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Muslims Should Oversee Public Affairs
TEHRAN, Feb. 14--A top official said on Monday when someone sees the society deviating from the right path, the person should enter the scene and sacrifice himself if necessary, Fars News Agency reported.
Speaking at the gathering to discuss promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, State Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani added that these gatherings create hope among people and this is not something specific to Islam.
ÒAll divine religions promote virtue and prevent vice. Islam considers it as a kind of supervision over public affairs. Each Muslim should supervise over what other Muslims do,Ó he said.
Rafsanjani opined that supervising the performance of others is actually an interaction that takes place in all public places, including school, university or workplace.
Meanwhile, Seyyed Ahmad Zargar, secretary of the Taskforce for Reviving Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, submitted a report to Rafsanjani about the activities of the taskforce.
Zargar noted that conducting research, holding seminars and establishing councils for promotion of virtue and prevention of vice in administrations and factories are the most important activities of the taskforce.
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Officials To Stand Trial In Exam Scandal
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Abbasali Alizadeh
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TEHRAN, Feb. 14--Head of Tehran Justice Department said on Monday several governmental officials involved in the sale of questions of university entrance examination will soon be tried in an open court session.
Abbasali Alizadeh also told Fars News Agency that these suspects have already been indicted and will soon go on trial.
ÒThe suspects will be tried in an open court session,Ó he noted.
Asked about a recent circular by the judiciary chief on not delaying the legal proceedings, Alizadeh responded by saying that Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi has commissioned head of the Appeals Court to help end delays caused in legal procedures.
ÒThe solution will be presented to Ayatollah Shahroudi for final approval. Upon ShahroudiÕs approval, it will be sent to related departments nationwide,Ó he said.
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Broader Ties Favored With Ethiopia
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President Mohammad Khatami received Ethiopian Minister of Finance and Economic Development Ahmed Sufian in Tehran on Monday. (IRNA Photo)
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TEHRAN, Feb. 14--President Mohammad Khatami received visiting Ethiopian Minister of Finance and Economic Development Ahmed Sufian on Monday.
During the meeting, Khatami pointed to historical commonalities between the two countries and Ethiopia's social and economic conditions, praising peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims in that country, IRNA reported.
Referring to the sensitive status of Ethiopia in the African continent, Khatami expressed IranÕs readiness to further expand all-out relations with Ethiopia on the basis of mutual respect.
The Ethiopian minister, for his part, stressed the need for consolidating Tehran-Addis Ababa relations, particularly in cultural and agricultural fields.
Sufian called for sharing expertise with Iran on resource management and resolution of economic difficulties.
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Envoy Meets Saudi Minister
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 14--IranÕs Ambassador in Riyadh Hossein Sadeqi and Saudi Justice Minister Abdullah Al-Sheikh, at a meeting here on Sunday, discussed avenues for enhancing judiciary relations.
The Iranian envoy, at the meeting, described Tehran-Riyadh cooperation as ÔpositiveÕ, IRNA reported.
Highlighting the two countries' commonalities, particularly their religious affinity, Al-Sheikh expressed gratitude for Iranian measures to consolidate bilateral ties.
As the region's powerhouses, he said the two countries should further expand all-out cooperation.
The minister called for meetings among their respective religious scholars, saying these meetings would help strengthen the unity among the Islamic nation.
The Saudi justice minister had paid a visit to Iran on June 7, 2004, in response to the earlier visit of Iranian Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi to Saudi Arabia.
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7 Killed in Isfahan Road Accident
KASHAN, Isfahan, Feb. 14--Seven people were killed and 34 others wounded when a bus and a trailer collided on Kashan-Badroud Road in central Iran, it was reported Monday.
The accident took place late Saturday near Badroud district, about 140 kilometers north of the central provincial capital, Isfahan, IRNA reported.
The bus was traveling to the northern city of Gorgan from Yazd, central Iran.
Local officials said the injured were rushed to the nearest hospital in Kashan, 35 kilometers from the crash site. They said an investigation is underway to find the cause of the accident.
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Tribute To Sohrevardi
TEHRAN, Feb. 14--President Mohammad KhatamiÕs message was read Sunday at a conference marking the commemoration of the Iranian philosopher, Sheikh Shahabeddin Sohrevardi.
A report released by the Presidential OfficeÕs Media Department quoted Khatami as saying that the significance of SohrevardiÕs thoughts was rooted in his power to make use of Iranian wisdom, Greek philosophy and QurÕanic knowledge, IRNA reported.
In his tribute, Khatami further said Sohrevardi succeeded in discovering the Òeternal essence of beingÓ by relying on his amazing faculties.
The president's message was read by his cultural advisor, Hadi Khaniki, at the conference dubbed ÒGnosticism, Islam, Iran and Contemporary ManÓ, which was held at Tehran University's Amini auditorium.
