Iranian Cultural Centre Organises Cultural & Silaturrahim Programme

By Azzah Mohamed KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 (Bernama) -- Come Saturday, the Iranian Embassy's cultural centre will organise a cultural programme involving Iranian and Malaysian participants, to encourage friendship between women of the two countries and promote better understanding of each other's culture. According to organising committee member Elahe Norman, it would be a "programme of cultural exchange and silaturrahim," where Malaysian and Iranian women could interact with each other and gain better knowledge of each other's language and culture. Once there is a certain understanding, there will be respect for each other. We can thus, help each other better and live in a more peaceful manner, which is what we want," she remarked, adding that the event was held in conjunction with International Mother's Day. Speaking at a press conference on the event, she pointed out that since there were many Iranians working in Malaysia, with some of them married to Malaysians, it would be interesting for both parties to get to know each other better. Elahe expects the event, which is organised for the first time, to be attended by Malaysian women from various backgrounds, including lecturers from local universities and spouses of ambassadors. The event will highlight the activities of Iranian women and showcase the country's culture. It will also include a talk by an Iranian professor, a Quran recitation and a fashion show. There will also be a nasyid performance by a women's group from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, said Elahe, adding that the cultural centre had been working together with some 15 Malaysian women to "make this happen." Iranian students will also perform at the event. Elahe, who is also chairman of Tasputra Perkim, a day-care centre for handicapped children, will be felicitated during the event for her 25 years of dedicated service to the welfare of Tasputra Perkim. She hoped that the centre would receive continuing support from the government and the private sector, as "the benefit of helping the less fortunate is noble and wonderful." On Mother's Day celebration, she said: "Mothers are the most respectable members of society. A wise man once said that if you educate women, you educate society. So, women need to be educated and to be peaceful." -- BERNAMA