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Taraneh Alidoosti with co-star Shahab Hosseini and director Asghar Farhadi on the red carpet in Cannes. Photograph: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images

The lead actor in an Iranian drama nominated for an Oscar in the best foreign language film category has said she will boycott this years ceremony over Donald Trumps expected decision to impose visa bans on Iranians.

Taraneh Alidoosti, who takes a central role in Asghar Farhadis The Salesman about a couple whose relationship is thrown into disarray after an intruder surprises her in the shower, said she considered the blanket ban on her fellow countrymen to be racist. She would boycott the awards ceremony, the actor said, even if she was excluded from the ban despite it being the first time she has qualified to attend.

Trumps visa ban for Iranians is racist, she tweeted. Whether this will include a cultural event or not, I wont attend the #AcademyAwards 2017 in protest.

Restrictions on all Iranian nationals entering the US are part of Donald Trumps expected new measures against seven Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The bans have not yet been confirmed but a draft executive order obtained by journalists on 25 January showed a decision was imminent.

Alidoosti recently starred in a popular Iranian online TV series set in the 1950swhich has echoes in politics today. Shahrzad, the most expensive production of its kind in Iran, brought Iranian lifestyle under the late Shah to the screen, depicting snooker clubs, women and men partying together, cabarets and drinking alcohol.

The reports about the visa bans have prompted outrage in Iran, dominating newspaper front pages in Tehran and drawing huge reactions online. Iranians describe the measures as discriminatory and observers warn that they could alienate ordinary Iranians, who are among the most pro-American people in the Middle East.

On 24 January, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) said in a statement that it was against a blanket ban based on nation of origin. Even if this were the right approach, it is notable that the list doesnt include Saudi Arabia and would have done nothing to prevent 9/11 or the other terrorist attacks committed by radical Wahhabi jihadists in the US. But it does include Iran from which no national has committed a terrorist act in America.

7NIAC condemned the move and said: This is dangerous, as it pits Americans against Americans while undermining the very principles of inclusivity and tolerance that define America. We will not be silent, and will use every resource at our disposal to fight these shameful actions and protect the values and people who make America great.

By announcing the new restrictions, President Trump would be implementing the most shameful and discriminatory promises he made on the campaign trail, NIAC said, before adding: We never imagined the US would become a country that bars its doors and formally condones xenophobia.

Other Iranian voices have weighed in. Ahmad Sadri, Iranian-American professor of sociology and anthropology at Lake Forest College, in Illinois, asked: How many Muslims countries where Mr Trump owns a tower or a golf course are on his list?

Sadri said: From this day forward, Islamophobia is no longer a mere racist sentiment in America. Today, discrimination against Muslims is [becoming] a legally enforced government policy. The cover is, of course, counterterrorism. Mr Trump says he is worried about radical Islamic terror. One would believe that if one would [also] believe that Nazis denouncing Jewish bankers they were talking about finance.

Sadri added: Why are some affluent and friendly Muslim countries (most tainted by the scourge of terrorism) exempted from this ban? Is the exclusion a matter of political convenience, as in the past? Or does it have to do with the presidents financial empire?

Farhadi, who directed Alidoosti in The Salesman, is one of Irans best-known film-makers. His 2012 film A Separation won the best foreign language Oscar, becoming the first movie ever to take an Academy Award to Iran, which prompted nationwide celebrations.

Farhadi, who has not yet commented on whether he would attend this years ceremony, used his Oscar speech in 2012 to protest against measures that isolated Iran, saying: At the time when talk of war, intimidation, and aggression is exchanged between politicians, the name of their country, Iran, is spoken here through her glorious culture, a rich and ancient culture that has been hidden under the heavy dust of politics.

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Iranian Oscar contender: I'll boycott awards over Trump's 'racist' visa ban - The Guardian

Netanyahu speaks during Holocaust Remembrance Day memorial ceremony at Yad Vashem,. (photo credit:MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

The worlds view of Iran is likely to change with US President Donald Trump in the White House, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated on Thursday during a speech at Yad Vashem to the diplomatic corps.

