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Sierra Leone: Tourism Minister Congratulates Iran On New Years Celebration
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The Independent (Freetown)
27 March 2008
Posted to the web 28 March 2008
The Minister of Tourism and Culture Hindolo Trye has congratulated the people and government of Iran on their ongoing New Year celebration.
Iran celebrates its New in March every year because it uses the Solar Calendar..
Speaking at the launch of a One-week film festival in commemoration of the event at the Iranian Cultural Centre in Freetown Hindolo Trye jokingly said the use of the solar Calendar was also symbolic to the current government of Sierra Leone because the symbol of the ruling All Peoples Congress is the Sun. He urged Sierra Leoneans to emulate Iranians on their hard work.
Mr. Trye said Iran had progressed tremendously because of the hard work of its people. He congratulated the government and people of Iran on the celebration of their New Year festival. He said films are a depiction of art and culture and urged Sierra Leoneans to nurture good culture. "One of the lessons we learn from these Iranian film festival is is putting away selfish interest and nurturing patriotism", he said.
He also elaborated on President Ernest Bai Koroma's much trumpeted "Attitudinal Change' campaign. "Change comes from the mind" Hindolo said.
He added that the films screened depicted the technological, social, cultural, educational and other advancements made by the Iranian nation.
The Chief Imam of the Freetown Central Mosque Sheikh Ahmad Tejan Sillah spoke on "desirable and undesirable culture". He said prior to the advent of the Iranain revolution, undesirable cultures prevailed in the country and influenced the people negatively. According to him, undesirable culture distorts the image of an individual and society at large. He said Sierra Leoneans youths have been greatly influenced by undesirable culture from other countries. He pointed out that machoism has become a distinct feature of cultural influence on youths and added that it greatly contributed to the violent dispositions during the war. He observed that such negative emulations have led youths astray. He thanked the Iranian government for its numerous help to the people of Sierra Leone over the years.
The chancellor of the Iranian Cultural Center in Freetown Mohamed Reza Ghezel Sofla said, "Films are a depiction of art and culture". He added that films are a "blooming element for the development of human ability".
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A lecturer, Abdul Karim Koroma noted that there were many aspects of the Iranian films that were morally inspiring. He said Sierra Leoneans should emulate the values depicted in them. "The films teach us the values of hard work and discipline", he said.
Reverend Butcher, an evangelist noted that religion and culture have a great role to play in the upbringing of children. He said negative culture had led youths of Sierra Leone astray. He described the Iranian films as morally inspiring. He said the Iranian Cultural Centre in Freetown had been giving tremendous help to people in the country irrespective of their religious backgrounds.
The festival is going on for a week and journalists are expected to be hosted on a special
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