Leopard As Dream Symbol

Invisible screens

No doubt Iran is a state that commands a certain regional weight. This did not start after the Iranian Revolution in 1979; it had already existed for thousands of years. But it is the state of conflict with the West characterising the Iranian political plane since 1979 that has lent Iran a political kudos that turned it into a symbol and a role model for a sizable portion of those who believe in political Islam across the Arab world and, in some cases, driven them and others of an anti-American persuasion to go as far as becoming loyal to the Iranian state. The population of Iran is 74 million, but it has such loyalists throughout the Arab and Islamic worlds. This loyalty can take two distinct forms. The first is sectarian, and it means that religious Shiites throughout the world see Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, their ultimate reference point. The second form of loyalty to Iran is the dream of the revolutionary Islamic state standing in the face of the West, which is the ideal of political Islam throughout the world.

No doubt the weight of Iran is not something Egyptian politicians can afford to ignore where the possibility of opening a new door to relations between the two major countries is concerned. With a view to this, however, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry has stated and unstated demands, the simplest of which is to change the name of the major Tehran street named after Sadat's killer Khalid El-Islambolli. They also include handing over a number of agents of armed jama'at islamiya who, having received criminal sentences, have sought refuge in Iran and continue to live there. It would probably take more than this to resume diplomatic and political relations, yet it is through exchange that the Iranian side has attempted to approach Egypt. Steps Iran has taken include the hosting of popular (unofficial) delegations, religious and economic as well as cinematic. The delegation of which I was part included filmmakers Mohammad Khan, Ahmad Maher and Ahmad Awwas, actor Abdel-Aziz Makhyoun, cameraman Mahmoud Abdel-Sami', screenwriters Beshir El-Dik, Azza Shalaby and Yahya Azmi (also professor of directing at the Film Institute) as well as his wife, the dean of the Institute, the head of the editing department Ghada Gubbara, editor Mona El-Sabban, and critics Mohyieddin Fathi and Mahmoud Qassem.

Today's Japan Photo: Huge Leopard — alafista.com

A huge leopard made from natural materials is paraded though Yamato, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Sept. 4 as part of the Yabe-no Hassaku Festival, which is held each year as a symbol of hope for good crops. In the festival, which has a history of about 250 years, large creations made from natural materials such as cedar, bamboo and pinecones, are displayed in public. This year 11 creations measuring between three and five meters long were made, including a phoenix crafted as a symbol of hope for Japan’s recovery from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

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