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iran condemns israeli aggression on southern lebanon
tehran, may 18, irna -- the iranian foreign ministry friday night condemned the recent aggressions of israeli forces on southern lebanon. spokesman for the foreign ministry mahmoud mohammadi warned israel against aggressions on muslims during the islamic mourning month of moharram saying that tel aviv will be accountable for the consequences. mohammadi stressed that israel deoes not respect internatinoal regulations and security agreements. he said resorting to military attacks against lebanon is part of israeli expansionist policies adding that tel aviv's military moves will worsen the situation in the region to the detriment of the usurper zionists.
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velayati lauds foreign aid to quake victims
tehran, may 18, irna -- foreign minister ali akbar velayati here sunday thanked the countries which sent humanitarian assistance to the survivors of the killer quake in eastern iran last saturdy. he made the remark on the sidelines of the third consultative meeting of the executive heads of asian subregional organizations and escap. the foreign minister, who was speaking to reporters, however did not go into details about the total amount of the assistance. velayati also thanked foreign countries for their expression of sympathy with the iranian nation and government over the disaster. an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 degrees jolted four provinces in eastern iran killing over 1500 persons and inflicting damage estimated to be more than rls 200 billion in qa'en and birjand, the hardest hit areas in south of khorasan province.
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iraqi regime launches forced resettlement of kurdish families
ilam, may 18, irna -- the iraqi regime has forced 1,320 kudish families residing in ta'mim province to abandon their homes and settle in other parts of the country, an opposition radio anounced sunday. 'voice of national solidarity of iraqi opposition', monitored here, added that the iraqi families have been made to settle in the cities of erbil, sulaymaniyeh and al-amara. the radio did not elaborate on the reasons behind this latest move of the baghdad regime. meanwhile, another iraqi opposition radio, 'radio patriotic union of kurdistan (puk)' announced that puk leaders have appealed to the u.n. secretary general kofi annan to prevent repetition of such anti-kurdish measures. leader of the kurdistan democratic party, masoud barzani, in a radio message condemned the iraqi regime for taking such a step.
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iran, eco decisive to set up stronger ties with regional forums
tehran, may 18, irna -- foreign miniser ali akbar velayati has stressed the firm resolution of the islamic republic and other members of the economic cooperation organization to establish stronger ties with other regional organizations in asia. velayati made the remark at the opening session of the third consultative meeting of executive heads of asian subregional organizations and economic and social commission for asia and the pacific (escap). officials from eco, escap, association of south east asian nations (asean), south asian association for regional cooperation (saarc) and the south pacific forum are attending the 2-day meeting. the foreign minister termed trade as a conducive ground for cooperation and exchange of experiences among these organizations. he said measures such as conclusion of agreements on mutual dialogues, establishment of joint research centers for presenting new policies and approaches for greater trade relations among member states, formation of chambers of commerce and industry in cooperation with the private sectors, uniform legislations and regulations pertaining to protection of investments and setting up arbitration committees for trade disputes can promote this cooperation. he described development of transport sector as essential for promotion of intra-regional trade saying that with regards to the large volume of commercial exchanges among member countries of asian sub-regional organization, the infrastructures of the region for road, railway and air transport as well as shipping can be utilized by all member countries. mashhad-sarakhs-tajan railway line and the revival of silk road has cut the distance between asia and europe by 4,500 km and by using iran's road and railway networks, countries in the pacific and indian ocean especially the member countries of asean, saarc and south pacific forum are able to have access to the markets in central asia and the caucasus, he added. velayati touched on the huge gas and oil reserves in central asia, the caucasus and the eco countries saying the need for applying appropriate technology for optimal use of caspian sea gas and oil reservees as well as suitable transit land and sea routes and the growing need of south and east asia for natural gas make cooperation in energy sector inevitable. turning to iran's role in intra-asian cooperative relations, he said the islamic republic can play an indisputable role as continental bridge between countries of central asia and the caucasus, the indian ocean community and other parts of asia and the world. ''iran wants to be a positive force for the development of intra-regional trade by playing a central role in eco, and to become the main axis for movement of goods and passengers in the region,'' concluded velayati.
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president: iran's economy stable despite foreign pressures
tehran, may 18, irna -- president akbar hashemi rafsanjani speaking at a meeting of market regulating headquarters here on sunday said that iranian economy enjoys stability despite u.s. pressures, european movements and domestic conditions such as quake and drought. the president said that if such perssures had been exerted on each of the european countries, it could have destroyed their commercial stability, but the situation in iran is totally different and the iranian economy is moving forward steadily despite all internal and external events. the president added that the stability of prices in iran is a sign of economic dynamism and positive trend in economic growth. in the meeting, it was decided that the exporters of agricultural crops and animal products be authorized to import essential goods to the country as much as 50 percent of their foreign exchange revenues.