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Kharrazi:
NPT Discrimination Unacceptable
TEHRAN, Feb. 14--Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said on Sunday developing countries, including Iran, would not accept any new discrimination in reviewing the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
The Foreign MinistryÕs Information and Press Department quoted Kharrazi as telling the chairman of a review conference on NPT, Sergio de Queiroz Duarte, that countries possessing and lacking nuclear technology were being discriminated against, IRNA reported.
Kharrazi said the time has come for NPT revision and no new discrimination is acceptable by developing countries.
He outlined Iran's stances on nuclear issues, saying Iran is ready for close cooperation with the review conference on NPT in 2005 to ensure the meeting's success.
Kharrazi stressed the strengthening of NPT, saying countries should not act to undermine the treaty like certain western states.
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Nuclear Talks Optimistic
TEHRAN, Feb. 14--Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel said Sunday Iran is optimistic about the outcome of its nuclear talks with the European Union, saying the talks will continue till both sides arrive at a real guarantee.
In his meeting with Norwegian Ambassador in Tehran Ole Christian Hothe, Haddad-Adel underlined Iran's undeniable right to utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, IRNA reported.
"The government enjoys public support which is the most important asset in the Islamic system. Iran does not need to have weapons of mass destruction (WMD), in view of such an asset," he said.
Commenting on AmericaÕs anti-Iran policies, he noted that the US cannot tolerate an independent country in the Middle East and opposes Iran on one pretext or the other.
Haddad-Adel voiced the Majlis support for foreign investments, saying that the Majlis is looking for restoration of financial discipline in the country.
ÒThe Majlis is ready to support promotion of relations between Iran and Norway,Ó he said.
The Norwegian diplomat, for his part, stressed that Iran plays an important role to restore peace and stability to the region.
Hothe also referred to the growing relations between the two countries, saying that bilateral industrial, economic and trade ties have been developed in recent years.
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Similarity
ABRAR: Recent remarks by British Prime Minister Tony Blair regarding IranÕs alleged support for terrorism shows that Britain and US pursue a similar Middle East diplomacy. Blair has proven that he is even ready to disappoint his European allies for the sake of pleasing President George W. Bush. At the time when neither the UN Security Council nor the European Union supported the idea of resorting to force in order to put an end to the Iraqi crisis, Blair preferred dispatching thousands of troops to Iraq in order to show that he is acting in concordance with the Americans. What is noteworthy is that by the terminology terrorists Blair means the Islamic resistance groups, including Islamic Jihad and Hamas.
Good News
MARDOMSALARI: After the despotic regime of Saddam Hussein collapsed with the US invasion of Iraq, that countryÕs political atmosphere completely changed around. Regime change in Iraq has also influenced IraqÕs neighboring countries. Establishment of democracy in Iraq can entail numerous privileges for IraqÕs neighboring countries, particularly Iran. Above all, the elimination of IraqÕs BaaÕthist regime is good news for Iran, because Saddam was a big obstacle that prevented Iran from improving its diplomatic relations with Arab countries. Moreover, Iran can gain privileges from the US by playing an effective role in bringing political stability to Iraq.
Quasi-Smuggling
DONYA-YE EQTESAD: People can easily differentiate between imported goods and smuggled goods. These days a new phenomenon has come to the fore and that being quasi-smuggling. This phenomenon has emerged basically due to involvement of non-economic institutions in economic and trade affairs. The notion of quasi- smuggling has become popular ever since certain print media talked about a quasi legal jetty in southern Iran. This jetty is not viewed as illegal and seemingly no smuggling is carried out through it. The bottom line is that the government should set transparent trade regulations. It must be clarified whether a good is being imported through legal channels or smuggled into the country.
Modernism
SHARQ: Different people have different interpretations from the notion of modernism. Some people believe that modernism is tantamount to industrialization of countries. Others are of the opinion that freedom of speech, freedom of press and democracy are the main characteristics of a modern society. However, there is still a third group who distinguishes a modern society from traditional society by the level of welfare standards and flexibility towards criticisms. According to this group, the more a society is flexible towards criticisms or the higher the welfare standards, the more modern it is.
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From: D.irving@bigpond.com To: Iran-daily@iran-daily.com Subject: Funding US Aggression Date: 2005/02/11 03:50
The huge twin deficits, i.e. the current account and fiscal deficits, in the USA are caused by economic mismanagement that would not be sustainable in another country because the US dollar has a monopoly as a means of denominating world trade. They alone, therefore, can let their dollar slip by 30 percent, and shortchange their creditors with unique impunity.
Muslims and others are in effect funding the multibillion dollar assault against themselves.
Without your support of the dollar as the sole means of financing international trade, the hundreds of billions available to the US for aggression would not be there, as they would be obliged to address their own economic problems at their own expense.
You should insist and encourage others to demand that at least some of your foreign trade be denominated in euros. A small percentage of the market is all that is needed.
The US in a competitive market could no longer shortchange its creditor nations and those nations in turn, would no longer, given an alternative, be forced to support the value of the dollar regardless.
Reducing the US's ability to finance its military adventures has the same effect as increasing your ability to resist, but at no expense to you. This idea, I believe, should have a place in your overall response.
Darell Irving
Port Macquarie
Australia
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