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Index
Cover Story
4 | Wayfaring for Independence

Health
36 | Swine flu advise for Hajj pilgrims 39 | Flu: Frequently Asked Questions 43 | Contamination & Cleaning Hajj season is an occasion for the gathering of millions of Muslims. There are certain instructions for the pilgrims to prevent the transmission of the Swine Flu in the Hajj season

Aglimpse of the biography and works of Al-e Ahmad

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International

26 | Defense of Family 30 | Dialogue Based on Islamic Philosophy

ECHO of ISLAM
Managing Director: M.R. Vasfi Editor-in-Chief: Sadroddin Musawi Editorial Board: Samin Nabipour, Shima Entezari Moghadam, Fatemeh Takhtkeshian, Sahand Saedi, Forogh Fakhari Photographer: Mohadeseh Vasfi Public Relations Officer: Maryam Hamzelou Contributors: Ayyoub Dehqankar, A. Hassan-niya, Babak Qaedi, R. Khaki, M. Rezaizadeh, S.H. Rotan, E. Shahmoradi, M. Shir-Mohammadi, Jila Fattahi Design: Babak Tahan, Amir Moosavi Advertising Office: +9821-88801345 +98919-3005343 Magazine of ITF P. O. Box: 14155-3899 Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Tel: +9821-88897662-5 Fax: +9821-88902725 http://www.itf.org.ir http://www.echoofsalam.com

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World of Islam
46 | London Conference on Islamic Proximity

Economy

48 | Global Recession Ending, Recovery Slow

The Sunnis and Shias will gather in London to discuss the ways to boost interfaith ties and cooperation. They are following the path initiated by Ayatollah Boroujerdi and Sheikh Shaltut

According to some analysts the recession that has paralyzed the world is over but it will take some time for the world economy to take off the ground

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Relegion
53 | The Kabah

Literature
Hafez Defines Iranian Identity

News
Tabriz intl. auto expo Iran inks 1.2b gas deal with South Korean company Shell, Total to take part in SP phases 13 & 14

Culture
West stlicher Diwan Why is Kabah so simple lacking color and ornamentation? It is because Almighty Allah has no shape, no color and none is similar to Him

Worlds Muslim scholars to discuss philosophy in Iran Collection on Iranian luminaries available at Frankfurt book fair

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Jalal Al-e Ahmad: Wayfaring Towards Independence

By Azam Hosseini
alal Al-e Ahmad was born in Tehran to a religious family in 1923. His father and an older brother, along with other family members, were Shiite Muslim clerics. Not only did Al-e Ahmad enjoy the luxury afforded to him as a member of a clerics home, he also carefully observed the inner workings of the religious family. When the Ministry of Justice began to regulate and restructure the administration of religious institutions during the rule of Reza Shah Pahlavi (1925-1941), Al-e Ahmad witnessed his fathers refusal to participate and his consequent demotion to the rank of an unofficial religious elder, he learned quickly that external forces could influence the security of his comfortable home. Once he had finished elementary school, Al-e Ahmad was apprenticed by his father in the bazaar as a watchmaker, electrical repairman, and leather craftsman. Nonetheless, he struggled to complete his education, earning a high school diploma at night school and subsequently studying Persian literature at the Teachers Training College in Tehran. In the spring of 1944, he became associated officially with the Tudeh (Iranian Communist Party), whose political and social views he shared. In many ways, Al-e Ahmads political and literary journey reflects the shifting ideological trends of post-World War II Iran. Frustrated by the Stalinist line of the Tudeh, Al-e Ahmad joined Khalil Malikis socialist Third Force Party in the 1950s. In the 1960s, he seems to have rediscovered Islam as a matter of personal spirituality but also a revolutionary ideology, in the manner of Ali Shariati (d. 1977) whom he met in 1968. For Al-e Ahmad, as for Iranian society itself, socialism, nationalism and Islamism were concepts that were embraced with varying degrees of emphasis but with one point of consensus: opposition to the authoritarianism of the Pahlavi state and many of its modernization policies. For Al-e Ahmad, the cultural costs of Pahlavi modernism came under the sharpest scrutiny with his Gharbzadegi (Occitdentosis) in 1961, in which he addressed illconsidered state reform efforts (such as land reform), the absence of democracy, and the slavish importation of Western culture and consumerism. His concern that Iran was importing only the use of technology rather than the mastery of it under Mohammad Reza Shah (r. 1941-1979) is reflected below in the critique of Reza Shahs state feminism project in the 1930s. Nearly every Iranian family had at least one female relative who tried to evade the enforcement of unveiling from 1936-1941, but few could tell their story as eloquently as Al-e Ahmad, whose early literary reputation was built upon his unflinching descriptions of flawed characters. Throughout his intertwined political and literary careers, Al-e Ahmad worked as a teacher and translator and an editor of various periodicals. Like

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the father of the modern Persian novel, Sadiq Hedayat (d. 1951), Al-e Ahmad had a passion for traveling within Iran and his insights informed his writing. His critiques of Western culture were based on his studies and travels abroad (Europe in 1957, the Soviet Union in 1964, America in 1965) and, in many ways, mirror leftist European and American critics of Western culture in the 1960s. Al-e Ahamad was the husband of prominent Iranian novelist Simin Daneshvar and a nephew of the revolutionary cleric Ayatollah Taleqani (d. 1979). His death in a village in the province of Gilan in 1969 generated rumors that he had been killed by the Shahs dreaded secret police, SAVAK, and secured his place as a venerated opponent of the Pahlavi regime. Jalal Al-e Ahmad was also educated at Tehran University and was the author of four volumes of short stories, four novels, and nearly a dozen volumes of essays. Al-e Ahmad focused on the present in his writing, concerned primarily with the negative influence of aspects of the modern West on Iran. His writings and life embody ongoing dilemmas for intellectual Iranians, among them the values of the past versus the present, religion versus secularism, and West versus East. His strident attacks on historical Western imperialism and post-World War II U.S involvement in Iran, together with his recognition of the unifying capacity of Islam, persuaded some Iranians to consider him influential in the success of the Iranian revolution of 1979. Consequently, in Persian literature, this mosttranslated prose writer has suffered a loss of reputation among secularminded Iranian intellectuals. His best-known work of fiction is a realistic 1958 story about public education at the local elementary school level, The School Principal, available in two English translations (1974, 1986). Another of his longer fictions, a 1961 novel called By the Pen, available in a 1989 English translation featuring M. Hillmanns prefatory assessment of Al-e Ahmads fiction in general, tells the story of an unsuccessful religious revolution.

Al-e Ahmad deeply felt a need for constant and abrupt change of direction, called hadisajui (a search for happenings or events) by Daneshvar

Hamid Algar on Al-e Ahmad

The following passage is an introduction by Hamid Algar to the Occendentosis, an English translation of Gharbzadegi by R. Campbell. Since it gives a clear picture of Al-e Ahmads life and works, it is reproduced here. Jalal Al-e Ahmad was born in 1923 into a family of strong religious traditions that traced its descent back to Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, fifth Imam of the Shia, by way of thirty intermediaries. Jalals father, Shaykh Ahmad, was an alim, and an elder brother (Muhammad Taqi), two brothers- in-law, and a cousin are also members of the clerical class. Furthermore, the illustrious Ayatullah Mahmud Taleghani (d. 1979) was a paternal uncle of Jalal, and he maintained sporadic but important contact with him throughout his life. The family came originally from the village of Aurazan in the Taliqan district bordering Mazandaran in northern Iran, and in due time Jalal was to travel there, exerting himself actively for the welfare of the villagers and devoting to them the first of his anthropological monographs. Jalals childhood was spent, however, in the Pachinar district of south Tehran,

where his father functioned as prayer leader at a local mosque. The family was relatively prosperous until 1932, when Ali Akbar Davar, Reza Shahs minister of justice, deprived the clerical class of its notarial function and the income they derived from it. It was decided that Jalal should not continue his education beyond primary school but instead go to work, both in order to supplement the familys income and in order to save up enough money for the day when he might follow in his fathers footsteps by studying the religious sciences. His intentions and preferences were, however, quite different. While working as a watchmaker and electrician, he secretly enrolled in night classes at the Dar al-Funun in Tehran and obtained his high school diploma in 1943. One year later, he made a complete break with religion by joining the Tudeh party, the most powerful Marxist organization in Iran. It has been suggested, somewhat apologetically, that his fathers dry and unimaginative pietism was responsible for this abandonment of Islam and that, if Jalal had made

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early acquaintance with true Islam, he would have been spared the political and ideological wanderings that marked his intellectual career. Taleghani, for example, recalls that Shaykh Ahmad would take Jalal regularly to the shrine of Shah Abd al-Azim to the south of Tehran for a forced recitation of the Prayer of Kumayl, that wellknown text of Shii piety. Jalals widow, the novelist Simin Danishvar, paints a somewhat different picture: that of a young man genuinely devout, to the point of regularly offering the supererogatory night prayer, who gradually fell away from religion under the influence of intellectual and political currents hostile to Islam. Al-e Ahmad himself recalls that his literary diet at the time of his break with Islam consisted chiefly of the writings of the nationalist, anti-Shii ideologue, Ahmad Kasravi; the scabrous novels of Muhammad Masud Dihati depicting low life and poverty in Tehran; and, most importantly, such publications of the Tudeh party as the periodical Dunya. As a preliminary to his activity in the Tudeh party, Al-e Ahmad founded a literary association called the Anjuman-i Islah (The Reform Society) in the Amiriya section of Tehran which offered free instruction in French, Arabic, and oratory. At his suggestion, the members of this association joined the Tudeh party en bloc. Al-e Ahmads rise within the party was swift: within four years, he became a member of the central committee of the party for Tehran and a delegate to its national congress. He wrote prolifically for such party publications as Mardum and Rahbar, and, in 1946, he was appointed director of the party publishing house and entrusted with launching a new monthly, Mahana-yi Mardum. Al-e Ahmads career as a teacher and, more importantly, as a writer of fiction also began in the immediate postwar period. In 1946, he graduated from the Teachers Training College in Tehran; thereafter he exercised the profession of teacher for much of the rest of his life, albeit intermittently. His teaching experiences were to furnish material for a number of novels, especially Mudir-i Madrasa (The school principal), and the deficiencies and problems of the Iranian educational system became one of his lasting concerns. His first essays in fiction, Did va Bazdid (Visits exchanged), published in 1945, drew, however, on his immediate past and the milieu of his family in south Tehran. The stories in this book depict religious customs and beliefs with the serene ridicule and implicit equation of religion with superstition that were typical for the Iranian secular intelligentsia of the day. The book was in some measure the literary consecration of Al-e Ahmads break with Islam and his father, and many years were to pass before he was reconciled with both. Did va Bazdid was followed in 1947 by Az Ranji ki Mibarim (On account of our troubles), a collection of short stories conceived in the spirit of socialist realism and printed at the publishing house of the Tudeh party. But the very same year, the party was beset with a crisis when it insisted on defending the Soviet Unions refusal

to save the communist-dominated autonomous government of Azarbayjan from overthrow by the Iranian army. Critical of this as well as other instances of Tudeh submissiveness to the Soviet Union, a group of activists led by Khalil Maliki left the party. Jalal Al-e Ahmad was among them. Whatever the intrinsic merits of Al-e Ahmads motives for quitting the Tudeh party may have been, it is impossible not to see in the episode one instance of his deeply felt need for constant and abrupt change of direction, a need that his widow has called - without any pejorative intention - hadisajui (a search for happenings or events). Al-e Ahmads political and intellectual commitments had an unstable, restless

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quality that touched all he wrote: as a thinker, he often appears to be unsystematic and, as a stylist, to be careless. But at the same time, the unmistakable force, sincerity, and originality of his writings must also be traced to the same source-a consistent refusal of stability. After leaving the Tudeh party, Al-e Ahmad retained his links with Khalil Maliki but devoted his energies more to literary than to political activities. He made numerous translations from contemporary French literature (insofar as any European influence is visible in his work, it is that of modern French writers); wrote another collection of short stories, Seh Tar (Sitar), antireligious in its tone, like Did va Bazdid; and entered with Simin Danishvar in an association that was a literary partnership as well as a marriage. He returned to political activity with the beginning of Dr. Musaddiqs campaign for the nationalization of the Iranian oil industry. The group that had left the Tudeh party with Khalil Maliki entered into an alliance with Muzaffar Baqais Hizb-i Zahmatkashan (Toilers party), one of the parties supporting Musaddiq in the Majlis. Like most of the alignments that succeeded each other in Iranian politics in the period from 1941 to 1953, the alliance between Maliki and Baqai was short- lived. In mid-1952, Baqai decided to withdraw his support from Musaddiq, and Maliki abrogated his alliance with Baqai in protest. Maliki formed a new party, known as Niru-yi Sivvum (Third force), socialist in orientation without being either Stalinist or social democratic. Al-e Ahmad served the new party in a variety of capacities, ranging from renovating a building that was to serve as party headquarters to writing articles for its publications, such as Ilm va Zindagi (Science and life) and Niru-yi Sivvum. But his sojourn in this organization, too, was not to last long. In 1953, not long before the American-royalist coup that overthrew

Musaddiq and brought the fugitive Shah back to his throne, Al-e Ahmad left the Niru-yi Sivvum in protest against the expulsion from it of his friend, Nasir Vusuqi, and what he perceived as the dishonest tactics of the leadership. The conditions created by the coup of August 1953 had, in any event, made organized political activity virtually impossible. Al-e Ahmad turned again to literary pursuits with undivided energy. He translated Gides Retour de 1 URSS as a gesture of protest against the failings of the Tudeh party and its sponsor, the Soviet Union; wrote another piece of sociocritical fiction, Zan-i Ziyadi (The superfluous woman); and began to take an interest in modernist Persian poetry (the school of Nima Yushij) and to dabble in painting. More significantly for his intellectual development and his ultimate return to Islam as a source of national if not personal identity was another new interest, one in anthropological research. He traveled to his ancestral village of Aurazan and recorded his impressions of the people and their customs in a monograph (Aurazan, 1954). Aurazan was followed four years later by Taknishinha-yi Buluk-i Zahra, a study of a cluster of villages near Takistan in northwest Iran, and in 1960 by Jazira-yi Kharg, a monograph on the Persian Gulf island of Kharg. The appearance of these works led to an invitation by the Institute of Social Research at the University of Tehran to edit a series of anthropological monographs. Al-e Ahmad accepted, and five books appeared under his editorship, including Ilkhchi, the study of an Azarbayjani village by a fellow writer, Ghulam Husayn

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Saidi. Al-e Ahmads involvement with the project did not last long, however, both because of his innate hadisajui and also because his concept of anthropology differed from that of his academic sponsors: I saw they wanted to make the monographs into something worthy of being presented to Westerners, i.e., inevitably written according to Western criteria. I wasnt suited for this task. What I was aiming at was gaining renewed acquaintance with our selves [az nau shinakhtan-i khish], a new evaluation of our native environment in accordance with criteria of our own. This new evaluation resulted in a realization of the fundamental contradiction between the traditional social structures of the Iranians and all that is dragging our country toward colonial status, in the name of progress and development but in fact as a result of political and economic subordination to Europe and America. Al-e Ahmad had discovered the disease of gharbzadagi, occidentosis. This discovery not only gave him the title and idea for his best-known and most influential book but also was, in his own words, a turning point in his intellectual life. It was the most important development for him since he had joined the Tudeh party almost twenty years earlier, for, unlike the political vicissitudes he had undergone in the meantime, it involved a fundamental reorientation that set him apart from the quasitotality of the Iranian intelligentsia. As we shall see, it cannot be said that Gharbzadagi represents a simple return to Islam, and Al-e Ahmads final intellectual destination was certainly not identical with his point of departure. But after the publication of Gharbzadagi, almost all that he wrote was dominated by an awareness of the historical and contemporary opposition of the West and the Islamic world, by a concern for the rescue of an Iranian cultural authenticity and autonomy at the heart of which lay Shii Islam, and by a critical stance toward those of his fellow intellectuals who were carriers of the disease of occidentosis. Part of Gharbzadagi was published in a monthly periodical, but the censorship intervened to prevent its continuation, and Al-e Ahmad entered on a new

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After leaving the Tudeh party, Al-e Ahmad devoted his energies more to literary than to political activities

period of compulsory silence. By way of compensation, he undertook a series of extensive foreign travels: to Europe in early 1963, to survey textbook publication on behalf of the Ministry of Education; to the Soviet Union in 1964, to participate in the Seventh International Congress of Anthropologists; and to the United States in 1965, in response to an invitation from Harvard University. The most important of his journeys abroad was his performance of the hajj in 1964: it yielded a vivid travelogue published two years later under the title Khassi dar Miqat (Lost in the crowd) and marked a further stage in his journey toward Islam. In the remaining years of his life, Al-e Ahmad accomplished two other important pieces of work: the novel, Nafrin-i Zamin (The curse of the land), published in 1967, a depiction of the disruptions wrought in the Iranian countryside by the so-called Land Reform, seen through the eyes of a rural teacher, and Dar Khidmat va Khiyanat-i Raushanfikran (Concerning the service and disservice of the intellectuals). This was a more careful and detailed consideration of issues raised somewhat fleetingly and impressionistically in Gharbzadagi, particularly the issue of the social role of the intellectual. Although it was never published in toto in the authors lifetime, he circulated three successive drafts of the work among friends and took their comments and criticisms into account in improving the work. Its posthumous publication during the Revolution was an appropriate memorial: the last word of one whose life had been dedicated to restless change and discovery finally became audible thanks to the greatest transformation that had taken place in Iran for a millenium. Jalal Al-e

