Islamic Development Organization

As revolution took place & religious government was founded, The Islamic Republic of Iran was established and at the time the country’s senior officials recognized the necessity to establish the organizations & institutions which can develop the cultural & religious aspirations and thoughts of Imam Khomeini & Islam’s followers in the Islamic society. Achieving this aim, the revolutionary institutions were established one after the other by Late Imam’s command and they began to fulfill their duties.

Islamic Development Organization is one of the organizations which were established with the aim of developing great culture of real Islam and manifesting the spiritual life and disseminating the belief & faith values.

During the years of this organization’s activities, according to society’s needs & general policies of Islamic system, its activities have undergone some changes.

In the past, this organization was managed by greats such as Ayatollah Ahmad Janati, Hojat-Al-Islam Muhammadi Iraqi and before them a council whose members were Martyrs Haghani & Shirazi, Ayatollah Janati, Mahdavi Kani & kashani had been responsible for managing this organization.

 Following the changes which are necessary for existence of an active institution and by special attention of Supreme Leader, the basic fields of education, investigation & research, dissemination & development of Islamic culture & trainings and getting close to Quran by utilizing the new tools & modern technology, have been highlighted as the main activities of this organization since 2001.

Achieving this aim and by Supreme Leader’s command, Hojat-Al-Islam Seyyed Mahdi Khamoushi was appointed as this organization’s Chief on 3December 2001.

Considering the importance and number of compiled & approved plans and for detailed & fast implementation of necessary reforms, different changes are taking place in the organization’s structure and also specialized institutions are going to be established.

The Main Responsibilities of Islamic Development Organization

1.Policy-making, planning, conducting, organizing, supporting & supervising the popular-religious publicity.

2. Paving the way for discovering the pious forces and establishing Islamic assemblies & similar groups and supervising their activities.

3. Efforts for revival and disseminating Shiite history, culture and trainings in every possible ways, stressing on all Islamic religions ‘solidarity and safeguarding it with cooperation of the related institutions & authorities.

4. Investigating & considering the negative publicity & enemies’ cultural aggression, identifying & analyzing the publicity tricks against Islamic Revolution in coordination with other related organizations and introducing necessary policies in order to frustrate them & illustrate public opinions.

5. Doing strategic studies & practical considerations regarding cultural needs of society’s different classes especially the young, planning the programs & modern methods for publicity, reforming & revival of traditional methods of Islamic publicity.

6. Compiling & publishing the necessary & suitable books & Press in order to introduce Islamic culture & civilization, stating the Islamic Revolution’s stances, doing necessary researches especially in the fields of educational system & political, economic & cultural bases of Islamic government and supporting the responsible researchers.

7. Efforts for conducting public opinions by using of mass media & direct participation of media in case of necessity.

8. Identifying & introducing select cultural & art works, the persons & popular-publicity groups of Islamic society and preparing the cultural-art works & products in order to provide suitable patterns of responsible & revolutionary artists and supporting them.

9. Planning, paving the way and adopting necessary measures which cause efficient persons such as Clerics, scholars, teachers & artists become more active to develop Islamic culture and confront the undesirable effects of foreign culture.

10. Planning , supervising & organizing the religious & revolutionary ceremonies as good as possible with all state and popular institutions’ cooperation.

11. Cooperating with ministries & state organizations and revolutionary institutions in order to develop Islamic culture & trainings in environment of the state organizations and revolutionary institutions.

12. Establishing & managing the educational institutes & academic centers for training the efficient publicists, responsible artists & religious teachers.

13. Establishing centers for disseminating specialized, publicity & religious information.

14. Organizing & dispatching publicists throughout the country especially deprived areas with cooperation of clerics & people.

15. Leading & supporting Islamic assemblies & popular -Islamic bodies and supervising them.

16. Publicity & cultural planning for enthusiasts of Persian culture stressing on reciprocal services between Islam & Iran in coordination with competent authorities.

17. Holding International-popular fairs, conferences & festivals in the country in order to develop Islamic trainings & pave the way for participating of popular-publicity groups & artists in the cultural festivals, fairs and conferences.

18. Having publicity-cultural cooperation with country’s Islamic centers in direction of the Organization’s aims and establishing relation between the individuals & Islamic, cultural-popular centers in order to close them together in coordination with other competent authorities.

19. Supervising the religious texts’ translation & making the rules for preparing, translating & publishing these texts for taking advantage of them in the country.

20. Supervising the printing & publishing “The Glorious Quran”, doing Quranic activities by training teachers, compiling educational papers, cooperating with the related ministries in order to develop Glorious Quran’s trainings.

