The 10 nations applying for registration of Norouz with UNESCO have not mentioned their plans at the national level to safeguard this cultural heritage.

TEHRAN, Feb. 19--The application forwarded to the UN cultural body UNESCO by 10 nations who observe the ancient festivity of Norouz on spring equinox (March 21-23) have not met the criteria of the international body.
According to ISNA, the organization called on applicants to provide details of the festivity and its traces in their civilizations to justify its registration as a global cultural heritage.
Mohammad Ali Vahdati, a deputy to Iran’s representative to UNESCO Ahmad Jalali said that the board reviewing the case has sought executive and practical plans by the 10 nations to preserve the cultural heritage.
“The 10 nations applying for registration of Norouz with UNESCO have not mentioned their plans at the national level to safeguard the cultural heritage and the UNESCO board has detected faults with it,“ Vahdati said.
Meanwhile, an official with Iran Anthropology Research Center said that the center is drawing up a report to establish Norouz as the global cultural heritage.
He said that Iran Anthropology Research Center had not contributed to the earlier application delivered to UNESCO and that it has decided to provide a comprehensive report of documentation to meet UNESCO criteria for the registration of Norouz.

BERLIN, Feb. 19-- Berlin Film Festival, popularly known as Berlinale, wrapped up Sunday after giving its top prize to the harrowing Bosnian drama ’Grbavica’ about the shattered lives of women raped in the Balkan wars, in a vintage year for political cinema, said AFP.
Sarajevo-based director Jasmila Zbanic told a gala awards ceremony late Saturday that she hoped the Golden Bear prize would help change the lives of the women whose largely forgotten plight the film brings to the screen.
“I just want to use this opportunity to remind us all that the war in Bosnia was over some 13 years ago and the war criminals Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic still live in Europe freely,“ said Zbanic, 31, referring to the former Bosnian Serb leader and his army chief.
“They (have not) been captured for organizing the rape of 20,000 women in Bosnia, killing 100,000 people and expelling from their houses one million.“
British actress Charlotte Rampling, who led the jury, said they had sought to recognize films that “reflect in the most profound way the mood of our world today“.
The jury gave the Silver Bear for directing to the Britons Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross for their dramatized documentary ’The Road to Guantanamo’ condemning the US lockup for terror suspects in Cuba.
The film tells the true story of three British Muslims who were held at the prison camp in Cuba for more than two years before being released without charge.
The Jury Grand Prix award, a runner-up prize, went to the Danish film ’A Soap’ about the love affair between a woman and a transsexual, and the Iranian soccer comedy ’Offside’.
Iranian director Jafar Panahi said he hoped his film, which depicts a group of girls who disguise themselves as boys to illicitly attend a soccer match, would make it past the censors in the Islamic republic. “I have one wish--to take this movie home and have it seen by as many people as possible,“ he said.

The image of Jesus Christ (PBUH) on a ÔDafÕ by an Iranian artist

MASHHAD, Khorasan Razavi,
Feb. 19--An artist and graphic designer from Mashhad created an artistic work titled ’Miracle’ depicting Jesus Christ (PBUH), in response to the publication of blasphemous cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the Danish press.
Speaking to ISNA, Ali Akbar Vatanparast said that he used oil color to draw the image within a circular frame on a Daf, which is considered an Iranian mystic musical instrument, in expressionism style or romanticism of the 20th century.
“I have selected circular format for the painting primarily because the circle is regarded as a sacred shape in all religions,“ he said, adding that secondly, circle symbolizes unity.
“In this way, I sought solidarity among peoples across the world, particularly the artists, so as to build a better future,“ he noted.
“I have painted the portrait of Jesus Christ (PBUH), whom we accept as the messenger of peace and friendship, opposite to the entrance to the Thor Cave in Mecca, where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) sought refuge from the evils of the disbelievers,“ he noted.
He added, “I have done this because Jesus Christ (PBUH) certainly must have witnessed the sufferings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in getting his message across to the people.“
Vatanparast further said that his painting features a white dove at the corner.
The dove which is a symbol of freedom throughout the world implies that all humans are born free and nobody has the right to insult even a common man.

