BY Alpha Rashid Jalloh, Patriotic Vanguard Freetown Bureau Chief.
The Minister of Tourism and Culture, Hindolo Trye(photo), has urged Sierra Leoneans to emulate Iranians on their hard work.
Speaking at the launch of the week-long Iran Film Festival in Freetown, which was part of Iran’s New year celebration which falls in March, Mr. Trye said Iran has progressed tremendously because of the hard work of its people.
He congratulated the government and people of Iran on the celebration of their New Year festival. He said films are a depiction of art and culture and urged Sierra Leoneans to nurture good culture.
"One of the lessons we learn from this Iranian film festival is is putting away selfish interests and nurturing patriotism", he said.
He also elaborated on President Ernest Bai Koroma’s much trumpeted "Attitudinal Change’ campaign. "Change comes from the mind" Hindolo said.
He added the films screened depicted the technological, social, cultural, educational and other advancements made by the Iranian nation.
The Chief Imam of the Freetown Central Mosque Sheikh Ahmad Tejan Sillah spoke on "desirable and undesirable culture".
He said prior to the advent of the Iranain revolution, undesirable cultures prevailed in the country and influenced the people negatively. According to him, undesirable culture distorts the image of an individual and society at large.
He said Sierra Leonean youths have been greatly influenced by undesirable culture from other countries. He pointed out that machoism has become a distinct feature of cultural influences on youths and added that it greatly contributed to the violent dispositions during the war. He observed that such negative emulations have led youths astray. He thanked the Iranian government for its numerous forms of assistance to the people of Sierra Leone over the years.
The chancellor of the Iranian Cultural Center in Freetown Mohamed Reza Ghezel Sofla said, "films are a depiction of art and culture". He added that films are a "blooming element for the development of human ability".
A lecturer, Abdul Karim Koroma, noted that there were many aspects of the Iranian films that were morally inspiring. He said Sierra Leoneans should emulate the values depicted in them. "The films teach us the value of hard work and discipline", he said.
Reverend Butcher, an evangelist,noted that religion and culture have a great role to play in the upbringing of children. He said negative culture has led the youths of Sierra Leone astray. He described the Iranian films as morally inspiring. He said the Iranian Cultural Centre in Freetown had been giving tremendous help to people in the country irrespective of their religious backgrounds.
The festival is going on for a week and journalists are expected to be hosted on a special occassion.
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