Presidency Domain

In general, the presidency office of the Islamic Development Organization is responsible for special range of administrative duties which can be described in three main titles:

1. Establishing social relation with the Organization Presidency.

2. Establishing relation between the Organization Presidency & its other departments and sections.

3. Following & coordinating the Organization’s Work Plan in the presidency domain.

Establishing social relation with the Organization presidency:

Behaving towards people according to the rules which are necessary to observe in Islamic government, responding to people’s letters, their requests for meeting and other similar cases sympathetically & honestly, have especial importance. So many reforms which implemented by the Honorable presidency of Islamic Development Organization, are according to the expert studies & analyzing this kind of information received by the Organization. Considering the importance of the mentioned issues, presidency office & public relations of the Islamic Development Organization have established a strict work plan to consider carefully what social audience want, thus they can do their legal duties in the best & perfect way.

Establishing relation between the Organization Presidency & other departments and sections: Considering the extension & variety of routine responsibilities of the Organization’s departments & centers, plurality of specialized institutes related to the Organization, huge number of the predictable & unpredictable problems and difficulties arise when running the plans, following the special affairs and supervising constantly the performance of who are in charge of the related departments to Islamic Development Organization, it’s necessary to hold meetings  frequently between the Organization presidency and those have main responsibility in this organization according to the predicted plans or the sessions which are arranged urgently. Presidency office is responsible for arranging the meeting plans and announcing them frequently to the responsible ones in order to provide these kinds of relations as good as possible.

Following & coordinating the Organization’s Work Plan in the presidency domain: As Islamic Development Organization is one of the most important administrative organizations in the religious & cultural affairs in the country and it’s one of the Islamic Republic’s institutions, it’s necessary for Organization presidency himself to follow the affairs in different levels continuously, Which in terms of the importance are stated by revolution’s Supreme Leader.

The Presidency office of Islamic Development Organization is responsible for adopting necessary measures in case of necessity in order to establish relation with the country’s departments & officials.

Organization’s Security

Security like a light have to conduct the Organization from the safety aspect, preventing it from corruption cause the Organization to achieve its goals & by legal supporting, conducting & supervising and avoiding from tension, provide an active, calm and happy work environment for the employees. And achieving this aim, it’s necessary to have genuine faith in God, honesty, purity and endless effort. Security institution has been established to protect the results of Iran’s Islamic Revolution and prevent the foreigners’ dominance over the Islamic system’s components.

From a comprehensive view, we realize that a confident, fixed and pious Security can prevent the foreigners or probable interior mercenary’s influence. The Security in every organization especially in the religious & Islamic system is like the eyes & guardian and can remove the obstacles in the way of proceeding the affairs & close the diligent personnel together and it’s an available & honest advisor for appreciating the honesty, separating true & false and maintaining the environment purity. In other word, Security provides employees’ job security not deprive them of having it.

The Parliament And Provinces’ Affairs

Considering the importance of the Bureaus and Parliament’s position in the administrative system, the Parliament and provinces’ affairs Department on one hand relate the Organization to legislative Branch and on other hand, relate it to Executive Branch in the provinces and it also reflects the view & operation of the provinces to the Organization’s central Staff.

The significance of these two activity centers, the Parliament & provinces’ Bureaus, causes their responsibilities get crucial importance too. The main responsibilities of the Parliament and provinces’ affairs Department can be briefed in three titles:

A. In relation to Parliament

B. In relation to provinces’ Bureaus & their activities

C. In relation to Bureaus’ managers

In relation to Parliament

1. Continuous relation with Islamic Parliament & its Members aiming at communicating information & presenting the necessary reports for commissions, following the plans & bills related to the Organization in the Parliament, reporting exactly the Parliament’s news in different subjects to the Presidency and related departments of the Organization.

2. Responding to questions & applications of the Parliament’s members from the Organization and also reflecting the Organization & its managers’ views to Islamic Parliament.

3. Developing relation of the Organization Presidency, the staff & managers of the provinces’ Bureaus with Parliament and its Members.

In relation to provinces’ Bureaus & their activities

1. Evaluating relation of the Bureaus with the province’s organizations & institutions and supervising correct performance of the policies announced by the Organization in the province.

2. Collecting political, social and cultural information of the provinces and distributing facilities & services in the Bureaus.

In relation to Bureaus’ managers

1. Supervising, evaluating & assessing the performance of province’s Bureaus’ managers and offering necessary suggestions for promoting, dismissing, appointing or relocating the managers by the Organization Presidency’s command in the province, considering the personnel’s affairs and completing their evaluation forms.

2. Making necessary arrangements for establishing relation of the province’s Bureaus’ managers with the presidency & deputies in the Center, and also arranging the presidency & deputies’ travels to provinces.

Public Relations Department

Public relations’ movement is according to a planned act in order to get people’s satisfaction from an organization, in other word: Conscious effort to provoke or impress the public to think positively about an Organization, respect & support it in case of necessity, by continuous & suitable relation.

