Features>>> Archive
Some nights, just before falling asleep, my mind begins to wonder and I find myself in a realm I call "the Domain of the Hypothetical". Questions starting with 'What if' flood my semi-conscious brain and I incessantly look for answers to them. This cerebral give-and-take frequently yields thought-products that, in all fairness, could only be categorized as utter nonsense. There are rare times, however, that the randomness of the process, coupled with the sheer number of the ideas floating around in my head, produce a thing or two that a generous disposition may consider mildly humorous. The other day, I was reading Nietzsche during my lunch break >>>
TRAVELERS  Baked in history Photo essay: Sight-seeing in Yazd TEMPLE Photo essay: Yazd's 70-year-old Zoroastrian temple
President Bush has reverted to discredited rhetoric of the days immediately after 9/11. Isn't this pathetic? Can the American sophisticated and gigantic war machine neutralize the Iraqi resistance movement, Sunni or Shiia, impose U.S. will on the people of that country through the medium of the puppet regime ruling from inside the "green zone" and take possession of the country's oil and other natural resources? That question sharply divides the warlords today in Washington as to the plans for domination. And there are many of them tossed about by those in officialdom, by the retired generals at the paid-service of the corporate media and the former servants of imperialism and today's honorary members of the corporate boards with entitlement to gilded paychecks from the disproportionately over-grown bank accounts of the oil and arms industries >>>
U.S. foreign policy toward Iran Carrot and stick “diplomacy” is clearly a crude and unproductive way of getting the desired results. Moreover, to those citizens of the world who follow the world events and have a sense of justice, especially to the ones living in developing countries, the carrot and stick "diplomacy" appears as an unfair and predatory way of engaging in world affairs. Furthermore, the carrot and stick “diplomacy” is immoral in that it violates the dignity of the nations which find themselves at the receiving end of this "diplomacy". Lastly, it is immoral in that it is a prerogative, exclusively, of the most powerful nations. Only they can exercise it because they can carry and lift big sticks. Smaller and less powerful nations, especially in the South and the East, cannot exercise this option over more powerful nations. And because of the inegalitarian nature of such diplomacy, these nations resent being subjected to it >>>
US and UK seeking help from Iran and Syria? God help us!
In a new effort to gain popularity among Arabs and Muslims, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written another letter, this one to the American people! I have never believed in giving credit to a sermon from a thief against theft, a killer against murder, or a dictator against dictatorship... I think you get the idea. It really doesn't matter what Mahmoud asks others to do in their countries when he and his spiritual leader Khamenei don't do the same in Iran. Why are they not so concerned about their own people as they are about Iraqis and Palestinians? Isn't Mahmoud supposedly elected to handle affairs of Iranians? Where in his 5-page letter did he even bother to discuss the fate, present and future, of Iranians and Iran? Is he the president of USA, Iraq and Palestine -- or Iran? >>> SEASONS Photo essay: Autumn in Alexandria, Huntley Meadow Park, Virginia SEASONS Photo essay: Canada's west coast TRAVELERS Photo essay: Iran people & places
Why the Islamic Republic is good for Iran Many Iranians, both inside and outside of Iran, view the Islamic Republic as an obstacle to Iran's greatness. They believe that the fascist Islamic government should be removed so that freedom, peace, and democracy can spread. They believe that the concept of a theocracy (or more specifically, the velayet-e-faqih) has been thoroughly discredited by history and view the Islamic government as a throwback to medieval ways of thinking. In short, they would like to see Iran take its place as one of the civilized nations of the world, and they believe that the first step is to adopt their institutions. These critics are right in many ways, but they are wrong in one very crucial way. Democracy is not a magic elixir that can cure all of a society's problems. In fact, history has shown us that democracy without the proper ingredients often leads to disaster >>>
From Anti-monarchists of yesterday to today's anti-Islamists Over the past few years I have several collisions with the anti Islamists who were writing a shear load of none sense on the net and on this site. Most of these anti-Islamic self-declared experts do not even have a clue about what they are opposing and did not even bother to study the religion in order to find the fact for themselves, and funny enough they call the rest of us ignorant. The odd thing is that whenever I have engaged in a debate with these people and tried to point them into the flaws in their arguments I have been accused of not accepting my personal responsibility while they on the other hand had shamelessly washed their hand of theirs and shift all the blame to a religion >>>
We need to stop expecting or assuming that education, wealth or family rank rules people's behavior A while back we went on a cruise (we had the name of all who we had agreed to be with us) and somehow a group of Iranians (3 people) we had never seen or met were on that cruise (evening cruise) so while in the area which we had reserved for dancing, I politely told one of the men in a white expensive Italian suit to please put out his cigarette since this was indoors and this was a non-smoking area. I went on the dance floor and a little over an hour later came back to take napkin out of my white jacket. You guessed it! The beautiful and expensive jacket was drenched in orange color soda! I did not have to be a rocket scientist to know the rat had done it but I could not prove it so I let it be. I had no regrets for having spoken my mind even though it cost me >>>
