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Good night, I'm writing you from Argentina, and i'm really don't know to contact with a person i met in Miami in 1976, yes, long time ago. I'm a peruvian woman, when i met Hooshang Nemati, a persian boy in 1976 i was 20 years old and he was 24, we met each other at Lindsey Hopkins Education Center by studying english, he was born in the city of Ahwaz, Iran, his family had oil, something like Pipe Mills, i really lost the address, he had a sister, i believe, Miriam, i don't remember too much.His birthday 21 of march, was born in 1951. Please, can you help me? Consuelo Ayala this is to respond to houshange ahmadi's email [Right words in right times] which has benn published in iranian.com's letter section. I am not a good writer, but my stories may be a mirror that you look at it and see the greatness, but that's your own "bozorgi"! not mine! because it's a mirror which reflects your own self... [ Sarhangaane tareeghat, Nima] in my whole life I was looking for SARGORD MOJGAN, KAVE DEHRIZAKI, MIRZA SHAHINE GONABADI, ATASHE SOLTANI, NIMA, AZITA &... the characters which I have created them in my stories"sarhangaane tareeghat" & "nima", now by your letter to iranian.com I think I have found one of them! I am a writer but I write to find others through writing,to seek other horrizons,to discover other spirtitualities and open new deep thinking about life,you all may think readers need writers more,but I as a writer need you more than you need me,yes you heared the truth,you are my meaning of the life,if you were not here on earth I had to write for no one,I wuold have lost all my writing intentions after a while... so I appriciate your response dear houshang ahmadi,bahman tahayori that were there
for me, kheir pish!
Dear Charles, [Ancient Iranian icepit (Yakh Chal)] What you are going to read is what I have seen & experienced. It is not from any book or other written texts. I am not sure if any thing is written about the Iranian, Natural Ice collecting, called YAKH CHAL. We had a house in Tehran, situated behind the old Parliament ( Majles ) compound. Right behind our house was a big YAKH CHAL. Actually the northern wall of our house was the tall wall of YAKH CHAL. The wall which was made only out of mud & clay with occasional layer of bricks was more than two meter wide at the base & about 15 Centimetre at the top. The wall was 20 meters high stretching to about 100 meters. The wall was constructed east west ward to catch the freezing northern breeze coming down from Alborz range of mountains north of Tehran. In front of the wall was a shallow pond, ten to fifteen meter wide, about a meter deep & stretched alongÜ the length of the wall. Then came the covered pit, to house the ice. I can not say how deep the pit was, but I know that it must have been quite a large space. The pond was filled up every day in winter time. At nights the ice was made naturally. The tall wall stooped & diverted the freezing breeze & turned the water of the pond into a thick long slab of ice. Every morning the workers used to slash the thick ice & slide the slabs down into the pit through few narrow path ways. There were some workers in the pit who spread & arranged the ice evenly as well as spreading layers of straw to keep the ice slabs isolated from one another, so that when they wanted to take the ice out during summer time, they did not have to brick it again. Every day, the pond was refurbished with water. Due to that thick wall our home was protected from the freezing breeze of the mountains, therefor it was warmer than other parts of the same district. With the advent of refrigerators, Ice making factories, the old YAKH CHAL went out of business. The owners sold the plot & the wall came down. I went to visit the site & came to know how thick the base of the wall was. In place of the OLD YAKH CHAL they constructed few double story buildings. I have no other information about YAKH CHAL. But I hope this will be useful to you. Best regards, H. Hakimi,
Having watched the film, Shahrbanoo [Ordinary (Muslim) woman], I would like to re-confirm your comment that "Although Shahrbanoo is eminently watchable and informative, it would be wrong to mistake it with ethnography or political sociology. It is a delicately funny and engaging film that is full of poignant and touching
moments. " The film is an intimate portrait of AN Iranian woman who is a firm
believer in tradition and Islam. Shahrbanoo, as potrayed in the film, does not represent
the diverse population of Iranian women
1. Military personnel voted for Khatami who is powerless; and 2. At times the regular army has been somewhat hesitant to carryout certain politically
charged orders/positions (minor clashes/uprisings).
Dear A. Nemati: I have noticed you always make references to your appearance when debating unrelated
issues. I would like to make a formal request in having you post your picture online
so that we can all bask in your striking beauty.
I was so distraught to read this heart wrenching account of women being abused [What are men made of?]. I too have had to step in and threaten some men who used to beat their wives. If I point them out to the people of my community they will be shocked. How could it be possible? These educated and cultured men raise their hands on their wives? Well, the ones I approached did. I am very lucky because many members of the Iranian community where I live confide in me. These women were so hurt that had no choice but to tell me. They did not have skills or jobs so they were stuck. I had to step in and threaten the son of the bitches(one is over 6 feet tall and weighs over 300 pounds) with paying my own lawyer to represent their wives and get them for everything they had. I went so far and told them that I would let everybody in the community know they were women beaters. Well, they have stopped the physical abuse but occasionally they take a shot at verbal abuse. Many Iranian men have this problem because their fathers used to beat their mothers and they assume it is okay for them to do so. I am so glad my father taught me fighting techniques and made me box with my brothers. His reason? Well, he used to say if I was caught in a situation to defend myself but, I know now he knew better but did not to frighten me. I also know why he insisted that all of us girls go to school and get an education to be able to be self reliance. He wanted to make sure we did not have to stay with a man because we had nowhere else to go. We have a responsibility to interfere on behalf of these women when we come across them. We need to educate them about the options they have to start all over and remind them this is not Iran and women have rights and can be protected if they choose to. As for the men who hit women, they are not a human being period. A human being should not hurt even an animal. Beware when these women find the courage to talk to someone that can help them! You will be stripped of your dignity and like the bozo who used to hit his wife for eleven years until she got the courage to let us know and we took care of him the legal way. He fled with his sorry ass to Iran and can never come back. As for his ex-wife she learned English, went to school and now is a beautiful and independent woman who is engaged to a wonderful Iranian man. She will never be abused again. Parents pay attention and encourage your daughters to become financially independent and do not count on a man to be a good mate simply because he is educated or comes from the right family. Regards,
