Letters * Support iranian.com * FAQ * Write for Iranian.com * Editorial policy July 1, 2002 * Can we say COUNTER PRODUCTIVE? Mr. Craig Lawrence: I enjoyed your article "Ticking clock". However I completely disagree with your point of view. Don't get me wrong, It would be great if Iranians demonstrated peacefully and took it to the streets like East Germany in 1990. Unfortunately that's all wishful thinking and Bush's speech did nothing more than brining the reformists and hard-liners closer together (not to mention ruining every thing the reformers were working for towards a better relation with US). Any time a leader (the most powerful man in the world!) labels a nation as "Axis of Evil"; all he/she is doing is threatening an entire nation of people! Can we say COUNTER PRODUCTIVE? No matter how much the conservatives are disliked by the majority of Iranians, people will pull together when threatened by a foreign country. To be honest with you, I sometimes wonder if Bush's from another planet! Bush's speech not only pissed off a lot of Iranians (and Iranian/Americans like me), but many other nations objected to his counter productive speech (especially Europeans). South Koreans were outraged by Bush's comments towards their hotheaded neighbor! Here are 2 countries TRYING to calm things down between their borders -- and Bush conveniently waves a big stick from a zillion miles away! To make it short, Iranians are disorganized and have NO unity (2500 years of disorder), and US's foreign policy straight up SUCKS. Put Bush in middle of all this with his "Axis of Evil" speech and we've got. Saman To top * Fuzzy logic Hi, I wanted to know what u mean by parsis and not iranian? [How many Nobel prize winners are of Iranian origin?] Do u mean the Parsis in India? If that is what u mean then u are talking about a very small dying minority which I havent heard of any accomplishment outside india, if u are talking about accomplishments of Persian speaking people in central asia (Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) I havent heard anything from them either. You wanted to know about iranian accomplishments? One of Ebay founders is Iranian, The same thing about Quark Xpress, same thing about Qualcomm communications. AN Iranian was vice president in Oracle. The biggest electronic retail chain in Canada Future Shop was owned by an Iranian family, the same about the worlds biggest Mall in Calgary. If you look in IT companies in US u will find many Iranians at top postitions, as matter of fact iranians are highest paid foregin engineers in United states (I saw the statistics from 2-3 years ago), much higher than indians. No doubt Indians have a big role in IT-buisness nowdays and they should have with a population of one billion people and having English as an official language in their country. And talking about Nobel prize. There is no measurements of knowledge rather than results. Nobel prize is more of a political tool than a measurement of accomplishment. Sweden itself as host country is very much overrepesented in nobel awards statistics, which shows its bias. Mr Lotfi Zadeh born in Baku, raised in Iran, an iranian Azeri is one of the most known figures in Science with his fuzzy logic that is being applied in every day life. I think fuzzy logic is what you seem to use too, since u are not able to make any point with your words. Choghok To top * Just to show its inherent faults Please don't let anyone discourage you from printing such wonderful satire [I wanna be your king]. It was really fun and really expressive in a sideways, ironical way. The writer is obviously not a monarchist, but instead is playing with the concept just to show its inherent faults. Too bad so many people took it literally. Sheesh! All the critics should just lighten up a enjoy it for what it is. Some people need to learn to laugh at themselves, their paradigms, more and satire is a great teacher. Debbie To top * Alibaba cave I would like to deeply thank all those who have contributed with documents in the Nostalgia section. To see pictures of Iranian artists for example with American stars is truly refreshing. To see WilliamWyler director of more than 300 American Films with National Star Fardin, Christopher Lee reading looking at a Persian newspaper, Anthony Quinn with Behrouz Vossooghi. This is truly an Alibaba cave for movie buffs like me. Keep up the good work everyone... Regards, Darius KADIVAR To top * Adame mohemi nisti aghaye reza pahlavi shoma baad az chand rooz ke az haadeseye delkharaashe zelzeleye Ghazvin gozashte bood va besyari keshvarhaa va hame kasani ke deleshaan baraye ensanha mitapad,payaamhaaye khod raa dade boodand,yekbaare aftaabi shodid. bechesoorat?be in soorat ke 2 radioye mokhtalef,yeki radio sedaye iran va digari radio sedaye mellie iran ba shoma mosahebe kardand. mojrihaaye in do radio beghadri az lahaze roohi be ham vabaste boodand ke hardo soalhaaye moshtarak az shoma kardand!va shoma ham javabhaaye moshtarak be anhaa dadid va nakhastid ke deleshan shekaste shavad.baraye hamin az kalamate eksan ham estefade kardid vali mojrie radio sedaye iran zerangi kard,yek soale ezafe ham az shoma kard.shayad shoma khodetan be u gofte boodid,be in soorat ke agar iran nejat peida konad,dar moghe'e zelzele che tosiehaii darid?ma nafahmidim,aghaye Reza Pahlavi dar che maghami hastid ke dar morede zelzele nazar bedahid?shayad an moghe karshenase zelzele khahid shod.vagarna nejaate iran che ertebati be shoma darad? shoma yek zamani vali'ahde yek keshvare saltanati boodid va mardom ba ghiame millioni in saltanat raa sarnegoon kardand va agar iran nejat peida konad,in 70 million dakhele iran hastand ke bayesti tasmim begirand ke che hokumati va che kasi be naf'e iran ast,vagarna khanevadeye shoma,pedar va pedarbozorg va khode shoma emtehaane khod raa pas dadeiid. chand rooz ast ke shoma roozhaa va shabhaa dar jalase hastid va nemitavanestid kami zoodtar payame tasliate khod raa bedahid,man fekr mikonam jalasaat,didane barnamehaaye jaamejahaanie 2002 boode ast va barnaamehaaye tafrihie digar ke baa poole mardome iran dar an sooye digare jahan bedan mipardazi. aghaye Reza Pahlavi taje be terror gofte boodi,motmaen bashid kasi zahmate terrore shoma ra be khod nemidahad,chera ke adame mohemi nisti.agar in masale raast bood shomaa dar sourakh moosh ghaayem mishodid,reshadate shoma zabanzade khaso aam ast. Kiarash Razi To top * All I see is hate I WISH YOU WOULD STOP SENDING ME THE IRANIAN TIMES EMAILS. EVERY THING I RECEIVE IS HATE MAIL. YOUR WRITERS HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON; AND THEY SHOW IT BY THEIR WRITINGS. ALL I SEE IS HATE FOR ANY THING BUT ON RELIGION; AND EVERY COUNTRY THAT DOES NOT AGREE TO THEIR LOGIC. ALL THEY BELIEVE IS SUICIDE. THEY REVOKE THE UNITED STATES AND ANY ONE ELSE WHO HAVE A DIFFERENT GOD; AND DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTS. I DON'T BELIEVE IN ANY THING HEAR; AND I SUPPORT THOSE WHO HAVE COMPASSION FOR OTHERS. I HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE IF IRAN HAD SUICIDE BOMBERS IN TEHRAN THAT KILLED THEIR PEOPLE WHAT WOULD THEY DO. WRITE ABOUT IT OUR DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. YOU GOT RID OF YOUR GOVERNMENT; AND PUT THE ONE IN THAT BELIEVED EVERY THING THEY DO IS ALL RIGHT. THE COUNTRY NOW HAS NO FREEDOM OF SPEECH; AND RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE. IT LOOKS LIKE A THE MIDDLE EAST COUNTRIES HAVE THE SAME THING. GO MY WAY OR NO WAY; AND IF YOU DON'T ALLAH WILL DETERMINE THEIR DESTINY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME THE EMAILS OF HATE. THE WAY THE WORLD IS NOW I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR MORE CONFUSION OF PEOPLE TAUGHT IN STUDIES STORIES OF HATE. THE ONLY REASON THEY HAVE JOBS IS TO ALWAYS COMMENT THE SAME IDEOLOGY ALL THE TIME. BILLELKINS576367@aol.com To top * Except for "commercial girls" Welcome to the club, brother (and I mean it) [Loving an Iranian girl]. I worked at a US Navy yard, where we converted USN ships for delivery to pre-revolution Iran. Iranian sailors complanied to us about the same things. Same in US except for "commercial girls". Studebk To top * Persians have to let go of arrogance I've been meaning to throw in my 2 bits on "The rest" and this whole issue of Persians and Iran etc. Just today I read "Broken link" accusing the author of "The rest" of succumbing to Imperialist plots and conspiracies etc. I strongly believe it is everybody's God-given right to question everything and that we should not, under no circumstances, label anybody because of what s/he says or believes. The Mullahs are doing a great job of branding their opponents as "Mofsedeh fell-Arz" and then punishing them to the harshest. Let us try tolerating the most nonsensical, in our opinion, utterances of others, specially now when there are many forces at working trying hard to pull us apart and pit us against each other. All right folks, let's begin our journey. First off few examples. They may seem irrelevant, but please do hold on, we'll get to the beef soon! 1. There is a country in Europe called Germany. For you Americanized bunch who believe the Main Street in your Boonducksville is the Center of the World, Europe is on your way to Iran and Germany is where Mercedes and BMWs come from! The French refer to the same piece of land as "Allemagne", and the Italians call it "Tedeska". However the Germans call it "Deutschland". 2. Not far from Germany is Hungary, to us "Madjarestan". 3. There is another country further east called Greece. But we call it "Yunnan" and they themselves name their country "Helena". 4. Further east, there is a piece of land where most of the readers of this site come from. The Europeans refer, or used to do so, to it as "Persia". Got the point? Not yet? 1. The Germanic tribe bordering France way back when were, are, the Allemans who also live in Germany and parts in Switzerland, thus "Allemagne". 2. "Magyar: a member of the dominant people of Hungary" www.m-w.com. Also known as "Ma·gyar·or·szag". These must have been the tribe we used to deal with long long time ago. 3. "Old Ionic: the Greek dialect of the Homeric epics" same source as above. "Ions" were the Greek people the Iranians used to interact with, thus the name "Yoonaan=Plural of Yoon" in Persian. 