A number of users from Iran have been surveyed regarding the circumvention tools they use, and regarding how people generally access the internet.

Freedom House has also tested a number of tools that you can use in Iran if your internet connection is blocked. Although some groups have a more elaborate system for evaluating circumvention tools (see, for instance Tor Project ). Freedom House has tested three critical things about common circumvention tools for use in Iran:

- Their usability
- Their safety and security
- Their performance

Freedom House has also asked people from Iran which tools they use, and how well they perform in these three areas.

Choosing the right tool in Iran

Choosing the right tool to circumvent the Iranian blocking system is best done on the basis of how you intend to use the internet. If you intend to send sensitive information outside of the country, or to your fellow citizens, then you face more risks than people merely accessing blocked websites for casual internet browsing. For this reason, the first thing to ask yourself is whether you intend to send or receive blocked or illegal
information.

Next, you should identify whether you run a high or a low risk of punishment if this information is found and traced back to you.

Finally, we recommend that you decide on the speed that you will need to effectively use the internet. Just sending text messages on Twitter does not require an application that is as fast as what you need when you are sending a video to YouTube, for instance. Have a look at the schema below that sums this up.

Findings and recommendations for Iran

Most Iranian users indicated that they access the internet through a home broadband connection. They have an average need for secure communications, and prefer tools that work at good speeds. If you have the same preferences, you will find that Ultrasurf, Gpass, or Psiphon may be the right tools for you. Please note that Psiphon requires an invitation to use the system.

Speed is a complex decision. Doing things fast can sometimes avoid detection. This depends on the level of monitoring and logging

The Freedom House survey showed that people from Iran seem to prefer the following three tools overall:

- VPN connections
- Google
- Your Freedom

You may want to try these too, but keep in mind that the community of internet users surveyed did not have the benefit of this overview report at the time of the survey, and may have chosen these tools for various other reasons and in different situations, or perhaps even for the wrong reasons. In particular, using a tool that performs very quickly sometimes proves to be a risky choice.

This is especially true for Google, since they do not usually apply encryption to secure your connection.

Also, the faster the tool, the more likely it is to rely on a single service provider being available for the internet connection, which makes it easier to block.

Overview of technical testing

If you want an even broader overview of the options for circumventing the Iranian blocking system, please have a look at how other tools were tested by Freedom House as well. The following table sums them up.

Concluding recommendations

In closing, we draw your attention to the following recommendations from the Freedom House report:

- Many users prefer to have tools that perform at fast speeds. These are, however, not always the most secure options. It is important to understand the risks you potentially face when you attempt to circumvent your country’s blocking infrastructure.

- Many users seem to think that when they do things quickly, the government may not notice. This is not true most of the time, however. If the government is able to intercept your internet connection, they will be able to see what you were doing afterwards.

- While these tools may be able to hide what you are doing online, they cannot hide that a circumvention tool is being used. If your government can intercept your internet traffic, they will also be able to detect that you were circumventing their blocking infrastructure.

We wish you safe surfing and hope your government will consider providing free and unfiltered internet access to your country in the near future. For the full report and a discussion of all the tools mentioned here, please visit the Freedom House website.

Dynaweb
DynaWeb is a collection of anti-censorship services provided by Dynamic Internet Technology Inc. (DIT).

Pro: Simpilicity - Con: Uncertifed SSL can be impersonated

Freegate
Freegate is an anti-censorship software for secure and fast Internet access. It was developed and maintained by Dynamic Internet Technology Inc.

Pro: Simpilicity – Con: Not much info on how it works – limited # of proxies

Freenet
Freenet is free software which lets you anonymously share files, browse and publish “freesites” (web sites accessible only through Freenet) and chat on forums, without fear of censorship.

Garden GTunnel
We provide free software to access Internet content blocked by totalitarian countries such as China and to protect Internet users’ online privacy and security against Internet monitoring and censorship in those areas of the world.

Pro: Could use Skype, peer to peer for tunneling -  Cons: same proxies as Freegate/Dynaweb used

Google (Translate Reader Cache etc.)

Google Cache:
A user can access Googles cache servers to gather blocked content. To see the pointer to the cached content, the user needs to reach the Google search engine  (so Google must not be blocked or this method to work).

Google Reader:
Google offers users the possibilityto subscribe to news feeds through Google Reader,which gathers data on the user behalf (it acts like aproxy), and lets the user read it through the Gmail web interface.

Google Translate:
Google’s translation service can be used to gather blocked content. By setting the source language to something diferent from what it is, and setting the target language to the actual source language.

Pro: No software needed to access block sites – Con: No security provided

GPass
– Support for streaming audio/video, email, instant messaging, download managers, as well as web surfing
- Encrypted socks tunnels and backup tunnels using Skype and Tor
- Integrated application firewall
- Green and free software: copy and run without installation
- English, Chinese, Farsi interface, Burmese manual

Pro: Latest tool and easy to use  – Con: Unaudited software – download site is often blocked

JAP
Makes it possible to surf the internet anonymously and unobservably

Pro: Portable application, servers can be added manually – Con: A research project

Proxy
Proxy.org is the pragmatic Web surfer’s guide to online privacy and anonymous web surfing. We give you the information and tools you need to be confident and in command of your Web surfing experience.

Psiphon
Psiphon is a web-based proxy system that enables you to view Internet content that might be inaccessible in your region.

Pro: No software download, just clear the browser history – Cons: Not everyone in a blocked country knows someone that can provide access to a Psiphon node, use self-signed certifcate

Tor
Tor is free software and an open network that helps you defend against a form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential business activities and relationships, and state security.

Pro: Advanceded project, highly distributed infrastructure Con: Slow, users need to finetune

Ultra Surf
Originally created to help internet users in China find security and freedom online, Ultrasurf has now become the world’s most popular pro-privacy, anti-censorship software, with millions of people using it to bypass firewalls and protect their identity online.

Pro: Excellent performance, small footprint Con: Accusations of Trojan, no proven case yet

Your Freedom
The Your Freedom services makes accessible what is unaccessible to you, and it hides your network address from those who don’t need to know.

Pro: Simple, extensive manual – Con: Focused on bypassing firewall not security of the user

VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) is a computer network that is constructed by using public networks or wires such as Internet to provide remote offices or individual users to get secure access to their organization’s network.

Source: Freedom House

Click here to view the embedded video.

Related Posts:

1. Iran ranks 69 out of 70 in digital economy 2010 report
2. Global Erosion of Freedom and Iran’s negative trend

‘Zendegi’ in Persian means Life. This first major group show of contemporary Iranian artists in Beirut, sheds light on life and art in Iran as seen through the eyes of several of its most prominent and emerging artists.

Coming from different generations, and using diverse media, they present, investigate and interpret current themes and issues of relevance through their own aesthetic language, merging tradition with modernity.

