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Letters

February 27, 2004

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* Super K

Thanks for your excellent piece on the recent Iranian political activities. [From Islamic Republic to Iranian Caliphate] I, like most, have been watching these recent developments with a keen interest and a hopeful eye.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it largely moot what the final make up of the parliament is anyway? Because any laws passed by the parliament are subject to review and ultimate approval by the guardian council. Since they would never approve any laws they don't think are Islamically delicious, the final make up of the parliament and elections (free or otherwise) is irrelevant. Since the council also controls the military, there is no way to even force a coup.

Apparently all of this has been set in the constitution and laws to amend or touch the power of the council do not exist. Therefore there does not appear to be any legal way to challenge legislative power.

Additionally Khomeini's guidance on the subject seems pretty clear. Basically he wrote that, (excuse my loose translation) "the mullahs in each voting district must guide the people to vote for those good moslems that the mullah likes, individuals who have decided to stand for election and that they should treat them like a father would treat a son."

Therefore, according to K the political process comes ultimately from the guidance of the paternal mullah. People are not to be left to think for themselves, and are to be guided, always by the mullahs and doing anything else goes directly against the teachings of Super K.

Am I wrong in my attempt to understand how this system has been set up? Because if I am not, the only way out seems to be another revolution which I don't know if my heart can take. Great piece once again, I learned a lot. Thanks.

PS. I just realized yesterday, that Iran is now surrounded by US forces (Afghanistan and Iraq). I wonder if that and the fact that the US intends to hand over control to Iraq in June means anything!

Bruce Bahmani

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* Thankful for eliminating Saddam

Agha Reza salaam-o-dorood, [Of breasts and bombs]

Even though I agree with almost all your points, I must draw a line when it comes to the Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).

I don't care who supplied Saddam Hussein with WMD's or if he had any left on March 21st of last year. The truth of the matter is Saddam killed thousands of innocent Kurdish people using WMD's.

I am also positive that every Iranian soldier who was blinded or had/has to suffer the painful blisters on his body is content that Saddam Hussein is going to rot in a prison cell.

Iran could not eliminate this mad man and America did. For that, I am thankful.

MaMali

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* Iran must go back to its roots

If the burden of judgment is put on history it would be several more generations before we realize that Mohammad Reza Shah was the best thing that ever happened to Iran, we the people of Iran have always slapped the hand that fed us and bowed down to those shoes that kicked us.

I don't want to attack anyone's belief or religion, but we did away with the most beautiful and serene religion like the one Zoroaster brought to us to give in to a religion that brought us nothing but ignorance and bloodshed, now we are spread in the 4 corners of the globe and our country is in a worse shape that has ever been in recent history. Who can get up and tell me that we are better off now than we were in 1978?

Iran must go back to its roots and the kingdom or it will not survive the 21st century, that land is doomed to be divided and destroyed and we have no one to blame but ourselves and the way we follow and accept Islam like dumb cattle's and put it before our own welfare, don't forget that we are Iranians before we are Muslims. Death to islamic Republic, Long live to Shahanshah.

Farnam

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* Political back pain

Dear readers of Iranian.com,

I just read the news that president Khatami was admitted to a hospital for back pain. Although back pain is aggravated with psychological stress, pain itself is rarely a cause for admission.

Those with severe back pain may visit pain specialists. Epidural catheters or other invasive injections in hospitals may be performed to lessen the pain. Admission to a hospital is not necessary. Please take a moment to double check this fact with other medical professionals.

If the hospital admission is over-emphasized, it is most likely a part of their political game to make the president appear a victim and make him more popular. When Khatami was guiding the propaganda of the regime, little attention was given to the hospitalization needs and rights of victims who were assaulted and injured by the agents of the mullahs.

V.

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* Where's the data?

The report on Iranians in USA was a good laugh! [Smart bunch] Especially when ISG says "The group estimates that the actual number of Iranian-Americans may top 691,000 -- more than twice the figure of 338,000 cited in the 2000 U.S. census."

I have no problem with Iranians being even more, but where's the data, where is estimation coming from? And if your data on iranian education is based on voluntary assertions by respondents then everyone can claim they have graduate degrees, and we know we iranians love to have degrees; the higher the degree the better!

I, for one, would love to see the science behind this funny, self-congratulatory piece of self-promotion.

Ramin Tabib

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* Too repetitive

Dear Houman,

I saw all of your misplaced project posters at iranian.com and read J. Lyden's introduction [The rise and fall of Simon Ordoubadi].

I must say that the idea for the project maybe unique, though it has been reflected many times in other art media specially literature and the presentations are unfortuantely too repetitive. I do not understand why the expatriat artists do not exert more effort towards achieving their art and rather stick to long and elaborated (if not exaggurated) introductions of themselves.

Jackie Lyden is a known NPR correspondent, the same NPR which claims to be a national voice but has been bought by the radical right in the US!!! It would have been more sound if you had chosen some one more credible, maybe an artist rather or an art critique. Hope you won't get bothered by my opinion.

