|
Monday * If you're rich Just a quick note regarding Setareh Sabety's romanticized reflections in "No walls". I am writing because it is precisely this kind of article that contributes to (not "causes") the brain drain out of Iran. To a lot of people in Iran, especially the youth, this portrays an image of paradise, because it says essentially: Behesht aanjaajt kaazaari nabaashad [Paradise is where there is no abuse, where everyone minds their own business leaving others alone.] I agree that here you can be who you want to be and live your "dream". However, there are a few qualifications that Ms. Sabety leaves unsaid. Yes, here you can be who you want to be, so long as you are rich and you do not challenge the country's power structure, or its "cultural" institutions, in any serious way. As evidenced by a political revolution only 23 years ago, in Iran people are a lot closer to the possibility of affecting and even changing the various forms of authorities that regulate their lives. They are much closer to the centers of state power and of culture's ability to affect their lives. These institutions (state and culture) are much less entrenched in Iran, as formal institutions, and people can challenge them much more easily than similar institutions in the U.S. Here in the U.S. if you decide to seriously challenge the country's "democratic" power system or to challenge the "free market" commercial way of life, you will soon be marginalized into political and economic wilderness. The "middle class" is left alone to dream its dreams so long as it conforms to the rather invisible DICTATES of the state and "culture". Imagine what will happen to your "unwalled" liberties, here in the "free world" if you are not relatively rich (trying to selfishly "conserve" your suburban neglect of the suffering in the world), or want to, for example, resist the intrusion of unfettered commercialism into every single aspect of your life and even your consciousness (including your health care and the education of your children), or want to resist the rampant sexualization of women's bodies (and those of the men, thanks to "feminism") in order to sell products, services, or even ideas, or want to resist, for another annoying example, the blind American support for Israel's savage treatment of the defenseless Palestinians. If you decide to do so, I set forth that you will soon find that your paradise is not as blissful as you have portrayed. I hope the young people in Iran make their decisions to leave the country with more realistic, less romanticized "information." Respectfully, * Living in fear They come in expectation of safe refuge from persecution. Yet it's costing some their lives and making others live in fear. On August 8 an Iranian refugee, Davoud Rasul Naseri, 22, was stabbed in the back in the Sigthill area of Glasgow. The attack followed the death of a Turkish Kurd Firsat Dag, also 22, after he was stabbed in the same area the previous day. The British Government's policy of dispersing refugees has landed about 1,500 refugees in one of the most deprived areas of Scotland (and British Isles). The policy came about as a government obsessed about its image responded in a knee jerk fashion to pressure by the strong middle class lobby in the southern counties to address the problem of asylum seekers pouring into south eastern towns around the channel crossing points. Sighthill is a troubled inner city area famous for its violence. The housing is a collection of run down local government housing, the best of which are grey concrete towers built in early 60's. You can visualise the area if you have seen the award winning movie Trainspotting. Although I have never been to Sighthill or Glasgow I know it by reputation from the stories an old Glaswegian class mate used to tell about his growing up experiences. I never forget one story which showed the harshness of life there. According to this friend the children's favourite pass time living in the housing estate was to drop chisels or screwdrivers on police cars from the balcony of apartments high up. From that height a chisel or screwdriver can go through the chassis of the car, so you can imagine what it would do to any obstacles in its path such as a police officer's head. Davoud Naseri spoke to reporters of his anger against Glaswegians but significantly he also said he would rather return to his native country to die for his beliefs rather than die for nothing in Glasgow. * Barbarity IS barbarity Barbarity IS barbarity. If Islam demands this barbarian behavior then it is a savage religion ["Only 7 or 8 were stoned"]. If the bigots demand it in the name of Islam, then they are savages smearing the name of Islam. Religion should exist to refine the human condition. Don't make excuses. If only seven or eight were stoned, then seven or eight times barbarian acts were committed either through Islam or falsely in the name of Islam. It is time to examine preconditioned beliefs and either believe with sound reason or discard because of lack of sound reason. If you believe in a religion that makes no sense (nonsense) then you also precondition future generations to believe in nonsense. * Ask for directions In response to Siamack Baniameri's "Where is it?": That's the trouble with men... "topographic maps, compass, radar, smart bombs, and GPS systems" but they won't stop to ask for directions! Try just asking. :-) * Without firing a bullet Moji Agha's first mistake is his generalization of feminism ["Reduced to genitals"]! In order to avoid historical fallacies such as comparing feminism with the Taliban, Moji Agha should first learn about the history of feminism. Remember: feminism is the only mass movement that has grown faster than any other movement in the history of mankind without ever firing a bullet. Feminists have never used violence for their cause whereas feminists have always -- throughout history -- been targets of violence. Best, Elham Gheytanchi * Flamenco? Persian? It seems that you have published a certain description of a CD named "Ojala". These paragraphs are patriotic and I respect the intention of the author, but they do not promote a better understanding of our history, and they are therefore a disservice, written by uninformed people. I understand some people are very upset about the regime in Iran and want to have nothing to do with anything reminding them of Islam, including with anything Arabic. But diffusion of narcissistic ideas does not help our people or our culture. How can anyone write an article about Flamenco and not write about the Indian/Gypsy/Arabic influences? How can anyone claim that it was one Iranian man who went to Spain and taught Flamenco to the Spanish? This reminds me of someone else on the Internet, who wrote pants and the guitar were both invented by Persians. I am not Arab, nor Islamic. But I repeat, making bizarre claims about we did this and we did that does not promote anything good, but more ignorance. According to the introduction to "Ojala", "Latin love songs would fit well with Persian musical tastes." This is true enough. The reason is quite simple. "Persian tastes" have a long history in common with Arabic, Indian, and Turkish tastes. Arabic and Indian Gypsy rythms have created Flamenco. Incidentally, the very name of the album, Ojala, is a Spanish derivative of the Arabic expression Insha-Allah, and it means the same thing. There are certainly deep connections between Persian music and Flamenco. If we look at the map, we see why: Persia and Spain were both invaded and occupied for centuries by the Arabs. There, is the connection. We may not like this reality, but that is how it came about. Persia and Spain were the only countries that were invaded by the Arabs and that are today not Arabic countries. But for many centuries the official language of culture in both of these countries was Arabic. Ibn Rushd (the great philosopher) was a Spanish Jew who wrote in Arabic. Ibn Sina, Ghazzali, Farabi, and Razi, were all Persians who wrote in Arabic. Ibn Arabi was a Syrian who was the teacher of Rumi. Rumi lived and studied in Damascus. Later on, he became a major master of philosophy for Persians, Turks, Jews, and Arabs. Back then there was lots of rich cultural exchange going on among all these peoples. Just like Western Europe today. There is no question that a lot of Persian writers, philosophers, and thinkers wrote in Arabic, and in the West they are mistakenly known as Arabs. It is also true that Hegel studied and admired Rumi, and the Morrocon, Ibn Khaldun. It is a fact that the books of Ibn Sina were taught in Europe for centuries as the standard books of medicine. It is also a fact that a Roman Emperor adopted what later became known as the Christmas from a Persian Holiday. These are historically verifiable facts (although I see nothing to be proud of for having crated the modern Christmas, a total shopping circus). And it is fine to be proud of our own heritage. But it is a strange idea to claim that one Persian man went to Spain and taught Flamenco to the Spanish. There could have been one great Persian teacher in Spain, but there were at the same time thousands of Arabs, Jews, and Spanish teachers. In fact the Andalusian school is believed to be the forerunner of modern Flamenco and has a rich history fusing Morrocon, North Indian Katak, Spanish, and Egyptian styles into one rich tradition. I have lots of respect for your Web site. I just wanted to raise these points for the sake of historic accuracy. Also I think the creation of such CD's fusing Persian and Latin music is a wonderful event. Ba ehteramat-e faeghe, * Movie: Alexander the Great Hi. I reallly enjoyed your review ["Alexander the Flop"] of Robert Rossen's "Alexander the Great". I read a lot of movie reviews and I rank your review very high. I just wanted to let you know that the Oliver Stone's project is on a limbo now. But there are currently two Alexander the Great projects in development. One is produced by Dino De Laurentis and possibly directed by Ridley Scott. Christopher McQuarrie has also a script about Alexander the Great, but that project is also shaky. I think De Laurentis's project seems to be more of a possibility, at least for now. De Laurentis has experience in Epics himself. He produced the Anthony Quinn movie "Barabas" back in 1962 and "War and Peace" in 1956 with Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda and Mel Ferrer. * Neveshteyeh ghashang Meekhastam kheylee behetoon eftekhar konam ba een neveshteyeh ghashangetoon Kanoom Setareh Sabety va Khaooum Sheema Kalbasi va Khanoom Naghmeh Sohrabi...Vaghtee neveshtehhaye shomaharo meekhoonam hameh cheez ro jeloyeh cheshmam meebeenam va chehghadr vaghi hastand... Kheyli mikhastam az neveshtehhaye shoma ham tashakkor konam... Neveshtehhaye khanoom Sabeti keh vaghan harf nadarand chon faghat vagheiatharo minevisan va Khanoom Kalbasi ham keh az ba ehsastarin shaerhhaye moaserand va khanoom naghmeh sohrabi ham keh ba maghalehhaye jalebeshoon kolli beh adam ettelatat midan... movafagh basheen Khoda Neghadar, * Touched I am reading your beautiful writings ["Sadaf Kiani Abbassian"] and feel touched by your deep thoughts, easy-to-read-and-follow (salice and shiva) style. Let us benefit from your thoughts and writings. Best wishes for your excellent writings. Iradj Sooudi * Wants fries with that? Dear Editor, I read with amazement and dismay recent email posted in the Iranian.com ["One Iranian wife coming up"] about a man in Pakistan practically "Mail Ordering" an Iranian wife as if she were a Combo Meal in a McDonald's Restaurant. Did you have a chance to ask him whether he wants his order with or without fries and a diet coke?
|
|
|
Web design by BTC Consultants
Internet server Global Publishing Group