FIFA vs Iran Soccer is not big just in Iran, its safe to say that it’s big everywhere but in the U.S. and for many countries soccer games are as important as any other national event. FIFA’s accusation about Iran may be true, but it is not an isolated event. If you look at most countries, being the in charge of the soccer federation is not the most stable job, but it has the most exposure nation wide (remember we are not talking about U.S). To be in charge of a soccer federation, you have to have very good connections and some back ground related to soccer. In fact in most countries the head if the soccer federation has very close ties with political figures and other high end people >>> TRAVELERS Photo essay: Kashan TRAVELERS Photo essay: Kerman
Napoleon mon amour, Part 12: What I know is that I met the person whom surely god had sent to keep me from being hurt by my dear absent lover Now, in these parties you have to be careful not to offend anyone. All the men are there with their wives. If I was there with a husband then I would flirt but being the only single woman there made it dangerous to do so. I am not the flirtatious type. Mostly because I feel too over-weight to be attractive enough to engage in that kind of thing but also because I am capable of just simple camaraderie. Something a lot of women are incapable of -- some women flirt even with their female friends. As if flirting is the only way they know how to communicate. That night, the vodka, the beautiful weather, and the fact that my beloved lover was with his woman made me slightly more prone to adventure. Some time after everyone had shown up, a French couple walked in. The man was tall and handsome but the woman was even better >>>
Stop blaming premarital sex for your broken homes I am a married woman living in conservative Iran, where women are expected to keep their hymens intact for wedlock and many among more traditional families still have to get their virginity verified by a doctor before tying the knot -- to guarantee the future groom has not been sold damaged goods. Yet, marriages fail and divorce rates are ramping up. Many of those wandering about in family courts were good old blushing virgins when they married. So what went wrong? Men's drug addiction and unemployment are said to be the main reasons but there are studies and statistics showing adultery as well as sexual incompatibility and dissatisfaction are also -- if not equally -- playing important roles. Reluctant to lift our heads out of the sand, we still perpetuate and promote "values" of honor and chastity, chanting into young women's ears to keep away from sex, putting a halo over an orifice >>>
Let me cut to the point: What other school organization do you know of that gets a $500 check from a trendy lounge in the US capital to funnel in a young crowd of alcoholics to their venue on a Thursday night, in the last 2 weeks of the school semester? Other than the Iranian Student Organization, I have no idea. A friend of mine who's an officer in this organization confronted me the other day, “You haven't supported us once this semester!” And I thought to myself, support WHAT exactly!? To me it seems like this “cultural” organization continues to exist because it provides students with a legitimate family-friendly excuse for wasting time >>>
Resisting or surrendering to domestic violence?
Mossadegh and the Tudeh Party
PHOTOGRAPHY Photo essay: What my eyes see TRAVELERS Photo essay: Signs around Iran
UCLA police, Patrick Swaze and me After a few failed attempts to raise my earnings to a dollar or two above the U.S. minimum wage, and pulling all kinds of strings through my powerful friends, Hassan the Aashpaz, Reza the Panchargeer, and Fazee Rashtee's older brother Hamdollah (who preferred to be called, Jonothan) , the "Night Manager" at a local nightclub, I was finally offered the big one, the job that would set me aside from all those minimum-wage earning losers: Bouncer at a local night club. As good as it sounded, I had my reservations. "I don't want to be a doorman like Hamdollah haa," I told Fazee Rashtee. "Ehh, I told you baabaa, besh nagoo 'doorman', shaakee meesheh!". Then he cracked and said, "and you need to call him 'Jonathan' there." Well. He was nice enough to put a good word for me. Those positions were hard to come by. Lights, sound, disco, wild women (plenty of action, I assumed), cool guys, and the best part, $8.25, every hour, in my pocket. I started thinking: "Bah bah,... Haajeet deegeh raft daakheleh aadamhesaabee haa!" American dream is finally coming true for your 'pilgram'! >>>
Nobody can teach these guys anything The scene is the Hyatt Regency in Scottsdale, Arizona, one of the most classy and upscale hotels in Scottsdale where adults and romantic couples dress up to go there on weekend nights. On Friday and Saturday nights after 9:00 p.m, a fantastic band (called Mosaico) plays Flamenco music accompanied by very professional Flamenco dancers. This is definitely a sophisticated place for people who are well dressed and over 21. Suddenly, this group of Iranian families show up, comprising 4 couples, each having 3 or 4 kids aged between 4 to 7 -- all dressed in expensive kids outfits. First of all, these ten kids start running around inside and outside the bar, screaming and chasing each other. The Iranian parents are busy ordering drinks at the bar (not any Vodka, but Grey Goose, and bottles of French Champaign) -- totally oblivious to their kids' behavior. The Iranian guys are wearing shorts and sneakers (albeit the expensive brands), while everyone else in the bar is wearing evening attire and shoes >>> ... and all those who travel to Iran are traitors Almost 30 years have past and Iran is still ruled by a theocratic and fascist government. And nothing has changed since the revolution, or maybe I should say that things have gotten worse: Overcrowded prisons (mainly political prisoners, not drug dealers or rapists), over-population, pollution, inflation, unemployment and poverty are all facets of the Islamic revolution. I was asked by a friend why don't you visit Iran my reply to him was I have boycotted Iran and all those who travel to Iran are traitors. Yes I have not visited Iran for almost 22 years. My grandfathers had passed away and my grandmother just recently passed away and although I would love to go to visit their graves and say my prayer, I refuse to go. I will not buy products made by the Islamic Republic of Iran and I refuse to own an Iranian satellite dish that carried the Islamic Republic's TV programs >>> PHOTOGRAPHY Photo essay: Iran book project ART Latest watercolors
