of the letter, ad- dressed to the UN, among whom ap- pear notable names mainly environ- mental activists and experts, along with other NGOs, officially implicated Turkey in building mammoth dams in a noto- rious Southeast Anatolia Project (Gün- eydoğu Anadolu Projesi, GAP) and for the subsequent droughts, chronic envi- living with symbiosis; “it also violates the same Ministry dried up Bakhtegan, ronmental impacts and other social and articles of UNCCD (United Nations Con- Urmia, Atrak, Jazmourian, Dalaki, Mand, political unrest which affected lives of vention to Combat Desertification) and Minab, and Khuzistan hydrological eco- millions of farmers who had long been of UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration systems and is no longer in a position to living on those lands in the downstream on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples),” hold responsible Turkish government to of the Tigris and Euphrates. The politi- she told Masoud Borbor, Mehr News do the contrary and save the environ- cal chaos in Iraq and Syria has allowed Society correspondent. ment in downstream Tigris and Euphra- little opportunity to either governments The letter sparked reactions even in tes,” Darvish sourly commented. on these countries or civil society, if any, the most callous officials of the Depart- A Telegram group of the public cam- to address the issue in international re- ment of Environment who are usually paign called Lovers of Kind Zagros posted sponsible organizations and hold Turkey slow to react. Such a reaction came first the letter and have been collecting signa- culpable in International Court of Justice from head of Public Participation Office tures from environmental activists. “The or any other courts. of the Department of Environment who GAP project dams will drastically change Fatemeh Zafarnejad, water and sus- criticized long and deafening silence of hydrological patterns governing the Tigris tainable development affairs analyst told the Ministry of Energy on the grave is- and Euphrates fertile alluvial plains in Iraq Mehr News Society correspondent that sue of GAP and its consequences for Ira- and Syria, rendering those villages utterly Turkey had built over 15 dams on Tigris nian geography, purportedly to address deserted, with no less important Hour al- and Euphrates origins; “only one such the issue but in a tactic to pass the buck Azim wetland also to be hit by the wind dam, Atatürk, reserves 50 billion cubic to another organization whose share of erosion and waves of dust to continue to meters of water behind itself which ex- responsibility equaled its own. Moham- affect Khuzistan and other western prov- ceed the sum of all Iranian dam capacities, mad Darvish is quick not to spare his re- inces of Iran,” the letter emphasized. which barely amount to 46 billion cubic proaches to ‘experts of country’s water Signatories of the letter warned that meters; the Euphrates enters Syria from sector’ who “would wonder if building apart from its impact on agriculture and Turkey to irrigate Syrian desert and then dams in the upstream of rivers could drought, the GAP project would contrib- enters Iraq only to drain to Hour al-Azim trigger desertification in the down- ute to ever-present dust storms threat- wetland. The Tigris directly flows from Tur- stream regions and activate a spot from ening southwest and central Iran, even- key to Iraq which also drains to the wet- where the blinding dust and pernicious tually rendering human settlements land in its finish line of long journey,” she microorganisms arose.” inhospitable enough to be abandoned. detailed. “Turkey allows only a fraction of “A long and 15-year-old silence has The letter and ensuing movement original water quota which barely reaches strong motives for the Ministry of En- should come as caveat to the government Hour al-Azim and midway in its journey, it ergy to wisely sleep on any objection and foreign policy machine to act imme- is a source of plight for the farmers living to Turkish government in its highly dev- diately through UNESCO and UN diverse on the river for their agriculture.” astating GAP project, since the same mechanisms to mount pressures on Tur- Zafarnejad added that the construc- Ministry of Energy has always advocat- key on the issue and restore hope to the tion of the dam potentially threatened ed, wrongly or rightly, building dams, millions of dispirited farmers or the UN ancient civilizations and their relics in which in turn triggered gradual drying will turn a blind eye again to another envi- Syria, Mesopotamia, and southern Iran, up of almost all Iranian plateau and sub- ronmental disaster to leave the people in where diverse ethnic groups had been sequent disasters as land downdrafts; the region to their own devices| Page 37 |No. 5| Auguat 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY News in Vision Zarif’s European tour

Page 38 |No. 5| August 2016 MEHR NEWSAGENCY in frames

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attended the Iran-Finland Business Forum on June 1 in Helsinki.

Zarif met and conferred with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini on June 15 in Oslo. Zarif’s European tour

Iranian FM Zarif, in frames during his three- day visit to the Norwegian capital Oslo, held talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry on June 15 over the implementation of Iran nuclear deal.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held talks with German counterpart Frank- Walter Steinmeier during his short stay in Berlin on June 16.

Zarif and his Dutch counterpart Bert Koenders attended a press conference in the city of Hague on June 24. Zarif’s African tour in frames

Zarif launched his West African tour on July 25 with a visit to Nigeria where he met with Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari.

Zarif arrived in Ghana on July 26 as the second leg of his West African tour and held talks with President of Ghana John Dramani Mahama. Zarif’s African tour in frames

Foreign Minister Javad Zarif arrived in Guinea of Conakry as the third leg of his West African tour on July 27 and met with Foreign Minister Makala Tamara.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Mali as the last leg of his African tour on July 28 and held talks with Malian Prime Minister Modibo Keita. Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab-African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari met with United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura in Tehran on July 31.

Defense ministers of Iran, Russia and Syria held a trilateral meeting in Tehran on June 10 to discuss regional developments and coordinate efforts in the fight against terrorism. Iran achieved a historic feat as they earned their first-ever Olympic Games qualification, after they defeated Poland in the tournament 3-1 at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on June 4.

The Iranian national freestyle wrestling team won the world cup for the 7th time after overpowering mighty Russia 5-3 in the final on June 13. Asghar Farhadi’s latest flick, ‘The Salesman’ won the Best Screenplay and Best Actor award for Shahab Hosseini in the 69th edition of Cannes Film Festival.

Abbas Kiarostami, the winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 for ‘Taste of Cherry’, died in Paris on July 4, where he had been undergoing medical treatment. Foreign Ministers of Caspian Sea littoral states held meeting in Kazakh capital Astana on July 13.

In the presence of Commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces Brigadier General Ahmadreza Pourdastan, 209 tactical helicopter simulator was unveiled on July 24. More than a million people in Tehran gathered in Grand Musalla of Tehran to participate in Eid al-Fitr Prayers led by Ayatollah Khamenei, marking end of a month of fasting on July 6.

Millions of Iranian people across the country took to the streets on June 1 to mark International Quds Day on the last Friday of Holy Ramadan.