* IMMIGRATION: Visas for students from "terrorist" states
* INTERVIEW: Tehran Mayor talks tough
* FEATURES: Iran welcome EU move on ministerial ties
* IRAN-U.S.: Kharrazi encouraged by Clinton
* NEWS: Iran welcome EU move on ministerial ties
* ECONOMY: Central Bank governor details foreign debt
* THE IRANIAN: World of broken promises / Simin Behbahani
* THE WEB: Center for Iranian Research and Analysis
* FOREIGN EXCHANGE: Unchanged (Tuesday)
* SPORTS: National soccer team to play Bosnia
* FILM: "Taste of Cherry" in L.A. & Victoria
* LAST CALL: Iranian diaspora anthology
* SMILE: Prefer Iranian or foreign hell?
* LETTER: Bravo!
* LOST & FOUND: Kamran Rouhifar
* BOOKSTORE: Sufi Women of America
* EVENTS: State of Political Culture / Farhad's last concert
* PHOTO OF THE DAY: First fruit of U.S.-Iran cooperatoion?
* MUSIC: Dariush: "Parandeh-ye Mohaajer"
* QUOTE UNQUOTE: (Some) Senators: Bunch of beekaars

IMMIGRATION

* Senator complains about visas for students from "terrorist" states, (AP) - The State Department issued nearly 10,000 visas to students from terrorist-supporting states between 1991 and 1996, but the students received only limited background checks and were not monitored while they were in the country, Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Tuesday. Feinstein, D-Calif., speaking at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on terrorism, said that between 1991 and 1996 the State Department issued 9,767 student visas to citizens of Iran, Syria, Sudan, Iraq and Libya. Students from Iran received 4,789; Syria, 3,003; Sudan, 1,404; Iraq, 467; and Libya, 104... full text

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INTERVIEW

* Tehran Mayor talks tough; responds to critics, MUST READ! (Hamshahri)... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

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FEATURES

* Wrestling with Tehran, (U.S. News & World Report) -It was only a small, spontaneous gesture. But it worked emotional magic. After winning a silver medal in a wrestling tournament here last Friday, American Larry "Zeke" Jones waved a hand-sized Iranian flag, and the 12,000 fans packed into a Tehran arena went wild with delight. "America! America!" they chanted in response--a sudden, unscripted reversal of the ritual "Death to America!" chorus that Iranians usually chant at public events.... full text

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IRAN-U.S.

* American policy experts meet Kharrazi, (Reuters) - American Middle East analysts shook hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi in Tehran on Tuesday, another example of contact between the arch-foes on Iranian soil. ``It's good to be back again after 20 years. Tehran's grown so much...That is why we are here, to promote dialogue,'' Geoffrey Kemp, a director at the Washington-based Nixon Center for Peace and Freedom, told Kharrazi...full text

* Kharrazi encouraged by Clinton, (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister said Tuesday he was encouraged by recent statements by President Clinton and shook hands with American Middle East analysts in another example of contact between arch-foes on Iranian soil. Kharrazi shook hands with American Middle East analysts attending a foreign policy seminar, just days after a U.S. team took part in a wrestling tournament in Tehran, the first Americans to compete in Iran since the revolution... full text

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NEWS

* Iran welcome EU move on ministerial ties, (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi on Tuesday welcomed a European Union decision to resume bilateral ministerial contacts with Iran . ``We welcome the decision by the European Union,'' Kharrazi said in a speech at a Tehran foreign policy seminar. ``We consider this to be a realisation of a better understanding by the European Union of the important position of Iran and the role Iran can play as a country and chairman of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC),'' he said... full text

* Oil, religion and security draw Saudi and Iran , (Reuters) - Oil, religion and security in a notoriously trouble-prone region have drawn Saudi Arabia and Iran, the two heavyweights of the Gulf, together in an act of power-play diplomacy. On the face of it, Saudi King Fahd and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former president of Iran, have little in common ... full text

