Books

Returning to Iran

Early last summer, the photographer whose work appears on the cover of this book was attacked on the streets in Tehran. He escaped serious injury and arrest but his cameras, including the one that shot this picture, were confiscated. He later emailed his friends a picture of what had remained of his cameras: a lens cover and a piece of chord. Those confiscated cameras had recorded a great deal over the years. The various accounts of these years, recorded from many perspectives, are crucial in understanding the recent events in Iran>>>

The Persians

Fifty thousand years back, a group of Africans moved into Asia and Europe. When the last ice-age ended 10,000 years ago; a group of those migrants created the first world civilization (Sumer) in today’s Iraq. Later on, the Sumerian civilization was flooded by waves of Semitic immigrants (forefathers of today’s Jews and Arabs) and at about 5,000 years ago, morphed into the Akkadian civilization. The Akkadians in turn were defeated and absorbed into the Assyrian and Babylonian states>>>

Mushroom in the Sand

Lying on his side with his left arm over a large pillow, Ross stared at the amber glow of the alarm clock as the digits declared 2:47 am. It had been a sleepless night. At times, he felt angry at the clock for not moving faster. Maybe it’s stuck. The thought had occurred to him more than once. Then, as if the device could sense his desperation, it would dole out another minute, causing him to rejoice. But his relief would be short-lived, as the agony of waiting would quickly return. The appointed hour was inching closer>>>

زنِ ناشناس

یکی از کارهای همیشگی من، همسرم و دخترم یکشنبه ها رفتن به کافه است. البته نه به هرکافه ای؛ بر سر جادۀ باریکی که از درون روستای کوچکی آغاز می شود و بطرف طبیعت ادامه می یابد، کافه ای قرار دارد که پاتوق همیشگی ماناست. مثل هر یکشنبه به آنجا رفتیم. من مشغول خوردن آبجو بودم و همسر و دخترم با یک خانم دیگر در حال گپ زدن که به ناگهان در کافه باز شد و زنی با زیبایی سحرانگیزی وارد گردید. صدای همهمه مشتریان به سکوت مبدل گشت و همه نگاه ها به زن ناشناس خیره شد>>>

Who are we?

Homa Katouzian’s latest book The Persians is arguably the most comprehensive and learned history of Iran and the Iranian people encapsulated in a single volume in the English language to date. Few authors would be so bold as to take on the mammoth task of writing a history covering several millennia of Iranian history, but then again, few are as qualified as Katouzian for just such an undertaking. And the reason for Katouzian’s success in pulling off such a massive feat, is not only the wealth of experience and learning he has brought to bear in this book, but the tightly argued and analytical structure by means of which Iranian history, from the mythological birth of Kiumars to the Islamic Revolution, is deftly imparted to the reader >>>

My Evening With Orhan Pamuk

Orhan Pamuk walked into the stage and the excitement of hearing him reading from his new book took over my breathing system, inside my veins, my stomach, my eyes, and I felt enchanted by his tall silhouette and the shine in his silver hair. I couldn’t decide which one of his little gestures were the most charming; his subtle smile as he glanced at the audience, or his obvious difficulty in pronouncing some words? At the end, I was particularly captivated by his inquisitive eyes, as if he could still look at the world with amazement>>>

زیر ُپل بهمنشیر

پشت ميز کوچک بوتيک حميد زرگاني داشت کانادا دراي خنک سر مي کشيد. عکس رنگي شاه و فرح زيرشيشه ميز بود. باد خنک کولر حالش را جا آورد. ساق هاي خوش تراش دخترها آنسوي ويترين بوتيک قيامت بود. پشت سرشان اينهمه بيتل! روزنامه فروش سر چهارراه اميري بليطهاي بخت آزمائي را جلو دکه اش به کش بلندي آويزان کرده بود. زني جوان توي کت و دامن آبي روشن از داروخانه آفتاب آمد بيرون براي تاکسي دست بلند کرد>>>

