Friday
May 18, 2001
* Impressive insight
Thanks Ms. Sabeti, I enjoyed reading your article ["Googoosh,
the myth"]. It was quite scholarly,without being boring.
I am not interested in Iranian radio or TV shows, and therefore, could
have easily ignored your comments. However, I am glad I did read it.
I thought your article was to the point, articulate, and your insight
was impressive.
Nahid Javadi
* Let's make a deal
Dear fellow Countrymen,
There is no doubt that recent articles published in this magazine have
stirred up some controversy. I'm sure everyone is familiar with "Bahram"...that
sexy devil. Hard as it was, I was really good about not writing a complaint.
I figured what good would it do? Most sane people know the difference between
good and poor writing.
We'd just stop reading the articles (not the entire magazine). However,
I have noticed that more and more people are upset with the "stories" (for lack of
a better classification), and I really did enjoy reading this magazine.
Therefore I think WE, the readers, should stand together and make a deal.
I'll write an artice every week for you, let me know if you want something
like a soap opera, or a new story, op-ed, health and science article, poem...
I'm flexible. So long as we deviate from poor writing.
Yes, Mr. Javid, there is something
between the Koran (or other holy books) and Playboy. No one is denying
that Michelangelo's statue of David is obscene. It is a creation of art
which was tastefully done. The medium between all things holy and Playboy
ranges from extreme conservatism to extreme sexuality.
I strongly believe that if the author had written these stories in a
more tasteful manner, we wouldn't have stirred the controversy. Every
Editor has the right to use their discretion in printing a piece. What
is imperative here is HOW you use it. Let's keep it real.
Mitra
University student
20 years of age
EDITOR'S REPLY: I like your offer Mitra... the part that you would
like to write... just write... about anything you like... and I think I
will publish it. Pretty sure, in fact. I look forward to it. -- Jahanshah
Javid
* False & malicious
I hereby challenge Mr. Ali Foroohar ["Good
point smeared"] to specifically identify any portion of my opinion
article, "Ghost
of Khobar" which he falsely and maliciously identifies as being
"anti-Semitic." I never once mentioned a single thing about all
Jews or even Iranian Jews, so Mr. Foroohar, if your definition of "anti-Semitic"
is "telling the truth about a well known event in Israeli history"
then I suggest you move to Iran because you share much with the Orwellian
and repressive guilt-by-association thinking that goes on there.
John Mohammadi
* Tolerating everybody
I thank you for being so professional to post different opinions including
my letter ["Bunch
of chickens"]; you seem like a man of principles. Keep doing this
fine job although you might have two decades ahead of you to reach to where
every body learns to be respectfull to others but that day won't come unless
you keep tolerating everybody. Even by publishing those that you don't like
you get credit, both from them and from those who agree with them. You are
teaching them something that way, you are being their teacher rather than
letting them to teach you (just treat your audience like you treat your
child)!
Ali Ahmad Keshavarz
* Tired of all organized religions
In regard to "God's
messenger to humanity ", please note that all organized religions
are the same and they all claim to be the last God's religion. Conversion
of so many Mollas (whom now , we know better), to Bahaism, as claimed,
is hardly an event to brag about. On the contrary , it proves that they
SARO-TAH-E YEK KARBAASAND and attract the same kind of mentality.
If Bahais have not YET done what the Taliban and Islamic Republic --
or for that matter the Christians -- have, it s because they do not have
that kind of power YET. But they are heading that way by trying hard , like
many other religions, to convert every possible living soul to their belief.
We have seen that before and we are tired of all organized religions
who try to bring the lost wandering souls to their RAAH-E RAAST, first
by choice and then by force.
Thanks, but no thanks.
Azar
*All prophets the same
Another Moslem-Bahai argument ["God's
messenger to humanity " "Bahaullah
schizophrenic", etc. I can't tell which one of these people are
more misguided.
Cyrus is quite right to say, "Bahaullah was not a prophet, he was
just a schizophrenic with his delusions and hallucinations and some naive
people believed him and follow him." But the same can be said about
all prophets. Adam and Eve, Heaven and Hell, God's messengers to humanity,
Holy Books, Imams, etc etc are all delusions and hallucinations, and only
naïve people believe these things.
No 12th Imam or messiah or Shah Bahram is ever going to come. When are
you going to grow up and stop believing in these ancient stories? Put it
through to your thick heads, Father Christmas does not exist.
Babak Babakan
* Give me a break
My name is Ghazal Vaghedi and I am a 21 year old college student in Boulder,
Colorado. Just recently I came across an article, more like an editorial,
in your magazine that appalled me ["Embrace"].
It enraged me enough that I had to write you guys and let you know exactly
how I felt about what this person had to say. So, here is my response
to Yariz's article. I probably could have written a lot more, but I had
to limit myself somehow.
Yariz, It is awesome that there is an Iranian magazine, where Iranians
(and others) from all backgrounds can express their opinions about what
they believe. Unfortunately, your article says little about yourself,
thus I really don't know what your personal experiences have been with
regards to Iranians in America.
You base so much of what you say on sweeping generalizations about a
group of people in a foreign land. Many of the people you are talking
about, are like my parents who gave up their lives (my father lives basically
in exile here) and everything that was familiar to them so that their children
could live some dream even if it was the American dream. Although I agree
that Iranians should learn about and to embrace other cultures in which
they live within...I totally disagree with you that just because we live
in America we need to think of ourselves as "Americans"...give
me a break.
You are telling me that my 52-year-old mother should completely emerge
herself in a culture that is still pretty foreign to her, and thus forget
about her true identity. I don't think you even understand how hard it
is for someone who has spent almost their entire life in Iran to come to
America learn English and enter the work force, especially if that someone
is above the age 40; much less learn about "Southern Black Blues and
the Holy Bible" >>>
FULL TEXT
Ghazal Vaghedi
* Hamaame zanaaneh
Dear Kobra Khanom,
Thank you very much for answering to my questions. Your
explanation about "Hamaam e Zanaaneh" was very logical and
scholarly. At this moment I'm writing a short article about "Hamaam
e zanaaneh" in my city in eastern part of Gilan and it's role in spreading
neighborhood news and gossip all over the city. As soon as I finish the
article, I send you a copy of it. I believe, if CNN hires some of the women
who have some affiliation with "Hamaam e zanaaneh" in Iran, it's
success in news broadcasting will be doubled. Don't you think so?
Mehdi
* Adopted in 1975
I was adopted from Tehran in 1975. My mother (adoptive) says I was adopted
from Queen Farah's orphanage and it was destroyed during the seven-year
war and there is no way to trace any records of any kind.
Is there anyway I can find out if there was an orphanage and if it has
been destroyed? I have had many emotional voids due to unrtracable roots
and little to no information. I would be so grateful if you could respond
with any information you may have. Thank you so much for your time.
Amanda Leila Long
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