* Europe said interested in pipeline skirting Iran, (Reuters) - Europeans have shown interest in a U.S. push to create an east-west transport corridor in the Caucuses that would include an energy pipeline skirting Iran, Undersecretary of State Stuart Eizenstat said on Thursday. ``I think there is considerable interest. I raised it in Paris this week and (another undersecretary of state) Tom Pickering has raised it in other capitals. I think there is some interest in it,'' but so far no commitment, Eizenstat told Reuters in an interview... full text

* Heater fumes kill couple on wedding night, (Hamshahri)... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

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ECONOMY

* Central Bank governor details foreign debt and other aspects of the economy, (Hamshahri)... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* Government to issue food stamps to help reduce the impact of rising meat prices, (Hamshahri)... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

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THE IRANIAN

* Around a world of broken promises

By Mehrdad Azad

As I am writing this, another poor soul is being manipulated by an ideology, or a real religion. It makes me wonder when the truth will triumph, when the hypocrisy ends, when hatred and racism cease to exist, when good deeds become the norm and not the exception. It would be a nice a day when all the promises of brotherhood, sisterhood, justice, and equality become more than a promise... go to feature

* Zanan saraayandeh-ye mo'aaser

TODAY'S ADDITION: Simin Behbahani

From a new collection of poems by women poets, compiled by Parvin Shakiba. More poems will be added during all this week. (in Persian) ... go to feature

THE IRANIAN Cover Stories

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FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Unchanged (Tuesday)

* To send money to Iran, the rate is 495-500 tomans per dollar, depending on how much you wish to send.

* To send money out of Iran, the rate is 504 tomans per dollar.

Source: Sehaty Foreign Exchange, call in U.S.: 602-595-0777 or 500-288-8881. Preferntial rates for readers of The Iranian Times. Mention this code: BAJ 07

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THE WEB

* The Center for Iranian Research and Analysis - CIRA. By the way, the organization's 16th annual conference -- "Iran and the Region: Past, Present and Future Relations with its Neighbors" -- will be held this April 24-24 at Portland State University.

Thanks to Amir-mosaddegh Katouzian <katouzia@johnco.cc.ks.us>

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SPORTS

* National soccer team to play Bosnia, (Hamshahri)...full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* Piroozi to go against Lebanese champions, (Hamshahri)...full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* Hamshahri Sports section, Tuesday... index in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

"Dream Team" IRAN -- World Cup tickets now available!

Sportestan Publishing (USA)
ish@sportestan.com
Tel: 650-473-9792

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FILM

* "Taste of Cherry" in L.A. & Victoria

- In LA: Relief International and Zeitgeist Films Present "Taste of Cherry,"a film by Abbas Kiarostami, Winner of the Palme d'Or 1997 Cannes Film Festival. A benefit screening and reception in honor of Mr. Kiarostami and to support Relief International's humanitarian relief efforts worldwide. Date: Thursday, February 26, 1998, at 7:30 pm. Place: Laemmle's Music Hall, 9036 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. A champagne and dessert reception will follow the screening. For ticket information please call Relief International (310) 441-0097 $100 donation for film and reception to support RI's relief efforts worldwide. All donations are tax deductible. Relief International <102375.706@compuserve.com>

- In Victoria, Canada: WED & THURS, MARCH 4 & 5 (7:15 & 9:10) Cinecenta, UVic. With discounts for the club & community members. UVic Persian Club : <wr855@victoria.tc.ca> : 250-472-8699

* Sharp criticism of Fajr Theater Festival, (Hamshahri)... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* Iranian film festival organized by Stanford University's Persian Students Association will run through mid-March... click here for details

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LAST CALL

Iranian diaspora anthology

This is the last call for submitting works of literature and art to be considered for "Echoes of the Iranian Diaspora Anthology." Deadline: March 1, 1998.

"Echoes of the Iranian Diaspora: Writing by First and Second Generation Iranian-Americans," is seeking submissions of fiction, poetry, essays and graphic or photographic art publication (forthcoming Jan. 1999).

This collection reflects the diverse experiences of first and second generation Iranians in the U.S. and Canada and reflects the complex identities, affinities, and experiences of this community in light of the twenty year anniversary of the Iranian revolution and the more than three million Iranians now living outside of Iran.

