InfoAnda - Tehran wall art illustrates peace offensive

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

AP NewsAlert | 29 August 2009
Singapore sees 2011 inflation peaking near 6 pct | 17 February 2011
S.Korea bonds edge up ahead of auctions | 6 July 2009

Israel releases Palestinians prisoners | 15 December 2008

">Forum Views () ">Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Tehran wall art illustrates peace offensive

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Asia Pacific World Search Search: Tehran wall art illustrates peace offensive AFP - Tuesday, April 7 TEHRAN (AFP) - - If painter Mehdi Qadyanloo has his way, the famous "Down with America" mural at a busy central Tehran intersection could soon be replaced by a new painting symbolising peace. ADVERTISEMENT The prominent mural, on the side of a building at Karim Khan Avenue, depicts skulls in place of the stars and falling bombs at the end of the stripes on an American flag. A stark symbol of the anti-US stance of the Islamic republic, whose leaders often refer to the United States as the "Great Satan," the mural has been the talk of locals and visitors for years. "I want to replace this mural with one symbolising peace," Qadyanloo told AFP. His wish may come true, as city officials have launched a beautification drive to put up new murals that reflect Iranian culture and spread messages of peace and hope. Even as huge portraits of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini -- driving force of the Islamic revolution -- still dominate key squares, more and more murals on other themes are making inroads on public art displayed in the capital. One such mural by Qadyanloo is on the Shahid Sattari highway to Tehran's old Mehrabad airport. But it was still inspired by conflict and the decades-old confrontation with the United States. His massive painting spread across several buildings commemorates Iran-Iraq war heroes and the passengers of an Iranian airliner downed by missiles from American warship USS Vincennes in 1988. All 290 people on board were killed. Entitled "Heavenly Wave," the mural shows no faces, nor does it name any of the dead. Instead it has doves soaring skywards, indicating the victims' flight to heaven. "I paint martyrdom conceptually. In a conceptual painting there is a deep hidden meaning," said Qadyanloo, a prolific painter of murals, adding that "Heavenly Wave" is one such work. It shows the "Iranian war heroes and passengers killed when the airliner was shot down by US missiles in the Persian Gulf in 1988 over the Strait of Hormuz towards the end of the Iran-Iraq war," Qadyanloo said. "In this painting one does not see any martyr's face. But with imagination, one can see their flight to heaven." -- 'We have to show the world the depth of Iranian culture' -- Qadyanloo believes that a mural with a concept lasts longer than a portrait, because "a portrait confines the mural to a single family which has lost a loved one. "But a conceptual mural has a universal theme as symbolised by the flying doves." His mural is a major departure from those depicting Khomeini or current supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, those symbolising Shiite Islam's precept of martyrdom, or those with overt anti-US or anti-Israel messages. Even a prominent mural of a Palestinian woman suicide bomber on another busy intersection in central Tehran has been replaced by a traditional Persian painting. "The plan is to make the crowded, traffic-congested, polluted capital of Iran lively with lasting and universally understood murals," said Mohammad Reza Sharif Kazemi, the man behind the municipality's beautification drive. He said the old murals still have a meaning as they symbolise events such as the ousting of the "dictatorship (monarchy) and the war" with Iraq. "So it was natural for the city walls to show the world what had happened." "But now the nation is progressing and we have to give a new message for a new generation. We have to show the world the depth of Iranian culture," he said. Paintings of tales from the Shahnameh -- The Book of Kings -- by legendary Persian poet Ferdowsi are already on display, Sharif Kazemi said. "Our approach is to have murals that are comforting, that ease the daily pressures of life on the people of Tehran. "So when we approve an idea we consider the area's culture and history and try to strike a balance between modernism and traditionalism." One theme-based mural landscape in Vanak Square shows people walking towards a rich green field under a clear blue sky, contrasting with the reality of a crowded and polluted city of around 12 million Iranians. "It's my favourite. The atmosphere and the people just blend together in the work," said Qadyanloo as he sorted through some of his sketches. "I want to make people happy. I mostly try to tell a short story through my paintings... stories about life." The murals keep Qadyanloo busy as he works on different ideas, including the one that will replace the famous stars and stripes with its skulls and bombs. "When I started some three years ago, there were only a handful of such murals. They were like my children. But these days there are many, and some are becoming orphans." Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Recommend this article 0 users recommend Sign in to recommend this article » Most Recommended Stories » Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle US-ENTERTAINMENT SummaryReuters - Tuesday, April 7 Budget-conscious Hollywood in grip of remake feverReuters - Tuesday, April 7 Paul-and-Ringo duet thrills Beatles fans at benefitReuters - Tuesday, April 7 Miley Cyrus still adjusting to life as a superstarAFP - Tuesday, April 7 "Unusuals" brings offbeat humor to cop dramaReuters - Tuesday, April 7 Enlarge Photo An anti-US mural painted on the wall of the former US embassy in Tehran. If painter Mehdi Qadyanloo has his way, the famous "Down with America" mural at a busy central Tehran intersection could soon be replaced by a new painting symbolising peace Most Popular – Entertainment Viewed Journalists get shock with 'sexy' White House call Explosives chemical found in US baby formula US ready to force out bankers: Geithner Guantanamo 'soooo beautiful!' Miss Universe says Madonna leaves Malawi after failed adoption bid View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Iran's Ahmadinejad says waiting for U.S. policy change | International |
Venezuela cracks down on anti-Chavez leaders | International |
Four blasts in India's Assam kill 8 before PM visit | International |
Yahoo looks outside its walls with new music service | Technology |
Sun tumbles as IBM talks fail, outlook uncertain | Technology |
Time Warner laying ground for possible AOL spin | Technology |
AP cuts newspaper rates, moves to protect web news | Technology |
Two Crichton novels to be published posthumously | Entertainment |
Italy finds quake survivors, but hopes fading | International |
Japan seeks strong U.N. response on North Korea rocket | International |
Seven car bombs kill 37 across Baghdad
Cuba's Raul Castro meets U.S. officials | International |
Venezuela's Chavez backs Obama's conflict-free call | International |
Series of bombings in Baghdad Shiite areas kill 37
Obama says U.S. is not at war with Islam
Italy quake kills at least 179; scores saved
Israeli police demolish home of Jerusalem attacker
Fed strikes currency swap deal with central banks
Dubai shrugs off crisis with new budget airline
As Iraq rape trial begins, attorneys attack law
Nigeria dismisses U.S. warning of possible attack | International |
World's first hands, face transplant
Blair: Skepticism about peace after Netanyahu win
Black Monday in Baghdad as car bombings kill 32
Asian summit to discuss rocket and recession | International |
Crisis-hit Russia faces tough year: Putin
Massive earthquake hits off Kuril Islands | International |
US automaker Ford slashes debt by 9.9 bln dlrs
Cuba's Raul Castro meets US lawmakers
Salesforce offers customers free service | Technology |
Raul Castro meets with 6 visiting US lawmakers
Page first turned on e-book idea long ago | Technology |
US fighter jets scramble, chase stolen plane
Labels bet flexibility boosts iTunes sales | Technology |
US-TECH Summary
Gates urges 'reform,' cuts in US weapons programs
Salesforce offers customers free mobile service
Obama to wrap up Europe tour
Industries, countries scrap over high-tech metals
Report: Number of attacks on aid workers surges
Tough times for Poles in Ireland
Son says accused nazi guard has illness
Labels bet flexibility boosts iTunes sales
Experts argue if NKorea's launch suggests progress
Page first turned on e-book idea long ago
Chechnya doesn't need independence: Kadyrov
Clinton pressing UN on North Korean launch
Italian rescuers hunt survivors as quake kills 179
NASA astronaut to send Twitter updates
Nazi guard Demjanjuk to fight deportation order
French police find huge ETA explosives cache
Foreign telecom barriers hindering competition: US
AP to take on Web piracy, cut rates
Salesforce offers customers free mobile service
Chris Brown pleads not guilty in Rihanna abuse case | Entertainment |