Ahmad died on September 9, 1969, in a village in Gilan, weakened by years of constant strain. He was buried near the Firuzabadi mosque at Shahr-I Ray, to the south of Tehran. When reading Gharbzadagi, it is important to remember that its author as neither a historian nor an ideologue. He was a man who after two decades of thought and experimentation had discovered an important and fundamental truth concerning his society- its disastrous subordination to the West in all areas-and was in a hurry to communicate this discovery to others. He had neither the time nor the patience to engage in careful historical research, and at some points in the book he even enjoins his readers to dig up the historical evidence for a given assertion. As for drawing conclusions and

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elaborating solutions, this too was a task he assigned to his readers, although clearly a road was sketched out before them. The chapters of the book that purport to analyze the historical roots of occidentosis contain a number of errors, some of them significant enough to undermine his argument. Despite Al-e Ahmads unreliability as a historian, it is worth recalling that marshaling historical evidence to prove a significant thesis was something of a novelty in Iran at the time. Historiography consisted largely of the antiquarian recording of historical minutiae, with no higher purpose than the glorification of the past or, on the contrary, showing what advances had been made under the exalted auspices of the Pahlavis. To make a connection, as Al-e Ahmad did, between history, even remote history, and present reality was an innovation and a considerable achievement. In chapters 8, 9, and 10, Al-e Ahmad is on very firm ground and his powers of analysis are at their strongest. His superb psychological sketch of the occidentotic elite of prerevolutionary Iran combines the skills of a novelist with those of an acute observer of social behavior. His discussion of education, a field with which he was closely involved throughout his life, his depiction of the incoherence of Iranian society, his demonstration of the manifold ways in which the West had reduced Iran to a state of comprehensive dependence, his comments on the dichotomy between the secret government of religion and the national government of Shah, army, and Majlis all clearly attest to Al-e Ahmads ability to grasp the essential in a manner unique among his contemporaries. Much of what Al-e Ahmad describes and analyzes is not, of course, unique to Iran and might be encountered almost anywhere imperialism has imposed itself in Asia or Africa (although Al-e Ahmad rightly makes the case that the conflict between Islam and the West has unique aspects). Parts of Gharbzadagi are therefore reminiscent of other works of cultural self-analysis by the victims of imperialism: the writings of Frantz Fanon and an important book in Turkish, Mehmet Dogans Batililasma Ihaneti

When reading Gharbzadagi, it is important to remember that its author is neither a historian nor an ideologue

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(The treachery that is Westernization), which has gone through five editions since its first publication in 1975 but remains regrettably unknown outside Turkey. Some of the theses of Gharbzadagi also anticipate with remarkable precision points made by Edward Said in his Orientalism (1978): the generally invisible but significant links between orientalist scholarship and imperialist politics; the meaningless claim of orientalism to constitute a specialization in itself, without further definition; and the orientalists

assumption that the Muslim East is at bottom static and passive material for analysis by superior minds. Common to Gharbzadagi and Orientalism is even a denunciation of the Encyclopaedia of Islam. The chief interest of Gharbzadagi, however, is the degree to which it has both influenced and exemplified intellectual currents in contemporary Iran. Al-e Ahmads remark in the preface that the book was for many years the object more of gossip than of discussion may well be true, and probably the most lasting and obvious

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Al-e Ahmad was probably the first member of the intelligentsia to critically evaluate the Constitutional Revolution

legacy of the book has been its title, which has now passed irrevocably into common Iranian usage. Although, as Al-e Ahmad acknowledges, Ahmad Fardid coined the word, it would probably have lapsed into obscurity were it not for this book. But beyond the word there are also a number of themes first evoked by Al-e Ahmad that recurred with increasing insistence in later years and all point to a reevaluation both of history and of national identity. He initiated, for example, a critical reevaluation of the Safavid dynasty and the circumstances of Irans adherence to Shiism (not the adherence tself), portraying the Safavids as traitors to Islamic solidarity whose policies were based on the slaughter of Sunnis and complicity with the Christian powers of Europe. This devaluing of the Safavids has as its corollary some appreciation, however hesitant and reserved, for the historic role of the Ottomans as the chief bastion of Islamic power in the face of the European onslaught. Such an adjustment of historical perspective, deriving in large part from a wish to overcome the Safavid legacy of sectarian division and play an active and even leading part in the Islamic world, has become increasingly common since the publication of Gharbzadagi and may be said now, after the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, to be standard. As for more recent history, Al-e Ahmad was probably the first member of the intelligentsia to evaluate critically the Constitutional Revolution of 1905-1909 and to lament the killing of Shaykh Fazlullah Nuri, the chief opponent of Western-style constitutionalism. Nuri had been for long the bete noire of most Iranian historians of the Constitutional Revolution, but with the favorable mention he earned in Gharbzadagi he began a process of rehabilitation that was completed after the Revolution. Also important for the influence of Gharbzadagi was the global context of shared suffering and exploitation into which Al-e Ahmad set Iran, foreshadowing the solidarity with the oppressed-the mustazafin-that has been one of the chief ideological slogans of the Revolution. In all of these respects, as well as several others, Al-e Ahmad appears as the precursor of the lecturer, writer, sociologist, and ideologue, Ali Shariati (1933-1977), who bears a closer resemblance to him than any other member of Irans literary intelligentsia. The two men are known to have met at least twice, in 1968, and to have felt great sympathy for each other. One meeting took place in Tajrish, to the north of Tehran; Shariati reminisced to Al-e Ahmad about his days in Paris with Fanon, and Al-e Ahmad told him of his work on Dar Khidmat va Khiyanat-i Raushanfikran. The other took place in Mashhad; the two men discussed the alienation to which Iranian intellectuals had fallen prey as a result of their occidentosis, and afterwards Al-e Ahmad noted: I am happy that we travel the same road with respect to these matters. Themes such as cultural authenticity, the role of the socially committed intellectual, the problems posed by the presence of the machine in a traditional society, discussed cursorily, even impressionistically, by Al-e Ahmad, were taken up in much greater detail by Shariati and made the subject of a series of lectures and books.

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But for all the similarities between the two men, there were also important differences. First is the fact that Shariati was much more influential than Al-e Ahmad, partly, no doubt, because the intellectual climate of Iran had matured by the early 197Os to a point of greater receptivity for critical ideas. More significant in explaining Shariatis greater appeal is the fact that he was primarily a lecturer, even an orator, and only secondarily a writer, whereas Al-e Ahmad was above all a man of the pen. In a country of limited literacy, where contemporary literature had followed a path largely divergent from popular taste and concern, it was only natural that an orator should wield more influence than a litterateur. The second important difference was that, although Al-e Ahmads life was marked by a long series of intellectual and spiritual peregrinations, Shariati never

abandoned Islam in order to be faced with the necessity of rediscovering it. Certainly, he came under the influence of European concepts and ideologies while studying in Paris; he attempted to apply what he had learned to understanding and interpreting Islam, sometimes plausibly, sometimes implausibly; and on his return to Iran, he formulated received doctrine in ways that were highly controversial within the religious community. But he never lost sight of Islam as point of both personal and national orientation. The case of Jalal Al-e Ahmad is quite different. Not only did he abandon Islam in his youth, but the sense in which he rediscovered Islam after the writing of Gharbzadagi requires careful definition; it is certainly not a straightforward return to guidance of one formerly erring but now penitent. In Gharbzadagi, Islam is presented above all as the essential and defining attribute of a civilizational sphere, to which Iran belongs, that has been at war with the West for more than a millennium. Within the context of this fundamental contradiction, Islam is seen to be the ultimate defense against the encroachments of occidentosis. Such a view of things doubtless commended itself to believing Muslims in Iran. But Al-e Ahmads remarks concerning the origins of Islam are hardly those of a believer; in fact, they have something in common with analyses made by Western scholars, although Al-e Ahmads conclusions are quite different from theirs. He suggests that Islam is a kind of delayed response to the call of Mani and Mazdak or, alternatively, a new call based on the needs of the urban populations

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of the Euphrates region and Syria. That the Prophet was able to elaborate such a call, Al-e Ahmad allusively claims, is due to his childhood encounter with Christian monks in Syria. There is also an unmistakably nationalist color to Al-e Ahmads proud claim that Salman Farsi, the Iranian companion of the Prophet, played a role in the creation of Islam unrivaled by any the astrologer Magi had in the creation of Christianity. Similarly, his assertion that Islam became Islam when it reached the settled lands between the Tigris and the Euphrates, until then being the Arabs primitiveness and jahiliyya, leads inescapably to the conclusion that, in the time of the Prophet, Islam was nothing more than a modified form of Arab jahiliyya, its transformation into a civilization and world religion coming only when it reached lands impregnated by Iranian influence. It is, perhaps, a mistake to look for signs of the recovery of personal faith in Gharbzadagi, which is fundamentally a socio-historical critique. Khassi dar Miqat, however, is a different matter, being an account of the hajj, a key experience in the life of every believing Muslim. If Jalal Al-e Ahmad had experienced a return to Islam as belief and personal practice, there would surely be evidence of it in this work. Such evidence is not entirely lacking. For example, when he visited the tomb of the Prophet in Medina, he was profoundly moved: In the morning when I said, peace be upon you, o Prophet, I was suddenly moved. The railing surrounding the tomb was directly in front of me and I could see the people circumambulating the tomb.... I wept and fled from the mosque. But such passages are rare in Khassi dar Miqat, and it may even be significant that Al-e Ahmad fled from the mosque of the Prophet at the onset of religious emotion, almost as if he were in fear of it. For the most part, Khassi dar Miqat is marked by the same attention to detail in the authors human and material surroundings that characterizes his works of fiction. The impression that Jalal Al-e Ahmad leaves is that of a meticulous and generally sympathetic observer of the pilgrims, not that of an enthusiastic participant in the pilgrimage, one distracted from the shortcomings of his fellows by the intensity of his own experience. It was nonetheless remarkable that a member of the Iranian literary intelligentsia had thought fit to go on the hajj, and Khassi dar Miqat can be regarded as the record of a step forward on a path that might have taken Al-e Ahmad to a more complete identification with Islam. During the last years of his life, he began attending lectures on the exegesis of the Quran taught by his uncle, Ayatullah Taleghani, at the Himmat mosque in Shimiran, causing Taleghani to remark of

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him: Jalal was very good toward the end of his life; he had become very interested in Islamic tradition. But the process of comprehensive return to Islam as personal belief as well as sociocultural resource- if we are correct in assuming that such a process was under way-was never completed. To quote Simin Danishvar, the final impression with which Jalal Al-e Ahmad leaves us is that of a relative return to religion and the Occulted Imam, both as a means of preserving national identity and as a path leading to human dignity, mercy, justice, reason, and virtue. Despite the ambiguities surrounding Al-e Ahmads return to Islam, it has been suggested, in the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution, that Al-e Ahmad was in some measure a herald of that movement. Insofar as numerous hitherto secular intellectuals ranged themselves under the banner of Islam, at least in certain stages of the movement, and the cultural policies of the Islamic Republic have been aimed at the extirpation of all forms of occidentosis, the suggestion is reasonable. An important consideration in this respect is, however, the attitude discernible in the works of Al-e Ahmad toward the ulama, who have played the leading role both in the gestation of the Revolution and the administration of the new order that has emerged from it. Al-e Ahmad was probably alone among the literary intelligentsia of Iran in correctly perceiving the uprising of 15 Khurdad 1342/6 June 1963 as inaugurating a new and decisive stage in the struggle between the secret government of religion and the Iranian state. He even went to visit Imam Khomeini after the event and left a favorable impression upon him. There is laudatory mention of the Imam in Al-e Ahmads last major work, Dar Khidmat va Khiyanat-i Raushanfikran, which includes among its appendices the full text of his historic speech of 4 Aban 1343/27 October 1964, denouncing the granting of capitulatory rights to the United States. But there is no clear sign that Al-e Ahmad foresaw, or would have supported, a revolution led and directed by the ulama. In fact, his failure to take into account such a possibility may be regarded as a lingering vestige of the isolation from the masses that characterized the Iranian literary intelligentsia. When remarking on the new period of intensified struggle between ulama and state that began with 15 Khurdad, Al-e Ahmad even suggested that the outcome of the struggle would be determined by the intelligentsias choice of sides. Gharbzadagi is not sparing in its criticisms of what the author perceives as the

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Occidentosis
Occidentosis is the best known and most influential work of the Iranian intellectual and writer, Jalal Al-e Ahmad. In a sense, it is the record of a personal journey to a new understanding of Iranian society and history, but since it aroused a widespread and enthusiastic response (to the degree that the coined word of its title permanently entered the Persian language), it may also be regarded as a document of the ideological ferment that ultimately led to revolution. For the information of readers some parts of this book, translated by R. Campbell into English are reproduced is this edition of Echo of Islam. In order to acquaint the readers with the history of the book, it is pertinent here to reproduce the preface written by Al-e Ahamd himself to this book: The first draft of [Occidentosis] took the form of a report presented at two of the many sessions of the Congress on the Aim of Iranian Education, on Wednesday 8 Azar 1340/ 29 November 1961, and Wednesday 27 Day 1340/17 January 1962. The Ministry of Education published a collection of the papers presented by members of this congress in Bahman 1340/ January-February 1962, but they neither could nor wanted to publish this one. Although the estimable members of the congress were able to endure listening to my report, the time has not come when one of the departments of the Ministry of Education can officially publish it. The report remained unpublished, but some copies reached friends, who leafed through it and made suggestions for its improvement. Among them I would like to thank

rigidity and formalism of the ulama. Likewise, in Dar Khidmat va Khiyanat-i Raushanfikran, Al-e Ahmad castigates them for attachment to religious tradition [sunnat], which he seems to associate in an exclusive and debilitating sense with the past. It appears, too, from the same work, that he regards the vast legal corpus of Islam as determined by historical conditions that have long since disappeared. The enactment of Islamic law now seen in Iran would, then, hardly have won his approval. The question of how Al-e Ahmad would have regarded the Islamic Republic is, ultimately, of course, unanswerable, although it is inevitable that it should be posed. Those close to him who have survived down to the present have adopted differing attitudes. One of his brothers, Shams Al-e Ahmad, enthusiastically welcomed the new order, taking on a variety of positions in the press and the Council for the Cultural Revolution. He has also suggested that Jalal would have thrown himself into constructive labor for the sake of the Islamic Republic if he had lived to see it. To summarize, Gharbzadagi cannot be presented as a decisive and pioneering work of revolutionary thought, fully in tune with the historical forces that were to bring about revolution. Nonetheless, it has a solid if modest claim to lasting attention, as the record of an eloquent diagnosis of the major ill of Iranian society by one whose life was devoted to constant, sincere, and solicitous reflection on the state of his countrymen and who contributed to a partial reorientation of the Iranian intelligentsia.

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Dr. Mahmud Human, who urged me to see one of the works of the German, Ernst Junger a work on nihilism entitled Uber die Linie. As Dr. Human pointed out, Junger and I were both exploring more or less the same subject, but from two viewpoints. We were addressing the same question, but in two languages. Not knowing German, I relied on Dr. Human; I availed myself of his generosity and studied with him for three months, at least three hours a day, at least two days a week. Thus it was that Uber die Linie was translated, he speaking, I writing. In the process, the periodical Kitab-i Mah got under way early in 341/1962, having for its content the first section of Uber die Linie and the first third of Occidentosis, which later caus ed the sus pension of Kitab-i Mah. After dropping the fruit of Occidentosis, it became Kayhan-i Mah, which lasted only a single issue. I published Occidentosis as a separate work privately in Mihr 1341/September-October 1962, printing a thousand copies. Yo u have before you the same work, with some additions, omissions, and revisions of judgment. I owe the expression occidentosis to the oral communications of my other mentor, the esteemed Ahmad Fardid, one of the participants in the aforementioned congress. If any exchanges of substance took place at that conference, one was surely that between him and myself, one productive of many more ideas under the same rubric that are all well worth recounting. I hoped the recklessness of this work would provoke him in turn to speech. Now the text of this second edition has quite a history. Written

all at once toward the end of 1342/early 1963, it was a bit more detailed than its predecessor. I intended a large press run and a pocket-sized edition, but publication of the book was halted, resulting in the bankruptcy of the publisher, the Bungah- i Javid, much to my chagrin. But one should never give up. So it was that in Farvardin 1343/March-April 1964 I rewrote the whole thing and sent it to Europe in the hope that students living there would publish it. But that didnt occur, and the work has returned to haunt me, with all the additions and improvements you see. I am not up to rewriting it yet another time; were I to do so, there would be another work before you now. In the interim, offset copies of that first edition have appeared surreptitiously and without the consent of the late author, several times in Tehran and once in California. What immense sums have Gods servants thrown away buying them! What a debt we owe to the censor, who takes the right to publish a work away from its author and effectively gives it to others who have the initiative to print the book and market it, without concern for anything but profit. As a result of all this, this wretched book of mine has been the object more of gossip than of discussion, and its name has been more frequently mentioned than its contents have been appreciated. Nonetheless, those few critics from whose writings I have taken admonition and the sound points in whose critiques I have observed have so lately awakened that I have come to believe in the wakefulness this little book reflects. I have

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come to believe that these disordered pages, contrary to their authors expectations, still merit discussion now, after six or seven years. I had believed that they only addressed issues of the day and would grow dated after a year or two. But you see how the limbs of our society have remained afflicted, how the contagion spreads day by day. This is why I have consented to the republication of the work, despite all its hasty conclusions and judgments. Please forgive me if all the candor of this preface is followed by still more audacity in the text. Finally, I hope that you will preserve the work from textual corruption at the hands of the malicious demons of our age.

