Art & Culture January 15, 2017 3 This Day in History 35th Fajr Intl. Theater Festival (January 15) Today is Sunday; 26th of the Iranian month of Dey 1395 solar hijri; corresponding 16th of the Islamic month of Rabi as-Sani 1438 lunar hijri; and January 15, 2017, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar. Over three lunar millennia ago, on this day, the Thamoud tribe of the al-Hijr region in the to Host 20 Foreign Plays fertile northwestern part of Arabia, was afflicted with divine wrath for the abominable sins of its members, after having been given a lengthy respite to repent and reform, which the sinners the festival ‘unprecedented’. spurned and instead committed the cardinal crime of killing the she-camel that had miraculously Some of these plays include emerged from a splitting rock in answer to the supplication of Prophet Saleh to Almighty God when the Godless stuck to their demand for a supernatural miracle. The place is believed to be “One” by Judith de Joode from “Mada’en Saleh” between Medina and the Levant, in the Hejaz. Only a few people especially Netherlands, “Choir of the the poor believed in the monotheistic message of Prophet Saleh, while the majority, particular the rulers, laughed at him and refused to heed his words of guidance. The special camel would Orphans” by Jerzy Zon from give abundant milk every day for the poor to drink, and they were very happy. The sinners Poland, “I, Sisyphus” by Veselka became angry and brutally killed the camel. They then threatened Prophet Saleh with death, but before they could carry out their murderous plot, divine wrath struck them, as black clouds Kuncheva from Bulgaria, “The gathered in the sky, covering the moon and the stars. Valleys and mountains were as dark as Lower Depths” by Davit Duishvili night. At midnight strong thunderbolts struck, while an earthquake occurred to obliterate the sinners, while Prophet Saleh and the believers had already left for a safe place. and “Psychosis” by Maka 2605 solar years ago, on this day in 588 BC, the Babylonian tyrant, Nebuchadnezzar II Natsvlishvili, both from Georgia, (Bokht an-Nasar) laid siege to the holy city of Bayt al-Moqaddas to crush the revolt by the “You’re Not a Fish After All” by Israelite Zedekiah (Sadqiya), who had dared to side with Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt, despite being installed as king by Nebuchadnezzar during his earlier invasion of Judah. The Prophet Mihran Tomasyan from Turkey, of God, Jeremiah (Irmiya), had cautioned the evil Zedekiah against such an action that would and “Loan” by Amer Abolheil from only bring war, woe and destruction upon the Israelites, who disregarding the monotheistic laws of Moses had turned to a life of idolatry and vice. The 18-month siege ended on July Iraq. 23, 586 BC with the fall of the city, which was plundered and razed to the ground, including “Most of the foreign plays are Solomon’s Mosque for the worship of the One and Only God. Zedekiah, along with his followers attempted to escape, but was captured, made to see his sons put to death, before his dumbshows that use no speech for own eyes were pulled out, and carried fettered as a captive to Babylon, where he remained a putting the meaning across,” he prisoner until death. Nebuchadnezzar, who transported almost all the population of Palestine to TEHRAN (MNA) – The 2017 Director of the International Netherlands, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq), reportedly went mad for a period of seven years, as a result of said. “Instead, the focus is on visual divine affliction, during his reign of 43 years. It is worth noting that the recently executed Iraqi edition of Fajr International Theater Section of the 35th Fajr Greece, Japan and joint production elements and the use of technology tyrant, Saddam of the repressive Ba’thist minority, used to regard himself as a reincarnation of Festival (FITF) will bring to the International Theater Festival, of Iran and Netherlands. and modern methods in theater.” Nebuchadnezzar, who was said to have been weaned on sow’s milk. 1073 lunar years ago, on this day in 365 AH, the 4th self-styled caliph of the Fatemid dynasty Iranian stage 20 different foreign said this year’s event will host at He added that over 250 The 35th Fajr International of North Africa-Sicily, al-Mo‘ez le Din-Allah, died in his new capital Cairo (Qahera in Arabic), plays for the competition section the competition section 10 Iranian applications had been submitted to Theater Festival will be held in after a reign of 23 years during which the centre of his caliphate was moved from Mansuriyya in Tunisia to the newly conquered Egypt. The Fatemids, who claimed descent from Imam Ja’far from 12 countries including France, plays and 20 foreign ones from 12 the