The prime ministers address marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day (which is commemorated around the world on January 27), said that even as antisemitism is on the rise in Europe, the greatest hatred of the Jewish people and the Jewish state comes from the East.

It comes from Iran, he said. It comes from the ayatollah regime that is fanning these flames and calling outright for the destruction of the Jewish state.

This is the second time in a week that Netanyahu has made a public comment regarding the Iranian threat, after an extended period when this was not at the center of his remarks.

On Saturday night, just a day after Trumps inauguration and in what appeared to be an effort to put the issue back on the international agenda just as Trump took office Netanyahu posted a video on social media saying he plans to speak with the new president about how to counter the threat of the Iranian regime, which calls for Israels destruction.

He picked up on this theme at Yad Vashem.

I want you to think about a regime that openly declared its intention to eliminate every black person, every gay person, every European. I think the entire world would be outraged, and rightly so, he said.

But when a regime [Tehran] merely calls to wipe out every Israeli which is what they say day in, day out, their most prominent leaders, they say it what do we encounter? A deafening silence.

Now, he said, this may change.

I hope it will change. I believe it will change, he said.

Because I spoke a few days ago to President Trump and he spoke about the Iranian aggression.

He spoke about Irans commitment to destroy Israel.

He spoke about the nature of this nuclear agreement and the danger it poses.

The prime minister and former president Barack Obama were at loggerheads for years over the Iranian issue.

Netanyahu said that he will not be silent in the face of those saying they want to destroy the Jewish people or Jewish state.

I havent been silent, and we dont intend to be inactive either, he said. We dont merely intend to speak out but we will take all the measures we need to defend ourselves, and we will take all the measures necessary to prevent Iran from getting the means of mass murder to carry out their horrible plans.

Netanyahu noted that the regime that spawned the Holocaust ended up in the dustbin of history, saying that this is a lesson for Iran and all enemies of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.

Meanwhile, the United Nations will hold a ceremony in the General Assembly on Friday to mark the day. The event will include speeches by the Secretary- General Antonio Guterres, General Assembly President Peter Thomson; Israels Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon; and Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the UN Michele Sison.

The keynote speech will be delivered by Auschwitz survivor and Israeli journalist Noah Klieger, 90, who has dedicated his life to educating the next generations about the horrors of the Holocaust.

The UN must take a leading role in combating antisemitism and preserving the memory of the Holocaust, Danon said.

The members of the UN must all pledge to speak out against hate and never allow the parliament of nations to become a platform for the promotion of intolerance.

Last week, Guterres spoke at an annual Saturday morning service in memory of the victims of the Holocaust at Manhattans Park East Synagogue and told worshipers he would be on the front lines of denouncing antisemitism and condemning all forms of expressions of it. He pledged to work so the Holocaust will never be forgotten.

Antisemitism is not a question about religion, but a manifestation of racism, the secretary-general stated, adding that he is troubled by the new forms and expressions of hatred against Jews, which shows that antisemitism is alive and well.

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Netanyahu hopeful world's attitudes toward Iran will change because of Trump - Jerusalem Post Israel News

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (R) and Iranian parliament speaker's special advisor on international affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, meet in Damascus on January 26, 2016. (Photo by SANA news agency)

Damascus and Tehran have reaffirmed their support for a country-wide cessation of hostilities that has been largely holding in Syria for almost a month now.

During a meeting in Damascus on Thursday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iranian parliament speakers special advisor on international affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said a successful ceasefire would pave the way for the restoration of permanent peace and stability to Syria.

Under the truce, the anti-terror fight will continue and conditions willbe prepared for launching intra-Syrian dialogue, enabling the nation to decide its future, the two sides stressed.

Mediated by Russia and Turkey with the support of Iran, the Syria ceasefire took effect on December 30, 2016, following an agreement between Syrias warring parties.

The truce is the first of its kind that has been largely holding in Syria for nearly a month. Earlier attempts by the US to broker such a long-lasting ceasefire hadfailed.