Diagnosing an Illness Jalal Al-e Ahmad

I speak of occidentosis as of tuberculosis. But perhaps it more closely resembles an infestation of weevils. Have you seen how they attack wheat? From the inside. The bran remains intact, but it is just a shell, like a cocoon left behind on a tree. At any rate, I am speaking of a disease: an accident from without, spreading in an environment rendered susceptible to it. Lat us seek a diagnosis for this complaint and its causes-and, if possible, its cure. Occidentosis has two poles or extremes-two ends of one continuum. One pole is the Occident, by which I mean all of Europe, Soviet Russia, and North America, the developed and industrialized nations that can use

machines to turn raw materials into more complex forms that can be marketed as goods. These raw materials are not only iron ore and oil, or gut, cotton, and gum tragacanth; they are also myths, dogmas, music, and the higher worlds. The other pole is Asia and Africa, or the backward, developing or nonindustrial nations that have been made into consumers of Western goods. However, the raw materials for these goods come from the developing nations: oil from the shores of the Gulf, hemp and spices from India, jazz from Africa, silk and opium from China, anthropology from Oceania, sociology from Africa. These last two come from Latin America as well: from the Aztec and Inca peoples, sacrificed by the onslaught of Christianity. Everything in the developing nations comes from somewhere else. And we-the Iranians- fall into the category of the backward and developing nations: we have more points in common with them than points of difference. It is beyond the scope of this book to define these two poles in terms of economy, politics, sociology, or psychology, or as civilizations. This is exacting work for specialists. But I shall draw on general concepts from all these fields. All I will say here is that East and West are no longer geographical or political concepts to me. For a European or an American, the West means Europe and America and the East, the USSR, China, and the Eastern European nations. But for me, they are economic concepts. The West comprises the sated nations and the East, the hungry nations. To me, South Africa is part of the West. Most of the nations of Latin America are part of the East, although they are on the other side of the world. Although one must secure exact data on an

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earthquake from the universitys seismograph, the peasants horse (however far from thoroughbred) will have bolted to the safety of open land before the seismograph has recorded anything. I would at least sniff out rather more keenly than the shepherds dog and see more clearly than a crow hat others have closed their eyes to-or what they have seen no gain for themselves in considering. Western nations generally have high wages, low mortality, low fertility, wellorganized social services, adequate foodstuffs (at least three housand calories per day), per capita annual income of at least 3,000 tumans, and nominal democracy (the heritage of the French Revolution). The second group of nations has these characteristics: low wages, high mortality, even higher fertility, social services nil (or for hire), inadequate foodstuffs (at most one thousand calories per day), annual income less than 500 tumans, and no notion of democracy (the heritage of the first wave of imperialism). Obviously, we belong to this second group, the hungry nations. The first group is all the sated nations, in

accordance with Josue de Castros definition in The Geography of Hunger (Boston, 1952). There is not only a great gap between the two groups, but, in the words of Tibor Mende, an unfillable chasm deepening and widening by the day. Thus wealth and poverty, power and impotence, knowledge and ignorance, prosperity and ruin, civilization and savagery have been polarized in the world. One pole is held by the sated -the wealthy, the powerful, the makers and exporters of manufactures. The other pole is left to the hungry -the poor, the impotent, the importers and consumers. The beat of progress is in that ascending part of the world, and the pulse of stagnation is in this moribund part of the world. The difference arises not just from the dimension of time and place- it is not just a quantitative one. It is also qualitative, with two diverging poles: on the one hand, a world with its forward momentum grown terrifying and, on the other, a world that has yet to find a channel to guide its scattered motive forces, which run to waste. And both these worlds have a certain dynamic. Thus the day is past when we could divide the world into two blocs, East and West, or communist and noncommunist. And although the constitutions of most of the worlds governments begin with this great whitewash of the twentieth century, the flirtation of the United States and Soviet Russia (the two supposed unchallenged pivots of the two blocs) over the Suez Canal or Cuba showed that the masters of the camps can sit quite comfortably at the same table. The same may be said of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and other happenings. Thus our age, besides being no longer the age of class conflicts within borders or of national revolutions, is no longer the age of clashing isms and ideologies. One must see what would-be corporate colonists and what

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supportive governments are secretly plotting under cover of every riot, coup detat, or uprising in Zanzibar, Syria, or Uruguay; one can no longer see in the regional wars of our time even the ostensible contests of various beliefs. Nowadays, many not only see through the cover of the Second World War to the expansionism of the two contending alliances industries, but see the underlying struggles over sugar, diamonds, and oil, respectively in the cases of Cuba, the Congo, and the Suez Canal or Algeria. Many see in the bloodshed in Cyprus, Zanzibar, Aden, or Vietnam the establishment of a bridgehead designed to secure commerce, the foremost determinant of the politics of states. No longer is the specter of communism dangled before the people in the West and that of the bourgeoisie and liberalism in the East. Now even kings can be ostensibly revolutionary, and Khrushchev can buy grain from America. Now all these isms and ideologies are roads leading to the sublime realm of mechanization. The political compass of leftists and pseudoleftists around the world has swung ninety degrees to the Far East, from Moscow to Beijing, because Soviet Russia is no longer the vanguard of the world revolution but rather sits around the conference table with other members of the nuclear club. A direct hotline has been set up between the Kremlin and the White House. No longer is there a need for British intermediation. Even those in power in Iran understand that the Soviet threat has declined. The plunder that Soviet Russia hoped to

snatch was really just the leavings from the disastrous picnic of the First World War. Now is the era of de-Stalinization, and Radio Moscow has come out in support of the referendum of 6 Bahman! Communist China has taken the place of Soviet Russia because, just like the Russia of the 193Os, it summons all the worlds hungry to unity in aspiring to utopia. And while Russia then had a population of a hundred-odd million, China today has 750 million people. What Marx said is true today, that we have two worlds in conflict. But these two worlds stretch far vaster than in his time, and the conflict has grown far more complex than the one of worker and employer. In our world, poor confront rich, and the vast earth is the arena. Our age is one of two worlds: one producing and exporting machines, the other importing and consuming them and wearing them out. The stage for this conflict is the global market. The weapons, apart from tanks, guns, bombers, and missile launchers, themselves products of the West, are UNESCO, the FAO, the UN, ECAFE, and the other so-called international organizations. In fact, they are Western con artists come in new disguises to colonize this other world: to South America, to Asia, to Africa. Here is the basis for the occidentosis of all nonWestern nations. I am not speaking of rejecting the machine or of banishing it, as the utopianists of the early nineteenth century sought to do. History has fated the world to fall prey to the machine. It is a question of how to encounter the machine and technology. The important point is that we the people of the developing nations are not fabricating the machines. But, owing to economic and political determinants and to the global confrontation of rich and poor, we have had to be gentle and tractable consumers for the Wests industrial goods or at best contented assemblers at low

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wages of what comes from the West. And this has necessitated our conforming ourselves, our governments, our cultures, and our daily lives to the machine. All we are we have had to conform to the measure of the machine. The one who created the machine has grown accustomed to this new god, its heaven and hell, over the course of two or three hundred years gradual transformation. But what of the Kuwaiti who became acquainted with the machine only yesterday, or the Congolese, or myself as an Iranian? How are we to vault over this three-hundred-year historical gap? I shall pass over the others; let me consider Iran. We have been unable to preserve our own historic-cultural character in the face of the machine and its fateful onslaught. Rather, we have been routed. We have been unable to take a considered stand in the face of this contemporary monster. So long as we do not comprehend the real essence, basis, and philosophy of Western civilization, only aping the West outwardly and formally (by consuming its machines), we shall be like the ass going about in a lions skin. We know what became of him. Although the one who created the machine now cries out that it is stifling him, we not only fail to repudiate our assuming the garb of machine tenders, we pride ourselves on it. For two hundred years we have resembled the crow mimicking the partridge (always supposing that the West is a partridge and we are a crow). So long as we remain consumers, so long as we have not built the machine, we remain occidentotic. Our dilemma is that once we have built the machine, we will have become mechanotic, just like the West, crying out at the way technology and the machine have stampeded out of control. Let us concede that we did not have the initiative to familiarize ourselves with the machine a hundred years ago, as Japan

did. Japan presumed to rival the West in mechanosis and to deal a blow to the czars (in 1905) and to America (in 1941) and, even earlier, to take markets from them. Finally the atom bomb taught them what a case of indigestion follows a feast of watermelons. And if the nations of the free world have now opened some of their treasure hoard of global markets to Japans goods, it is because they have investments in all her industries. Another explanation may be that they want to make good their military expenditures to defend those islands, for the leaders of Japan came to their senses after World War II and were very reluctant to spend money on armies and armaments. Perhaps also the average American wishes to salve the unease of conscience that drove the pilot of that infernal plane to madness. The story of Ad and Thamud was repeated in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The West began calling us (the area from the eastern Mediterranean to India) the East just when it arose from its medieval hibernation, when it came in search of sun, spices, silk, and other goods. First it came in the garb of pilgrims to the Christian holy places of the East (Bethlehem, Nazareth, and so forth), and then in the armor of the crusaders. Next it came in the dress of merchants, then, under cover of cannon, as shippers of goods, and most recently as apostles for civilization. This last name was really heaven-sent. Istimar (colonization) is from the same root as umran (settlement). And whoever engages in umran is necessarily concerned with cities. Of all the lands coming under these gentlemens hammer, Africa proved the most malleable, the most encouraging. In

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addition to its having so many raw materials, including gold, diamonds, copper, and ivory, in such abundance, its inhabitants had not created any urban centers or mass religions. Every tribe had its own god, its own chief, its own language. What a crazy quilt it was and so how eminently domitable! Most important, all the natives went about naked. In such heat, one cannot wear clothes. When Stanley, the relatively humane English globetrotter, returned home with this last bit of news, they threw celebrations in Manchester. If each man and woman in the Congo could be induced to buy the three meters of cloth a year required to make a shirt to wear to church services and so grow civilized, that would come to three hundred twenty million yards of cloth from the factories of Manchester. And we know that the vanguard of colonialism is the Christian missionary. Beside every trade mission around the world they built a church, and by every sort of chicanery they drew the indigenous people into that church. And today, as colonialism is uprooted from those places, when each trade mission is boarded up, a church likewise closes. Africa proved inviting to the gentlemen also because its peoples served as raw material for every sort of Western laboratory. Thousands of sciences-anthropology, sociology, ethnology, linguistics-were compiled on the basis of research in

Africa and Australia. Professors of any of these fields in Cambridge, the Sorbonne, or Leyden owe their chairs to these peoples. They see the other side of their urbanity in the Africans primitiveness. But we Middle Easterners were less receptive, less encouraging. Why? To bring the question closer to home, let me ask why we Muslims were less receptive. The question contains its own answer: in our Islamic totality, we seemed unsusceptible to study. Thus in encountering us, the West not only attacked this Islamic totality (in inciting the Shia to bloodshed in Safavid times, in playing us against the Ottomans, in encouraging Bahaism in the middle of the Qajar era, in breaking up the Ottoman Empire after the First World War, in confronting the Shii clergy during the constitutionalist uprising, and so forth), but strived to hasten the dissolution from within of a totality only apparently unified. It sought to reduce us to a raw material like the people of Africa. Then it would take us to the laboratory. This explains why foremost among all the encyclopedias written in the West is the Encyclopaedia of Islam. We remain asleep, but the Westerner has carried us off to the laboratory in this encyclopedia. India reminds one of Africa as a linguistic Tower of Babel and agglomeration of races and religions. Think of South America becoming Christianized with one

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sweep of the Spanish sword or of Oceania, a collection of islands and thus ideal for stirring up dissensions. Thus only we in our Islamic totality, formal and real, obstructed the spread (through colonialism, effectively equivalent to Christianity) of European civilization, that is, the opening of new markets to the Wests industries. The halt of Ottoman artillery before the gates of Vienna concluded a process that began in 732 C.E. in Andalusia. How are we to regard these twelve centuries of struggle of East against West if not as the struggle of Islam against Christianity? In the present age, I, as an Asian, as a emnant of that Islamic totality, represent jus t what that African or that Australian represents as a remnant of primitiveness and savagery. We are all equally acceptable to Westerners, the makers of our machines, as contented museum pieces. We are to be objects of research in the museum or the laboratory, nothing more. Watch that you dont alter this raw material! I am not speaking now of their wanting Khuzistans or Qatars oil, Katangas diamonds, or Kirmans chromite, unrefined. I am saying that I, as an Asian or an African, am supposed to preserve my manners, culture, music, religion, and so forth untouched, like an nearthed relic, so that the gentlemen can find and excavate them, so they can display them in a museum

and say, Yes, another example of primitive life. If we define occidentosis as the aggregate of events in the life, culture, civilization, and mode of thought of a people having no supporting tradition, no historical continuity, no gradient of trans formation, but having only what the machine brings them, it is clear that we are such a people. And because this discussion will relate primarily to the geographic, linguistic, cultural, and religious background of its author, I might expand on the definition by saying that when we Iranians have the machine, that is, when we have built it, we will need its gifts less than its antecedents and adjuncts. Occidentosis thus characterizes an era in which we have not yet acquired the machine, in which we are not yet versed in the mysteries of its structure. Occidentosis characterizes an era in whic h we have not yet grown familiar with the preliminaries to the machine, the new sciences and technologies. Occidentosis characterizes an era in which the logic of the marketplace and the movements of oil compel us to buy and consume the machine. How did this era arrive? Why did we utterly fail to develop the machine, leaving it to others to so encompass its development that by the time we awakened, every oil rig had become a nail driven into our land? How did we grow occidentotic? Let us turn to history to find out.

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Christians and Muslims Must Cooperate to Defend Family

The 40-year-old Indonesian Divine Word priest serves as desk officer for Christian-Muslim dialogue in Asia at the pontifical council. Today, people have the impression that throughout the world interreligious dialogue is stepping forwards and backwards at the same time, he stated. Certainly, he acknowledged, interreligious dialogue is facing various difficulties, but he added that progress in this field is not a matter of statistics but rather a question of consciousness. At the root of the difficulties we find a lack of respect for differences, for the otherness of people, a lack of love, a lack of sensitivity to plurality. In other words, the values that must be practiced and shown in the family are absent, he explained. Christians and Muslims both consider the family the first school of children, Father Solo said, because it is in

ATICAN CITY (UCAN) -- Christians and Muslims can and must work together to safeguard the dignity of the family, the Vatican said in greeting the worlds 1 billion Muslims on the eve of celebration of the feast of EEid al-Fitr. French Cardinal Jean Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, signed the message, which the Vatican press office released on Sept. 19. The council issued the text in Arabic, English, French and Italian, but translations are available in several other languages including Indonesian, Thai and Urdu. The theme of family was chosen for this years message because both Christians and Muslims hold the family in high esteem, Father Markus Solo told Gerard OConnell, UCA News special correspondent in Rome.

