TEHRAN // A speech by a veteran Iranian female politician scheduled to take place ahead of Friday prayers at Tehran’s biggest mosque was last night cancelled.
According to much of the Iranian media, Masoumeh Ebtekar, the vice-president for environmental affairs, would have become the first woman in the history of the Islamic republic to speak at the Mosalla in front of thousands. The claim is difficult to verify as there are some reports that another woman spoke at the Friday prayers in 2010.
However, an appearance of a woman in front of the male-dominated gathering of mostly conservative supporters of Iran’s revolution and its ideals would have been highly unusual.
A source close to the 54-year-old confirmed the speech had been cancelled. It was not immediately clear why.
Ms Ebtekar, a leading reformist and a long-time ally of the country’s new President Hassan Rouhani, wrote on her Facebook page earlier yesterday: “It is possible that my speech at the Friday prayer will be cancelled.”
Ms Ebtekar, 54, was a key figure in Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution. With her perfect English, she became a spokeswoman for the students, who had stormed the US embassy in Tehran and took 52 diplomats hostage for 444 days.
She later sided with the reformists and under former president Mohammad Khatami was appointed the Islamic republic’s first female vice-president in 1997. She served for the entire eight years of Mr Khatami’s presidency in the same position she holds now.
She was marginalised under the former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and came under fire in the aftermath of the disputed 2009 presidential election when she visited protesters.
The main speaker at the Friday prayers is always a prominent political or military official and some times even the president.
They are usually selected based on the top political, economic or social issues in the Iranian society.
Ms Ebtekar was expected to speak about tackling the severe air pollution in Iranian cities.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
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A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
The biog
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Favourite sport: beach volleyball
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Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