Please see the call for submissions on the Art and Literature section of The Iranian magazine. No email submissions please!

For more information or contact: Ms. Persis Karim at the University of Texas at Austin (persis@mail.utexas.edu) or Dr. Mehdi Khorrmami at New York University (mmk4@is4.nyu.edu).

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SMILE :-)

* Prefer Iranian or foreign hell?

A pretty good joke (in Persian only)... Click here

Thanks to Abbas Atrvash <atr@idirect.com>

Got something to make us smile?
Send it to Times@iranian.com

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LETTERS

* Bravo!

Bravo! The welcome you [Iranians] gave the Americans was very well received here (in Canada) and a lot of us hope we (Western world and Iran) can, at last, become friends. Anyways *grin* wrestling is more fun than Politics! It would be nice . . friendship is a gift, let's share it with one another. Hope my name doesn't irritate you to much *laughter* (it's the one I stuck with!). I'm more interested in people and culture than politics anyway. Aaron Kfir <enigman@nfld.com>

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LOST & FOUND

Kamran Rouhifar

I am looking for my old friend Kamran Rouhifar who went to school at Fargam High in Tehran. Any news is greatly appreciated. Soheyl Dahi <vfp@pacbell.net>

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BOOKSTORE

Books available through Amazon.com, the world's largest online bookstore. THE IRANIAN is an associate of Amazon.com. Click on the links for more information.

Sufi Women of America : Angels in the Making
Laleh Bakhtiar / Paperback / Published 1996

THE IRANIAN Bookstore

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EVENTS

* State of Political Culture in Iran Today: A lecture by Dr. Afshin Matin (lecturer at UCLA's History Dept.) Title: "The State of Political Culture in Iran Today". Place and time: Friday. Feb 27th, 7:30 pm, Valley Life Science Build, UC Berkeley.

* Iranian American Scholarship Fundraising Gala: The Iranian Federated Women's Club invites you to attend the 1998 Iranian American Scholarship Fundraising Gala, on Saturday February 28th, 1998 at the Quinlan Community Center (10185 North Stelling Road, Cupertino, CA), for a reception at 6:30 and Dinner, Music, and a Fashion Show at 7:00 p.m. with Master of Ceremonies: Dr. Anthony Shay.

Society of Iranian Professionals is proud to be one of the Host Committee Members, along with various State Assembly men and women, a few Supervisors of Santa Clara County, Payvand Cultural School, Persian Center, a few U.S. Senators, President of De Anza College, Cyrus Travel, and Pine Press.

Proceeds of this program will benefit an Iranian-American Scholarship Educational Fund to be utilized at De Anza or Stanford University. We invite you to join us in sponsoring this great event. SIP would like to sponsor a table and invites you to contact us at officers@sip-ca.org if you would like to participate in this worthwhile cause. Donation: $100 per person. For more information: please call (408) 381-4268 or (408) 781-5675.

* Farhad's last concert: Farhad, the legendary singer, is currently in the U.S. and will perform his last U.S. concert on Sunday, March 8, 1998 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. Farhad will return to Iran after this concert. This is the last chance his fans will have tio see him in their lifetime. For information and reservation those interested can contact: 310-704-5700.

* Iranian film festival organized by Stanford University's Persian Students Association will run through mid-March... click here for details

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

First fruit of U.S.-Iran cooperatoion?

* Can you guess what it is? ...full image

Got any interesting photos?
Send it to Times@iranian.com

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MUSIC

Dariush: "Parandeh-ye Mohaajer" (RealAudio)

Greatest pop CDs ON SALE!

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QUOTE UNQUOTE

(Some) Senators: Bunch of beekaars

U.S. academic institutions are ``at risk of being used as a cover for terrorists, who use student campuses to solicit money, recruit members and espouse violent ideologies.''

U.S. Senator Jon Kyl
Republican, Arizona
Chairman of the technology, terrorism and government information subcommittee
Speaking on U.S. vias being issued to students from "terrorist" states
Associated Press
February 24, 1998

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