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the family that children learn to love and to respect others, also with their different religion and culture. The family, he continued, is the basis for peace and harmony in society, and therefore the role of the family is significant in interreligious education. EEid al-Fitr immediately follows the end of Ramadan, when Muslims fast and purify themselves. Islamic tradition holds that God, Allah, revealed the Quran to Prophet Muhammad during this month. Muslims all over the world are joyfully celebrating the feast of the Revelation of al-Quran with all the members of their family, Father Solo pointed out. The pontifical council, he said, felt this an appropriate occasion to mention the fundamental role of the family in developing an interreligious way of thinking for building a better future for society through peace and harmony between religions. The priest emphasized the Vaticans conviction, stated in the message, that peace and harmony between the religions depends very much on the good education of the children. In the text, which the Vatican sent to international Muslim organizations, Cardinal Tauran notes that through their mutual esteem for the family, Muslims and Christians have already had many occasions, from the local to the international level, to work together in this field. Father Solo elaborated by saying the field for this collaboration is today very broad and extensive, and all who are active in promoting dialogue between the followers of both religions, not just religious leaders, have the task of promoting this. Collaboration can take different forms, he explained, including theoretical work such as organizing seminars, symposiums, conferences

The interreligious dialogue is stepping forwards and backwards at the same time

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The family, where love and life, are encountered and transmitted, is truly the fundamental cell of society

and research so as to help transmit the importance of the family in educating for interreligious dialogue. On a more practical level, he continued, it includes visiting other families in the neighborhood, sharing experiences of education and family worries regarding children, and so on. The role of the family in promoting dialogue and harmony between Muslims and Christians is a crucial issue today, he reiterated, saying he hopes the Church at the local level will motivate the promoters of interreligious dialogue to give attention to this. For its part, he said, the Pontifical Council will pay greater attention to this theme in its interreligious activities both at the Vatican and worldwide. This is the 41st year that the Vatican office for dialogue with other religions has sent an Eid al-Fitr greeting to Muslims worldwide. The feast begins with the sighting of the new moon every year. Over the years Vatican sources have told UCA News very many Muslims respond positively to this annual message, with some sending reciprocal greetings at Christmas and Easter to Catholics. The full English text follows:

PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE MESSAGE FOR THE END OF RAMADAN Eid al-Fitr 1429 H. / 2008 a.d. Christians and Muslims: Together for the dignity of the family Dear Muslim friends, 1. As the end of the month of Ramadan approaches, and following a now well-established tradition, I am pleased to send you the best wishes of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. During this month Christians close to you have shared your reflections and your family celebrations; dialogue and friendship have been strengthened. Praise be to God! 2. As in the past, this friendly rendez-vous also gives us an opportunity to reflect together on a mutually topical subject which will enrich our exchange and help us to get to know each other better, in our shared values as well as in our differences. This year we would like to propose the subject of the family. 3. One of the documents of the Second Council Vatican, Gaudium et Spes, which deals with the Church in the modern world, states: The well-being of the

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individual person and of human and Christian society is intimately linked with the healthy condition of that community produced by marriage and family. Hence Christians and all men who hold this community in high esteem sincerely rejoice in the various ways by which men today find help in fostering this community of love and perfecting its life, and by which parents are assisted in their lofty calling. Those who rejoice in such aids look for additional benefits from them and labour to bring them about. (n. 47) 4. These words give us an opportune reminder that the development of both the human person and of society depends largely on the healthiness of the family! How many people carry, sometimes for the whole of their life, the weight of the wounds of a difficult or dramatic family

background? How many men and women now in the abyss of drugs or violence are vainly seeking to make up for a traumatic childhood? Christians and Muslims can and must work together to safeguard the dignity of the family, today and in the future. 5. Given the high esteem in which both Muslims and Christians hold the family, we have already had many occasions, from the local to the international level, to work together in this field. The family, that place where love and life, respect for the other and hospitality are encountered and transmitted, is truly the fundamental cell of society. 6. Muslims and Christians must never hesitate, not only to come to the aid of families in difficulty, but also to collaborate with all those who support the stability of the family as

an institution and the exercise of parental responsibility, in particular in the field of education. I need only remind you that the family is the first school in which one learns respect for others, mindful of the identity and the difference of each one. Interreligious dialogue and the exercise of citizenship cannot but benefit from this. 7. Dear friends, now that your fast comes to an end, I hope that you, with your families and those close to you, purified and renewed by those practices dear to your religion, may know serenity and prosperity in your life! May Almighty God fill you with His Mercy and Peace! Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran President Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata Secretary

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Dialogue and Difference Based on Islamic Political Philosophy

Dr Seyed G Safavi London Academy of Iranian Studies & Department of Art, SOAS. philosophy@iranianstudies.org

nternational Conference on Dialogue and Difference: Meditations on Local/Global Values in Post Modernity SOAS, University of London, 9-11 September 2009 Dialogue or monologue, difference or similarity, this is the sorrowful story of human social relationships throughout history. * Do governments, regardless of whether they are western or eastern, secular or religious believe in dialogue or monologue? It appears that the majority of governments believe in monologue, although, in order to force the other party to follow and implement their own desires, and for the sake of public relations and the international

community, they use different methods to portray themselves as engaging in dialogue. * Who is the other party? The party in the face of governments are generally two groups: nations and other governments. 1. Nations Western imperialist powers usually use soft and complex methods in their relationship with their own nations as a means of forcing them to follow their opinions and plans. However, in relation to Eastern nations, they practise no restriction in using severe economic, political or military punishments. Eastern governments generally use simple, authoritarian, backward and aggressive methods in relation to their own nations. 2. Governments The economic, cultural, political and military relation of imperialist powers with other governments is a one-sided relationship. They

command and others must obey, and in the case of disobedience, this disobedience is met with coup dtats, moral and financial disgrace of the government leaders and economic, political and military punishments. * What is the cause of the establishment of monologue and the lack of dialogue? This is because constructive dialogue is based on positive difference. Types of Difference 1. Essential difference; 2. Accidental difference. 1. Essential Difference *Meaning of essence: that primary part of a thing, without which it would cease to exist. One of the most important essential differences is the essential difference of thought and knowledge. Human thought in its essence requires difference. This difference is, on the one hand, the

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product of the essential difference of the degrees of empirical, intellectual and spiritual (irfani) knowledge, and on the other hand, the product of the process of the geometry of knowledge. This process has multiple sides. When the different sides are the geometry of knowledge of different individuals, the thought which is produced is also different. Empirical knowledge explains the parts of the world of matter, but is incapable of explaining the universal image of the world, and even above that, the whole existence. Of course, this limitation is the requirement of the objectives, subject and method of this science. On the other hand, the striving of philosophy is the synoptic understanding of the world of nature and existence, whereas Irfan is responsible for clarifying the esoteric aspect of the human being, society, history, existence and above all, the method of attaining union with ones origin. It is natural that a chemists outlook on the world is different to that of a philosophers outlook on the human being, the world and history, just as the outlook of a mystic is different to the outlook of both. The philosopher speaks of argumentative reasoning and the mystic speaks of the spiritual state. 2. Accidental Difference Accidental difference is divided into two sections: 1. Natural Accidental Difference; 2. Imposed Accidental Difference. *Meaning of accident: that which is no element of the essential character of a thing. An accident may be added or subtracted to an object without changing its essence. 1.Natural accidental difference: this refers to a

difference such as that between the old and the young, black and white, writer and reader. 2. Imposed accidental difference: this refers to a difference such as that between the different classes of societies and governments of the North and South in terms of unjust economic, social, cultural and political systems and relations. Throughout history, those in power have constantly, portrayed imposed accidental difference as natural and positive essential difference, and have stressed on its acceptance and on not changing this perception of it. This is a great fallacy: they impose an issue which is non-essential, human and accidental (negative) on their own kind, and because of historical continuity, consider it essential; whereas God has created His blessings for all human beings, regardless of gender, race, religion and nationality, and the most important duty of Divine prophets is the establishment l justice and equality. Indeed we sent our messengers with clear proofs so that people might establish themselves in justice. (Quran, 57:25) As rulers do not accept difference of thought, generally because of their belief in monologue, they do not believe in dialogue; for dialogue is based on the acceptance of the principle of difference of thoughts. The holy Quran invites people to listen to different points of view and follow the best of them: those who listen to the word and follow the best of it (Quran 39:18) Therefore, in Quranic culture, difference of opinion is an axiom principle. Rulers divide people into those who are the same as themselves and those who are the other. Those who

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are the same as the rulers, based on the reasoning that the ruler knows things that they are oblivious to, believe in the rulers opinions and commands, and follow and implement them even if it is against their own intellect. The other think differently and do not submit to the views and commands of the rulers unreservedly and without conditions.. An example of this issue is George Bushs speech on September 20th 2001 in congress, telling the world, Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists. In the sphere of social relations, as the rulers consider difference to be essential and not accidental, they do not believe in constructive and dynamic dialogue which moves us forward; for they consider social relations as stagnant and have defined and interpreted it in the framework of the relationship of master and servant. Dialogue and Difference Between the Human Being and God While the relationship of the human being and God is not changed, the relationship between human beings and society does not change either. The relationship between the human being and God, contrary to Aristotelian philosophy, is a two-sided relationship. It is not the case that God, as the prime mover or cause of causes, has created the world and then abandoned it, and has no knowledge of the particularities of its affairs. In the holy Quran it is said: God is all-aware, fully observant of His servants (Quran, 35:31); and God sees all what you do( Quran 33:9); God is the all-hearing the all-seeing( Quran 40:20); verily God knows the unseen in the heavens and the earth (Quran, 49:18). The relationship of the human being and God can be dialogue or

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The relationship between the human being and God, contrary to Aristotelian philosophy, is twosided relationship

monologue. Initially, this point of view seems strange; however, when considering the free will of the human being and God, dialogue or monologue is a possible issue. Dialogue is a conversation in which both sides have the ability to hear and see each other. God, through wahy (revelation), ilham (inspiration), aql (intellect) and signs speaks to human beings. However, if the human being wants to (desire and will), he hears the Divine word and enters the creative and dynamic process of dialogue with God, as exemplified by the prophets. This issue is clearly evident concerning Prophet Moses; as such, in the holy Quran Moses is named Kalim Allah (the one who converses with God) (Quran, 7:143) and Jesus the Word of Allah Quran, 3:45). The story of the shepherd in the Story of Moses and the Shepherd in Rumis Mathnawi portrays the shepherd who is the symbol of a normal human being, but has an awakened heart and speaks to God. The will and desire of hearing have conditions which we do not have time to state. The ignorant and blind-hearted do not hear the Divine message, and as such, are deprived of dialogue with God. God in the holy Quran states: (they are) deaf, dumb and blind, hence they will never return. (2:18) And (they are) deaf, dumb and blind and thus they do not understand (Quran 2:171). The human being speaks with God and God responds to him. The conversation of the human and God is majestic, constructive, dynamic and fresh. This conversation has freshness and is not repetitive. Even if the human being says a set word, in each moment he has a different state and his substance is changing, and thus, there is freshness and newness in his speech. There is also no repetition in the acts of God: there is no repetition in manifestation; rather, the Divine act is constant creation and emanation. It is a possibility for the human being to speak with God but for God not to enter into a creative

International

dialogue with him, and as such for the speech of the human being to turn into a monologue. The lack of a reply from God occurs when the desire and what the human being has asked for, due to his actions and thoughts, cannot be granted by God. In the holy Quran, when addressing the Prophet God says: nor can you lead the blind away from straying (30:53). In the great supplication of Kumayl, Imam Ali says: O Allah! Forgive me my sins that would affront my contingency. O Allah! Forgive me my sins that would bring down calamity. O Allah! Forgive me my sins that would change Divine favours (into disfavours). O Allah! Forgive me my sins that would imprison my supplication. O Allah! Forgive me my sins that would bring down misfortunes (or afflictions). O Allah! Forgive my sins that would suppress hope. (Sheikh Abbas Qumi, Mafatih al-Jinan, Dua Kumail) Through dialogue with God, the human being attains knowledge, love, tranquillity, exaltation and guidance And He taught Adam all the Names (Quran, 2:31); not found the heart of those who believe reaches tranquillity with the remembrance/invocation of Allah( Quran 13:28); God will exalt the rank of those who believe among you (Quran 58:11); and God guides those who believe to the straight path( Quran, 22:54). Unity in Multiplicity and Multiplicity in Unity The dialogue of the human being and God is based on the state of similarity or difference of these two in relation to each other. The type of the state of difference and similarity in Islamic philosophy is a special type which is referred to as unity in multiplicity and multiplicity in unity. This means that God, at the same time as having unity with the human being, is different to him, and at the same time as being different to the human

Through dialogue with God, the human being attains knowledge, love, tranquillity, exaltation and guidance

being, is in unity with him. Imam Ali says, God is with everything but not in physical proximity, and He is other than everything but not with separation (Imam Ali, Najul Balaqah, First sermon ), and God says: He is with you wherever you are( Quran, 57:4); and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein (Quran, 50:16); indeed my Lord is ever near (Quran 11:61). But, at same time, He is unique and nothing is similar to Him: Say He is God the one and only God; and there is none

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like unto him (Quran, 112:1 and 4). Allah has breathed from His own spirit into the human being (Quran, 15:29); however, the human being is not only spirit, rather, he is spirit and body. The spirit is eternal and subsistent, yet the body is transient. From the aspect of his spirit, the human being is close to God, but from the aspect of his soul (nafs) which has not been purified, he is far from Him. The righteous human being is the vicegerent of God upon Earth, but he is not God and he cannot rule based on his own will or with selfishness; he can only rule in the framework of Divine values, knowledge and justice. The human being is the manifestation of the names of Allah. In the stage of the descent of manifestations he is afflicted with multiplicity, however, he is a sign from God and in the stage of return to the origin of existence, he attains unity. The human being is dependant upon God, and God sees Himself in the mirror of the human being. O people! You are the destitute to God, and God is self-sufficient most praised (Quran 35:15). Conclusion In the material world, similarity in thought is not possible and difference of thought is an essential matter, therefore, for the growth of human knowledge, dialogue and not monologue is a necessary issue. However, in the social sphere, as imposed accidental difference is established, the change and transformation of unjust systems and relations is only possible through dialogue. The wars of humanity throughout history show that monologue and the imposition of unjust social systems and relations is not stable or permanent. The time has come for us to wake up, learn from the past and move for stable and permanent peace and security by relying on the two principles of justice and dialogue. This movement is, in the first instance, the duty of the intellectuals of the world. I believe that this conference is a positive step towards this exalted goal.

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Health

Swine flu advise for Hajj pilgrims

The Saudi government has issued swine flu advice for people considering the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages this year. The elderly, pregnant women, the chronically ill and children are advised not to take part this year. You will also need to prove that you have been vaccinated against seasonal flu before applying for a visa.

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Performing the Hajj The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Saudi government advise that the elderly, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases and children should postpone the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages this year for their own safety. You should be aware that there is a high likelihood of transmission of swine flu in the course of the pilgrimage. Although health care facilities for the Hajj are generally of a high standard, it is possible that, due to the large number of pilgrims, the healthcare available might be less than would normally be expected for people who are vulnerable to complications. Vaccinations for the Hajj The Saudi government has advised that pilgrims planning to attend the Hajj must be vaccinated against seasonal flu at least two weeks before applying for a visa. The Saudi Embassy will require you to provide proof of vaccination when you apply for your visa. Travelers should note that seasonal flu vaccination will not offer protection against swine flu. The vaccine will only be available in the UK from late September, so there may be only a short time in which to get vaccinated. You will be able to pay for a seasonal flu vaccination from a high street chemist, other retailer or travel clinic. The NHS seasonal flu vaccination program is available to people in high risk groups and the elderly. However, it may not be available

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in time for some pilgrims, depending on their travel arrangements. In such cases they too will need to obtain their vaccination privately. Those that do receive their vaccination from the NHS program will need to ask for a certificate of vaccination, and a charge may be made for this. If you are in these categories, you should also note the WHO and Saudi government travel advice not to embark on a pilgrimage this year. The Saudi government has also advised that pilgrims must be vaccinated against swine flu when the vaccine becomes universally available. Screening and Quarantine Passengers are currently screened on arrival at all ports of entry into Saudi Arabia and if you are suspected to have swine flu you will be temporarily quarantined. If you test positive you will be admitted to hospital for isolation. Treatment for swine flu at Hajj If you develop flu-like symptoms while you are away, seek immediate advice from the nearest Saudi medical facility. The Saudi government has stockpiles of antivirals in preparation for the Hajj. Anyone who contracts pandemic flu while in Saudi Arabia will be given access free of charge to medication and treatment.

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Frequently Asked Questions

ow does 2009 H1N1 virus spread? Spread of 2009 H1N1 virus is thought to occur in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something such as a surface or object with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. What are the signs and symptoms of this virus in people? The symptoms of 2009 H1N1 flu virus in people include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting. Severe

illnesses and death has occurred as a result of illness associated with this virus. How severe is illness associated with 2009 H1N1 flu virus? Illness with the new H1N1 virus has ranged from mild to severe. While most people who have been sick have recovered without needing medical treatment, hospitalizations and deaths from infection with this virus have occurred. In seasonal flu, certain people are at high risk of serious complications. This includes people 65 years and older, children younger than five years old, pregnant women, and people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions. About 70 percent of people who have been hospitalized with this 2009 H1N1 virus have had one or more medical conditions previously recognized as placing people at high risk of serious seasonal flurelated complications. This includes pregnancy, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and kidney disease.

One thing that appears to be different from seasonal influenza is that adults older than 64 years do not yet appear to be at increased risk of 2009 H1N1related complications thus far. CDC laboratory studies have shown that no children and very few adults younger than 60 years old have existing antibody to 2009 H1N1 flu virus; however, about one-third of adults older than 60 may have antibodies against this virus. It is unknown how much, if any, protection may be afforded against 2009 H1N1 flu by any existing antibody. How does 2009 H1N1 flu compare to seasonal flu in terms of its severity and infection rates? With seasonal flu, we know that seasons vary in terms of timing, duration and severity. Seasonal influenza can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Each year, in the United States, on average 36,000 people die from flu-related complications and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related causes. Of those hospitalized, 20,000

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are children younger than 5 years old. Over 90% of deaths and about 60 percent of hospitalization occur in people older than 65. When the 2009 H1N1 outbreak was first detected in mid-April 2009, CDC began working with states to collect, compile and analyze information regarding the 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak, including the numbers of confirmed and probable cases and the ages of these people. The information analyzed by CDC supports the conclusion that 2009 H1N1 flu has caused greater disease burden in people younger than 25 years of age than older people. At this time, there are few cases and few deaths reported in people older than 64 years old, which is unusual when compared with seasonal flu. However, pregnancy and other previously recognized high risk medical conditions from seasonal influenza appear to be associated with increased risk of complications from this 2009 H1N1. These underlying conditions include asthma, diabetes, suppressed immune systems, heart disease, kidney disease, neurocognitive and neuromuscular disorders and pregnancy. How long can an infected person spread this virus to others? People infected with seasonal and 2009 H1N1 flu shed virus and may be able to infect others from 1 day before getting sick to 5 to 7 days after. This can be longer in some people, especially children and people with weakened immune systems and in people infected with the new H1N1 virus. What can I do to protect myself from getting sick? There is no vaccine available right now to protect against 2009 H1N1 virus.