The older generation pays homage to the country’s poetry, architecture and crafts: Monir Farmanfarmaian through her intricate and dazzling modernist compositions of mirrorwork and reverse glass painting, inspired by Islamic geometric patterns; and Mohammed Ehsai through his flowing calligraphy that reshapes old poetry into modern arrangements.

MITRA TABRIZIAN, "SURVEILLANCE"

Traces of letters, landscapes and faces, often merging or morphing into each other, are the subjects of Maliheh Afnan’s timeless works, in which she discreetly explores themes of displacement, exile and veiled lies; while the great filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, in his minimalist film, Shirin, creates through the close-ups of some 100 women’s faces, a fascinating tension between film narrative and film imagery.

Farhad Ahrarnia, "the dig - composition no.2"

The younger generation also draws inspiration from traditional crafts, combined with contemporary aesthetics and techniques. In her beautifully embroidered felt sculptures, Bita Ghezelayagh revives the felt tradition, combining talismans, old imagery and political text with conceptual art.

Shadi Ghadirian, "LIKE EVERYDAY #4"

Embroidery is also a key feature in the work of Farhad Ahrarnia, who manipulates digital images, with threads and needles – From American beauty queens and soldiers and iconic figures from politics or popular culture.

MALIHEH AFNAN, "CONTAINED THOUGHTS"

The relationship between image and politics is also investigated in the work of Taraneh Hemami, who translates photographs of ‘martyrs’ or ‘heroes’ into beaded curtains, thus paying homage to those who sacrificed their lives for freedom.

Farhad Moshiri, MIVEH VA TAREH (FRUITS AND VEGETABLES)

Concern about the status of women – who best embody the conflict between tradition and modernity and the battle of the sexes – is explored in the work of photographer Shadi Ghadirian and multimedia artist Parastou Forouhar.

TARANEH HEMAMI,"HEROES" SERIES

Post-feminism, post-colonialism and the shifting realities of life in post-revolutionary Iran are among the main themes of the work of Mitra Tabrizian, who blurs the boundaries between fiction and reality in her carefully staged photographs.

MONIR FARMANFARMAIAN, "INSTALLATION OF SEVEN ELEMENTS"

Farhad Moshiri’s Reservoirs of Memories – large canvas variations on the theme of vessels, typical of monochromatic functional Iranian pottery, hints at pop and modern consumerist culture through the vernacular sayings inscribed on them.

Parastou Forouhar ,"THE SWANRIDER"

Whether living inside or outside Iran, these artists reflect on the exceptional as well as the ordinary events of daily life.

The exhibition is organised by Beirut Exhibition Center and Solidere (Beirut New Waterfront – Near Bie), curated and produced by Rose Issa Projects. The shows is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue.

Beirut Exhibition on facebook

Related Posts:

1. Paris – Iranian born artists at FIAC 2010 Contemporary Art Fair
2. Echos in Blue – An exhibition of contemporary Iranian art from Tehran in Los Angeles

Tirgan 2011 invites graphic designers to submit their design to the Tirgan Magazine 2011 Cover Design Contest. Designs meeting the following specifications will be considered for further detailed review by the panel of judges;

Submission Criteria

•   All entered work must have been produced between Mar 15 and April 30, 2011.

•   All entry forms are completed and submitted online. There will be a registration form available online for registration submission.

•   Submit only actual hard-copy versions of work. The final hard-copy of your artwork should be submit as a photo or laser colour printout. If you choose to also submit a digital version of your artwork please do so by submitting it online to the email address below.

•   Digital photographs are only accepted for submissions in which hard-copy originals cannot be provided. Photographs should be saved as RGB (not CMYK) JPG format 8.5″ x 11″ at 300 DPI.

•   All mailed-in pieces should be accompanied with a print out of the corresponding entry form.

•   Entries and submissions cannot be returned once entered.

•   Any entries must include a 250 word brief description in English or Persian.

•   By submitting entries, you permit the Tirgan Festival to publish your entered work in print and online for related promotional purposes.

•   All artwork will be judged by a panel of judges

Theme of 2011 Tirgan Festival: Visions of Eternity

Celebrating Past Heritage, Creating Future Heritage

Tirgan is about the legend of Arash, an ancient Iranian archer who lost his life by shooting an arrow that brought hope, peace, and prosperity to all. For thousands of years, Iranian children have listened to story of Arash and later passed it on to their own children. Arash is a legend, and as such, it is timeless. We do not know when it started, but for as long as Iranians remember, it has symbolized our collective hopes, aspirations, and dreams. It has inspired many artistic and literary creations in the past and present. It symbolizes an everlasting, eternal component of our being.

Mail or drop off entries in person to:


E-mail:
Info@tirgan.ca

Online-form

Mailing address:
56 Forest Park Crescent 

Thornhill, Ontario
L3T-2M7

Recognition

The amount of $300 will be granted to the winner of this competition. As well the winner’s work will be published as the Tirgan magazine’s cover and may be used online for other promotional purposes. The magazine will be printed in 10,000 copies and distributed amongst the visitors during the festival.

A selection from our Iranian/Canadian top artists and professionals will form the judging panel.

Details: Judging Criteria

Originality
Do the methods, designs and strategies employed make this project unique and relevant to the theme of the festival?

Creativity
Does this piece incorporate artistic and innovative methods and solutions?

Craftsmanship
Is this piece beautifully crafted and executed? Does it adhere to the standard principles of design in such areas as layout, colour selection, print reproduction, photographic techniques and typography?

Effectiveness
Does this piece successfully communicate its intended message?

Overall Experience
Is this project a valuable and strategic piece of visual communication?

http://www.tirgan.ca/programs/cover-design-contest

Click here to view the embedded video.

Related Posts:

1. 2011 Nowruz Banner Contest
2. Photos: Selected performances from Fajr Theater Festival

The establishment of a US$2.5 million centre for nanotechnology research is one of the products of this plan. Other commitments include boosting R&D investment to 4% of GDP (0.59% of GDP in 2006), and increasing education to 7% of GDP by 2030 (5.49% of GDP in 2007)

Science is a global enterprise. Today there are over 7 million researchers around the world, drawing on a combined international R&D spend of over US$1000 billion, and reading and publishing in around 25,000 separate scientific journals per year.

These researchers collaborate with each other, motivated by wishing to work with the very best people and facilities in the world, and by curiosity, seeking new knowledge to advance their field or to tackle specific problems.

Science in 2011 is increasingly global, the rise of China has been especially notable, overtaking Japan and Europe in terms of its publication output in recent years.

.

The scientific world is becoming increasingly interconnected, with international collaboration on the rise. Today over 35% of articles published in international journals are internationally collaborative, up from 25% 15 years ago.

The growth of international collaboration is common to all countries. However, while the USA, Europe and Japan are demonstrating a growing propensity to collaborate with global partners, China, Turkey and Iran are proportionally decreasing their collaborations.

