April-June 2006
Archive -- Latest
 PSYCHOLOGY
Thou shall love no one else but me!
Iranians revisited: mother-son relationships
Ms. Insight
The mothers as covert lovers and the sons who cling to them as their own eternal saviors and undying icons of perfect love and divine security are countless in the Iranian culture. An overbearing mother’s characteristic signs are: feeding the son with excruciating guilt for making rightfully personal choices, interacting in a purely conditional manner as if every gesture of affection or kindness is being executed with some degree of effort and burden, interfering with the son’s matters of the heart; incessantly disapproving the son’s partners or significant others; having the “no one is good for my son” attitude, manipulating circumstances and situations to her own benefits and personal merit instead of considering the son’s ultimate happiness, individuation, and independence >>>
GLOBAL WARMING
See the truth
Photo essay: Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth"
Pedram Moallemian
 THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
Goooooooooooal or no goal
What makes football incredibly exciting, for me
Saman Ahmadi
Watching the games as they happen is part of the experience -- in some ways sharing in a joyous event with the rest of the world. Some of my friends and I watched everything on the Spanish channel live -- even though I don’t understand a lot Spanish, I got the feel of the game with their announcers where the ones on ABC or ESPN have no idea about how to call a football game... I think one thing that people unfamiliar with football do not understand is how the game could have been interesting if the final score was 1-0, or worse yet 0-0. What they miss is the fact that a near goal is the second most exciting event in all of sports -- furious agony for some, desperate relief for others >>>
 CIVILIZATION
We can do this
I want to create an article containing every aspect of Western Civilisation that has been impacted on by Iranian civilisation
Saied Ardakani
It was Eid (the Iranian new year), and with my Eid money, I wanted to go and by a good history book about Iran. So we went to Pages For All Ages first. My expectations were high, and I was thinking that I would be reading a great book that evening. However, it did not take long for me to realise that there were no books on my topic of interest! I was shocked and angry. Where were all the books on this great civilisation that has impacted Asia, North Africa, two of the great monotheistic religions (Islam and Christianity), and the West? >>>
SHAAZDEHS OF THE DAY
Qajar Family Gala
Group photo at Automobile Club de France in Paris
Ferydoun Barjesteh van Waalwijk van Doorn
MEDIA
Forsat.org's opportunity and future
Interview with entrepreneur & philanthropist Noosheen Hashemi
Alaleh Azarkhish
Forsat.org is run with the discipline, team, and vision more akin to a high technology start-up than a non-profit endeavor. The core team's efforts are supplemented by a larger circle of volunteers sharing their professional expertise through contribution of articles. As an intellectual philanthropist and a member of the circle, I find my experience rewarding and want others to join this positive experience. Towards those goals, I sat down with Noosheen Hashemi to get a better understanding for Forsat.org's opportunity and future >>>
 VIEW
The exceptions
We Iranians do help each other and understand that a strong community helps all of us but the good ones do not brag
Azam Nemati
I am always interested in reading articles when someone takes up an issue, which not only interests me, but most often I address in the circles I travel. Although Mr. Nouraeei's article "Take care of your own" has many valid points, as an Iranian I am offended that he is putting all of us in the same pool. That seems to be the norm every time I read an article about what is bad about "Iranians". Yes, I know that I have written about these issues as well but I am always fair enough to say what is good about us and point out the exceptions. Let's examine some of his comments. First of all not all Jews have money. Ironically, this morning coming from my Iranian dentist's office located in a beautiful shopping center in Palm Beach County where mega million dollar homes surround the area, I drove no more than 5 minutes east and sure enough the development well known in this area which only has Jewish residents was to my right >>>
PERSIAN OF THE DAY
Go Go
Video & photo essay: A very cute and spoiled cat
Zi Kia
 LESSON
Take care of your own
You want to know why Jews are stereotyped as having money and power? It's because they do. And you know what? More power to them
Kaveh Nouraee
From time to time, I read with great interest, the articles that claim to have the recipe for that magic all-curing chai, the one that will solve all of Iran's problems, whether political, social, cultural or whether a Bee Em Veh is better than a Benz. They have been written by both Iranians/Persians (I forgot what we are calling ourselves this week, I seem to have misplaced my "Pick My Identity" calendar) or by some busybody khareji, who has either been to Iran, heard of Iran, can locate it on a map, or just some jackass who ate chelokabab for the first time. This so-called intelligentsia always claim to have all the answers, when truth be told, they don't even understand the question. This recent article concerning how Iranian-Americans can learn from the example set by Jewish-Americans is especially nauseating. For no other reason except that it fails to address the single biggest problem in our culture--a total absence of personal accountability. Ask an Iranian what is accountability, and the answer will be, "Ven you can have checking account." >>>
 LIFE
Snapshots of a day
"You sing a sad song just to turn it around"
Sara Darcy
I picked up the phone and called G's number ... two rings and the familiar message, "Thank you for calling ****. I'm sorry I'm unable to come to the phone at the moment, but if you leave your name and number, I shall get back to you as soon as possible". Same message I've been hearing for days now followed by the same six beeps and the same robotic voice saying "me-mo-ry full". God I hate that robotic voice, and I hate that stupid answering machine, and I hate the fact that he doesn't erase his damn messages ... granted, most of them are from me, which is probably why he keeps them there ... just so I can't leave him any more annoyed messages ... "G, it's me again ... I can't believe you're avoiding me like this ... can we please behave like adults and at least have one last conversation? Please call my mobile when you get this." >>>
 JEWS
Lessons in success
Hopefully younger Iranian-Americans will try to emulate the success of their Jewish-American counterparts
Arya
I thought of what I'm about to write here after a brief conversation with a fellow Iranian-American. A young man in his late 20's who although was well educated surprised me with his comment that he was considering changing his name to a Jewish name. When I asked why -- he explained that in his field of work he deals with wealthy individuals and the Jewish people are more wealthy than other Americans. I asked him what about the overwhelmingly large percentage of Iranian-Americans who are also affluent. Just as I had expected he said he doesn't want to go after them because they don't want to work with Iranians! Well after that exchange for some reason I got motivated to learn if in fact Jewish Americans do have most of the wealth in this country, and as I was doing my research I digressed into learning more about their success story especially after I came across The Jewish Phenomenon: Seven Keys to the Enduring Wealth of a People >>>
 IDENTITY
You're from Iran, not Persia
Ara Ghandhari
Referring to yourself as Persian is great. I'm ridiculously proud of being Persian. But lets clarify something ... you are not from Persia, your ancestors were. In fact, most "Persians" are mutts. How many Persians do you know that are Tork, Kord, etc? Even if you are fully Fars, you are from the beautiful country of Iran. Be proud of that. I understand that many Persians, living in Iran or abroad, disagree with the present day regime in Iran. I am one of them. But many people all over the world are in disagreement with the political status of their country. Where should all Bush-hating Americans say they're from? Seriously, where? >>>
 LANGUAGE
Spelling BEESAVAD
I screamed: "NOROOOOOOUZ AHMAGHS!"