... and more
We have started a book project for charity. Iranian Beauty will be a coffee table book featuring our photography of beautiful Iranian-American females and all the proceeds will be donated to a charity in Iran benefiting children (we are still doing our research to find the best, legitimate charity.) We've been accepting applications for the last week now and the response has been very positive! You can learn more at our website, iranianbeauty.com. We would greatly appreciate it if you could support us any way possible. Please check out our website and let us know what you think.
Encyclopaedia Iranica and politics (2)
LITERATURE Photo essay: International Festival in Celebration of Freedom of Expression
Fear & courage
What is it about these tears?
Clearly, a rights-based discussion can’t begin with Islam but has to begin with the woman and her rights It is crucial to speak about the rights of ‘Muslim’ women, go beyond the issue of the veil, and talk about secularism, particularly in light of the political Islamic movement’s assault on women and their rights, but restricting the debate in this way is seriously flawed. Firstly, the so-called grouping of Muslim women is a constructed one. Out of the innumerable characteristics women have, why focus on their beliefs? Doing so, implies that religion informs the rights of all those labelled as Muslim (including very often people like myself - an atheist). This is not usually the case. More importantly, why must women’s rights issues be discussed within the framework of religion or for that matter, with regard to the beliefs -- real or imputed - of the woman whose rights are being discussed? Generally, this is not how rights are examined. For example, do we discuss domestic violence vis-à-vis Christian women or in the context of Christianity? >>>
The attack against academics of Middle East origin A recent article in The Indianapolis Star titled “Middle East Academics Disregard the Quest for Balance” by Pierre M. Atlas, assistant professor of political science and director of the Franciscan Center for Global Studies at Marian College discusses the academic quest for “fair and balanced” scholarship and argues that “Middle East academics” fall short of satisfying this academic requirement because in their discussions of the Israeli/US/Palestinian conflict, “Middle East scholars” do not present a “balanced and fair” depiction of the actual situation. Atlas argues that during the 40th annual conference of the Middle East Studies Association, scholars from Lebanon argued that the Israeli invasion this past summer can be categorized as “aggression” and Hizbollah’s reaction as “resistance” (never mind that most of the world saw it this way too). This position is flawed for endless reasons, so bear with me as I try to decipher it for those so blinded by their nationalism and religious extremism that they openly articulate derogatory statements >>>
I have read Dr. Noghrekar's original and followup articles about Iranica in akhbar-rooz, and have to say that I am surprised and sad. Surprised, because I have great respect for him, and didn't expect to see such a biased and weak argument from him. Sad, because once again he shows that our so called intellectuals haven't made any progress in moving beyond their old dogmatic and ideological thinking. Iranica is one of the most valuable cultural and literary efforts of Iranians, and like any other work of this magnitude, surely is not infallible, and has errors and problems in its articles. Legitimate and constructive critiques could only help make it better. However, Dr. Noghrekar apparently hasn't found any problem with its integrity, and hasn't been able to find any bias with its content (or else he would say it loud and clear!). As it is a tradition among us Iranians (and unfortunately our most educated intellectuals are no exception), his attacks are personal in nature, and towards the people who have chosen to support this project, not their work >>>
Opening a critical discussion about Encyclopaedia Iranica
TRAVELERS Photo essay: Scenes from Tehran and Chalous Road
A group of 21 Iranian journalists were arrested and interrogated by the Iranian authorities earlier this week after returning from a seminar they attended in Hilversum and Amsterdam (The Netherlands). The non-profit organization Communication for Development (CFD) confirmed this message. According to this organization, the journalists were asked personal questions which had no relation whatsoever with a serious investigation. The CFD is concerned that authorities in Iran abuse their power to thwart journalists. I personally hope that these journalists will not be sabotaged in their professional activities by the authorities >>> EPIC Photo essay: The Epic of Gilgamesh
Encyclopaedia Iranica and politics