Science is essential for addressing global challenges, but it cannot do so in isolation

Despite political tensions between the USA and Iran, scientific collaboration has proven surprisingly resilient. Between the periods 1996 to 2002 to 2004 to 2008, co-authored papers between these two countries increased from just 388 papers to 1,831 papers, an increase of 472%.

Following the Iranian elections in June 2009, Iranian scientists called out to the international research community to ‘do everything possible to promote continued contact with colleagues in Iran, if only to promote détente between Iran and the West when relations are contentious.

Such pleas reflect the potential of international collaboration to help repair fractious relations, or at least to maintain channels of communication. A distinct benefit of scientific collaboration is that it can act as a bridge to communities where political ties are weaker.

One example of this bridge-building is the Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME) under construction in Jordan. Modelled on CERN in Europe, SESAME is a partnership between Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Iran, Jordan, Pakistan, the Palestinian Authority and Turkey. Synchrotrons are large and relatively expensive facilities, so pooling regional resources is the obvious way to construct SESAME, which has the potential not only to build scientific capacity in the region but also to foster collaboration.

The countries showing the fastest rate of growth in publication output and those rising up the global league tables as collaborative hubs show strong trends of growth in mobile phone usage and in internet penetration. Internet growth in Iran, for example, has grown 13,000% since the turn of the century (albeit from a starting point of only 250,000 users). Internet use in China has grown over 1,800% in the same period (from 22.5 million users to 420 million) and in Tunisia, penetration has grown 3,600% (from 100,000 users to 3.6 million).

Recommendations

1. Support for international science should be maintained and strengthened

2. Internationally collaborative science should be encouraged, supported and facilitated

3. National and international strategies for science are required to address global challenges

4. International capacity building is crucial to ensure that the impacts of scientific research are shared globally

5. Better indicators are required in order to properly evaluate global science

Source: The Royal Society, complete pdf

Click here to view the embedded video.

Related Posts:

1. American Global View 2010 and Iran – The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
2. Graphs: Iran in UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic 2010

In 1976 Elizabeth Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) visited Iran for the first and only time. Accompanying her was Firooz Zahedi, today a successful Hollywood photographer but then a recent art school graduate just learning his craft.

Iran provided an exotic and engaging locale for Taylor, a tireless global wanderer still at the height of her fame. For Zahedi, who had left Iran as a child, this was a reintroduction to his own country, which he experienced not only through the camera lens but through Taylor’s eyes.

It was a remarkable journey for both as documented by Zahedi’s vivid photographs, shown together here for the first time. The pair traveled to the main tourist sites: ancient Persepolis, where the Tent City erected in 1971 for the 2,500 year celebration of the Persian Empire was still standing, Shiraz home of poetry and wine, and Isfahan renowned for its beautiful tile-clad buildings.

Grouped in narrative fashion, the images depict people and places with the actress as tourist but one so iconic that she is never anonymous even wrapped in a chador. In the Isfahan bazaar, Taylor was attracted to and purchased a traditional tribal outfit. Dressed in this colorful costume and in full make-up, the film star posed as an Oriental odalisque, an especially suitable persona for one who was herself a male fantasy.

 Though Zahedi was to photograph Taylor many times in the years following their Iran trip, none are as personal, candid, or creative as these unique images.

Sources: lacma.org and Firooz Zahedi

Click here to view the embedded video.

Related Posts:

1. Art Gallery: Afsoon, Icons of the 4 Corners
2. New York – Kimia Rahgozar to Exhibit in Agora Gallery

From Mount Damavand to Cheshmeh Ali to Shalamcheh.

.
.

Bahdad Salimi Asian Cup Champion - Photo by Mehdi-Mrizad

.

Ferdowsi Square - Photo by Hossain Salahi Ara

.

Forest fires in Golestan - Photo by Hamed Barchya

.

Fired Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki (exit sign on the door) - Photo by Hamed Jafarnejad

.

Drivers fighting - Photo by Meghdad-Madadi

.

Ghazvin Panjah-bedar Ceremony - Photo by Ali-Safari

.

Gilan Children - Photo by Morteza Rafi khah

.

Isfahan Carpet Bazaar - Photo by Hussein Baharloo

.

Mount Damavand - Photo by Mohammad-Azizi

.

Shalamcheh - Photo by Mahmoud Bazdar

.

Sleeping Man - Photo by gholamhossain Zare

.

Snow in autumn, Nodosheh-Paveh - Photo by Farid Karimi

.

Snow removal in the village of Masouleh-Gilan - Photo by Morteza Rafi Khah

.

Swimming in Cheshmeh-Ali springs - Photo by Mahmoud-Ali Hosseini

…

The largest athletic shoe - Photo by Hussein Zohrvand

.

Village woman - Photo by Vahid Yadoroj

.

Tohid Tunnel - Photo by Meghdad Madadi.Untited - Photo by Milad Hosseini

Related Posts:

1. Photos: First Snow in Tehran and Mount Tochal
2. Photos: New Year 2011 at the Vank Christian Church in Isfahan – Iran

Azadeh tried her hand at writing poetry, and actively participated in literary groups. But all this came to an abrupt end when she unexpectedly had to leave for Australia and take up computer studies in Melbourne, in accordance with her father’s wishes.

Soon, however, she realized that this was not the right course for her, and so she switched to a subject that really interested her, film-making, at the same university. Azadeh pursued her studies with great success, won a scholarship for a post-graduate course, and found well-paid employment. “Everyone was pleased with this successful girl”, as she puts it. Then there came a day when she felt that she could not stay any longer in Australia, and finally decided to return home.

Back in Iran, Azadeh worked as an assistant director to Abbas Kiarostami and Manijeh Hekmat, and made a number of short films which have been screened in several film festivals abroad. But working in the rough-and-tumble of the Iranian cinema eventually took its toll, and once again she decided to change direction. This time though, she seems to have finally found her feet by focusing on the art of photography, about which she is really passionate.

Azadeh has produced several collections of photographs with a variety of themes, including Reflections of Self, Suspension in Tehran, Storytelling, The Passage of Time, and In Praise of Writing. They have been shown in scores of exhibitions in Iran and abroad and have won many awards. But her latest collection, Me as Preferred by Others, is perhaps the closest to her heart.

The project took three years to reach this stage, and she has decided to make it a life-long venture. The development of the idea behind the project was a gradual process based on her personal experience.

She had come to realize over the years that everyone is forced to become a different person vis-à-vis other people. Individuals have to change themselves into the person that ‘others’ want them to be, or that circumstances require. To demonstrate this, she asked different people in diverse locations to choose the way they wanted her to be dressed and then to appear next to her in the photographs.

She chose her subjects from a wide range, including women wearing chadors, fashionable girls in Tehran and Afghan soldiers in Kabul. The result was an imaginative collection of photographs exhibited recently in Tehran.

We can see the entire photographs of this innovative project, as well as a selection from Azadeh Akhlaghi’s previous collections, in this multimedia report.

.

