When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

You've reached your limit of one free article.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime.

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Exclusive International news coverage

Ad-free experience NEW

Weekly digital MagazineNEW

9 daily & weekly Newsletters

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Free trial

30-days free access, then $2.90
per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
Society

"We're An Islamic Republic" - Iran Bans Foreign Sunglasses And Musical Instruments

Tehran authorities have drafted a list of "luxury" imports it will block, citing both financial and religious motivations.

​A man with a beanie playing the violon in Tehran, Iran

A man playing the violon in Tehran, Iran

Iran's customs are clamping down on imports of musical instruments and sunglasses, which are on a list of foreign "luxury goods" the country has banned. Reports were not entirely clear whether the ban relates more to religious or economic concerns. The country is currently under Western sanctions and short of foreign exchange.

Beyond the financial crisis, Iran's clerical regime also has fraught relations with music and the arts, and broadly opposes modern, Western or "vulgar" music that leads to "indecency."


It has likewise never hidden its disdain for Western clothing or styles, which can include sunglasses, T-shirts and neckties, discouraging youngsters from attempting to look fashionable.

On November 28, the local ISNA news agency reported on the confiscation in the southern port of Bushehr, of 11 containers including Yamaha musical instruments. The ban, it stated, was in place since 2019-20, and it cited the head of state customs, Mehdi Mirashrafi, as saying that the law clearly did not allow imports of instruments.

Those who want musical instruments for their personal satisfaction can leave Iran.

A deputy head of parliament's Economic Committee, Kazem Musavi, has said separately that "Importing musical instruments is not in the country's interests, because we are an Islamic Republic. Why should anyone import musical instruments into the country when we have so many martyrs and theologians?" By martyrs, he was referring to hundreds of thousands of Iranians who died in the 1980-88 war against Iraq.

Musavi told the Iranian website Dideban-e Iran, "Musical instruments and similar objects aren't worth spending any time on them... My colleagues and I, as servants of the people, are concerned day and night with people's livelihoods, and that's it."

Nor, he added, are sunglasses, "essential goods we need to import. It makes no difference to people's lives whether or not we have sunglasses and instruments. Those who want musical instruments, or personal satisfaction, can leave Iran."

The law, he said, can add a provision for people who need sunglasses for medical reasons, but even there, he added, given the country's conditions, "provided their importation doesn't use up foreign exchange."

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Green

Environmental Damage Of Russia's War Is Massive — And Extends Far Beyond Ukraine

Warfare is not only traumatic for people and infrastructure but also has a large impact on the natural environment. The environmental damages of the Ukraine war will likely be be so great that even neighboring countries will suffer their effects.

A woman rescues a dog in Kherson, Ukraine, amidst floods.

A woman rescues a dog in Kherson, Ukraine, amidst floods.

Alicja Gadomska & Katarzyna Korzeniowska

WARSAW— The infrastructure used to store and transport oil is often a prime target during war, and the resulting spills and fires can contribute hugely to greenhouse gas emissions.

During the 1991 Gulf War, burning oil wells contributed to more than 2 percent of global CO2 emissions, which had long-term and wide-ranging consequences, including high levels of soot deposits and increased melting of icebergs. Carbon dioxide pouring into the atmosphere from burning forests, peat bogs and wetlands, set alight by shelling, also cause large environmental costs, as does the increased traffic of people and vehicles that come with refugees and humanitarian aid.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

Sign up to our free daily newsletter.

The war in Ukraine is no exception. A new report by Climate Focus, “Climate Damage Caused by the War in Ukraine," shows that military and wartime activities have contributed as much as 100 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions — equal to the entire annual emissions of the Netherlands.

Rebuilding infrastructure, mainly housing, destroyed during the war is responsible for nearly half of these emissions. In some places, cleaning and rebuilding efforts began as soon as Russian occupiers left. Since last spring, for example, the city of Bucha has become unrecognizable. The city has been equipped with new sidewalks, repaired streets and new lighting fixtures. Projects to rebuild housing and highways are ongoing. The country has also built several new roads and bridges.

Keep reading...Show less

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

You've reached your limit of one free article.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime.

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Exclusive International news coverage

Ad-free experience NEW

Weekly digital MagazineNEW

9 daily & weekly Newsletters

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Free trial

30-days free access, then $2.90
per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch

The latest