آسیه در میان دو دنیا

آسیه، چهارده ساله، صدمترى دورتر از آخرین خانه ى روستا، نزدیك گورستان روى سنگى نشسته بود كه نامش را بالش رستم گذاشته بودند. داشت به نام خودش مى اندیشید. فكر كرد كاش اسمش صدیقه بود. نخستین بارى كه این نام را شنیده بود دچار این حس شده بود كه در اصل یك صدیقه نامى بوده است. و به خودش گفت دیگر باید فرار كنم. از سه روز پیش كه ماه جبین كتكش زده بود داشت به فرار فكر مى كرد، و مرد كه از دور پیدا شد آسیه فكر كرد به همین شوهر مى كنم.>>>

Conspiracy for Greatness

For many years, I was fascinated by our ability as a human race to shift our thinking. One of the main elements that define us from other species is this ability to “think,” and to decide and redirect our minds to what we always knew we could do! Look at our collective recorded human history, and you will find all those wonderful, brilliant and fascinating human beings who directed their thinking to an area or topic, producing unprecedented results, incredible inventions and so many amazing creations that we can barely keep count. Now, you and I are taking advantage of the outcome of those brilliant thinkers!>>>

Spoon feeding Iranians

In its desire to build citizen to citizen contacts as a prelude to promote official dialogues and ultimately establish a normal diplomatic and commercial relation with the U.S., the Iranian government threw its doors open on U.S. individuals and groups who appeared wanting to allay the differences between the two countries. Although the majority of the peace groups and activists who visited Iran were well-intentioned, there were quite a few who were motivated by the idea of supporting certain political trends against the Iranian government. These individuals and groups were more interested in furthering the U.S. foreign policy objectives in Iran and the Middle East>>>

Ulterior motives?

Bahman Maghsoudlou's "Grass: Untold Stories" not only tells the story of the film Grass, the pioneer 1924 still-documentary on the migration of the Bakhtiari tribe from their summer to winter quarters in Southwest Iran, but also the lives of three American adventurers who made the film. The book describes, in detail, and on the basis of a variety of sources, including the memoirs and books written by the three Americans adventurers, their life experiences, most importantly, their unusual adventure in making the film Grass. The first half of the book deals with their lives before leaving for Iran and the second their extraordinary adventure with the Bakhtiari migration>>>

Middle ground

Dr. Aslan’s rigorous examination of the key factors that transform young men into zealous Muslims willing to sacrifice their lives, determined to challenge the existing world order, and serving as the conduit for horrific attacks against innocent human beings helps us to better understand Jihadism and why it should be considered a social movement. The author argues that it is the demonization of Muslims in many Western countries like the UK that changed otherwise peaceful Muslims like Hasib Mir Hussain - one of the four terrorists who carried out a suicide attack by detonating a bomb on a bus that exploded inTavistock Square in London killing 13 including himself - into violent Jihadists.>>>

Meeting Mahbod

Last Friday, I visited the “Book Soup” on Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles to attend a book reading by Mahbod Seraji, the author of Rooftops of Tehran. Given the recent events in Iran, the atmosphere at this gathering started off somber. However, the heaviness melted just as soon as Mahbod took to the podium to tell us about his journey from a young reader on the rooftops of Tehran, poring over Jack London, to a writer of his first novel which promises to become a bestseller. Mahbod’s positive energy and impeccable delivery put me at ease immediately. Together with Sepi Seraji, his better half, the couple managed to inject just enough genuine camaraderie to the atmosphere in order make it an enjoyable evening for all>>>

Was the Shah delusional?

I had compiled this article just before the death of my father Nosratollah Amini and now in his memory and on the occasion of 29th of Ordibehesht (18th of May), Mohammad Mosaddeq’s birthday, I am posting it. My father was an honest, kind and caring human being who was not just the attorney to Mosaddeq, but to many others, including Gholam Reza Takhti and Shamshiri. May his memory live in the hearts and minds of those who knew him. The following are excerpts from the Shah’s last book translated from the original French by Teresa Waugh and published in Great Britain by Michael Joseph Ltd in 1980. As I was reading this interesting text, I came across these few passages>>>