You sure did that didn't you? I tried to read your lengthy essay [Who's a Nazi?], but to tell you the truth, the cows were coming home! Thousands of thoughts were going through my mind, hundreds of replies were lining up to rip you apart, but I only mention about one. The massacre, killings, or as you put it "serious violations of the Geneva Convention" committed by Israel in Jenin was looked at by human rights groups. Who were these groups? Can you name them? Was there any international group let into Jenin, immediately after the little Israeli "boo-boo"? Could you tell us why United Nations was not allowed into Jenin weeks after the "oops"? Any reason why Israel was so against even filming the "little bad thing"? Why were not any of the films allowed to get out of Jenin? You think about some of these questions and look at the small filmstrip of the father holding his little boy and begging the Israeli soldiers not to kill them. A few seconds later both father and child were shot to death. Of course that little filmstrip is gone too, isn't it? You need to be in a Muslim frame of mind to feel the pain and what leaves their lips. No Muslim or Arab could ever make an American understand what it feels like for a race that you hate already to occupy you and rule. You will never understand. You want to talk about typical? Your essay is a copy of thousands of other "American" essays reaching these types of websites. So, don't feel unique in taking the time and really autopsying this amazing accusation of Nazism in Israel. Maybe the actions and belief don't match line by line or action by action, but common, what the hell do you expect. Would you like a new and improved washed out terminology. Something like, " The poor, helpless, innocent, totally legitimate Israeli movement?" Would that make you happier or will it make the Israeli soldier's job a bit easier when he pulls the trigger to kill another Palestinian child? Will it make the Israeli tank commander's job a bit smoother to blow up yet another home? If so, there you have it "Billy Bob", it shall be called, "TPHITLIM". Now, that's a movement. Speaking of movements, your goofy essay just made me have one, I gotta go. Love,
First of all let me admit that I don't know too much about poetry. I was reading letter section and I ran into a comment [So-called poem fails to be a poem] by Mr. Najdi about Ms. Nemati's poem [Taa abad]. In spite of my poor English I felt the insulting attitude. I clicked his name to tell him something about Ms. Nemati but when I saw the address I realized that he doesn't even deserve to be addressed back. As I had the opportunity to publish my stories on Iranian.com, Ms. Nemati taught me many things about literature, she so kindly encouraged me and told me about my weaknesses. She was a real guide. Her poem may not be a good one but as a critic she is great. About social affairs we all read nice and challenging articles and comments of her. Dear Mr. Najdi, you and me won't get anything by insulting the people who can help us. If Ms. Nemati tells me that my story is not well done and it is shaky, I should try to find shortcomings and fight them. My anger, resentment and such attacks will not help me to write a better story and I would be the loser. So let's respect the people who know more than us and have such treasures active enough to help us in getting rid of our ignorance. Don't tell me you wanted to say your opinion about the poem. Her poem failed to be a poem? Ok, you should have sent a letter to her address and tell what you believe. The letters section is not a proper place for such comments especially with that kind of language. I would be glad if everybody respect Iranian.com and literature section in particular,
as a classroom and medium for a literal communication and humbly ask everybody not
to poison the atmosphere with personal problems. I wish not to see any letter from
Mr. Najdi answering Ms. Nemati's "Lighten
up" (which, to be honest, I didn't expect from my reasonable and tolerant
lady teacher in such a hostile manner) in the letters section. PLEASE don't "kesh":
the matter. Omid Rahimi I very much enjoyed reading Mr. Reza Ebrahimi's article "The
new Islamophobia". He is very much to the point when he declares, quite
accurately: "All racist discourses based on religion are interchangeable. Muslims
today have enemies called amalgamation, ignorance, misinformation, propaganda, intolerance
and demagogy."
Dear Roya, [Alive
by the Dead Sea] Korosh K
If you're really interested in knowing "Who
"bred and raised" bin Laden" and the Taliban, read Mary Anne Weaver's
articles in The Atlantic Monthly from 1989 to recent prints. Here is the URL
address to one of her articles, which I had translated in May 1996 for Mehregan,
The Monthly Journal of Iran's Teachers Association: Also, please see:
Dear Roya, [Alive
by the Dead Sea]
Mr. Kaveh Ahangar's essay was very informative [Not alone]. What was missing was the lifestyle of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi had three wives Queen Fawzia, Queen Soraya, and Queen Farah. The Shah was a womanizer and had many girl friends on the side even while he was married to Queen Farah and had four children from this unfortunate female. One of the Shah's last mistress's were from the Gilan Province. What many Iranians don't know is that when the Shah was a student in Switzerland he had a friend named Mr. Peron. This Mr. Peron, a son of a gardener returned to Iran with the Shah after the Shah completed his studies in Switzerland. This information can be found in Princess Ashraf Pahlavi's Book Faces in the Mirror. Queen Soraya also wrote about the odd relationship in her autobiography saying, "This odd chap, Mr. Peron would enter our bedroom to talk with the Shah." Mansour Rafizadeh, a head SAVAK man in his book I am witness stated that both he, General Pakravan and General Moghaddam knew about the Shah's homosexual involvement with Mr. Peron. What we as Iranians know is that the Shah was very thin and sickly at the end of his life. The doctors presumed he died of Cancer. But the truth is the HIV virus was not yet acknowledged by doctors. History has said that the Shah had a very high fever before his death. Most AIDS patients die of a fever. My guess is that if the Shah had AIDS medication he would have probably lived.
Not one in Guadeloupe wanted that... not the British, not the Americans and absolutely
not the French.
To reply Mr. Adrian Norbash in article "I'm an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces", if your are capable to kill your own people for defense Canda or any other country, you should shame on you to call yourself Iranian-Canadian or Iranian-whatever country. because then you sold your country in the hand of foreign country. I was an ex Special Forces member in Iran during Iran-Iraq war and I defend my country against any enemy and I am proud to be a pure blooded Iranian. and I never fight against my own country, UNLESS I am out of mind. Sincerely,
I know that you know that i know and everybody else knows that solitary donor is none other than Alahazrat Reza Pahlavi in Virginia [Dear Solitary Donor]. He just loves your opinion section pieces.