UC Abu Ghraib in Los Angeles like its sister facility in Iraq is home to Middle Easterners of different shades some of whom resemble Mostafa Tabatabainejad, but there are of course notable differences in management policies at the two facilities. Eventhough at UC Abu Ghraib the men and women in uniform still prefer applying high voltage electric shock as the principle tool of their security work, the torture dungeons have been done away with altogether. This new openness has advanced the cause of Democracy to no end and will no doubt be emulated in future Democracy projects. Another notable difference is that at UC Abu Ghraib the work of the highly professional security personnel is carried out in plain sight of anyone who can watch a torture and humiliation session without getting dizzy >>>
The Iranian community's outrage at the mistreatment of Mostafa Tabatabainejad by UCLA police has led us into doing a bit of soul-searching. Would we have felt just as indignant if the victim of this assault had been Chinese or African American? The honest answer for some of us is "no." We are humbler than to assume we are saintly beings whose empathy embraces all of humanity with equal zeal. Yet this is no reason for moral despair. The fact that our reach of compassion strengthens with emotional nearness is actually very useful in promoting justice in the world. As long as everyone defends what is within his or her natural emotional reach, all of humanity is covered. In this "zone defense" scenario, if we do not look after other Iranians, we are not doing our job protecting the little patch of justice with which we have been entrusted >>>
You've wished upon a star, tried to find the man in the moon, and secretly still want to be an astronaut (remember when you were 8 years old?). Now, for the first time, the heavens are truly within reach, when you charter Virgin Galactic for the journey into space. It may sound like science fiction, but it's very real indeed. The Burton Rutan-designed SpaceShipOne has already completed three space missions and won the $10 million Ansari X Prize for the first private space flight. Now, funded by Virgin, Rutan is building a larger, commercial version of SpaceShipOne exclusively for Virgin Galactic. Like Sir Richard Branson's previous adventures, this one is being planned, designed, tested, and executed down to the last detail to ensure its safety and success >>>
Founded in 1963, the Literacy Council of Montgomery County, Maryland, is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to helping adults in Montgomery County learn to speak, read, write and understand English. In our English as a second language program (read, write and speak) approximately 24 of our foreign born students are from Iran. As of today we have more than 300 students waiting to be matched with a tutor. The waiting list includes many Iranian students. In order to address this critical shortfall I am turning to your organization for advice and suggestions on how we could reach out to potential Iranian-American volunteer tutors from within the community. If at all possible perhaps we could discuss a joint-outreach approach and/or strategy? >>> VICTIMS Photo essay: For children killed in Israeli-Palestinian conflict TRAVELERS Photo essay: Choghazanbi temple, c 1250 BC
Participatory planning helps communities not only deal with globalization and other international challenges that impact their development I suggest that fully incorporating local community participation in the identification and management of development projects throughout the Muslim world, an approach strongly consistent with the Millennium Development Goals and the recommendations of the Alliance Group, will significantly decrease the divide with the West. Before I explain how, I will begin by stating, just as the Alliance report does (as well as the 2003 Report of the Advisory Group on Public Diplomacy for the Arab and Muslim World), that without a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the horrible violence in Iraq and the intensifying violence in Afghanistan, efforts to bridge the divide "are likely to meet with only limited success." Participation in community development involves men and women of villages, neighborhoods and regions together defining their priorities for projects (in education, health, economic development, environment, etc.) and a plan of action to achieve them >>>
In the last couple of days everyone is talking about the UCLA student and I am thinking of Zahra Amir-Ebrahimi, the woman in Iran who is being abused in many dimensions and perhaps without any support! Imagine the case: 1) an abusive boyfriend who has already fled to Dubai , 2) a government and police system that will definitely kill her -- in her soul and heart, if not literally. And 3) family and friends and radical Moslems who will criticize her for corrupting their image! It breaks my heart and I assure you that Zahra would prefer to be tasered like Mostafa Tabatabainejad 10 times more than being in this situation! Many of you may not know what the meaning of "being trapped" in Iran is. The Spanish inquisition type courtrooms and jails. No matter what the reason, "siaasi" or "akhlaaghi" (political or moral), they have a way to make you feel you want to die. Verrry inhuman techniques: dirty, nasty and cruel! >>>
Ethnic minorities and separaticism in Iran
On the child preacher
TRAVELERS Photo essay: Visiting Georgia I recently took a trip to the remarkable country of Georgia, invited to participate in a conference at the Institute of Iranian Studies in Tbilisi. Located at the eastern tip of the Black Sea, Georgia also lies at the fault line of a number of civilizations and empires that over time have dominated and influenced it. These include pre-Islamic Iran and its Zoroastrian faith, Islam in the form of the Arab invasion, Iranian control during the Safavid period, and Turkish overlordship of the western half in Ottoman times, and more recently, the Russians, first in the form of the Tsarist Empire and later in the form of the Soviet Union >>>