TEHRAN, Feb. 19--The fourth round of Short Story Competition named after Sadeq Hedayat, a leading Iranian contemporary writer, was held here in Artists’ House.
The Persian daily Aftab reported on Saturday that the event featured works by Mohammad Ali Eslami-Nadoushan, Javad Mojabi, Khosrow Sinaei, Amir Hossein Cheheltan and Medya Kashigar.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Nadoushan said that Hedayat’s personality can be dealt with from various perspectives.
His lifestyle was unlike that of any other person. Although he was born in a rich family, he was never after fame and wealth.
Nadoushan added that Hedayat has been described as a ’Western Sufi’ because he displayed mystic condition on the one hand, and on the other hand, he was familiar with the modern world and science.
Nobody has so far been found among the men of pen to have these two traits together, he said.
Turning to Hedayat’s articles and critiques on the Iranian classical works including poems by Khayyam Neishabouri, a well-known Iranian poet and ’Veis and Ramin’, he said that his review of Khayyam’s works was quite unique given that he had a good grip on classical literature.
His command over Arabic literature was also admirable, he said.
At the end of the ceremony, Hossein Yaqoubi, Mehdi Bataqva, Javad Pourian and Hamed Habibi were awarded plaques of honor for the stories ’You Die . . . As Simple As That’, ’Removing Flaws From Controversial Pictures’, ’White Poplar and Wind’ and ’Fidel’ respectively.
Khalil Reshnavi was presented a figurine of Hedayat as well as a gold coin for his story ’Estartgah’.

The First Conference of Association of Crisis Photographers was held to commemorate four veteran photographers Hassan Shandiz, Mohammad Sayyad, Abdolhossein Patovi and Abbas Maleki.
The four photographers are well-known for their collection of photos depicting the popular uprising which led to the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.
On the sidelines of the event, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Association of Crisis Photographers Mojtaba Aqaei told Iran Daily that the association had signed an agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran Police (IRIP) to gain access of its photographers to crisis spots in emergency situation.
He said that the association held talks with the head of volunteers department of Iran Red Crescent Society (IRCS), deputy head of Martyrs Foundation for cultural affairs and director general of the Center for Visual Arts of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance on ways to cooperate in times of crisis to monitor the trouble spots.
“Contrary to a film or a report which need editing, the photos do not need translation or editing and can be sent worldwide very fast to inform the public at the earliest, particularly in cases of emergency. For example during natural disasters, the photos are valid documents for rescue officials and humanitarian organizations to identify the immediate needs of the victims and how to organize rescue operations or relief works. When a photo is sent from a trouble spot, no one can doubt the situation, whereas, that’s not the case in terms of reports,“ Aqaei said.
He described the association as a unit of rapid deployment of the media corps and said that the association would prefer not to become involved in the activities of the media and news agencies and it is considered a non-governmental organization (NGO).
“The association works to promote objective reporting and offer service to the media.
“In our talks with IRIP and IRCS, we pointed out that the main concern of the association was free access to the hot spots and IRCS accepted to take our team to the trouble spots under its emblem to enable photographers to take photos and report them to the public.“
Aqaei said that the conference will be held every year.

There are many musicians in Iran who lack rehearsal facilities.

TEHRAN, Feb. 19--Head of Kamkar Music Band, Hooshang Kamkar, has said that a music maestro, Mohammad Reza Lotfi, who has recently returned from abroad, will meet the same fate in trying to improve the condition of Iranian music as the conductor of Tehran Symphony Orchestra, Ali Rahbari.
Kamkar told ISNA that although maestro Lotfi has announced an extensive program for improving music in Iran, he needs more time and financial support from the government.
“Everyone who is interested in music knows what the status of Iran’s music should be. However, it still remains to be seen how Iranian music can be steered towards favorable conditions and with what kind of facilities,“ he added.
Referring to Rahbari’s presence in Tehran and his subsequent departure from this country, Kamkar asserted that although Rahbari’s work was greatly admired abroad, he decided to return to Iran and improve the condition of music here.
“However, Rahbari had to leave Iran due to certain problems which prevented him from working here,“ he noted.
Commenting on the unfavorable conditions of Iranian music, Kamkar attributed the problems facing Iran’s music to lack of support for bands by the Music Center of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
Referring to the performance of Noban Musical Group led by Manouchehr Sahbaei, he noted that Sahbaei, who is also an expatriate musician, wanted to hold a musical concert with his own funds.
However, Kamkar noted that the permit for holding the concert was issued at the very last moment.
“There are many musical groups in Iran which lack rehearsal facilities and the Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry issues tickets one day before or exactly on the same day as the performance,“ he added.
Kamkar believed that officials might be having certain problems which are more important than music itself. “It is due to this reason that officials have neglected music,“ he concluded.