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February 2003

See this month's letters
by subject

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* They are PERUVIAN girls, not Persian

I am not Iranian but Peruvian. It is just that my friend found a certain site with "Persian" models on parsmodels.com. They are all Peruvian girls.

I became aware of this when my iranian friend sent me the link to that site and I discovered that all the pics were stolen from peru.com/chicas and they are all peruvian girls. Of course this is not the end of the world but it is just that it bugs me to see my fellow compatriots portrayed under false names and false nationality. None of the girls are famous models in Peru. The majority of them are studying and doing this just for fun. The pictures belong exclusevliy to Peru.com and nothing else.

I don't think it is fair to the girls to give them false Persian names and put them on the net on a (as I understand) popular Persian site so that their pictures are viewed and spread by thousands of persons in the iranian community online. The guy pretends that he runs his own Persian modelling agency which is totally false. I don't know what his purpose is. But he claims to have full copyright on the pics which is totally false. Just go to parsmodels.com and then to peru.com/chicas and look for yourself and you will see that the pictures are stolen.

I would be very pleased if you spread the word among the Iranian community online that ParsModels is just a hoax. I have written an e-mail to the webmaster of the site myself but he hasn't even replied. It may not seem serious but I'm writing on behalf of the girls who are from the same country as me. I don't think they appreciate this. My guess is that you would also be annoyed if you saw some iranian girls under false spanish names on a peruvian site.

Again I'm not blaiming you and have the fullest respect for your site as you obviously couldn't be aware of the truth. I just hope that you'll remove that site from your link list together with an explanation that helps to spread the word among the iranian community online so that all will know the truth. I'm looking forward to a reply.

Jairo Arrizuela

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* Tragedy that befell our country

Many of these pictures [Those days] are reminders of the tragedy that befell our country with the advent of the IRI and the fervor of the masses backing it, who fell into the trap of false promises, blatant lies, an unforgivable war that brought death to too many, despair and moral / religious apathy.

Shahla Samii

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* Pahlavis were the worst

Kaveh Golestan's "Those days", a photo essay about the revolution shows what a barbarian Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was. A lot of innocent people died due to the war like acts of the loser Shah of Iran. The Pahlavis were the worst dynasty to rule Iran.

First there was Reza Khan. His true name was Reza MirPanj. Reza Mir Panj was from the Mazandaran Province in Iran. He was trained by Czarist Russian troops and was a cossack soldier. And that is why he was so opposed to the Russian revolution because he was loyal to the Russian crown. He was a bald man with an ugly looking mustache. Reza Khan forced women to put aside their veil because Reza was a pervert and wanted to stare at other mens women.

Reza Khan had two wives. Mohammed Reza's had two 1/2 sisters we know of, Shams and Fatima. Shams was said to have converted to Christianity before her death and is buried in France. Reza Khan was so sexist that he permitted his son to go to foreign lands to become educated but he forbade his daughters from doing the same thing. Reza Khan sided with the Nazis and was exiled to South Africa where Reza Khan died one year later, a bald and bitter man.

Now we go to the son Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. This guy was rumored to have epilepsy. At a young age he told the palace maid that the 12th Imam visits him and protects him. The Shah refused Cancer treatment due to the fact that he believed Allah would cure him. Mohammed Reza Pahlavi gave all the religious shia leaders a doctorate for completing studies in the Holy city of Qom. The Shah went to Haj and visited Mashad frequently to see Imam Reza.

The Ayatollah Beheshti, one of the Islamic Republics Constitution writers was on the Shah's payroll when he was a Imam in West Germany. The Shah's best friend from Switzerland Hossein Fardoust, a high ranking SAVAK man later joined the Islamic Republics Intelligence service. General Gharabaghi, one of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi's top generals, whole heartily permitted the Ayatollah Khomeini to enter Iran.

Why was everyone at that time against the monarchy? Well, Princess Ashraf, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi's twin sister was the head of the drug trade in Iran. She was bringing in so many drugs into Iran. Ashraf also was involved in Prostitution. She opened up houses of prostitution right and left in Iran. And the brother of the Shah raped Iran's pop singer Googoosh, this has been sited in may Googoosh Internet sites as truth. So this Pahlavi dynasty was filled with pimps, drug dealers and rapists.

Almost a quarter of a century has passed since the revolution and the majority of Iranian still today say when asked about the monarchy, "good riddens to bad rubbish".