Bruce Bahmani
Last Thursday the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee, the preeminent demonstration of juvenile intelligence in the US, concluded it's month long elimination of innocently obsessive children from all over the country. 13 year old Katherine Close won with her nervously correct spelling of "ursprache", which has somehow become an English word, along with "wehrmacht" and "lebensraum" and a few other uncomfortably reminiscent Nazi-era terms. This year also, there were several words of "Persian" origin in the competition. One that caught my ear immediately came up in the 8th round, the word "Nauruz". Or as I like to spell it NoRouz >>>
 PARENTS
My mom and dad
If I had to guess which one of them has influenced the other more over the years, I'd say, 'hands-down' my maman has influenced my dad more
Lance Raheem
My parents are very different from one another in a number of ways. My maman is pretty serious most of the time; she's sensitive about what others think of her; she has a hot temper when she's angry; she's the queen of making daily 'to-do' lists and she is a very proud and classy Iranian lady. From my earliest memory, she has always done her best to instill in me, and my sister before me, a deep respect, love and reverence for Iranian customs and traditions and for the Persian language. Unlike my maman, my dad has a laid-back personality and a quirky sense of humor. He doesn't anger easily and doesn't worry about what others think of him with the result that few people have ever been able to hurt his feelings He sees himself as a "big picture" type of guy and it drives him crazy sometimes that my maman is so detail-oriented. Perhaps, the biggest difference between him and my maman is that he grew up about as far as a person can be from Iran -- a farm in small-town Texas >>>
PEACE
Signed, sealed & delivered
Photo essay: Shirin Ebadi in London
Mehrdad Aref-Adib
NEIGHBORHOOD
Flowers around the block
Photo essay: Neighborhood gardens
Jahanshah Javid
 LITERATURE
Here we are
Capturing a new literature by Iranian women of the diaspora
Jasmin Darznik
A quarter century in the making, Iranian-American literature has reached its most vibrant and exciting phase ever. And at last we’ve got the book to prove it. Edited by Persis Karim, Let Me Tell You Where I Have Been: New Writing by Women of the Iranian Diaspora is the first anthology of writing by women of the Iranian diaspora. It contains over a hundred selections of poetry and prose by more than fifty writers. With humor, rage, eloquence, and compassion, its contributors give voice to what it means for Iranian women to live -- and write--in the West today >>>
LIFE
Ghosun
I wanted... .no; I needed to write about this child because I want to be able to put her out of my mind
Lance Raheem
Although Ghosun had no connection to Iran or Iranians, I'm sure that in her physical appearance she looked very much like millions of sweet little nine year old Iranian girl. In my mind's eye, I can imagine that Ghosun probably liked to play with dolls like other little girls do, she probably liked to sing songs and play games like other little girls do and she probably craved love, security and affection from the adults in her life like others girls do. I am also sure that she doesn't crave any of these things anymore because little Ghosun is dead. Anytime a child dies prematurely, it is a tragedy, but the circumstances of this child's death are exceptionally sickening because the intimate bond of love, trust and security that any child ought to rightly feel toward his or her parents was savagely shattered and desecrated in little Ghosun's case >>>
 FATHER
Baba Joon
Letter of a mournful daughter
Laleh Khalili
It is your chehelom, Baba Joon, forty whole days after your death, and I am still searching for the vocabulary that could explain this physical feeling of nausea that washes over me sometimes at the thought of you not being here, the overwhelming sense of asphyxiation as I lie in bed waiting futilely for sleep to come. No words, Baba Joon, no language. I can’t even find the proper line of poetry to use as an epigraph. I thought of “to nisti keh bedani ... ” and “be koja-ye een shab-e tireh...” and “bozorg bood ... ” but none can articulate the sense of guilt I feel for not having let you know how much I love you before you died so abruptly, so young >>>
 PERSIAN
I am Persian because
Iran today represents decadence, destruction and decay
Tina Ehrami
"Where are you from?" My co-worker asked me a couple of days ago. "From Persia", I answered. "Uhm, that doesn't exist anymore, does it?" Was his response. I hesitated whether I had the energy to explain the source of my answer "Persia" instead of "Iran". I decided that I would explain it once again in my life and this time try to keep it short and simple. "Well no, the Persian Empire as Persia refers to, does not exist. But it is the association with that empire that I prefer than the theocratic, Islamic Republic that it has now become." That explanation usually asks for an understanding and paradoxically confused expression and nodding. This time I did not get that same old response though >>>
 WAR
Please don't
I ask President Bush now; please do not attack Iran with any sort of weapon
Alborz Yazdi
Dear President George W. Bush, When I first though of the idea, it did not scare me, for as any person would think, “it would never happen to me...” But while eating lunch today, the reality of this matter struck me in the face. I am an eleven year old Iranian-American boy in the 5th grade. In a few days, I will be leaving my home on vacation to Iran for the first time with my mother and sister. Yes, Iran, the country causing a new controversy throughout the world. Throughout the midst of the Iranian nuclear crisis, the question has pondered in the minds of many: Will they strike Iran? In my head this blur of terror and fear has inquired me too. And the most terrible idea is if it is hit with nuclear weapons of mass destruction >>>
 MOOSH
The obsession with a mouse
The world seems to know plenty about the Persian cat, but what about the Persian mouse?
