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us March 2002 * Music: Lili Afshar in San Francisco * Life: Bone marrow donation * Art: "Cross Cultural Expressions" in New York * Art: Vahid Maled in San Francisco * Lecture: Abbas Milani on "Axis of Evil" * Art: Gita Khashabi in Los Angeles * Music: Mokhtabad in London * World Bank: Iran analyst * Norouz: Iranian-American Cultural Association, Washington DC * Norouz events in Chicago * Norouz: "4Shanbeh Soory" Party, Fairfax, Virginia * Norouz: Child Foundation, Irvine, Virginia, Houston * Norouz: Sunnyvale * Film: "America so Beautiful, San Francisco * Fellowship for Iranians to study at Harvard * Mehrangiz Kar in Palo Alto * Literary: Mirza Agha Asgari (Mani), London * 5th Annual Arts & Cultural Event in Bay Area * International Qajar Studies Association annual conference * Research Assistant to the Shahnama Project * Sufism symposium, Bellevue, Washington * $150,000 raised for wheelchairs to Iran * Darvag play, Berkeley * Film: "Maryam" in New York, Chicago, LA * Documentary: "The Dispossessed" in London * Music: Lian Ensemble in Berkeley * Norouz: American Iranian Council * Norouz: Germnay * Norouz: George Mason University * Norouz:Saal tahvil * Norouz: Science and Arts foundation, Los Angeless * Call for artists, Evolving Perceptions * Shahrzad Dance Academy, Bay Area * Norouz: Columbus, Ohio * Norouz: Champaign, IL To top *  Music: Lili Afshar in San FranciscoMay 5, 2002, 3-5:30 pm Marin League of the San Francisco Symphony Classical Guitar Music with Lily Afshar: The program will include works of European, Latin American and Persian Composers Wattis Room, Davies Symphony Hall (directions) Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco $50 per person ($30 tax-deductible) For information, please call: 415/388-1318 415/388-7045 See listing on San Franciso Symphony's web site To top * Life: Bone marrow donation Click here for details  Click here for details To top * Art: "Cross Cultural Expressions" in New York M.Y. Art Prospects is pleased to invite CIMA, the Center for Iranian Modern Arts, presenting their new exhibition "Cross Cultural Expressions" from April 20 through May 25. Opening reception will be held on Saturday, April 20, 2-5pm. Organized by CIMA, "Cross Cultural Expressions" features four talented Iranian-American artists -- Zahra Farmanfarmaian, Amir Fallah, Roshan Houshmand, and Reza Kassai -- whose work is focused on issues of hybridity, transglobal identity and multiculturalism. Zahra Farmanfarmaian creates mixed-media projects designed as three-dimensional travelogues. Each piece of work is a record of the artist's site-specific experiences and interactions. Through the use of locally available resources and culturally familiar materials, her experiences are depicted in what becomes a journal or travelogue. Amir Fallah produces works influenced by the narrative power of comic books and characterized by underlying humorous commentary. Gated suburban communities, strip malls, graffiti-like text phonetically sounded out in Farsi, Abstract Expressionism, Middle Eastern patterns, logo designs, and Islamic architecture are combined together in images that leave traces of a story without revealing the end. Roshan Houshmand collects samples of real life; real objects such as flowers, strips of fabric, postcards and maps ... remnants with which to reconstruct, in plastic form, the memory, the poetry and the spirit of her reality. Collecting and reconstructing layer upon layer of fabric, texture, color, image, object, and memory, her work becomes a poetic response to life. Reza Kassai's whimsical and humorous paintings depict a bridge between the two dynamic cultures that have influenced him. Kassai's "Random Thoughts" is an ongoing project that takes different directions with the flow of time. His work has a childlike whimsy and flair which suggest comments, opinions, and the use of words in several languages. M.Y. Art Prospects, operated in New York City's Chelsea district since 1999, is please to stage this new exhibition following our first collaboration with CIMA last September. At that time, in the immediate wake of the 9/11 tragedy, the CIMA-organized "Alchemy" exhibition became a focal point for cultural dialogue. Gallery hours: Wednesday - Saturday, 11-6 & by appointment To top * Art: Vahid Maled in San Francisco  To top * Lecture: Abbas Milani on "Axis of Evil" Prof. Abbas Milani, Chair, Department of History and Political Sicence, Notre Dame de Namur University, will talk at a meeting of the Marin Chapter of the World Affairs Council on Thursday, April 18 on the subject: Iran and the "Axis of Evil:" US-Iranian Relations and the Problem of Democracy. Professor Milani will argue that President Bush's designation of Iran as a charter member of the "Axis of Evil" may have consequences for the US that the administration has niether foreseen nor intended. He will review briefly the early history of US involvement in Iran, with particular attention to American policy during the critical last days of the Shah. He will consider at greater length the shifting positions towars Iran during the Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush presidencies, and conclude with an anlysis of the conflicting political and social forces at work in iIran today. Abbas Milani, a native of Iran, was a professor at Tehran University's Faculty of Law and Political Sicence until 1986. He is the author of numerous articles and books on modern Iranian politics and culture. His latest book, "The Persian Sphinx: Amir Abbas Hoveyda and the Riddle of the Iranian Revolution," was cited as Book of the Year by Deutsche Radio. The program will take place