The Art and Nature Club paid tribute to the late TV host and environmental journalist Mohammad Ali Inanlou at a ceremony on Sunday (May 8).
It was co-organized by Iranian Artists’ Forum (IAF) and Nature Institute in Tehran at the IAF’s Shahnaz Hall and attended by writers and environmentalists.
Majid Rajabi-Me’mar, head of IAF, opened the ceremony by praising Inanlou for his serious concerns about nature. “It’s a pity we don’t make enough efforts to protect Iran’s environment,” he said, IRNA reported.
TV and radio presenter Naser Azimi, an old and close friend said, “he will always live in our hearts.”
Author and poet Alireza Shojapour, authors Houshang Fat’hi and Jalal Nasirian, expert in wildlife and ecotourism Mahmoud Sakhtbaz, and a Department of Environment official Houshang Ziaei, were also present.
Nasser Mirfakhraei, another of Inanlou’s friends and former volleyball player, said he was not only an environmental activist, but also a volleyball expert. “The volleyball family of Iran will miss him.”
Several short documentaries on Inanlou were screened. Also, special wooden frames designed with Inanlou’s picture and his slogan ‘Iran, a world in a country’, were presented to the attendees.
The ceremony concluded with a few words by Arash Inanlou, his son.
Born in Qazvin, M. A. Inanlou, 68, studied literature but had a passion for the environment and natural landscapes and attractions.
He later embarked on documenting his 40 years of experience in ecotourism.
In addition to hosting documentaries on various TV channels, including the show “Our Own Land” that documented in detail his journeys to the unique natural sites of the country, he was also a volleyball commentator and a pioneer of ecotourism programs for the public.
He passed away due to cardiac arrest on January 2 this year at Tehran’s Atieh Hospital.