Zohreh Khazai Ghahremani
Ask any mouse and he may tell you he would willingly give his right ear -- or both -- to be an American citizen. America is indeed the land of opportunity, look how fast it spotted the entrepreneur in the little creature we dismissed as a worthless rodent. An inferior species to the rest of the world, no sooner had he obtained his green card than did he begin to earn enough fame and fortune to create job opportunities for a millions of humans. Before the ink on his naturalization documents had dried, he abbreviated his name to Mickey, thus making it easy to remember, found a wife -- making sure she went no further than her “first lady” position -- and proceeded to build his own kingdom. Castles were built, parades were organized to glorify His Rodentship and soon, people from around the world came for their holy pilgrimage. Preposterous? Tell that to the average guy who pays good money to wear those ridiculous ears on his head just to prove that he’s been there. Now let us take a look at what becomes of the same mouse that may be stuck in, let’s say, Iran >>>
 LIFE
An American and an Iranian
He remembered the day he had officially become American, standing in a government building with his family among a crowd
Siamak Vossoughi
And afterwards, he had thought of his mother, crying in a room full of everybody celebrating. She had known that it was just a piece of paper too, but she had cried because that feeling of coming outside to the city had been Iran for her, that feeling that had included her mother and father and sisters and brothers, coming outside in the morning and the evening, and he had felt good to see her tears because they were the closest he had come to Iran in a long time. As a a boy, it was often death that did that. He would be going along with American thoughts of an American girl in his class, and then all of a sudden, a death would bring Iran to their house in a way that was darker and older but also more poetic than anything he felt ready for. Oh boy, he would think, I don't know if I have enough for this. I don't know if I've been preparing for this here in America >>>
 SHARING
Typical immigrant story
Farid Moghadassi
Evan is my roommate and he had a kidney transplant. I wrote this to him the night before his transplant, typical immigrant story: Dear Evan, When I first moved to America in ninth grade, I couldn't speak a word of English so high school was definitely brutal as football players were generous enough to give the new Middle Eastern kid an All-American beating every morning. It was difficult to make friends but I tried very hard to conform. This one time, I was in class sitting next to this kid who I knew liked Nirvana. In my pursuit to make friends, I thought he might be interested that I also find a liking in Nirvana. Unfortunately, he asked me to name a Nirvana album and I couldn't so in front of the class he called me a poser and a loser for trying to be a wannabe Nirvana fan >>>
FRIENDS
On fire
Photo essay & video clips: A party in San Francisco
Jahanshah Javid
 CONVERSION
For the gladness of Ahura Mazda
Kurosh Goshtasp Aryana
With the blessing of Ahura Mazda, and cooperation of Anjuman-e Bozorg Bazgasht in Norway and Zoroastrian Community of Sweden, two group Sedreh Pushi ceremonies (Navjot) were held in Oslo and Dubai during recent days (early days of April 2006). The first ceremony took place in the capital city of Norway, Oslo where a group of seven people including five Iranian citizens and a citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan and a citizen of Afghanistan joined the Zaratushti religion. The second ceremony took place in Dubai where three Iranian citizens from Iran came to Dubai just to attend the ceremony to join the religion. It was a historical event that took place in an Arabian country after more than 1,300 years. May Ahura Mazda bless all.
 INTELLECTUAL
A democratic symbol
The meaning of Ramin Jahanbegloo’s arrest
Rasool Nafisi
On 27 April 2006, the Iranian philosopher Ramin Jahanbegloo experienced what is coming to be commonplace for many Iranian intellectuals and political activists. In Tehran's Mehrabad airport, on his way to India, he heard his name being called out from the loudspeakers. He followed instructions and went to the security department of the airport where he found himself subject to the re-enactment of a frightening scenario. It is the norm of the Iranian security forces to calm the suspect by telling him or her that he was most likely brought in because of "name confusion". The detainee is then typically taken to the "bureau", where he or she is reassured that his or her name would be "cleared". In the meantime, the suspect's passport is confiscated. At that point, the person is accused, and forced systematically to "confess" >>>
 BOXER
Mahyar for mayor!