Reading various obituaries on Robert Altman since yesterday, an item frequently mentioned is that despite a prolific career, he never won an Oscar (except for the Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award last year). Since my feelings about award shows can best be summed up by Woody Allen ("What's with all these awards? They're always giving out awards. Best Fascist Dictator: Adolf Hitler"), to me, the fact that Altman was left out of the Oscar race only adds to his prestige. He joins the ranks of Alfred Hitchcock and Charlie Chaplin, and leaves those coveted directing statues to Mel Gibson and Barry Levinson. Robert Altman, for me, is one of the true Hollywood rebels. How he did not become a phony and instead, he maintained an ironic distance and poignant self-awareness throughout his career is totally amazing >>> Photo essay: Beheshte Zahra cemetery
The question is why would a young man such as Mostafa Tabatabinejad (if this is his name) make such a big deal about the police's request. Why not get up and leave with a few friends, get the name of the officers and complain to the university? Someone could have as easily recorded the incident on video and submitted it to the proper authorities overseeing the campus cops with the complaint report. This kid's behavior was illogical, improper, uncivilized, suspect and with motives. Or, the kid suffers from depression or other psychological issue. Or maybe he has anger management issues. Who knows. I don't know what motive(s) but I am sure we'll find out soon enough. Worse than this kid's behavior is the behavior of us Iranians living here in the U.S. Why are we outraged about this matter? As someone else had written in her letter, would any of us given it a damn if the kid was Chinese? or Arab, or >>> ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY
So far, the US has resisted bilateral discussions, which is the most logical solution for international conflicts and was used so successfully during the Cold War. Several elements have encouraged and sometimes worked quite hard to produce this outcome. This is obviously an incorrect approach and is harmful for both countries. The remedy is for the US to know the country better and change the tactics that have been unsuccessful so far. The following are the reason why two countries should resume talking, without mediators. This will help to figure out a way to find a solution for the grievances that produces the gulf in between. The past history shows that there are no mediators that do not have agendas of their own and do not benefit from fishing in the muddy waters >>>
I eagerly watched the sex video which has caused quite a bit of havoc in Iranian sex-deprived society, especially among the younger generation. The home movie, supposedly showing TV soap actress Zahra Amir Ebrahimi and her lover, has created such turmoil that the notorious Judge Mortazavi has personally volunteered to investigate. As an avid porn watcher who spends almost all his paycheck subscribing to porn websites and magazines, I was extremely disappointed with the quality of acting in the home movie, featuring Amir Ebrahimi and her male companion. The unprofessional setup and amateurish techniques made this home movie almost unbearable to watch >>> CASPIAN
Ted Koppel strikes again, that's all I could think about last night. But the truth is, I can't blame him for my sleepless nights. He is an American journalist, and a pretty good one at that. I'm sure it was never his intention to hurt a nation, but rather this was his poor attempt at showing that what a great interviewer such as Mike Wallace can do, Ted can do better. Watching his program on the Discovery Channel last night, I was reminded of a lesson I learned about journalism at one of my UCSD classes. Our teacher was elaborating on what he considered irresponsible journalism and telling us how much of what gets announced, or is published, has nothing to do with the actual news, which is precisely what sells tabloids >>>
I cannot say what I felt more: anger or sorrow or shock. Los Angeles where Iranians feel more at home than in Islamic Tehran. Or used to anyway. Los Angeles where so many successful Iranians pay taxes. UCLA where so many fellow compatriots have studied and taught since at least fifty years ago is the last place you would expect something like this. If this took place in Texas maybe, or Alabama, but in UCLA? For heaven's sake where are we safe any more? Who the hell authorizes the use of Taser guns (does the name come from the manufacturer?) on students who have no IDs? I remember always losing or forgetting mine when I was a student at Boston University and no one even bothered to question me. What kind of a police state has this land of liberty, where we all came to live free of theocrats, autocrats and dictators, become? And what do we do about it? >>> TONS OF LETTERS In response to Ron Ghana's note on UCLA taser incident, "You broke the law": It's not about playing the race card. So what if the kid had a little attitude? Nothing justifies how he was treated by campus oficers! I would have told those thugs to get their hands off of me too if they tried to push me out of the room. The problem here is that the student was leaving in the first place and he got abused even tho he was complying! I don't care what lame, stupid, campus law this student broke; tasing is not an equivalent response to a problematic student (if he even was problematic. More than likely he's just like any other student and has a bit of an attitude and wants to move at his own pace. Good for him!) >>> Tons of letters
Iraq has been a closed issue for me for a while. I guess it's about the same for the US administration. I doubt they really believe that Iraq will become peaceful any time soon, and definitely not under US supervision, or occupation, as they say in the Muslim world. They simply don't know how to exit. George Bush is going to be remembered not as a great leader, but rather as one of the worst ones, one who started an invasion and left, defeated, having done almost nothing, and having lost thousands of US service men and women, and tens of thousands wounded. That's beside tens of billions of dollars wasted. Now it's easy to look and criticise. I myself had no idea about what was going to happen, and I was naive enough to wish for a democratic Iraq that could some day be a model for my own country, Iran. I see how wishful thinking it all was >>>