4. By the same token, our country was referred to by the Greeks as "Persia" because the "Persians" were the Iranian people most in contact with the Greek. The term per se is neither racist nor negative. Bavarians, another Germanic tribe or the B in BMW!, are not offended for being called Allemagne by the French, although they don't particularly care for each other. Bavarians and Allemanns do NOT even understand each other if each spoke own dialect. You read that right: If these 2 ethnic groups were to communicate only in their respective GERMANIC languages, there will be no communication. Their common language is the so-called High-German. The name of our country was never Persia, or when was the last time you found "Pars-Zamin" in "Shahname"? Ferdoosi always talks about "Iran-Zamin." Do we have a more legitimate and acceptable source than that? The Greek, with them the Europeans, call our country "Persia" for the reason stated above. However, we should be extremely careful equating Persian with Iranian. All Persians are Iranian, but NOT ALL Iranians are Persian. To set the records: I am Fars-eh Tehrany, but my wife is Kurdish. Her family is every bit as Iranian as I am, but they are NOT Fars and don't speak Farsi with each other. We, the Persians, have to let go of this arrogance. The literature referred to by the author of "The Rest" is IRANIAN Literature not just Persian. They were composed in one of the Iranian languages. Or do you refer to Goethe as the Great Hessian Poem, because he was from that region of Germany? Goethe is one of the greatest German literary figures. He wrote his works in the prevailing Germanic language. Same thing with Saa'dy, Hafez etc. They wrote their works in the prevailing Iranian language. Why Persian came to become the prevailing Iranian language is probably because Ferdoosi composed his "Shahname" in Persian, "Adjam zendeh kardam bedeen Parsi". And why did he do it in Persian? Because he was from Toos, Khorrassan. If he were from Sanandadj, he would have done it in Kurdish, if he came from Rasht, would have done it in Geelaky! And our prevailing language now would be Rashty who would be telling dirty Jokes about Tehranis! Nevertheless, with the strong secessionist undercurrents in non-Persian Iran, the point may soon be moot:in few years with Kurds having their Kurdistan, Azeri Turks forming Southern Azerbaijan or merging with Az. Republic to create Great Azerbaijan and Baluchis celebrating Free Baluchestan, we Persians can calmly talk about Persia and mean Iran. We could even call it Farsestan! There will only be Farses left anyways! Nakara To top * If you asked me Why the hell did that Shah divorce Queen Soraya? [Soraya] Just because she couldn't produce a child? Wasn't he the Shah? Couldn't he abolish the laws dealing with a royal heir? The Shah abolished all laws right and left and killed millions of Iranians and ordered the banning of a book titled "The Cat and Mice" before the revolution. If you ask me the Shah sucked balls. He was a filthy beast. It shocks me that sand niggers like you support the filthy Shah. Don't you have decency in you? You should promote republic based on a democracy. Look, no one in the EU even accepts Turkey as a real country even though Ata Turk changed that backwards country. Why? Because their laws are barbaric, and all the Western Human rights groups damned them to backwardness; just like the Pahlavi's Dynasty. The West wants change. So change your ways you son of a camel jockey. So the next time you take out your abacus, count correctly. Jake To top * Let's get real I read the article "Ticking clock". It has some interesting points, however it falls short of living in the current world. Let's all keep in mind that the so called war against terrorism is primarily a political war, Bush uses it to keep his opposition in science and in his shadow. Let's get real guys. No president should ever speak his heart except when a human tragedy has happened. It is often very problematic to speak your heart specially if your heart is full imperialistic and colonizing blood. Bush is simply an accidental president to protect Corporate America's interests. Look, there is 36 million children in the United States who do not have any money, yet bush thinks it is a better idea to spend on warfare so that his friend in lucky and Boeing can big lumps of money. George W. Bush is simply not a good man he can not lead the world because he does not have the credentials. Let's look at our own people's capacity and how they can pressure people in power to give the long thought freedom. Ehsan Samani To top * Whatever the persuasion of the author I wish to commend you on the publication of this article [The country she loved to death]. There was a certain undeniable calmness in Ms. Bayegan's writing, allowing me the certainty that whatever the political/religious persuasion of the author or readers, we will all reflect on its genuineness while nurturing the sadness of it all. Cocopod To top * Adopting a little lost wonder I think that is great what you are doing... adopting a little lost wonder. He will be the beacon of your life and you his. You won't have to answer the very tough "why did you bring me into this world?" that very many of us have no answer for. Instead, he'll thank you for giving him a fair chance at life that his parents, for whatever reason, couldn't. Please share more with us. Regards, Moe To top * Take issue Dear Mr. Javid: Please visit this webpage below and invite other readers to take issue with it. We shall not allow the name of our country to be sullied in this way. Thank you for your time. Behzad Yamini To top * Children are extremely impressionable As a counselor and parent, I was extremely disturbed at the response your advisors gave to the girl that wrote about her feelings toward a fellow classmate [Madly in love with an Arab boy]. I do not know if they have children or not but I think you should stick to advising the girl and leaving their personal views about the parents and their methodology out of it. To also take this situation and use it as platform to state their own opinions is unethical, we as counselors are not here to state our own views, whether their position is that of older sisters or just a friend in this medium they have the same role a counselor would. Children are extremely impressionable, and this one in particular has written for advice about the situation not these ladies opinions on the parents parenting methods. In any psychological text this would be considered unethical, counselors are always taught first to deal with the issue to leave their personal views out of it. Although, difficult very plausible. I did not even see the age for this young lady in her letter. Is this the same advice that would be given a 15-year-old girl as it would a 19-year-old girl? As a counselor one is taught to respect cultural boundaries. All in all it was a professional disappointment. S.Oskoie To top * Waving your little book Well I read your article in the Iranian online webzine and I must admit I was thoroughly disgusted with your childish and biased attitude towards immigrants [Long live Iranian TV!]. I have no idea or even interest as to your age, but you demonstrated clearly to the rest of "US" that you have the understanding level of a 11-year old child who has lived all her life in hill Billy land! When I read this comment saying: "I was born an American. I have one of those shiny little blue passports with the gold writing that some illegal immigrants would kill or die for..." I had a hard time continuing with your article. Now, as they say and I believe in it: "I defend your right to say what you want to death", but it doesn't mean I have to like it or leave it unanswered! Where do you get off waving that stupid little booklet "with Golden writing" in the face of those that for all practical purposes have gotten out of their contries with their lives and ONLY their lives! Waving your little book that you did not "EARN" but you were born with! I believe those Law abiding - God fearing immigrants to the US and/or Canada that EARN their citizenship should have much more of "booklet waving" rights than you ever may have. Remember the backbone of countries like US - Canada - Australia and New Zealand ARE the "immigrants". But I guess you are too childish to educate yourself with these type of facts. Two more points for your continuing education: 1.) Did you know that since 1935 on to this date the highest rated immigrant to North America, be it in the degree of education - Wealth and people with potential of good future are Iranian Immigrants? Did you know that? I bet you didn't. These, by the way are not "my" words, but these are words from a huge Article From LA Times. Go to their site (if you know how to use a computer that is) and search their archives for the Search pattern of "Iranian Immigrants" and see it for yourself! 2.) So who ever you are: Grow up and remember waving your "booklet" in peoples faces is not the right way - it is not even the Spirit of America. Remember those famous words of "Give us your tired - Your huddled masses" they are STILL true today and even more so... It just dawned on me: You should make a hole right in the middle of your little "booklet" and tie it with a rope to your neck and use it as an ornament. Since with your attitude, it has lost all it's value and meaning. Shahdad (and yes I AM Iranian)! To top * KHOSRO EGHABI: Contact mother On my recent travel to Iran a month ago, an elderly, helpless and desperate mother asked me to help her locate her son in Canada. Her son is a legal resident/citizen of Canada for about 15-20 years. She is saying that she hasn't heard from him in more than two years and doesn't know whether or not he is still alive. I have already checked Canada's on-line telephone directory, as well as his previous home and workplace in vain. I am aware that Taxation Canada and Provincial Driver's licence databases, or banking institutions would be the best place to locate a missing person's latest address, but I don't think I will be able to obtain any answer from them under the Canadian Law and Privacy Act. This mother can not speak/read/write English and can not travel to Canada to look for her son. I am writing on behalf of her and would like to help her and will provide necessary documentation if required. I just sent a request to the "Canadian Red Cross Society" and "Iranian Embassy" in Ottawa, and thought to send this to your site as well incase he reads this message or a reader knows his whereabouts. He is originally from Tabriz. He has worked at "Efaye Design Studios" as an "Interior Designer" in Toronto, Canada. My message is: Mr. KHOSRO EGHABI, wherever you are in the world and reading these lines, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE contact your mother. She is in tears and waiting to hear from you. And, Dear Reader of Iranian.com: If you know Mr. KHOSRO EGHABI, or know where I can reach him, please let me know, so that I could let his mother know. Many thanks in advance, Mansour Shoari Toronto, Ontario PS. Does anyone know if there is an alternative way to search for a missing person? Thanks! To top * Show me Dubai I read a letter from "An Iranian from the UAE" [Dubai which he didn't or couldn't mention] in response to my recent article "Postcards from Dubai". Unfortunately since this gentleman did not leave his email I could not respond directly but thought it would be useful to clarify a few points. I spent 8 days in Dubai and had quite a lot of free time on my hand as my wife worked during the day. Armed with a guidebook and using the taxi I was able to whiz around Dubai (a tiny island) to get a feel for the place. Nobody paid me for the article but I felt it would help future tourists to see what I saw. I do have a descriptive style of writing and a detailed visual memory which may explain my "tourist brochure" approach. I wish I had met more Iranians in Dubai and hopefully next time I will try to write about them from another perspective. I had a marvellous time in Dubai and hope to visit Iran one day although it has been 23 years since the revolution drove me away. I am not sure if the gentleman from the UAE was being sarcastic or trying to write my biography as he made assumptions without having met me. Maybe one day he can show me his Dubai. In any case I hope my readers will forgive me for having shared my trip with them. Best wishes, Cyrus Kadivar To top * Playing it down is unfair I just wanted to reply to Mr. Baker's article "Who's a Nazi?", which I generally agree with. In times like these, it is easy to lose track of facts and just say "(put favorite enemy here) are just the same as (put worst criminal you can imagine here)". Israel has commited atrocities and violations of international law, but they are not comparable to Nazi Germany. There are many complex and involved issues in Mr. Baker's article which I won't get into here. I just wanted to touch on one of them: In the interest of objectivity and clarity, I would like to set the record straight on the Human Rights Watch report that Mr. Baker refers to. May I remind everybody that the UN fact finding commission was not allowed into Jenin by Israel, and a thorough investigation never occurred. HRW acknowledges this, and strongly urges an investigation based on the limited investigation they were able to do. HRW claims it did not find evidence of a massacre