Goli Farrell
Last night I saw a program on TV (France 3) about successful foreigners in France. Among these there was a young Iranian by the name Mahyar Monshipour who has been France's boxing world champion for the last 6 years. And because of Mahyar, France has held the title of World Champion for years. He is very popular and much loved by his French compatriots. He came across as a modest, articulate, honest, and ambitious guy who wants to serve his fellow citizens and was elected to the post of town supervisor at age 31. He lives in the town of Poitier and plans to be elected Mayor of Poitier. I was very glad for this young man who came to France from Iran at age 11 and did many things to get "accepted" in a foreign country. Finally he decided to become a boxer and they showed him working out and pract-icing diligently, day and night until he beat everyone in the featherweight category and became world champion. I enjoyed watching this sweet Iranian champion talking a perfect French and planning to be elected mayor of his town. His pictures are all over in the boxing world web sites. thought you might like to know.
 LIFE
Growing up as a minority
We were of Moslem, Jewish and Bahai families but we were all Iranians
A.S. Mostafanejad
When I was a child in Tehran my father was the only Bahai in his family. His father had been a Bahai and had passed away prior to my birth and his mother was a Moslem. On my mother's side her mother was a Bahai but her father was a Moslem. My upbringing was as a Bahai but my relatives were of both faiths. We associated with all as any family would. We lived in an apartment at the end of a narrow koocheh, or lane. Above us lived a Jewish family and across the lane there was a Christian family of Armenian descent. The rest of those in our lane were Moslems and we all rented from a Haji we used to call “Haji Esfahani”. We all got along and we were all on friendly terms. The old Haji would sometimes drop by for tea and oranges >>>
MOTHER
The wild one
Photo essay: Mother's day
Jahanshah Javid
 TRAVELERS
On a roll in Tokyo
I am jet lagged but the excitement of being here is too much. Let’s start with the toilet
Siamack Salari
I am jet lagged but the excitement of being here is too much. Let’s start with the toilet. The seat is heated. I also have an array of digital controls next to the seat which will spray, squirt a jet or simply blow warm air from underneath. And it feels magnificent. The thought of a toilet which does everything short of taking your trousers off amazes me. Later today I am going to see if the squirt jet shoots high enough for me to use it like a drinking fountain. Hey, why not? >>>
 LIFE
Between Mike Wallace and me
I was considerably naive and, yet, diligent, as my own attorney, litigating my civil rights action against the people who had abused my human rights
Kaveh L. Afrasiabi
Mike Wallace is retiring from CBS' "60 Minutes" at the end of this month and I thought a personal retrospective on my little bit of history with the legendary reporter, who has visited Iran on numerous occasions and has interviewed the late Ayatollah Khomeini, the deposed Shah, as well as Ayatollah Rafsanjani, is called for. I saw Wallace last at a bookstore in Boston promoting his latest book, Between You and Me, a couple of months ago. At first, he barely recognized me and then, after a deep stare, joked that I had gained weight. As we chatted for a couple of minutes, the long line of people behind me, waiting for their autograph session with Mike, was getting impatient. "Take care kaveh," he said as we shook hands good bye. It was so nice to see him after so long, at least two years >>>
 NEPAL
Long live the king!
You have to be a perfect ignoramus or an astoundingly grand idiot to assert that Maoists in Nepal wish to impose a democratic republic
Alidad Vassigh
I do believe the media manipulate people, though probably there is no grand plot. Check the images from Nepal, and you will see the usual riff-raff in the street, and doubtless members of the middle class (in scenes reminiscent of events almost 30 years ago in an ill-fated country not a million miles from Nepal), shouting and waving red flags with the hammer-and-sickle. These are the democracy protesters, and no news agency or website mentions any communist agitators and sympathizers among them. An AP or Reuters report explained recently in the background verbiage that concludes every report that Nepal's government has for years been fighting against Maoist rebels who want to replace the monarchy with a "democratic republic." >>>
AMERICA
To Disneyland and back
Photo essay
Jahanshah Javid
 LIFE
Malaaek
For my parents
Nima Sheikhy
COMPASSION
The glowworm
I have always felt I can light up the forest with the light that illuminates from within my heart
Azam Nemati
Well as the only woman in my community who has no personal life so she is totally dedicated to empower Iranians by bringing us together and helping to empower each other, I used to go to Sofrehs so those who knew my name could put a human face to the name. I also had the opportunity to meet other people I could help in small ways. You see my concept of empowerment and help since I was a child is totally different than most people. I think if I can give advice to a woman which helps improve her life slightly then that is empowering to me. Fro example, I feel if I can help write and submit the resume of an Iranian woman (or man) so we can find her/him a job then that is empowering that person and I hope that this person would remember and helps someone else when the need is there.
AMERICA
Can you hear us now?
Photo essay: Immigration rally in Los Angeles
Pedram Moallemian
GOOGOOSH
The last seduction
Her voice mixed with the scent of the sea and the memory of that afternoon, and I was sure I’d never heard such lovely music
Jasmin Darznik
Let me be up-front about this: I am not a Googoosh fan. The plaintive wail, the disco tempo. Her charms may be many, her fans legion, but over the years I’ve remained stubbornly uncharmed. It is true that when I read in the newspaper some years ago that she was staging a comeback in the States, I paused for a moment and said out loud to nobody but myself, “Well, that’s interesting.” It was a reaction not unlike the one I had a few months ago when learning that a new planet had been discovered. Interesting, yes, but just too remote for me to really care about it. So who can explain the late night impulse that recently drove me to punch in my credit card information, courting untold perils of fraud, in order to purchase one of her old CDs online? Wouldn’t it have been more prudent to have waited until the next morning, when I could have calmly pulled one of her CDs from the music shelf of my local Iranian grocery? She’d seduced me at last, our siren of song. I had to have her. She arrived last night. I have been with her ever since.