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During the Thursday talks, the Syrian leader hailed Irans constructive role in backing the Syrian peoplein the face of terrorism as well as in efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Syria crisis.

Amir-Abdollahian, for his part, said the Islamic Republics support for Syria is rooted in the strategic relations between the two nations.

He further empathized that Tehran believes terrorism in Syria poses an imminent threat to the entire region.

Earlier on Thursday, the Iranian official met with Syrian Foreign MinisterWalidal-Muallem to discuss bilateral ties and the latest developments in the Arab country.

They underlined the need for continued the trilateral Syrian-Iranian-Russian cooperation to settle the Syria conflict based on the outcome of the latest round of the peace talks held in Kazakhstan earlier this week.

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On Wednesday, Amir-Abdollahian sat down with Syrias Parliament Speaker HadiyehKhalafAbbas.

Iran has been offering military advisory support to the Syrian military, which has been battling foreign-backed militancy since 2011.

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Syria, Iran call for nationwide truce consolidation - Press TV

In the post-Obama era, leading Americanpoliticians are again playing up the threat emanating from Iran. During James Mattiss confirmation hearing for secretary of defense, Sen. John McCain warned that Iran continues to remake the region in its image from Syria, to Iraq, to Yemen.Mattis, who supports the Iran nuclear deal, has described Iranas a revolutionary cause devoted to mayhem and the single-most enduring threat to stability and peace in the Middle East. The hyperbole on Iran is complemented by silence on Saudi Arabias role in promoting global Salafi-inspired terrorism.

Although Iranian hard-liners relish this aggrandizement by the Washington establishment, a closer look at Irans activities in the Mideast reveals that it is hardly the military or ideological giant it is made out to be, and not only because itsmilitary spendingis dwarfed by that of its neighbors. Any assumption that the regions Shiite communities are subservient to Tehran, and cooperating with it to further Irans power, involves a grave misreading of Mideast history and politics.

The Iranian Revolution was matched by Shiite unrest in Saudi Arabias Eastern Province in 1979 and the continuing rise in prominence of the Lebanese Amal and Hezbollah movements. Iran explored the idea of exporting its revolution by establishing the Office of Islamic Liberation Movements (OILM) in 1981. Overseen by Ayatollah Montazeri, who at the time was the closest confidant of Ayatollah-Ali Khomeini, it fell completely under the umbrella of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps but over time transitioned into a department of the Foreign Ministry.

During the 1980s, the OILM was allied closely with Saudi students of Ayatollah Shirazi, an Iranian-born cleric who ran a religious seminary in Kuwait. It was here that Saudi Shiite activists would form theShiraziyyun movement and advocate for greater Shiite autonomy in the country. Long ignored by Mideast scholars, this movement was brought to the Wests attention in Toby Matthiesens 2014 bookThe Other Saudis. It was during this period that the kingdom began to view its Shiites as an Iranian fifth column, just as their Ottoman predecessors had viewed the Gulf Shiites with suspicion as possible agents of the Safavid dynasty.

In Lebanon, Shiite resistance movements predated the Islamic Republic altogether. The Amal (hope) movement was founded in 1974 by the Iranian cleric Musa al-Sadr. Rather than promulgate a revolutionary ideology, he mainly focused on raising Lebanons Shiite community out of their crippling poverty under the rule of Maronite and Sunni elites. His vision for Iran and Lebanon diverged greatly from Ayatollah Khomeinis. Historian Andrew Scott Coopers recent biography of the shah,The Fall of Heaven, even made the provocative claim that this may have led to Sadrs demise in Libya just before the revolution. Despite a split between Hezbollah and Amal, Musa al-Sadr remains an ideological father of both movements. Thus, it is a common misconception dually perpetuated by Tehran and Washington that Hezbollah is a fruit of the Islamic Republic. This myth serves Tehrans desire to take credit for Shiite empowerment and jihad against Israel, while in Washington it makes for a simple scapegoat for the problems endemic to Lebanons system of confessional politics.