In response to Story: "TThey are coming" by Farooq Azam, May 2, 2002. From an Indian Hindu perspective: At one point in the story the narrator exclaims, "O Lord in Heavens!......What crime have we committed that You are punishing us so severely?" That perhaps is the crux of what is going on in India and between it and Pakistan. The partition of the subcontinent, one (Pakistan)devoted to the principle that Hindus and Muslims are separate nations, the concept of "deen" in Islam; and the other (India) at least nominally devoted to the concept of a secular democracy with limited, informal reference to religion, is at the heart of all the war and violence between the two. The partition was a bitter, bloody experience. It was a Bosnia and Rwanda combined times a thousand. Muslims in what is now Pakistan raped and slaughtered their Hindu and Sikh neighbors in an even gorier fashion than the scene you've fictionalized, the survivors among them reaked they same hell on Muslims who stayed in India. Kashmir is a symbol of that conflict because it is a Muslim majority state, that allows India to retain its secular credentials in what is a dominantly Hindu, and religious society. But it also forces it to accept the Perso-Mughal-Islamic heritage that is a part of the core of its identity. For Pakistan it would confirm the rightness of their belief that Muslims or countries with Muslim majorities must be Muslim states, even if it comes at the expense of religious minorities. The Hindu nationalists that have led the government up till now were mainly elected on the belief that they would be more effective in dealing with corruption and would be slightly less cynical with their power than the previous government which had been in power since Indenpendence. However, this has not been the case. Their only real accomplishments have been to liberalize the economy somewhat with few benefits, pursue a closer relationship with the USA and of course, going nuclear... After the riots in Gujarat state, the only state government that they have totally controlled, FEW trust the religious nationalists with the reponsibilty for keeping law and order. The behaviour of everyone in involved has been utterly appalling. The media has traditionaly papered over such events by merely refering to "clashes between 2 communities" rarely mentioning the religious element of it, and NEVER mentioning the specific attrocities that were being commited. This time they didn't play ball. Everyone knows that it was a Hindu-Muslim sectarian riot with grave atrocities committed against innocents, especially women. Everyone I talk to either avoids the topic with a pained expression on their faces, or mentions how they thought these things only happened in Pakistan and frankly most if not all Muslim countries. It is ironic that the religious nationalists will be making a lot of hay of the Kashmir issue since they believe that India must formally become a Hindu state. This pretty much loses India's argument to the rest of the world for its right to retaining all of Kashmir which is that it is a secular state that guarantees rights to everyone regardless of religion and that Pakistan is what Hindus call a "mullah raj" (as opposed to "British raj") that will slaughter if not force the conversion of the religious minority Hindus and Buddhists that make up nearly 35% of Kashmir. The incident that you have depicted which is based on the actual events occurring in India now (which are continuation of events that have been occuring in the subcontinent for the last 50 years) has been shown to be politcally motivated where religiously non-descript inconspicuous and individuals, establishments, etc. were specifically targeted by thugs because they happened to be Muslim. Muslims who had pretty much assimilated within India's non-Muslim culture (although assimiliation may not be the right word), who's stores, houses or appearance would not have made them stand out from the rest of the crowd were attacked. Stores and restaurants that few people knew were owned and operated by Muslims only revealed the identity of their owners because they were burned and looted, whereas other shops weren't. This is why everybody knows that elements of the state government and the police were involved in either directing or allowing their underlings to commit such atrocities because the attacks were so specific and precise. Not wild or out of control (if murder and rape can ever really be anything else). Even more ironic is that Gujarat State where all this has happened is the birthplace of Gandhi, the birthplace of Mohammed Jinnah the founder of Pakistan, not to mention of the various sects within Hinduism that specifically preach vegetarianism and non-violence, often to an extreme (and sometimes absurd) degree. Indians are far better that the events that have occurred in India and in your story. And another event like will be see the Hindu Nationalists out of power.
If all Iranians unite to write about atrocities that the British brought upon
us since Karim Khan Zand and today more than ever before, then the issue of Monarchy
vs. Presidency would appear minute.
Tacky articles such aI wanna be your king" are abundant in your site. You really do publish everything and anything, don't you? I must admit that I have come across some excellent articles on this site (such as Mehrangiz Kar's papers) but the tasteless stuff surrounding it is so dense that, first and foremost, it is demeaning for a prominent writer like Ms. Kar to have articles on your site; and secondly, it gets more and more discouraging to visit Iranian.com. Why can't you, as reputable editor, pick out the tasteless stuff and provide your readers with literature that is not so insulting to one's intelligence? People Magazine, for example, might be fun to skim through in the supermarket queue, but who wants to be associated with it in real life? Yours,
I must ask why do you side with that opportunist bunch of thugs, namely the Palestinians? [God knows what they would do if they actually had any power]Have you a short memory? Did you forget the Revolution of 1979 and those same hooligans manning the firing squads murdering innocent "Iranians"? Please sir, do us all a favour and refrain from siding with "the eternal
enemy" of Iran. Or you can go one step further and move to Arabian Peninsula
where you can freely socialise with your Arab brethren!
I am looking for an old high school classmate, Kobra Khazaie. last heard she lived in London. If you have any information please e-mail me . Also, All classmates who attended Azadegan High school in Nowshahr, Class of 1983, May e-mail me at Fdarvish5@yahoo.com This add was placed by Fariba Darvish on 6-19-2002. Thank You
Bravo Mr. Baygan, [The country she loved to death] Very nice of you to share your experience with us. We all grieve the untimely death of our princess as well as the distraction of our beloved land. I share the hope with you that before I pass away in this frozen part of the world, I will have the last chance to die in my home land. Best wishes & regards, H. Hakimi,
Reza Khan, [The country she loved to death] Thank you for that lovely piece on Iranian.com on Princess Leila. I really appreciate it. I also ask myself what do I, standing here in distant mountains, sincerely feel. With a quarter of a century of hate, inhumanity and bigotry behind us, in my mind's eye I see a brighter future for Iran. An happy and healthy Iran that even our forefathers could not have imagined. An Iran that will forgive but never forget. Amir Khosrow Sheibany
I am a bit confused about this issue [The new Islamophobia]. So isnt every person treated the same if you are a muslim? I have often heard important muslim personalities say that hurting one muslim is like hurting all muslims. And the behaviour of unrelated muslim communities bear witness to this fact. When Turkey's caliphate collapsed the muslim population(mopla rebellion) of this tiny Indian state (Kerala) went on a rampage killing innocent hindus and christians. The reason for the rampage? the fall of the caliphate in Turkey! which is thousands
of miles away from this state and populace!! which means that there IS a relation
and all muslims see themselves as one body.
Mr. Reza Bayegan's article seemed sincere, but it failed to touch me. [The country she loved to death] I have a tough time justifying to myself why I should reserve sympathy with a man who is grieving the death of lonely, rich princess. He wants us to believe that Leila Pahlavi was a role model for female Iranians. Leila did not die fighting for Iran; instead she died of drug overdose. She may
have been innocent, but she was not a role model. I reserve that title for those
worthy of such praise. And by the way, Leila's death may have been a "tragic
loss" to her family and friends, but not to the Iranian masses that are still
suffering from the effects of corrupt and nasty Pahlavi dynasty. I was born in Iran, and I stumbled across your site. I was looking for an article that was written from the point of view of someone that was raised Iranian, but I couldn't find one. Growing up, I did not have many Iranian friends, so when my parents talked about the past, I had no idea where they were coming from, and I felt like I was being pushed into one culture by American society, and I was trying to still hold on to the way I was raised. If you have an article on this topic, could you please email me the link? If not,
maybe it'd be cool if you had stories from young adults around the world that found
it hard to hold on to Iranian roots, and assimilate into the new culture. REPLY: There are many articles about this subject. Take a look here. Make sure you see the archived pages for articles in previous years: //iranian.com/features.html
For some reason I believe that the Iranians are the most objective people in the Middle East. I am from Nashville, TN now living in Santa Monica, CA and listen to the cable channels, newspapers, internet and respect the opinions of people I have met from all over the world and the bottom line is that Iranians are ready to be heard. Correct me if I am wrong, Iranians are people that want the truth, willing to listen to other opinions, want to advance their knowledge, respect their historical religion, however, will never sing the song, "Is that all there is." Excuse my age, however, it was an old Peggy Lee song that is so poignant. I believe that there is so much artistic, poetic, musical, passion and love that Iranian's want to share with the world and will do it no matter the price. Iranians marched to give honor to those that died on 9-11. Thank You. When have we in America marched in honor for Iranians that suffered? Iranians and Americans have a common bond, God in heaven that loves us equally. So get over the politics and let's go have a picnic together and get to know each other.
