Lankans hail President Ahmadinejad’s visit

Added significance to political, economic and cultural ties:

By Lionel Yodhasinghe

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The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s choice of Lanka to start his main official tour in Asia would be a great honour to our country and its people. It also reflects on the excellent foreign relations especially with Asian members by President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Government.

The Government and the people of Sri Lanka have placed many hopes on President Ahmadinejad’s visit, which would add significance to the bilateral relations, cultural and economic ties which will be strengthened following this visit.

Political ties between the two countries are of paramount importance as Sri Lanka and Iran uphold democracy, human rights, unity and sovereignty of all nations.

Sri Lankan still remember how Iran encouraged its tourists to visit Sri Lanka at a time some other countries imposed travel advisories after the LTTE attacked the Katunayake International Airport.

Iran’s private airline Mahan Air even started a new service to Colombo while certain other airlines cancelled or withdrew their operations after the attack. Therefore, Sri Lankan people welcome Iran as a true friend in keeping with the old adage, “a friend in need is a friend indeed.”

Sri Lankans expect the Iranian Leader’s visit to open a new chapter in the spheres of politics; economy and culture especially in the tourism, oil exploration and energy development sectors.

Besides the friendship, Iranian Government’s financial assistance to construct a major hydro and irrigation project — the Uma Oya Multi Purpose Development scheme — would be hailed by Sri Lanka when people enjoy the benefits particularly in the districts of Hambantota, Moneragala and the country in general.

Of the total monetary assistance of US$ 1.8 billion pledged by the Iranian Government to Sri Lanka, US$ 450 million has been allocated to the Uma Oya Hydropower project which would add 100MW to the national grid. This will also irrigate over 5000 acres of parched land in the two districts, and create about 1000 direct jobs.

President Rajapaksa extended a special invitation to President Ahmadinejad during the former’s visit to Tehran last year.

Political analysts said President Ahmadinejad’s ready response to President Rajapaksa, and their economic support to construct several development projects including the Uma Oya which was kept on hold for over two decades due to lack of funds, could be considered a personal victory of President Rajapaksa as the Head of State.

This correspondent wrote the following article titled Sojourn in the desert country, Iran a cultural store in East Asia in the Daily News after a familiarisation tour in Tehran in 2000. It is reproduced here to mark President Ahmadinejad’s two-day visit to Sri Lanka tomorrow.

A visit to Iran

Salaam, said a resident greeting us in Niavaran street Tehran in the morning. We too reciprocated saying Salaam. Another Tehranian stopped near us and asked ‘Pakistani’? When we said we are from Sri Lanka, he said ‘Oh best tea country’ and went away.

The two of us wanted to chat longer but the language barrier stood in our way. We saw him leaving looking back at us again and again. We waved till he disappeared into a by lane at the end of the Niavaran Street.

The average Sri Lankan, like a friend of mine who had unfounded fears on Iran, are compelled to think of Iran as a country where strict rules of Islam have deprived people of their democratic freedom forcing them to live under pressure.

This impression has been inculcated in the minds of many people in other countries as well by the international media backed by certain enemies of Iran in the Western world after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Rohollah Khomeini imposed death penalty on writer Sulman Rushdi for his controversial book Satanic Verses, blaspheming Islam.

But we, seven journalists, who toured Tehran in a bid to build cultural and economic ties between the two countries have some sort of confidence as Iranian Ambassador in Colombo Dr. Gholamreza Nazarboland asked us to feel free to explore Tehran, investigate and write the truth independently.

Unique country

Yes, it is a unique country for many reasons. Iran has full-fledged democratic rights as any other country. In the name of democracy to achieve narrow political aims are not permitted as in most other countries.

Because Islamic rules have dominated Iranians for the sake of their age-old traditions and Islamic values. That may be one reason why the international media criticised Iran. As a country Iran is fully independent and has a solid economy which can stand in her own feet.

Before 1979, Iran was like any other colony and the Phalavi dynasty ruled the country safeguarding the interests of the colonial masters. A majority of the people who disliked the Western cultures dominating their own culture supported the Islamic clergy led by Khomeini to launch the Islamic Revolution.

Islamic Revolution

Phalavi king Shar who stooged the West became unpopular among the majority Iranians and the Islamic Revolution ousted king Shar enabling Khomeini to form the present Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979.

Democratic rights are guaranteed in Iran after the Revolution. Under articles 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 35, 37, 38, 39 and 169 of the Iranian Constitution, basic rights of people have been ensured. Equal rights are ensured to every citizen irrespective of communal and religious differences.

According to the Constitution, the President, members of Islamic Constitution Assembly (Parliament), and members of different councils who are directly elected by people must administer the country.