GOL
The garden within
The love of nature is reflected in our art, poetry and even daily conversation
Zohreh Khazai Ghahremani
No matter how big or small our homes may be, I am convinced that there is a gardener inside each Iranian. We are in tune with nature and it seems as if the mere act of cultivating the land, brings back memories of our true home. As I prune the rose bushes in my yard, as I feed them and water their thirsty roots, I am reminded of a climbing rose on the other side of the world. Its branches arched over a brick driveway and those multi-colored buds greeted me throughout spring as I came home from school. Unlike many gardeners, I am accustomed to working those bulky, stiff, gloves, and sometimes even forget to wear a hat. As my bare hands dig into the soil and feel its texture, for a moment I feel as one with the earth. When someone asks me if I know the names of the roses, I shake my head and wonder if I need to. A rose is a rose; I don’t need to call that large pink blossom Princess Diana or the red one Mr. Lincoln to know what they are. But roses here are named after people, places, and events, not to mention silly commercials. Weight Watchers Success Story? Give me a break!
 SHORTS
To debate or not to debate
Tina Ehrami, The Netherlands
I believe that this planet contains two types of people: people who talk and people who listen. I myself belong to that last group of people who rather lay back, let the eloquent and sometimes not so eloquent people say their say and in the end reply with only two sentences, usually leaving a short silence. Iranians can also be categorized into talkers and listeners. Unfortunately there is no balance between the people who talk and the people who listen. There are far more people who talk, than there are people who listen, to begin with. Not only do the talkers exceed in amount, they also have the problem that within their own category of talkers there are none who even try the listening part... When these Iranian talkers start on this subject ("what to do with Iran?"), they tend to forget the minority called listeners and so only face other talkers and start their debate. In a very short span of time the talkers turn heated, red, loud, intimidating and sweaty. The next thing that happens is that they forget that they are humans facing other humans and start assaulting each other, forgetting the importance of the discussed subject.
 SHORTS
The reason why you're Persian
Slater Bakhtavar
'People only say they're Persian because they're afraid of saying they're Iranian' is a common place quote used by many non-Iranians unaware of Iranian history and culture, but unfortunately it's also used by Iranians themselves. I hope the following educates people on the historical justifications behind using both Persian in conjunction with Iranian as ones ethnic/national background. Iranian is a nationality, but Persian is an mostly used as an ethnicity. In fact, Persian is one of many ethnicities in Iran. Here's a breakdown of Iran's ethnic groups: Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%. Hence, ethnically 51% of Iranians are Persian. Much like how 75-80% of Iraqis are ethnic Arabs and 15-20% are ethnic Kurds. It's interesting how we hear Arab this and Kurd that, but when Persian is used people some including many Iranians have an issue.
LETTERS
I apologize
On Mina Hakim-Bastanian's "Sad & shameful": I am writing to you , as an Iranian woman who is born to a Muslim family, to tell you that i agree with you and sincerely apologize to you or any other Iranian minority who has been subjected to discrimination by their ignorant fellow Iranians. I for one, had Jewish classmates back in Iran who are still my friends to this day and never looked at them or treated them any different than my other friends. In fact, our religions has never been an issue between us, we were little girls from the same neighborhoods and same town. It is true that not every one was like me, but i am sure and hopeful that many were. I apologize again and strongly believe that the majority in Iran owes the minorities a long delayed apology for these cruel behaviors and lack of understanding. I wish you and other minorities could forgive those who had done wrong by you for there are many more Iranians who would love you just for being Iranian, no matter what your ethnicity or religious background may be >>> More
 SHORTS
What’s it like to be an Iranian-American teen?
Haleh
I remember punching Jerry Anderson in the eye after he called me a hostage-taker. I was ten. That was back then. I was an eye-rain-ian to him and I learned early that it was safest to blend in. As a teenager, I did what comes naturally to most teens, whatever their heritage – I tried to fit in. That’s when I began to write ... Today, the media bombards us with same tired images of Iran. Our best and freshest comeback must come from the mouths of our youth. Hip, witty, fresh, and real. Here’s our call to all Iranian-American youth to throw their own images back at the world, through text, sound, and photographs. One Day, a multi-media project for Iranian and Iranian-American youth, through the Center for Art and Public Life at California College of the Arts offers: >>>
 U.S.-IRAN
Don't go there
Iranian-American community's majority opinion is opposed to any military action against Iran
David Rahni
Recent developing speculation about US military intervention in, or sanction against Iran has created a heated debate worldwide. One community that finds itself caught in a unique dilemma is the estimated one million Americans of Iranian descent. While this community feels strong allegiance to the US, and whereas they have contributed substantially to the advancement of the economic and social infrastructures of the US, they, nonetheless, feel strongly connected to their ancestor's land where many still have extended family and cultural ties.
RALLY
Democracy without bombs
Photo essay: Iranian-American anti-war rally in San Jose, northern California
Photos by F.