Dr. David Banner
Expert on Iranian Affairs

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* A soldier's song

Dear Iranian.com and Mr. Salehi:

Your story titled, "Khorramshahr forever" photo essay of a soldier in coma was quite touching. It reminded us of the ugliness of war and why it should be avoided at all times.

Seeing this story and the pictures reminded me of a piece written by an American music group that was turned into a song in late 1980's. The lyrics of this song are spoken by a soldier who is in comma and wishes to die. The relevance was astounding to me. I wanted to share these words with you.

Abbas Hessabi

"One"

I can't remember anything
Can't tell if this is true or dream
Deep down inside i feel to scream
This terrible silence stops me

Now that the war is through with me
I'm waking up i can not see
That there is not much left of me
Nothing is real but pain now

Hold my breath as i wish for death
Oh please god,wake me

Back in the womb its much too real
In pumps life that i must feel
But can't look forward to reveal
Look to the time when i'll live

Fed through the tube that sticks in me
Just like a wartime novelty
Tied to machines that make me be
Cut this life off from me

Hold my breath as i wish for death
Oh please god,wake me
Now the world is gone i'm just one
Oh god,help me - hold my breath as i wish for death
Oh please god help me

Darkness - imprisoning me
All that i see
Absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
Trapped in myself
Body my holding cell

Landmine - has taken my sight
Taken my speech
Taken my hearing
Taken my arms
Taken my legs
Taken my soul
Left me with life in hell

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* What is this about?

Zel Zele

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* Musicians and bands of the 1950's & 60's

I am interested in finding information on Iranian musicians and bands of the 1950's & 60's. Musicians that were directly influenced by western music. Like Beat and Pop style material,like the Beatles,Kinks,Rolling Stones and the Who. My father was born Tehran, he has a old stack of 45's that he collected in the 60's.

A couple of the musicians & bands do western style pop and beat (60's rock),which is sung in Farsi. These records are long out of print,but I was wondering where I could find out information on these type of musicians? As well as find their music on cd?

I have been researching this subject with no results. My goal is to obtain information on American, English influenced bands and singers of the 50's & 60's from all around the world. I have succeeded in finding information on European bands of the 60's.

I would appreciate it if you could help me in any way possible. Someone out there has to know something about this era of Iranian music.

George Khaleghi

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* Racist drivel

This article [Forsaking Iranians] began with some promise of actually making a decent point about the unity of the Iranian people, both politically and socially. I was very disappointed by the racist drivel into which it descended. There are obvious political points to be made about the current political situation vis-a-vis the US's backing of Israel and Iran's standing in the world;, however; do you really believe that denegration of race has any place in this article:

"It's thanks to Aryan influence that we have advanced. I thank the British, Germans, and Americans for their medicine, their trains, their cars, their telephones, their plumbing, their educational institutions, and the ability to learn about their superior culture and ways."

I would point out that it was Arab and Persian thinkers that preserved ancient knowledge of medicine and philosophy through Europe's dark ages by translating Greek texts which are now lost to the world. Furthermore, they used this knowledge to advance medicine which formed the foundation of modern medical knowledge. Medieval and Renaissance Europeans used to have barbaric practices of bleeding patients to release evil from the body as the source of illness - how superior is that? Their plumbing? Is this guy having a laugh!!

"A nation of racially-mixed people can not and will not be able to rise above the third world status. The only true Aryans are the Whites of America and Europe and the few surviving Iranians with fair complexions. Iran's past is meaningless and a different world to the modern, brown-man's Islamic Iran. A decadent empire destroyed and ravished by Arabs, then ruined and raped by Mongols: all of whom brought their blood into our veins."

He finally shows us his true colours (excuse the irony) as a through and through NAZI. The first sentence is the kind of ignorant rubbish churned out by Hitler in the 1930s - what more can be said! What on earth has the complexion of various Iranians got to do with anything? This man has obviously got some weird complexes about his own race. Possibly his upbringing in the Shah's aryan Iran has affected his faculties and made him think he's a European, even so, he ignores the great cultural achievments of Asia and it's place in the globe's past, present and future.

Iran is part of that continent - it always has been and always will be. If he cannot accept those facts, he should neither be on this web-site nor be called Ali Aliabadi. As for The Iranian - I didn't realise racist articles were the way forward with your site! Or did you not read to the end of his tirade before you published it!Maybe it should be removed before you get branded or as Ali and his racist mates would say "tarred with the same brush".

