* PROTEST: Student protest gets wide coverage
* FEATURES: U.S. must pursue ties with Iran
* IRAN-EUROPE: Italy's Dini urges West to back Khatami
* NEWS: Arab ministers to meet on ties with Iran
* HUMAN RIGHTS: Stoning in Iran
* THE PRESS: Ezzatollah Sahabi found not guilty (again)
* NEW YEAR: Saal Tahvil
* ECONOMY: Iran has investments in 100 Egyptian firms
* FOREIGN EXCHANGE: Unchanged
* THE IRANIAN: Abgooshti Cooking
* THE WEB: Iran EuroNet
* SPORTS: Iran in world wrestling matches in Oklahoma
* FILM: Kiarostami in Columbus, Ohio
* HUMOR: The Imperial Bank
* LETTERS: Soroush: Intelligent but not moral
* LOST & FOUND: Saeid Saeidian
* BOOKSTORE: The Hafez Poems of Gertrude Bell
* EVENTS: Khuzestanis in LA / Political Culture / Farhad
* PHOTO OF THE DAY: Iranzamin teachers
* MUSIC: Aqassi: "Dokhtar-e Abadani"
* QUOTE UNQUOTE: Love for the U.S.? Not.

PROTEST

* Student protest over rejected Majlis candidates get wide coverage, (Hamshahri)... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* Interior ministry calls on judiciary to punish thugs, (Hamshahri)... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* Interior minister to hold press conference Wednesday morning, (Hamshahri)... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

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FEATURES

* U.S. must pursue ties with Iran, (Marvin Zonis; Boston Globe) - What U.S. policy needs is the sophistication to delink Iraq and Iran, to understand them as separate countries needing separate policies, to end the mindless policy of ''dual containment,'' and to devise policies that will encourage the rethinking now going on in Iran. Bombing Iraq is not the ideal approach to those ends. While certain political forces in Iran would welcome the U.S. bombing campaign because it would weaken their hated Iraqi enemy, the United States will appear to the Iranian people as a violent and dangerous bully. That will make more difficult Khatami's clear commitment to changing the U.S.-Iranian connection... full text

* Khamenei lends support to constituional panel, (Hamshahri)... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

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IRAN-EUROPE

* Italy's Dini urges West to back Khatami, (Reuters) - Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini wants the West to support Iran's moderate President Mohammad Khatami and his cautious approach to shake up Iranian society in the face of conservative reticence. In an interview with Reuters on his flight back from Iran late on Monday, Dini said it was important to remember that Khatami -- elected on promises of more social freedom -- had the support of the vast majority of Iran's 60 million people... full text

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NEWS

* Arab ministers to meet on ties with Iran, (Reuters) - Gulf Arab foreign ministers will meet in Saudi Arabia on Saturday to discuss relations with Iran and three disputed islands claimed by Iran and the United Arab Emirates, an Arab official said on Tuesday. ``The foreign ministers are expected to review all issues, including relations with Iran and the islands issue,'' a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) official told Reuters. ... full text

* Prank calls a growing headache in Iran, (AFP) - Prank calls have become a growing nuisance in major Iranian cities, notably in the capital where more than 50,000 complaints have been filed with the telephone company in the past months. "In nine months, we have listed a total of 56,402 prank calls in Tehran," said a report by the state-run Post, Telephone and Telegraph (PTT), published in the press last week... full text

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HUMAN RIGHTS

* Stoning in Iran, (The Washington Times) - The condemned are wrapped head to foot in white shrouds and buried up to their waists. Then the stoning begins. The stones are specifically chosen so they are large enough to cause pain, but not so large as to kill the condemned immediately. They are guaranteed a slow, torturous death. Sometimes their children are forced to watch. Two members of Congress this week helped expose the continued savage practice under the new government when they showed a video of a recent public stoning. The video was smuggled out of the country by supporters of the Iranian resistance... full text

* Iran's judiciary bans temporary detention of suspects, (AFP) - The head of Iran's judicial system, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, issued a decree Monday banning the temporary detention of suspects, except in emergencies, the official IRNA news agency reported. All revolutionary, military and general courts were ordered not to issue arrest warrants "especially against the elderly, sick people, women and youth, except in emergency cases or when required by law." Yazdi banned the courts from detaining suspects "before they are tried and a verdict has been issued," IRNA said... full text

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THE PRESS

* Ezzatollah Sahabi found not guilty (again) by press tribunal; two publications found guilty, (IRNA) ... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* Journalists union criticizes judiciary chief, (Hamshahri)... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* "No one can dictate to the press" -- Zanjan governor, (Hamshahri)... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

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NEW YEAR

Saal Tahvil

The new year, 1377, will start Friday March 20, AT 11:54:31 am U.S. Pacific Time (11:24:31 pm Tehran time). Only three weeks to go ...

