TEHRAN, Sept. 24--Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei here Thursday said no nation would be able to defend its national identity, dignity, prestige, values, beliefs and rights without sacrifice.
In a message read at a ceremony to mark the fourth day of the Sacred Defense Week and themed Appreciation of Martyrs' Services, Ayatollah Khamenei said running away from the scene of defense against the world's tyrannical and arrogant powers that inflict injustice on free nations would bring nothing but humiliation and captivity, IRNA reported.
"This is a lesson taught by our brave and vigilant nation and which remains in history," he said.
The leader noted that the struggle of the oppressed Palestinians, who have embarrassed and frightened the armed-to-the-teeth Zionists, is in line with this enduring lesson.
He added that the humiliation and bewilderment of occupation troops in Iraq also results from the same lesson.
Referring to martyrs as "brilliant gems in the history of Sacred Defense", Ayatollah Khamenei said any vigilant and pure-hearted person would feel duty-bound to defend the cause of martyrs.
Leader's representative to the Martyrs Foundation, Mohammad Hasan Rahimian, read the message at the ceremony.

Abdolkarim Soroush,

QOM, Sept. 24--Muslim philosopher and university professor, Abdolkarim Soroush, was attacked by unknown assailants late Thursday while he was leaving the house of a well-known cleric in the city of Qom.
According to IRNA, around 100 protestors had gathered around the house of Hojjatoleslam Shobeiri (the grandson of Ayatollah Shobeiri) where Soroush attended a private meeting.
The protestors chanted slogans against Qom's governor, governor general and Soroush, demanding he leave the city.
Stones and pieces of wood were thrown at his car, as he drove away from the area.
Soroush was originally scheduled to give a speech at the Qom-based office of Islamic Iran Participation Front after evening prayers, but was forced to cancel his plan due to protests by groups opposed to him.

Amir Mohebbian

TEHRAN, Sept. 24--Experienced politicians know that the image of an action is more significant than the incident itself, a conservative journalist said Thursday.
Amir Mohebbian also told ISNA that in contrast to the realities, the Seventh Majlis is being linked with political tension, radicalism, politicization and political scandals.
Chief editor of the daily Resalat claimed that the reformers are trying "to create a chaotic atmosphere" in the Seventh Majlis similar to that of the Sixth Majlis.
"The truth is that the Seventh Majlis intends to put national strength, financial discipline and popular demands on its agenda. However, since these objectives lack any media strategy, the people's impression of developments in Majlis is different from what is actually going on there," he said.
Mohebbian said what is important is the picture people have of the realities and not the realities themselves.

TEHRAN, Sept. 24--London-based 'Al-Hayat' newspaper claimed Iran's vice president for legal and parliamentary affairs, Mohammad Ali Abtahi, met with Libyan President Moammar Qaddafi's son, Saif-ul-Islam Qaddafi, in Paris and Dubai.
Both sides focused on ways of removing ambiguities surrounding the Lebanese Shiite leader, Imam Mousa Sadr, who went missing in Libya, the Arabic daily quoted Paris-based diplomats as saying.
These diplomats also said Saif-ul-Islam is responsible for settling Libya's differences with the US, Britain, France and Germany.
The paper added that Qaddafi's son is trying to find a solution to Imam Mousa's case that has strained Libya-Lebanon ties over the past decade.
It further quoted these diplomats as saying that Saif-ul-Islam plans to hold talks with high-ranking Iranian officials, Imam Mousa's son Sadreddin Sadr and a former security official of Lebanon's Amal Movement.

TEHRAN, Sept. 24--President Mohammad Khatami here Thursday stressed the need to continue the initiative of Dialogue Among Civilizations more independently.
In an unexpected visit to the library of Dialogue Among Civilizations Center, President Khatami said although several countries welcomed the initiative, it was not received warmly in Iran, IRNA reported.
He underlined the need to further promote the initiative at the international level.
"The global need and Iran's initiative of Dialogue Among Civilizations are two main reasons for the idea's reception at the international level," he said.
Khatami noted that the concept of Dialogue Among Civilizations was brought up and welcomed by the international community at the end of the 20th century when the world was engaged with violence, occupation, terrorism and hatred.
"Conscience would definitely accept what would lead to understanding, dialogue, avoidance of violence and rule of wisdom among nations," he said.
The president said the library of Dialogue Among Civilizations Center is a good asset for intellectuals and would hopefully meet the demands of people in the field.

TEHRAN, Sept. 24--Tehran Public Court confirmed a primary court's verdict to sentence Shahram Jazayeri-Arab, the prime suspect in a high-profile corruption case, to 27 years in prison, fine, return of public funds and 50 lashes.
According to IRNA, Judge Seyyed Hadi Hoseini said Thursday that the court accepted the primary court's verdict after months of investigation.
The verdict had been overturned earlier by Branch 26 of the Supreme Court and referred to Tehran Public Court.
Jazayeri's case prompted the judiciary to take a more serious approach toward corruption.

DAMASCUS, Syria, Sept. 24--Minister of Culture Ahmad Masjed-Jamei here Thursday hoped Syria would become a base for promoting Iranian culture and thought in the Arabic world.
In a meeting with Syria's Minister of Higher Education Hani Murtada, Masjed-Jamei called for establishment of a center for exchange of thoughts and dialogue among Arabs and Iranians, IRNA said.
He said the publication of several Arabic works into the Persian language and Arabic-language courses organized in 30 Iranian universities are indications of the promotion of this language in Iran. He called for setting up a course on Persian linguistics in Damascus University.
Murtada, for his part, assessed bilateral ties between Tehran and Damascus as good and said the Persian-language course will be set up in Damascus University next year.
During the meeting, the two sides stressed cultural and intellectual exchanges as well as the exchange of visits between the two countries' scientific delegations.
In related news, Arab Writers Association on Thursday awarded Masjed-Jamei its honorary membership to honor his efforts to promote cultural ties between Iran and the Arab world.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24--A prominent Democratic senator urged the Bush administration Thursday to directly engage Iran over its suspected nuclear weapons program and that preemptive military force should not be ruled out.
"I don't want to saber rattle, but I wouldn't take anything off the table," said Senator Joe Lieberman, who made an unsuccessful run for the Democratic presidential nomination this year, AFP said.
Lieberman added that the use of force should be a last resort.
But he told defense reporters Iran "is on a path to develop a very significant nuclear weapons program" and is working hard to develop missiles with ranges capable of striking targets in Europe as well as the Middle East.
"If it were up to me, I would try to get the United States in direct communication with the Iranian leadership but on a very tough, tough basis--let's decide what the future is going to be," he told defense reporters here.