of hundreds of Palestinians, but it did say: "Human Rights Watch identified fifty-two Palestinians who were killed during the operation, of whom twenty-two were civilians. Many of the civilians were killed willfully or unlawfully....The abuses we documented in Jenin are extremely serious, and in some cases appear to be war crimes," said Peter Bouckaert, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch and a member of the investigative team. "Criminal investigations are needed to ascertain individual responsibility for the most serious violations. Such investigations are first and foremost the duty of the Israeli government, but the international community needs to ensure that meaningful accountability occurs." Mr. Bouckaert clearly stated that the Jenin events clearly warrant further investigation. To take this report and use it to play down the allegations of a massacre is very unfair, (kind of like comparing the Israelis to the Nazis). War crimes or massacres, the UN should be allowed to go in, and the refusal of the Israeli government to allow them in to find the facts is an outrage. For those who are interested in the facts, the report can be found at: //www.hrw.org/press/2002/05/jenin0503.htm For those who are too mad to be interested in the facts, may I kindly recommend sitting in a tub of cold water (a remedy commonly mentioned by Iranians..):) Regards, An Iranian To top * Intellectual support for fanatics I don't know how many of your readers know about Professor Hamid Mowlana. He lives in the good country of USA and has a position at the American University. For some reason, he cooperates with the most fanatic political faction in Iran. Anytime Kayhan or Resalat newspapers or other fascist papers need to back up the most fanatic policies or block any reform movement, this guy preents some articles fulled with the most extreme leftist ideas. His articles praise the Islamic Republic and swear at the US, liberalism, West and democracy. This guy sides with the most extreme anti-modern ideas and opposes with the slightest reforms in any area, including economic reforms, political liberation, legal reforms and any social reforms. Kayhan and other fanatic papers in Iran use this guy's title (Professor Mowlana) to Gain credibility. I remember this professor was almost the first person who attacked the notion of reforms and civil society during presidential campaign in 1997. After student clashes with police in 1999, it was so painful to see this guy sending articles from US to Kayhan providing intellectual support for fanatics.The timing of his papers and lectures precisely suit the needs of right wing propaganda in Iran and leaves no doubt that this guy has close connections with Iranian right wing. His motives can be some sort of financial compensation from the Islamic Republic or fulfilling a personal complex and psychosis or his failure in getting along with the American ladies or whatever reason. You have to notice that this guy is not as Islamism as much as a Stalinist.While seemingly a hundred percent communist, Professor Mowlana keeps his face shaved and clean, wears a tie, fully enjoys all the freedom that he has in US and above all he actually hardly bothers himself to travel to Iran!Anyhow, I think that we should give this guy some troubles. It makes no sense to live in US and passionately advocate the most fanatic faction of Islamic Republic. Makes no sense to benefit from a capitalist system and help to block ANY reformist thought in the Islamic Republic, which has been a total disaster in any aspect.I am looking for any suggestion, especially from those people who felt the pain from reading this guy's articles in Tehran, for how to stop this guy. The least thing that we can do is to send a statement regarding his actions to his department, his colleagues and students. You can check out this link to his latest appearance in Kayhan newspaper attacking economic reforms. Daavar Izadpanah To top * All too true! You had me laughing hard with your story, "Just another soccer widow". It's all too true! I don't experience personally, but my son-in-law is a talented amatuer player, and ardent fan. The thing is, my daughter loves the game as much, so they're BOTH glued to the TV throughout the World Cup at all hours of the day... Thanks for sharing - it's sad, funny...AND true... Trish Lewis Moorhead, Minnesota To top * Money is not everyting Dear Janahnshah, [Dear Solitary Donor] I am not one of your daily visitors, and I don't like many of your articles, but I believe you are a man, iranian man, who is doing a something different about how we all communicate with each other. I don't think and want you to know that you are not a GEDA. I challange anyone to open a website like yours and run it like you do. In fact I have my own site that don't even have the finacial support to keep it open. And I know what it takes to keep it updated daily. So your are to a point a hero of the iranian sites. It does not matter if I agree with your articles, it matters that you work hard for it, for us. Amoung Iranians this is a gift that you have. Dear Janhanshah, money is not everything. It is needed to survive but better die as a man who knows that he did something for his country than die rich and knowing you didn't do sh... Keep on going, F.S. Webmaster, Parsworld.net To top * A lot of noise about racial profiling Dear Behzad, This is to respond to your intriguing article "Have a good day". Here are counseling words from one proud citizen of these United States to hopefully another: Do you know what distinguishes the government of this country from that of most of the world? I think you do, and it was concluded at the end of your article. They let you go when they realized you were not a criminal. We make a lot of noise about racial profiling in this country, but you and I as an Iranian should have nothing to fear. My friend, let's be confident. You are not a criminal, I am not a criminal and we are not criminals. If I look Middle Eastern that's because God was kind to me and wanted to create me as a man appealing to lots of women! That's not a stigma! That is a privilege! Did you forget those college years? Our native land has never been any kinder to you and I than people of this country have been. They took us in, they educated us, gave us opportunities and then let us compete. That is why we are so successful, because we were given the freedom and the opportunity. Look at Ebay!, look at Sun Microsystem, look at yourself, we are all part of these success stories. If a border patrol who works long hours everyday breathing the smog from the cars at the border tries to do his job, so be it. You and I never complained when the American women told us "I love men with dark complexion, and I love Middle Eastern men, hmmm, I love hairy men!" But then we get pissed off if they ask us a few questions, when the freaking economy is going down the drain based on evidences that non-native Americans were behind it. And knowing that inside every one of us there is substantial reserve of radicalism ready to explode, then what's the big deal about an hour of questioning at the border? Knowing that Islamic Republic has sent more Islamic students to Canada than Reza Shah sent to France! Hell I would be very concerned what those Islamic Students are doing in Canada too! Why didn't they go to study at Al Azhar University? The poor airline ticket agent, the police officer and the border patrol are all doing their jobs, neither one of them will ever ask for any bribes. Neither one of them have traveled as much as we have done and their scope of knowledge is what they are being told. I much rather to be questioned and let go by an American police officer than what I have experienced only few months ago in places like Morocco and Egypt that many officers you come to contact with signal you for some Dollars and charitable contributions laced with intimidation! I rather spend a 10 minutes interrogation by a trigger-happy border-cowboy who would not draw his gun, given I am not defiant, than a corrupt Egyptian officer that wastes an hour of my time just to get some bribe because my passport picture has a mustache and I don't. In closing, I want to advise the young Iranians living in the USA, to be always courteous to police and authorities. That is your weapon against a tough, tired, serious-looking officer that may think of you as the brother-in-law of Bin Laden, just be calm, polite and always maintain your true Iranian values. You will be amazed how they will return your respect with respect and won't ask you for a penny. That is the United States of America. Let's dream of the day that we won't have to bribe our ways out of trouble in our native land, the land of bulbuls and flowers! I sympathize with what you went through, but cheer up, we are in good hands. This is a tough country and it loves tough people. Thanks, Farrokh A. Ashtiani To top * Evin photos? Are there any photos available of the notorious Evin prison? Sheila To top * So what? Mr. Alagehband, [Shah had AIDS?] Your allegations to the late Shahs sex life is ridiculous and baseless. Since when is befriending a man who happens to be a homosexual imply that you in turn are necessarily a homosexual? As for the ridiculous claim that the Shah died from Aids let me refer you to the following book, "One Doctor's Adventures Among the Famous and Infamous from the Jungles of Panama to a Park Avenue Practice" by M.D. B.H Kean. Dr. Kean was indeed one of the Doctors involved in the numerous medical interventions on the Late Shah, along with Dr.s De Bakey who ultimately was to operate the Shah. The Shah had Cancer by the mid seventies and was followed by Doctor Christian Bernard of the Pasteur Institute in France. If the Shah died of anything it was from Lymphobic Cancer and not Aids. He would probably have survived if he had got the right treatment at the right time, as Dr. Ibrahim YAZDI the hailed Islamic reformer has been recieving proper treatment which he so vehemently refused the right to the Shah. As for the Shah being a womanizer, so what? So were Napoleon, Julius Ceasar as much as Cleopatra was a man hunter. Anyone in his position would have probably done the same. What do I care if President Clinton enjoys wet cigars as long as he is doing a good job. Since when is ones libido an indication of competance or incompetance in a given job? For your knowledge let me tell you that through some God knows which wild guesses Historians have established that Alexander the Great and Richard the Lion Heart were homosexuals. The Shah had indeed three marriages and the Third time he was lucky with the person of Empress Farah Diba who gave him four children and they formed a pretty good couple who shared the glory and humiliation of exile. Mr. Alagehband, your silly allegations are not only distastful but they hardly add anything to historical debate. It only testifies that Iranians are still incapable of looking beyond gossips and revolutionary slogans, 23 years after the establishment of the IRI. Darius KADIVAR To top * Careful with any representation of Iran I also see the developments in Iran positive [The missing factor]. My only problem with Hamid's documentary is that he TALKS after his film screening! He claimed that his movie REPRESENTS IRANIAN WOMEN. With all the issues that you have eloquently described with 'representation' of Iranians in the media, I didn't think it is appropriate for a filmmaker to claim that his film - which shows a segment of people in Iran - Represents Iranian women in general. why does Hamid make films? Why doesn't he just preach his ideas?! I think we need to be very careful with any representation of Iran. There is no absolute Iranian woman's voice. Iran is a vibrant country and just like any other country- specially in Middle East- it has oppositions. Let's