.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source: jadidonline.com

Related Posts:

1. Photos: Tehran’s brothel district Shahr-e-No 1975-77 by Kaveh Golestan
2. Photos: Facebook curly-hair community gather in Tehran’s park

.

.

Air Aquarium - Director: Yaser Khaseb

.

Angels over the city - Director: Jahanzadeh Rashidi

.

Bergamot - Director: Gholamreza Jaun-Panah

.

Carefree mind - Director: Saheb Ahangar

.

Clouds behind larynx - Director: Reza Guran

.

Love Method - Director: Azim Mousavi

.

Love Method - Director: Azim Mousavi

.

Men not allowed - Director: Katayoun Fayz Marandi

.

Rumi Opera- Director: Behrouz Gharib Pour

.

Sand - Director: Katayoun Hossein Zadeh

.

Sleep Requiem - Director: Mohammad Hatami

.

Closing Ceremony

.

Closing Ceremony

.

Photo Sources: Reza Mousavi from dourbin.net and Amid Farah from shabestan.ir

Related Posts:

1. Photos: Rostam and Esfandyar, tales from the Shahnameh at Tehran’s City Theater Complex
2. Theater – The Persian Quarter by Salt Lake Acting Company

Iranian born London based artist Afsoon has re-visited the openness and innocence of the late 60s and 70s, and the blossoming of creativity and progress during that era.

From the Arab World to Iran, from the Indian Sub-Continent to Turkey, the movement continues, and in her series of Icons from these four regions, Afsoon has celebrated some of the most outstanding personalities of these decades, hoping to always keep them and their deeds in the limelight.

Amitabh Bachchan

.

Afsoon was born in Tehran in 1961. After spending her childhood in Iran, she moved to the USA in 1979 and then settled in London. Her multi faceted life is reflected in her work, where East merges with West and where the result is at once familiar and alien.

Behrouz Vossoughi

.

Her works are multi layered and often combine text with images, using various media such as linocuts, photography, collage and etching. The results are rich yet playful and humorous tableaux which the audience is able to interact with and interpret.

Aishwarya Rai

.

Her works have been extensively exhibited and are found in prominent collections including that of the British Museum.

Dalida

.

.

Emel Sayin

.
.

Fairuz

.

.

Fardin

.
.

Forouzan

.
.

Googoosh

.
.

Indira-Gandhi

.
.

Iraj Pezeshkzad

.
.

Mahasti

.
.

Nancy Ajram

.
.

Nasser Malek Motei

.
.

Omar Sharif

.
.

Orhan Pamuk

.
.

Queen Noor

.
.

Tarkan

.
.

Umm Kulthum

.
Exhibition Viewing Hours:
March 25 to April 4, 2011
13:00‐18:00 Tuesdays through Fridays
April 5 to May 2, 2011
By Appointment Only

Xerxes Art
52 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4RP
t. + (44) (20) 7839-3033

About Xerxes Art

Xerxes Art was the first gallery outside of the Middle East to solely exhibit the contemporary visual arts of Iran and of the World of Islam, and remains the only mainstream gallery outside of the Middle East to focus solely on the contemporary visual arts of the World of Islam including those of Afghanistan, the Arab World, Bangladesh, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey.

Xerxes represents a noted roster of artists, works mainly in the primary market and concentrates on solo or themed exhibitions by both established and emerging artists. In addition, Xerxes offers art advisory and curatorial services to private, corporate and institutional collections and collectors.

Xerxes’ mission is primarily cultural, as opposed to purely commercial, and as such the gallery uses the entirety of its proceeds and funds to promote the contemporary visual arts of the World of Islam inprominent international fora.

Source:  XERXES ART

Related Posts:

1. Art Gallery: New Faces – Iran
2. Art Gallery: Zendegi – 12 contemporary Iranian artists in Beirut

1990’s earthquake caused some of the springs to get colder or hotter.

The word Sarein in Persian means “Spring’s Outlet”.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

A 2010 study suggest using “open-space”  springs

As a radioactive element with great solubility, radon is found in almost all the water sources, especially mineral springs.  Having a volcanic origin and being mostly hot springs, the mineral water springs of Sarein are among the radioactive waters which are often used for sedating rheumatic, nervous and joint pains.

The measured radon concentration in 9 hot and cold springs of Sarein is lower than the standard limit. In addition, the accumulation rate of radon emitted from the springs is not posing a risk to human health, considering the fact that most of the pools are of open type.

Comparing the concentration of the accumulated radon in closed spaces of 25 selected locations around Sarein mineral springs with the standard limit indicates that radon is concentrated neart the hot springs and, if inhaled for a long time, might results in cancer and a short lifetime.

Link to the complete study: The Environmental Impact of Radon Emitted from Hot Springs of Sarein

Photo Source:  IIPA

Related Posts:

1. Photos: Lake Urmia-Iran, the third largest salt water lake on earth
2. Photos: Mud bathing in Lake Urmia – Iran

MooFerferia (curly-hair in Persian) Facebook community has about 8000 members worldwide,  and for the first time gathered in Tehran’s Nation Park in January 2011 for a few hours before they were asked to leave by park police.

There are still ongoing debates to find out if curly hair cools or heats the brain better than straight hair!

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Click here to view the embedded video.

.

Sources:  MooFerferia on Facebook, Jadidonline, Dourbin.net

Related Posts:

1. Photos: Iranian photographer, Azadeh Akhlaghi, Me According to Others
2. Tehran: Plant for the Planet

SLAC proudly presents the World Premiere of The Persian Quarter by Kathleen Cahill.

A diplomatic crisis and a chance encounter trigger revelations of a shared past. The play unfolds on the final day of the Iranian hostage crisis in 1980 Tehran with Anne, an American hostage and Shirin, an Iranian revolutionary student who is one of her captors.

Thirty years later in New York City, their daughters, Emily and Azadeh, meet accidentally in an empty classroom at Columbia University during the visit of Iranian President Ahmadinejad.

Company

NELL GWYNN (ANN, EMILY)

.

DEENA MARIE MANZANARES (SHIRIN, AZADEH)

.

SHANE MOZAFFARI (RUMI, IRANIAN POOL ATTENDANT)

.

JOSH THOEMKE (MIKE, KERMIT)

.

KATHLEEN CAHILL (Playwright)

.

ALEXANDRA HARBOLD (Director, Artistic Literary Associate)
JOHN GRAHAM (Fight Choreographer)
CYNTHIA L. KEHR REES (Sound Design)
KEVEN MYHRE (Set Design, Executive Producer)
MEGAN NOYCE (Research)
JESSE PORTILLO (Light Design)
JENNIE SANT (Production Stage Manager)
SANDRA SHOTWELLl (Dialect Coach)
BRENDA VAN DER WEIL (Costume Design)

_________________________________________

From KATHLEEN CAHILL (Playwright)
What was I doing writing this play?  You stand at the mirror and look at yourself, and you can assess yourself, and you can assess your appearance, but you can’t see what’s inside – you can’t see what’s inside yourself.

