TEHRAN A two-day seminar on how the Palestine was gradually usurped will open here on May 16 marking the 50th anniversary of its occupation by the Zionists. Explaining the salient features of the seminar, the Advisor to the Minister of Culture and Higher Education on Social and Cultural Affairs, Hadi Khaniki, said that 50 years of occupation of Palestine has left a scar on both the world of Islam and other countries in general.

The seminar sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Higher Education will be held at Allame Tabatabaie University marking the Palestine Resistance Week starting May 15. The seminar aims at conducting a research and give comments on this process of occupation instead of doing some unidimensional work. Some foreign scholars and lecturers will take part in the seminar including French writer Roger Garaudy, the dean of Al-Khalil University, former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Minister of Culture and Higher Education, Mostafa Moeen. A message from President Seyed Mohammad Khatami will also be read at this seminar, said Director General of the Ministry of Culture and Higher Education, Abolhassan Riazi. He further explained that together with holding the seminar, several meetings will also be held in three universities of Iran including Tehran University, Imam Khomeini International University and Isfahan University. Riazi said that developing regular cooperation between the guests and university students is one of the main objectives of this seminar.

Meanwhile Deputy minister of culture and higher education on Cultural and University Affairs, Dr. Ja'far Mili Monfared, announced at a press conference that 50 scholarships will be awarded to Palestinian students of bachelor, masters and doctrate levels.