However, a 2009 H1N1 vaccine is currently in production and may be ready for the public in the fall. As always, a vaccine will be available to protect against seasonal influenza. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health: Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.* Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way. Try to avoid close contact with sick people. If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick. Other important actions that you can take are: Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures. Be prepared in case you get sick and need to stay home for a week or so; a supply of over-the-counter medicines, alcohol-based hand rubs,* tissues and other related items might could be useful and help avoid the need to make trips out in public while you are sick and contagious What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing? If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)

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Keep away from others as much as possible. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze. If I have a family member at home who is sick with 2009 H1N1 flu, should I go to work? Employees who are well but who have an ill family member at home with 2009 H1N1 flu can go to work as usual. These employees should monitor their health every day, and take everyday precautions including washing their hands often with soap and water, especially after they cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.* If they become ill, they should notify their supervisor and stay home. Employees who have an underlying medical condition or who are pregnant should call their health care provider for advice, because they might need to receive influenza antiviral drugs to prevent illness. For more information please see General Business and Workplace

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Guidance for the Prevention of Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Flu in Workers. What is the best technique for washing my hands to avoid getting the flu? Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. Wash with soap and water or clean with alcoholbased hand cleaner. CDC recommends that when you wash your hands -- with soap and warm water -- that you wash for 15 to 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. You can find them in most supermarkets and drugstores. If using gel, rub your hands until the gel is dry. The gel doesnt need water to work; the alcohol in it kills the germs on your hands. What should I do if I get sick? If you live in areas where people have been identified with 2009 H1N1 flu and become ill with influenzalike symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people. CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)

Stay away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick. Staying at home means that you should not leave your home except to seek medical care. This means avoiding normal activities, including work, school, travel, shopping, social events, and public gatherings. If you have severe illness or you are at high risk for flu complications, contact your health care provider or seek medical care. Your health care provider will determine whether flu testing or treatment is needed. If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care. In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include: Fast breathing or trouble breathing Bluish or gray skin color Not drinking enough fluids Severe or persistent vomiting Not waking up or not interacting Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include: Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen Sudden dizziness Confusion Severe or persistent vomiting Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough Are there medicines to treat 2009 H1N1 infection? Yes. CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with 2009 H1N1 flu virus. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. During the current pandemic, the priority use for influenza antiviral drugs is to treat severe influenza illness (for example hospitalized patients) and people who are sick who have a condition that places them at high risk for serious flu-related complications. What is CDCs recommendation regarding swine flu parties? Swine flu parties are gatherings during which people have close contact with a person who has 2009 H1N1 flu in order to become infected with the virus. The intent of these parties is for a person to become infected with what for many people has been a mild disease, in the hope of having natural immunity 2009 H1N1 flu virus that might circulate later and cause more severe disease. CDC does not recommend swine flu parties as a way to protect against 2009 H1N1 flu in the future. While the disease seen in the current 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak has been mild for many people, it has been severe and even fatal for others. There is no way to predict with certainty what the outcome will be for an individual or, equally important, for others to whom the intentionally infected person may spread the virus. CDC recommends that people with

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2009 H1N1 flu avoid contact with others as much as possible. If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Stay away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.

How long can influenza virus remain viable on objects (such as books and doorknobs)? Studies have shown that influenza virus can survive on environmental surfaces and can infect a person for 2 to 8 hours after being deposited on the surface. What kills influenza virus? Influenza virus is destroyed by heat (167-212F [75-100C]). In addition, several chemical germicides, including chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, detergents (soap), iodophors (iodine-based antiseptics), and alcohols are effective against human influenza viruses if used in proper concentration for a sufficient length of time. For example, wipes or gels with alcohol in them can be used to clean hands. The gels should be rubbed into hands until they are dry. *What if soap and water are not available and alcohol-based products are not allowed in my facility? If soap and water are not available and alcohol-based products are not allowed, other hand sanitizers that do not contain alcohol may be useful. What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination? Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough

Contamination & Cleaning

or sneeze of an infected person move through the air. Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk, for example, and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands. How should waste disposal be handled to prevent the spread of influenza virus? To prevent the spread of influenza virus, it is recommended that tissues and other disposable items used by an infected person be thrown in the trash. Additionally, persons should wash their hands with soap and water after touching used tissues and similar waste. What household cleaning should be done to prevent the spread of influenza virus? To prevent the spread of influenza virus it is important to keep surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, kitchen counters and toys for children)

clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label. How should linens, eating utensils and dishes of persons infected with influenza virus be handled? Linens, eating utensils, and dishes belonging to those who are sick do not need to be cleaned separately, but importantly these items should not be shared without washing thoroughly first. Linens (such as bed sheets and towels) should be washed by using household laundry soap and tumbled dry on a hot setting. Individuals should avoid hugging laundry prior to washing it to prevent contaminating themselves. Individuals should wash their hands with soap and water or alcoholbased hand rub immediately after handling dirty laundry. Eating utensils should be washed either in a dishwasher or by hand with water and soap.

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Art

Awards Iranian Architecture Design

Chicago museum

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Design. The Koohbor House design offered by Irans Tarh-o-Amayesh Company won the award. Museum of Architecture and Design and Metropolitan Arts Press Ltd. and co-presented by The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, announce ninty-seven (97) new distinguished projects and urban schemes selected in this years prestigious International Architecture Awards program for 2009. The International Architecture Awards is the only Global Awards Program in architecture of its kind, which was conceived and presented by the Museum new approaches to design that are beyond the envelope of the everyday, while providing cities with key civic building that celebrate and harmonize architecture as a high art while finding answers to the complicated problems of environment, social context, improving quality of life, and sustainability. For the 2009 International Architecture Awards , the Museum received hundreds of submissions from design firms in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. The awarded projects for 2009 form an exhibition, New International Architecture to open during the November 2009 symposium entitled, The City and the World. The symposium is organized by The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre and sponsored by the Municipality of Florence and the School of Architecture in Florence at the SESV Santa Verdiana this November. After Florence, the exhibition of awarded buildings will tour inside Europe. A catalogue accompanies the exhibition and publishes all 97 awarded projects: New International Architecture: The City and the World edited by Mr. Narkiewicz-Laine and published by Metropolitan Arts Press Ltd. All Awarded Projects for 2009 are viewed on The European Centres website at www.europeanarch. eu or: www.chi-athenaeum.org.

n Iranian architecture design won an award at the International Architecture Awards held by the Chicago Museum of Architecture and

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World of Islam

Int. Conference on Proximity among Islamic Schools of Thought in London

London The Third Int. Conference on Proximity among Islamic Schools of Thought is to be held in London on October 2009. Renowned figures from Germany, Iran, Britain, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia will participate in the conference which is to be held in the Islamic Center in London. The first and second int. conference were held respectively in October 2007 and October 2008. The themes of these conferences were: Proximity among Islamic Schools of Thought, a Necessity of Cotemporary Era; and Proximity, a Mechanism to Defend the Holy Quran and the Seal of Prophets (PBUH). The theme of the third int. conference is Proximity among Islamic Schools of Thought, a Way towards Dignifying Human Beings and Consolidating Islamic Unity. The heads of the Shia and Sunni Endowment Organizations of Iraq, Head of the Center of Islamic Cultural Heritage in Berlin, Head of Islamic Unity Forum of Egypt, Head of the Islamic World Forum of London, a teacher from Saudi

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Arabian Seminary, the head of the Islamic Movement of Tunisia, Head Imam Ali Institute in London and Representative of Ayatollah Sistani in Britain, Head of Islamic Center in London and an Islamic expert from Saudi Arabia will deliver speeches in the opening ceremonies. Also a representative of Grand Mufti of Lebanon will participate in the conference. For the first time, attempts for proximity between Islamic Schools of Thought were launched by the late Grand Ayatollah Boroujerdi (a Shia cleric) of Iran and Grand Mufti of Egypt the late Sheikh Mahmoud Shaltut. The dialogues between the two sides were very successful. But the enemies have never given up the notion of divide and rule in order to sow the seeds of discord among the Muslims. Having full knowledge of the

plots of the enemies, after the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, Imam Khomeini spared no efforts to create unity between Muslims. He designated the week marking the birth anniversary of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) of Islam as the Unity Week and consequently Ayatollah Khamenei established the World Forum for Proximity among Islamic Schools of Thought. Renowned figures from different parts of the world and representing different Islamic Schools of Thought are member of the Forum. The Forum has held regular meetings since its formation to explore avenues for consolidating the ties among Muslims and Islamic countries. At a time when enemies of Islam

and the Muslims are at work to pit Sunnis against Shias, the Forum is an appropriate platform for Muslims from different schools of thought to discuss the problems of the Islamic world in a brotherly and cordial atmosphere to defuse the plots of the enemies.

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Economy

Global Recession Ending but Recovery Slow

Ma Wenbo, Li Qi
he International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced that the global recession is ending due to strong public policies and a resurgence in Asia, but a subdued recovery lies ahead. The global economy appears to be expanding again, pulled up by the strong performance of Asian economies and stabilization or modest recovery elsewhere, the IMF said in its semi-annual World Economic Outlook (WEO) released in Istanbul in early October, according to Xinhua. The IMF projected the global output to contract at 1.1 percent in 2009, 0.3 percentage points lower than that projected in the update report in July, but the growth in 2010 will reach 3.1 percent, 0.6 percentage points higher than the previous projection. Advanced economies are projected to expand sluggishly through much of 2010, with unemployment continuing to rise until later in the year. Annual growth in 2010 is projected to be about 1.3 percent, following a contraction of 3.4 percent in 2009. In the advanced economies, unprecedented public intervention has stabilized activity and has even fostered a return to modest growth in several economies, the report said. The projection for U.S. growth in 2009 as a whole is minus 2.7 percent, but has been improved to 1.5 percent in 2010. The downward slide in Japan moderated during the fist half of 2009 and the gross domestic development

(GDP) of the worlds second largest economy is expected to contract 5.4 percent this year and grow 1.7 percent in 2010. Growth rate is also estimated to go up in the euro zone, which is expected to turn from minus 4.2 percent in 2009 to 0.3 percent in 2010, while the picture in Britain is to turn bright as it would register a 0.9-percent growth in 2010 from a contraction of 4.4 percent. In emerging and developing economies, real GDP growth is estimated to reach almost 5.1 percent in 2010, up from 1.7 percent in 2009, said the report. Emerging and developing economies are generally further ahead on the road to recovery, led by a resurgence in Asia, it said. China will lead Asia out of the economic recession by growing 8.5 percent this year and 9.0 percent in 2010. India is expected to expand by 5.4 percent this year and 6.4 percent next year. Russia would grow 1.5 percent in 2010 up from minus 7.5 percent in 2009. Governments launched major fiscal stimulus programs while supporting banks with guarantees and capital injections. These measures reduced uncertainty and increased confidence, fostering an improvement in financial conditions, the report noted. Meanwhile, the Washingtonbased organization pointed out that the pace of recovery is slow, and activity remains far below pre-crisis

levels. Financial systems remain impaired; support from public policies will gradually have to be withdrawn; and households in economies that suffered asset price busts will continue to rebuild savings while struggling with high unemployment, the report said. Thus, the report said, after contracting by about 1 percent in

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2009, global activity is forecast to expand by about 3 percent in 2010, which is still well below the rates achieved before the crisis. In tackling those risks and uncertainties, the IMF suggested that the key policy priorities remain to restore the health of the financial sector and to maintain supportive macroeconomic policies until the recovery is on a firm footing. The global financial crisis and the ripples it sent across the world economy have devastated banking systems, erased jobs and stagnated global trade since its beginning last year. The annual meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank and

the IMF were held in Istanbul on Oct. 6-7. Stronger Asian currencies key to global rebalancing Meanwhile Veronica Smith quoted the chief International Monetary Fund economist as saying that stronger Asian currencies are needed to rebalance global demand, key to a solid recovery from the economic recession. A sustained recovery will require rebalancing of demand, Olivier Blanchard, research director at the Washington-based IMF, said at a news conference in Istanbul on October 1 unveiling the funds semiannual World Economic Outlook (WEO) report, according to AFP.

Its very hard to see how this could happen at the current exchange rates. In general, it is very hard to see how global rebalancing doesnt come without the appreciation of Asian currencies of various degrees according to the country, he said. The world economy is projected to grow 3.1 percent in 2010, following a 1.4 percent contraction in 2009, according to the WEO, but a sustained recovery faces stiff challenges, among them global imbalances. Blanchard said demand needed to be adjusted at two margins: from public to private demand and from current account surplus countries to current account deficit countries. He recalled that the IMF had called for a shift in demand in 2007, urging Americans to save more and Asian countries to save less, a clear reference to Chinas massive trade surplus with the United States. Blanchard said the worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression and the worst recession since World War II had helped fix attention on the need to fix demand imbalances. Now what has happened, not exactly in the way we dreamed of, he said, is that the US savings rate has increased sharply in the face of recession. But he suggested that Asia, and obliquely China, has yet to do its part. In a way, half of the adjustment has taken place, at an enormous cost to the world in terms of a large recession in the US and a large recession in the world, the IMF chief economist said. We cant stay halfway. Were in the middle of the river. And we actually have to cross it and do the other half as well. I think thats the fundamental difference between now

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and 2007, he said. In response to a question about why efforts to achieve global rebalancing could be different this time, Blanchard said: The stakes are higher. And I think the commitment of the countries is higher. The crisis has changed things. We have seen the changes in terms of the decisions of the G20 countries, so I think both the commitment and the need are higher. I think that this time, we have a better chance of succeeding. Meanwhile some analysts in the US maintain that the government measures to rescue the economy have backfired. Following is an analysis of the situation from an American perspective. Everything is so overpriced in America; the average consumer is forced to use credit to purchase the common staples just to survive. This crediting of America has caused an economic hole that the majority of Americans are struggling to get out of. The political answer to this ever deepening economic hole was the creation of the troubled asset relief program, or, T.A.R.P. The first 350 billion dollars was given to Banks who had lent money to consumers to purchase homes. Well, they got it didnt they? Little did we Americans know that they would get it in the form of the tax payers money in a massive T.A.R.P. bailout. In essence, what has taken place is the consumer, you and me, have now taken on more credit through the form of a Government bailout of Corporate America. Most Americans never consider the fact that when our Government borrows money they do so in our name, we are the responsible party that has to pay it all back, through our taxes.

The average consumer is forced to use credit to purchase the common staples just to survive

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The Kabah
Ali Shariati
Made of dark rough stones laid in a very simple manner with white chalk filling the fissures, the Kaaba is an empty cube nothing else. You cannot but shiver and wonder about what you see Here ... There is no one! There is nothing to view! An empty room (cube) is visible. Is that all?!! Is this the center of our faith, prayers, love, life and death? Questions and doubts arise in your mind. Where am I? What is here? What you see is the antithesis of your visual imaginations of the Kaaba. You might have perceived it as an architectural beauty (like a palace) whose ceilings covered a spiritual silence.

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Religion

Another possible portrayal was that of a high tomb housing the grave of an important human being - a hero, genius, imam or prophet! No - instead it is an open square, an empty room. It reflects no architectural skill, beauty, art, inscription, nor quality; and no graves are found there. There is nothing and nobody there to whom you can direct your attention, feelings and memories. You will realize that there is nothing and nobody there to disturb your thoughts and feelings about God. The Kaaba, which you want to fly over to come into contact with the absolute and eternal, is the roof for your feelings. This is something you were unable to achieve in your world of fragmentation and relativity. You could only be philosophical, but now you can see the absolute, the one who has no direction - Allah! He is every where. How good it is to see the Kaaba empty! It reminds you that your presence is for the sake of performing Hajj. It is not your destination. Moreover, it is a guide to show the direction. Kaaba is only a cornerstone, a sign to show the road. Having decided to move toward eternity, you begin the Hajj. It is an eternal movement toward Allah not toward the Kaaba. The Kaaba is the beginning and not the end - when no more can be done. It is the place where Allah, Ibrahim, Mohammed and people will meet. You will be present there only if your mind is not preoccupied with self-centered thoughts. You must be one of the people! Everyone is dressed in special garments. Being Allahs chastity and family you are honored by him . He has more enthusiasm toward this family than any one else. However, the Kaaba, His property and His house is called the house of people. Quran III:96 Lo! The first sanctuary appointed for mankind was that at Bekka (Makkah), a blessed place, a guidance to the people. You are not allowed to enter this sacred house if you are still self attached, that is, thinking of yourself. Makkah is called Baite-Atiq. Atiq represents being free! Makkah belongs to nobody. It is free from the reign of rulers and oppressors; therefore, no one controls it. Allah is the owner of Makkah while the people are its residents. Under the provisions of, the Muslim is allowed to shorten his prayers if traveling at least forty miles away from his home. But at Makkah, regardless of where you are from or how far you have traveled, your prayer is complete. It is your land, your community and you are safe. You are not a visitor, but you are at home.

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Religion

Why is Kabah so simple lacking color and ornamentation? It is because Almighty Allah has no shape, no color and none is similar to Him.