Nadir

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* Thoughtless, ignorant

It amazes me how your site publishes an article that opposes Iran and Iranian existence but then refuses to publish articles that protect our culture heritage and our heroes [Forsaking Iranians]. Anyway I am writing this letter in order to make my concern and opposition to the article wrote by Mr. Ali Aliabadi.

His article showed clearly the lack of research and his ignorance towards Iran's population of 70 million. His observation of cultural cohesion solely stemmed from his personal experience without giving any thoughts or research to write his article (thanks to Iranian.com for publishing it).

Yes it is true that small minute population of Iran behave this way but that is true with every culture, it is the human nature, however let me assure you our culture heritage and history is much more sophisticated and complex than any other Western culture even your country (USA).

We the Iranian people have being the victims of colonialism, lie and betrayal by those who we had put our trust into. Therefore, we rather hear stories such as yours to comfort our need and nourish our ignorance and forget the real cause of the problem.

I strongly oppose your generalization of the whole population for being out of touch and not being outgoing. Comparing Iran's institutions and available resources given to the vast population as to the Western countries I can only conclude that we are highly intelligent and capable of advancement both socially and economically. Unfortunately we are being robbed and penalized for our love for our motherland IRAN.

Amir Nasiri
Zendehbad Iran and Irani I love my country and the people of Iran

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* A bit too vindictive

"And melt you did" written by Narm and posted on the Iranian on January 15th depicts Immigrants who left Iran for the United States unfairly.

First of all, the writer states that many of the people she knows who live in the United States ask the writer why the author lives in Canada. And these immigrants who she knows that live in the States say that Canada is a boring place.

Canada is not a boring place. Montreal, Toronto and Van Couver are nice places in Canada. It is my firm view that the people from the US that Narm knows are very pessimistic. It is best to stay away from people like that.

The author goes on to say that the immigration problem that occurred in California was Iranian Immigrants just desserts. Narm states, "Dandetoon Narm... Haala bekeshid". This statement is just a little bit too vindictive and spiteful.

I would agree with Narm that there are a lot of Iranian immigrants in the United States that refer to themselves as Persians. In 1925 Reza Khan changed the name of Persia to Iran. It is my firm belief that anyone born in Iran before 1925 should be able to use the term "Persian" to describe themselves.

For the rest of the immigrants wishing to do so I will refer to the first Amendment of the US Constitution. "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech." Therefore, any Iranian immigrant living in America can call themselves whatever they wish. I myself prefer the term Iranian which can easily be differentiated from Iraqi.

Narm states that the average American is deficient in general knowledge. This means that Narm is smarter than the average American. I would think that would be good news for Narm. Unfortunately, again Narm sees the cup half empty.

"The Americans don't know the middle east from a whole in the wall." Narm, what kind of term is "middle east" anyway? Middle of where? East of where? The real definition should be South West Asia and North Africa. But don't tell this to some people in Turkey who believe they are part of Europe.

My advice to Narm is that Narm should be more positive. And if anyone tells Narm "Canada sucks", it's my firm belief that she should say the following British phrase in response, "Piss off, I like Canada."

Sincerely Yours,
Allen Alagheband

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* Preventing mockery of historical facts

Dear Darius Kadivar,

I read "Swords-and-Sandals" on Hollywood movie productions that cover our Persian heritage. As you are so informed on these matters, we are all counting on you to approach the producers of these future films such as Alexander the Great and influence them in not making a mockery of historical facts.

They need to know the antagonism created by today's mullahs with the West in no way represents the Iranian peoples, past or present. As with your charming brother, I am sure you will be quite capable making a difference here.

This piece of information might aid you. Among the characters in the Shahnameh, I was surprised to find Alexander the Great featured in the lineage of our great Persian rulers, especially in the Sassanian period.

The explanation is that Iran adopted him as the legitimate heir to Darius: Darab, King of Persian, the story goes, had asked Philip 2nd of Macedon for his daughter's hand in marriage, then repudiated her; the princess gave birth to a son called Alexander, who was to struggle unceasingly to recover his inheritance?!!