at Dominican University, specifically the Shield Room, Caleruega Dining Hall, Magnolia and Palm Streets, San Rafael. Reception/Reservation is at 6:30; Dinner at 7:00; Dessert at 7:30. Lecture at 8:00. Attendees can come for dinner and program or dessert and program only. Fees for dinner are: World Affairs Council members: $25.00; Non-members $30.00. Fees for dessert and program only are $6.00 for members; $9.00 for non-members. Students with valid ID admitted for dessert and program only free. PREPAID reservations for dinner (by credit card) must be received by Monday, April 15, at (415) 293-4600. For further information please call or e-mail: Frank Rettenberg, Chair, Marin Chapter, World Affairs Council at (415) 472-1339; fsretten@lvha.net. To top * Music: Mokhtabad in London Wednesday 17th April 2002 at 7.15pm - Chelsea Old Town Hall, London Mokhtabad singing Hafez and Rumi Abdolhossein Mokhtabad is one of Iran's most talented singers of Persian classical music, singing in the traditional style known as Radif. Mokhtabad, as he is known to his fans, made his d?t professionally in 1991 and has quickly become recognised as a leading singer of this Persian art form. He has released many albums, some as both composer and singer. See him live in a special evening in London amidst the glorious surroundings of Chelsea Old Town Hall... Tickets £15 (Advance), £20 (Door) Available at most Iranian supermarkets. E-mail markirani@iraninews.com for information. Chelsea Old Town Hall King's Road Chelsea London SW3 5EE. To top * Art: Gita Khashabi in Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA ó Join conceptual artist Gita Khashabi on Saturday, April 6, 2002 as she unveils her latest body of work Chadoor Study at a brand new gallery space called SHE@studio in Century City. The artist reception which runs from 7:00pm until 11:00pm kicks off a month-long exhibit by Iranian/American Khashabi who is known for creative visual presentations which explore the hidden structures of female Muslim identity while attempting to expose the bias of Western culture created by female Muslim limitations. Her April exhibit will consider the chadoor (the traditional female covering; a Persian word for a tent or a veil in English) and its implications in modern Middle Eastern society through various installations such as mixed-media paintings, sketches, assemblages, a video installation and a food installation. The public will have an opportunity to meet artist Khashabi and to discuss her work and history as a visual artist and her unique subject matter at the reception. Of the various installations on view on April 6th "Soffre-h", the food installation, will be the most interactive. Khashabi explains, "Soffre-h (meaning tablecloth) is a traditional Muslim religious offering made by women for women consisting of food, sweets, text, songs, dance and tears. The process of preparing food for a party of fifty women or more each time one desires something from Allah has been kept alive for over fourteen hundred years." Customarily women sit around a long, large white tablecloth. For Khashabi's installation 200 pounds of sugar will serve as the tablecloth. The "Soffre-h" begins promptly at 8:30pm and the female art patrons are invited to join in - sit, eat and be part of the installation. The video installation, "Namaz," loops a tri-lingual prayer though the "face" of a traditional Prayer Chadoor that is spread open. And the mixed-media paintings entitled "Body Works" expresses Khashabi's recurrent themes of female identity through traditional media such as acrylics along with wax and women's body hair. The assemblage portion entitled "Even Barbie's Are Veiled by Law" displays Barbie dolls in black chadoors installed on a map of Tehran. Khashabi's art exhibit also examines the contrast between the bleak, black chadoor and the rich visual structures and decorative patterns of Islamic architecture and their written language. This is especially evident in Khashabi's series of sketches, which consist of geometric chadoor studies on Xeroxed Islamic architecture, entitled "Chadoor, an Outdoor Study." It refers to the anonymous veiled female form against the backdrop of ornamental, mosaic, tiled Islamic architecture and the sensual look of their calligraphy and text. Khashabi has long been fascinated by the dichotomy between religious and social pressures, which shifted to repress all female expression as simultaneously the architecture began to display the beautiful and ostentatious structures we know today. With the forced separation of men and women in public places, Khashabi's "study" shows how men have compensated for this loss of female visual identity by creating fantastical erect structures, sensuous gilded domes and immensely beautiful Mosques. The virtual female form has been replaced architecturally and Khashabi's work questions this reality. Born in Tehran, Iran, Khashabi considers herself in "self-imposed exile," from her home country. Studying in Germany and Italy before coming to California in the early 1990s, Khashabi earned a B.A. in Visual Arts from California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA in 1996 and studied for one year in their MFA Creative and Critical writing program. Khashabi's art mirrors the daily lives of Muslim women, with new restrictions that were placed on their freedom twenty years ago by the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Currently living in Los Angeles, Khashabi has had two other exhibitions focusing on the chadoor recently. She was invited to present her performance piece entitled "Chadoor" for the 2001 Day of Remembrance at the Japanese American National Museum on