The eight-day Fourth Conference of Cultural Attaches in Foreign States was held in Tehran at a time when the extensive Western assaults against the Iranian-Islamic culture have reached unprecedented proportions. The West, and in particular the U.S., has been taking advantage of the September 11th terrorist attack to confront Islam and the Islamic culture. Bearing these facts in mind, closer attention should be paid to the Iranian cultural attaches' duties and responsibilities.

But, how have the Iranian cultural attaches performed their duties in foreign countries during the past 23 years? What goals have they reached? How can the rich Iranian-Islamic culture of our country be introduced to the rest of the world? Dr. Fatemeh Rakei, a member of the Majlis Cultural Commission and the chairperson of the Iranian Poets Society, in an interview with the TEHRAN TIMES, tried to answer these and similar questions.

Q: Mrs. Rakei, how would you evaluate the results of the two decades of work of the cultural attaches in foreign countries? A: It seems that if they focused their attention mainly on culture itself, they would be more successful. Regarding the fact that our revolution is a cultural one, it was necessary for them to examine our revolution and our Iranian-Islamic culture from different points of view and then take proper measures to introduce it.

Q: So, you think their overall achievements are not very positive? A: Unfortunately, their overseas work is not satisfactory. Maybe the reason is the fact that the cultural attaches were not cultural figures themselves. Some of them were selected only through connections, without considering their abilities. A cultural attache, first of all, must have a thorough understanding of the Iranian, the Islamic and the Revolution's culture in order to be able to defend it and propagate it.

Q: Why do you evaluate their work as unsatisfactory? A: In my opinion, the dialogue among civilizations proposed by President Khatami could be propounded in a much better way. If our cultural attaches had a deep knowledge of the Iranian culture and Islam, they could present it to the world in a much better way. Moreover, according to the Majlis Cultural Commission, some cases of unqualified cultural attaches and breaches of laws have been reported. Such cases were discussed in the meetings held with the commission members, the Islamic Culture and Communications Organization, and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

Q: Did you find a solution to improve the situation during these meetings? A: To begin with they should be given more authority. They should coordinate themselves with some other government bureaus. As far as management is concerned, a revision should be made. Our cultural attaches should first of all master the culture of their own country and the foreign country to which they are assigned, so as to be able to communicate with other countries' cultural figures, artists, and scholars.

Q: How can Iranian and foreign artists and scholars exchange views and interact with each other? Why hasn't more been done in this respect? A: Our cultural attaches' serious and direct contact with literary and arts centers are some of the preliminary and fundamental steps in this direction.

We can only introduce our national and Islamic culture to the world through continuous contact and the creation of mutual trust.