Amir-Khosrow Sheibany

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* People need to talk

I am writing with regards to your article on Dr. Holakouee [Aghaye Doctor blows minds]. Yes, he has become a celebrity but there are certain elements in his becoming a celebrity that proves us a few points on social status of his services for Iranian immigrants:

1- People need to talk . They need to talk about what they feel even though it is not something to distress them or even though it is a private problem that needs some common sense to get round them. May be in the past , people esp. us , Iranians, back home had more free time and a higher level of intimacy that would lead us to talk to our friends and relatives. But now a call to Dr. Holakouee is replacing them!

2- Western community has been acquainted with the notion of psychotherapy from long ago so they are OK even to pay high charges for someone to listen to them . They do not expect naturally as to have a friend or relative who is willing to listen to their problems and fears .

So, the solution is to spend money and get listened to. Dr. Holakouee is doing the same service for many people living in Western community free of charge . So, what do you expect? Logically more and more people going towards him.

Personally even though I do not agree with many of his view points generally I think he is now having a more and more vital presence especially in Iranian community of Los Angeles.

Have a Great Time;
Katayoon Hadizadeh

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* Muslims are very scared

being a muslim in america, muslims are very scared also, even the ones who are born here and have fought for america in the past.

please let us not fool ourselves: the problem lies with two issues, color of the skin and trying to destroy islam.

has anyone noticed that america hate their two major foes korea yellow to brown people, and muslims tan, brown, to black people? this should give every one something to think about.

Malek

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* Help Iran's ceramic art and industry

Dear Mina Javid,

Thank you for the report on ceramic works of Meybod [Shaping the earth]. President Khatami's image has become severely blurred, indistinct and vague by his tolerance of the inconsistent, arbitrary, reactionary and irresponsible policies and practices of a small group of preponderant, hegemonic and wealthy clerics who have caused a severe economic catastrophe for the large majority of Iranians.

But he is a learned Yazdi, and can understand and carry the respectable and intrinsic merits and noble properties of the people of Yazd, Meybod, Bafgh, and other parts of Central Iran. So, it seems proper to ask him for an apparent, vivid and vigorous Presidential support of the artworks and art workers of Meybod, as a bright matrix in the domain of Yazd.

It also seems proper and promising to ask for Zoroatrians' global support of this project. You Iranians of USA and Canada can substantiate the project with your well planned channeling of Meybod artworks towards the vast markets of North America.

The Iranian students of Art in North American universities can help the ceramic art and industry of Meybod by compiling and funneling the old and modern design documents to Meybod which will adorn and enrich the aesthetic appeal of Meybod products for modern Markets of Arts, all over the globe.

Thank you again.

Masood Raji
Neishabour, Iran.

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* We are intellectual prostitutes

For those of you who are outraged by lack of freedom of press in Iran and admire freedom of press in west (including myself on both accounts) please read John Sweetness' opinion of 1953, quoted by Anthony in Counter Punch of January 31, 2003:

"There is no such thing, at this date of the world's history in America as an independent press. You know it and I know it. There is no one of you who dares to write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print.

I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinions out of paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be so foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my paper ,before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone.

The business of the journalists is to destroy the truth; to lie outright to pervert; to vilify... to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. You know it and I know it and what a folly is this toasting an independent press? We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes."

Mighty strong stuff. Of course we know that these charges are not true(!), otherwise other honest journalists would have confirmed them, especially TV reporters and commentators. Still I am glad that I am not a journalist.

Peerooz

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* Fresh distortion of history

Dear Mr. Milani,

Sadegh Khalkhali's seminal work (Kourosh e Doroughin) has now fresh company in defaming Cyrus the Great. [The great land of the Sophy] Recently, a friend from Tehran sent me copies of two books titled:

1- Twelve Centuries of Silence (2001)
2-A bridge over the past (two volumes) (2003)
The author is a gentleman by the name of Nasser Pourpirar. The publisher is Nile Publishing of Tehran.

The two books are over 1300 pages and the first one has been through several reprints. The author either works for or is affiliated with Khatami's Center for Dialogue of Civilization under the leadership of no other but the eminent Attaollah Mahajerani.

The books make a completely "original and groudbreaking argument" in over 1300 pages which should be music to the ears of supporters of the Persian cultural heritage :

1- Before the Arab conquest, we Iranians-Persians did not have a written or oral language.

2- The language that we speak today or for that matter Farsi Dari or Pahlavi are solely figments of our imagiantions and part of an elaborate scheme to weaken Islam by creating Persian nationalism.