February 16, 2002 and by the Levantine Cultural Center in a short play series, The New Millennium Project: Response to September 11th at Beyond Baroque on December 20, 2001. She has also been involved in many group and solo exhibitions since coming to California at such galleries as Track 16 and Side Street Projects. For this upcoming art exhibit, a 5,000 square foot area has been generously donated for Khashabi's use and she hopes to curate other artist's shows there in the near future. SHE@studio is located in Watt Plaza at 1875 Century Park East, Suite #1130, Los Angeles, CA 90067. From Santa Monica Blvd. turn South on Century Park East and then turn right (West) into the first public parking structure (if you hit Constellation Blvd., you've gone too far). Parking is free for all Chadoor Study guests. For those who miss the opportunity to meet Gita Khashabi and experience her work during the opening night reception of this new exhibit, the SHE@studio will be open the next day, Sunday, April 7th at noon and each subsequent weekend thereafter through the month of April from 12noon until 5:00pm. To top * World Bank: Iran analyst Research Analyst: Public expenditure issues on Iran The Middle East and North Africa VPU, Social and Economic Development Group (MNSED) is looking for help in identifying a research analyst to work on public expenditure issues on Iran. Candidate should be proficient in Farsi and should have a masters in Economics or a related discilpline to work with MNSED for 20 days, in April 2002. Terms of Reference attached below. Contact Monali Chowdhurie-Aziz Public Sector Specialist Middle East and North Africa Region. Email: mchowdhurieaziz@worldbank.org Phone: 202 458 5967; Fax: 202 477 0432 To top * Noruz: Iranian-American Cultural Association, Washington DC The Iranian-American Cultural Association (IACA) of Washington DC Cordially Invites You To Its Norouz Gala at The National Press Club Ballroom 13th Floor 527 14th Street, NW Washington, DC Saturday March 16th, 2002 7:30 p.m. to 1.00 a.m. The IACA Norouz Gala festivities include a seated three-course dinner, open cash bar, cultural program, raffles & live music and dancing featuring New York City's Shahrokh Vafa and band Admission price is $65 for members, $75 for non-members, And $80 for Members and $85 for Non-Members at the door! Garage parking available: $6 Tickets can now be purchased at the March 1st Cocktail Party at Bambule ACT FAST, TICKETS ARE GOING QUICK!!!!!! Special discounts and preferred ticketing for current IACA members Please purchase your tickets in advance using PayPal //iacadc.org/JOIN_US/JOINUS.htm. To top * Noruz events in Chicago -- 4 shanbe suri: Charshanbe suri will be celebrated in Chicago on Tuesday, March 19th, 2002. Blue Star woods Forest Preserve District Lake Ave. & Harms Road, Skokie Dancing, bonfire, Hot tea and Ashe reshte will be available to keep you warm! For information call: 847 673 0614 -- Noruz Celebration In Chicago Saturday, March 30th, 2002 @ 5:00PM Midwest Conference Center (Concord Plaza) 401 West Lake Street, Northlake, IL 60164 This memorable Unity Noruz Celebration is being organized by different organizations in Chicago with Did o Bazdid, Haftseen, Dinner, dancing, Music of Hassan Shamaiezadeh, Comedy of Tony Shams, Azar Dance ensemble, Programs for and by Children, DJ, and many more fun activities. Reservation must be made in advance before March 27, 2002 Adults: $45.00 Children under 12: $30:00 For information call: 847 673 0614 -- Sizde bedar: Come to the sizde bedar picnic on Sunday, April 7th, 2002 Noon till 7:00PM Harmes Woods Forest Preserve, Grove #5, Glenview Music, dancing, food, hot drinks, games and fun activities for all ages. For Information call: 847 673 0614 Direction: Take Edens (I-94), exit Old Orchard Rd., go West (1/2 mile), to Harms Rd. light, cross the road and enter the park and Grove #5 -- Noruz Celebration In Champaign Friday, 29 March 2002 7 PM - 1 AM (Doors open at 6:30 PM) Semi Formal Chancellor Hotel & Convention Center 1501 South Neil Street, Champaign, IL 61820 You are cordially invited to The Persian Cultural Association of the University of Illinois Fourth Annual Persian New Year's Celebration Reception, Dinner, Show, DJ, & Dancing ALL TICKET ORDERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MARCH 15, 2001 $20 Students - $ 15 Non-students $10 Children 5-12, children under 5 are free //www.uiuc.edu/ro/pca/ -- Maryam opens in Chicago: "Maryam" A film by Ramin Serry will open in Chicago on Friday April 12th, 2002 at Music Box 3733 N. Southport Ave. Chicago, Il. 60613 phone (773) 871-6604 for show times "AN EXTRAORDINARY FILM...I left the theater admiring the movie not only for its ideas (it urges us to see people, not labels), but by its artistry: In a time when most movie teenagers are bubble headed pawns in sex comedies, here is a teenager with brains and courage... 