Before coming to Makkah, you were a stranger, exiled in your own land. But now, you are invited to join Allahs family. Mankind, the dearest family of the world, is invited to this house. If you as an individual are self centered, you will feel like a homeless stranger lost with no shelter and no relatives. Therefore, shed the self distinctive tendencies. You are now prepared to enter the house and join this family. You will be welcomed as a friend and close relative of Allahs family. The Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) who was the oldest and most rebellious man of history, may be visualized. Denying all the idols on earth, he greatly loved and obeyed Allah alone. With his own hands, he built the Kaaba. This structure symbolizes Allah in the world. The building is very simple. Black rocks of Ajoon [Mountains near Makkah] are laid on top of each other. There is no design or decoration involved. Its name, Kabah, means a cube in terms of architectural design - but why a cube? Why is it so simple lacking color and ornamentation? It is because Almighty Allah has no shape, no color and none is similar to Him. No pattern or visualization of Allah that man imagines can represent Him. Being omnipotent and omnipresent, Allah is absolute. Although Kaaba has no direction (because of its cubic shape), by facing Kaaba when performing the prayers, you choose Allahs direction and face Him. Kabas absence of direction may seem difficult to comprehend. However, universality and absoluteness prevails. Having six sides, the appropriate structure is a cube!

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Religion

It encompasses all directions and simultaneously their sum symbolizes no direction! The original symbol of this is the Kaaba! Quran II:115 Unto Allah belongs the east and west, and whither so-ever you will be facing Allah. When praying outside of Kaaba you must face it. Any structure except Kaaba directs north, south, east, west, up or down. Kaaba, an exception, is facing all directions while it is facing none. Truly a symbol of Allah, it has many directions yet it has no particular direction. Toward the west of Kaaba there is a semicircular short wall which faces Kaaba. It is called Ishmaels Hajar. Hajar signifies lap or skirt. The semi lunar wall resembles a skirt. Sarah, the wife of Ibrahim had a black maid (Ethiopian) called Hajar. She was extremely poor and humbled to the degree that Sarah did not object to her becoming a bed-mate of her husband, Ibrahim, in order to bear him a child. Here was a woman who was not honored enough to become a second wife to Ibrahim yet Allah connected the symbol of Hajars skirt to His symbol, Kaaba. The skirt of Hajar was the area in which Ismail was raised. The house of Hajar is there. Her grave is near the third column of Kaaba. What a surprise since no one, not even prophets, is supposed to be buried in mosques but in this case, the house of a black maid is located next to Allahs house! Hajar, the mother of Ismail is buried there. Kaaba extends toward her grave. As a result, Allahs house is directed toward her skirt! There is a narrow passage between the wall (Hajars skirt) and Kaaba. When circumambulating around Kaaba, Allah commanded that you must go around the wall (not through the passage) otherwise your Hajj will not be accepted. Those who believe in monotheism and those who have accepted Allahs invitation to go to Hajj must touch this skirt when circumambulating the Kaaba. The grave of a black African maid and a good mother is now a part of Kaaba; it will be circumambulated by man forever! Allah, the Almighty, in His great and glorious

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Religion

Divinity is all alone by Himself. He needs nobody and nothing. Nevertheless, among all His countless and eternal creatures, He has chosen one, mankind, the noblest of them. From among all humanity: a woman, From among all women: a slave, And from among all slaves: a black maid! The weakest and most humiliated one of His creatures was given a place at His side and a room in His house. He has come to her house and become her neighbor and roommate. So now, there are two, Allah and Hajar, under the ceiling of this house! IN THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY, THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER IS SO ELECTED! The rituals of Hajj are a memory of Hajar. The word Hijrah (migration) has its root in her name as does the word Muhajirs (immigrant). The ideal immigrant is the one who behaved like Hajar. Mohammad (PBUH) Hijrah is what Hajar did. It is also a transition from savagery to becoming civilized and from Kofr to Islam. In Hajars mother language her name means the city. Even the name of this black Ethiopian slave is symbolic of civilization. Furthermore, any migration like hers is a move toward civilization! Hajars grave is in the midst of mans circumambulation of Kaaba. You, the mohajir (immigrant), who has divorced himself from everything and accepted Allahs invitation to go to Hajj, you will circumambulate Hajars grave and the Kaaba of Allah imultaneously. What is being said in these paragraphs? It is difficult to realize. But for those who think they live in freedom and defend humanism, the significance of these incidents transgresses the scope of their understanding! Excepts from Hajj authored by Ali Shariati and translated by Ali Behzadnia & Najla Denny

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Literature

Hafez
defines Iranian identity
By Hossein Kaji

ctober 12 is the day in which Hafez is honored in Iran. Hafez Day gives us an opportunity to analyze the relationship between his viewpoints and our culture and tradition. Renowned Iranian Hafez expert Bahaeddin Khorramshahi has said that Hafez is our memory. This is an important point that should be clarified. It is obvious that many thinkers and intellectuals reflect the spirit of their culture. For example, Shakespeareillustratesanimportant part of British culture and through his works we can understand some aspects of the tradition in which he

grew up. Other luminaries have reflected some elements of their cultures, but the position of Hafez and a few other Iranian luminaries in depicting the characteristics of our tradition is incomparable. We can see the viewpoints of many poets and thinkers of Iranian culture in Hafezs poems. In addition to their mystical, religious, cultural, and psychological aspects, the views of some philosophers like Farabi and Avicenna are also evident in his poems. Molana Rumi, Saadi, al-Ghazali, Ferdowsi, and Razi are some Iranian poets, scholars, and philosophers whose views are found in Hafezs poems. Some norms of Iranian practical wisdom are also reflected in his poems and statements. He shows us some important layers of the Iranian spirit. This is why Hafez is not just a poet. He is the essence of our culture. He reflects so many

aspects of Iranian culture and tradition. So when it is said that Hafez is our memory, it means that he has embedded some important aspects of our identity in his poems. He not only gathers the entire body of wisdom of his own culture but also represents the practical knowledge of his tradition. Although we cannot forget his incredible statements, Iranians adoration of his poetry can only be explained by the fact that he speaks in the spiritual language of their culture. Some continental philosophers like the existentialists believe that there is a deep link between memory and identity. In their approach, the human being does not have entity, but rather he/ she has historical identity. And the historical identity is acquired through memory. One who does not have a good memory does not

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Literature

have a good identity. When it is said that Hafez is our memory, it means he is our identity. Identity relates to our picture of human beings, the world, and society, and Hafez shows the Iranian picture of them. If Iranians praise his poems, it is not merely for their beautiful form. Iranians have read his poetry for centuries because he speaks about their identity and lifestyle. They empathize with these poems because of this common identity. This is the other meaning of the statement that some poets and thinkers definitively represent their cultures. They focused on the characteristics of identity and the memory of that identity. Some intellectuals say our world has an identity crisis. This means we lose our memory in order to establish a rational and spiritual relationship with our historical identity. In this domain, some luminaries like Hafez for the Iranian culture, Buddha for the Buddhist culture, and Plato for the Western culture,

Some intellectuals say our world has an identity crisis. This means we lose our memory in order to establish a rational and spiritual relationship with our historical identity

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Literature

can help us solve this problem. They tried to connect us with some basic elements of these cultures. So when it is said that Hafez is our memory or Plato is the Westerners memory, it puts emphasis on the important role luminaries and poets play in connecting us to our historical identity. This is the first step for resolving the identity crisis. If there is a serious problem of identity in our world, it is because of our inability to establish a good intellectual relationship with our poets and luminaries. It should be called an identity problem rather than an identity crisis because it is obvious that when the people of a culture establish a good relationship with their luminaries, they do not have an identity crisis. The term identity problem can illustrate the cultural condition of our world. We have Hafez, Plato, and Buddha in our worlds, and we can establish a dialogue with their texts, so we should not have an identity crisis. These luminaries are our memory and we can reconnect to our history with their help. They guarantee the existence of our identity. Indeed, they reaffirm our identity.

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Versified Bosnian translation of Divan of Hafez unveiled in Shiraz

TEHRAN - Versified Bosnian translation of the Divan of Hafez was introduced during the ceremony on Hafez National Day in Shiraz on Monday. Published by the Ibn Sina Research Institute in Sarajevo, the divan was first translated into prose by Basir Jaka, but a group of Persian literature scholars of Bosnia turned it into poetry, said an official from the institute Mohammad-Hossein Abbasi. He noted that the divan has been ready for publication since two years ago. We preferred to publish the book in Iran, but there wasnt much interest or support in the country. So we negotiated with several publishing houses in Bosnia and finally came to an agreement with a firm there that gave us a good discount. It is interesting to note that the director of the publishing house stated that publishing book wouldnt be profitable, however it would give them the honor of publishing a great masterpiece. The Bosnian translation of the divan has been warmly received in Bosnia. Dr. Mustafa Ceric, the Reisu-l-Ulema of Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina regards the work as a great success there. Abbasi later expressed his appreciation to all the Iranian and Bosnian scholars who assisted the institute in the publication of the great work. Every year, Hafez experts and scholars from across the country and abroad gather at the Hafez Mausoleum on October 12 to mark Hafez National Day. This year, Bosnian scholar Nusret Isanovic, the director of Zenica Islamic Pedagogic Academy participated in the ceremony and delivered a speech entitled Hafez in the Mind of the Bosnian People of Today.

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Culture

West stlicher Diwan

Khaki Rezaeizadeh together, we hope, we shall be establishing an Arts festival that will reach out beyond local boundaries and act as a beacon for the whole of Europe. The aim of the annual West stlicher Diwan Festival is an ambitious one: in an entertaining way, to build cultural bridges between the countries of the oriental Persian world, i.e., countries with Islamic cultural traditions, and the countries of the Christian occident, i.e., of Europe. Its intention will be to bring into the open the various feelings of reticence, prejudices and misunderstandings that exist on each side, thereby opening up a host of possibilities for growing nearer to and understanding each other despite our differences in religion and cultural heritage. Naturally, it is also the aim to form bridges of understanding and to teach ourselves something about one another! Such a festival is to be seen as a multi-cultural event between Orient and Occident and as one that will make people in Germany less inhibited about the Islamic world. The City of Weimar, which has honored the two great poets Goethe and Hafiz with its West stlicher Diwan Memorial, is exactly the right place for holding an event of this nature one that needs to be close to the public in terms of its content but, in order to excite international interest in the message that it conveys, also

During the present era of globalization, people involved in cultural politics bear a special responsibility: of finding appropriate ways to build cultural bridges that will counter the tendency towards bloc thinking in both East and West, Orient and Occident. Positive efforts are called for to promote better integration, and this is precisely the role of the annual West stlicher Diwan Festival in Weimar. It represents a great opportunity for Germany and the Islamic-Persian world to boost their peoples understanding of each other via the Arts and

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Culture
needs to meet high artistic standards in order to excite international interest in the message that it conveys. The festival is organized with an eye to ensuring a positive reception via the proposed media consortium. The initial and medium term planning of the festival has established the following sequence of guest nations over the next three years. Each of these countries has such a rich cultural inheritance to choose from that there will be no difficulty in staging a wonderful, multifaceted festival in each of the years. The annually recurring festival is made up of the following two parts: A) Export of cultural items from Weimar to the guest nation B) Import of cultural items from the guest nation to Weimar The first three countries are Iran, United Arab Emirates and Marocco. Each year the festival will be spread over about two weeks and will be a major cultural event, taking place in Weimar but attracting interest all over Germany. Basically it will have a three part structure, the content of each section being drawn from three different branches of the Arts and put together after joint consultation from items offered by the oriental/Islamic guest nation. These items will be designed to appeal to either children, teenagers or adults in equal measure. Legal status of the festival Application has been made to the Weimar authorities for the West stlicher Diwan Festival Weimar to be registered as a gGmbH (a German Limited Company with Charitable Status). The directors of the gGmbH are: Wolfgang Bergerhoff, Chief Solicitor to the Soziett Bergerhoff in Weimar Dr. Ali Ezzati, Spinal Consultant at the Bad Berka/Weimar Central Clinic Franz Huber, proprietor of Kartographie Huber Mnchen Dr. Bernhard Lisson, solicitor at the Soziett Bergerhoff in Weimar Ali Rahbar, historian in Bonn The gGmbH is represented by: Dr. Klaus Gallas, Artistic Director and Director General, initiator of the West stlicher Diwan Festival Weimar Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, has agreed to act as Patron for the West stlicher Diwan Festival Weimar. Artistic Committee and cooperating Institutions: The details of the respective festival programs will be established in conjunction with the Artistic Committee

that has been set up by Dr. Klaus Gallas. Its members are at present: - Prof. Dr. Friedemann Bttner, Arabic Studies, Free University of Berlin approached - Michael Dreyer, Artistic Director of the Orient Festival in Osnabrck - Prof. Dr. Claus-Peter Haase, Direktor Museum fr Islamische Kunst, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin - Prof. Dr. Nasser Kanani, expert on Iranian and Arabic Music, (Berlin) - Dr. Joachim Sartorius, Superintendent of the Berliner Festspiele - Hellmut Seemann, President of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar - Prof. Dr. Udo Steinbach, orientalist (Hamburg, Berlin) - Stefan Wolf, Chief Burgomaster of the City of Weimar - Zubin Mehta, world famous Indian conductor In addition the Weimar festival is working in cooperation with the following institutions: Morgenlandfestival,

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Osnabrck - Klassik Stiftung Weimar - Berliner Festspiele Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung - Goethe Institute. Target audience: The medium to long term aim is that items presented at the festival should reach people throughout Germany, and even in a few instances also in other European countries, far beyond the bounds of Weimar and Thuringia. For the proposed media partnership, preliminary discussions have been successfully held with the weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT, the radio station Deutsche Welle and other media concerns. The intention is to maximize publicity and ensure that the festival significantly increases the amount of cultural tourism to Weimar, the West stlicher Diwan Festival Weimar should be allied to a media consortium of print and TV companies. Orient library/animated film Small Orient Library of the 21st Century. Each year one author from the current guest nations will be selected to have one of his/her works published in German under the motto Small languages great literature. In this way, in the course of a few years a small series of books might be created with the title Small Orient Library of the 21st Century. The literary works would be chosen for the way they present a lively and memorable picture of the participating country: one that vividly conveys to readers both the values of the foreign culture and the unique and individual qualities of the

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guest nations people. Through these encounters with the unfamiliar, readers will have the opportunity to recognize and accept the differences that exist in societies other than their own. Alis Travels and Adventures in the Orient, an animated series for childrens TV will be brought to life in a way that makes them exciting but also incorporates elements of the culture of the respective guest nations in the form of interesting encounters. The initiator of the West stlicher Diwan Festival Weimar, who is also its Artistic Director, Dr. Klaus Gallas, has enjoyed decades of experience of these countries (Dr. Gallas lived in Iran for a considerable time and, among others he also knows Egypt, Marocco, Oman, Syria and Turkey) and this will enable him to shape the storyline of the adventures into a good framework for their cultural content. Of course, Islamic religious themes too will be built into the adventures. The rest is all a matter for the scriptwriters. As producer of this series, Gerhard Hahn (Berlin) or Peter Will (Hamburg) would be worth considering, the latter having successfully launched the Little Amadeus series onto the market. There have already been preliminary talks with KIKA (the childrens channel of ARD and ZDF). The Head of Program Planning, Mr. Frank Beckmann, is very much interested in the realization of the project. The first thing that is necessary is a solid amount of development financing, which ought to be achievable among the various guest nations.

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Sience

Born an Inventor
As a child Mohsen Ahmadlou was always interested in inventing. Sometimes, putting his ideas to practice when in primary school he created an electromechanical devise which was able to separate a mixture of rice, bean, pea and lentil. The devise was used by students at the school for several years. These days he is an accomplished inventor in the country. See what hes up to in his own wards.

Could you tell us about some of your inventions? About a year ago I was watching a movie about an earthquake in a metropolitan city, when I was I started thinking about facilitating relief works. My main problem was to have a helicopter that could land on rough terrains. So through hard work I materialized this dream and invented it. In the next step I thought that we needed a helicopter capable of passing through narrow passages while hitting the obstacles too. Thus far there has not been any such helicopter but I just invented it. The third invention is related to an instrument meant to assist the aged while ascending or descending the stairs. It is in fact a robotic devise that can be installed underneath ones

cloths. There is no similar devise in the world for this purpose. Unfortunately the formula of this devise was sold to Japan by an employee of the Inventors Society. However we could not return the property right back to Iran. What are your future plans? I have a lot of plans in my mind. What I need to realize my plans is money.

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Urban Development

Kerman province deputy governor general for urban affairs:

Governments Performance in Infrastructure Development in Province Is Commendable

he deputy Kerman province governor general for urban affairs, Samareh Hashemi, appreciated the governments efforts towards infrastructure urban development of the province. In an interview with ECHO magazine, Samareh Hashemi added in the first half of the current year 370 billion rials was expended on implementing development projects in Kerman province. The sum has been spent for laying curb blocks alongside streets, asphalting streets, creating parks, collecting surface waters, and establishing fire stations in 60 cities of the province. The asphalting projects are underway in cooperation with the Organization of Municipalities and Rural Administrations, the governor generals office, and municipalities of the province, and the support of the government with the allocated budget of 420 billion rials, aimed at improving the conditions for the traffic of vehicles in cities. The overall progress of the projects is 76 percent. Kerman province stands the third after Tehran and Isfahan provinces in terms of the allocated budget. The deputy Kerman province governor general for urban affairs went on to say that 50 trucks were delivered to municipalities of the province during the Government Week as a move to retrofit the transportation fleet and offering better services by municipalities in underdeveloped regions. The trucks were procured through the budget allocated during the second trip of President and Cabinet to the province. The trucks have been purchased by the urban affairs department general at Kerman province governor generals office funded through the budget allocated during the President and his Cabinets trip to the province. Samareh Hashemi put the value of each of the trucks at 800 million rials, adding 40 billion rials was expended to buy the trucks. He referred to a comprehensive plan for colleting the waste form across cities of the province at the cost of four billion rials which is underway in association with the University of Tehrans Faculty of Environment as one of the prominent activities to improve urban environment conditions. He added preliminary stages of the plan are being carried out, and after completing the studies, the plan will be executed. Kerman province has a population of some 2.23 million who are living in 20 counties and 6 cities, of them 45.51 percent live in urban areas. Public Relations Department of Kerman Province Department General for Urban Affairs

.
. : . 40 008 : . . 02 06 45/51 032 .