 SHORTS
We shall not despair
Ali Dadpay
Everyday there are some pieces of news. It seems more than ever this administration is ready to use nuclear weapons against a people whose cause has been ignored for such a long time. Pentagon officials talk of planning. Secretary of State Rice mentioned the right to self-defense. In a crazy world, all actors of tragedy are coming together. Some present arrogance, some stupidity, some vanity and some greed. We shall not despair. We people of Iran, this most ancient nation of the world, shall not despair. We have survived the hordes of Huns and Arab invasion. We have survived two World Wars, to which we were drawn by the same powers, seeking to harm us today. We have survived revolutions, civil wars and invasions. We carried on, We still carry on.
LAUGHTER
Armed with humor
No comedian in the world could possibly make fun of Iranians with as much flare as we do
Zohreh Khazai Ghahremani
One only needs to socialize a few hours with us Iranians to realize that a good laughter is at the core of our lives. We don’t just laugh, we breathe humor, our bodies are unable to absorb food unless a meal is enhanced with anecdotes, and sometimes our lives depend on a good joke. Thanks to our strong sense of humor, we have survived many ups and downs and it has helped us to withstand one foreign invasion after another. For example, look at the gravity of what goes on in our homeland, yet it has generated more Ahmadinejad cartoons and jokes than any of us ever cared to see or hear. With the seriousness of a bomb threat lurking over Iran and the entire nuclear hullabaloo, how else could we handle the horror except with a good chuckle? In fact, there are Iranian-Americans among us who have already started to plan ahead by designing activities in case we are all put into an internment camp; now that’s what I consider good humor!
 DIASPORA
The journey of a lifetime
Traveling to Iran, which is in a way, my pilgrimage
Pouya Alimagham
For the past 4 years, I’ve been yearning to make a trip to my homeland that I’ve only dreamed and read about and this spring I am making my dream a reality and visiting Iran. I’m sure for many it may seem silly to group a journey in the same playing field as such monumental occasions like childbirth, but if you give me a moment to explain, I will show you why it’s such grand occurrence for me. I left Iran with my family as a baby. The only memory I have of Iran is of being in a room with the lights off while the town siren was sounding. It was a piercing noise that brought to bear the urgency of the occasion - Tehran and other civilian cities were being bomb during the notorious Iran-Iraq War. The room I was in included many people; I’m sure most were family, but I don’t remember exactly who was there.
 LIFE
Arghavaani
Baraaye maadar bozorgam
Mandana Zandian
 COMMENTARY
I speak Irani
The case for a supra-national lingual identity
Guive Mirfendereski
In the Indo-European Family of Languages, the Indian branch evolved into Sanskrit, then into Middle Indian and from it derived the sub-branch that included Bengali and other tongues, while another sub-branch became Hindustani. The Iranian branch produced Avestan and then Old Persian and from Old Persian derived Middle Persian, the written form of which was called Pahlavi in Sasanid times. The Persian of today called by some as New Persian (and Modern Persian) is what most Iranians recognize among themselves as Farsi. Farsi (also referred to by a minority as Parsi) is the language of the Samanids, of Rudaki, of Ferdowsi and of Iran for over a thousand years. When an Iranian speaks of his language to another Iranian they refer to it as Farsi. The term Parsi is hardly used by the majority of the people unless they try to get across to the listener or reader a cultural, ethnic or political point of view, often laced with nostalgia, nationalism or ethnic purity. There is very little linguistic logic to its persistence.
 CONCERT
The sound of music
As Shajarian started the Persian "chah chah", the American guy gave an estranged look to his Asian woman
Nilufar Hakhamanesh
As the lights dimmed, the voices faded and the sound of music became to display. Little by little an odd aura hovered around me. I don't know what it was but I think I started feeling nostalgic and a bit irritated. Maybe I thought we were a wrong crowd for this, that this was too pure and sanctified for this society of people to get... The Persian woman sitting behind me kept moving in her seat, kicking me in the back and falling on her husband. I'd turn my face sideway and see them at the corner of my eyes. She would be rubbing her head against his chest "ohhh, honeeeyy, mmmm". The guy in his mid 20's next to me suddenly turned to his father and said impatiently "so when will Michael Jackson come?" "Bisho'oor" was his father's reply.
MINORITIES
Unworthy Iranians
I never felt sorry for the minorities because I never saw injustices to them
Azam Nemati
I am the most liberal Iranian I know (I am pro choice, pro gay marriage and adoption and having the right to make fun of religion and God) and yet time and again, I am let down by these so called minority members. Yet, I do not feel in my heart that you are as committed to justice for all as you claim. I worked hard to arrange an exhibit for a Bahai artist who was not known in my area and even bought a poster from her but I was outraged when I realized she is dedicating her life to so called documenting the "persecution of Bahais". Give me a fucking break. Generation of young and talented Iranians perished under crown cannibal and continue to perish and you people want us to feel remorse for your imaginary suffering? Until you and your kind steps up to the plate and shows me that they are part of the Iranian community, I think you should all be officially stripped of the name "Iranian" because you are not worth it.
 FOOTBALL
They OWE us
Mahdavikia will have to play extra hard during the World Cup
Assal Badrkhani
It was a shock last week when I came upon sporting headlines accusing him of having two wives. People will look at Iranians no different than they did in 1979 as those hostages were being paraded around for 444 days. A bunch of backward radicals. And that is a slap in the face to me and so many others because we are counting on these players for more than just to put a ball in the back of the net. My generation has no other heroes. We can't look to our honarmands and we can't relate to our politicians. We just have these guys and their sport. We have no flag. We have their jerseys. We have no real representatives to this world. Only their smiling faces, their amazing dribbles, their scores, their sportsmanship.