Your article "I had a dream" is ironic but interesting. You point out some interesting points eventhough as a Democrat and Constitutional monarchist I believe that it is prematured for Reza Pahlavi to set aside the idea of a Constitutional monarchy, given the fact that a "Congress for Democracy" which you advocate through this well thought "dreamed speach" has to take into account all political sensitivities. Nevertheless you do point out a number of interesting arguments which could eventually
lead to a form of dialog between democratic forces inside and outside Iran.
Dear Setare Sabety, [The
bicycle posse of Maydaneh Hedayat] My house was just three blocks north of Hedayat square on Faryar street. We had our own group of kids on bikes and we play soccer in the street almost every single day. We even had a "Men at Work" sign that we put up at the end of the street so cars wouldn't drive through and interrupt our game. Hedayat square was always the destination after the game where the loser team bought sodas for the winning team. Or we all went to the candy store on the west side of the square and got cream puffs! The best in town. You article took me on a wonderful trip down memory lane. Before I knew it I had
been sitting there daydreaming for a good twenty minutes and thinking about all the
kids I eventually lost contact with when they all scattered all over the world. I
think I will dig out my old Hendrix records tonight when I get home. I don't think
the CD will do this time. Somehow the old records sound different than the CD's. Sean Tohidi,
Dear Mr. Begli Beigie, We Afghans, Arabs, Armenians, Azeris, Kurds, Persians., Turks, Greeks etc are more alike than different [Broken link]. As an Iranian of Persian, Kurdish, Arab and Azari blood I feel so frustrated with all the articles and writers who write about Iran/Persia's history, culture, language and ethnicity with half-baked theories or with entrenched ultra-Iranian nationalism that fails to bend to reason, logic, fact and historical reality. When reading articles written by a Kurdish-Iranian ("The rest"), or other articles written by Azari and Persian Iranians and even pieces written by Arab friends (Common Bonds, A place to call our own), it becomes clear that we are all struggling with the idea of what unites us and gives us identity. In each article one can read ideas that one can work with but one also read ideas that have been taken to an extreme as well. I really hope Iranians and those interested in Iranian heritage read more history. In a few sentences to give an overview of Iranian history, one can more or less start around 7 thousand years ago. From around 7 thousand BCE to around 3 thousand BCE, Iran had a thriving Elamite culture which was not an Aryan culture. The Elamites who themselves were a mixture of numerous tribes and who often fought with various other groups in present Iran and Iraq lived in very close contact and were in constant rivalry with the ancient Sumerians and later Babylonians. The cultural give and take influenced the many things some of which are the cuneiform writing and the building of ziggurats which the later Assyrians and the Achaemenid (Hakhamaneshi) Persians inherited. The Assyrians for the most part were responsible for the destruction of the Elamite civilization but the Assyrians influenced the cultures of Media and Urartu And the influence of Elam lived on among the Medes and Persians. The various Iranian speaking peoples who had been coming into what is now Caucasus Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia since around 4 thousand BCE were heavily influenced by the aboriginal Elamites and the Semitic Babylonians and Assyrians. This difference can be most noticed when one compares other Iranian speaking peoples who lived in Eurasia like the Scything and Sarmatians whose culture was very different with that of Iranian tribes who settled in the Iranian Plateau and became more intertwined with Slavic peoples. So from that far back Iran (the geographic location) has been multi-ethnic. With the formation of the various empires starting with that of Assyria (Semitic), Media, Persia, Alexander/Seleucids (Greek/Macedonian), Parthian/Ashkani and Sasanians, some of which stretched as far west as Greece and Bulgaria to China in the East and Libya and India in the south it becomes very obvious as you can imagine the ethnic and cultural mixture and diversity that had developed in these periods. And by the way all of this mixing happened prior to Islam. In fact Persia's most important contribution to world civilization was building a multi-ethnic tolerant empire based on taxation a model which the Greeks and the Sasanians did not use but the Romans copied. The Sasanians failed because the encouraged a rigid form of Zoroastrian autocracy and persecuted many.. Then next major invasions which are well documented are that of the Arabs and the later influx of the Turkic and Mongol peoples which resulted in the various Arab, Persian, Turkic, and Mongol dynasties that ruled from the 7th century AD to the 19th century AD. It is important to point out that from the Arabs with whom the ancient Persians had had very close interaction with were fairly Persianized and influenced even more heavily by Greek-Byzantine culture. From this new mix of culture modern Iranians get their writing, religion and up to 40% of our vocabulary. And for al those who talk about the uncultured Turks may I remind them that if it were not for Turko-Mongol dynasties like that of the Ghaznavids, Saffarids, Saljuks, Il-Khanids, Timurid and even other very powerful and non-Iranian dynasties like that of the Mughuls in India and the Ottomans in Anatolia, the language Persian (Dari/Farsi) would not have become the language of culture and literature. These dynasties encourage the use of Persian over Arabic. In short how can any Iranian claim to be pure Aryan???????????????or pure anything. Iran has always been a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural empire and for those Iranian nationalist who believe that the Azeri's are Turkified-Persians and that the Kurds are pure Iranian and all the other ridicules racial concepts out there they are so misguided.... Many also are fixated on language groups... Yes Iranians, Afghans and Tajiks speak more or less Persian but Afghan culture is far more influenced by the great culture of India and Tajiks are culturally more similar to Turkic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz people and yes do not be offended my dear Persian nationalists but people from Fars, Kurdistan, Lorestan, Gilan and Mazandaran are far more similar to Armenians, Azeris, Iraqis and the various peoples of eastern Turkey. Yes I know Armenian, Azeri, Georgian, Arabic, Kurdish and Persian are all distinct and even belong to different language groups but culturally I have noticed that as a Kurd/Persian my food music and culture far more similar to that of an Iraqi Arab from southern Iraq to that of a fellow Persian speaking Tajik. I feel just as much at home with a person from Armenia or eastern Turkey. Similarly people from Western Turkey, Greece, Lebanon and the Balkans are culturally very similar despite the very different language groups..... What I am saying is that besides, language and religion one should look at common culture, history and regional realities also and not allow West European notions of race and ethnicity or language groups overshadow thousands of years of common history and culture. A good example is Iraq, Hatra, Selucia, Teesphoon and Baghdad are all Iranian capitals based in Iraq now just because Iraqis speak Arabic does that mean they do not share Iranian culture... Please open your minds..... Iran must make room for diversity and not follow Iraq and Turkey in the politics of constructed politicized racial national identities.... I am tired of Arab, Turkish and Azari bashing by so called Iranian nationalist and intellectuals.... I did not intend to sound like a wise know it all, lecturer but I feel so frustrated by all the misinformation and useless hate encouraged towards people who we are so similar to us, like the Arabs, Afghans and Turks etc..... Thanks,
i am 50% iranian, and want to speak persian. Are there any books at this site or anywhere that i can buy to teach me how to speak pharcy(persian). That is like a learners kit to help me step by step or in certain situations, what to say. I cant find any books here at this site.