These high aims will be fulfilled just when the public relations’ employees of an organization know the fundamental & scientific principles of this artistic field which is known as the “Eighth Art” and use the potential cultural & art tools and facilities to create a great force for achieving organization’s basic aims & aspirations so in this way, they can impress the public as they planned.

The main functions of the public relations’ department are: communicating information, satisfying & encouraging, participating, unity & solidarity.

Communicating information: Giving news, information and analysis of the Organization’s performance to its internal & external parts and then to the Organization management.

Satisfying & encouraging: Directing people’s discussion and their emotional attractions to having the ideas & manners which are aimed by the Organization by reasoning.

Participating: Encouraging the public to play role in fulfilling the Organization’s aims.

Unity & solidarity: Joining & unifying the Organization and society, in the way every one complete another one.

In other words, a successful & efficient public relations’ department is the one which is at the service of both Organization and its all audience by social knowledge, analyzing processes, predicting the results, offering suggestions to the Organization management and finally performing the planned & practical programs.

Plan & Program

As revolution took place & religious government was founded, the Islamic Republic was established and at the time the necessity to establish revolutionary organizations & institutions which can develop cultural & religious aspirations, disseminate Divine Commandments and establish deep relation between the religious principles and beliefs of Imam’s followers was felt constantly. Very soon, the revolutionary institutions were established one after the other by Late Imam’s command and they began their activities sincerely, and one of these organizations is Islamic Development Organization which was established with the aim of promoting great cultural of Islam, manifesting the spiritual life, disseminating and developing values of belief, especially developing Late Imam’s thoughts.

Then revolutionary forces, with the cultural tendency joined this Organization consciously & devotedly and began disseminating Islamic trainings and revival of religious culture’s values. Identifying the pros & cons of publicity and paving the way for confronting cultural disadvantages, simultaneously they went to Sacred Defense front and didn’t stop doing any kinds of publicity, cultural, art, and even economic & political activities. And they offered devoted & loyal martyrs to the Revolution.

After this rampageous period, and beginning a period of new arrangement & new missions according to society‘s needs, another step was taken in the development process of country. So they increased participation in country’s cultural affairs by extending Quranic activities, holding internal & international exhibitions, conferences, meetings and festivals, then they tried to remove shortcomings and reinforce joint aspirations by developing field of publicity culture in deprived areas.

After changing Organization management, the international part was separated from Organization and Organization’s activities focused on art & cultural affairs were developed in internal part. But maybe all that period’s activities had root in the past. Improving the “Plan & Program” part, efforts for disseminating more different & various programs such as leisure time & resident clerics plans, paying more attention to religious ceremonies such as Itekaf, removing dust of mosques, etc. in all mosques throughout the country, and even constructing & developing mosques and all these kinds of activities paved a new way in spiritual path of the Organization. Although financial limitations and lack of executive power was not a help for Organization, but all old possessions & new innovations were to become active. But what had to be manifested in direction of a great mission and a publicity structure was not possible and “Plan & Program” had hard effort for achieving this aim but it wasn’t very useful and there was a repeated routine for several years until by changing the management and making serious decision for breaking the routine which was an obstacle in the way of any kind of innovation, innovative movement and being up to date, a new attitude was adopted in making use of  modern information communication  technologies . And maybe after the revolution’s need, the main reason for establishing Islamic Development Organization was making change in the traditional publicity system and organizing the publicists & publicity tools in an obvious & defined framework, and communicating religious message in a new way. Any way, what had importance in the new management’s work process, except innovation and using superior technique, was trying to develop & improve quantity besides quality in planning & performing of the programs. So great steps were taken to reform the Organization arrangement and man power structure with specialized expertise tendency, and finally this caused to balance forces. Decisions were made in order to communicate information obviously in social, cultural and art fields that led to efforts for training and researching and also developing research field of proficient & expert researchers. Thus a firm association was formed and covered all necessary trainings and by using academic educational technique, established Islamic trainings schools throughout the country in order to take positive step in completing cultural and art trainings system under cover of religious principles. Establishing “Tebyan cultural-art institute” and “Mehr news agency” besides “Tehran Times”, covered wide range of Iran and even beyond Our Islamic country’s borders to reflect news and introduce different religious principles, eminent works or Islamic-religious news, and created a new shape in the world of computer, satellite and communications.

Related Associations and Institutes’ Affairs

Amir Kabir Publishing Institute

Islamic Revolution affected by Divine values and life-giving spirit of Islam, was a heaven gift and God grace to great & devoted Iranian nation. The certain fact has directed worlds’ thoughts towards itself, is that establishing Islamic Revolution and its persistence and liveliness results from deep cultural perception & view of great founder of Islamic Revolution, “Late Imam Khomeini”, who knows the importance of knowledge & training as equal as sacred blood of martyrs in the war front. In environment affected by Revolution and Islam, producing, developing and disseminating written culture has a high and outstanding position.