3-Before Islam, Persians and specifically the Achaemenid clan were a savage murderous people who had no culture, language, art and whose sole purpose in life was to loot, kill and burn. In fact (I am not kidding), the name "Pars" is derived from the dog's bark (Pars e Sag).

4- Cyrus the Great was a mercenary from Central Asia that the Jews of Babylon hired and financed to kill the "just ruler", Nimrod. The whole existence of Pre-Islamic Iran is thus no more than a Jewish conspiracy.

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* Persia and Persians

Dr. Milani,

I read your article with great interest [The great land of the Sophy] and particularily on your analysis of the influence of Persian culture on the West, both from a cultural and mythological point of view and since my major interest has been on movies made by Hollywood on Persia, I invite you to read some of my articles that refer to this theme.

Your reference to the influence of manichaesm in some hollywood movies such as Star Wars was also mentioned by philosopher Joseph Campbell in a conversation he had with George Lucas and mentioned in "Star Wars the Magic of Myth: Companion to the Exhibition at the Natioinal Air and Space Museum Smithsoniain" recalling his conversations with George Lucas he says "The artist is someone capable of transcripting the myths of his Times" also mentioned in I believe his book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" (Mythos Books) In which he defines the terminology "creative mythology".

Darth Vader according to the first book pg 116 &nd 117 of the book ""Star Wars the Magic of Myth" mentioned above is the incarnation of "Ahriman" according to Zarathustra's definition of evil and Luke Skywalker is the incarnation of Good as incarnated by "Ahuramazda".

It should be mentioned that this division between Good and Bad which I beleive is defined in an oversimplistic way by Zoroastrianism is common to most mythologies of human civilization and recurrent in indo- european mythologies as defined by linguist George Dumezile in a number of his books such as "Decayed Gods: Origin and Development of Georges Dumezil's 'Ideologie Tripartie'" (Studies in Greek and Roman Religion, Vol 7)

According to Dumezile as a matter of fact Their is no such thing as an "Aryan Race" wrongly and inhumanly defined by the Nazi's but there is an "Aryan Linguistic entity" which is common among indo-european languages in general simply due to the fact of cultural exchanges and conflicts between the West ( Europe) and the East, the Schyths (nomads of the Russian stepes, the Medes,etc...

This partly explains the origins of some words which appear in Anglo Saxon or Celtic languages such as the word "King" in English or "Koenig" in German that derive from the ancient Persian name "Kiamarz". "Kia" as you know meaning "crown". The same for the word "Daughter" in English or "Tochter" in German and "Dokhtar" (pronunciation) in Farsi and meaning the same.

As for the battle between "Good and Evil" ultimately won by the forces of "Good" we find them in Arthurian and Wagnerian legends. The latter which seem to have influenced the esthetics of a film like "The Lord of the Rings" and has also appeared in german avant garde movies of the 20's such as Fritz Langs 1920's film "Nibelungen". However it should be noted that these legends are closer to Viking Legends than Persian or Oriantal.

I would also like to say that Persian Architecture of the Aechemenid Periode which is certainly majestic and in which we can take pride was nevertheless not that "original"( in the sense of new) in the antique world. It was indeed a splendid architectural mosaic of the existing architectures of the Time such as those found in Babylon as the winged "Griffins" or the way the Persian dignitaries are presented from profile is a combination of Egyptian two dimensional figures and Greek statues. In The Hall of a 100 columns in Persepolis the columns are mounted by double headed Bulls which actually Symbolize Babylon's submission to Persian rule and what we often see is the Persian Lion attacking the Babylonian Bull.

Ulike the Greeks and Egyptians however the Persians payed their workers who were not considered as slaves.

You also rightly mention Persian King Darius the Great who not only built Persepolis as well as his son Xerxes who completed it, but he was also the originator of the Suez Canal. I believe that even today's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi assisted President Sadat of Egypt for the inauguration of a new Dam in the mid seventies and where a commemorative plate was installed in the honor of the Great Persian Kings contribution. Of course Western History retains the name of French Ferdinand de Lesseps is considered as the one who actually completed the canal during the reign of French Emperor-President Louis Napoleon Bonaparte III.