remember that Islamic Republic of Iran is also the regime that repressed its opposition vehemently in the spring of freedom (two years following 1979 revolution). Not all women agreed with Khomeini's restrictions on women's rights. Many Iranian women poured to the streets of Iran on the eve of March 8 1980 to oppose Khomeini's decree on women's mandatory veiling. They were violently suppressed by the Islamists. There is no one film that can portray the whole of Iran. It goes against the purpose of filmmaking as an art. Best, Elham Gheytanchi To top * Another four years of peace and quiet Parissa Khanom, I feel for you [Just another soccer widow]. As a man, I have a similar problem to you in that my gorgeous wife, Varinder (she is Anglo Indian) has been addicted to the world cup goings on. Last night I had to carry our TV up to our bed and actually place it at the bottom of the mattress, where my feet are, on my side of the bed. This was so that she could wake up in the morning and watch the England-Brazil match without getting out of bed. As you can imagine, I had a very uncomfortable night. The next morning (this morning) she woke me up at 7:00am and asked me to switch the TV on so that she could watch the game which started at 7:30am. Here's the thing: V normally has no interest in football. I, personally, cannot bare to watch a group of men chase a ball around a pitch for 90 minutes. Much better to give them a ball each and ask them to stop running around and tripping each other up. Needless to say that once the game started I didn't get any more sleep. She kept yelling, shrieking and even hitting me with her pillow whenever someone scored or there was a near miss. I watched her pained expressions as she squeezed my flesh - finally pinching me hard as Brazil scored the second and final goal. Stay string and you will have another four years of peace and quiet. Siamack Salari To top * No taboo shekani Dear Mr.Javid, I considered your site much more high class to introduce sites such as "sekaf.com".This is no taboo shekani. Just for the sake of your wonderful site, please be more careful about what you represent. A fan of Iranian.com, Bahareh Vali To top * Are you not ashamed? Dear Mr. Alghband, [Shah had AIDS?] You are out of your mind. Guess work is not the prerogative of History. What are you, agent of IRI or just a simple crazy being. Are you not ashamed of yourself? How far one can go to damage a dead person's name? Alexander & Caesar had AIDS too! Did they not? Idiotic!? Regards, H. Hakimi Reply: Mr. Hakimi: These books I quoted were published in the United States not in the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). And as for Nazi-ism is concerned you can't compare anything to Nazi-ism. 12 million innocent people were killed because they were either Catholic, Jewish, gypsies or other people. Out of respect to the people who were killed, Shah Reza Pahlavi (the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty) should have expelled the German workers in Iran. The Reza Shah did not. If any religious leader has AIDS then they must have done something wrong. I don't believe everything I read. I search through it and investigate. Best Regards, Peyman Allen Alagheband To top * Give the devil its due What! The Taj Mahal was built by hundreds of "Indians". There isnt another structure that matches its beauty or majesty in all of the world. Or the rest of the world would have heard of these similar buildings!!!! So why did not this Iranian architect build the same kind of buildings or atleast something to match this elsewhere????? Iranian architect indeed! and the west would like to say they built it! Folks give the devil its due. It was Indians who built that beautiful structure. Learn to deal with that!!!! Give the devil its due!!!!! Shabana To top * So short-sighted To the United States Administration: President George W. Bush, Vice President Cheney and Secretary of State Powell ! As an Iranian/American I am outraged to read [news: US courts Iraq rebels with ties to mullahs] that in order to oust a brutal dictator such as Saddam Hossein, the Iranian people are sold out to the brutal and terrorist backing regime of the Shi'ite Islamists in Iran. Is your administration so short-sighted as not to realize that mullahs and Islam cannot be ever democratic, and that these same mullahs are backing the terrorists that have undermined the peace process in the Middle East and are enemies of the United States ? How shameful and sad ! Respectfully, Shahla Samii To top * Guess what? This is our home now I read with interest, the article on profiling [Have a good day]. What I find ironic, is that "White" Americans (those of Northern and Western European origin),most of whom never knew the difference between Persian,Turk, Arab and Indian (and continue to think I'm Greek, Italian or Spanish) are now suddenly able to pickout a "Middle Easterner" from a line-up (some poor Puerto Rican just trying to make a buck). The tragedy of last year has given birth to another tragedy - open season on those who don't "American" enough (which by another twist, includes people of Jewish - Sephardic -orign as well). This behavior is of course the most anti-American of all. My family and I (like thousands of others) moved to the US, becuase we could not tolerate to live in a country where we had become outsiders. We have been silent for too long - lost in the hills of L.A. or the humidity of Northern Virginia - dreaming of going back home. But guess what? This is our home now. We have to have a collective voice that will be heard in Congress. Let us put our factional fueds aside. If Reza Pahlavi can get on CNN or Fox News and tell the world that we are not a bunch of crazed fanatics, let him. At least he's doing something positive for our community in the US. And when ever you get the urge to go shah bashing stop yourself and channel that energy into something constructive. Take a at www.niacouncil.org (National Iranian American Council), and help out. Get something done. An avid reader To top * Reasonable amount of almost all the fabulous Iranian foods I would like to make some comments about "Kopol vs. Topol". I hope it is helpful for those who have a diet plan in their minds. -- A reasonable rate of weight loss for overweight people [Topol, you are not fat sweetheart. You won! Bears are always the winners] is 2 pounds a week, or 10 percent of body weight over six months. Besides, quick changes in weight are not just changes in fat. You will loose large amounts of fluid, and some lean tissues. -- You should be careful of high fat diet and high protein diets. They are not healthy at all. You don't want to have constipation or feel fatigue. -- Because anyone can publish anything-in books or on the internet-peddlers of a fad diets can make unsubstantiated statements that fall far short of the truth, but sound impressive to the uniformed. They may start with one of more actual facts, but then leap from one erroneous conclusion to the next. Many Iranians should have heard about cellulite. Brushes, sponges, wraps, creams, and massages intended to move, burn, or break up ?cellulite? do nothing of the kind, because there is no such a thing. It's actually a fraud. -- Only one over-the-counter medication to help with weight loss has FDA approval. It contains benzocaine (Diet Ayds and slim mint), which anesthetizes the tongue, reducing taste sensations. -- The distribution of fat on the body may be more critical than the amount of fat alone. In fact, people who are overweight, but who do not have excessive fat around the abdomen, are less susceptible to health problems than overweight people with central obesity. Fat around the hips and thighs is most common in women and seems relatively harmless. -- In a healthy diet you have to take about 55-60% carbohydrate [with a lot of fibers. For example, you should take an orange not a cup of orange juice. It helps in your bowel movement too], 15% protein and 30% fat with a lot of water. You should have a reasonable amount of almost all the fabulous Iranian foods such as Polo, Khoresh, Noon, Mast o Sabzi, Adasi, Loobia, kadoo, Jooje, Kabab and Panir o Gerdoo, and you should do some exercises every day (jogging is the best). Look To top * If I want to write for them Dear webmaster, You just keep doing what your doing! Yours is my favorite on-line magazine, favorite magazine period, because it is so open and lively and daring! Nothing is taboo, which makes is a whole lot of fun and creates some very meaningful dialog between some very different people -- so different, in fact, that I don't believe they would even talk to each other otherwise. Wonderful! It's like an open forum with pictures. This, in itself, should be payment enough for the various contributing writers. I write, and I know it is enough for me. If I want more, I know where the paying magazines are, but if I want to write for them I will have to follow rules and limit my writing in every way possible and even then may get lost in a slush pile. Your way is much more fun. After all, most writers don't make a living on what they do anyhow; they just write for the sheer joy of expressing themselves and, not inconsequentially, of reaching out to other people. Debbie To top * Encourages people not to forget Dear Mr. Khorsandi, [Dance for Khordadian] It's the first time I write to you and I just wanted to say that I endorse what you said on Mohammad Khordadian and other political prisoners. By the way how can we qualify thes victims, political or cultural prisoners? The absurdity of the allegations against Iranians based on faith, cultural or religious difference or down straight political all go under the same category that is: Human Rights Abuse. As far as demonstrations outside Iranian Embassies and Consulates in solidarity with Mr. Khordadian or Siamak Pourzand or others detainees, I totally endorse that, the trouble is that when it comes to demonstrating we iranians expatriats are the last to move a finger. Your comments however are positive in that it encourages people not to forget the poor devils lingering in Evin. All the best, Darius KADIVAR To top * Abgoshti actors Not to put these actors down, but I was surprised that, the William Wyler has a picture with our most abgoshti actors. I think I'll go rent Soltaneh Ghalbha today and watch it for good old times sake! Marmar To top * Dedicated to a vision of a new and greater Iran I just read Sana A.'s article on the Pahlavis and a veritable cornucopia of reasons why Reza II could never be a viable alternative in the ineviable New Iran [Can't be fooled again]. Although Im no monarchist, Ive already taken Sana to task for "The Queen Bum". The Windsors are the biggest lot of dullards to sit stiffly on brocaded highback chairs since the Hapsburgs, but as constitutional monarchs, they do so with the consent and support of the British people. And if those people want to pour 25 million dollars a year into the Civil List so a royal can cut ribbons opening chicken processing plants, well, so be it. Say what you will about them, they carry out their duties efficiently and diligently. It seems to be a recurring tactic of Anti-Pahlavi writers to paint the family with a broad brush. All were corrupt and all were torturers, and life was just one huge repressive cesspool while the Pahlavis sipped Roederer Crystal and plotted nefarious schemes to sell out their country to Gruman and any other high-bidding American corporations. Was there corruption? No doubt! How can you have billions of dollars changing hands and expect otherwise. But can Sana...or anyone else privy to the cold hard facts... deny that the Pahlavis raised standards of living in Iran many times over, and gave greater freedom to women after centuries of denial? Can anyone deny that education... long the domain of the mullahs... was secularized