Ramin Rasooli
Assistant Professor
Wimbeldon School of Fine Arts
London

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* Thorn in humanity's eye

Media, do your job. Help to end this freakish madness called Islamic Republic. How many lives have to be sacrificed for this man made religion that should have died in the same century that it was born, mankind's decency is centered in his heart and soul not in Islam or christianity, stop fooling yourselves, God (if there is such a thing) doesn't need us to kiss his ass 5 times a day.

Stop making people's lives misreable, extract and dispose this cancer, kill the mollahs and imprison all religious fanatics as they are bound to destroy civilization. When are you going to realize that Islam is a thorn in humanity's eye. Practice what you believe in but don't force it on a nation. Death to all Islamic Governments.

Ashamed of being a Muslim,

Farnam

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* Don't ever give up

Dear Shabnam, [Deafening silence]

We cannot live without hope - hope keeps us going ! There is always a light at the end of a tunnel, and we Iranians are in that tunnel; some crawl through it, others run, some just stand still and have to be pushed, but we shall reach the light.

Don't ever give up, and don't think you are the mermaid without a voice. Your writing reveals a beautiful voice, and maybe that is your calling: to write and express and reveal and HOPE.

Shahla Samii

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* Make sure there is room for ALL

Dear Ms. Samii,

Hi, in response to your iranian.com letter to Ms. Azizi, I think you rather completely and somewhat conveniently misconstrued the gist of her article.

While she bemoans her first-hand experience of the inbred flaws of the Iranian character and our social order at large, you revert back to your (might i say oft-repeated) stance of regime change. In short, you missed the point - again.

Education and humanity are fine, but so is being real, being open-minded (as opposed to narrow-minded), and being subject to and accepting of criticism, and perhaps more importantly being introspective and self-critical  -- a lot of which our beloved diaspora are NOT! So it begs the question just how you expect this diaspora to help the citizens of Iran, or just what force, movement, motivation you expect would bring about regime change.

You know for the last 25 years we of the (willing or unwilling) diaspora have talked about what should be done for the people of our country. Rarely have we asked just who are the people that comprise our country. Is it the educated? the aristocrats? the industrialist? the blue-color workers? the mollahs? the bazaris? the farmers and villagers? the disenfranchised?

Well the surprisingly simple answer is that it is all of the above, and in creating a new society (one far, far superior in terms of social, ethical and judicial order than what the teary-eyed nostalgics attribute the old regime with) we must make sure there is room for ALL of us!

The new social order is NOT something to be handed down by a few to the masses. Rather it must be the bourgeoning of the masses along the accepted ethos of the day: equality, fairness, freedom, tolerance, rationality, humanity, ethics, etc. Again, I propse that the diaspora living in the relative ease and luxury of the West are no better prepared to tackle these issues than are the people of Iran who've been living under extreme duress and stress.

I think what Ms. Azizi correctly observes is an ingrained flaw in the Iranian psyche - one that has metastasized for generations but can no longer be ignored. Focusing solely or even primarily on regime change is a false panacea that fails to address the cancer within. I hope we can continue this process of introspection and be willing to forthrightly accept the prognosis, however painful.

Moe

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* Seriously offended

As your article and letter [Defeatest attitude] on Iranian.com and your desperate attempt at fiction [Return of Shahrzad] (which I have not had the displeasure of subjecting myself to reading -- which reminds me also to inform you, in case you didn't know, of the vast amount of Western rubbish that gets published in Iran these days fueled by desperate half-witted "translators"), with that debacle cover of a the girl in Greek costume and the guy in disco gigolo suit, so clearly demonstrate, you don't know diddly about Iran, its culture, or its people for that matter. Now there is a "defeatist attitude" any Iranian would be proud of.

Might I suggest you take up a hobby more suitable to your elementary nature -- like knitting or square dancing, or if you prefer, writing about knitting -- and spare those of us who've lived and breathed Iran for most of our lives the task of having to defend Iran, its culture and its history from the Horde of the Ignoramus rising from the west.

Seriously offended,

Moe

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* You don't know the difference

Mr.professor, [Not this year]

Yours is a beautiful article and well written. What is surprises me is that You don't know the difference between HALLALIAT and permission.

Your friend call for hallaliat not permission, and if you think you are a Judge why don't you asked about his help to the earthquake victims. How can You judge him without asking. I would like to assure you people in Iran has helped the victimsmore than all of you did from the US.

If you gave $30 and you are proud of your generosity, let me tell this amount is just for less than an hour here, which I don't think is too much. People in Iran are Much more compassionate than all of you here. Just a thought, TALK IS CHEAP.

Hajj is obligatory for any Muslim in all over the world.

From a tourist in the US,

Davod

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* Real life images

As a big fan of balck and white movies and photography I always long to see pictures that appeal to my soul [Market forces]. Wow, what a wonderful presentation!

I truly think that the black and white pictures make the subject matters come through and invoke the imagination.

These pictures had the amazing subject matters I always long to see. Images of subjects and surrondings that create a comfort zone for thoughts and bring back the memories of so long ago.

That is so refreshing to see a talented Iranian artist has realized how unique his approch is. I hope to see more pictures of real life images instead of cookie cutter duplicate buildings and houses that I find nausiating.