'MARYAM' IS POWERFUL, IMPORTANT AND VERY MOVING." - Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES -- Iran House Of Greater Chicago special Programs For Noruz : 4 Chanbe Souri Tuesday, March 19, 2002, 6:30 PM Ashe Reshteh, Agil 4 CHanbe Souri, Fire Blue Star Park Harms Rd. & Lake Ave Skokie, Nowruz Celebration Saturday, March 30th, 6 PM TO 1 A.M. Shamaizadeh Tony Shams- Stand up Comedy Dance - Azar Ensemble DJ - BY Rudney Floor dance Dinner & Special Program For Kids Sizdah Bedar Sunday, April 7 Th., 2002- 12 noon till 7 PM Food, Dance, Music Harms Woods, Skokie, For more Information Call @ (847) 673-0614 If interested in receiving information about future events in Chicago through IRAN-L list serve, send an email to shemmati@neiu.edu To top * Noruz: "4Shanbeh Soory" Party, Fairfax, Virginia Pride Entertainments Presents... PERSIAN "4Shanbeh Soory" Party Sponsored by George Mason University Persian Club //www.gmu.edu/org/persianclub/ #1 Belgian Acclaimed DJ PEYMAN Guest DJ's: Iman & Jiman (Du Jour Entertainment) Spinning International, Persian, and Euro Tuesday March 12th, 2002, 8:00 PM HOLIDAY INN - Fairfax/FairOaks 11787 Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy. Fairfax, VA 22033 Iran House Of Greater Chicago special Programs For Nowruz : 4 Chanbe Souri Tuesday, March 19, 2002, 6:30 PM Ashe Reshteh, Agil 4 CHanbe Souri, Fire Blue Star Park Harms Rd. & Lake Ave Skokie, Nowruz Celebration Saturday, March 30th, 6 PM TO 1 A.M. Shamaizadeh Tony Shams- Stand up Comedy Dance - Azar Ensemble DJ - BY Rudney Floor dance Dinner & Special Program For Kids Sizdah Bedar Sunday, April 7 Th., 2002- 12 noon till 7 PM Food, Dance, Music Harms Woods, Skokie, For more Information Call @ (847) 673-0614 To top * Noruz: Child Foundation, Irvine, Virginia, Houston  To top * Noruz: Sunnyvale  To top * Film: "America so Beautiful, San Francisco Iranian popstar Mansour dominates this Scorcese-like tale of friendships lost and found amid a 1979 Los Angeles buzzing over the Iranian hostage crisis andóeven worseódisco fever. Young Houshang (Mansour) doesn't see much future in sweeping the floors of his cousin Parviz' grocery store, especially after the smooth-talking Sammi offers him a chance to co-manage a popular nightclub. Adorned in the finest polyester threads, Houshang (who tells his friends to "say you're Italian") can't wait to taste the coke-and-sex nightlife that America has to offer, but first he must raise a few hundred dollars, sweet-talk his acquaintances, figure out Sammi's various scams and dodge an all-too-predictable upswing in anti-Iranian racism. As Houshang struggles to make it, and as the hostage situation escalates, he learns the price that "stayin' alive" comes with: his friendships, his family and, most of all, his culture. Brilliantly recreating the look and texture of the disco era, AMERICA SO BEAUTIFUL re-appropriates the typical SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER narrative for its own purposes, highlighting the political and cultural schisms between Iranian Americans at a defining moment in their history. Its keen use of music to define a time recalls the films of Scorcese, as does its remarkable grasp of place: more than anything, AMERICA SO BEAUTIFUL is a film for and about Los Angeles, its strivers, its fakers and its dreamers, no matter what their origin. óJason Sanders SATURDAY March 9, 6:45PM TUESDAY March 12, 9:30PM USA 2001 91 mins. 35mm Color English, Persian, w/English subtitles DIRECTOR: Babak Shokrian PRODUCER: Jane Reardon WRITERS: Shokrian, Brian Horiuchi CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tom Ryan EDITOR: Gamazon SOUND: Steve Weiss CAST: Mansour, Fariborz David Diaan, Houshang Touzie, Atossa Leoni. www.americasobeautiful.com To top * Fellowship for Iranians to study at Harvard Here is a link regarding the Ehsan Yarshater Visiting Fellowship in Iranian Studies, which will enable a PhD scholar in Iran to study at the Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies, or another relevant department: //www.fas.harvard.edu/~mideast/admission/fellowsapp.html If you know of any PhD scholars in Iran who might be interested in applying, could you please forward this along to them? The application deadline is April 1, 2002. Thank you!! The Harvard Persian Society To top * Mehrangiz Kar in Palo Alto The Society of Iranian Professionals in Northern California The Society of Iranian Professionals Celebrates International Women's Day with Mehrangiz Kaar March 8th, Cubberley Center, Palo Alto As a human rights activist, a prominent attorney and legal scholar, Mehrangiz Kaar is part of the new generation of Iranian women who are shaping the course of events in Iran and abroad. Program will include: * A video presentation by Goudarz Eghtedari based on Nasrollah Kassraian's "Az Koodakee". A nostalgic image collage of Iranian women accompanied by Sima Bina and Ostad Ossman's music. * Presentation of awards to distinguished women who have made profound contribution to the local community. * Runaway an award-winning documentary on Iranian women from two distinguished women filmmakers. Date: Friday, March 8th Time: 6:30 PM Location: Cubberley Center 4000 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto SIP Members / Seniors: $12 Students: $10 Non-Members: $15 To top * Literary: Mirza Agha Asgari (Mani), London You are cordially invited to an evening dedicated to the exiled Iranian poet Mirza Agha Asgari (Mani) from Bochum in Germany. The event will be held on Saturday 16 March at 7:00 PM in the Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre (BGLT) at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG. The event will be opened with introductory words by Dr. Jaleh Esfahani, followed by a brief commentary on Mani's poetic works by Dr. Shadab Vajdi. Mani will present a paper entitled "nou aavari va adabiyyaat-e maa dar mohaajerat". He will also read selected poems of his most recent book "sepide-ye paarsi" and his autobiography "khesht va khaakestar". Sincerely, Nima M i n a University of London School of Oriental and African Studies To top * 5th Annual Arts & Cultural Event in Bay Area As some of you may already know, the 5th Annual Arts & Cultural Event is back on the Calendar. It'll be held on March 17th, 2002 11am-6pm at Cupertino's Quinlan Center. Here's more on the event: //payvand.org/ptimes/winter02/01.html I'm looking for volunteers to help with the food booth. ie, pickup some items for the event, set up in the