“Amir Kabir publishing institute” with its brilliant background and suitable capacities for producing and publishing, can have a considerable role in cultural & economic progress of book publishing in Iran. During the years after Revolution because of numerous reasons, a comprehensive practical effort has not been made for institute’s quantity & quality improvement, gradually lack of continuous & firm relation with country’s elites, philosophers and new generation researchers, and on one hand lack of eminent works publishing, and on other hand preventing republication of earlier works & the obstacles for distributing books, have caused the institute’s importance & reputation remain just for previous generation and today young community don’t consider “Amir kabir” as their cultural needs. This shortcoming should be considered realistically and away from any useless bias, and by expert & step by step evaluation & performance of this bureau’s short- term & middle-term macro-policies and eliminating probable shortcomings, “Amir Kabir publications institute” should be able gradually to make use of its all spiritual & material ability and also by elites, scientists and Islam and Iran enthusiasts’ help, can be at the service of  high values  of Islam, Shiite and country’s national culture  as the most important  publishing power in the Islamic system.

Aims

Although the basic aims of the institute as a related organization to Islamic Republic System, are to carry out some part of Revolution and country’s cultural and technical missions, as a competent economic institute it should be able to afford its own charges without reliance on financial supporters; and also plan to develop its cultural & generative activities in order to be more successful at achieving system’s cultural aims. So the institute’s aims are divided in two cultural & economic parts:

A.  Cultural aims

1.  Disseminating Islamic culture

2.  Disseminating different sciences

3.  Disseminating Persian literature

4.  Publishing children & young adult’s books

5.  Attracting elites, identifying and supporting penmen

6.  Publishing histories

B.  Economic aims

1.  Earning wise economic income & investment

2.  Effort for preventing books’ price from excessive rising 

3.  Improving life level of  book creators

Executive policies

A.  cultural policies

1.  Publishing 80 titles of adult’s new books

2.  Attracting efficient forces in the expert parts in order to improve quality and speed of preparing books

3.  Creating collaboration & cooperation with writers and other creators of book in order to make maximum use of society’s cultural ability by publishing more suitable titles

4.  Conducting investigation and survey to find cultural needs of country and fulfill them

5.  Fundamental planning  to convert Amir Kabir into a comprehensive and investigative, research and publishing institute

6.  Structure changing & cultural organizing of international publishing company and Islamic Development Organization publishing company in order to put them in the way of religious & cultural activities of Islamic Development Organization by producing fundamental and basic books in the religion domain

7.  Considering the republication possibility of some titles published by Amir Kabir over the past 50 years, and  this main measure have been taken since 2 years ago and will be continued until achieving the final result

8.  Studying some special projects such: translation and publication of Twinbi’s twelve-volume culture history, completing translation of Cambridge’s Iran history and revising Mosaheb encyclopedia. This needs a careful & comprehensive consideration, because considering the needed cost & time and great importance of each them, this issue should be considered with enough awareness.

9.  Considering and making CDs produced by Amir Kabir and presenting its first example under the title “Amir Kabir comprehensive information bank” with different capabilities.

10. Continuing and developing coordination and relation between cultural part of producing basic and fundamental books in the religion domain.

11. Activating institute’s public relations in order to establish relation, communicate information and receive opinions of Press writers, publishers and other ones.

B.  Economic  and commercial policies

1.  Organizing commercial stores & markets and the institute’s storehouses according to changes of Tehran’s cultural-social structure. Because considering Tehran development and changes in its geography, it’s necessary to revise the location of said places in order to make maximum use of them.

2.   Developing commercial agencies about 5600 bookstores throughout the country.

3.  Revising structure of “Today Knowledge publishing company” in order to coordinate it with economic, cultural and social changes of country.

Achieving its long- term aims, Amir Kabir publishing institute is to identify present defects and lacks in its all parts by continuing structural and administrative reforms through the time and consider & eliminate the shortcomings in a proper way. And by carrying out extensive programs for administrative and financial affairs, affairs related to printing & printery, appraisal of prices according to market’s principles, widespread use of modern technologies and developing mechanized administrative & financial systems within possible limit, bring up to date itself and develop its ability for specialized services according to country’s cultural benefits.

House of Quran

Quranic activities of Islamic Development Organization were started in 1982 by attendance of some country’s Quran masters. At that time, considering necessity to develop Quranic circumstances more & more in the country and remedy cultural and Quranic deficiencies, this center was established in a unit and then in a department form in the Islamic Development Organization and tries to do Quranic activities. Gradually, and during several years of their sincere and endless efforts, this small administrative part was converted into an active and widespread center with more than 100 Quranic active branches throughout the country. Planning and running tens of Quranic programs for the first time, has been outcomes of “House of Generous Quran” in recent years, and as an example we can mention: Establishing and running a supervisory office on the printing & publishing Generous Quran, running courses on training the Quran teachers, running general trainings of Quran under the title of: Ramadan plan, learning Quran’s movement, dispatching Quran readers and reciters to abroad and holding different Quranic competitions.