I work in one of the richest and most perfect cities in this country but I can not wait to leave every afternoon because those images bore me. Why? No characters and nothing left for the imagination.

Thank you for sharing and please continue to bring us these images which are unique and far from ordinary.

Azam Nemati

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* What a pleasant gift!

Thank you so much for sharing the photos of Delkash, one of our most amazing treasures [Living past]. I cried of mixed emotions. How fragile she looks now and how her magnificent voice will comand admiration and respect until eternity.

I wish there were more pictures of her and truly hope that she has written her memories and will publish them for her fans to read.

What a pleasant gift! Thank you because you made my day.

Any photos of Assadollah Malek and Mahmoudi Khansari anyone?

Azam Nemati

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* Victorian blunder!

I am sorry if I sound like a killjoy by picking on Ms Bahrami's socio-political review of Jane Austen's masterpiece, Pride and Prejudice [Acting Victorian]. But in her haste to announce her discovery of the Austin's novel via BBC's DVD collection, Ms Bahrami has got the period of the story completely wrong.

I found it amusing to read that, according to Ms Bahrami, Pride and Prejudice was supposed to symbolise the Victorian era's values and traditions. I am afraid Ms Bahrami is off the mark by at least 40 years! Let's examine the dates a little closely.

Jane Austen completed the writing of Pride and Prejudice in 1797, a reflection of the period known as the Regency era (the reign of George IV). The novel was first published in 1813. Princess Victoria was born in 1819, six years after the novel was published and was crowned as Queen in 1837, meaning twenty fours years after the novel went into print and some 40 years after it was written in the first place.

Therefore the period that is characterised by the so-called 'Victorian Values' did not get into full swing until some 4-5 decades after Pride and Prejudice was completed. Ms Bahrami, has unwittingly, commited a Victorian blunder!

Parkhash

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* Victorian Iranians

Thank you for recommending the BBC's adaptation of Pride and Prejudice [Acting Victorian]. While the movie and the cast are wonderful, a great deal of credit goes to Jane Austin, who could make the most annoying people seem very familiar.

And you're right, the concerns and issues do sound familiar and similar to those of our society--but they are not Victorian values. Jane Austin lived and wrote before Queen Victoria was born. Queen Victoria's prudishness and values didn't materialize until after her marriage to Prince Albert and then after his death.

Parissa Sohie

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* Very complicated site

Your site is very complicated and there are too many steps/links to go through to get to see what I want. I would prefer all the pictures to be together, available as thumbnails with an option to enlarge and information attached to the enlargement, thanks, hopefully you will not be offended by my opinions.

Emma Dale

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More letters (February 27, 2004)
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Archive
All past letters

By subject
February 27, 2004

Aghdashloo
* No cousin of mine
* Aghdashloo vs. Ebadi
* Amazing gall
* Iran: Four letter word?

Elections
* Super K
* Political back pain
Hejab
* Self-defeating argument
* Much more complicated
* Open a Kebab shop
* Same old gibberish
* Just as bad
* Clear judgments difficult
Prince Charles
* Washinton tomorrow
US/Iran
* Lincoln and Mossadegh?
* Moral grounds alone
U.S./Israel
* IRI takling English
* Zealously anti-Jewish
* Constantly indignant
* Plenty of reasons
* Nothing to fear
* Leftist interpretations
* Justifying hatred
* No excuse for aggression

* Always peaceful options
Nuclear
* Mr. Nuclear Iran, sir
Iraq
* Eliminating Saddam
Howard Dean
* Echoing George Bush
Revolution
* Cheap speech
* Don't ever give up
IRI
* IRI takling English
* Unfair comparison
* Safe with Pahlavis & ...
* Thorn in humanity's eye
* Time is overdue
Shala Azizi
* Deception and ignorance
* Really nailed it

* We CAN fix it
* Room for ALL
* Seriously offended
Iranian-Americans
* Where's the data?
Polls
* Why inevitable?
Poker
* Poker: My father and I
* There are many more
Abjeez
* A culture that is not ours

Women ice skating
* For me it was a disaster
Shah
* Must go back to roots

Pride & Prejudice

* Victorian blunder!
* Victorian Iranians

Janet Jackson's breast
* Nothing is sacred?
* Serious apology
* Decent/indecent breast
iranian.com
* Dignified?
* Very complicated site
* Cheap speech
Mortazavi's Project Misplaced
* Too repetitive
Goodbye Iran
* Distinctive Irans
* Beesharafaa
* Just a bad experience
* Islam and Iranian society
* Two weeks is enough
* Why marry a Moslem?
* Yuck! We will pray for you
Hajj
* Don't know the difference

Bahai
* Heartened
Photography
* Real life images
* Amazing gall
* Low-class

Qajar

* No prince
* Honorary prince

Delkash
* What a pleasant gift!
Music
* Magnificent voice
* Khodaa roo koolet
* Tashakor
* People will respect
Azam Nemati
* You feel entitled to mock
Poetry
* Congratulations
Writing
* Wonderful romantic style
Help
* Small business

 

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