Art & Culture APRIL 2, 2016 3 This Day in History Iranians Celebrate Sizdah-Bedar April 2 TEHRAN (IRNA) - People across the Iranian history. The festivities Today is Saturday; 14th of the Iranian month of Farvardin 1395 solar hijri; corresponding Iran are celebrating Sizdah-Bedar, include picnicking outdoors, in to 23rd of the Islamic month of Jamadi as-Sani 1437 lunar hijri; and April 2, 2016, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar. the traditional Persian festival of the parks or the countryside. 1274 solar years ago, on this day in 742 AD, the king of the Franks, Charlemagne, was nature, on Friday by spending time Although picnicking outdoors born in either Aachen in modern-day Germany or Liege (Herstal) in present-day Belgium. outdoors. is the main event, there are other He was the son of Pepin the Short and following the death of his father in 768, he was Sizdah-Bedar, an ancient Iranian symbolic purposes for the cele- initially co-ruler with his brother Carloman I, whose sudden death in 771 under unexplained nature festival, is held on the 13th brations such as appreciating na- circumstances left Charlemagne as the undisputed ruler of the Frankish Kingdom. On his conquest of Italy and central Europe he was crowned the first Roman Emperor in Western of Farvardin (first month in Ira- ture, cleaning the mind from evil Europe after three centuries by Pope Leo III. Throughout his long 45-year reign, he was nian calendar) and marks the end thoughts and spending the day brutal in his suppression of opposition to his rule, but his attempts to expand his dominion of the Persian New Year (Norouz) outdoors to stay away from the into Muslim Spain met with defeat and a historical retreat that resulted in the complete holidays. unluckiness of the number thir- destruction of his rearguard by the Basques in the Pyrenees. When a clock was sent to him The occasion has deep roots in teen. from Baghdad by the scientifically advanced Muslims, Charlemagne and the Europeans who were living in the dark ages were for long suspicious of the mechanical object and thought that a genie was inside it, showing the time of the day and the passing hours. 1230 lunar years ago, on this day in 207 AH, Taher ibn Hussain, the Iranian general of the Abbasid regime, also known as “Dhu’l-Yaminayn” (The Ambidextrous), and “al-A’waar” (The One-Eyed”), was poisoned to death on the orders of the self-styled Abbasid caliph, Sarasota Filmfest to Screen Iranian Films Mamoun, shortly after he had declared Khorasan independent and omitted the caliph’s TEHRAN (MNA) – Five Iranian short films are to vie at the 18th edition 91 minute film is produced jointly by Iran, Germany and Switzerland. name from the Friday Prayer sermon. Born in Pushang, a village near Herat, he rose into of the Florida-based Sarasota Film Festival which is run between April 1 Autumn Leaves is a 4 minute short film directed by another Iranian prominence during the rule of Haroun and after him served the cause of Mamoun for the caliphate against the rule of Amin in Baghdad. In the decisive Battle of Rayy he scored a and 10. director Saman Hosseinpour who is present at the event. The short film surprise victory over the formidable army of Ali ibn Isa ibn Mahan, and after killing him, According to the guide published on the official website of the 18th edi- is about a little girl who voices her appreciation of nature on the way to led the armies into Iraq to defeat Amin and proclaim Mamoun as the sole caliph. He is tion of the Sarasota Film Festival (SFF) this year’s event will award both school. considered the founder of the short-lived Taherid dynasty of Khorasan that was overthrown audience and jury picks. Audience awards are given to Best Narrative Another Iranian short film vying at the event is Dark to Dark directed by the Saffarids, who were also Iranians. Feature, Documentary, World Cinema and Short, while Juried awards are by Omid Khalid. The 6-minute short film is produced by Iran, UK, and 1144 solar years ago, on this day in 872 AD, the Abbasid Turkic general, Mufleh at-Turki, died a day after an arrow struck his temple during the battle with the Zanj near Basra. He was presented for Best Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Independent USA. It tells the story of a 14-year-old girl who hides on her wedding day. a close associate of the senior Turkic general, Musa ibn Bugha al-Kabir, served as his chief Visions, Narrative Short, Documentary Short, and Animated Short. Azadeh Ghochagh’s 10-minute work Sormeh is another Iranian short lieutenant, and was part of the army that besieged Baghdad during the civil war of 865–866. Iranian director Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami is among the people whose film at the event. Sormeh tells the story of a couple in 1979 in the midst After the war, he followed Musa who was appointed governor of al-Jibal or the region of works are in the competition. Ghaem Maghami’s SONITA is about an 18- of chaos of a revolution in Tehran. Iran extending from the Zagros to the Alborz Mountains, with Rayy (modern Tehran) as its capital. He led military expeditions against the local rulers of Hamedan and Karaj. In 868, year old Afghan girl whose mother is trying to sell her to a groom in order Personal Assistance is directed by Naomi Despres. The 13-minute film he attacked Qom, and killed several of his inhabitants for not paying taxes. The next year to collect the money needed for buying a bride for Sonita’s brother. The is produced by Iran and is about a personal organizer’s life. he invaded Tabaristan (Mazandaran) and occupied Amol and Sari, before being recalled to Iraq. Despite Musleh’s atrocities, during his brief presence in Iran, some of the prominent followers of Imam Hasan Askari (AS) – the 11th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) – moved to Qom, including the Imam’s representative, Ahmad bin Ishaq. Khayyam Statue Unveiled in Oklahoma University 761 lunar years ago, on this day in 676 AH, the great Islamic scholar and researcher, Tehran and Shaikh Abu’l-Qasim Ja’far bin Hasan al-Hilli, who has earned lasting fame as Muhaqqiq Hilli, passed away. He was maternal uncle of the immortal scholar Allamah Hilli as well NEW YORK (IRNA) – Khayyam the unveiling ceremony praised President of Oklahoma Univer- as his tutor. He wrote several books on Fiqh. The most important among them are: “ash- statue, made by famed sculptor works of Master Fakhimi saying sity (OU) David Boren appreci- Shara’e”, “Ma’arij, Mu’tabar”, “al-Mukhtasar an-Naf’e” etc. Muhaqqiq Hilli was a student Its 2,000 Hossein Fakhimi was unveiled in that the Khayyam statue had been ated the work and said that Iran’s of the students of great scholars such as Ibn Idris Hilli. He is acknowledged as the greatest Oklahoma University, US. prepared, transferred to the US culture and civilization is inspir- amongst the Fuqaha, and whenever the term “Muhaqqiq” (Reserarcher) is used, it refers to The statue was located in front and donated to the US Cultural ing for the entire world. him alone. The great philosopher and mathematician, Khwajah Naseer od¬Din Tousi speaks Tourist Spots highly of Muhaqqiq whom he met in Hilla, and attended his classes of Fiqh. Muhaqqiq of Hester Hall a place for Interna- Society by the support of Minister He expressed hope that more Hilli’s book “ash-Shara’e” is still a part of curriculum in most Islamic seminaries today in tional Studies. of Culture and Islamic Guidance American students try to learn Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan. TEHRAN (MNA) – Deputy Efforts of Director of Interna- Ali Jannati and the aid of Tehran Persian language and literature. 734 solar years ago, on this day in 1282 AD, Abaqa Khan, the son and successor of of Tehran Municipality says the tional Society for Iranian Culture Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qali- Boren also appreciated Farzaneh Hulagu Khan, the founder of the Ilkhanid Dynasty of Iran-Iraq, died at Hamadan in a state of Iranian capital has over 2,000 Mehdi Faridzadeh made the event baf. Brothers, Iranian residing in the delirium tremens induced by a bout of heavy drinking, to which, like the majority of Mongol tourist attractions and that will take rulers, he was prone. The Iranian vizier, Shams od-Din Juwaini was accused of poisoning possible. Omar Khayyam is the 11th cen- US, for their financial supports him. The historian Rasheed od-Din Fazlollah in his famous “Jawame’ at-Tarikh” says Abaqa 35 days time to visit all of them. Faridzadeh, who is also head of tury Persian poet, astronomer, for the event as well as develop- had gone out to answer a call of nature and was disturbed by an apparition in the form of a According to Mayor of Tehran, Board of Trustees of New York philosopher, scientist, and math- ment for Persian Language and large black bird. He called out to his attendants to shoot arrows at it, but they saw nothing, Mohamamd Bagher Ghalibaf, Islamic Center, in an address to ematician. Iranology studies in OU. whereupon he suddenly collapsed and died. He was buried, like his father, on Shahi Island regions 1, 12 and 20 are home in Lake Oroumiyeh. Both his two sons, Arghun and Gaikhatu were later to ascend the throne in turn, but his immediate successor was his brother Tekuder, who had adopted Islam and to the most number of historical assumed the name of Ahmad.