and given an opportunity to offer science rather than superstition? I remember the 1970s and how thousands of Iranians were in my country on state sponsored scholarships. How many scholarships did Khomeini dole out? Long the subject of all sorts of allegations, the Pahlavi Foundation did provide millions for charitable work. Look up the numbers, Sana! Could there have been more? Certainly. Slamming the Pahlavis for not spending charitable dollars now is cheap and low. How do you know what the Pahlavis are spending? Both the Empress and Reza II attend benefits and have supported various causes over the years. Can they make the same financial commitments without the benefit of a Civil List? Undoubtedly not. Before the revolution, the Pahlavis sponsored orphanages and hospitals throughout Iran. The Pahlavis werent perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but they were dedicated to a vision of a new and greater Iran. And they were also cognizant of public opinion, which the fundamentalists never were. And I should remind Sana that if the Shah had been the hyper-stooge of the Americans as claimed, he never would have quadrupled the price of oil. In closing, let me say that Sana A. needs to look at the big picture and not just personal grudges against monarchial government. If you need help, just close your eyes and say "Juan Carlos" a couple times! D M To top * "Aghayan's" bank accounts When I heard the news and saw the devastating scenes of the recent earthquake in Iran, I thought of the poor people who were left behind, homeless and their loved ones gone! [100 villages gone] Mother nature has shaken our land one more time and disaster has happened once again. It breaks my heart to see that even mother nature has no mercy on us. Our land and its people have suffered enough through recent decades. The Iranian radio announced that most nations have offered help in this emergency situation and I am sure that red cross and UN will be involved too. But the saddest part of it all, is the fact that this tragedy will bring the flow of money to the "Aghayan's" bank accounts. The blankets and tents along with medication for the victims will be sold in the black market of streets of Tehran. The money to rebuild the victims houses will go to build more mosques or advertisement of the regime. And the poor victim of the resent earthquake will join the victims of the previous earthquakes that are still homeless and waiting for a roof over their head. I strongly believe that our duty as proud Iranians is to make sure that massage gets through these helpers and that any organization that is sending their help over should have a representative who follows the path of help, where it goes and to what use. So we know only and only the needy are getting this help not rich and greedy. Del-sooz To top * Searching for 10 years Could you kindly help me? I have been searching for someone for nearly 10 years now and would ask you if you know of a way I could find him? His name is; Soleiman Faraji-Jalali and the last time I saw him he lived at 10 Ave Saeed, Street Shokufeh, Jahleh, Tehran. I know Jahleh is now called Shohada. I was in Iran in 1986, and this was the last time I saw him. Do you have any suggestions, as to how I could go about finding him? I would be grateful for any information or suggestions and thank you for your time. Yours sincerely, Dawn (England) To top * Being guilty of the same In retrospect, my letter was quite harsh [How many Nobel prize winners are of Iranian origin?]. I was surprised how many people responded that they were also offended by picture. I received 14 emails saying that they dont share the posters view and only 2 emails otherwise. Therefore I would have to apologize for being guilty of same act that the poster was, to ignore the positive and emphasize the negatives. There are certainly a lot of positive factor about iranian culture. I would have to retract my statements about calling iranians smug because, most of the response that i got was clearly not so. fpyzak To top * One wonders In reply to Peyman Allen Alaghband, "Shah had AIDS?" One always wonders why do Mullahs and Mullah lovers favorite method of mudslinging is the charge of homosexualism. Or why is it that in their books, the Mullahs go to such details in describing various stages of "Lavat" and even species (Dogs, camels, roach etc.) fit for fornication. I let Payman jan decide for himself why. The following may however shed some light. Just read it, it is just unbelivable: Harvard University Center for Middle Eastern Studies Iran Oral History Project Transcript of interview with General Mohsen Mobasser (Chief of Iran's Police) Tanscript 3, pages 10-11 on Acrobat or pages 7-8 on the actual transcript. Transcript # 3, pages 10-11 The "subject'" name is Mehdi Abd Khodayi, an MP in the Mullah's Majless up to a few years ago. Payman jan, since your family is in business with Haj Mohsen Rafighdoust. And the Mollahs are throwing business partners such as Shahram Jazayeri in jail to save their skin. Couple of words of advice if you find yourself in jail and a former associate wants to become your cellmate: 1- Just say No. (If it does not work then 2- Sign up for voluntary solitary confinement (If it does not work then 3- Buy a virginity belt and throw out the key (If it still does not work 4- Enjoy it Zat Ziad, Kerman Zero 1 To top * The Shah could not be that way Peyman Allen Alaghband, [Shah had AIDS?] A grade three student, easily can understand what you wrote is a betrayal malicious and idiotic statement. What you are claiming is untrue and outrageously wrong. A grade three student would have asked you for solid evidence, the evidence that you claim is two dead generals' claim! A great three student can easily read your mind that you are referring to something that cannot be of verification. You are using name of two generals, who one happens to be my boss for over four years. A man of dignity, a philosopher, a humanitarian, a man of knowledge, a man who did nothing except loving his homeland; he and I talked about the Shah on numerous occasions. Yes Perron was a close friend (spy) installed into Imperial palace (Perhaps) but the Shah could not be the kind of man that you claim. You, that lost your identity to a strange name other than Iranian, perhaps sold your identity to some cheap money, who claims living in New York, New York, could have made a short trip to the hospital that the x-Shah was hospitalized and investigate more; instead of reference to something that cannot be reached. Talk is cheap, betrayal is horrified way of gaining popularity. If you are in love of your homeland, instead of wasting your time day-dreaming of such evil, childish claims, do something to rescue millions of people who are horrified, tortured, stoned, killed and hanged under regime that, yet after 23 years, is afraid of dead body of Iranian good-men and women. Talk about one who can defend himself/herself, talking about dead people, is nothing other than shaking hand with "Axis of Evils". You must have been reading a lot of Khomeini's "Resa'aleh"! There are over 12,000 cases of AIDS that has been discovered in Iran of Ayatollahs, there are other thousands of thousands that are hidden in un-known places infecting our society every minute, 65% of Iranian people are in poverty, 70% of our children are below poverty line, our resources are sold to the price of peanut, (the same price that the Shah hesitated to think of), over 600,000 of our youth are in prison without fair trial, you that live in liberty of New York, NY, enjoy democracy of host land, think of how can you help your fellow Iranians. There are millions of drug addicted youth in "Land of Ayatollahs" think of how can you give them hand, there was a devastating earthquake in Iran on Saturday (June 23rth 2002), which left thousands of thousands homeless, can you think of some rescue plane for these devastating news? Get a life... spent money that you receive from IRI, on those devastated homeless, Get a life... Javidiran To top * Beautiful tashakor In reference to the caligraphy feature "Worshipping word": Kamran Abbasi To top * Karimi's art I am very grateful to you of showing arts by Reza Karimi [Worshipping word]. Bagher Harandi To top * IRI's ingenious tactic In reference to your article on Khordadian [Dance for Khordadian], I wanted to point out that Khordadian was allowed a complete visit in Iran and was arrested upon exiting the country. This is one of the Islamic Republic's ingenious tactics. They make their victim believe that s/he is safe and incognito. While all the time, contrary to the victim's belief, they know about his entrance and s/he is under surveillance at all times. After the victim "noosheh jaan kard", then they arrest him, angering Human Rights Watch people ! I just believe that Khordadian's act was a very stupid one and rooted in a shallow mind. Whatever his reason (maybe Khatami's so-called "Reforms" or what not) he should have had mind enough to know about the danger that awaits him because of his "immoral" and "unIslamic" acts. He walked into the lions jaws. I also wonder about the people surrounding the man. Didn't one of the have the brain to warn him of the mistake? Maybe it's the deal with "een daghal doostan keh mibini magasaanand doreh shirini." Did he have not a singe friend? Khordadian will be lucky if he isn't executed. Whatever punishment that awaits him, his days in the Evin prison have already killed his soul, if not his body. Whish for the best, Iran Moobed To top * To belittle Dear Peyman, [Shah had AIDS?] It's quite unfair to use AIDS as a label to belittle someone. However, it was interesting to know more about the Shah's homosexual affairs. But I didn't understand why you pointed out that Mr. Pakravan was a son of a gardener. I assume you wanted to provide the details of his biography. Thanks, Look To top * Jailed for no reason Hello Payvand, [Dance for Khordadian] Thanks for writing this article in support of Khordadian. Dance is a very basic human expression that has been banned by IRI. This is another case of human rights being violated in Iran... An innocent human being jailed for no reason. I feel so outraged that I want to yell from the bottom of my lungs... How long do the poor people in Iran have to suffer under the current regime? Kiana To top * A preeminence we dont deserve Even though Im an American, Ive always been a diligent follower of international current events, and at a time when Iranian-American relations have hit yet another brick wall, I cant help but reexamine my countrys long and timultuous influences in Iranian politics and policy. Of course I carry with me my American values and sensibilities. And perhaps, although I hope not, a degree of arrogance that might just be inherent. I know there are some Iranians who are automatically suspicious of any American opinions regarding the Iranian government or policies, and not without reason. Does America attempt to influence the policies of other countries? Of course it does. While the theory of native sovereignty is well and fine, we live in a world filled with complex and often contradictory concerns. America has been castigated for a half century about its ill advised involvement in the Mossadegh affair. Its no secret that our intelligence agencies were involved, and while I think Mossadegh's almost revered status in Iran is more the result of the way he was ousted by foreigners rather than his contributions to the betterment of Iran, thats blood under the bridge. Mossadegh did shake up the British oil consortiums, which was long overdue. At the time, America was in the throngs of a huge red scare. It was a period of our history when hysteria ruled the day. Peoples careers were ruined and names slandered. Such a time was ripe for abuses, and alas, they happened. Nationalization reeked