In middle of 2001, considering new view of Dr. Seyyed Mahdi Khamushi, the Organization’s chief and aiming at improving & reconsidering quantitative and qualitative level of Quranic activities and also society’s need for organized new and fundamental movements, proposal for establishing “House of Generous Quran” as a related institute to Islamic Development Organization was submitted and gathering proficient & skilled forces, this plan was fulfilled on June 2001, in a communiqué issued by Chief of Islamic Development Organization.

The missions planned for this institute in order to develop & deepen life-giving culture of Generous Quran and trainings of innocent Imams (peace be upon them) are:

1.  Efforts for quantitative & qualitative improvement of Generous Quran’s trainings with fundamental view and making use of all country’s educational capacities and facilities by:

A.  Providing and training responsible & competent man powers, organizing teachers, judges and publicists of Generous Quran equivalent to reinforcement of their morals & belief system and scientific and expert competence.

B.  Developing general trainings in order to realize “Quran learning movement” includes teaching reading, translation and comprehension of Glorious Quran in different levels.

C.  Developing specialized trainings according to audience’s needs in different levels of age and education, in reading, reciting and meanings fields.(consist of translation, interpretation, study and researches of Quran)

2. Developing and deepening Quranic studies according to audience’s needs and improving qualitative level of Quranic plans consist of educational, publicity, publishing plans in order to make these activities more effective and paying underlying attention to useful studies & researches in domain of Quran trainings and culture.

3. Focused and comprehensive supervision on publishing Quran and issuing related licenses.

4. Cooperating with different cultural centers and organizations inside and outside of country in the fields of planning and performing different Quranic activities and presenting expert services and consultation to these centers.

5. Supporting popular movements in the fields of disseminating Quran culture and efforts for coordinating and organizing these movements and supervising Quranic activities and popular institutions and assemblies as good as possible.

6. Making use of modern technology and useful information communication in domain of Quran culture and activities. Also during this organization’s activities, the measures have been taken to improve quantitative & qualitative level of Qurnic activities and some programs have been performed throughout the country that the main ones are:

A. Teaching Glorious Quran in the form of “Quran learning movement” in summer2002, coincided with blessed month, Ramadan

B. Running eleven courses on training Quran’s translators

7.  Supporting popular and Quranic centers, this institute is to reinforce Quranic programs throughout the country and improve quality of its programs in order to increase different classes of people especially the young‘s participation in these programs.

The outlines of the programs performed in 2003

1.  Holding  8700 classes  in general teaching of Glorious Quran

2.  Holding 1200 classes in teaching of Quran’s meanings

3.  Establishing permanent centers for training Quran teachers at least in 5 provinces

4.   Running   intermediate courses about 620, consist of reading Quran 1 & 2, teaching  Quran 2’s meanings, translation and interpretation of selected sura

5.  Running courses about 70,on training teachers for reading Quran and training  Quran  translators

6.  Running courses on training judges of Quran

7.  Holding competitions for evaluating  Quranic knowledge during  a 5 year plan

8.  Running second course of Quranic program: gathering, teaching and evaluating

9.  Correcting Glorious Quran and supervising its printing and publishing

10. Holding the first general assembly of Quran’s publishers and calligraphers at least in 5 provinces

11. Equipping and supporting Quran centers of  provinces’ centers

12. Supporting and encouraging popular Quran  centers

13. Dispatching “light caravans” to provinces and holding special  Quranic circles

14. Holding public competitions of Quran interpretation

15. Running permanent courses on teaching Quran  and supporting these courses

16. Holding Quranic festivals for children and young adults

17. Establishing  a base for communicating information of Glorious Quran

The above- mentioned issues are the main activities and short-term & middle-term aims of “House of Quran” institute and they will be followed constantly until achieving intended results.

Academy of Arts

Academy of Arts of Islamic Development Organization is a name which is well-known for most Iranians. This institute related to Islamic Development organization is the most important institute, responsible for country’s culture & art, and undertakes extensive and different activities in which divine Islam and Islamic government are at the center of attention, such as: publishing several titles of publications in the cultural and art fields, teaching different art courses, producing and making movies, preparing scripts by utilizing country’s talents, supporting art groups in different fields, supporting traditional plays and Taezieh, taking measure to  revive original Iranian-Islamic arts, doing activities and  offering services to keep reliance on Islamic Revolution’s aspirations.