Do you know that if you were to look up the latest statistical report on social issues in Iran, it would state that close to 2 million people are drug addicts? Now do you know that this figure is an absolute fabrication and guestimate based on IRI's, shall we say, less than reputable/ factual reporting tactics and methodology? The truth of the matter is that no one could come up with a number for how many people have been affected by this epidemic which for a high percentage of users is the direct result of poverty and other issues facing our people ... It was the one hour conversation I had with "Ali", my cab driver on the way to Mehrabad airport to see a friend off ... For some reason, Ali decided to open up to me while sitting in the hellish traffic of Tehran >>>
There are innumerable English proverbs, adages and idiomatic expressions which revolve around the concept of home. A few of these include: "a man's home is his castle", "charity begins at home", "men make houses-women make homes", "there is no place like home", "the chickens have come home to roost", and "till the cows come home." Perhaps, the proverb that best applies for many of the Iranian-Americans who left Iran prior to the revolution is "home is where the heart is." For those of us who are the second-generation children and third-generation grandchildren of those early immigrant/refugees to North America, Europe and other parts of the world this proverb simply doesn't apply >>> TEHRAN
PROTEST
Some of your readers have condemned the UCLA student, Mr. Tabatabaienejad's, behavior in failing to obey the police officers' orders and deemed it inappropriate.However, it should be noted that his actions, inappropriate or not, would legally qualify as a civil disobedience. On the contrary, it's the reaction from the officers which was excessive and disproportionate, for the following two reasons: 1) A non-violent civil disobedience deserves a non-violent civilized response. The officers could have charged Mr. Tabatabaienejad with disobedience and given him a court notice. The issue then could have taken its legal course in the court of law, where in a civilized society such incidences should be dealt with >>>
On reading the news of an Iranian-American student being tasered by UCLA campus police, I checked the yahoo message board for public reaction... A few voices on the message board do condemn the use of excessive force by the UCLA police, but the tone of the discussion is overwhelmingly xenophobic. As an educated minority, Iranian-Americans understand the urgency of spending more effort on community outreach and on the education of the general American public about ourselves. On the other hand, we also understand that if this humiliation of an Iranian-American student goes unchallenged, it will weaken our position in American society, inviting more such incidents. A collective response is appropriate >>>
As you may know the Brain Trauma Foundation-BTF (braintrauma.org) was established to educate doctors and emergency personnel in the proper protocols for the treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Dr. Jamshid Ghajar founded the organization twenty years ago and through his personal diligence and sacrifices it has become a success, helping the medical community develop the correct protocols for treating brain injury (see attachment). I think it is appropriate for all of us to support his dedication. It would be great, if at this time, through our support of BTF, we would show our appreciation of the work that Jamshid is doing every single day to save lives and, even more important, preserving the quality of life of patients. A contribution (tax deductible in the United States) to BTF will show that we are aware of his efforts to make the world a better place for all of us. His work let's each an everyone of us feel proud and stand a bit taller >>>
The arrest warrants issued by Argentine Judge Rodolfo Canicoba Corral for a number of former Iranian officials allegedly involvement in the 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish community Centre (AMIA) has been lauded by the White House. However, the reports surrounding this issue have circumvented the history of US and Argentine relations. Furthermore, the case is presented in absolute terms, while in reality, it is engulfed with controversy and inconsistencies. In 1967, in a bloodless coup, the military replaced Isabelita Peron as leaders of Argentina. A military junta was formed, consisting of the commanders of the three armed services and headed by General Jorge Rafael Videla, commander and chief of the army. The Videla government imposed a "Dirty War" in Argentina to silence the "internal enemy," in essence, an all-out war was undertaken against political and non-political citizens >>> PROTEST WAR TRAVELERS
When Iran rejected Russia's proposal to provide an "assured" supply of power reactor fuel from Russia, this did not undermine Iran's credibility, even in Russia's eyes. Perhaps this was because Russia realizes that it is perceived as a not-very-reliable energy supplier to neighbours with whom political issues arise... To provide a real test of Iran's intentions, the offer must go further. It should be based on the President Ahmadinejad made in his UN speech a year ago: an industrial-scale, international enrichment consortium, based in Iran, to supply fuel to Iranian power-plants. Of course it would be foolish to embrace Ahmadinejad's proposal in a manner that allows Iran to abscond with our nuclear know-how, throw us out of the country, and use what they have learned to build a bomb. Here is how this can be avoided: >>> ABUSE