of communism, and some of the pundits at the CIA made some unfortunate decisions to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. But at the same time, the lustre was already dimming on the Mossadegh star. The Shahs return convinced alot of people that he was an American stooge or puppet. While I think he had alot of respect for American power and influence, I do not subscribe to the theory that he was "our man" in Tehran. I believe he assessed the situation confronting him- fundamentalists on one side and the Soviets on the other...and he bet his hand on the US to help him walk the fine line between these two pincers. The Shah had a vision for Iran that required a secularization of state. To some, this was a gross offence to their religious beliefs, but for most Iranians, this vision would bring about a higher standard of living and increased freedoms for women or other religions. If the Shah really had been the stooge of the Americans, he never would have raised oil prices in 1972. And no one can deny that all those petrodollars made life better for all Iranians. Now before Im accused of being naive, allow me to add that all wasnt perfect in Oz. The Shah made mistakes and excesses were committed. The rush to develop resulted in all the problems accompanying mega-growth. Foreign workers to build and train a modern infrastructure not only took jobs from Iranians but also offended cultural sensibilities. The massive spending projects brought along suspicious commisions and payola, and the boom times had only a marginal trickle down effect on poorer Iranians. In the mean time, palaces were being built in North Tehran with 24 kt. spigots. If its any consolation, such are the accoutrements of billion dollar deals wherever they are signed. But lets look at the flipside of this development too. Education was secularized and Iranians of all faiths or no faiths could study in scientifically advanced institutions geared for a technological Iran. Travel was relatively unrestricted internally and externally. Women were given rights never enjoyed before in Iran. Industries were being fostered in preparation for the day when the oil wells run dry. Regional respect...and perhaps fear...kept hostile countries such as Iraq from daring to clash swords. And a whole new consumer class was created. OK ok, I hear the gripes about Helene Rubinstein cosmetics and Kentucky Fried Chicken stands in Tehran...but demand creates supply. While as an American, I can think of a hundred preferred exports (our classical music, our greatest literature, our medical technology), the fact still remains that cosmetics and junk food are luxury items that reflect a growing middle class. Were these imports polluting Iran? Well its the old question of what came first...the chicken or the egg. Supply follows demand. All these American influences no doubt added to the suspicion that the Shah was an American dupe bent on polluting Islam. If religion is a personal covenant between man and God, then I dont want or need a clerical committee administering to my material desires. Their domain is the soul..not the marketplace. Labeling the US as the Great Satan because of our 'mischief' is a convenient slogan, but is attributing a preeminence we dont deserve. We have made our share of mistakes in the past and paid for them dearly. We operate like all countries do, with national interests dictating our foreign policy. Sometimes it works out in tandem with the interests of other countries (such as our war for Kuwait) and sometimes it doesnt. Because we are bigger and more powerful, our mistakes seem to be proportional. Iranians need to be reminded that they too have interfered in foreign affairs. Most of it was in exporting Islamic Fundamentalism to other Arab countries, but its still intervention. I just assume that most countries are involved in the internal affairs of other countries. And as our world shrinks, its an increasing occurance. One last observation. Just because America supports a candidate or government doesnt mean that its because that government is singing Americas tune. I think we do take our American core beliefs into our foreign policy and that those core beliefs count for something. A prime example was our relationship with the Duvaliers in Haiti. They were stridently anti-communist but so abusive and corrupt that my government couldnt stomach diplomatic contact with them. Before you discount Haiti as oil-less and therefore not worthy of US intervention, consider that it was also considered a potential 2nd Cuba. That alone raised many hackles in the State Department. Did the Americans throw the Shah out like a dead mouse? Well, that plays into the theory that he was ours to control and maintain. I think American support had wavered. The Carter administration was touting human rights and had a fair share of anti-Shah cabinet members. I think the Carters liked the Shah but its clear they had no idea how close the Pahlavis were to the precipace. If he had, he never would have made that amazing New Years Eve toast. The US govt was pressuring the Shah to liberalize, but that is a mantra of American policy. He claims to have taken the advice, and things got worst. I wonder if any Islamic revolutionaries ever consider this facet of American 'interference'. Some people think the Shah should have done otherwise and used the military to save his throne. I agreed with his autobiography in which he said a monarch cant resort to such a tactic...only a dictator. It showed the sentiments of a wise and fair King. My opinions on the Pahlavis...namely the Shah...have tempered with age and experience. I luckily nener knew firsthand the alledged abuses of SAVAK. I am still trying to find Amnesty International or Red Cross records for confirmation. Im sure they existed. But the fundamentalist have been far less discrete. Their medieval sense of justice and sadistic 'cleansing' of souls has been proudly proclaimed by their own news agencies. In 20 years, they have far out-atrocitized the Pahlavis. At least the Shah could show mercy. Ive seen none of it from the Islamic Republic. David M To top * Courageous Iranians not stupid It amazes me that some of my fellow Iranians are so narrow-minded and quickly use words such as stupidity simply because they are looking inside the box. [Dance for Khordadian] The way Mr. Khorsandi shows his sympathy "I am sitting in my office having lunch" as though the rest of us are in the fields picking cottons is very funny (when should have gone further and said that his office was air-conditioned too so the rest of us could really relate to his depth of sympathy for Mr. Khordadian). First of all, Mr. Khordadian in my mind is brave. A person who takes chances in life is my kind of hero. I am sick and tired of Iranian that know it all. Even if he did not go for his mother funeral and simply longed to see motherland then it sure as hell was worth it. How do you know he is counting his fingers in Evin? Did he tell you that? For all you know, he could be getting treated well because even the boys of the republic know about the world of media and its capabilities. As educated Iranian we need to learn to stop speculating and let the source give us accurate information. I am all for campaigning (in a positive manner) to get the attention of the officials in Iran. By no means I support this bad move on the government's part. But, please do not label courageous Iranians as stupid. I plan to go to Iran next year and the government and their spies have heard my comments (not so positive) many times. Do you think I am afraid? Not a chance. The only difference between my action will be to inform my lawyer and many organizations that I work closely with to keep an eye on my affairs. If the boys of the republic make a wrong move Iranian.com will not be the only place to post the situation. Mr. Khordadian will be triumphant and perhaps this will be a positive step in removing more obstacles. There is always hope for improvement. Azam Nemati To top * Eye for portraits Regarding the photo essay of Iranian movie stars [Setareh], I must say the Ebrahim Haghighi certainly has an eye for portraits. I found that the picture of the woman especially Leila Hatami (who looks like Ava Gardner ), Hadyeh Tehrani (She has something of Isabelle Adjani) and Mahtab Kerastar are quite beautiful and ironically remind me of American Stars of the 50's. The actresses are not only photogenic but also charismatic. I wish Iranian artists could someday perform in the West. Their warm and classy charisma would contrast with some superficial beauty queens we have here. All the best to the photographer. Darius KADIVAR To top * The whole point Every day when I turn on my computer and go online, the first thing I see is the beautiful Today page of The Iranian. I cannot tell you how much being able to visit the Iranian.com means to me. It is a bridge between my crazy busy American life and the wonderful Tehran/Iran of my childhood (I'm only 23 years old and came here when I was 16, but nevertheless, I even miss the joobhaayeh tehroon). I only wish that I could do more to help the Iranian stay online longer. I don't always agree with or even like every thing that's on the site, but I think that's the whole point. We (Iranians) have been denied the right to agree and disagree as we wish for twenty some years (maybe even longer) and forums such as your wonderful website are a vision of what should be and what we all hope will be. I am proud to have been able to donate to the site and I hope that I can do more in the future. With best wishes, and shab khosh, Azadeh Nakamydoust To top * One point I do not understand Dear Mrs. Johnson, [I no longer blame all of Iran] I read your article with interest. There are many points that I agree with, most of all the lack of freedom and stifling atmosphere that Iranians have had to endure for the past 23 years and the shameful slogans that these same people, many against their will, have to chant against the United States. I understand your anger and frustration. The hostage situation was shameless. I agree with you that fundamentalism, under any name or religion, is camouflaged tyranny. There is one point I do not understand - you still find the revolution was justified, because of the tyrannical regime of the late Shah. You had not lived in Iran during his reign. Would you please explain how you came to this conclusion. I am now an Iranian/American and cherish the freedoms of this country. While I lived in Iran, during the late Shah's reign, we did not have full democracy, but that was not the system. However, people of all religions lived peacefully in our country, women were not second class citizens and the youth was free to dance, sing and hold hands, while their education was not imposed on them with strict Islamic laws. Iran at that time did not terrorize its people nor did it sponsor terrorism. In anticipation of your reply, Sincerely, Shahla Samii To top * Excuses In reply to: "I cannot blame them: Why many expatriate earthquake experts won't go to Iran" Excuses, excuses, excuses. Behzad Fazel To top * Don't you think it's so amazing? Dear Mehdi, Great article, you are right on the money [I cannot blame them]. I was a 8th grader when that earthquake happened some 40 years ago. But something very interesting, just two days ago I submitted an article to Iranian.com and guess what was the core of the article about? TAKHTI! The title of my article is "Mourn Your Heroes and Praise the Villain" and "The man who never kissed Shah's hand" and then here I am reading your scripts and am astonished since I refer to the hotel and the whole 9 yard! That is great, his spirit is with us! : "Not long after that event, Takhti's body was found in a hotel in Tehran and the cause of death was announced as a suicide as the government reports contradicted