Dear Setareh, [The bicycle posse of Maydaneh Hedayat] Salaam! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for taking me back to Maydaneh Hedayat, and to Darrous, Shemiran. Many years ago, I also lived there with my parents and with my sisters and brothers. I experienced a life very similar to what you have described in your article. I have cherished my memories in my heart from those days, and they are always with me. Reading your article, it brought back all the fine memories from my life in my beloved country of Iran back to me. I smelled the fresh air I have breathed there for so many years. Always remember that the true part of the Culture, NEVER dies. The Arts, and the Literature will exist forever! The Love Songs will never cease to exist, no matter what! The true Iran is the one we carry in our hearts and our minds. As long as we carry our memories in our hearts, as long as we preserve the beauty of our nation, share its culture with others, and learn new things to make it better, we never have to worry about Iran perishing..... Thank you again! Sincerely, Bahereh
Dear Setareh, [The bicycle posse of Maydaneh Hedayat] I just finished reading your summer memories from Darrous and Meydan-e Hedayat and I truly enjoyed it. It felt like you are illustrating my childhood growing up in Darrous with all my cousins or neighborhood friends and the bike rides, mini Honda and playing football in a shady bon-bast ally. Now I realize one of the reasons behind enjoying your writing style and learning about your thoughts could be having similar background and childhood. My Family still lives in Darrous and whenever I go back to Iran I can hardly wait walk to the Meydan-e Hedayat and forget all about the sense of solitude I feel here in the US. Darrous has changed and most of the baghs are destroyed and tall apartment buildings have replaced all those beautiful shady alleys, but it still has its own unique and peaceful culture. All of the shops are still there including Agha Reza's little shop and he is always there to greet you and call you by name and sometimes even hug you! When I was there last year, the last day of my visit I decided to buy Sangak bread from Meydan and bring it back with me (Don't ask me why!). Agha Reza saw me standing in the line of sangaki from his shop so he approached and asked me to stand outside and have some Laboo while he is getting me the best Sangak-e sefareshi! It took him half an hour to get me the bread because none of the breads were good enough for him. When I asked him why it is taking so long he responded "agar noon-e khoob nabari, aberooy-e meydoon too Amrika mire!" Now, after so many years when I walk through streets of Darrous I really enjoy looking at the young kids, a new generation who would get together on their bikes, and they too are riding through the same path as we did years ago. And, Agha Reza is still there to take care of their bikes and call them by their names! Thank you! Sarvnaz
I enjoyed reading this article [Making a difference in Iran]. I have been battling this sense of belonging to Iran since I put my feet in this country18 years ago. The article very well expressed the feelings of me and many thousands of other Iranians. The author should not be ashamed to express such feelings, therefore he/she shouldn't have used initials. Regards
After being away from iranian.com for some time, I grabbed my espresso today and sat down to read through all that I had missed on your site for the past couple of days... Once again I came to the conclusion that your "Abjeez" are real amateurs when it comes to "advising" [Madly in love with an Arab boy]. Don't get me wrong. I am not one of the more "narrowminded" individuals of the Iranian youth (although I personally wouldn't use that word to describe someone's opinions, beliefs and family values.). But a "guess what honey? your family sucks, your life sucks and your religeon sucks. So why not deal with it until you are old enough to run away from these cruel creatures that are your parents...."? Puh-leeze! And to top it all off, an offer for a chai and shirini? It reminded me of the this time I tried to take back Gaultier-lookalike skirt
the day after I bought it for refund or exchange and the manager at the store gave
me a long speech which sounded something like "I can't accept it back since
it was a 'final sale' merchandise at the time of purchase. I do realize that you
weren't aware of that because it was put on display with our latest collection and
there were no 'sale' tags on it due to a new employee in the store that day. But
I really can't do anything about it due to our policies. How about I give you a great
smile but no offers to leave you satisfied? Do keep coming back to our store for
your latest fashion needs though."
Dear A.S.F., [Making
a difference in Iran] I thought the best tribute we could make to those innocents who gave their life, including one Ms. Darya Lin (among other Iranians) whose tribute I clipped from the newspaper and see every time I'm in the car... was to understand why this had to happen, and to strive to become better human beings. Foolishly I thought we could start the 21st century on a higher moral ground than
those who perpetrated those crimes, even as the winds of war were whirling within
the hallowed walls of Washington, the haven of liberty and democracy, and in the
hollow egos of the people within those walls.
Use
less: Cut down, lay off the crack pipe for a while.
Once I wrote to you regarding Guive Mirfendereski's childish accusations against me appearing in your journal before his complaint to the Ethics Committee of MESA was dealt with and asked for my answer to these accusations be printed. But your one sentence reply with no beginning and no ending made me understand that you were together in that childish game. Now that the said Ethic Committee has dismissed these jealously based accusations (5 June 2002), I wander if your journal has enough ethics to rectify its hasty publication of those accusations. I am talking about what you published on January 4, 2001, under "All Rights Reserved!", by Guive Mirfendereski. You can rectify your hasty publication of those childish accusations by publishing the view of the MESA's Ethics Committee in respons to his complaint, which reads as follows:
The text of the letter dated June 5, 2002, from Mary C. Wilson, the Chair of the Ethics Committee, Middle East Studies Association, to Mr. Guive Mirfendereski, relating to Mr. Mirfendereski's complaint about certain unattributed material in Mr. Mojtahed-Zadeh's work: [All Rights Reserved!]
