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Monday * Owe it to you Dear Arman, ["Gasping for air"] We will NEVER forget the great debt that we owe to you and thousands of other Iranian soldiers. I was ten-years old and lived in Tehran during the "war of the cities". I remember vividly the intermittent sound of the aajir khatar, the bombs from Iraqi planes lighting up the sky and my mother trying to figure out which part of Tehran they were bombing. At school we all knitted stuff for our soldiers -- mostly very long misshapen scarves! -- and prayed for the war to be over. I remember handing out shirini with my mother in the street the day our army liberated Khoramshahr. I cannot find the words to express the joy I felt that day, but I know that I have not experienced anything like it since. I also remember visiting the injured in hospital and seeing boys barely older than myself with broken bodies and the eyes of old men. I eventually left Iran to study and work abroad but I think about those days often. I'm determined that I will go back one day and contribute to the rebuilding of my country. The fact that I have a country to go back to, I owe to you and people like you. * Will never forget I was six years old when Iraq savagely invaded our homeland ["Gasping for air", "Nothing but a name"]. I clearly remember the day that Mehrabad Airport was bombed by Iraqi fighter planes. I will never forget the sound of our windows shattering and the image of my father rushing off to his post in the transportation maintenance unit. I will never forget the sight of him coming back home that night with the covered with fuel and the blood stains of a fuel technician whose body was cut in half by shrapnel. Most importantly, I will never forget the monumental sacrifices of the young men and women that held the battlefield lines under the most trying circumstances imposed upon them by external and internal enemies. No matter what our political preferences or what we think of Iran's current political situation, we should never forget that it is because of the selflessness of these fallen heroes that we can still proudly wave our flag and dream of a better future for Iran. * BRAINS I can't say I "enjoyed" "Gasping for air", coz it brought tears to my eyes. But I really appreciated it. I totally disagree with the following by ben Bagheri ["Our resolve to defend"]: "I know people call that war senseless and a big waste, but I believe that our country had to secure a peaceful future with her neighbors for some time to come." If the country was run by people with BRAINS, the war should have never started. * Politicizing Googoosh What a coincidence. The very week when I finally received my copy of Googoosh, Iran's Daughter, you carry an interview with the director Mr F Zamani. First of all, I can not describe how much, as a big fan of Googoosh, I had been waiting for my copy to arrive by post. At a running time of 158 minutes, I thought I was in for the biggest Googoosh-fest since I saw her perform last year at one of her comeback shows. But sadly I was in for a big let down. When you purchase a video titled "Googoosh, Iran's Daughter," what do you expect to see? What I saw was about 80 minutes of interviews and clips about Googoosh and the rest was the most one sided analysis of the Iranian revolution and the Pahlavi Dynasty that I have seen for many years. Despite all contributors repeatedly stating that Googoosh has never been and is not political, Mr Zamani has managed to somehow relate her to every political event in Iran from Mossadegh to Khomeini and beyond. I know that the aim was to put her carrer within the context of Iranian history, but Mr Zamani, would it not have been better to devote more time to the subject matter? And if this was to be turned into a 158 minute analysis of the Iranian revolution, was it really that hard to find just ONE Iranian with a different view point to all those included ( ie. one who spoke positively of pre-revolution Iran )? Whilst the video is technically well made and innovative (though some of the Googoosh scenes are repetative), I strongly resent that by using the name of Googoosh, Mr Zamani has ensured good sales of his output which if marketed under another name such as "An Analysis of The Iranian Revolution" or "God, Eeverything the Pahlavis Did Was Evil" would probably not have shifted as many copies. Mr Zamani states in his interview that he is not sure whether Googoosh has seen this video. I sincerely hope not. This woman has been used all her life by others. What a pity that what could have been a brilliant stylish tribute to Googoosh has been turned into a vehicle for Mr Zamani and his contributors very objective and one sided views on Iranian history. Hamid * Refined, humorous I would like to congratulate Ms. Tehranchi for her refined, humorous, and gutsy articles "Bigger is better" and "Vezvezee". It is refreshing to see a young Iranian writer can confidently express herself on subjects that are considered taboos by many of our uptight compatriots. * Innocent I have read with interest (and some dismay) the recent letters and articles regarding the untimely and unfortunate death of Leila Pahlavi. Many interesting and some valid points have been raised on both sides of this issue. However, one more thing needs to be discussed. Two overriding thoughts kept going through my mind, particularly after reading some of the things that were so filled with pure hatred. If you hate the Pahlavi's, if you think that the late Shah exploited Iran, etc., etc., which is probably true, you are free to think and express such things. It is, however, irrational and quite unfair to blame the daughter for the sins of the father. What did she have to do with any of this? Surely a nine-year-old child didn't have that much power over you! If you resent the Shah, why do you have to take it out on some young soul who has already passed away? She is DEAD! What are you accomplishing by directing hatred towards someone who is no longer living? What would you think if someone blamed you for any of the mistakes your parents may have made? Are your parents perfect? I think not. Are you perfect? I think not. ARE ANY OF US PERFECT? How would you feel if your parents made mistakes and then someone spewed forth venomous thoughts upon your passing? Please think about this. This misplaced hostility is not productive to anything. It serves no purpose but to further alienate and divide Iranian people from each other. At a time when most Iranians say they want reform, the rule of law, a civil society and democracy, all of these wonderful and lofty goals, those hostile, angry people should learn one thing. In order to have a civil, democratic society, people must learn to disagree without being disagreeable. Yes, it is possible! It can be done! It is the only way to have free speech and free discourse without continuing to have Iran filled with shouting, hostile and as a result, very DIVIDED people. Please remember one thing: Hate produces nothing. It builds nothing. It gives nothing. It IS NOTHING. Whatever your feelings about the late Shah and his family, Leila Pahlavi was an Iranian. And she was a human being. May she rest in peace and may all of Iran learn from it's past mistakes. May all the hateful, vengeful people from EVERY side of the political spectrum turn their enormous unproductive energy to constructive, productive endeavors for the good of a stronger, more unified Iran. I think it was Abraham Lincoln who said it best: "A house divided against itself cannot stand." God bless Iran. Sincerely, * Well done I read Cyrus Kadivar's report about the funeral of the Iranian princess in France ["Crown of lilies"]. I enjoyed reading his report which was very detailed and complete. I felt that I was there myself and it brought tears to my eyes. I'd like to congradulate you for having him in your organization. Job well done. * We live in 2001 I was disgusted by Farah Pahlavi's so-called open letter to her daughter. How dare does she compare herself to the working mothers? Working mothers wake at 5.30 in the morning and go to work in order to provide for their children. Farah has no business comparing herself to the working mothers in Iran or in America. Queens are not like the regular people and should never compare themselves to them. Also, I have said before that Leila's death is a tragedy and that she should respected in death. However, I strongly disagree with those, including Cyrus Kadivar ["Crown of lilies"], who are trying to exaggerate the importance of the Pahlavi clan. Please people! Get a life! I was disgusted by Mr. Kadivar's overly sentimental and praising comments on the funeral. Sir, go and learn from the likes of Christian Amanpour who cover real stories of pain and sorrow of the misfortunate in the world. We live in the year 2001. The Shah is dead and long forgotten by most of the Iranians! He was not a great man and because of his policies many of Iranians suffered a great deal. I am not suggesting that things got better after the revolution, but that is not an excuse of any of us to forget the crimes that were committed under the Shah and his regime. This was a time when women were raped in prisons in front of their parents! Stop praising the royal family and do not be so nostalgic about a time in Iran when many suffered while a few enjoyed the privileges!
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