TEHRAN – A number of 130 Iranian artists are concerned about the future of Mazichal Forest in the northern region of the country, and have asked President Hassan Rouhani to help preserve it.
The forest, which is located near the town of Kelardasht in Mazandaran Province, is said to be part of the oldest forest in the history of world, but the beautiful landscape and the rural area have been invaded by the recent construction of roads and villas.
“We are concerned about this national treasure, and this apprehension has also been heard in the recent statements by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei who has called the protection of the environment a ‘national’ concern,” reads part of the letter written to the President.
“As a group of art and cultural figures of Iran, we ask you to be with us and pronounce Mazichal a ‘virgin land’ and take the final step to fight against the commercial profit-seekers. Saving this forest is saving a national treasure, which breathes and gives life to us with its breath,” the authors of the letter write.
Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Mahnaz Afshar, Saber Abar, Rambod Javan, Hamed Behdad, Kiumars Purahmad, Hanieh Tavassoli, Roya Teimurian, Bahram Radan and Masud Rayegan are among the artists who have signed the letter.
RM/YAW
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