Bravo!! Marhaba!! Afarin, sadd afarin, hezaro si sadd afarin!! Khoda ghovat! More strenghth to you! [Making a difference in Iran] If only we had more people in our comnmunity with your strength, instead of people who sit far away and only whine about everything. Kenaareh gowd mishinand, migan lengesh kon. My family had a similar experience. My parents graduated from the university here with their Ph.D.'s and we went back after almost 20 years. They wanted to see if they could take part in their nation's struggle towards progress. It was very difficult for me, who had grown up here, but I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world if they paid me a fortune. I feel that I am the person that I am because of that experience. I can now feel grateful when I walk into a university here, now that I am back for college, since I went through a few years of high school and konkoor. I can sympathize with my young fellow Iranians living in Iran. I now have a better view and perspective of the political situation and changes that are going on currently in Iran. I feel more mature than I would have if I had stayed (maybe) and compared to some of my fellow Iranians living abroad... And I still feel, despite all the difficulties, that my parents get more satisfaction there among their people, friends, and family, than they would had if they had stayed and kept on wondering "what if...." I wish you strength to struggle with hardships and success and satisfaction in everything you and your family do. May more people think the way you do... If they did, we might not be here in the world today, but maybe even a step further ahead. It takes people to bring about change, and the more we give up, the more we give our opponents a chance to succeed. I couldn't agree more with J.F.K. That's why they are where they are, and we are where we are. Beh omideh movafaghiyat va rezayat,
I am one of the fans of Nosrat Karimi. I will be glad if you can tell me where can I get one of his posters, same thing with Ezzatollah Entezami. Please email me at ardalanyaghmaie@hotmail.com
Hello from across the ocean, and yet so near - your words and sentiments are mine, in every sense and nuance, thus I feel as if I stood by that same grave with you today, the same emotions flooding me - clasping a white rose in my hand. [The country she loved to death] Last year I flew over with my daughter who had known our Princess Leila since
they were just toddlers. They remained best friends then and forever. They shared
fleeting joy and so much pain. All of us, young and old, will carry our Princess
in our hearts forever, and we will make her proud of her beloved Iran once again.
I was trying to reach KOBRA KHANOOM! but I could not. Just wanted to say it was such a shame talking about SEX in front of children on June 1, 2002 before the iranian.com comedy show in Washington DC! So sorry for Iranian.Com and their community.
I just wanted to say thank you for organizing the great iranian.com event in D.C. a few weeks ago. I just was so disappointed more people didn't come out to support you. You are awesome. Keep up the great work and thank you for bringing smiles to our faces:-)
I am writing to let our friends A.S.F. and his wife know that their feelings are well shared by many of us Iranians abroad [Making a difference in Iran]. For the majority of us the future was very much blurred when we first set foot in this or any other country. Many of us left Iran with the notion of returning one day. That notion materialized only for a few. And for most, being with the loved ones in Iran at the expense of giving up the comfort and certainty of life here for the daily struggles and uncertainties there has been the main dilemma. My wife and I have been living with this dilemma for the past few years. As we grow older the need to be with family members and relatives grow stronger. The experience has been very painful. At least the claim has been true in our case. This being with family members has been summarized in once a week phone conversations and irregular e-mails. Suffice it to say that during these conversations the eager and trembling voice of my mother, longing to hear her only grandchild's voice, or my father's pretend of doing well while his advanced Parkinson disease is gaining grounds on him, has left many deep wounds in my heart. I wish my wife and I can come up with the courage some day
to do the same thing that you have decided to do now. First of all I find it really interesting that no one actually said that yes, these abusive and sick men exist, and yes, they are animals and yes, they need psychological help. Almost all the responses that I read about the above article mentioned that there must be something wrong with the women in such circumstances, and that they attract such men. This needs to be said: it is not the women's fault, no matter what no one has the right to abuse women (or men), physically, emotionally and psychologically. There is no excuse for it. No one likes to be beaten up and abused, and no one chooses to be in such a situation. For whatever reason these poor women are in these situations and can not get out. It may be a sense of security for them, it may be that they think they have no where to go. Let's be honest, in an Iranian community getting a divorce or leaving your husband is not exactly a welcomed idea. To this day, a woman that leaves her husband for whatever reason may be frowned upon by relatives and friends. Most of the abusive relationships that I have seen or heard of involved an Iranian
man. As an Iranian woman, who is proud to be Iranian, I am ashamed to have to admit
this, but it's true. I apologize to all good Iranian men reading this, I do not mean to generalize and I am not saying that I agree with the writer of the article, that I will not get close to Iranian men, because there are good and bad individuals in every culture, and we need to be good iudges of character. Please let's learn from these stories instead of blaming the women for being abused, actually keeping an open mind and try to see their side of it too. For us women, we need to value ourselves and know when enough is enough, the very first time being abused, the very first time being hit is way more than enough. Best of luck to everyone.
Hello, Bonjour,
Dear A.S.F., [Making
a difference in Iran] Saying goodbye to everyone was hard, but we all trusted that we would be back to live some day soon. It didn't happen. I miss them terribly. I, too, can only marvel at the voices I hear over the telephone when we call Iran - children who now speak as adults, who weren't even born, or who were only children when we left Iran. I also hear the now older voices of my brother-in-laws, who like us, were only in their 20's when we lived in Iran. (How much fun it was and how crazy we all were together those days!) And then there's the beautiful elder voices that are gone now and we'll never hear again. As it turned out, we didn't share life together - didn't grow older together. We've kept in touch in bits and pieces. I can relate to what you said about spending life with our loved ones rather than visiting their graves. One thing was unclear to me, however. Do you have children? It sounds like you are a doctor, and I am in awe of you returning to Iran and helping your people. It is amazing and wonderful! I admire your spirit! I don't feel, however, that ' selfish ' is the word I would use to describe us. Our children are here in America. They want and need us here in their lives as they marry and have children of their own. And of course, we feel the same way! This also holds true for our loved ones in Iran - they too have extended families that need them there, and they feel the same way. But, how I long to sit with my sister-in-law and share conversation over tea! How I would love to be an active aunt to all my nieces and nephews living in Iran - some who also have families now. How I would enjoy seeing my husband spending time with his many brothers. You see, over the years we have all talked about and contemplated moving closer together some day - they will move here, or we will move there. Over 20 years have gone by now. We've talked about it for over 20 years! 'some
day' is not going to happen, is it? Maybe deep down we always knew. Maybe planning
and talking about 'some day' has been the only way for us to live apart from each
other all these years, knowing that too many ties hold us down where we are. The
only word that I can think of to describe us, is ' Torn '.
I have an article that will be published in Habibi: A Journal for Lovers of Middle Eastern Dance and Arts. It is called, "Shamanic Healing in the Zar and Sema Rituals of the Middle East: What does it take to cure?" and will be out in the next issue. However, I cannot find any photos of zar rituals anywhere. Would you happen to
have old photos of women doing zar in the Gulf region? Any help would be appreciated!!!