am, serving food, chai-shirini, and closing. I'm hoping to have volunteers for 2-hours only...and change of shifts throughout the day so that they can enjoy the programs and other booths etc... It will be a lot of fun and we're expecting $1000+ attendees. If anyone would like to join us and have some fun, please email me at kfravon@yahoo.com or call me at home (408) 358-7810. Love, Faranak PS- Those of you who volunteered back in September, will you kindly let me know if you'll be there on March 17th? (some of you already have..thanks!) To top * International Qajar Studies Association annual conference The second annual conference and exhibition of IQSA is coming up in June 2002. The theme this year is Qajar Era Dress and Costume. It is an eminently interesting and accessible theme and thus should be appealing to a large audience. There is a certain urgency in our messages to you because our conference this year overlaps with the decennial flower festival of Leiden. Hotels are filling up very very fast. We would appreciate your responses on whether or not you intend to attend. The address for the conference and registration page is: www.qajardress.com We hope to be able to see many of you at this conference as we have worked very hard to present to you the most interesting and accessible aspects of Qajar history. Please take a moment to let us know whether we can expect you. Additionally, if you could copy this message and share it with others in your circle who might be interested we would greatly appreciate this as well. With all good wishes, For IQSA, Manoutchehr M. Eskandari-Qajar, President To top * Research Assistant to the Shahnama Project University of Cambridge and University of Edinburgh Shahnama Project Applications are invited for the post of Research Assistant to the Shahnama Project, for up to six months full-time within the period 1 April to 30 September 2002, with the possibility of renewal for the year 2002/3. The Project is funded by the British Academy's Arts & Humanities Research Board (AHRB) and is currently in its third year. Its primary aim is to record all the illustrated manuscripts of Firdawsi's Shahnama on a database, which is to be made available on a website. The Research Assistant's main task will be to record the manuscripts and their illustrations in the database, in the first instance from Russian collections, and generally contribute to the research programme of the Project. The Research Assistant will be employed by the University of Cambridge and based there, but must also be willing and available to spend time away from Cambridge working on different manuscript collections. The salary will be £9840 (gross, pre-tax and Social Security deductions if applicable) for six months (or £1640 per month). A good knowledge of Persian and a research interest in classical Persian poetry are essential, as is a competent knowledge of Russian, and experience with computers. Knowledge of Turkish would also be an advantage. Applicants should send a CV and the name of two referees to Dr Charles Melville, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Cambridge, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge CB3 9DA, or by e-mail to cpm1000@cam.ac.uk from whom further information may also be obtained. The deadline for receiving applications is extended to Friday 15 March 2002. To top * Sufism symposium, Bellevue, Washington Sufis from around the world gather for a weekend of harmony and sohbat on Memorial Day Weekend, May 24-27, in Bellevue, Washington. This year's theme is Sufism: Practicing Harmony. The Annual Sufism Symposium is a weekend of unity and self discovery presented by the International Association of Sufism. It is an international gathering of delegates from Sufi Orders of many cultures and backgrounds In the past, representative from Bangladesh, Canada, England, Ghana, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Persia, the Philippines, Senegal, South Africa, Turkey, the United States and many more participated. The annual celebration of Sufism is one of the most significant achievements of the International Association of Sufism. This international, multicultural festival has brought prominent Sufi masters from around the world to the United States to celebrate this most influential school of civilization and to share their wisdom with a wide range of English-speaking audience. The success of the symposium is only made possible through the efforts of Seyedeh Dr. Nahid Angha, Shah Nazar Seyed Dr. Ali Kianfar, and the prominent members of the International Association of Sufism. The Symposium is an opportunity for all to learn about the ancient school of Islamic Mysticism. Music, poems, and Sufi practices help in celebrating a weekend of spiritual empowerment. In addition to lectures and workshops, the Sufism Symposium exhibits books, audio tapes, video tapes, Sufi publications, informational materials and art from Sufi Orders and international publishers. Each symposium focuses on a particular theme to address the immediate and universal needs of humanity. Each symposium is a historical event where speakers and participants from around the world are enraptured in camaraderie as their longing to unite with the Divine transcended cultural and philosophical barriers. A comprehensive report, audio tapes, and video tapes are available from each gathering. The Ninth Annual Sufism Symposium will be held on Memorial Day Weekend 2002 in Bellevue, Washington. This year's theme is Sufism: Practicing Harmony. Events include Islamic Art Workshop, Sufism Psychology Forum, Mystical Chant, and much more. A tentative schedule and online registration request form is now