The powers in the country are shared by the legislature, executive, and judiciary that are independent but coordinated by the President and supervision of the Leader. There are 270 representatives in the Islamic Consultative Assembly (ICA) elected by people for a period of four years.

All approvals of ICA must be ratified by the Guardian Council for adaptation with Islamic Religious Laws. The President, who is directly elected by people for a tenure of four years is vested with executive powers like in Sri Lanka.

Judiciary powers are supportive of individuals as well as social rights for the national. The highest body in judiciary power is Judicial High Council. The members of this council are heads of Supreme Court, Attorney General, and three judges from the clergy who are elected for five years.

Politics

Free and fair elections and freedom to engage in politics is another highlight in Iran. Under Article 26 of Iran’s Constitution, any one can form a political party or professional or any other organisation.

There were some 39 political parties and other such associations permitted before 1997 but this number rose to 103 within a period of 28 months. But there are only about a dozen political parties and other groups that are active in Iran.

Among them are: Militant Clergy Association, Islamic Coalition Association, Society of Islamic Association of the Bazaar and Trade Unions, Islamic Society of Engineers, Zainab Society, Militant Clerics League, Islamic Iran Partnership Front, Executives of Construction Party, Islamic Revolution Mujahedin Organisation, Islamic Republic of Iran Women’s Society and Islamic Assembly of Women, Islamic Iran Solidarity Party and Iran Nation Resolution Party.

Iran covers an area of 1,648,000 square kilometres and its largest province is Khorasan which covers an area of 313,000 square kilometres. There are 27 other provinces where each one is administered by a governor-general.

The smaller provinces that have less than 15,000 square kilometres, are Gilan, Chahar, Mahal Bakhtiari, Hohgilooyeh and Boirahmad, Gorgan, Qazvin and Qum. There are 252 towns and 680 districts in these provinces.

Iran is the birthplace of Zoroaster, one of the oldest prophets of the world and founder of Zoroastrian religion. The official religion of Iran based on Article 12 of the Constitution is Islam (Shiite), and about 99.5 per cent of people are Muslims. Disciples of other branches of Islam like Hanafi, Maleki, Shafei, Hanbali, and Zaidi in Iran are highly respected and live freely without any limitation.

Christian and Jewish religions are also recognised officially in the Constitution to enjoy equal political, social and economic rights in Iran. Other minorities like Armenian, Jewish, Assyrian, and Chaldean have their own independent representatives in the Consultative Assembly (Parliament).

Richness in culture is another specific feature in Iran. Different Eastern arts, literature and Gnosticism, Iranian myths, fiction, philosophy, poetry, music, folklore, handicrafts, architecture, and decorative art are important parts of the Iranian life, which have won the global recognition.

The country has a population of over 60 million, according to the census in 1996. Thirty seven million out of this live in major cities like Tehran, Meshed, Isfahan, Tabriz, Shiraz, Qum, Ahwaz, Orumyeh, and Kermanshah while 23 million in the periphery.

Several tribal groups still live in the pastoral of Iran maintaining and preserving their age old customs and tranquil lifestyle.

Youngest population

Iran is one of the countries with the youngest population in the world. Around 39.5 percent Iranians are below 14 years of age, 17.9 are active population and total employed population is 14.5 million and per capita income is some US$ 3000.

Major incomes in Iran are oil, natural gas, mine and metal industry, agriculture and handicraft. Iranian carpets are world famous for their intricate design and fast colours. The economy is composed of three major sectors: Private, Government and Cooperative. But 87.5 per cent of the economy is owned by the Private and Government sectors.

Apart from the traditional sources of income, Iran has today achieved new development arenas in industry, mine and metal sectors. As a result, the country, a major importer of steel during 1960 to 1970s, is a major steel exporter today.

Exports

The industry of exploiting decorative stone quarries too, which once was done by old methods like explosion, has changed to one of the most developed industries with the help of modern technology.

Today, metal and mineral products of Iran including alloys of different metals, are exported to industrial giants like Japan, South Korea, China and Italy.

Total agricultural lands of the country are estimated at around 18.2 million hectares that constitutes only 11 percent of the total area of Iran, according to statistics in 1972. Apart from this, Free Trade Zones and Special Economic Zones are a major strategy in Iran’s National Development Plan, which were introduced to attract foreign investment, transfer of technology, production of export goods, employment generation, and penetration to the global markets.

FTZs

At present three large Free Trade Zones are functioning in Kish Island, Queshm Island and Chabahar in the Persian Gulf area.

Approval has been given to set up two more Economic Zones in Sirjan and Bandar in a bid to expand the economic development and solve the country’s employment problem.

Iran is a large country with political stability, expanded resources and manpower to go on par with other economic giants. Other than such development goals, the country can be proud of its historical and cultural wonders of their forefathers - the Aryans who inhabited in Iran (Persia) about 9,000 years ago.