Paul-and-Ringo duet thrills Beatles fans at benefit | Entertainment |
Budget-conscious Hollywood in grip of remake fever | Entertainment |
Dutch soldier, 4 insurgents killed in Afghanistan
Malaysia to revive caning in schools
Gossip writer out of job after Wolverine review | Entertainment |
Fire damages Beijing museum built for Olympics
Unusuals brings offbeat humor to cop drama | Entertainment |
Sri Lankan president says rebel myth shattered
Actors union negotiators meet, deal report said premature | Entertainment |
US seeks strong response to NKorea rocket launch
China launches sweeping health care reform plan
Khmer Rouge jail chief details torture methods
US: 4 insurgents killed in southern Afghanistan
Budget-conscious Hollywood in grip of remake fever
OneAsia Tour's Pine Valley Beijing Open called off
Jackie Earle Haley to be Freddy in 'Elm St' remake
Thai PM vows to prevent 'civil war'
Breakthrough in Hollywood actors' deadlock: report
Hollywood warns Bollywood on 'Button' remake
S.Korean won ends down 0.6 pct on bank worries
Seoul shares end at new 6-month high; techs up
FACTBOX-S.Korea's $2 bln sovereign bond sale at a glance
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
World Bank: East Asia faces slower growth
Budget-conscious Hollywood in grip of remake fever
Japan's central bank keeps interest rate unchanged
Tehran wall art illustrates peace offensive
Vietnam to raise minimum state salary by 20 pct
Israel hopes pope helps image, brings cash
World Bank: China's recovery could start this year
Paul-and-Ringo duet thrills Beatles fans at benefit
Philippines March inflation slows to 6.4 percent
Miley Cyrus still adjusting to life as a superstar
SKorea-US trade deal could come sooner: advocate
"Unusuals" brings offbeat humor to cop drama
Singing serial killer faces death sentence
Korea Hot Stocks
Gossip writer out of job after "Wolverine" review
Review: `Observe and Report' should cease, desist
Singer Chris Brown denies Rihanna assault
Moldovan protests turn violent after Communist win | International |
Israel destroys part of Palestinian attacker's home
Baghdad car bomb kills 9 in Shi'ite area | International |
Pakistan, U.S. stress trust, disagree on drones | International |
As Iraq rape trial begins, attorneys attack law
Spain sacks economy chief as government struggles | International |
Merkel cuts short surprise Afghan trip
Ailing lender RBS to cut up to 9,000 jobs
Peru's Fujimori convicted of human rights crimes | International |
Sudan's Bashir vows to try Darfur war criminals | International |
Britain's ailing RBS to cut up to 9,000 jobs
Israel carries out missile test: Defense Ministry | International |
Hopes for recession turnaround take a hit
Gunman kills one, then self, in German court shooting | International |
Shooter kills one, then self at German court
East Asia faces slower growth: World Bank
US seeks strong response to NKorea launch
Obama ends Europe trip with tour of Istanbul mosque
Obama: Accord on climate will be tough
Australia to invest $31 billion in broadband | Technology |
Castro welcomes US lawmakers
Google helps, not hurts newspapers, executive says | Technology |
Australia to build $31 billion broadband network
At least two dead in German court shooting
Scuffles as London police end Tamil demo
Chris Brown pleads not guilty in Rihanna abuse case | Entertainment |
China moves to make competitive publishing giants
Original Beatles digitally remastered | Entertainment |
McCain urges respect of human rights in Vietnam
Malaysia's ruling coalition wins first of 3 votes
Ex-Khmer Rouge tells how he put prisoners in pits
Elephant tramples Dutch tourist to death in India
UNESCO gives posthumous award to Sri Lankan editor
Australia to build $30 bln broadband network
Pakistani stocks end at highest close this year
Protestors trap Thai PM inside beach hotel
Rare megamouth shark caught, eaten in Philippines
S.Korea orderbook reaches $2 bln in bond sale-source
Philippine inflation eases to 6.4 percent in March
Bank of Japan leaves interest rates unchanged
S.Korea to set up $3 bln fund to buy ships -report
Pakistan's monetary policy may ease -central bank
LaBelle, Jones to be honored at Apollo concert
Taiwan dlr falls on risk concerns, c.bank movement
Part of 'Cuckoo's' hospital to be saved for museum
World Bank sees shrinking China exports in 2009
Imported Bruennhilde has some success in Met debut
ADNOC to visit South Korean refiners
Police fire shots at demonstrators in Papua
An overview of Indonesia's parliamentary elections
Indonesia prepares for parliamentary elections
Singapore News
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01