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five drug gangs busted, over one ton of opium seized
kermanshah, may 18, irna -- five gangs involved in production and distribution of narcotic drugs have been busted by the provincial law enforcement personnel, brigadier general mohammad jabolghi said on sunday. some 208 kg of opiums, 500 grams of heroin and an unknown amount of hashish were confiscated from the traffickers. some 228 traffickers were arrested abd handed over to judicial officials, the commander added. in related news, the law enforcement personnel of torbat-e-jam in northeastern iran seized one ton of opium after a gunfight with drug smugglers saturday night. one of the smugglers were killed and some ammunition confiscated by the local forces.
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al-azhar calls for shia-sunni rapprochement, praises imam hussein's sacrifices
athens, may 17, irna -- the cairo-based al-azhar, the sunni world's oldest existing islamic institution, has appealed for a unity between shia and sunni and extolled the sacrifices of imam hussein (as) on the fields of karbala 14 centuries ago. "the rift between the two main islamic sects the shia and sunni should be overcome and the healing efforts should be intensified to close the ranks between the muslims, irrespective of their sectarian affiliation. islam is one and so should be the muslims," said an article published by the monthly al-azhar magazine. the new hijri year 1418 began 10 days ago. the first month of the islamic calender is called muharram. the magazine recalled that al-azhar has called for a dialogue between the shia and sunni in the muslim world to bridge the gap in the conceptual field and to find out a common ground for uniting them. the article in english, written by mohammad noman galal, an ambassador of egypt, underlines that "no doubt, the new hijra year and the month of muharram are very important milestones in the history of islam and should provide an opportunity for all the muslims to unite, to work together for more understanding and more cooperation." "the life of shaheed (imam) al-hussain ibn ali and his sacrifices for the cause of islam enlighten us and should provide a guide for all to elaborate a comprehensive approach to enable the muslims to put aside their prejudices, their myopic ideas and their differences so that to be a true muslim, to work as brothers in the same way and along the same lines "ansar and mohajirs" worked together after hijra of the prophet ( peace be upon him) from mecca to madina." "in remembering the martyrdom of shaheed (imam) hussain ibne ali one cannot but remember the brave role played by the muslim women in the battle of karbala and in carrying the banner of islam in the dark period that followed that event." "outstanding among the women personalities were sayyad zaynab, daughter of hazrat (imam) ali, and sayada ruqia and sayyada fatima el-nabvia the grand daughter of (imam) hussain who had taken refuge in egypt and stayed there to preach the true principles of islam." the article concluded that the status of women in the muslim world needs a new approach to put it in accordance with the true principles of islam.
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muslims in moscow and yerevan mourn karbala martyrs
moscow, may, 17, irna -- hundreds of muslims in their gathering here friday night at moscow's khatam ul-anbia mosque remembered the days of tasua' and ashura (ninth and tenth of muharram) the anniversary of martydom of the prophet's infalliable grandson imam hussein bin ali bin abi talib (as) and his faithful followers. the ceremony was also attended by the personnel of the iranian embassy and consulates as well as the iranian university students, traders, and the afghan residents of moscow. meanwhile, the iranian residents of yerevan, armenian capital attended a similar ceremony held at the iranian embassy.
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iranians in qatar dispath humanitarian aids for quake-hit people
abu dhabi, may 17, irna -- iranian residents of qatar sent their humanitarian relief aids to iran for khorassan quake-hit people. the iranian embassy in doha announced today that over 2,700 kg of assistance including blankets, carpets, cloths and big tents were transferred to iran by an iranian cargo airliner. meanwhile, a ceremony was also held at the iranian embassy in qatar on thursday in memory of the victims of the khorassan killer earthquake, attended by qatari political, economic and social personalities who offered their sympathies with the bereaved families of the quake-hit victims.
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iranian official outlines youth session outcome in malaysia
kuala lumpur, may 17, irna -- vice-chairman of iranian youth's supreme council seyed mohammad hamid kalantari in an exclusive interview with irna here on saturday outlined the outcome of the first session of asian and european youth councils, which was held recently in shah alam of malaysian selangor state. secretary general of asian and european youth council, undersecretary of the first youth seminar in iran, malaysian youth and sports minister as well as representatives of 11 asian and nine european organizations were attending the session. kalantari said the statement issued at the end of the session would serve as the agenda of the spring session of asian and european youth affairs ministers, due to be held in britain next year. he said the statement expressed concern with social disorders such as addiction and promiscuity and their perilous consequences like acquired immune deficiency syndrome (aids). he added that the session had recommended offering direct role to the youth in the politico-social decision makings, getting help from efficient workforce among the youth in protecting the environment and in social affairs. the iranian official said that iranian government had set the charter of youth training as the pivot for planning of the youth affairs. the statement called for enhancing youth involvement in social affairs, supporting non-governmental organizations in charge of youth affairs and improving education of the youth with an emphasis on offering applied and vocational training courses. participants in the session called for all-out struggle, especially by governments and the youth, against social maladies. meanwhile, malaysian deputy prime minister anwar ibrahim said at the session that paying attention to issues related to the youth was the prerequisite to the countries' progress and development.