 SHORTS
Which one am I?
Leila Farjami
As talking to a good friend of mine tonight, I was reminded once again that sometimes our "tragic" experiences are not so "tragic" compared to others. We were reminiscing about the good Old Iranian way of punishing school children: hiring psychotically sadistic teachers. I was telling him how when I was in fourth grade, despite being one of the most praised students in the class, my teacher had slapped me really hard on the left cheek because I had merely forgotten to bring my mathematics book. She made a point of making me the sacrificial lamb so that others would learn the embarrassing consequence of a lapse in memory as a nine year old.
RELIEF
New Orleans saints
Photo essay: Joining Katrina relief efforts in New Orleans
Najmeh Modarres
 LIFE
The foot and I
One day, my left foot refused to support my weight any longer
Peyvand Khorsandi
It started with a picture. Diabetic foot, that is. I saw it in a magazine, inflamed, bruised, and blistered. Then, when my foot started to hurt, I thought I had it. The pain grew. My intelligence shrivelled. I hobbled around, waiting for gangrene to set in. Months passed. Walking became tough. I was dying.
REPLY
One & the same
Peace will not begin until we realize that
Zohreh Khazai Ghahremani
I read your letter to Iranian.com and even though I have tried to refrain from further discussions regarding my latest book review, this time my heart tells me writing back is the right thing to do. I will not make any further referrals to the book because as far as I am concerned, a book review is one reader’s take on a written text and no amount of debate can change my mind, particularly when I am being misunderstood. But as you said, this is no longer about a book as it involves my poor understanding of what has gone on in my own backyard.
LIFE
Better late than early
Letting in their happiness seemed like the kind of thing that would leave a person headed for a fall
Siamak Vossoughi
Back when happiness was a solitary thing, Seattle was a good place to be, because she could walk around and feel glad about the rain and the gray sky and the way the whole city went with them, and she could know that she was the only one who felt that way. Everyone else seemed to think of the rain as a time to dream, to dream of the sun, and she saw their dreams come out when the sun did, and it was too much to see sometimes, because it seemed to be packing a lot into a little, rather than spreading it out with a little grace and subtlety, over time.
 SHORTS
Learn to wait
Vida Kashizadeh
There is a dark dark dark dark, dark room with no door. Don't enter it! When the weak man in the position of power in the third world is turned and turned and turned in Shams' mind he reveals himself to be a propeller. And when the weak man in the position of power in the first world is turned twice he turns to a screw and gets stuck in the back of the propeller. Do we have to watch this to happen? Learn to wait. That man does not recruit suicide bombers, he IS a suicide bomber.
 SHORTS
The lovely days we have!
Ali Dadpay
Have you ever felt your heart? I do now. It is beating faster and wilder everytime I read a piece of news about attacking Iran. PLEASE STOP! What I would give to have just a normal country to sit down and not to have every passing moment to be a count down toward a war. The reports have made these days of this great spring grey and The air is filled by the smell of ashes. There is no joy in sensing dark forces are gathering to attack the one place that we call home.
 SHORTS
Why am I with you?
DJ Jurab
This very last evening, after a long day of toil and tussle and after a boisterous romp in bed, I let my head sink into the pillow and let the space cleared in my mind extend infinitely, conjuring up the whiteness of disappearance. In the bliss of the afterglow my body settled like a zone of pure possibility, without incidence, without voices. I knew this plateau would linger for only a few moments so I focused on taking it all in. No more than a few seconds had passed before Nadia opened her mouth: "So, tell me, why are you with me? Is it just the sex? Why did you call me that first time? Did you think I was a slut? Because we have to talk about this ..."
 SHORTS
Grandpa: only dad I ever had
Safeyeh Tarassod
My grandfather died Monday. I heard the news when I was in class and my sister text messaged me. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't feel anything at the time. I couldn't cry and look sad, but shock. Her text said Baba Bozorg died. I tried my hardest to cry but felt emotionless. I haven't seen my grandpa in about eight years since coming to US at age 11. He had a so called fourth wife to take care of him, but she had become more interested in her money than his well being... The fact is he was more than my grandpa, he was my only dad that I ever had. When I was three my father sent us to Iran with nowhere to go. So for the next eight years he took care of us, and I am just disappointed that I wasn't able to take care of him when he needed the most.
COMEDY
Making god laugh
Photo essay & video clip: Ebrahim Nabavi at UC Berkeley
Jahanshah Javid
 DIARY
The belly dance diaries
Part 1: The belly dancers' guide to Persian culture (or, "All I really need to know I learned at Chatanoga")
Zari
Relocating to the west coast was a big leap for me. A young belly dancer from New England, I wanted to move where the weather was gorgeous, and the stakes were high. I had heard there were a lot of people from Iran in California. This gave me respect for the culture. People who were smart enough to pick a place with nice weather ñ how great. Not like my ancestors, who moved halfway round the world to wind up in Massachusetts. I resented that with each blizzard ñ why couldn't they have gone a few extra miles and landed someplace sunny? Shaking my fist at the sky, I made my plan. California, here I come!
 SHORTS
Frucall.com
A.K.
