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Tuesday * America is no paradise As usual, Setareh Sabesti has written a beautiful article ["No walls"]. However, the contents of this partiucular beautiful article are a product of fantasies. As Moja Agha wrote in his letter ["If you're rich"], you are free in America as long as you mind your own business and do not endanger the power structure. Sure, you are free to read what you want or dress as you wish, but it is very naive to think that one has complete freedom. You are free to do as you wish as long as your action does not affect established rules of society designed by power struecture. I am not suggesting that things in Iran are much better, but that does not mean that America is a paradise. The U.S. government does allow the foreigners to come here and make money and mind their own business, but as an Iranian I am always aware that I am still viewed as a foreigner and a guest in this counry, even though I might be a citizen or possess a Green Card. Mrs. Sabeti forgets that some 60 years ago, the wonderful U.S. government put its Japanese citizens in California in concentration camps. The same thing could easily happen to Iranians or any other minority group in this country. Racism stills exists in a visible way. I have lived in this country for 13 years and just last week some guy in the street called me an outsider and asked me to get out of the town where I live. Furthermore, those who control the power sturcture will never allow the newcomers to really be in charge.They let them make money and live a quiet life, but they will never give them power. And for the money they make, most of the foreigners have to work extremely hard, sometimes two jobs. Nobody in America would give anybody anything for free. Everybody is an individual and is responsible for himself. Also, Mrs. Sabeti talks about lack of phony pleasantries in America. That might be true in Maryland, but in California there is sure a lot of fakeness and phony pleasanteries. Again, I don't suggest there are no phony pleasenteries in Iran, but that does not suggest that that kind of behavior does not exist in America. As far as the relationships with neighbors are concerned, at least if there was a problem between two neighbors in Iran, they would try to discuss it first. In the Great U.S. of A., the first thing a neighbor would do was to call his lawyer and sue his neighbor. Setareh Sabeti is a very capable writer, but she ignores a lot of things in her essay. * In fairyland I have been an admirer of Setareh Sabeti's writings for sometime and have made sure not to miss any of her stories in the past. Her insights into issues that impact Iranians both here and at home are accurate and precise most parts. However, this time she has lost my vote by having gone a bit too far. She has stepped into a delusional land by writing "No walls". So, I agree to disagree with in her assessment of her sweet adopted country. She wrote "Here in America you can live a whole life on a street and not know the person who lives across from you"; she went on to conclude "this indeed is a blessing if you give it a chance." Well, I am at a loss as how to respond to her views on this subject. Most of us grow up in Iran with our neighbors, who become part of our immediate family. In fact, where I grew up in Tehran, people knew each other in vicinity of a mile if not more. Majority of them would form a support group and chip in to help if one needed help in a time of despair, or on a jubilant occasion. She also stated "Here we are all linked by one thing alone and that is our mutual respect for law." Surly she can't be serious. Is it respect for the law or fear of the law? Let's distinguish between these two closely related but far different issues. Do you really think when you are driving on a highway with no cars within sight at 55 MPH, you are respecting the law or fearing the law? Do you really believe "respect for the law is the most precious link that bond people in this country?" Well, if your answer is yes; then, you must be living in a fairyland. Perhaps you may care to elaborate this phenomenon for the readers. Why the respect for law is only extended to the American people and not to any other nations if they choose to claim their sovereignty? Why American people who are so concerned about respecting each other's right, won't they question their government when in it commits some of the most heinous crimes in the world in the name of American people? If you had commented on political freedom in this country, I would have agreed with you. It is an undeniable fact that this is perhaps one of the few countries that you can express your thoughts and voice your opinions freely. But, I can't agree with your analysis on "No walls". So, let's agree to disagree. * I drew it I liked Siamack Baniameri's article ["Where is it?"]