This play is actually trying to look inside myself.  To look at an experience that I had 35 years ago.  When I was 22, I went overland to Iran for adventure and to teach English.  I didn’t know anything about Iran.  Nothing.  Zero. I didn’t even know how to count to ten in their language.

I remember I was taking the train from Istanbul to Iran, and there were Muslims on the train who unrolled their carpets five times a day and prayed to Mecca; I had never seen that before – I had never even heard of Mecca.  One of them taught me to count to ten in Farsi, which I still remember.  So I arrived in Tehran, and then I took an airplane to Shiraz and a taxi from the airport, and I cannot tell you – it was like arriving on another planet.

It’s a different year because they count the calendar from Mohammed not from Jesus, so it’s seven hundred years earlier; the days of the week are different – the Holy day isn’t Sunday, it’s Friday – Jomai – so it’s a six day week with Friday off, so those two things, just to begin with, threw me.  Then I was wearing this little light Sunday dress with a little short skirt, and there were these tribal women around where the taxi dropped me off, and they started doing that yuyulating thing with their voices – because of my skirt.  So it was all quite astonishing, and that was my introduction to Iran.

I lived there for ten months, and a lot of things happened, and I saw a lot of things, but I didn’t understand what I was seeing because I was uninformed and naïve.  But I never forgot the experience, and when the elections came up in the news in 2009, and I saw the women in the streets protesting, I just thought, “What is this about, and what happened to me then, and how do those things connect over 35 years?”

So I started to think about it, and I started to read a lot, and it was amazing because a lot of memories – and I know this is true of every other person – you think you have forgotten, but if you start thinking back, it will come.  More and more memories come.  The language came back – I remembered sentences – like I remembered how to say, “So and so is amusing us.” (Laughter) Memories, memories, memories started to come back, and I tied those memories to what I was learning from my reading.  I was also understanding things for the first time that I did not understand thirty-five years ago, and out of that came THE PERSIAN QUARTER. Read More

SLAC is delighted to announce that Kathleen Cahill’s play THE PERSIAN QUARTER is a recipient of a prestigious Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award.

Upstairs Theatre
168 West 500 North
Salt Lake City, UT 84103

Tickets

Source: Salt Lake Acting Company

Related Posts:

1. Photos: Lake Urmia-Iran, the third largest salt water lake on earth
2. Photos: Selected performances from Fajr Theater Festival

Laleh Ardestani, following a period of expressive show casing of humanly bodies full of emotion, has now taken up a more abstract view.

Although one can still see faded shadows of human body mixed in an entangled mass of centric compositions, but in the implementations of her ideal private spaces, this time she chooses a more vague language.

A hidden volume of flesh, veins and fat, behind an anatomical curtain, and on the sidelines of re-exposure, is just like cutting through the cocoon of individual isolationism which of course invites the viewer to touch and join humans without pleading with them.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

______________________________________________

.

.

Henna Art Gallery

Henna Art Gallery on Facebook

Related Posts:

1. Art Gallery: Works of four young Iranian women titled Closed
2. Art Gallery: Water’s Silence, a group exhibition

Each year on December a religious celebration is held at the site of Rumi’s tomb, to which tens of thousands of pilgrims come.

In the shrine there is a silver plated step on which the followers of Mowlana rub their foreheads and place kisses. This area is usually cordoned off but is opened for these devotional actions during the December pilgrimage festivities.

In addition to the shrine of Rumi, pilgrims to Konya will visit the shrine of Hazrat Shemsuddin of Tabriz (traditionally visited before the shrine of Rumi), the shrine of Sadreduddin Konevi (a disciple of Hazrat ibn Arabi and a contemporary of Mowlana), the shrine of Yusuf Atesh-Baz Veli, and the shrine of Tavus Baba (who may in fact have been a women and therefore Tavus Ana).

.

Every year around December 07-17, the streets of Konya are decorated with images of whirling dervishes, the Islamic mystics who seek to commune with the infinite through ecstatic dance. From lampposts and bus shelters, they look beatifically down on the throngs bustling along cold streets.

For a week every December, this Anatolian city of nearly two million becomes the world capital of the Rumi cult. Pilgrims and tourists fill hotels and pay homage at the elaborately decorated mausoleum where he is buried. There are lectures, exhibitions and twice-daily performances of the hypnotic dervish dance.

.

Imam Hussein (AS) was martyred while fighting oppression and in order to preserve his religion, he said, adding that one needs love and faith to be able to understand Ashura, Imam Hussein (AS) and Imam Ali (AS).

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī and popularly known as Mowlana was born in Balkh (then a city of Greater Khorasan in Persia, now part of Afghanistan), on September 30, 1207. His first name literally means Majesty of Religion, Jalal means majesty and din means religion. Rūmī is a descriptive name meaning “the Roman” since he lived most of his life in an area called Rūm because it was once ruled by the Eastern Roman Empire. Mowlana’s Works are in Persian, so he is a part of Persian Culture.

.

His father Baha al-Din was a renowned religious scholar. Under his patronage, Rumi received his early education from Syed Burhan-al-Din. When his age was about 18 years, to avoid the Mongol invasions, the family moved westward through Iran, Iraq, and Syria, meeting famous writers and mystics, such as the revered poet Attar, who authored the finest spiritual parable in the Persian language, “The Concourse of the Birds.”

The family’s flight ended in 1226 in the Anatolian city of Konya —capital of the Seljuk Turkish sultanate of Rum. Rumi settled, taught, and composed here until his death in 1273. Although Konya’s sultans were forced to pay tribute to the Mongols in 1243, the city remained a safe haven for Islamic culture, gathering outstanding minds from far horizons in a tormented age.

Rumi was sent to Aleppo (present day Syria) for advanced education and later to Damascus. He continued with his education till he was 40 years old, although on his father’s death Rumi succeeded him as a professor in the famous Madrasah at Konya at the age of about 24 years.

He received his mystical training first at the hands of Syed Burhan al-Din and later he was trained by Shams-e Tabrizi. He became famous for his mystical insight, his religious knowledge and as a Persian poet.

Rumi taught a large number of pupils at his Madrasah and also himself founded the Molavi Order of Dervishes in Tasawwof (Sufism) and instituted the ecstatic dance ritual for which the “whirling dervishes” are known to this day. He died in 1273 CE at Konya (present day Turkey), which subsequently became a sacred place for dancing dervishes of the Mowlana Order.

.

As a genius theologian, a brilliant scholar, and a pillar of Islam, he followed in his father place until his spiritual friend and teacher, Shams of Tabriz appeared in his life. With appearance of Shams, Rumi became reborn and soon started his marvelous work “Masnavi,” (Mathnawi) consisting of 24,000 verses at age 38.

His other famous work is “Divan-e Shams-e Tabriz” (the collective poems of Shams of Tabriz). Rumi’s poetry has a mystic connotation, a combination that is the universal language of the human soul. Rumi’s title is Mowlana which means our master.