Two good friends of mine, Nasser K. Manesh and Saied Kazemi, have lunched a very exciting service that I think you may like (no, I’m not trying to sell you anything, but I do have a request!). Their service is called “Frucall” (frucall.com). It’s a very simple idea, when you go shopping (books, TV, CD, toys, or anything that has a barcode ...) you can dial their service number, enter the barcode, get the Amazon (and other web site) price for that item, and order it from internet if you like. It’s a great service for people like us that try to save few bucks to few hundreds. The interesting thing about their service is it’s free.
 DIASPORA
Leadership camp
Dealing with Iranian-American adolescence
Nooshin Hosseini
"Why do I have to be here?" a young friend whispered to me through gritted teeth as we gathered with several other Iranian families for a Norouz celebration on a Friday night. She would have preferred to spend this weekend night out with her friends - or anywhere else, really. The conflict between the demands of her cultural heritage and those of her life outside the home is, no doubt, one familiar to many Iranian-American youths. As a member of Iranian the Alliances Across Borders (IAAB) helping to organize the first Iranian-American Leadership Camp for high school students, recently I've been trying to take a step back from my everyday reality and think more deeply about the Iranian-American youth experience.
 SHORTS
Generous dollars
Sadaf Kiani
Dearest Friends, I am very touched and moved by your generosity. Thank you for trusting and give me an opportunity to share your love with our children in Iran. Yesterday was the deadline for donating and I would like to share with you how much was collected... We have raised $285 CAN and $781 US (one contributor sent $201, he said the one dollar is a lucky dollar)! I also received boxes of crayons, pencils and erasers. I am leaving on Tuesday and will be in touch with you from Tehran. The target organizations for children In Tehran are: "Anjoman e Hoghoogh e Kodak" (The Iranian Children's Rights Society) and "Kanoon e Kodakan e Kar". I will buy supplies for these children and will also give them art lesson...
A review of Bijan Daneshmand’s “A Snake’s Tail”
Setareh Sabety
“A Snake’s Tail,” is a gem of a film written, acted and directed by Bijan Daneshmand. The film is set in London and is about the relationship between Kami, a forty year old businessman whose father has just passed away, and Agha, the Mullah or Muslim priest, who conducts the burial ceremony. The story shows how Agha, an opium addict with a penchant for Persian Sufi poetry, takes Kami, who is distraught by the death of his father, under his wings. During their weekly meetings Agha not only exposes Kami to the beautiful poetry of Rumi and Hafiz but to the euphoric pleasures of opium, the preferred drug of Iranians since time immemorial.
LIFE
The gift of friendship
Priceless moment with an old friend
Zohreh Khazai Ghahremani
When I was invited to attend my best friend’s surprise birthday party in another city, I thought why not? I hadn’t seen her for some time and exhausted from all the Norooz activities, a trip might do me good and provide a chance to relax. A friend met my on-time flight and soon we were driving through the San Francisco drizzle to Half Moon Bay, where the party would be. An out-of-towner, it felt strange to be in a room where I did not know most of the guests, but in less than half an hour, the party warmed up and everyone did their best to make me feel at home. When the approach of the birthday girl was announced, anticipation took over and all eyes were on the entrance to see how surprised my friend would be and, oh, was she ever surprised!
 GENIUS
Simple math
Lessons from the recent rallies of "illegal immigrants" across America
Xerxes Darius
This very powerful tool of unity, organized assembly, and peaceful demonstration is nothing new. It has been effectively used by various groups in the American society and this recent event proved to all of us that it can be as effective when used by the illegal immigrants even after 911!! Let's see if we can explore some parallels between above and Iran and Iranians... But, where to go and why should Mullahs leave especially when the Iranians of Los Angles, New York, Chicago, London, and other cities around the world are marginalized and have precluded themselves from the equation of fate. To better describe the equation of fate, I have simplified it so that even those single-digits among us can follow:
 CULTURE
Ideas for our future
Keeping Persian culture alive
Hossein Hosseini
After almost 30 years of living in America, I have learned there are many things we could do and should do to keep our Persian cultural heritage alive here in this great land of “melting pots.” After all, the Irish have their St. Patrick’s Day, the Germans have their Oktoberfest, and who can forget the great Mexican celebration of Cinco de Mayo or Chinese New Year? The key is how to best retain our Persian culture, while still adapting to American way of life. So, you may ask, what is it in our culture that we need to maintain? I would say everything that has to do with our identity as Iranians; from our food, art, and language, to the great history and tradition that we grew up with. Having raised two kids in America (Ages 14 and 12), here are few practical suggestions I could offer you as you deal with young ones being raised here:
 LIFE
Mom
I wasn't there to hug my Father to tell him it'll be ok
Hamid Bakhsheshi
It was another one of those moments, the phone rings and my heart skips a beat or two, my mouth gets dry, and every negative thought rushes through my head. Then I answer the phone! "Yellow", I say in a form of a question, fear, or wonder. My sister, Azita, answers with another question, "Hamid"? "Yes", I reply. By now I'm thinking, oh God, she's gone. "Mom is in the ward now; she wants to talk to you". A tired, almost "slow" voice on the other end says, "Hamid jon"? "Yes Mom", I reply and shake my head hard so I wouldn't cry. I joked about her being bald, "Make fun of me going bald, ha?" She laughed and her laugh was very familiar. Just like the time I used to make fun of her Araki accent or made Shamaee Zade impressions. That laugh finally told me she's ok.
Photo essay: Throwing the sabzeh in the San Francisco bay
Jahanshah Javid
 13 BEDAR
Spring in Virginia
Photo essay
Ali Khaligh
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