available. GET INFO NOW AND SEE YOU THERE! //www.sufismsymposium.org To top * $150,000 raised for wheelchairs to Iran PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release February 22, 2002 Contact: Niloofar M. Nouri, 510-848-0264 Persian Center distributes 500 Wheelchairs in Iran On Valentine's Day, a delegate of representatives from Persian Center, Wheelchair Foundation, and City of Berkeley, traveled to Iran to deliver the gift of love and mobility: 500 wheelchairs for the disabled in Iran. When Soheyl Modarressi, President of Oxford Development Group, visited a facility for the disabled in Tehran last year and discovered that there were 3 wheelchairs for the 700 patients, he was immediately prompted into action. He brought the Persian Center and Wheelchair Foundation together, who collectively raised and donated $150,000 toward the purchase of 1000 wheelchairs for Iran. The first shipment of 500 wheelchairs was made in December 2001, and a tour was scheduled for their delivery in February of 2002. The team embarked on their mission at the Red Crescent where a variety of organizations--such as Kahrizak Foundationñwere invited to collect a portion of 250 wheelchairs. "We are having a wonderful and amazing time," reacted Mark Rhoades, Berkeley's Planning Manager; he and his wife Erin Banks spent most of the first two days assisting disabled children into their new red wheelchairs, and felt it was "the most important and rewarding work" they had done in their life. Everyone felt the joy of one young girl, who began racing across the room and refused to stop turning and spinning, once she was set in her wheelchair. Echoing the general sentiment of the group, Patrick DeTemple, Electronic Media Manager for City of Berkeley, commented that "the team's efforts are a very clear response to a very direct need; there is no confusion that we are doing a good thing." Haft-e Teer Charity, which houses 90 disabled girls, received the remaining 250 wheelchairs on the third day. They will be using 65 of the wheelchairs and distributing the remainder to Gorouheh Koodak, Mahak Charity, Behnam Daheshpour Cancer Institute, and Rofideh Organization. "Most patients would never be able to afford a low quality or used wheelchair at 1,500,000 Rials (~ $185), let alone a brand new, high quality one, costing over 3,000,000 Rials!" exclaimed Mohammad Naimi-Yazdi, President of Haft-e-Teer. "In many cases, these wheelchairs are the finest possessions they will ever own." No exact statistics are available regarding the need for wheelchairs in Iran, but it is estimated to be 6-10% of the population. Most of the five million disabled people are a result of inter-family marriages, inaccessibility to medical facilities at birth, or poor nutrition and care during infancy. Despite numerous distributions worldwide, Fred Gerhard, Director of Wheelchair Foundation, was overcome with emotion when he received a painting completed by one of the wheelchair recipients who draws with his neck. "We came to give the people of Iran the gift of mobility," said Gerhard, "but instead we received a greater gift of love in their eyes!" The Wheelchair Foundation, founded in 2000 with a grant from the Kenneth E. Behring Foundation, has distributed over 35,000 wheelchairs in 74 countries. "It is amazing how one wheelchair changes someone's life entirely, affects 7-10 people around them, and moves a community of over 50 people in their circle," said Shahin Tabrizi, board member of Persian Center, who had returned to Iran after 25 years. He and Modarressi are already planning a fundraising event with other goodwill ambassador's Ahmad Behjati, proprietor of Via Centro, and Mansour Hariri of Cyrus Travel. Persian Center hopes to continue raising awareness about this serious need in Iran and partner with the Wheelchair Foundation in delivering wheelchairs worldwide. The Persian Center is a non-profit charitable organization, dedicated to providing an environment for education, cultural celebrations, and exhibitions to promote an understanding of the Persian culture and heritage, as well as peace through education and understanding. To top * Documentary: "The Dispossessed" in London Afghanistan Culture and Arts Association Presents T h e D i s p o s s e s s e d A documentary film made by Taghi Amirani set in a Taleban-controlled refugee camp during the fall of Kabul in November 2001 6:45 pm Thursday 7th March 2002 Kabul Nandara Theatre, West London and Hammersmith College Gliddon Road W14 Nearest Tube: Barons Court Tickets: £5 Screening followed by discussion and Q&A with Taghi Amirani Bookings: 07950 578065 or 07870 643021 "The Dispossessed charts the fall of the Taleban from a unique perspective. A remarkable record of how fast-moving events affect ordinary lives. A quietly humane film.....powerful and dignified" The Daily Telegraph "A deeply affecting document" The Guardian "An eloquent little documentary" The Observer "...a stark sorrowful film that is, nevertheless, not without touches of quirky comedy." The Sunday Times "This moving film takes us behind the news footage to the heart of a people battered by generations of war" Mail on Sunday To top * Noruz: American Iranian Council On Wednesday, March 13, 2002 in Washington, DC, the American Iranian Council (AIC) will sponsor a conference on "US-Iran Relations: Is Confrontation Necessary?" followed by an Iranian New Year Gala. The list of speakers has not yet been finalized, but as in previous years, it will include members of Congress and hopefully officials of the Iranian and American governments. Confirmed speakers are Senator Joseph Biden, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Chuck Hagel, and Senator Robert Torricelli. Dr. Keith Weissman of AIPAC will also speak on "Israel and US-Iran Relations," and Mr. Giandomenico Picco will speak at a UN panel on "Iran and Afghanistan: A United Nations Perspective." >>> details To top * Film: "Maryam" in New York, Chicago, LA MARYAM a film by Ramin Serry OPENS FRIDAY, FEB. 22 ANGELIKA FILM CENTER NEW YORK CITY COMING TO LOS ANGELES IN MARCH "AN EXTRAORDINARY FILM. 