secretariat of the festival. Tehran and a number of other Sadeq (AS), the 6th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), but did not adhere to the Japan, Greece and Bulgaria. countries including Spain, France, Rayani also deemed this year’s provinces across the country on 20- teachings of the last six of the Prophet’s 12 Infallible Successors, had thrown off the yoke of the Abbasid caliphate of Baghdad. Their Shi’ite Muslim Sicilian general, Jowhar as-Saqali, Mehrdad Rayani Makhsous, Iraq, Turkey, Georgia, Poland, the number of foreign participation at 31 January, 2017. conquered Egypt from the Abbasids and on the orders of Caliph Mo’ez founded the city of “Qahera” (Victorious) to commemorate the victory. Mo’ez soon founded the famous mosque and academy known as al-Azhar in honour of “Zahra” (Radiant), which is an epithet of the Prophet’s daughter, Hazrat Fatema (SA). For the first time in Egypt the “Azaan” was recited Minister: Women Main Elements of Human Development in the Shi’ite Muslim manner with proclamation of the name of the Prophet’s First Infallible Successor, Imam Ali (AS), after testifying the Oneness of God Almighty and the Mission of TEHRAN (IRNA) – Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Reza Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). For over two centuries, al-Azhar was the site of Ismaili Shi’ite Salehi-Amiri said Saturday that women are the key components of human learning until the fall of Egypt to the Kurdish general, Salaheddin Ayyubi, who forcibly converted the country and its people to the Sunni sect. development in the Islamic Iran. 1071 solar years ago, on this day in 946 AD, al-Mustakfi-Billah, the 22nd self-styled caliph of the usurper Abbasid regime was blinded, ousted from power, and replaced by his relative Addressing the first women, family and media festival underway in al-Muti, after a reign of little more than a year. He was installed as caliph by Tuzun the Turk, who had blinded and deposed his predecessor and cousin, al-Muttaqi after a 4-year reign. Tuzun Tehran, Salehi-Amiri said that justice and balance will come after the soon died and the inability of al-Mustakfi to administer Baghdad resulted in famine and chaos that only subsided with the entry of the Iranian general Moiz od-Dowlah Daylami, the Founder establishment of the gender justice in the society. of the Buwaiyhid Dynasty that ruled Iraq and Iran for over a hundred years. Development will be sustainable only through making a link between 973 lunar years ago, on this day in 465 AH, the Iranian mystic Abdul-Karim ibn Hawazin al- Qushayri, died in his hometown Naishapur in Khorasan, northeastern Iran. Known as “Sheikh the human development and improvement of the human life expectancy, al-Islam”, following the death of his teacher and father-in-law, Abu Ali ad-Daqqaq, he became the master and teacher of the mystical order called al-Qushayriyya. He was an authority on the minister noted. theology, philosophy, hadith, and exegesis of the Holy Qur’an. He has left behind a large number of books, including the treatise tilted “Risalat al-Qushayriyya” on Islamic mysticism. ‘We cannot talk about reform and change in the society when ignoring 783 lunar years ago, on this day in 655 AH, Shajarat ad-Durr, the widow of the Ayyubid women,’ he went on to say. ruler, Sultan as-Saleh, died in Egypt. She played a crucial role after the death of her husband in Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Reza Salehi-Amiri. repelling the Seventh Crusade launched against Egypt by Europeans. She was of Turkic slave origin, and her becoming Sultana (Queen), marks the end of the rule of the Kurdish Ayyubid Dynasty over Egypt and the start of the era of the Mamluks that lasted for two-and-a-half centuries. 572 solar years ago, on this day in 866 AH, Jam Nizam od-Din II, known as Nindo, the most Stress May Up Risk of Heart Disease, Stroke powerful ruler of the Samma Dynasty, succeeded his father Sanjar Sadr od-Din and ruled for 48 years over Sindh, parts of Punjab, Baluchestan and Gujarat. WASHINGTON (Dispatches)- subsequent cardiovascular the increased cardiovascular Ahmed Tawakol, Massachusetts 505 solar years ago, on this day in 1512 AD, Muzaffar Shah II of Gujarat in western India Heightened activity in the disease and developed problems risk. General Hospital and Harvard received an embassy from Shah Ismail I, the Founder of the Safavid Empire of Iran. The ambassadorial delegation from Tabriz arrived with rich presents to congratulate Muzaffar Shah amygdala - a region of the brain sooner than those with lower “Our results provide a unique Medical School, USA. II on his accession and also to announce the grand victory of the Iranian forces over the Uzbek involved in stress - is associated activity.