Dear sir I want to talk to Dr. Shojaeddin Shafa , But I haven't his e-mail address. Would
you please help me to find it.
HELLO,
I am looking for an Iranian lawyer in Cincinnati, Ohio. If you know any Iranian
attorney in that area please let me know.
Question:
Why the Italians wear blue (Azzurro): Shirin Sadeghi
I emailed an Italian friend about the Italian soccer team's jersey color. She didn't know why they were blue but her friend found this: //www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/it@.html#azz
In the Article "The new Islamophobia" Mr Ebrahimi's did not mention what other name Abu-Sayaf's is called in philippines. May be the reason Mr. Ebrahimi was targeted as an Iranian to answer the question "Don't you feel responsible?" is because Abu-Sayaf is called Iran-boy in Philippines. So my recommendation to Mr. Ebrahimi is to try not to make a big deal of this issue. I am certainly not. Many Philippinians who were born in Iran when their parents were servents to the wealthy Iranians and the Americans stationed in Iran. So Iran-boy could be referred to some of them too. Take care.
Aadam bazi vaghtaa yek chizaaei mikhooneh yaa mishnaveh ke nemidooneh bekhandeh yaa geryeh koneh, masalan be ein matlab ke dar rooznaameye "hayaate no" dar rooze 5shanbeh chaap shodeh bood, tavajoh konid:
ghezaavat dar morede ein matlab be ohdeye khodetoon hast, vali jaalebeh ke dar haale haazer dar besiyaari az noghaate donyaa az moosighi be onvaane yek aamele darmaani estefaadeh misheh va moosighi-darmaani be onvaane yek reshteye academic hast.... Ey kaash masoolaane mamlekate maa kami masoolaaneh va sanjidehtar va az rooye daanesh sohbat mikardand, ey kaash........
Wow! [L'AMOUR NARANJESTAN]
Emrooz man be yek site jadide Irani barkhordam. be esme www.cekaf.com. Az aan didan konid va aan ra moarefie nemaied. In kar komoak be taboo shekani ast. J.S.
I read Mr.Kadivar's article about his trip to Dubai and everything he said about it is 100% correct but their is a big BUT about Dubai which he didn't or couldn't mention. [Postcards from Dubai] First of all , I want to know whom he is writing this article for and how much he got paid as it sound very much like a holiday brochure. If he really visited all those places he mentioned in one day, he must have been wearing a rolling skate and just vizzed by all those places as each of them is located at different side of Dubai. Though Dubai is a tinny small city, still with the traffic we are facing every day , it is a bit unrealistic to do all this site seing and still see every thing in detail and to be honest, see them at all. He was looking for Iranian which is a very easy thing to find in Dubai as we are a big community over here and scattered all over town. But, all the high and mighty super expensive places he visited belong to European and better said foreigners who come with their dollors and Euros and Pounds to have jolly good time and their money has real value here. He did not see Iranian because the majority of them work like dog to earn their living to survive. There are many rich Iranian too, but did he expect them to roum around town holding placards "we are Iranian"???? He could have gone to "Deira" side in Dubai to "Morshed Bazar" not "Royal Miraj" which many of the Iranian in Deira do not know if such a place exists. I do not want to critize this gentelman's article, all I want to say is, that I belive he wrote an article commissioned by some UAE Arab (no wonder as his wife work MBC which is a Arab Broadcasting Channel), to write about Dubai attraction, audiancing Iranian through your site to wet their appetite for spending their holiday's over here and possibly do some inverstments and then to make sure everybody get convinced that his intension was solely patriotic and felt so deeply for Iran and Iranian and dying to see and fell anything touched by Iranian culture, he mentioned few items such as pistachio , caviar and carpet (again expensive stuff over here). What I don't understand is, this gentleman could use few days of his 8 days holiday and go to Iran instead of looking for Iranian in Dubai, a city which, it's sole polocy is to attract rich people to spend money only for leisure and pleasure !!! and at the same time call all us " EXPAT " considering that they are mostly origenated form vilages of Shiraz such as Lar and Garash,etc .... The only right thing in his article was what that Indian waiter said :"in UAE you own two things , yourself and your car " which is half through, you own just your car as when you get a via here, you must have an sponsor and without his permission you can not do much, which means you don't even own yourself !!! Sorry if I offended any body, which I did not have the slightest intension to
do so, but when you live here for quite a long while and get indirectly insulted
because you are Iranian and not for instance a "British passport holder",
reading this kind of articles really hursts you, specially when you know that it
is written by one of your own country people. Regards, An Iranian in UAE
I wish to thank you sincerely for publishing the article "The
country she loved to death", by Mr. Reza Bayegan, on the anniversary
of Princess Leila Pahlavi's tragic and untimely death.
Please accept my sincere gratitude for publishing Mr. Bayegan's article "The country
she loved to death", about Princess Leila Pahlavi.
I wanted to sincerely thank you for your article about Leila Pahlavi [The
country she loved to death]. It was very touching and I truly wish a brighter
and better future for all of us Iranians. Thank you again.
Thanks for publishing such a nice piece on Leila's funeral [The
country she loved to death]. In the hope that we can all return to a free
Iran
Thank you Mr. Dankoff for making me look at my copper plates with a different
vision [The
copper plate].
I saw the beautiful photos you had taken from your
trip to Konya, the resting place of Rumi/Molavi and would like to know if
there is any special regulations and rules which people who wish to go and visit
the resting place of Rumi should know. If there are any matters of importance, please drop me a few lines. Also if you
have phone numbers and other information related to the resting place of Rumi, I
will be grateful to know them too. REPLY: You can experience the Rumi's mausoleum in one aftertoon. But there are other places of interest in and around Konya which would require a longer stay. I didn't have enough time, or I would have spent more time experiencing the city and its people. It would be best to consult with a local travel agent. I only rented a taxi from Ankara and went straight to the mausoleum. Have a wonderful trip. Best, Jahanshah Javid
I was just browsing through your site and found out that you and Siamak were on
a "loosing weight" war! [Kopol
vs. Topol] so i thought that i'd let you in a little "diet" secret
which has become quiet famous in London (my cousin lost 20kg in 2 months). So here
it is (it might not taste good at first.. but you'll get use to it).