Thanks to Payman Arabshahi <payman@arash.neda.com> & Babak Nabili <Babak.Nabili@COMPAQ.com>

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ECONOMY

* Iran has investments in 100 Egyptian firms, (Hamshahri)... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* U.S. warns against pipeline going through Iran, but few listen, (Boston Globe) - As the world follows the high drama involving Iraq, Washington's economic blockade against its other archrival in the Persian Gulf - Iran - is slowly coming apart with barely a murmur. Regional powers and multinational energy corporations are racing to build pipelines from Central Asia and the Caspian Sea region, home of the world's second-largest fossil fuel deposits after the Persian Gulf. Iran looms as one of the favored routes to get the oil and natural gas out to international markets, despite Washington's warning of sanctions against companies that invest in the Islamic state... full text

* Challenge to cut gasoline subsidies, (Reuters) - Iranian media sounded the alarm bells on Tuesday that the country, a major oil exporter, has become increasingly dependent on imports of gasoline and heating fuel to meet rapid demand growth. The English-language Iran News said in an editorial the country's oil consumption was too high because of heavy state price subsidies and widespread smuggling in border provinces... full text

* No choice but to boost non-oil exports, (Hamshahri)... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* Hamshahri's Economy section, Tuesday... index in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

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FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Unchanged

* To send money to Iran, the rate is 504-512 tomans per dollar, depending on how much you wish to send.

* To send money out of Iran, the rate is 515 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 IRANIAN

Abgooshti Cooking
From Banu Neshatoddoleh's "Tabbakhi-ye Neshat"

15 kinds of abgoosht? Yup! (in Persian) ... go to feature

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THE WEB

* Iran EuroNet: We are the first only Iranian Yellow pages based in Europe. Started in Jan. 1997, more than 120,000 people visited our site in the past year. check us out at: http://www.IranEuroNet.com/

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SPORTS

* Iran will compete in world wrestling matches in Oklahoma next month, (Hamshahri)...full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* Hamshahri's 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

* Kiarostami in Columbus, Ohio: Abbas Kiarostami has rescheduled his visit to Columbus, Ohio. He will participate in a conversation with Prof. Akbar Mahdi (Iranian Cultural Society) and Wexner Center curator Bill Horrigan, on Tuesday, March 3, at 7 pm. The evening will conclude with a special presentation to Mr. Kiarostami by the Iranian Cultural Society. For more information, phone the Wexner Center at 614-292-3535. Address: Wexner Center for the Arts, The Ohio State University, 1871 N. High St., Columbus, OH 43210

* War film festival to be held next week in Tehran, (Hamshahri)...full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* "Taste of Cherry" U.S. screen schedules from the official Zeitgeist Film site... click here...Thanks to Payman Arabshahi <payman@fermi.jpl.nasa.gov>

* "Taste of Cherry" in Victoria: 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

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

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HUMOR :-)

* The Imperial Bank

Is this a bank or an imperial court... Click here

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

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LETTERS

* Soroush: Intelligent but not moral

In interview after interview, Dr. Abdolkarim Soroush has tried both to minimize his role in the "Cultural Revolution" and also to justify it. He is an intelligent man but not a moral one. In each interview, he ignores the fact that during his "Cultural Revolution" many of Iran's well-known and worthy scientists and professors were forced to leave Iran due to the suppressive environments on college and university campuses which followed the "Cultural Revolution."

Now, intellectuals like Soroush and Bani-Sadr are working hard to whitewash their role in assisting the establishment of a rule of terror and suppression in Iran. These people who in the early days of the revolution were busy prostituting their intellectual heritage and skills in currying favors with and carrying the work of anti-intellectual power brokers are now portraying themselves as the victims. It is a shame!

An honest intellectual will always admit his mistakes and then take measures, if possible, to repair the damage done. A dishonest intellectual will seek to justify his mistake and minimize his role, thus betraying his own flock and the public. Keat Boon Mah <mkb58@hotmail.com>

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LOST & FOUND

Saeid Saeidian

I am looking for my friend and classmate, Saeid Saeidian from Dr. Hashtroudi high school in Tehran.  He was born in Dargas, northern Khorassan.He left Iran in 1976. My name is Mohammad Aghajani. You can email me at: <mamemar@ix.netcom.com>

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BOOKSTORE

The Hafez Poems of Gertrude Bell : With the Original Persian on the Facing Page
Gertrude Lowthian Bell / Paperback / Published 1995

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.

THE IRANIAN Bookstore

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EVENTS

* Khuzestani Noruz in LA: This year's Khuzestani Noruz party will be on March 14 at the LAX Marriott Hotel. For more information contact Hassan Alesafar <NAKHLAK@aol.com>

* 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

Iranzamin teachers

* Eight teachers from Iranzamin's 1979-80 yearbook...full image

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

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MUSIC

Aqassi: "Dokhtar-e Abadani" (RealAudio)

Greatest pop CDs ON SALE!

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QUOTE UNQUOTE

Love for the U.S.? Not.

Khatami is not making his overtures out of any love for the United States or any wish to bring about the end of clerical rule in Iran. Let there be no doubt. He is of, by, and for the Islamic clergy. But he is wise enough to recognize that without an opening to the United States, his regime is in danger.

Marvin Zonis
Professor, Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago
"Even as it confronts Iraq, US must pursue ties with Iran"
Boston Globe
March 2, 1998

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