. I thought it was funny... :o) So I drew this... hope you like it. * Doesn't exist I read the article by Siamack Baniameri entitled "Where is it?". The author goes to great lengths (without any need) to look for the so-called G-spot and makes a big deal out of it as if it is the biggest question remaining to be answered about human sexulaity. All he has to do is grab a first-year medicine anatomy book look up G-spot in the index and he will quickly find out that such an organ (or body part) does not exist. The author claims he needs a machine or something that measures pleasure (orgasm) while making love to his partner. He fails, however, to realize that feelings of pleasure, joy, sadness can not be measured easily and may even be impossible to measure. I wonder if the author uses a machine every day to measure his happiness, sadness or excitement. If the answer is no, why does he need an "Orgasmonometer"? If he needs a machine to find out whether he is giving pleasure to a woman then maybe having a measuring device is not the problem. * Women, children not property Give me a break. Anyone who really believes that Betty Mahmoody, author of "Not without my daughter", was at fault in her dire situation is deluded ["Won't last with a non-Iranian man"]. The woman traveled to Iran to please her husband. She believed she was to be there for 2\two weeks. He tricked her. Women and children are not property. She was treated poorly by Mahmoody's family, and she did what she knew had to be done. She got her daughter out of there and back to a country where she could make her own choices. If I was forced to remain in a country where I was not welcome nor given any freedom, I might appear to be crazy as well. Any mother or father in similar circumstances would be within their rights as human beings to do the same thing she did. She put her daughter first. * Reminded me of a film Mr. Roozbeh Shirazi, Your article ["Alhambra is great"] reminded me of scenes straight out of a film by Egyptian director Youssef Chahine, called "Destiny" in which he recalls the story of Averoes, the writer and scientist which takes place partly in Andalusia. I recommend you to see this film about the free minded writer in an age when Europe was living under religious inquisition, and Andalusia was torn between political rivalry and religious intolerance. The film is also a hommage to Hollywoods golden age of cinema, in that it is at the sametime a musical, a peplum (that is swords and sandles movie) and also a comedy at the same time. It can be purchased from amazone.com. * Iranians in Islamic invasion of Spain In regards to Mr. Foad's letter "Flamenco? Persian?", Thanks for clarifying your points and correctly criticizing this very common habit among Iranians. By the way, it is quite correct that Islamic armies invaded Iran and converted Iranians. It is also true that Islamic armies invaded Spain as well, but that does not make the invasions neccessarily Arabic! The invading Muslim armies could not extend as far as Spain by just relying on Arabs. It is only common sense that they recruited the population of the newly conquered territories, and these new recruits took their respective cultures to the new lands. In fact, many of the commanders of the Islamic invasion of Spain were Iranian, among them people with names like Rostam and Behzad! Since you seem well interested in the subject, please refer to Prof. S. Shafa's new book, "Persians in Islamic Spain". I cannot comment at all about the music, since I have no knowledge of it whatsoever! Nevertheless, I would have to agree that Flamenco has obvious Berber and Gypsey influences. Still, in many cases, it is not that absurd for a single man to have taught a kind of music to a nation. For example, St. Ambrois, an early church father and the bishop of Milan, invited two magi to Milan and asked them to compose pieces of worship music. Their compositions are known today as "Ambrosian Chants" and they form the back-bone of Medieval church music, and by extension, Western classical music, which has deep roots in Christianity. I thank Mr. Foad again and hope, along with him, that people start expressing their ideas without prejudice and bias. * Someone to talk to Looking for an Iranian lady friend for my mother who is an Iranian lady in her late 60's (though she will not admit her age). My mother lives in Manhattan and is very, very lonely. Her main interests are fashion, sewing, and to keep up to date with events in Iran. She misses her homeland and family, and although she will not admit it, her mind and heart are with Iran. I would love for her to find a nice Iranian lady to go out to coffe shops and chat. It breaks my heart to see her so lonely. She is Muslim but not interested in religion, and does not care at all what religion you are as long as you are Iranian. * Sinatra in Tehran Frank Sinatra gave a memorable concert in Tehran Iran in 1973, during the Shah's reign. He even drank a glass of water after a breath-taking performance after which he called it "Persian Vodka", provoking laughter among the stadium crowd. That was his sense of humor. Could you find pictures related to that event? His concert is mentioned in a tribute book written by Nancy Sinatra. If you have any clue, I'd appreciate the feedback. Regards, * Immigration / travel issues I know a man, Iranian, has lived here in the U.S. for about twenty years. (I do not know how he first got a visa, can only imagine that he has illegally lived in this country many years.) He has parents who live in Teheran. He may or may not want to return to Iran. If he does, what does he need to do? He has a child here in the U.S. but is not married to the U.S.-born mother (the son was also born in this country.) He tells the mother of his U.S.-born son that none of them can visit his parents in Iran unless she marries him. The mother of his child would like to know about the legalities of her and her child visiting the Iranian grandparents with or without the Iranian father. And if he would be part of the visit, can he return to the U.S. ? I am the grandmother. Oregon-born, I have lived in northern California for many years and would like to help out my daughter and grandchild as far as their knowing the facts of visiting Iran. As far as the Iranian father, I do not know what questions to ask nor whom I should contact re: current information on travel and/or repatriation to Iran?
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