Rumi’s works are written in the New Persian language. A Persian literary renaissance (in the 8th/9th century) started in regions of Sistan, Khorāsān and Transoxiana and by the 10th/11th century, it reinforced the Persian language as the preferred literary and cultural language in the Persian Islamic world.

Rumi’s importance is considered to transcend national and ethnic borders. His original works are widely read in their original language across the Persian-speaking world.

Translations of his works are very popular in other countries. His poetry has influenced Persian literature as well as Urdu, Punjabi and other Pakistani languages written in Perso/Arabic script e.g. Pashto and Sindhi. His poems have been widely translated into many of the world’s languages and transposed into various formats. In 2007, he was described as the “most popular poet in America.”

.

The general theme of his thoughts, like that of the other mystic and Sufi poets of the Persian literature, is essentially about the concept of Tawheed (unity) and union with his beloved (the primal root) from which/whom he has been cut and fallen aloof, and his longing and desire for reunity.

His major contribution lies in Islamic philosophy and Tasawwof (Sufism). This was embodied largely in poetry, especially through his famous Masnavi.

This book, the largest mystical exposition in verse, discusses and offers solutions to many complicated problems in metaphysics, religion, ethics, mysticism, etc.

Fundamentally, the Masnavi highlights the various hidden aspects of Sufism and their relationship with the worldly life. For this, Rumi draws on a variety of subjects and derives numerous examples from everyday life.

His main subject is the relationship between man and God on the one hand, and between man and man, on the other. He apparently believed in Pantheism and portrayed the various stages of man’s evolution in his journey towards the Ultimate.

Rumi’s poetry is often divided into various categories: the quatrains (rubaiyat) and odes (ghazals) of the Divan, the six books of the Mathnavi, the discourses, the letters, and the almost unknown Six Sermons. Rumi’s major work is Masnavi-ye Manavi (Spiritual Couplets).

Apart from the Masnavi, he also wrote his Divan (collection of poems) and Fihe-Ma-Fih (a collection of mystical sayings). However, it is the Masnavi itself that has largely transmitted Rumi’s message. Soon after its completion, other scholars started writing detailed commentaries on it, in order to interpret its rich propositions on Tasawwof (Sufism), Metaphysics and Ethics. Several commentaries in different languages have been written since then.

Rumi’s other major work is the Diwan-e Shams-e Tabriz-i (The Works of Shams of Tabriz – named in honor of Rumi’s great friend and inspiration, the darvish Shams), comprising some 40,000 verses.

Several reasons have been offered for Rumi’s decision to name his masterpiece after Shams. Some argue that since Rumi would not have been a poet without Shams, it is apt that the collection be named after him. Others have suggested that at the end, Rumi became Shams, hence the collection is truly of Shams speaking through Rumi. Both works are among the most significant in all of Persian literature. Shams is believed to have been murdered by disciples of Rumi who were jealous of his relationship with Shams.

Click here to view the embedded video.

.

Rumi’s poetry has been translated into many languages, his work is well known throughout the world. Rumi was the founder of the Mowlavi Darvish Order, also known as the whirling darvishes.

The Mowlavi order is based in Konya and have a traveling group of musicians and whirlers that perform all over the world. Experiencing the whirling dervishes and musicians is a wonderful experience.

It is often said that the teachings of Rumi are ecumenical in nature. For Rumi, religion was mostly a personal experience and not limited to logical arguments or perceptions of the senses.

Creative love, or the urge to rejoin the spirit to divinity, was the goal towards which everything moves. The dignity of life, in particular human life (which is conscious of its divine origin and goal), was important.

However, despite the aforementioned ecumenical attitude, and contrary to his contemporary portrayal in the West as a proponent of non-denominational spirituality, a select number of Rumi poems suggest the importance of outward religious observance, the primacy of the Qur’an.

Flee to God’s Qur’an, take refuge in it
there with the spirits of the prophets merge.
The Book conveys the prophets’ circumstances
those fish of the pure sea of Majesty.

Rumi’s approach to Islam is further clarified in this quatrain:

Man banda-ye qur’ānam, agar jān dāram
man khāk-e rah-e muhammad-e mukhtāram
gar naql konad joz īn kas az goftāram
bēzāram azō waz-īn sokhan bēzāram.

I am the servant of the Qur’an as long as I have life.
I am the dust on the path of Muhammad, the Chosen One.
If anyone quotes anything except this from my sayings,
I am quit of him and outraged by these words.

.

Seyyed Hossein Nasr states:

One of the greatest living authorities on Rûmî in Persia today, Hâdî Hâ’irî, has shown in an unpublished work that some 6,000 verses of the Dîwân and the Mathnawî are practically direct translations of Qur’ânic verses into Persian poetry.

His impact on philosophy, literature, mysticism and culture, has been so deep throughout Central Asia and most Islamic countries that almost all religious scholars, mystics, philosophers, sociologists and others have referred to his verses during all these centuries, since his death.

Most difficult problems in these areas seem to get simplified in the light of his references. His message seems to have inspired most of the intellectuals in Central Asia and adjoining areas since his time, and scholars like Alama Iqbal Lahori have further developed Rumi’s concepts.

The Masnavi became known as the interpretation of the Quran in the Pahlavi language. He is one of the few intellectuals and mystics whose views have so profoundly affected the world-view in its higher perspective in large parts of the Islamic World.

Morality is lost in the life of today’s man. Mowlana is one of the few great men of literature and meditation, who have invited people to live a moral life in all of their works. What Mevlana said 800 years ago is still new to the man of 21st century. This is why his works are still being translated to different languages.

.

He passed away, on December 17, 1273 at the age of 68. Konya was all in black. Even Christians and Jewish people of the city mourned for him. Mowlana was buried beside his father in Konya, Turkey. A tomb was built for the great Sufi poet and remains a sacred site that is visited by visitors from every part of the world.

Sufi whirling (or Sufi spinning), is a physically active meditation which originated among Sufis, and which is still practiced by the Sufi Dervishes of the Mowlavi order. It is a customary dance performed within the Sema, or worship ceremony, through which dervishes (also called semazens) aim to reach the source of all perfection, or kemal.

This is sought through abandoning one’s nafs, egos or personal desires, by listening to the music, focusing on God, and spinning one’s body in repetitive circles, which has been seen as a symbolic imitation of planets in the Solar System orbiting the sun. As explained by Sufis:

In the symbolism of the Sema ritual, the semazen’s camel’s hair hat (sikke) represents the tombstone of the ego; his wide, white skirt represents the ego’s shroud. By removing his black cloak, he is spiritually reborn to the truth.

At the beginning of the Sema, by holding his arms crosswise, the semazen appears to represent the number one, thus testifying to God’s unity. While whirling, his arms are open: his right arm is directed to the sky, ready to receive God’s beneficence; his left hand, upon which his eyes are fastened, is turned toward the earth.

The semazen conveys God’s spiritual gift to those who are witnessing the Sema. Revolving from right to left around the heart, the semazen embraces all humanity with love.