I don't unerstand this policy
of submitting one's work but withut getting paid. If the creator does not get paid
then who should? Pease send me a report on this matter upon your submission so that
I can submit. REPLY: The reason no one gets paid is that I don't make enough to even support myself. I work on iranian.com by myself. I have no other job. I earn money from ads and donations. If I could pay, I would gladly do so. Best, Jahanshah Javid
I would like to thank you for posting the pic of the first batch of professionals from India. It exposes nothing but your smuggish attitudes. But U have more to be jealous of them. While you guys have been sitting on your lard asses, those little black men have been the workhorse of not only Indian industry, but also US, Singapore, malaysia, UK, etc. Was an Iranian founder of SUN, Sycamore, Hotmail? If there has been any Iranian entreprenuer, he/ she is of Parsi origin. Go to any research institution in US and u see it crowded with Indians and Chinese almost exclusively. How many Nobel prize winners are of Iranian origin? Compare the number with those of indian origin? Why is it that they are improving despite being overcrowded, poor and destitute, in a land with no natural resources? And why are U guys are crawling ass backwards into sand with your oil and gas resources? Because they are interested in overcoming obstacle(s), and u guys are interested in a strange cycle of whining about them, then forgetting about them and blaming your problems on every one else, the Arabs, the US, etc. They have pulled 600 million people out of dire poverty in last 50 years? How much has u'r living standard improved since then ? YUNAAN - O - MISR - O - ROMAA SAB MIT GAYE JAHAAn SE AB TAK MAGAR HAI BAAQI NAAM - O - NISHAAn HAMAARAA KUCHH BAAT HAI KE HASTI MIT - TI NAHIEn HAMAARI SADYOn RAHAA HAI DUSHMAN DAUR - E- ZAMAAn HAMAARAA (Greece, Egypt and Rome all have vanished from the face of earth; yet our imprints are still undiminished. There's something for our existence doesn't efface; [though] the cycle of time has been our adversary for centuries) That statement can only be applied to four communities in the world :- parsis(not iranians), chinese, indians, japanese. They are all aware of there past(not proud.... but aware) and are moving forward. Are You?
Lucky, lucky you [Khedmate
Khaajeh]. Truly blessed is he who gets the opportunity to visit my beloved
Hafiz. I have been waiting for 24 years to visit him but, have not been able to.
I speak to him everyday and he never lets me down. You are indeed fortunate and I
am glad you experienced the ultimate solitude and serenity.
Your caligraphy photo essay (by Kamran Abbasi) took my breath away [Worshipping
words]. I suppose this is your first collection of caligraphic masterpieces.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I am student of university.My course is chemical engineering. My average diploma is 17.82. I like to study in an American university. I like to receive scholarship. Can I receive scholarship? I can not speak English a lot. What is conditions for giving scholarship? Thank you
This was a wonderful article [Khedmate Khaajeh]. Damat Garm! I hope you provide us with more of the same. My family and I really enjoyed the piece.
This article "The
country she loved to death" was pretty darn good! Hey, who cares about "horse racing competition in France". Check out
"Persian
Ruler" wining in Spain. Maybe there is hope for Reza Pahlavi after all!
I have been enjoying Azin Arefi's writing in the past two weeks [ The richest fruit, Pickled things]. Please let me know if there are more of her short stories on line so I could read them. Thanks,
In refernece to World Cup game plans:
I am not an Iranian but I have enjoyed reading your on line site for a while now. In 1979, I was a 23 year old liberal being spoonfed the pablum of our American media. I read in the Village Voice of the torture chambers of SAVAK and a police state that rivaled that of East Germany. While most Americans have a viseral disdain for monarchies, I think we were all disgusted by tales of Ashraf Pahlavi's alledged drug running and the blatant payola to members of the Royal Family by foreign investors. So when the masses clamored at the gates of Niavaran Palace, and Khomeini swooped down in his Air France 747, I, and most of my contemporaries, felt as if Iran had was on the verge of a new and more just era. How naive we were! Despite a 200 year old mantra of Separation of Church and State, we foolishly assumed that the Ayatollah would serve as a moral guardian and leave matters of state to democratically inclined politicians. Just from his statements in exile, we should have known better. They were as foretelling as Mein Kampf. Then, as the files of Evin Prison were opened to scrutiny and the world became privy to 30 years of Pahlavi evidence, the scope of alledged abuses began to dramatically shrink. And as those abuses withered, Khomeinis soared. 20 years later, and alot wiser, I have joined the growing ranks of converts who have reevaluated the late Shah. Of course some will claim that he was a foreign puppet, but as someone who vividly recalls the gasoline lines and quadrupling prices of gas in 1974, I'd beg to differ. Was he a friend of my country? Undoubtedly. At a time when we have more and more people hating us, its almost nostalgic to recall a man and nation that didnt seeth with anti-american rhetoric. America is in a tough position. On the one hand, the world envies our wealth power and standard of living. They want our cell phones, TVs and even our awful junk food. But as these accoutrements of our wealth cross borders and are lapped up by improved economies, we are accused of polluting cultures and spreading our immorality. The Shah lifted Iran out of abject poverty and while there was a price to pay, standards of living did increase. At the time of his overthrow, he was, even if slowly, loosening his grip on society and restraining excesses by SAVAK. It wasnt perfect, but it was progress. I bring all this up because I am a bit preturbed by those voices that automatically discount the role any Pahlavi could play in future Iranian politics. I read one editorial in which a writer claimed that Reza II lacks committment because he wants a referendum on the monarchy. Would he seem more desirable if he demanded the throne back unconditionally? That same writer compared restoration of the Pahlavis with the same unliklihood of the restoration of the Romanovs and other lost crowns. He failed to mention the successful restoration of Juan Carlos of Spain. Juan Carlos helped Spain recover from 30 years of despotic facism and is loved and revered by his people now despite initial doubts. Finally, Id like to respond to a writers claim that the Pahlavis have done no charity work in exile. The Empress has worked diligently on many issues close to her heart. She has spoken on commissions and participated on panels addressing womens and childrens problems throughout the world. Trying to compare Princess Leila with Princess Diana is a cheap shot. 95% of Princess Dianas charitable value was in her persona. Just attending an event meant mega-exposure. Does the writer of that article know how much charitable work is done by the decidedly less-glamorous Duchess of Kent? Princess Diana, gracious lady that she was, was a media star. Even while visiting minefield victims in Yugoslavia, she was the issue, the star. She knew it, and used it to publicize issues close to her heart. Princess Leila, like many Iranian exiles, watched her family villified at home and abroad. I dont know what personal demons hounded the Princess, but I would never make
the assumption that it was spoiled-child syndrome.
Bebinam jenaabe Saman khaan: SHOMAA YAA OGHDEYE CHADOR DAARI YAA YE DEHAATIEH TAAZE BE Elham
I agree with you [Long Live Iranian TV!]. Good for you - you are the young generation and your insight and understanding is far beyond the older one. I have always maintained that most of our compatriots are good at finding fault without doing anything about helping to correct it if they know better. You are sensitive to this issue and have the courage to speak out. * Soul searching Dear Aref, [Khedmate Khaajeh] Congratulations. You saw everything with the of your soul. Love, |
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