Here we go again. A punk student disregard and disopeyed campus police and got tased and now probably will sue the school for some doe. I am sick and tired of people blaming thers and not wanting to take responsibility for their own actions. Campus police repeatedly asked him to leave the library or he will be tased. When you are a student in any university you are obligated to follow the rules (this include Iranian students). Campus police asked you to show your ID, no luck; campus police asked you to leave the libray or be tased, no luck. Oh well now that YOU HAVE BROKEN THE LAW and they have tased you and removed you, it's time to start crying and bringing up the race card and excessive force. Mostafa you are a disgrace to our community, enough said >>>
After seeing the video where Mostafa Tabatabainejad is getting tasered by UCLA campus police in the computer lab, my blood began to boil. I am the first one who would stand up and declare in no uncertain terms, that the safety and well-being of all students and faculty on any school campus are of paramount importance. However, when the very people who are supposed to "keep the peace" are the ones students need protection from, that's where enough is enough >>> ART
The hit film Borat is more than just a great comedy (and definitely my favorite comedy of all times), it has become a cultural phenomenon. Usually, catch phrases are the domain of TV shows like Seinfeld but nowadays, it is not unusual to overhear people of all races, classes, and age act out entire scenes from the film, whether it is the fictional songs of Korki Kochek, or one of Borat's famous "high fives." ... Borat can hardly be described by comparison to any previous characters in film or literature. There has been no one like him, at least with this mainstream success and worldwide appeal. Sasha Baron Cohen can at best be considered the love child of Peter Sellers and Andy Kaufman. That is not to say that he mimics these classic actors, only that they paved the way for him, and he has of course taken their satirical outlook to heights previously unseen >>>
I have chosen to bring this title to this forum's readers' and writers' attention because I believe the on-going discussions here about aspects of contemporary Iran, as well as the social and political life of Iranians outside the country would benefit from some of the points raised in this book (and by extension from further interest in historical Shi'ism). The Shadow of God and the Hidden Imam is a study of the role of Shi'ism in Iran's social and political life from its beginnings to the late nineteenth century. It focuses on social action and social change brought about by such forces as charisma and reason. These are, of course, Weberian concepts, but they are studied here in the light of new findings. Shi'ism, as a world religion, is considered "a source of motivation" for social action and a force for social change >>>
I like to say, that in exercising her passion, Ansari has exercised godliness and perhaps attained it. One only needs to read her blog to sense the childish enthusiasm that imbues her words as she shares her space travel experience. I like to say, if Ansari could have explored space without paying a hefty sum of money, she would have done so; that unfortunately, the price tag of following our dreams is often hefty. I like to say, she is non-partisan, just a curious soul following her dreams. I like to say, the contribution she is making to furthering humanity's vision beyond the boundaries of our earth will have a profound shift in our consciousness beyond what our limited vision allows us to see at this time. I like to say, we each have a song and surmounting the world's hunger problems should be left to someone other than Ansari. Finally, I like to ask, why we burden Ansari with solving the world's hunger problems when she never acceded to such responsibility? >>>
Few men in the world would desire a wife who has been intimate with another man. Unfortunately, Western men have no choice but to ignore women's past sexual indiscretions if they hope to marry and have families. If you think that Western men are just more tolerant and accepting of female premarital intimacies, let me assure you that we are not. Western men are no different from Iranian men in wanting a wife who has not been deflowered by another. Western men want their wives to come to their marriage bed as innocent and pure as the day they were born, but this is not a realistic option or ambition any longer for Western men while it still is for many Iranian men. Whether you like it or not, this is the way it is, the way it always has been and the way it always will be >>> GAME TRAVELERS
It was Varinder's (she's my wife) idea to leave me at Nando's - a chicken restaurant - with the twins while she zipped around the shops in Bluewater shopping centre (Kent in the UK). The idea was that in the time my three-year-old sons and I would take to tuck into corn on the cob, roast chicken, fries and rice, Varinder would have found the leather boots she was looking for. And that's how I came to realise that I was still incapable of looking after them single headedly - unlike my wife. Lunch was painless, they ate all of the corn and some of the chicken. They drew pictures on the colouring sets they had been given when we were shown to our table and they made conversation about their school (Madam), grand parents (maman jan) and doing a wee-wee >>>
I was driving down the main street. A taxi driver cut me off. I rolled down the window and cursed at him. We pulled over and Emily and Mohammed jumped out to buy kanafa. Then we continued, dropping off Mohammed at his car ... which he had left in the center of town. We agreed to meet at Mohammed's place down the street. I was alone in the front seat. Emily and Carolyn in the back. Suddenly there was a van directly in front of our car. He veered a bit towards our car. I slowed down, wondering how I was going to pass him. And then he emerged from his window ... pointing an M-16 across the street and spraying bullets. The three of us hit the floor of the car. All around us ... shooting, shooting, shooting. So close. So close >>>
