'Oppressed' Iran to Hold International Peace Conference
Iran this weekend hosts an international conference on combating terrorism and promoting peace, but organizers left no doubt that their vision of “peace” is not quite universal.
At an event in Tehran Wednesday to promote the “International Conference on Global Alliance against Terrorism for a Just Peace,” the organizers released 195 caged pigeons. The birds, they said, were intended to be a symbolic representation of the world’s countries, “except Israel.”
More than 1,000 “scholars and thinkers” from 60 countries are expected to attend the conference on Saturday and Sunday, according to the Islamic World Peace Forum, which is organizing the event.
No details of foreign participants have been released, although Iraqi President Jalal Talabani plans to attend, the Fars news agency reported.
Chief organizer Davoud Ameri told a press conference that Iran is “one of the victims of terror,” and he said the event aimed to “enlighten the world of the oppression that has been brought upon the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
One of the issues to be discussed is the role of media in fighting terrorism, another area in which Iran is seen as a victim.
“Iranian media face difficulties in reflecting the real news to the world,” Mohammad Hassan Akhtari, head of a Shi’ite Islamic propagation body called the AhlulBayt World Assembly, told the press conference. He attributed this to “the imperialism of media control, which is dependent on America and Israel.”
Another issue on the agenda is defining terrorism.
“Many organizations have different renderings of terrorism and the differing versions of this ill have been overlooked,” said Ameri.
Attempts by the United Nations to reach an agreed-upon definition of terrorism have failed over many years, largely because Islamic states insist that any definition make clear that resistance against foreign occupation does not constitute terrorism.
- Patrick Goodenough's blog
- Login to post comments















Comments
Let the Americans out of your jails you Ackackinadinnerjacket
Submitted by upcountrywater on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 4:55pm.
And/Or we bomb your factories that make things (EFP) that have killed hundreds of American fighting men and women.
A N. Korean pigeon, flight plan
You Didn't Build That.
When is Obama leaving to
Submitted by Radical1979 on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 6:31pm.
When is Obama leaving to attend this event?
Big obama Middle East Speech soon
Submitted by ThisnThat on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 8:22am.
Hasn't obama already announced a big Middle East speech to take place soon, time and place unannounced? Could be in Tehran, as the keynote speaker. Who knows? I just know that I would never have thought it possible with previous presidents -- but with this guy, anything's possible.
I wonder if Iran is going to talk a little about its treatment of women? Or maybe obama will point that out in his speech?
And perhaps obama hasn't announced the time of his speech yet, because he has to notify the Nobel Peach Price committee first -- just in case there's a second prize coming?
__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court
You simply can't put a value
Submitted by ThisnThat on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 8:24am.
You simply can't put a value on the UN's usefulness, can you?
Attempts by the United Nations to reach an agreed-upon definition of terrorism have failed over many years,
__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court