Ironically it is when the Persians were conquered and subjugated to Islam by the Arabs and later independent again that Iran or Persia as you will offered the greatest examples of Islamic Art and Architecture admired throughout the muslim World. The Persian scholors scientists of Naishapour from Ibn Sina to Razi contributed to the advance of science in the Islamic World and because they wrote in Arabic as today we would write in English are often incorrectly considered as Arabs.

The same goes for Andalousian Averoess or many scholars from Alexandria in Egypt who translated the works of the great greek philosophers like Socrates and Plato into Arabic. Ferdowsi like very much Shakespeare for the English Speaking World can justly be credited as the one who revived Persia's identity and language with the Great Epic "The Book of Kings".

Also as you mention correctly "Cyrus the Great" was indeed the first to have declared the first "Chart of Human Rights" nearly 1000 years before the British "Magna Carta" and one can also add to this milestone in human civilization that of the Babylonian "Hamurabi code" which also tried in its own ways to plant the seeds of human justice in the antique world.

I would also like to point out that Herodotous' comment on the Persians "Barbarians" originated from a Greek word that was meant to designate anything that wasn't Greek, It could be considered as racist from todays point of view, but In ancient times it was a way for Greece and particularily Hellenist civilization to distinguish itself from the rest of the known world.

As for the legends of a "1001 Nights" even if they are indeed originally Persian as Shahrzad and King Shariar are fictionous characters in a Bagdad under Persian Rule, it appears obvious to me that these tales are inspired from various mythological sources of the Middle-East and India. From that point of view it is not a Persian monopoly and I quite understand that the Arab world also claims to have contributed to these legends even if they also have the tendancy of rejecting the rightful Persian Contribution. Their is also some hellenistic influence in these legends since the conquests of Alexander the Great, whome it is ironic is praised and despised in many Persian Poems: the first for having adopted Persian customs and particularily for having been magnanimous towards King Darius III's family and for having punished his assassins, but also despised for having destroyed Persepolis in a night of rage and probably drunkness.

As for the debate on Persia or Iran, I believe it is based on a misinterpretation. In Persian "Persia" is pronounced "Iran". It may indeed be regetful that some misinformed Persian Ambassador to Nazi Germany may have taken advantage of the German Propaganda machine to suggest a "name change" to the First Pahlavi King.

In the 19th and early 20th century The British and French had contributed to Persian Archeology with the discoveries of Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson, (1810-1895) who deciphered the cunieform in Behistoun and Dieulafoy husband and wife discovered Susa Darius Ist Capital. The Nazis in the 30's were indeed probably discovered the origines of the name Iran "Land of the Aryans" and as you may well know were eager to promote Nationalist views not only in Iran but anyhere in the Middle East dominated or influenced by British Rule. Someone like Anwar El Sadat the Noble Peace Prize for signing the Peace treaty with Israel was to his own admission Pro-German during the second World War because like most Egyptians he was anti British.

In the same way the Pro Germanic sympathy of Reza Shah was not ideological for never the feelings of anti-semetism propagated by the Nazi's was practiced in Iran, be it under Reza Shah or his son and the jewish community which is one of the oldest Jewish communities in the World has always been considered as part of the Iranian Community. As a matter of fact the Jews of Iran had the possibility in 1948 to join the newly formed State of Israel, but the majority of whome went to Israel at first decided to come back the following year.

As a matter of fact I have always been surprised that the Nazi's most of whome were illiterate thugs including Hitler himself were never surprised to discover that the so-called "Aryans" were protective of the Jewish community since Cyrus the Great liberated them in Babylon and allowed them to return to Juruselem and build their Temple. One of Persia's Queens was Esther, and the feast of Purim celebrates King Xerxes (known as Ahasuerus in the Bible)and Esther's union also depicted in the Book of Esther. Last but not least a scribe known as Edras, I believe under the reign of Persian King Artaxerxes II by royal decree contributed to the collection of the holy Jewish writings which were to become what we know today as the Torah or the Jewish Holy Book. He is mentioned on this website on the new advent.

This in itself was a thorn in the spine of all those esoteric and criminal theories such as those developed by a bunch of radical minded fanatics that were the Nazi thugs, who want to impose a unique culture, race (which does not exist, unless we start cloning people, but that is another debate) or totalitarian systems which deny the basic rights of human beings.

Darius Kadivar

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* Iranians deserve a window of prosperity

Your website is wonderful. I've needed some variant information on modern Iranian history, and particularly on the hostage crisis of 1980.