'MARYAM' IS POWERFUL, IMPORTANT AND VERY MOVING." -ROGER EBERT "Maryam" centers on a 17-year-old high school student, Maryam, and her family living in New Jersey in 1979. When Maryam's pro-Khomeni cousin, Ali, comes to stay with her family as anti-Iranian sentiment sweeps across the U.S., Maryam and her family are forever changed. Starring: Mariam Parris David Ackert Shaun Toub Maziyar Jobrani & Shohreh Aghdashloo PRAISE FOR "MARYAM": "I left the theater admiring the movie not only for its ideas (it urges us to see people, not labels), but by its artistry: In a time when most movie teenagers are bubbleheaded pawns in sex comedies, here is a teenager with brains and courage." -Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES "Serry shows a remarkable gift for storytelling...funny, tense and deeply moving...this is an important film that deserves to be seen." -Rich Cline, SHADOWS ON THE WALL "A lovely, intricate coming-of-age portrait set in a cross-cultural context...'Maryam' reps a promising debut...impressively ambitious...deeply authentic." -Lael Lowenstein, VARIETY "Engaging...funny and touching...exactly the sort of movie that people complain aren't being made." -Greg Dean Schmitz, UPCOMINGMOVIES.COM SEE "MARYAM" ANGELIKA FILM CENTER (CORNER OF HOUSTON ST. & MERCER ST., NEW YORK CITY) STARTS FRIDAY, FEB. 22 Advanced Sales: 777-FILM #531 "MARYAM" IS COMING SOON TO OTHER CITIES: LAEMMLE MUSIC HALL BEVERLY HILLS, CA STARTS MARCH 8 MUSIC BOX THEATRE CHICAGO, IL STARTS APRIL 15 for more info: www.streetlightfilms.com "One of the finest Persian ensembles anywhere, and they're right here in Los Angeles." John Schneider, KPFK, Global Village "Liän brings a new approach to Persian music." Wadada Leo Smith To top * Music: Lian Ensemble in Berkeley Saturday, March 9th 2002 at 8 pm - Julia Morgan Center for the Arts - Berkeley, California LIÄN ENSEMBLE "MYSTICAL PERSIAN MUSIC with Poetry of RUMI" Liän Ensemble is a group of classically trained virtuoso performers and composers who perform Persian Sufi music with a unique style that combines purity of form with creative experimentation. This exclusive concert includes guest artists Saeed Kamjoo on kamancheh, Siamak Shajarian on vocals with guest percussionists Farhad Bayat and Mehdi Mansouri. The core performers are Houman Pourmehdi on tonbak, daf, and vocals; Pirayeh Pourafar on tar and setar and Mahshid Mirzadeh on santur. All tickets $20 Advance, $25 At the door CBON Ticket Line 925.798.1300 For information call: 510-644-1780 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts - 2640 College Avenue - Berkeley, CA 94704 - Main Info Line: (510) 845-8542 To top * Noruz, Germnay Noruz celebrations in Koln, Germany >>> details To top * Noruz: George Mason University Eide Noruz show has been apart of our tradition for the past 10 years at the George Mason University Persian Club, and this year we want to entertain the largest audience yet. Our show of theatre, comedy, traditional Persian music, and performed traditional Iranian dances, is completely free to our beloved audience. This is our chance, as young, educated Iranians in America to show our family, friends, and fellow Iranians that we have not lost our culture and we love Iran and Iranians. I certainly hope that each receiver of this announcement has the opportunity to join us on Saturday, March 30th, 2002 at 7:00pm (7pm for seating, 7:30 show begins) at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. There is no other show in the world like this one, conducted with the up most tastefulness in performance for our most valued Iranian family viewers. Attached is a copy of the official flyer. Please contact us for tickets. Ba Tashakor, Seyyede Katayon Kasmai Your help is much appreciated Aghaye Javid Khan. Khoda Negahrdaretan, Katayon Kasmai To top * Politics: "Evil Axis" discussion in New York On the occasion of George W. Bush's "evil axis" speech IRAN FORUM Presents: The difficult situation of the reformist vis a vis recent threats of Georg W. Bush against Iran. Speakers: 1) Dr.MansoorFrhang,Professor of Political Science, Bennington College. 2)Farrokh Negahdar, fadaii organization (majarity faction). Place: Goddard Riverside Community Center 593 Columbus Ave. NE Corner of 88th St. (Take 1 or 9 Train to 86th St. walk east to Columbus and then North to 88th St. New York City Date: Saturday, February, 23 2002 Time: 6:30-9 PM. IRAN FORUM To top * Norouz: Saal tahvil Saeed Ghahramani writes: Norouz 1381 is on Wednesday March 20, 2002 at 2:16 p.m. Washington time ( 11:16 a.m. Californa ). It also happens to be Earth Day. United Nation in New York and Vienna will ring their peace bells at this precise moment. Check this site for more info and a nice map. Earth Day 2002 Nature's day all over the world. Wednesday, March 20, 2002 Spring/Vernal Equinox: 2:16 PM EST One global common moment celebrating life with dedication of heart and mind to think and act as responsible Earth Trustees. We are one human family and have only one Earth. The Peace Bell at the United Nations in New York will ring at 2:16 p.m. EST - the beginning of Spring. At the same moment (8:16 p.m., March 20, in Austria) the Peace Bell at the United Nations in Vienna will ring. To top * Norouz: Science and Arts foundation, Los Angeles