. : ECHO. 073 . 06 : 024 67 . 05

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Urban Development

Chelgard Municipality Needs more Budget to Tackle Problems

Chelgard is referred to as the roof of Iran. One can feel the beauty of upside-down tulips and vast green lawns and pastures, grazing herds and black colored tents of tribes, and gushing rivers which breath a new life into the soul altogether in Chelgard. Tourist places of Koohrang, especially the tunnel of Koohrang, attract many tourists each year from across the country to Chelgard which is the central district of the city. This year, a large number of tourists traveled to the region in summer. The waterfall of Koohrang which shines as a gem on Chelgard is a resort for those who seek a place to rest and get away from the pollutions of living in cities. The awesome Koohrang waterfall catches the eye of every person who loves the intact beauty of the nature. Despite these all, Chelgard is in need of more financial support by officials. The young and assiduous mayor of Chelgard says the city suffers from the lack of infrastructural tourist attraction facilities. He says establishing such facilities require some 20 billion rials. Hassan Gheibipour who was elected by a majority of the councilors of Chelgard as the mayor in 2007 referred to the development projects which were carried out last years, saying last year 5.3 billion rials and this year 3.2 billion rials was allocated to the municipal projects. Of the 3.2 billion rials, 1.6 billion rials has been received. Of the sum, 800 million rials went to the establishment of tourism facilities around the waterfall, 700 million rials to the renovation of martyrs cemetery, and 750 million rials to the collection of surface waters. He said geometrical modification of entrance squares of the city will cost 12 billion rials. The establishment of firefighting department costing 1.8 billion rials, building the city entrance square, creation of green space, painting doors of industrial units, installing traffic signs, and sidewalk building are the activities of Chelgard Municipality in the current year. He said the municipality has financially supported cultural centers and mosques and launched irrigation system for green spaces. The city has three hotels with 200 beds which are ready to serve tourists and travelers. Chelgard has been named as a tourist hub and a comprehensive plan for the expansion of tourist sites is being developed. Some people embark on building construction in their own lands without receiving permissions from the municipality and this is a problem which is facing the municipality. The case has been referred to the article 100 commission in order to be investigated, Gheibipour said. Last year, 12.7 billion rials was approved as the municipal budget, of which 11.34 billion rials was received. The budget for the current year is 10 billion rials, of which 50 percent is to be collected through public contribution. Two garbage collectors are working in two shifts to collect garbage across the city. He further said that we hold religious ceremonies in the city through cooperation with the governmental departments. The mayor of Chelgard reiterated We will hold the memorial ceremony of the martyrs of Chelgard in November through cooperation of the municipality. He further announced about renovation of the city mosque. The mayor of Chelgard also notified about holding two meetings between directors of the Housing and Urban Development, Tourism, Agricultural Jihad, and Cultural Heritage Departments, as well as technical affairs office of the governorate, municipality and Islamic Council of Chelgard for ratifying the comprehensive plan of city. Gheybipour went on to say that an advisor has been selected for the project of removing surface waters and it will be implemented at the cost of 170 billion rials. Disasters controlling plan will be implemented in the winter in which the heavy vehicles will be at standby status, he remarked. Saplings will be planted at the boulevards, and trees in the cemetery of martyrs, water pipelines network will be laid at the cemetery, and road bedding will be done in the thoroughfares of the city, he announced adding based on the Hadi Plan, place of building parking lot in the city has been specified and we hope that it will be done through securing fund. In the end, he thanked the governor general of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, the deputy governor general for development affairs, deputy governor general for urban affairs, young governor of Kouhrang, who have always supported the Islamic Council and municipality of Chelgard. Elyias Gheybi, the chairman of Islamic Council of Chelgard, for his part claimed about lack of credit for acquisition of the citys thoroughfares and stated that financial performance of the municipality is completely clear and reports are offered to the people continuously in this due. The third round of the city council has the clearest financial term; he said and referred to the tourism and natural attractions of Chelgard. We call on the national and regional officials to ratify the comprehensive tourism plan for Chelgard. It would be a great step toward attracting tourists, he added. This city has a population of 3366 and its municipality holds grade 3, hence the allocated fund is not enough for attracting tourists, he complained. Some 20 billion rials fund is required for establishing tourism infrastructure in Chelgard, he said adding some 80,000-120,000 tourists enter Chelgard per month, but they leave the city unsatisfied due to lack of welfare facilities. Such thing will lead to decrease of tourism attraction in long term. He called for attaching two villages of MalekAbad and Shahid Beheshti to Chelgard and stated that though these villages are considered as Chelgard villages in the comprehensive city plan, they have independent councils and their people avoid services offered by the municipality of Chelgard because they may be deprived from the services offered by the supporting entities in case they are attached to Chelgard. He expressed hope that these two villages are attached to Chelgard. The chairman of Islamic Council of Chelgard called on the people of this city to cooperate with the municipality for receiving permit before conducting any constructional task.

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Performance of Airports of Sistan-Baluchestan

Ali Kaikhaii holds a BS degree in Commercial Management and is an MS undergraduate of Executive Management. He has some 20 years of experience in managing airports nationwide. He is currently the director general of Sistan-Baluchestan province airports. On the occasion of the Government Week, we have conducted an interview with him on the performance of the airports department general of Sistan-Baluchestan province. He has the point of view towards infrastructural development of airports as the bedrock for the development of the aviation industry. The government has provided the situation for the infrastructural development of the aviation industry in the province, so that the Zahedan airport is among the top eight international airports of the country, Kaikahii said. In terms of equipped navigation systems, the airport ranks the fourth nationwide, he added. Launching international flights, offering services to passing international flights, offering bunkering service to passing flights, and admitting emergency landing of flights, allocating over 1,600 miles of domestic and international corridors from Iran FIR, connecting the south east to the central Asia and Europe as well as to the Persian Gulf region and Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China and vice versa, launching flights of Iran Air, Air Tour, Mahan, and Aseman airlines as well as Fars Air Qeshm, Caspian, and Taban airlines have given a unique status to the provinces airports. Kaikhaii added the special location of Sistan-Baluchestan airports helped us save the lives of nine Armenian passengers through admitting an emergency landing of two passing flights, one of which had lost both engines. The director general of Sistan-Baluchestan Province airports said the air travel capacity (domestic and international) has increased by 30 percent in the past four years. Speaking on the occasion of the government Week, Ali Kaikhaii added currently more than 110 domestic and international flights are carried out from the provinces airports per week. Iran Air, Iran Airtour, Mahan, Aseman, Fars Air Qeshm and Caspian traveling companies conduct the flights. International flights are underway from Zahedan and Chabahar airports to Najaf, Dubai, Muscat, Doha, as well as to Saudi Arabia, and Syria, he said. Also domestic flights are regularly carried out in Zahedan, Gorgan, Chabahar, Shiraz, Zahedan, Tehran, Kerman, and Isfahan routes, he noted. Some flights are also carried out from Chabahar, Zabol, and Iranshahr to Mashhad and Tehran, he added. The director general of Sistan-Baluchestan airports went on to say that during the past four years 30 airport projects were implemented at the cost of 130 billion rials. Launching navigation systems at Zahedan and Zabol airports greatly helped boost flight capacity and reduce the cancellation of flights, Kaikhaii said. Launching the ILS navigation system, entrance terminal of domestic flights at Zahedan airport, equipping Saravan airport, establishing a passenger terminal at Iranshahr airport, and launching the VOR.DME navigation system were among the most important projects which were inaugurated by the government. The navigation systems have provided a better sight for pilots at Zahedan and Zabol airports and have helped increase the number of flight capacity to a great extent. In addition the cancelled flights have been declined by 50 percent. These equipments have placed the Zahedan airport among the top eight airports of the country. Such equipment has placed Zahedan airport among the top eight airports in the country. Sistan-Baluchestan Province has five operating airports and three non-operating airports. The province is ranked the first nationwide in this regard. We are planning to expand infrastructures in order to increase the number of flights, Kaikhaii concluded. Activities of Sistan-Baluchestan airports department general in boosting flight capacity - In flight capacity section: increasing flight capacity by 30% - Establishing Aseman and Mahan Air branches - Launching night flights from Zahedan - Increasing flights to Tehran and Mashhad and vice versa - Launching Zaheda-Gorgan two-way flight - Carrying out over 110 flights weekly

Performance of Sistan-Baluchestan airports department general in infrastructural development sector - Installing VOR/DME system at Zabol airport - Installing ILS/DME system at Zahedan airport - Apron at Zahedan airport - Landscaping at Zabol airport - Building Iranshahr terminal - Completing Saravan airport project - Renovating Zabol terminal airport - Establishing fueling unit at Zabol airport - Establishing an entrance terminal at Zahedan airport - Building the security unit at Zahedan airport - Building the police office at Zahedan airport - Connecting Zahedan airport to optical fiber telecommunication network - Administrative automation - Renovation of entrance terminal for Mecca pilgrims/landscaping pilgrims parking space - Launching Zabol airport central installations - Purchasing security-gateway systems - Renovation of control towers of Zahedan and Zabol airports - Implementing Ilia recreational project in cooperation with the private sector - Building an access road for fueling planes at Zahedan airport - Constructing 14 houses for personnel in Zahedan, six in Zabol, and four in Iranshahr - Gas supplying to the houses at Zahedan airport - Offering fueling service to international flights and tens of other projects

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03 - 011 VOR.DME VOR.DME / - 41 6 4 -

02 . . . 8 . 0061 FIR 4 3 . : 9 . : ( ) 03 . : . : 011 . : - . : . : 03 031 . 031 . ILS VOR.DME . : 05 . : 65 . : .

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Hamedan

Hosts First Gathering of Freed Prisoners of War from Iran and Other Muslim Nations
Vice Majlis speaker: PoWs are symbols of resistance and patience
Vice Majlis Speaker Hojjatoleslam Mohammad-Hassan Aboutorabi said the freed prisoners of war are the symbols of resistance and patience and the powerful wings for the Islamic revolution. Addressing the first gathering of the PoWs of Iran and other Muslim nations around the world, Aboutorabi said the PoWs shined on the dark sky of Iraq and turned the horrible camps of the Saddam regime into a heavenly environment through their patience, resistance, faith, and good conduct. Their honor their manner and resistance and register their imprisonment as the most valuable moments of their lives. After eight years of captivity in the hands of brutal and merciless persons, the brave Iranian PoWs were irritated to hear the news about the acceptation of the peace resolution as they believed the end of war was the start of their real captivity, while the Iraqi side set up a feast as they thought they have won the battle. Hojjatoleslam Aboutorabi went on to say that officers of the Red Cross told the Iranian PoWs at Mosul 4 camp: In fact, you have captured the Iraqis and they are in your captivity. This confession is of no similar in the world history. Referring to some memories from the martyr Aboutorabi, he said a Red Cross officer called the martyr as a vigilant and wise person who was very patient to reach his sacred goal. He wished a few persons like Aboutorabi had lived in the world.

Hamedan Friday prayers leader:

Freed PoWs honored in Hamedan after 20 years

The Supreme Leaders message:
In the name of God The prisoners of wars commendable resistance in Iraqi prisons and their fighting towards victory are among the unforgettable scenes in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Every single moment of those days and nights are full of memories, lessons, and honors for the nation. People will take lessons from the PoWs valuable resistance to reinforce their faith and hope to cement the moral of resistance in the younger generation. Those who were martyred as prisoners of war are truly among the most elevated souls and the most respected martyrs of the sacred defense. The Iranian nation commemorate martyr Hojjatoleslam Ali-Akbar Aboutorabi who was the symbol of resistance, piety, and vigilance. His good memory will be permanent among those who seek justice and freedom. The freed prisoners of war should maintain those spiritual reserves inside and fulfill their religious and revolutionary obligation through disseminating the sacred defense values. I wish success and prosperity for all. Seyed Ali Khamenei
The Friday prayers leader of Hamedan and the Supreme Leaders representative to the province said in the gathering of prisoners of war from Iran and other Muslim nations that the gathering enlivened the altruism memories of the PoWs twenty years after they has freed from Iraqi imprisonment. Ayatollah Ghiaseddin Taha-Mohammadi said in the first gathering prisoners of war from Iran and other Muslim nations in Hamedan that the move will bring the nation with many benefits and blessings as it was an initiative which took place in the province. The younger generation should take lessons from your resistance and honor you as the heroes of the Islamic Revolution. They should follow your path in order to boost their religious and national identity. Islamic and non-Islamic nations owe these achievements to your resistance and patience.

Venezuelan ambassador to Iran:

Resistance in Venezuela is Public

In the gathering of Iranian and Muslim freed prisoners of war, Dr. David Velax, the Venezuelan ambassador to Iran, stated that today, resistance in Venezuela is a public movement. He went on to say that this gathering will contribute to expanding relations between the countries, which have resistance movement, and removing their problems, adding we learnt some things in this gathering which could use in our own country. The U.S. prevents the nationalist countries from progress through provoking disturbance and riot in them. It has even tried several times to remove independent status of Latin America. Dr. Velax also reiterated that the U.S. is responsible for all wars in the world. In this due, Venezuela has tried to stand against such thing through having stable relations with the nationalist countries and its about ten years that Venezuela has had a continuous relationships with Iran.

Son of the Iranian abducted diplomat: Officials should seriously follow to free abducted diplomats
Vahed Mousavi, the son of the Iranian abducted diplomat Mohsen Mousavi said legal actions to pursue the destiny of the Iranian diplomats abducted by the Zionist regime have not been sufficient. Speaking on the sidelines of the first gathering of freed prisoners of war from Iran and other Muslim nations, he said NGOs have taken steps to follow the case in the human rights committee, but the governments activities and follow-up regarding the issue have not been sufficient.

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Amir Khojasteh:

Keep Faith with Supreme Leader, an Objective of Freed PoWs Gathering

Amir Khojasteh, the head of Martyrs and War Veterans Affairs Department of Hamedan province, mentioned keeping faith with the Supreme Leader as one of the objectives of holding the gathering of Iranian and Muslim freed prisoners of war. I welcome and thank all Iranian and Muslim prisoners of war, who are the reason for holding such large gathering., he sated. We follow the Supreme Leader under any circumstances and are ready to disseminate the culture of freedom seeking and dedication to all over the world according to his order. This culture will never be limited to Iran due to its features., he added. He referred to disseminating the culture of martyrdom, dedication and freedom seeking through the experiences of prisoners of war and transferring them to the next generation as the other objective of this gathering. The head of Martyrs and War Veterans Affairs Department of Hamedan province further addressed the participated freed prisoners of war: The initiative plan of establishing the large Association of Iranian Freed Prisoners of War will come on stream in this gathering with the aim of taking care of your affairs and securing your rights. He appreciated the efforts made by Bou-Ali Sina University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Islamic Revolution Guardian Corps Department and the governorate of Hamedan for their cooperation in this due.

Shiite representative to Afghan senate parliament:

Living in Guantanamo was horrible

The representative of the Shiite to the Afghan senate parliament said being in captivity is a tough situation and a divine test and living in the horrible Guantanamo prison resembled living in the hell. Mohammad Alishah Mousavi said in the first gathering of freed prisoners of war from Iran and other Muslim nations in the city of Hamedan that the message of PoWs is more effective than the the act of martyrdom, because martyrs lost their live once and all but PoWs see their lives several times to have lost. Mousavi who has spent 43 months in Guantanamo said the U.S. embarked on establishing the horrible Guantanamo prison in Cuba before Fidel Castro took the power to attain their heinous plots. The prison has been divided into two by two meters areas for single imprisonment for periods of four years or more.

Sudanese ambassador to Iran:

We Learn Ways of Resistance, Respecting and Honoring Martyrs

Addressing the same gathering, the Sudanese ambassador to Iran stated that we learnt the ways of resistance as well as respecting and honoring the martyrs in the gathering of Iranian and Muslim freed prisoners of war. Soleyman Abdol Tavvabolzein went on to say that Islamic Revolution of Sudanese people has resisted against the aggressive countries, but the U.S. is trying to destroy this public revolution through different tricks even trial of Omar al-Bashir. It intends to achieve its caitiff aim through equipping the rebels, but our government prevents it from obtaining its objective through negotiation as well as resistance. He further reiterated: We have proven this in Sudan through army-based resistance and economic resistance and will fight against the U.S. through our army and public force. He stated that the other reason of U.S. for combating Sudan is that Sudan is the gateway of Islam to Africa, adding the U.S. is trying to block this way by provoking riot in Sudan.