Offering support in the form of cultural & art plans and projects, religion and religious values are at the center, Academy of Arts of Islamic Development Organization tries to do its main duties and at the same time, support vast range of society’s classes consist of artists, the young, the enthusiasts and talented ones.

This institute tries to introduce safe and useful assemblies for artists, young and other enthusiasts’ active attendance and also take influential steps to provide social and cultural services by establishing group sessions, enthusiasts’ participation in different courses, holding poetry slams and poetry readings and holding competitions of painting and drawing for valuable articles in different fields.

Academy of Arts of Islamic Development Organization is also taking effective steps to improve scientific level and increase art knowledge among enthusiasts and finally throughout the country by its continuous activities in the fields of higher education, public trainings and special trainings in short-term and middle-term courses.

Academy of Arts’ activities and services are more extensive than those were mentioned above, but we suggest receiving complete information from Academy of Arts’ offices.

Mehr News Agency

Establishing Mehr News Agency has been according to an article of Islamic Development Organization’s statute which gives this institution responsibility for establishing expert centers of disseminating information in the publicity and theological domain.

Certainly, it’s not logical and current to equate centers of information dissemination with limited media. Mehr News Agency is result of confidence and attention to Revolution growth. It’s result of some unknown and devoted soldiers’ efforts in the domain of culture and information dissemination.

Mehr News Agency is an example of realizing software movement; it wants to pave the way for country’s cultural- information dissemination unity and it is at service of all organizations and institutions with its all ability to achieve this aim. Mehr News Agency wants to be a tribune of Revolution forces with different tastes.

Mehr News Agency is not result of great expense from treasury but also it is result of strong motivation, which was established in the year of “Hussein Honor and Glory” and developed in the year of “Providing Services”.

Although we believe in “rely on God, He’s enough”, we are hoping for support of government especially Guidance ministry, parliament, and other institutions and organizations to continue our way.

It is feature of Mehr News Agency to prevent taking over leadership in domain of news production and replace the news management in order to provide possibility for reflecting the cultural activities in new width of our wide country.

As Revolution has world wide message, it is planned to translate the news of Mehr News Agency into other languages, first into English and Persian and then Arabic and Urdu or Deutsch to the end of the year. 70 percent of news is cultural and social and the rest consists of other domains. At the moment, Mehr News Agency is publishing 150 news items every day that 60 percent of them are produced.

“Bagher Al Olum” Research Center

In 1985, after evaluating and considering the cultural and research affairs of Islamic Development Organization, two main problems were felt:

1.  Lack of competent and cultural forces, coordinated with aims and activities of Islamic Development Organization.

2.  Lack of coordination in cultural and research activities.

These two problems were presented to Ayatollah Janati, the chief of Islamic Development Organization at that time, and finally the decision was made to transfer theological researches of Islamic Development Organization to “Qum” and follow and concentrate them in a research center by the name of “Imam Bagher Al Olum (pbuh)”.

So “Bagher Al Olum” research center was established in 1987 with cooperation of some scholars of “Qum Theological Center” and Hojat-Al-Islam Mahmud Mahdi Pour took on its responsibility.  And its activities started in two domains:

1.  Disseminating information in the field of Islamic trainings and human sciences by preparing bibliography software

2.  Researching, writing ,translating and compiling subjects in the field of Hadith, statesman records, history, etc

At the moment, 15 years after establishing this center, by help of God, it has taken efficient steps to disseminate genuine culture of Islam and Shiite throughout the society despite all problems and administrative troubles.

Introducing these kinds of centers and their activities is a step to disseminate cultural and investigative information and appreciate sincere services of those who try responsibly, having lowest expectations.

You can connect Bagher Al Olum research center by this telephone number: 7740369 or zip code: 37185/135

Tebyan

Tebyan cultural and information disseminator institute, has been established to disseminate Islamic culture by using information technology and also meet audience’s different information needs, especially the young. The main parts of Tebyan site are:

1.  Competitions(daily, weekly, and special scientific and cultural ones, awarding valuable prizes)

2.  Special responding to questions of young and visitors of site

3.  Comprehensive bank consists of 2200 categorized questions and answers with search possibility according to the topic

4.  Teaching lessons of different educational levels along with teachers’ voice and offering educational consultations with bilateral relations facilities

5.  Comprehensive data bank of Islamic trainings and sciences, consists of: Quran, the People of the House, Hadith, commandments, prayer, pilgrim, etc. with audio-visual facilities

6.  Teaching current and compact lessons of theological centers, presenting more than 1800hours of lessons’ voice, along with comprehensive library consists of Islamic and cultural books with complete text and index

7.  Presenting literary texts and introducing different art activities

8.  Sport part consists of sport news, interview with athletes, and publishing different sport information

9.  Social part consists of different social articles and researches, family consultation, nutrition consultation, hygiene, …

10.  Selling and offering cultural products of Tebyan institute and other cultural institutes

Tebyan site is available in English and Persian languages and also in Arabic in the near future. This site has 1500 members and daily they can use free internet for 2 hours.