As for sanctions against Iran, I believe they are unnecessary, a waste of time. Iranians deserve a window of prosperity large enough to meet their people's needs, and I hope they get it.

Elizabeth Burns

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* Victims of their own invention

Mr Hoveyda, your last article about Montazeri was excellent and reflects exactly the real situation in Iran [Poor Grand Ayatollah!]. As long as "others", such as secular intellectuals, writers, poets, leftists... are oppressed, arrested, tortured and killed, it doesn't matter to the eyes of the ruling clerics. But as soon as THEY are the victims of their own invention, it becomes horrible and suddenly they are labeled as "freedom fighters", "democrats", "reformists".

Who remembers the thousands of young Iranian militants wasted in mass executions during the 80's? And those imprisoned who will forever be victims of theocracy? You are very correct when talking about reform: the reform of Khatami and Co is just directed at the internal regime, reforming the Islamic to make it last longer... The real Reform is the one ordinary people are longing for: freedom, freedom to speak, to love, to travel, read, to write, to dance, to debate, have a decent job and future.

Mani S

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* Willing to pay a price

In reaction to Mr. Hoveydas article on the release of Ayatollah Montazeri [Poor Grand Ayatollah!]: Many things in doday's Iran need to be criticized, even harshly so, and Mr. Hoveyda does that. Ayatollah Montazeri is responsible for some of those things, so when Mr. Hoveyda criticizes Ayatollah Montazeri, the man has got a point.

But Ayatollah Montazeri is open to self-criticism and is willing to bear the consequences of such a behaviour. When will Mr. Hoveyda speak out on the kind of regime h e was part of? Has he ever? Is h e willing to bear the consequences of such a behaviour? Has he ever been in jail or under house arrest?

Take a look at his brother, may he rest in peace, who paid the heaviest of all prices for bearing the consequences of h i s involvement in an unjust regime. To cut a long story short: Here is a man who served a regime in Iran no less cruel than today's, and who - to my knowledge - has never accepted any responsibility for that and now lashes out at a man who has acceptd responsibility for his actions and his mistakes.

Mistakes are a human characteristic, in today's Iran we see people like Ayatollah Montazeri, Taheri and Mr. Abdi, to name a few, who see their mistakes and try to do something about them, willing to pay a price, Mr. Abdi just received an eight-year term in jail. Well, we are still waiting for some of the old monarchists to display such a class act. If and when they ever will, some day, we all could take their criticism on the Islamic Republic of Iran more seriously.

Kian Ramezani

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* Mohammad Hassan Edrisi

I search for an Iranin man I lost after Islamic Revolution. His name is Mohammad Hassan Edrisi. About 20 years ago he was in Sweden. Can you guide me about or help me to get information of him.

Edrisi

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* Politically correct Khayyam

I purchased Life Loves and adventures of Omar KhayyamOmar Khayyam in VHS in 1993 in San Francisco and have watched it several times. My view of the move differs from those mentioned in the article [Khayyam with popcorn]. In my opinion, Hassini (Hassan Saba) is portrayed as the very handsome, highly charismatic and intelligent individual. Very close to the characteristics of the real Hassan Sabah.

Shirin is portrayed as a ditsy, very beautiful and not really having much to say kind of "harem dame". A real injustice to the Iranian women's characteristics. I have read many books about Omar Khayyam and his character in this movie is that of a reasonable and very politically correct person. We see the poet when he recites a pome to the very attentive, air headed and giddy Shirin. He is also portrayed as the scnetist who is very excited about his project (calender).

As for Amin Maalouf (whom I happen to like) and his book Samarkand, the Farsi transaction is horrible. Someone must have just sat and used the dictionary to translate. There are some interesting sections in this book that make it worthwhile to read. The portrayal of Torkan Khatoon as the brilliant and fearless as well as politically suave woman that she was (in many of Iranian books she is called names like "in zane makareh" meaning clever in a twisted way. Of course this is a typical remark by low intelligence man.

Also, the lady (a poetess) that supposedly Khayyam fell in love with, is portrayed as highly intelligent and politically ambitious yet her love of peotry and her treatment of her beloved portrays her as the real soul-mate. Khayyam is portrayed as the "staying home" type of man that has no political ambitions and does not care much for the lavish court life "yeah right, an Iranian man that will pass on being served by beautiful maiden in the court of the queen"!

Azam Nemati

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