The OILM initially had strong ambitions to foment regional revolution until 1987, when it was restrained by Khomeini in favor of political pragmatism. Iran was engrossed in a brutal war with Iraq and learned the consequences of adopting a radical foreign policy as every Arab nation except Syria sided with Saddam Hussein. The OILMs leadership, including Montazeri, was tainted by revelations of their direct involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal by soliciting the release of American hostages from Hezbollah on behalf of Washington. Ultimately, the Islamic Republic chose survival over an entropic revolutionary policy.

Today, Iran is complicit in serious crimes committed by Syrias Assad regime. But to interpret Irans actions in Syria as an aggressive expansion of power is misguided. Rather, Iran is trying to maintain its place in the region as well as contribute its share to an old alliance formed when Saddam was using chemical weapons against Iran. In Yemen, the Houthi rebels may welcome the patronage of Iran in the form of material support, but to paint believers in the Zaidi Shiite a faith a different sect from the one practiced in Iran as subservient to the Supreme Leader is incorrect, apoint the U.S. intelligence community is well aware of.

The same rings true for Iran-sponsored Hashd and Sadrist militias in Iraq that remain checked by the Iraqi Army and Najafs leading cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Although he holds no political position, al-Sistani is a marja-e taqlid a religious figure worthy of emulation which is the highest rank attainable within the informal world of Shiite seminaries. Khamenei also claims this title but enjoys less doctrinal authority. For his part, al-Sistani tacitly rejected the export of an Iranian-style Islamic Revolution and strongly supports a parliamentary democracy.

Current Shiite activists in Saudi Arabia maintain only symbolic relations with Iran, and most adhere to the edicts of Sistani rather than Khamenei. Even theShiraziyyunrejected Khomeinis concept of the guardianship of the jurist and therefore the essence of the Islamic Republic. The single exception to this trend the Hezbollah al-Hijaz is now defunct.The Saudi Shiites have taken every opportunity to display their loyalty to the Kingdom. During the Gulf War, Saddam urged them to rise up in the Eastern Province, but this was rejected even before it was obvious that Iraq would lose. Even the radical Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr displayed that he was not a pawn of Iranian ambitions when in a speech he implored God to destroy the Assad regime in contradiction with the position of Iran. Meanwhile, Shiite dissent in Saudi Arabia has shifted almost entirely to a human rights discourse.

In contrast with the largely forgotten Shiites of Saudi Arabia, Lebanons Hezbollah has strategic ties to Tehran. Its leader, Hassan Nasrallah,calledfor an Islamic Republic in Lebanon throughout the 1980s. South Beirut remains saturated with symbols of Iranian influence, from murals of Khamenei to new construction that resembles a postcard from Tehran.

However, to depict present-day Hezbollah as a puppet of Iran or even a revolutionary movement is inaccurate. Ever since Hezbollah adopted a policy ofinfitah,or openness, it has become entrenched in Lebanese politics and even buried the hatchet with the Amal Movement led by Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri. Today, Hezbollah serves as an extension of Iranian foreign policy in exchange for military support as long as that policy does not conflict with its domestic goals. Hezbollah is reliant on, but not beholden to, Iran.

Many segments of Lebanese society detest Hezbollahs high-handed presence in Lebanese politics and its overshadowing of the Lebanese Armed Forces. The absence of a president in Lebanon from 2014-2016 until the pro-Hezbollah Michel Aoun was chosen in the 46th round of parliamentary elections is one such example of its influence. Nevertheless, large swaths of Lebanese society view Hezbollah as a savior rather than a puppet to a foreign state, and it enjoys support from many Lebanese Christians who argue that in its absence, much of the country would unravel into a failed state.

All in all, it is a dangerous mistake to give Tehran more credit than is due for the rise of Shiite movements across the region. It is only natural that these movements would gain prominence in Iraq and Lebanon because of demographic realities. Iran has also avoided stoking unrest in Saudi Arabia and proven unwilling to escalate hostilities in Yemen. Meanwhile, anti-Western terrorist groups, ranging from the Islamic State in Syria to Lashkar-e Taiba in Pakistan, are ideologically inspired by Gulf-funded madrasas. They have their ranks swelled by Gulf-born recruits, and in some cases receive state sponsorship for their terrorism from so-called Gulf allies.