Let's face it, people have sex. The problem isn't sex, it is how people handle it and of course, being Iranian, whether living in Iran or in the diaspora, it is our culture and the fact that we have a real problem with being open about our sexuality. I have no problem with virginity; I applaud those who decide to wait until marriage. However, not everyone decides to wait -- many have sexual relations before marriage and this is also another reality. Instead of instructing women and men to not have sex or chastising those women and men who are open about their sexuality, I'd rather see Iranian men and women better educated about safe sex and are healthy about their sexuality >>>
While it is important to learn from those terrible mistakes, it is more important to cease the moment and congratulate the American public for their victory in the midterm elections. The loss of patience of erstwhile non-voting and apathetic but decent, generous and forgiving Americans and their record turnout in the elections was an indication of the fact that they no longer wanted to subscribe to "stay the course" policies and archaic and un-informed decision making in a dynamic country and a dynamic world! I congratulate my fellow Democrats and myself for this victory after running a website against extremists in America for the past six years. I am thankful that these rulers failed to take America back to the dark ages >>> TRAVELERS
Most Iranians who live outside of California, view LA as a whole different planet, one that they'd rather stay away from. Even some Californians consider the city a last choice for residence. With its overwhelming number of Iranian emigrants, a visitor can expect a few encounters with them and they are not always pleasant. After all, we tend to take our good as well as our bad wherever we go, and it's too bad that pleasant memories are easily forgotten while a bad experience tends to linger for some time. Before becoming a California resident, my experience of LA was that of any tourist's. It began with a trip to Disney Land and a tour of the Universal Studios, perhaps a walk in front of the Chinese Theater, and finally window-shopping on the magnificent Rodeo Drive while dreaming of winning the lotto to actually shop in some of those stores. To me, LA meant limited human contact and few acquaintances. Ironically, most of our friends who happened to live in and around LA shared some of our negative sentiments >>>
Because of various historical manipulations, especially for the past 70 years or so, ever since Reza Khan started his plan of modernising Iran, Iranians have often led to believe "facts" about their country which have lacked consistency and objectivity. That would be nothing unusual for a Middle-Eastern dictatorship, but there is no reason why we couldn't see things differently, other than what various dictators would want us to see. What has been presented to Iranians, by official historical and scientific manipulation and especially through textbooks at schools, has been that Iran was a grand empire, a force for good (with some minor and unimportant and irrelevant exceptions) that for more than 2,500 years strived for civilisation and human excellence >>> TEN MILLION LETTERS In response to Fariba Moghadam's "Beh jorme sangdeli": May be you should send your "maghaleh bashar doosti" to the irresponsible governments of those countries that they neglect their duties and deny their citizens of their basic rights and protections. Leave this lady alone. She is not obligated to help anybody even if they deserve it. I bet if you had her money, you wouldn't have the guts to do what you are preaching to others. Typical Iranian hypocrisy >>> More letters (Part 2) (Part 1) TRAVELERS Since 2001 when I visited Iran for the first time after 17 years, I've been back twice. Unlike many that go back to visit family, I spent the majority of my time traveling about. Enclosed are pictures I took in Abyaneh. Abyaneh is a village between Kashan and Natanz in Esfahan province. The village is probably one of the oldest surviving villages in Iran. On the outskirts of the village there are remnants of an old Sassanid era fort. Aside from its historic value, Abyaneh is also known for its red colored soil and clay houses, as well as the flowery dresses the local women wear >>> TONS OF LETTERS On Sasan Afsoosi's "Made in India": A lot pictures are showing Pakistani restaurants, shops, and people yet you named the slide show as "Made in India photo essay: Indian community in Toronoto, Canada." In my dealings with people from Iran, I have found that many of them do not make the distinction between the various South Asian people. You need to be cognizant of the fact that the various South Asians are as proud of their Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi identities as the Middle Easterners are of their Persian, Arab, and Turkish ones. Lumping all of us together as Indians is as offensive to us as it would be to you if we were to call all of you Arabs >>> More letters LONDON
Some 25 years ago, just after noon of a warm summer day, we stood in line to buy tickets for that night's performance at the Elizabethan theater in Ashland. I struck up a conversation with a young man who was standing behind me. He told me that he was traversing the Pacific Trail from Canada and was expecting to arrive in Mexico City just before Thanksgiving. He had come down for one night in Ashland to take in a Shakespeare play. In those days, I also did much more hiking than going to the Bard's feasts. The memory of that glorious night, however, has attracted me to this jewel of a city in Southern Oregon every summer since. The old theater has been renovated; it has lost some of its nostalgic charm for us old timers in return for more comfort. It resembles even less the recreated Old Globe in London >>> |
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