Iran’s nuclear power on its money

[sonz]

In a new move demonstrating its position form the mounting international pressure it’s been facing over the past two years over its nuclear activities, Tehran issued a bank note printed in orange, green and blue and showing a nuclear symbol within a map of Iran, asserting its determination to carry on with its nuclear program which might lead to the imposition of UN sanctions.

The new note for 50,000 Rials, about $5.40, will begin circulating this week.

Analysts say that the move by Iran, besides the fact that its an apparent defiance of the Western pressure to suspend its nuclear program, is meant to showcase its technological achievements and ambitions.

Commenting on the new note, whose issuance coincides with the Persian New Year to be celebrated next week, Mustafa Hasanzadeh, a 52-year-old Tehran businessman was quoted by The Los Angeles Times as saying:

"The bank note is a window display of a country just like a business card for a manager,"

"This bill is the worst promotion for Ahmadinejad government. If his government wants to compromise on the nuclear issue, this is a disgrace."

And Abul-Ghassem Goulbaf, the publisher of Gozaresh, an economic and political monthly magazine, said

"The bank note of any country should represent real power."

But some Iranians seem to be greatly satisfied with the new bill, seeing it as an emblem of national pride.

"It indicates Iranians are determined to have access to all kinds of sciences but it also bears a defiant tone toward the international community," LATimes quoted Jangalbaye Vaqari, 34, a Tehran taxi driver, as saying.

"It looks beautiful," said Hossein Samadzadeh, an accountant who saw pictures of the bill in a newspaper. "But regrettably it shows the devaluation (of our money) and is ominous."

* "A very nice design"

China Central Television quoted Masoud Bahramian, Tehran resident, as saying:

"It is a very nice design and shows our national resistance and we can be proud of our national pride. It reminds us that we should resist until the end to achieve our nuclear right."

But Mitra Shan Hosseini, another Tehran resident, said, "I think because of the sensitivity that Western countries have over Iran's nuclear issue, it is not a good move and increases pressure on our country."

On the other hand, economists worldwide have a different opinion. They said that issuing larger denomination bills indicates runaway inflation.

* "Scientific knowledge"

Besides the image of the atom surrounded by a field of electrons over the map of Iran, the bill also carries a quote from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in which he says:

"Men from the land of Persia will attain scientific knowledge even if it is as far as the Pleiades." Pleiades is a cluster of stars.

The note also bears the picture of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the father of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

What adds to the controversy caused by the new bill is the timing, when world powers discuss the imposition of sanctions on Iran as a punishment for its persistence not to compromise its right, under the Unclear Non-Proliferation treaty to pursue nuclear technology.

Washington, backed by Israel and the European Union, claims that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program, but so far, international inspectors have found no proof of a bomb program in Iran, which denies it intends to build nuclear weapons.