Deputy secretary general of Hezbollah: We Expand War to Palestine in Case Israel Attacks Lebanon
The deputy secretary general of Hezbollah stated that if Israel attacks Lebanon again, we will expand the war to Palestine and make its attempt fruitless. Sheikh Abdul Karim Obeid stated on Sundays night in the large gathering of Iranian and Muslim freed prisoners of war that Israels threats are just loose talk which are not put into action. Islamic resistance has strengthened several times compared to 2006, and it has thousands of militants at the present because Lebanons population is rising while Israels army has not increased because of their low population, he added. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has stated that we have thousands of militant powers and I give Iranian nation the good news that we will achieve great victories in the near future, Obeid reiterated. If you want Islamic resistance to continue and win in Lebanon, you should support the supreme Leader, because Lebanon and Iran follow the same way, he added. In the past, your slogan was Hezbollah is our party and Ruhollah is our leader, today we say that Hezbollah is our party and Khamenei is our leader which is the same slogan. All Lebanons people knew that in the past their leader has been Imam Khomeini and today Ayatollah Khamenei is their leader., Obeid remarked. In Lebanon, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is considered as the leader of Islamic resistance while Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is considered as the leader of us and all Shiite people in the world. In this due, each dissension in Iran will have negative effect on the Islamic resistance of Lebanon. he maintained. The deputy secretary general of Hezbollah went on to say that Israelis have spared nothing to achieve their goal.

Final declaration of the first gathering of PoWs from Iran and other Muslim nations
The final declaration of the first gathering of freed prisoners of war from Iran and other Muslim nations was reado out in Imam Khomeini mosque in Bu-Ali Sina University of the city of Hamedan. The declaration reads: On the verge of the twentieth anniversary of the return of freed prisoners of war to their homeland, some 2,000 freed PoWs from Iran and other Muslim nations have gathered to gather here in the city of Hamedan to commemorate their resistance and patience. While thanking the Azadegna Board of the city as the organizer of the gathering and appreciating the Martyrs Foundation, the governor generals office, and other departments for their cooperation to hold the event, we thank God for providing us with the opportunity to visit the honored PoWs after 20 years. So, seize this welcome opportunity to reemphasize the following issues in line with our responsibility to materialize the lofty objectives of the Islamic Revolution: 1- All strata of the society, including the common people, political, scientific, and cultural figures, are obliged to unify on the high status of the Supreme Leader as the single reference who can secure the national sovereignty and religious identity. All of us, with every political and cultural taste, should take orders of the Supreme Leader as definitive. 2- The attendees in the first gathering of freed prisoners of war from Iran and other Muslim nations thank the Iranian nation for their huge turnout in the presidential to show their commitment to the Islamic Revolutions values and disappoint foes of the country and encourage other Muslim nations. We congratulate the president and wish him success in serving people more than the past. All of us should move towards the promotion of Islamic values and boost the national unity and Islamic solidarity to thwart plots of enemies and accelerate the trend of national development and cut the hands of enemies from national interests. 3- We, the PoWs, once again announce our commitment to the Islamic revolutions values and say as we were under the command of the late Imam after the Islamic Revolution, we are the soldiers under the command of the Supreme Leader and are ready heart and soul to sacrifice ourselves to safeguard the Islamic revolution. 4- Attendees in the gathering request the related authorities, particularly officials of the Martyrs Foundation, its subsidiaries, and departments related to PoWs affairs, to hold such gatherings annually on a regular basis. 5- Attendees in the gathering call the related officials for the establishment of the PoWs Great Association focusing on the PoWs cultural institute which was founded by martyr Hojjatoleslam Aboutorabi and is running currently by Vice Majlis Speaker Hojjatoleslam Aboutorabi, in a bid to reunify the popular entities active in the field of serving the PoWs and turn it into an Iran-based global institution to promote the values of patience and resistance and defend the rights of PoWs across the globe. 6- Attendees in the gathering request the parliament to put the bill for serving the PoWs on the agenda as a priority in order to be followed as a comprehensive plan to offer services to the PoWs in the current year.

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Ardebil
Attractions

rdebil province is located northwest of Iran, bordering with East Azarbaijan, Zanjan, and Gilan provinces and having some 360 kilometers of joint border with the Republic of Azerbaijan. Ardebil is one of the most beautiful points of Iran in terms of historic and cultural attractions. The region has been distinguished for its unique and pleasant climate and a cradle of civilization and developed cultures. More than 1,500 historic sites including hills, castles, monuments, and bridges across the province such as the Pirazmian historic district in Meshkinshahr city, Gilvan in Shahroud of Khalkhal, Nader antient hill in Aslandouz and Anahita in Sarein, Pardis bridge in Kowsar city, Haft Cheshmeh in Ardebil, Sheikh Safi and Sheikh Jebraeil tombs, the grand historic Bazaar in Ardebil, Qahqaheh in Meshkin Shahr, and Qiz Qale in Bileswar are some of the tourist attractions of the region. In addition, the natural resources and attractions such as over 100 hot and cold spas in the cities of Sarein, Meshkin Shahr, Nayyer, and Kowsar, has turned Ardebil province into a hub of water treatment, so that it is referred to as the land of heavenly spas. The awesome mountains and valleys such as Sabalan mythological and sacred mountain, which is the countrys second highest peak, and the wonderful Shirvan Daresi valley, gushing rivers, fertile lands of Ardebil and Moghan, Fandoqlou eye-catching resorts in Namin, delicious local food and attractive souvenirs, natural honey and traditional cookies, new years festivals and feasts, immigration of Shahsavan tribes, chamomile festival in Namin, symbols of arts and handicrafts such as rug and Jajim weaving, wooden works, pottery, porcelain, decorative stones, and leather products are some of the attractions and beauties of Ardebil province. Tens of hotels and accommodation centers, recreational and cultural resorts, and the hospitable people of Ardebil welcome you to visit the province. Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department of Ardebil

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Lorestan Province Veterinary Department Plays Key Role in Health of Society and Food Products
Veterinary organizations which are in charge of guaranteeing the health of livestock as well as livestock-based products have a big responsibility in terms of securing the health of society. Due to such a heavy responsibility, they should be paid special attention in terms of allocating credits and providing human resources and equipments. Despite having the least facilities and human resources, the Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province has managed to offer many services in all parts of the province. In this regard, and interview has been conducted with Dr. Goudarzi, the head of Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province, which comes as follows. The head of Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province announced that establishment of a center for studying livestock parasitic diseases was enacted in the first trip of president to Lorestan province, adding some 10 billion rials fund is required for implementation of such project. Dr. Javad Goudarzi added that the fund required for implementation of this enactment has been anticipated after passing legal stages of receiving related permit from the vice president for planning affairs. The required permit was received in 2007, he said adding some 2 billion rials cost had been anticipated for this plan. The advisor for the first and second phases were selected in Tehran, so we selected the advisor for the third phase from Lorestan after taking necessary followings up in 2008, he added. The head of Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province reiterated that the cost announced by the contractor to the advisor was more than the figure anticipated in the initial plan, adding fortunately the total figure was received in the past year and we have no problem in terms of fund. This is a national plan which will come on stream in the next year, the official voiced. There is no similar center like the mentioned one in the country, the head of Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province said adding it will act as a regional unit in the west part of country and will evolve into a transnational unit in the future. Some 60 persons will work in this center including 5 parasitologists, 15 veterinarians, 20 laboratory experts and 20 other employees. Permit has been already issued for just one veterinarian by the Veterinary Organization, he said. This laboratory is about to be located in Al-Mahdi Township and will measure 10,000 square meters of total area and 2,000 meters built up area in two stores. The first store will be the laboratory and second one for conference hall and management office, the head of Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province further notified. Performance of Veterinary Organization is different from the other organizations; he said adding no fewer funds should be allocated to this organization. There are some 6.2 million livestock in Lorestan province which should be covered for diseases examination, but due to not allocation of enough fund, we are forced to get help from the private sector, the official mentioned. We received near 10 billion rials development fund in the past year for signing deal with the private sector; the head of Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province said adding it shows that we have no problem in terms of national fund. Lorestan is one of the leading provinces in terms of treating livestock; Dr. Goudarzi said adding Lorestan has an active private sector which is in charge of providing complete health services to the cities and villages of the province. There are some 5 medicine and vaccine distribution centers in province which have permit from Veterinary Department General, the head of Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province added. There are livestock treatment and vaccinations centers in all counties of the province, the official further mentioned. The following tables show activities of these centers. Tables 1, 2, 3, 4 The head of Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province stated that this Department General is in charge of a wide range of affairs such as controlling livestock diseases, supervising livestockbased products, supervising slaughterhouses, butcheries, packaging and distributing centers as well as bird and fish selling centers. The following table indicates measures taken in this due. Dr. Goudarzi referred to implementing enactment of the committee of Milk Improvement Headquarters of Lorestan province as one of the measures taken by this Department General in the current year. All factories and centers, which produce milk, should receive 55 rials from the factory for each liter of milk and charge it to the joint bank account, which graduates of livestock sciences hold, and experts, who are supervising milk collection affairs, should be paid from this account, and the center should attract a technical expert in this due, the head of Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province stressed. These experts should carry out training and supervising task in the centers and send their report to the Veterinary Department General, he added. The head of Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province further announced that some double-casing trucks have been provided for carrying the milk in order to decrease the microbes inside the milk to the least level, adding we expend 1,500,000 rials for each process of testing the amount of medicine remained in the milk to investigate the reasons. Training tasks have been carried out for the private sector and through the agreement made by the Agricultural Jihad Department General and Technical and Vocational Training Department General, veterinary graduates will be used for offering necessary trainings. We established auditing companies based on the executive article No. 194, he notified adding these companies, which work under the supervision of a veterinarian and an expert, supervise activities of the units, which produce livestock raw products, and report the failures. The following table shows some activities taken in this due. We have benefited from the Constructional Basij as well as Students Basij for combating livestock diseases over the past years, the official further underlined. In terms of the committees of grading by Veterinary Department General, Dr. Goudarzi stated that all centers, which have permits for livestock treatment or vaccination, are grading by different committees. In terms of private sectors tariffs, he mentioned that these tariffs are in proper level and status. Dr. Goudarzi further reiterated that near 6 billion rials fund has been secured from Mehr Reza Fund for the graduates of veterinary in the past year and some 3.7 billion rials in the current year, adding the same fund is used also for establishing necessary centers and creating jobs.

In terms of inaugurating new building of veterinary clinic, the official said that the clinic is ready and veterinary Department General will be transferred to it by the next month. We have implemented various plans in the Government Week., Dr. Goudarzi announced. Required vaccines for aquatic creatures of the province have been purchased from Medical Training Organization, the head of Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province further notified. In terms of distributing alive chickens, he said that this matter has made some problems in counties such as Kouhdasht, Khorram-Abad and Pol-Dokhtar, so many preventions were made by the governorates, governors offices, police force and the judiciary in this due. All counties of the province, except for Pol-Dokhtar have the birds slaughterhouse, and this county provides its required chickens form Khorram-Abad given the fact that there is four birds slaughterhouse in this city, the head of Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province mentioned. Lorestan province is ranked the fifth nationwide in terms of population of small livestock such as sheep; he said adding sheep and goat account for the most number of livestock in this province. Lorestan is ranked the first among the non-costal provinces of country in terms of breeding aquatic creatures, eleventh in terms of honey bee breeding, and holds good ranks in terms of birds, ostrich, calf and cow, he further notified. We were ranked the third in previous year in terms of combating livestock diseases, the head of Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province underlined. Referring to registering information related to the livestock disease on the net since 2006, he stated that rankings are informed every month and we have good grades in the country in terms of combating different diseases. Agriculture and livestock breeding account for 35% of the jobs in the province; the official said adding we are trying to increase this amount. Slaughterhouse in the province enjoy standards higher than those in other parts of the country, Dr. Goudarzi highlighted. Slaughterhouse of Kouhdasht is ranked the first in Lorestan province in terms of exporting high quality meat, the official further added. The head of Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province announced that some 7,000 liters of poison as well as free of charge medicine and vaccines have been distributed in arduous and deprived regions of Lorestan province in the Government Week.

Operations of supervising distribution of raw livestock-based products Row Operation 1 Supervises cases 2 Cases which were reported unhealthy 3 Cases referred to judicial offices 4 Confiscated productst 5 Issued health certificate Operations of vaccinating livestock and birds against parasitic diseases Row 1 2 3 Row 1 2 3 Operation Treating parasitic diseases in livestock Vaccinating livestock Vaccinating birds Operation Taking blood sample from sheep and goat Taking blood sample from cow Cows which had disease

Operations of combating Cattle tuberculosis disease Number 15876 1506 205 43269 kg 4525 Number 143449 4827681 35347238 Number 465 1889 5 Row Operation 1 Tuberculined cows 2 Cows which had disease 3 Cows which were seemed to have disease 4 Cow which were slaughtered Operations of combating rabies disease Row 1 Operation Vaccinating dogs against rabies Number 15269 56 27 56 Number 862 Number 64065 19191 90675 4843712 39259

Operations of combating Brucellosis disease

Operations of slaughtering livestock and birds Row Operation 1 Slaughtered sheep and goat 2 Slaughtered cow and calf 3 Weight of confiscated livestock dead bodies 4 Slaughtered birds 5 Confiscated birds Dr. Goudarzi, the head of Veterinary Department General of Lorestan Province

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Tabriz intl. auto expo

he 13th International Automobile Industry and Spare Parts Exhibition will be held from October 15 to 19. IRNA news agency reported on Sunday that over 360 domestic firms and around fifty companies from Turkey and China, as well as representatives from Japan, Korea, Spain, Germany, the UK, Taiwan and Belarus will take part in the expo which will be held at Tabriz International Fairground, in northwest of the country. Participants in this show are active in different fields related to the automotive industry such as heavy and light vehicles, spare parts, repair shop equipment, lubricants, tires, lift trucks, peripheral and luxury equipment, and road building and mining machinery. The goal of the exhibition is to connect manufacturers with consumers, promote auto export industry and exchange of information.

Iran inks 1.2b gas deal with South Korean company

rans Pars Oil and Gas Company signed a deal worth 1.24 billion euros ($1.83 billion) with a South Korean company in Tehran on Monday. IRIB said the contract is for sweetening of gas from phases 6, 7, and 8 of the South Pars field and referred to the South Korean company as GS. GS Holdings is the holding firm of GS Caltex, South Koreas No. 2 crude refiner. The deal was signed by National Iranian Oil Company Managing Director Seyfollah Jashnsaz and the managing director of the South Korean firm. As per the contract, 3.9 billion cubic feet of sour gas extracted from the South Pars phases will be sweetened and injected into Irans national gas supply network. The contract duration is 42 months, the report added. Phases 6, 7, and 8 of the South Pars gas field came on stream on October 21, 2008. They are producing 158,000 barrels of gas condensates, 4,700 tons of liquefied propane and butane, and 104 million cubic meters of gas daily. The South Pars/North Dome field is a gas condensate field located in the Persian Gulf. It is the worlds largest gas field and is shared by Iran and Qatar. The fields recoverable gas reserve is estimated to be equivalent to 215 billion barrels of oil. It also holds about 16 billion barrels of recoverable condensate.

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Shell, Total to take part in SP phases 13 & 14

Worlds Muslim scholars to discuss philosophy in Iran

S I
ran has reached initial agreement with Royal Dutch Shell and Repsol companies for the development of South Pars gas fields phases 13 and 14, National Iranian Oil Companys director for investment affairs said here on Friday. We have reached agreement with the two foreign firms for early development of phase 13, Hojatollah Ghanimifard told the Mehr News Agency. Once the initial stage of the development of the phase 13 is finished, the phases long-term development plan will get started in order to feed the Persian LNG unit as soon as possible, he added. We have set a date for the two foreign firms to declare their final decision about investment in the project, he said, declining to give further information about the specified date. Last year, Shell delayed decisions on multi-billion dollar investments in Iranian LNG projects due to political tension. Repsol has made large investments in Iran, which is the worlds fourth-largest oil producer. Repsol and Shell signed a service contract for the LNG project in January 2007, setting out the conditions for exploration and development operations in phases 13 and 14 of the South Pars project. The Persian LNG project concerns development of production and exports of liquefied natural gas from a part of the South Pars field in the Persian Gulf. Repsol, Shell, and the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) signed an initial deal in 2002 to develop Phase 13 of South Pars. It said production from those phases would feed a future LNG plant that would have two liquefaction trains, each with capacity for 8.1 million tons per year, but that a final investment decision had yet to be taken. According to Oil and Gas Journal, Irans 2008 estimated proven natural gas reserves stand at 948 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), second only to Russia. Roughly two-thirds of Iranian natural gas reserves are located in nonassociated fields and have not been developed.

everal Muslim intellectuals from different countries are coming to Iran to participate in Irans programs for World Philosophy Day. Scholars from several countries including U.S., Britain, India, Turkey and Japan will be attending the program, which will be held from November 10 to 14 in Tehran and Hamedan concurrently. The event is being held by the Institute of Wisdom and Philosophy of Iran and Hamedans Avicenna Foundation. The main theme of the event will be Islamic Philosophy and Contemporary World Challenges.

Collection on Iranian luminaries available at Frankfurt book fair

trilingual collection on Iranian luminaries is now available at Irans stand at the Frankfurt International Book Fair. The book, which contains information in English, German and Persian on numerous luminaries, including Khayyam, Avicenna, Sohrevardi, Hafez, Ghazali, Sadi and Razi, will be available during the event. The book fair is opening on October 14 and will run until October 18.

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