themselves, one said that he had suffocated himself to death, another said that he had injected himself with a deadly substance. The suspicion arose that his death had been carried out by SAVAK on orders of the Royal Family for the immense embarrassment he had caused in exposing them" So interesting. Let me share some of the script from my article which I hope it gets published :) Eventually Takhti's popularity cost him his life. It took 12 years for Iran to win another gold in wrestling in 1968. Takhti stopped wrestling in early 60's. His several attempts to move to Canada to become a coach were denied by the government. In 1968 on a cold winter afternoon they found Takhti's body with a suicide note in a downtown hotel room. The government claimed he committed suicide over marital relationship issues, but nobody believed that. He left an infant child and his wife behind. Takhti's name went into the chapters of the Iranian social history as another hero to be victimized solely due to his popularity in a culture that inherently and traditionally prefers mourning and lamenting its heroes while assuring the survival of the villains. Don't you think it's so amazing that within two days two Iranians decide to include Takhti in their article. It still brings tears to my eyes thinking about him. I knew Takhti when he lived in Shemiran. Take care, Farrokh A. Ashtiani To top * Here we go again I just read Debra Johnson's article "I no longer blame all of Iran" and thought to myself: man, here we go again, another "Betty Mahmoody" (of course, the trick would be not to change your last name, so as to keep using the name of the man who you supposedly despise, and make more money in the process of selling your book)! Of course, after reading the article, it became obvious to me that the author has got over whatever it was that happened to her. And unlike the aforementioned person, she sure seems to have a better command of the Persian language (to at least know what was happening around you while you were in Iran). I truly sympathise with Debra (in what she went through) and agree with her about "fundamentalists". However, having read "Not without my daughter", I would never marry an American woman (you might be releived to hear :-)). Finally, let me correct the author about one point. Not all of our best and brightest are living outside Iran. We have some smart people who are living in Iran, either because they have chosen to do so, or simply because they couldn't make the journey (for whatever reason). Choghok To top * If SAVAK was more effective and ruthless This piece should have been reduced to two lines: Iranian scientists do not go back to live in the Islamic paradise (with or without earthquake), cause the government of Iran is repressive to the bone! [I cannot blame them] Instead the writer bores us with bunch of none sense that has nothing to do with this issue: He brings up Takhtis death and he speculates that may be Savak had some thing to do with it, cause the poor guy wanted to help bunch of earth quake victims and some how this act would have offended the royal family !!! (Could not stop laughing, after I read this!) If savak was in a business of killing dissidents effectively and ruthlessly, I guaranty, there would have not been an Islamic revolution today, with its leaders running around healthy like a horse! Further more Shiro khorshid sorkh was one of the best-run organizations in Iran till 1979 by all accounts. All this stuff about inefficiency and corruption is utter none sense. It insults all those people who dedicated their life and knowledge to create this wonderful organization, which through the years rescued and helped so many people in Iran. Mr. Irani To top * I like to see... In your valuable print on that earthquake map [100 villages gone], I like to see the beautiful water way saying Persian GULF rather than QATAR. Bagher Harandi To top * Speaks loudly Vahid Salemi is a very intelligent photojournalist. My favorite photo is where a village woman was shown sitting in the fore-position of the view totally ignoring the presence of the Interior Minister Abdolvahed Mousavi Lari, in black turban, behind her, while he visited Changooreh village, Qazvin province,with his entourage, on Sunday, June 23, 2002. That photo speaks loudly how Iranian people, even simple uneduated people of villages feel toward the clerics and the current government. Regards, Mehdi Sharif To top * My apologies I made an error as a few of you have pointed out [I no longer blame all of Iran]. What I took to be a snippet of Iranian television was, in fact, from Saudi Arabia [identity of Jews with dogs and pigs]. I should explain that I used to speak passable Farci and can still understand it enough to follow the meanings in some Persian pop music and in very simple conversation. (It has to be VERY simple). I also knew a little Arabic (though pitifully little in comparison); enough to say Namaz when I still prayed that way and also what is sprinkled throughout Farci. Still, I could have sworn I understood exactly what the reporter and little girl were saying even before the translator cut in. From what I had seen of fundamentalism in Iran and from what I've heard from Iranian immigrants and students about not being able to practice anything but Shiism in safety and without harrassment in Iran, it was exactly what I expected to see. If I had lingered longer over the program and not simply shut it off in total disgust, I might have realized my mistake -- that the language wasn't Farci, that these people weren't Iranian -- but I didn't see it because I didn't expect to. My apologies to anyone I may have offended with my error. Perhaps even the Islamic Regime hasn't sunken as low as that. Debra Johnson Reply: I omitted that part from the article. -- Jahanshah Javid To top * Kick ass I have become an avid reader of iraniann.com. There is a lot to absorb. I really enjoy reading the letters from your readers... They can be quite vicious! The cartoons are great and the articles on your weight loss competition [Kopol vs. Topol] are so honest and real. You really do kick ass!!!!! Stephanie Vasquez To top * Make a donation Thank you for providing the link to the NIAC/Red Cross web site [100 villages gone]. I was wondering what was the most efficient way to make a contribution for the earthquake victims and found out from your site. I hope all of us will take a minute of our time and a bit of our pocket money and make a donation for those who are in need right now. Shahrzad Sepanlou To top * Proud AABODAANEE Baa Salaam. Although I am proudly born and raised AABODAANEE, I am afraid that I did not catch the joke about the picture with "The true Abadani meeting" thing. (Although it might be a good one, too.) Still, DONYA VU DU JAA: AABODAAN U VEGAS. Good afternoon. ISSA HAJJIZADEH Uiversity of Nevada, Las Vegas To top * Daeman nishesh baaze dar jame doustan boudam ,yeki az doustanam be naame Hamid, goft khabari shenidam az valieahde sabegh, reza pahlavi, ishan modatist be arteroze gardan mobtala shodeand.va nemitavanand be aghab negah konand.baa narahati porsidam,ey baba , reza ke hanooz javoune!30-40sali nabayad bishtar dashte bashe. doost digaram kambiz goft: vali mesle inke vaznesh kheili ziad shode,migan andazeye kargadan shode,shayad be haman elate ke nemitune be aghab niga kone, chon kargadan ham nemitune garadanesho be aghab bargardune. kheili narahat shodam va porsidam be raast yaa chap chi? goftand:na,be hich taraf.faghat jolo, unam doctorhaye ravanparishi, yek ayne bedastash dadand ke khodash raa negah konad. goftam :ey baba bebin bande khoda che marazi gerefte. hamid goft:albate gahi ham paiin ra negah mikone, faghat range ghermez ro ham mibine.be khialesh baraash farshe ghermez andaakhtan. kheili pakar shodam,goftam:inke bayad daeman khodesho negah kone, kheili gham angize,hatman doraane sakhti ro migzaroune. doustanam goftand: benazar nemirese chon daeman nishesh baaze! daem dar ayne bekhodesh mige emrooz faght etehaad! va doctorhaaye ravanparishi aghide darand natijeye darman rezayat bakhsh ast.:) Maryam Shahedlou To top * Speaker on the Shahnamah Assalamualaikum, I am planning a seminar on Asian-European epics, to be held at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur in late October 2002. In this connection I would like to get a recommendation for a speaker on the Shahnamah. I do not know if Prof Ehsan Yarshater is available. If he is perhaps I can get his contact address and email address. If he is not available perhaps there may be someone else I can invite, preferably at the nearest location. I would appreciate any help in this, and would be obliged if a c.v. could be included. Thank you very much. Sincerely, ProfessorGhulam-Sarwar Yousof Cultural Centre University of Malaya Kuala Lumpur. To top * I do not know Dear Mr. Alagheband: I just read your letter "Shah had AIDS?" in response to my narrative "Not alone". It reminded me of some disheartening events going back to the period 1977 to 1984. Unfortunately, during the period 1976 to 1979, among those who were attracted to CIS were some of our compatriots who had a poor understanding of what our movement stood for and what we were struggling for. But their behavior had cultural roots. One of our cultural weaknesses is that we cannot separate personal feelings from our political and social positions and understanding. For example, these compatriots and supporters of CIS, took on an opposing stance against the Shah that manifested more on a personal level than on a political and intellectual level. None of the leadership of CIS, Majid Zarbaksh, Farmarz Vaziri, Mahmoud Rafih, Ali... ever treated their struggle against the Shah's dictatorship as something personal. None of us despised the Shah as a person but rather we despised his policies, his constant and continued violations of Iran's 1906-1911 Constitution which decreed that the King is a head of state and not the head of the government, thus he had no right to intervene in government affairs and policies. The Shah's appointment of Prime Ministers was not to be a matter of his personal choice but rather, as a Guardian of the Constitution and Guarantor of public will, a matter of ceremony, an affirmation of public will which was to elect that Prime Minister in an open, free and democratic plebiscite. The Shah, as limited by the Constitution, had no right to control the press, to establish or ban a political party (e.g. Rastaakhiz, National Front,...), to negotiate and conclude economic, military or foreign relations pacts and agreements,... Thus we did not care how the Shah led his private life. That was none of our concern. What was our concern and of prime importance and responsibility to us, was how he ruled the country instead of just merely presiding over the throne. In the years when I was an undergraduate students, some of our compatriots, supporters of CIS and/or generally opposed to the Shah carried on some very stupid acts out of some unqualified "personal" feelings towards the Shah. People who grow up under dictatorship and/or heavy-handed patriarchal family environment in their childhood and adolescent develop strong internalized aggression which finds expression in violent reaction towards any target they may choose in their youth, whether justified or not. These few misguided students, for example, vandalized, defaced, and/or mutilated the English translation of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi books, Mission for my Country and Towards a Great Civilization, which our university library had on its collection. These students disfigured the photos in these books and wrote expletive, pejorative remarks on the margins, on the photos and within the text portions of the book. They considered this behavior of their own as a "revolutionary" act and their "revolutionary" activities were often contained