The Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation of the Iranian Consulate in Freetown has embarked on a week long film festival depicting recent development with the aim of blooming the talents of its youths towards national development in the cinema industry.
Speaking at the formal launching of the film festival, the minister of Tourism and Culture, Hindolo Trye, said Sierra Leone which had suffered a lot needed to learn from the Islamic Republic of Iran who had similar experiences but had developed so rapidly to the admiration of the West.
The minister added that the week long film festival would give an opportunity for viewers to learn about altruism, tolerance, perseverance and other good morals geared towards national development.
He also cautioned Sierra Leoneans on western cultural assimilation which he said was very dangerous for a “nation like ours” and encouraged the youth to critically analyze each culture brought to them in the name of democracy.
The chief Imam of the Freetown Central Mosque, Sheik Ahmed Tejan Sillah, also observed that the immoral western culture that was copied by youths had translated our cultural practices to that of the western style.
Concluding Imam Sillah spoke about the positive and negative sides of culture which needed proper study before one could adopt oneself to any because they were responsible for some of the immoral behaviours in our society.
Rev. Hindolo S. Butcher admonished the audience to live together and work as a united force for the development of the society, adding that today people were engaged in all sorts of immoralities and at the same time professed to either be true Muslims or Christians.
The Iranian consulate for culture, Mohamed Ghezel Sofla who organised this year’s film festival week, described culture as a way of life which guided people towards salvation, and encouraged the public to emulate good morals.
Consulate Sofla lauded the efforts of the government and people of Sierra Leone for working in close ties with the Iranian government and encouraged youths to engage in good moral practices.
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