Using free internet do as this:

User name: Tebyannet

Password: Tebyannet

Telephone number: 9718733

Tehran Times

Maybe there are many people in the society who don’t know Tehran Times, the newspaper published under general policies of Islamic Development Organization; this is an opportunity to gain some information about it.

After Islamic Revolution of Iran’s victory and in order to disseminate Revolution massage beyond the borders, a widespread media was needed to undertake this task. This need was felt very well by Ayatollah Muhammad Beheshti and he decided to publish English newspaper, Tehran Times, coincided by Revolution. The newspaper’s general policy was shaped by valuable directives of Martyr Beheshti, he said: “Tehran Times is not the government’s newspaper, but it has to help Revolution and be the voice of the oppressed of the world.”

This eloquent saying was written on the yard wall of Tehran Times to be in the minds forever as a work guide. Now, after many years, Tehran Times has become a mighty tree, whose fruit is attracting audience and readers in more than 82 countries of the world.

Diligent employees of this publication come together from different parts of Tehran to put result of their efforts in 16 pages at the newspaper stands.

Iran, world, political, social, economic, and sport news and notes are the subjects that Tehran Times works on them.

Tehran Times makes a special effort to reflect cultural and religious issues because of its mission.

In the Islamic Eids and religious ceremonies, the cultural and art pages of the newspaper are allocated to related subjects to that special Eid or ceremony. Also the topics such as Iran attractions, women, children and internet have not been forgotten to make the topics different. And the enthusiasts can read the related news and articles to the mentioned topics in a special page weekly.

Tehran Times has made every kind of legal effort to attract audience; even in 1999 it published some of the pages in color.

At the moment, Tehran Times is a reliable resource to which countries’ agencies in Tehran refer to gain correct information about leading systems in the country and finally as foreign languages students refer to this newspaper to learn English correctly; the educational aspect has to be added to the additional application of Tehran Times.

Organization’s Centers

1.  Administrative and financial center

2.  Educational and research center

3.  Publicity and  cultural affairs center

Administrative and Financial Affairs Center

Administrative and financial center is responsible for routine and main affairs; this center is in charge of supporting activities of all parts of the Organization and plays role of a supportive center in the Organization.

Administrative and financial center has four subcategories with certain responsibilities. Considering crucial condition of Islamic Development Organization, administrative and financial center, besides its own main responsibilities, is active in cultural affairs too and by holding competitions and considering welfare of the personnel’s families, respecting the clients has been its daily work plan and it makes great effort to fulfill this plan correctly.

Responsibilities of administrative and financial center:

1.  Planning for attracting, keeping and reforming manpower structure of the Organization.

2.  Planning, improving and developing ability of manpower such:  training during doing service and training, motivational and practical programs.

3.   Observing regulations and approved commands in matter of employment, and communicating them to different departments and supervising their performance.

4.  Fulfilling the plans of making changes in country’s administrative system in framework of the approved responsibilities. 

5.  Mechanizing needed systems of the Organization by utilizing modern technology and effective methods.

6.  Receiving incomes, financial facilities and paying expenses in related sources, and supervising enforcement of related laws and regulations.

7.   Establishing relation and coordination with country’s legal authorities and responding to supervisory and audit institutions.

8.  Planning and meeting provision, service and support needs for Organization programs.

9.  Taking necessary measures for getting Organization rights by related authorities.

10.  Supervising valid contracts with real and legal persons.

11.  Compiling, protecting and appropriate using of Organization’s properties.

12.  Planning for establishing, protecting and utilizing Organization’s buildings and institutions and supervising performance of communicated regulations and instructions.

13.  Planning, organizing and optimizing Organization’s estates.

Administrative and financial center has four subcategories:

1.  Estates and reconstruction department

2.  General department of financial affairs

3.  General department of administrative affairs

4.  Legal affairs management

Every of these subcategories are responsible for considering a part of general responsibilities of administrative and financial center.

Educational and Research Center

According to the new attitude of Islamic Development Organization, a special attention has been paid to research and education, and educational and research center was established to make more coordination and accelerate the process of providing people with services.

The aims and priorities of this center:

1.  Office of preparing and compiling texts and publications, with three subgroups of preparing and compiling texts, preparing and compiling  publications and research services.

2.  Office of planning and developing theological higher education. The main responsibility of this office is to supervise and evaluate educational function of higher education centers related to the Organization, such as “Sura higher education institute” with its enormous branches in different cities of country and also scientific and practical centers.

3.  Office of planning and developing expert-cultural trainings and specialized trainings of publicity. The most important responsibility of this office is to develop and enforce expert-educational courses of needed cultural and publicity cadres according to priorities and needs.