The human being has been created with love in order to love. Mowlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi says, “All loves are a bridge to Divine love. Yet, those who have not had a taste of it do not know!”

.

Rumi’s poetry forms the basis of much classical Iranian and Afghan music (Eastern-Persian, Tajik-Hazara music). Contemporary classical interpretations of his poetry are made by Muhammad Reza Shajarian, Shahram Nazeri, Davood Azad (the three from Iran) and Ustad Mohammad Hashem Cheshti (Afghanistan).

Today, Rumi’s legacy is expanding in the West as well through the work of translators and performers such as Shahram Shiva, who has been presenting bilingual Persian/English Rumi events in the US since 1993.

To many modern Westerners, his teachings are one of the best introductions to the philosophy and practice of Sufism. Pakistan’s National Poet, Muhammad Iqbal, was also inspired by Rumi’s works and considered him to be his spiritual leader, addressing him as “Pir Rumi” in his poems (the honorific Pir literally means “old man”, but in the sufi/mystic context it means founder, master, or guide).

Rumi’s work has been translated into many of the world’s languages, including Russian, German, Urdu, Turkish, Arabic, Bengali, French, Italian, and Spanish, and is being presented in a growing number of formats, including concerts, workshops, readings, dance performances, and other artistic creations.

The English interpretations of Rumi’s poetry by Coleman Barks have sold more than half a million copies worldwide, and Rumi is one of the most widely read poets in the United States.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated 2007 as the Year of Mowlana Jalalludin to mark the prominent Iranian poet’s 800th birth anniversary. Special ceremonies were  held in different countries. (esp Iran, Turkey, and Afghanistan)

At the proposal of the Permanent Delegations of Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey, and as approved by its Executive Board and General Conference in conformity with its mission of “constructing in the minds of men the defences of peace”, UNESCO was associated with the celebration, in 2007, of the eight hundredth anniversary of Rumi’s birth.

.

The commemoration at UNESCO itself took place on 6 September 2007; UNESCO issued a medal in Rumi’s name in the hope that it would prove an encouragement to those who are engaged in research on and dissemination of Rumi’s ideas and ideals, which would, in turn, enhance the diffusion of the ideals of UNESCO.

The Afghan Ministry of Culture and Youth established a national committee which organized an international seminar to celebrate the birth and life of the great ethical philosopher and world-renowned poet. This grand gathering of the intellectuals, diplomats, and followers of Maulana was held in Kabul and in Balkh, the Mowlana’s place of birth.

On 30 September 2007, Iranian school bells were rung throughout the country in honor of Mowlana. Also in that year, Iran held a Rumi Week from 26 October to 2 November.

An international ceremony and conference were held in Tehran; the event was opened by the Iranian president and the chairman of the Iranian parliament. Scholars from twenty-nine countries attended the events, and 450 articles were presented at the conference. Iranian musician Shahram Nazeri was awarded the Légion d’honneur and Iran’s House of Music Award in 2007 for his renowned works on Rumi masterpieces. 2007 was declared as the “International Rumi Year” by UNESCO.

Also on 30 September 2007, Turkey celebrated Rumi’s eight-hundredth birthday with a giant Whirling Dervish ritual performance of the samā, which was televised using forty-eight cameras and broadcast live in eight countries. Ertugrul Gunay, of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, stated, “Three hundred dervishes are scheduled to take part in this ritual, making it the largest performance of sama in history.”

In recent years we have also witnessed numerous artistic works inspired by Mowlana’s life and poetry either in Persian music or theatre. Iranian artists endeavor to show their homage to one of their greatest poets and scholars in different ways:

“Mowlana” Puppet Opera

The well-received puppet opera by Behrouz Gharibpour narrates the lifetime of the renowned Persian poet Mowlana Jalaleddin Rumi as well as his masterpiece ‘Masnavi’.

The score for the opera was recorded in Ukraine. Gharibpour’s latest work features 6,000 lines from ‘Masnavi’.

Watch the Videos: Parts 9&10:

Click here to view the embedded video.

.

Click here to view the embedded video.

.

Known for his extensive research on Qajar puppetry, Gharibpour has staged plays in numerous domestic and foreign festivals, including the 11th World Festival of Puppet Art in Prague and the 2008 International Incanti Figure Theater Festival in Italy.

Behrouz Gharibpour

.

Behrouz Gharibpour (born 1950) is a renowned Iranian theatre director and pioneer of traditional Persian puppet theatre.

He studied theatre at Tehran University and at Dramatic Arts Academy in Rome (Silvio Damico). He founded Tehran and Esfahan puppet theatre centres and changed the Tehran’s slaughterhouse into the greatest Iran’s Cultural Centre. He has experienced in writing and directorship in fields such as theatre, puppet theatre, cinema, documentary movies, and T.V.

Gharibpour is known for his solid research works on the Iranian puppetry as was commonly practiced during Qajar era. He was the president of the UNIMA.

Watch the Videos: Links to Parts 13, 14, 15 & 16

Link to all parts

Gharibpour has received the Italian Sirene d’ Oro Prize from Arrivano dal Mare Puppet Festival in 2009.

.

Shams Ensemble Concert

Shams Music Group conducted by Keikhosrow Pournazeri performed a concert to commemorate the well-known Iranian poet and mystic Mowlana Jalaleddin Rumi, in Sadabad Cultural complex as part of programs to mark 2007 which has been designated as ‘Mowlana Year’ by the UN cultural body, UNESCO.

Pournazeri said that Mowlana’s personality and thoughts have drawn the attention of many artists throughout the world.

Click here to view the embedded video.

.

Mowlana’s works have been translated or are being translated into 500 languages, he said, noting, “It is a source of honor for us to follow such a great man in the field of mysticism and spirituality.”

He added, “Therefore, I deemed it my duty to contribute to commemorating the year 2007, which has been designated as the Year of Mowlana by UNESCO.”

He further stated that Shams Group has used Mowlana’s poems in its performances in the past years and popular compositions were produced based on them.

Commenting on the concert, he said that the program will be performed in two sections of traditional and tanbour music played to the accompaniment of lyrics from Mowlana’s poems.

On the instrumentalists for the concert, Pournazeri noted that nine guests from Turkey, 3 performers of celestial dance and a flutist from Konya, Turkey and three violoncello players from France will accompany the group.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Tahmouras Pournazeri, who plays the tanbour, also said that in the tanbour section, pieces such as ‘For You’, ‘Owners’ and ‘Don’t Go That Way’ while the traditional section will feature pieces including ‘Orchestra and Song’ and ‘Cupbearer’.

“After Iran, we will perform 10 programs in different states of the US from September 14,” he concluded.

.

The Shams Ensemble is a musical group that performs traditional Sufi and classical Iranian music with the tanboor, Daf (frame drum), Ney and various other percussion instruments. The group was founded by composer Kaykhosro Pournazeri.