Exaggerating the military or ideological power of Iran may serve the goal of pushing the United States to take military action against Iran. But a singular focus on Iran while deliberately ignoring the role of Saudi Arabia and Qatar and their spread of Salafism will neither provide stability for the Middle East nor further any of Washingtons other interests in the region.

Photo credit:MAJID/Getty Images

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Iran's Proxy Wars Are a Figment of America's Imagination - Foreign Policy

Turkey, Russia and Iran have agreed to set up a process to help enforce a partial ceasefire in Syria.

Negotiators for the three sides met for two days of talks with Syrian government and rebel representatives in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

The three also agreed to support efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian civil war.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Wednesday that the meetings were, in his words, a serious diplomatic success.

Yildirim said that any resolution of the conflict should involve a new Syrian government that represents all factions.

A major point of disagreement in earlier talks has been the influence of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in any new government. Turkey supports the Syrian rebels. They want Assad to leave power. But Assads supporters, including Russia, want him to remain as president.

A statement released at the end of the talks said the Syrian government and opposition should meet next month in Geneva, Switzerland.

After the talks in Astana, opposition groups expressed concern about the plan developed by Turkey, Russia and Iran to ensure all sides obey the ceasefire.

Mohammad Alloush (center), the head of the Syrian opposition delegation, attends Syria peace talks in Astana.

Issam Alrayyes represents the Free Syrian Armys Southern Front. He said his group has always expressed concern about promises made by foreign governments. He added, We hope this time that Russia is taking a different role.

The leader of the Syrian opposition delegation, Muhammad Alloush, said he gave Russia a detailed proposal for a peace deal. He said he expects an answer within a week.

Syrian government and opposition did not talk directly

The Syrian government, Russia and Iran all welcomed the trilateral plan. However, the government said its forces would push forward with an offensive against rebels close to Damascus. Syrian officials said the military is fighting terrorist groups allied with al Qaida.

The Syrian ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar al-Jaafari, also was the governments negotiator at the Astana talks. He said all sides had agreed on the final declaration.

However, any major agreement remains unlikely because the Syrian rebel delegation refused to talk directly to the government. Also, some rebel groups were not invited to the talks because of their links to Jihadist groups.

The U.N.s special diplomat for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said there are many groups, including extremists, fighting in Syria. Making progress between the government and rebels, he said, is difficult.

Russia, Iran and Turkey negotiated the current ceasefire in Syria in late December. However, the Syrian government and rebels have repeatedly broken the truce, which does not cover the whole country.

The talks in Astana were the first negotiations organized by Iran, Russia and Turkey. Some observers are concerned the peace effort may overtake Syrian negotiations that have taken place in Geneva.

However, Syrian expert Noah Bonsey says the new negotiations are more likely, in his words, something in-between. Bonsey is with the International Crisis Group. He said the Astana talks offer something different from the Geneva peace talks, but also provide new energy to negotiations there.

The rebel groups in Astana said they will not attend the next meeting in Geneva if the current ceasefire fails. The next meeting is expected to take place on February 8.

Syrian opposition representatives met in Kazakhstan in 2015. U.N. diplomats organized peace talks involving other nations including the United States. They resulted in earlier, unsuccessful ceasefires.

Russia and Turkey invited the U.S. government to the Astana talks. But the State Department said new President Donald Trump was setting up his administration. The U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan did attend the talks as an observer.

Im Mario Ritter.

Daniel Schearf and Chris Hannas reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted their report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

____________________________________________________________

faction n. group that has different ideas or opinions that those of the larger group of which it is a part

role n. the part someone plays in a situation or system

jihadist adj. describing someone or something linked to religious war mainly against non-Muslims

trilateral adj. involving three people or groups

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Turkey, Russia and Iran Hold Syrian Peace Talks - Voice of America