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tasua, ashura ceremomies held at iranian embassy in qatar
abu dhabi, may 17, irna -- two ceremonies marking the anniversary days of tasua and ashura (ninth and tenth of muharram) were held at the iranian embassy in qatar on friday and saturday. the ceremonies wer attended by the iranian mourners of the martydom of the third infallible imam of the prophet's (pbuh) household imam hussein (as) and his brave and faithful followers. at the ceremonies the mourners also listened to the religious speeches on the tragic event which took place in karbala (in present iraq) in 61 a.h. (680 a.d.) and on the life and personality of the 'lord of the martyrs' imam hussein (as) and 72 of his steadfast and sincere followers who opted to attain martyrdom to preserve islamic values rather than accepting the tyrannical rule of yazid bin moaviah, the corrupt ruler of the time.
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muslims around world mark ashura
tehran, may 17, irna -- many muslim people around the world commemorated on saturday the tenth day of the lunar month of moharram, 'ashura', marking the martyrdom anniversary of the 'lord of martyrs' imam hossein ibn ali (as) and 72 of his followers. in southern part of east asian countries, including malaysia, indonesia, brunei, the philippines, thailand, australia, new zealand and several other regional states, mourners attended mourning ceremonies. hundreds of kuala lumpur-based iranians, pakistanis and iraqis as well as a group of malaysian muslims could be visible among the sea of mourners for the martyred imam (as). meanwhile, people in central asian republics of tajikistan and turkmenistan as well as in azerbaijan participated in special ceremonies held on the occasion on saturday. 'taza pir' mosque of azerbaijan was reportedly so crowded that many mourners could not enter the place. the mourners beat their chests since early in the mourning to commemorate the bloody uprising of karbala. in dushanbe, tajikistan, the tajik-based iranians as well as a number of shiites from afghanistan, india and pakistan listened to the lecture of an alim on the philosophy of imam hossein's (as) upgrising. in ashkhabad (turkmenistan), the ceremonies were held at al-reza mosque, where the audience were reminded of the hardships endured by prophet's infallible family in the course of the tragic month of moharram. furthermore, reports from regional states, including qatar, india, afghanistan, the u.a.e., pakistan, lebanon and syria, indicate that muslims in the countries' capital cities had gathered in certain sites to share sympathy with their coreligionists in other countries. people - both shiites and sunnis- in northern and central parts of afghanistan went to mosques and other religious sites today to commemorate the tragic event of ashura, when imam hossein and 72 of his loyal companions attained martyrdom. head of decision making council for north of afghanistan, affiliated to afghan hizb wahdat islami, haji mohammad mohaqeq in a mohaqeq said that the imam was a leader who taught muslims the lesson of martyrdom and freedom seeking, making the community of human beings acquainted with the reality that one should not surrender to tyranny and corruption. according to reports from abu dhabi, the u.a.e., similar ceremonies were held in which mourners beat their chests and sang mournful songs. in pakistan, muslims, clad in black, attended special ceremonies held at mosques, where lecturers dwelt on noble characteristics of the infallible imam (as) and his relatives and companions. india also hosted multitudes of imam hossein's (as) lovers, who had poured into streets to share sympathy with prophet mohammad's (sawa) household. in damascus, syria, scores of mourners both on friday and saturday participated in special ceremonies, held at the holy shrine of imam hossein's (as) sister and 'heroine of karbala', hazrat zeynab (as) to renew their allegiance with ashura's martyrs. a glorious ceremonies was also held at the holy shrine of imam hossein's (as) noble daughter, hazrat roqayyeh (as) on the occasion. secretary general of hizbollah seyed hassan nasrullah, addressing ashura mourners in lebanon, said that by lying, the zionist enemy tried to downgrade the importance of islamic resistance operations as well as the military capability of hizbullah. nasrullah said that anti-zionist operations underway in southern lebanon by hizbollah was continuation of the path of imam hossein (as) in his struggle against tyranny. calling the zionist enemy as "criminal, usurper and illegitimate", nasrullah said that any kind of peace and compromise with the zionist regime, which would not lead to restoration of all the muslim owned occupied lands in southern lebanon, the golan heights and in palestine and qods, should be a tyrannical and shaky peace.