Pournazeri formed the Shams Ensemble with a vision of bringing back the lost art of tanboor through compositions that fused the tanboor with other traditional classical mode instruments.

Link to watch the Video: Rumi Song

He invited fellow musicians who were familiar playing such classical pieces, they eventually became a popular musical in Iran. Initially, the group performed under the name of Tanboor-e-Shams, but adding traditional and Kurdish music to their performances, they took the name of the Shams Ensemble.

The Shams Ensemble has performed at over 300 international venues and was on tour in the United States in 2008 during the month of October.

Click here to view the embedded video.

.

About Iran Review: Iran Review (www.iranreview.org) is the leading independent, non-governmental and non-partisan website – organization representing scientific and professional approaches towards Iran’s political, economic, social, religious, and cultural affairs, its foreign policy, and regional and international issues within the framework of analysis and articles.

Related Posts:

1. Tribute to Iranian poet Sohrab Sepehri 1928-1980
2. United Kingdom – Edinburgh Iranian Festival 2011

Lake Urmia has 102 islands, the second largest island, Kaboudi, is the burial place of Hulagu Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan.

One of the early mentioning of Lake Urmia is from the Assyrian records from 9th century BCE.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Due to drought and increased demands for agricultural water in the lake’s basin, the salinity of the lake has risen to more than 300 g/L during recent years, and large areas of the lake bed have been desiccated.

.

Photo Source :  Esfandiar Asghar Khani from shabestan.ir

Related Posts:

1. Photos: Mud bathing in Lake Urmia – Iran
2. Theater – The Persian Quarter by Salt Lake Acting Company

Heavy state interference in many aspects of private economic activity has resulted in economic stagnation in Iran’s non-oil sector and a serious lack of overall economic dynamism. A restrictive business and investment environment continues to hamper private-sector development. More than 500 companies remain state-owned, and privatization has been negligible in the past year.

Business licensing and closure are regulated heavily by an intrusive and inefficient bureaucracy. High tariff rates and non-tariff barriers undermine overall economic efficiency. Corruption is rampant, and fair adjudication of property rights cannot be guaranteed. The judicial system is vulnerable to political influence and lacks transparency.

Selected Countries and Ranking

..

.

Background

Iran’s economy, once one of the most advanced in the Middle East, has been crippled by the 1979 Islamic revolution, the Iran–Iraq war, economic mismanagement, and corruption. International concern about Iran’s nuclear development and support for terrorism remains high.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, reinstalled as president after a June 2009 election that sparked widespread political protests, has led a violent crackdown against opposition forces. His regime, which has greatly expanded government spending, now plans to reduce government subsidies, particularly for food and energy, and replace them with cash payments to low-income Iranians. A gradual decline in oil production combined with lower world oil prices has reduced oil export revenues, which provide about 85 percent of government finance.

Iran’s economy remains burdened by rising inflation, corruption, costly subsidies, and an increasingly bloated and inefficient public sector. Unemployment remains high.

.

Business Freedom

Business formation remains time-consuming, and licensing requirements are burdensome. Private investment and production continue to be hampered by a restrictive and outmoded regulatory environment.

.

Trade Freedom

Iran’s weighted average tariff rate was 20.1 percent in 2008. Import bans and restrictions, high tariffs, export licensing requirements, restrictive sanitary and phytosanitary regulations, burdensome customs procedures, state trading, arbitrary changes in tariff and tax schedules, and weak enforcement of intellectual property rights add to the cost of trade. Fifteen points were deducted from Iran’s trade freedom score to account for non-tariff barriers.

.

Fiscal Freedom

Iran has a relatively high income tax rate and a moderate corporate tax rate. The top income tax rate is 35 percent, and the flat corporate tax rate is 25 percent. All property transfers are subject to a standard tax. A value-added tax (VAT), collected intermittently since 2005, was officially re-implemented in 2008. In the most recent year, overall tax revenue as a percentage of GDP was 6.1 percent.

.

Government Spending

In the most recent year, total government expenditures, including consumption and transfer payments, rose slightly to 28.3 percent of GDP. The fiscal deficit measures 0.7 percent of GDP. Energy is highly subsidized.

.

Monetary Freedom

Inflation is very high, averaging 14.7 percent between 2007 and 2009. Although the inflation rate decelerated in 2009, it had picked up by the second half of 2010. The government controls the prices of petroleum products, electricity, water, and wheat; provides economic subsidies; and influences prices through regulation of Iran’s many state-owned enterprises. Fifteen points were deducted from Iran’s monetary freedom score to account for measures that distort domestic prices.

.

Investment Freedom

Foreign investment is restricted or banned in many industries, including banking, telecommunications, transport, oil, and gas. Foreign investments require approval, and the process is not straightforward.

The method of calculating the maximum share that foreign-owned entities are allowed can be non-transparent. The parliament can veto projects in which foreign investors have a majority stake. Political unrest and uncertainty over international sanctions further deter investment. Most payments, transfers, credit operations, and capital transactions are subject to restrictions or approval requirements.

Only legal permanent residents of Iran may purchase land. Foreign companies may own property only if they are registered both in Iran and in their respective countries and make the purchase using their Iranian business identity.

.

Financial Freedom

The government controls Iran’s financial sector. Only six private banks have come into operation since nationalization of all banks following the 1979 revolution, and they operate under strict restrictions regarding de facto interest rates and capital requirements.

Stringent government controls limit access to financing for businesses. State-owned commercial banks and specialized financial institutions account for a majority of banking-sector assets. There have been efforts to privatize some state-owned banks in recent years, but progress has been slow.

The government directs credit allocation, though credit is often supplied by traditional money lenders in the bazaar in support of small cash-based businesses. The non-banking financial sector remains dominated by state-owned companies. Capital markets are not fully developed.

.

Property Rights

The constitution allows the government to confiscate property acquired either illicitly or in a manner not in conformance with Islamic law. Resorting to the courts is often counterproductive; finding an influential local business partner with substantial political patronage is a more effective way to protect contracts.

Few laws protect intellectual property; computer software piracy is extensive; and infringement of industrial designs, trademarks, and copyrights is widespread.

.

Freedom From Corruption

Corruption is perceived as pervasive. Iran ranks 168th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2009, a steep decline from 2008.

The law provides criminal penalties for official corruption, but it is not implemented effectively, and official corruption is found in all three branches of government. Graft is extensive, and the anti-corruption agency has fewer than 1,000 inspectors to monitor the 2.3 million full-time civil servants and numerous government contractors who control most of Iran’s economy.

.

Labor Freedom

Labor regulations are restrictive, and the labor market remains stagnant. The non-salary cost of employing a worker is high, and firing a worker requires approval of the Islamic Labor Council or the Labor Discretionary Board.

Source: The Heritage Foundation

Related Posts:

1. Iran ranks 69 out of 70 in digital economy 2010 report
2. Corruption Perceptions Index 2010 – Iran ranks 146 out of 178