4.  Office of practical researches planning with three subgroups: cultural-theological researches, social researches and basic researches.

The most important responsibility of this office is to plan and do strategic studies and practical researches in the field of cultural needs and issues of different classes of Islamic society especially the young, in order to develop and deepen Islamic trainings and religious culture. Other new and efficient attitude of Islamic Development Organization is to reduce his leadership in the field of needed researches of the Organization. So the order of doing these researches is given to reliable researches institutes and proficient researchers, and the Organization supervises and evaluates them and uses results of their works.

5.  Group of planning and developing schools of Islamic trainings and sciences. The most important responsibility of this group is to plan for education of interested students in the field of Islamic trainings and sciences.

Educational and research center by using above intellectual and executive powers in addition to mentioned activities has responsibility for doing:

1.  Planning and doing strategic studies and practical researches in the field of cultural needs of different classes of Islamic society especially the young, in order to develop religious culture and Islamic trainings.

2.  Scientific and research supporting of the Organization’s activities and plans.

3.  Providing right solutions for meeting the needs and resolving cultural problems according to the Organization’s missions.

4.  Identifying and analyzing cultural and publicity tricks against Islam and offering solutions to confront them according to the Organization’s missions.

5.  Preparing and providing the matter of cultural and publicity activities of the Organization.

6.  Arranging occasional meetings and studies in the field of knowing the young, students, women, educated ones and etc. in order to gain information about the latest condition of the society’s thoughts.

7.  Establishing relation and cooperation with thinkers of theological centers, educational and research centers and information dissemination centers in order to utilize the present facilities and abilities.

8.  Collecting information, considering and evaluating the effect of cultural products offered in the society.

9.  Holding scientific-investigative meetings in order to develop and deepen religious culture.

10.  Compiling, translating, producing and publishing appropriate and needed books, texts and publications in order to deepen and develop Islamic trainings and culture according to the organization’s missions.

11.  Observing doubts and questions related to beliefs and culture and responding to them.

12.   Establishing expert libraries, magazine archive, and data bank of cultural-religious researches in order to employ researchers in the domains related to the Organization’s missions and equipping the present libraries with books and other cultural and religious products.

13.  Publishing cultural-religious news letter or reports for giving information to the managers of the Organization and other related centers.

14.  Organizing cultural-religious researches and supporting the researchers and authors in this field.

15.  Evaluating the ability of the society and audience of the Organization, finding the quality and effect of the programs performed by the Organization.

16.  Planning and performing educational-expert programs in order to improve ability of cultural groups who are effective in cultural-religious development of the society.

17.  Planning for utilizing all capacities of country’s state- educational system in order to provide expert man power in the field of cultural-publicity management and expertise.

18.  Planning for establishing and developing higher education institutes needed by the Organization.

19.  Considering and suggesting lesson instruction of the present majors in the higher education institutes related to the Organization and supervising their functions.

20.  Planning, developing, conducting and supervising Islamic trainings and sciences schools throughout the country.

So, a group of specialists and top graduates of the country’s theological centers and universities have come together in this center to carry out the important and serious issue of research and education in the country to the extent that is related to the missions and responsibilities of Islamic Development Organization.

Publicity and Cultural Affairs Center

According to the new attitude of Islamic Development Organization towards publicity and cultural issues since 2001, and reconsidering policies of the Organization and major cultural and religious publicity aims, basic points of education, research and investigation, publishing and disseminating Islamic trainings and culture, getting close to Generous Quran, and utilizing new tools and modern technology became the main programs of the Organization. By reforming executive and operating plans, publicizing geniune Islam, strengthening divine thralldom spirit, disseminating good morality, transmitting message of Islamic Revolution, all programs and efforts were adopted and planned for disseminating Islamic and Revolutionary culture.

Developing Quranic activities, paying attention to mosques and religious centers, enforcing dissemination of religious-educational information, investigation and publishing, needed reforms in man power, strengthening support and dispatch of publicist throughout the country, organizing activities of religious assemblies and developing cultural-popular activities are the most important aims and activities of this center, considering basic points of the Organization plans.

At the moment, publicity and cultural affairs center has responsibility for managing offices of 28 provinces, 149 offices of towns, 150 agencies in the bureaus and state organizations and also 120 cultural and publicity centers throughout the country.

Also, this center has supported the institutes related to the Organization. This center has covered more than 2500 villages by dispatching 850 resident clerics. Dispatching more than 53283 religious publicists in the special occasions, supporting 1000 mosques throughout the country, supporting 1661 Islamic assemblies, 2600 religious bodies, 1400popular-cultural centers, and fulfilling more than 38 independent, new and efficient plans in order to revive and reform religious rituals throughout the country, are other activities of this center. This center has six subgroups that each of them is responsible for doing a special duty.