Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani: Biotechnology requires a strong public awareness.
Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani is a very well known figure in Iran. In addition to his significant role in the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Representing the Late Ayatollah Khomeini in Higher Council of Defense and many other positions he has held, he has served as the countrys President, Parliament speaker and the head of expediency council for two terms each.
Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani is a very well known figure in Iran. In addition to his significant role in the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Representing the Late Ayatollah Khomeini in Higher Council of Defense and many other positions he has held, he has served as the countrys President, Parliament speaker and the head of expediency council for two terms each. He was elected as the head of Leadership Assembly of Experts "Mjlis Khobregan Rahbari" in about four years ago. His views about Biotechnology can therefore be considered as not only a view of a high ranking ayatollah in Iran, but also the position of the whole country considering in particular his position as the head of the highest ranking policy making body in the country under the supreme leader of Iran His Excellency Ayatullah Khamenei. This therefore justifies the meeting of scientific societies involved in biotechnology with this pro modern science religious cleric in Iran. "Behzad Ghareyazie".
Members of Iran Biotechnology Information Center (IRBIC), Biotechnology Society of Iran and Biosafety Society of Iran met with his Excellency President Hashemi Rafsanjani on October 26 to brief him with the status of modern biotechnology in Iran and in the world and inform him about the activities of IRBIC. Dr. Ghareyazie, Executive director of IRBIC provided an introduction to the global status of the production of GM crops and with the opportunities exists in Iran and the challenges in particular public research is facing for the acquisition and application of modern biotechnology for agriculture, environmental protection and health.
Dr. Babak Nakhoda from Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran presented a brief report on the establishment of IRBIC and invited his Excellency for the official inauguration of the center to be held in next couple of months. Dr. Malboobi, President of the Biotechnology Society of Iran, Dr. Masoud Hooshmand, senior scientist from the National Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEN) and Dr. Jazaeri, senior scientist from Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute presented reports on the status of agricultural biotechnology and difficulties producers of biotechnology products are facing with.
In response, his Excellency Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, told to the scientific community that "in facing with the ever increasing population, traditional methods of agriculture and food production cannot meet the demand and application of modern tools in country, including plant biotechnology is not avoidable". Referring to the opposition and dissemination of the misleading wrong information for the public, he emphasized on the significance of scientifically justified and correct information about biotechnology, its applications and in particular the realized benefits of genetic engineering and biotech crops. He continued: "while a significant proportion of the imported food crops into the country are genetically modified, why should we put restriction on their local production?!". Acquisition and application of Biotechnology is one of the strategic policies of the country" he added as the head of the "expediency council" which is the highest strategy making body in the country under the Supreme Leader of the country His Excellency Ayatollah Khamenei. He amended that these policies should be reflected in the laws and regulations properly. He closed his statement by hoping that facilitating the application of biotech crop plants in the country can play a significant role towards the self sufficiency in food production in Iran.