Dear friends and colleagues, You are by now probably aware of the work of the Science and Arts Foundation (SAF) in networking over 80 Iranian high schools and educational centers (please see //science-arts.org/). I would like to draw your attention to the following event, which will be attended by a number of well-known Iranian businessmen and women from the bay area, as well as SAF officers and prominent academic professionals from the US and abroad: In conjunction with International Children's Book Council and the Children's Book Council of Iran, the Science and Arts Foundation will be hosting a Noruz celebration on March 2, 2002 at 6:00 pm. The event will take place at the Los Angeles Hilton and the proceeds of the fundraising will go to charity causes for Iranian youth. The event's Master of Ceremonies will be Shahrzad Ardalan and the guests of honor are Mr. Kamran Elahian, Professor Abbas Edalat and Ms. Sogol Mafi. The event will also include: - A four-course dinner - Traditional folk songs - Live entertainment; and - A silent auction We ask you to support our efforts to improve the quality of education for Iranian youth by attending this event and particularly by purchasing a table in the name of your company, family or along with friends. Tickets for the event cost $100 and the cost of purchasing a table is $1,000. For more information or to purchase tickets, please email me payman@neda.com. Many thanks and hope to see you at the event on March 2! Payman Arabshahi 818-393-6054 To top * Call for artists, Evolving Perceptions Evolving Perceptions' annual exhibition was developed in 1996 in order to introduce contemporary art created by Iranian and Iranian-American artists working in the United States to the greater public. If you are an artist, living and working in the U.S., we invite you to submit your work for consideration. We welcome all subjects and themes, especially interested in works that deal with healing, identity and concepts of peace. The following media are welcomed: Painting, drawings, printmaking, photography, mixed media, installation, animation, video. Please note for works that require video and computer equipment that these must be provided by and installed by the artist. All installations will need to be throughly explained, including total space requirements and any use of electrical equipment. Please submit the following: 1- 10-20 slides (labeled with title, medium, size) 2- Resume 3- Artist Statement (please talk about either your relationship with art or the specific body of work you are submitting for entry- 500 words or less) 4- SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope) to return your slides Please submit information to: EP Annual Exhibition Maryam Ovissi P.O. Box 70954 Chevy Chase, MD 20813 202-607-0754 DEADLINE: JUNE 1, 2002 ARTIST NOTIFICATION: JULY 1, 2001 EXHIBITION: FALL 2002/WINTER 2003 Evolving Perceptions (EP) is an artist run organization based in Washington DC. EP is dedicated to promoting art by Iranian artists, educating ourselves about art, integrating artists into the community at large and creating a support community for Iranian and Iranian American Artists. We are working on developing a private gallery and will be announcing the opening in Spring 2003. We also have deadlines coming up for the EP Scholarship for Iranian Art Students in the U.S. Please inquire for more information. Contact Maryam Ovissi at 202-607-0754 or Sara Barzmehri at 301-610-5260 with any questions. To top * Shabaahang, Columbus, Ohio Time: 6:30-Midnight, Saturday, March 16, 2002 Location: Villa Milano, 1630 Schrock Road, Columbus, Ohio With Shabaahang Group (with new Singer) The program includes dinner. For a full view of the announcement in Persian, please visit our site at: //www.pazhvak.org/images/Norouz.gif Tickets: Adults (Member $35.00, Non-members $40.00) Children (under 10) $20.00 Students can buy the ticket at the above rate and receive $5.00 refund at the door by showing a valid ID. The above prices apply to those whose checks are received prior to March 3, 2002 (Postmarked March 3 or earlier). From March 3 to March 10, $5.00 additional to each ticket applies. After March 10, tickets can be obtained only at the event for after the dinner participation (at the price of $30.00). To purchase your tickets, please send a check and a note indicating the number of tickets to: Iranian Cultural Association, P.O. Box 3434, Columbus, OH 43210. Any questions, please contact: Ms. Naraghi 614-457-2049 or Ms. Khabiri 614-457-6959. To top * Norouz, Champaign, IL Noruz Celebration at the University of Illinois Presented by the Persian Cultural Association Friday, March, 29 2002 7 PM - 1 AM (Doors open at 6:30 PM) Chancellor Hotel & Convention Center 1501 South Neil Street Champaign, IL 61820 Reception, Dinner, Show, DJ, & Dancing Tickets & Info: www.uiuc.edu/ro/pca We hope you can come celebrate this joyous and festive occasion with us, honoring over 2,500 years of Persian heritage and culture! To top * Shahrzad Dance Academy, Bay Area Hello friends and colleagues, SDA (Shahrzad Dance Academy) in San Francisco's Bay Area is recruting dancers for a performance video recording in the Spring (April or May) and a concert in the Fall. Dancers must have some background in Ballet and/or Modern dance. The style we will be using is Classical Persian and Persian Fusion (mix of Modern and Persian). There will be compensation depending on grants received. I am attaching a flyer. Please post, distribute, pass the word, etc. Thanks, Shahrzad Khorsandi, Artistic Director Shahrzad Dance Academy To top Do you have an annoucement? Email us  |
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