within such stupid behavior. How did this behavior help Iran and Iranians, I still cannot understand as much as I also cannot understand that why you would have expected me to have addressed Shah's personal life in a narrative intended to eventually explain why Iranian intellectuals acquiesced to Khomeini's leadership in late 1978/early 1979. Whether the Shah had AIDS or not, many people and I do not know. Whether what you wrote is true or not, we do not know. But far more important than that, why should it be our concern? Shah's personal life, and any other person's for that matter, is "personal" and of no one's concern but his immediate family. Of course, others with no sense of ethics and dignity such as Asadollah Alam, Shah's Court Minister and confidant have treaded down the same road as you have. The monarchists today are in the habit of calling anyone in disagreement with their distorted view of history, opposed to the Shah or expressing dissent on views recently espoused by Saied Reza Pahlavi, a "namak nashnaas." But the true "namak nashnaas" are people like Asadollah Alam who enjoyed a life of opulence they would not have otherwise, much thanks to their benefactor, the Shah. In a series of scandalous books, Mr. Alam, whose intent I believe was more to enrich himself via a popular market which thirsts for such writings, writes some very disparaging chapters on Shah's life. Although the books are presented as diaries of sort, it soon becomes clear, to any reader possessing some intelligence, that they were written to make some former aides of the Shah look better than they should and some others worse than they deserve. These books reveal the illusions of Assadallah Alam, the semi-educated son of a tribal chieftain who rose to become Court Minister under the late Shah of Iran. The diaries reveal that Alam's principal function was to act as confidant, gentleman-in-waiting, and confessor (for private matters only) to the Shah and ensure that the imperial cot was redamselled at suitable intervals. Nearly a quarter of the diaries deal with the Shah's alleged sexual indiscretions most of which were organized by Alam. Amateurs of juicy scandals concerning Royalty would find quite a bit to chew upon in these diaries though it might be hard to digest. The Court Minister tries to inflate his importance as a policymaker in a system that had marginalized him for years. In fact the Court Minister did not have a seat in the Cabinet and was never briefed by Cabinet members on any issue. This was a source of resentment that fanned the flames of Alam's hatred for the Shah's long-serving Prime Minister Amir Abbas Hoveyda. To keep Alam happy, the Shah assigned occasional semi secret missions for him, especially in dealings with the Americans, the British and the Israelis. But the diaries make it clear that none of these missions were of much consequence. Nor did they affect governmental policy in any significant manner. They were designed to foster Alam's illusion that he was still a key player in Iranian politics long after he had been confined to the limited world political tepidarium of the royal palace. Alam, of course, used his position and contacts to further the business interests of his vast network of friends and partners. By the end of his life he had amassed a vast fortune, a far cry from his modest beginnings in the dusty mud village of Birjand close to the Afghan frontier. One interesting feature of the diaries is the crude reporting of some of the remarks that the Shah made about prominent Iranian politicians and, in some cases, even foreign heads of state and other dignitaries. These remarks show that the Shah had gone almost mad with his own ego-trip over the top with his megalomania part of which rubbed onto his Court Minister. One big problem with the way these diaries are presented is that the original is not available for examination by other scholars. Nor does the editor provide a copy of the original, through a public library or institution for example, so that the sleeted translated bits can be checked against the original entries. Now, Dear Peyam, are you certain you wish to tread upon the same path which Asadollah Alam and those misguided students have traveled? Best wishes, Kaveh Ahangar To top * Etefagh school Hello I went to Etefagh school in Tehran in 1962-1966. I am looking for an old friend of mine named, Florance And Lilian Sosanpoor. If you have any information about them, where they live, or their E-mail adress, be sure to email me. Shahla Sanders To top * Help as much as possible It is very unfortunate that our country people should go thought such a devastation [100 villages gone]. I am very thanks full for providing these hart aching photos to remind us who are living so far away from all these terrifying events, can be passionate and help as much as possible. I also like to commend about your explanations and photos are not responding to each other. Kavoos Bajlanpour To top * Clearly a personal account This is only a response to your criticism [The missing factor] of Hamid Rahmanian's documentary, Shahrbanoo: I don't think it's a legitimate criticism of the film because nowhere in the film do the filmmakers claim or even subtly suggest that they are representing Iran or Iranian women as a whole. To me, Shahrbanoo is clearly and consciously a personal account of a particular encounter and i didn't feel anywhere in the film that the filmmmakers were trying to generalize that experience to what Iran is all about or what Iranian women are all about or what encounters between Americans and Iranians all look like. Personal accounts and narratives as public art --particularly as film-- are fairly new among us Iranians and we tend to view every production as the 'representive' of something larger and more encompassing than itself. Therefore, i understand how you may view Shahrbanoo as representing a certain class or category of people in Iran that you personally do not find representative of Iran. The truth is there is no single class or category of Iranians that represents Iranians as a whole. Likewise, your progressive, pro-shah, non-Islamic, middle class Iranians do not represent Iran as a whole either, though they are definitely part of it. All each writer or artist or filmmaker can do is to represent his/her own personal account. It's a combination of these accounts that makes the whole. So, i disagree with you that since Shahrbanoo represents the kind of Iranian woman that it does, people are going to think all Iranian women are like that. No, i don't think anyone who has sense enough takes Shahrbanoo as the representative of Iran and Iranians as a whole. Whether or not it makes you insecure and uncomfortable, however, it does represent one among many ways that Iranians or Iranian women are and can be. I also beleive that the film does not focus so much on representing Iranian women or this particular kind of Iranian women as it does on portraying not only Shahrbanoo and her family but Hamid and Melissa themselves as individuals and not as types. It shows how unconditional affection, warmth, and openness on both sides make possible a beautiful relationship that would never blossom if any of the sides were to stick solely to their religious or cultural differences. The largest statement this film may make, if any, is that we don't have to be the same in order to love each other and enjoy each other's company. This is something that both Shahrbanoo and Melissa seem to have understood well and i beleive here is where the foundations of democracy are fixed. Nahal Naficy To top * Who built the Taj Mahal? During the research that I've done on the Taj Mahal, I've come to the conclusionthat it is hard to name one persone, as everyone wants to lay claim to this magnificent work of art. Finally, after researching and finding disagreeing accounts and rumors about the architecht, in some UCLA documents I found a few names that almost all other accounts of the building also agreed with: It is said that even though the Europeans, who were envious of having one of the world's finest buildings attributed solely to Asian architechts, and tried to attribute the building to Geronimo Verroneo, an Italian in Mughul service (who was a jewler, not an architecht), evidence suggets that it was designed by Ustad Isa Khan Effendi, a Persian who assigned the detailed work to his pupil, Ustad Ahmad Lahori. The calligraphy was done by Amanat Khan Shirazi, whose name appears at the end of one of the inscriptions on one of the gates of the Taj Mahal. The dome was made by Ismail Khan Afridi of Turkey, who was the domemaker, while poet Ghiyasuddin had designed the verses on the tomestone. The building is of Persian style reflecting an almost identical style of the Char Bagh building in Esfehan, where we can see how both buildings have mirror images in the water pools laid out in front of them. The materials were gathered from all over India and central Asia. All in All, what this evidence shows is how great Emperor Shah Jahan's love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal was, as he wanted this structure to be the finest, and most magnificent and beautiful monuments in honor of his wife, that he called architechts, calligraphers, and designers from all over the region, so that it would have have a touch of all the beautiful arts of the region and be perfect from all aspects of the finest craftsmen of the region. As it clearly shows, the architecture of the building cannot be attributed to one person alone and it would not have been done, had it not been for the cooerative efforts of all these great architects and artists, even though the main designer is the Persian Ustad Isa Khan Effendi. I don't know what single person you had in mind, but I tried to write all the information I had on the architechts of the building. I hope I came close. ;-) Azadeh R. Rassaf Reply: Thank you for your detailed note. It seems that no one person can calim responsibility for creating this wonderful monument. But it seems that Ustad Isa of Shiraz is most often referred to as one of the main builder/desinger/project managers. I think that's close enough for iranian.com's judges :-) and someone has already offered that answer. Yek donya mamnoon. Jahanshah Javid To top * Maahi Su-Boor In reply to Ashpaz Baashi's "A la Bella" The correct name is "Maahi Su-Boor" This works well with rock cod, sea bass, or even catfish. The cooking time and amounts here are good for a three-pound fish, enough for six people. Chop an onion and 2-3 cloves garlic and fry in oil till soft until golden brown and slight crispy. Chop a large bunch of cilantro (about 2 cups) and add to the onion. Mix in 1/4 cup tamarind paste, 1 tablespoon dried shambalileh (fenugreek) leaves 250g Fresh Corriander or Shambalileh, salt and pepper. Clean and gut the fish, and stuff the cavity with the mixture. Wrap the fish in foil and bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes. Originally in a Clay oven (Tanoor) for 30 mininutes. You can buy a very convenient seedless tamarind paste at Indian stores. If instead you find the hard blocks filled with seeds and fiber, let the tamarind soak in a little hot water and remove the seeds before using. If you like these flavors but want a simpler approach, try dipping fish fillets in tamarind paste and then in a little flour seasoned with salt, pepper, and shambalileh. Fry them in oil with a little garlic and serve with chopped cilantro Please forgive my corrections Many thanks Mr. Karl S.Kamiar From Abadan To top * Better than... Moe's works on "Dialogue of civilizations" are excellent and much better than his works on political subjects. Ahmad Vaziri RELATED July 2002 This month's archived letters Letters index Letters sent to The Iranian in previous months Email us

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