Letters
Brimming with fallaciesI got to read "Bad thoughts, bad words, bad deeds", which literally turned my stomach. I don't know who the author is, but he/she has a very clear agenda--none of which is consistent with the goal of educating or informing the readership. It is a blatent attack on a religion that the author knows absolutely nothing about. "Persian Lover" (very ironic pseudonym) uses the "Sad Dar" as a major red herring and bases his/her fallacies on the content of a 14th century book, whose authorship is suspect and contains nothing of the teachings of the Prophet. The ideas and beliefs contained within this book are no more reflective of the teachings of Zoroaster (Zarathushtra) than the lunatic rantings of Emam Jom'eh of Orumieh (Hassani) are reflective of the teachings of Mohammad (incidently his speeches have been published into three book volumes). Furthermore, the caste system of the Sasanian era is no more based in Zoroastrian teachings than the raping of virgin girls before an execution sentence in the Islamic Republic "justice system" is based in the early "pristine" teachings of Islam. Such an article, devoid of any scholarly authority, brimming with fallacies, disinformation, hatred, and filled with anti-Iranian and anti-Zoroastrian sentiments is unbecoming and non-reflective of the spirit and mission of iranian.com that I have come to know over the years. Alongside my medical education, I have spent over 18 years of my life in Iranian and Zoroastrian studies in some of the most reputable centers of scholarship in the US and spent two years comparing the content of several manuscript copies of the Sad Dar and other post-Islamic literature related to the Zoroastrian community, so I have intimate knowledge of the topic. I feel it is equally my duty to inform you of any shortcomings as well as giving you positive feedback on your wonderful achievements with respect to the publication of iranian.com. Please take this as constructive criticism from a friend, a reader, and a fan of your work. To make this feedback more meaningful, I will gladly offer my services as a reviewer of articles on Zoroastrianism for future publications, although I am sure there are more qualified scholars out there. If you find this to be an acceptable idea, please let me know. I believe reviewing the content of any article on any topic submitted to Iranian.com will only ensure a consistent quality of the publication. Look forward to hearing from you. Regards, REPLY: This is what I wrote to a Zoroastrian friend who complained about this article and asked for it to be removed from iranian.com:
READ THE GATHAAs a Zoroastrian, I was disgusted and dismayed to read your article "Bad thoughts, bad words, bad deeds". The author quotas Sad Dar calling it a "sacred" text. Well, Sad Dar IS NOT a Zoroastrian sacred text. It WAS NOT written by Zarathushtra or his companions. It's not even part of the Avesta. If you really want to know about Zarathushtra and his message READ THE GATHA- his own hymns not some one else's work that came thousands of years after him. Zarathustra's Teachings are based on freedom, righteousness, and Wisdom. It has nothing to do with later literature or Sasanian tradition. I demand an apology and correction from Iranian. com. Thank you. Rebecca Cann
Zoroaster's message can helpMany of us who are admirers of the teachings of Zoroaster were dismayed when we read your article "Bad thoughts, bad words, bad deeds". The article quotes from very late texts that were not part of Zoroaster's original message. Please read his own words in the Gathas, not those added by priests centuries later. I am not Iranian, but studying Zoroaster has given me a new appreciation for the contributions that Iran has made to world history. As you know, most Americans and Europeans have had a negative view of Iran since the revolution. Zoroaster's message can help Westerners understand the difference between Islam and Iran. It is as important today as it was thousands of years ago. Please consider printing a retraction or at least an article written by a recognized scholar of the Gathas. Stephen Williamson
Why publish an article by a submoron?Regarding "Bad thoughts, bad words, bad deeds": I am simply appaled by the stupidty of the author who wrote this fallacious piece of trash on Zoroastrianism. He is not only an uneducated imbecile and moron, but has failed to even provide proper references. First of all, the Sad dar is not a holy Zoroastrian text, it is a post islamic treaty. The Gathas of Zarathushtra is the only actual word of Asho Zartosht and as such is recognized as only "holy text". There are in addition, litturgical texts in the Avesta but I digress. Why is it that any submoron and idiot can post an uneducated, fallacious and misleading article and then have it printed in your magazine is beyond me but I highly recommend your editors do research and verify the information given by such imbeciles before damaging teh crediblity of the publication.
So sweet and so funnyRegarding Bahram saghari's "Khatoon Khanoom": I love your Iranian.com stories. You had one about your neighbor's daughter that was so sweet and so funny and so real, it took me back to the days we lived in Iran. My husband and I take your "Farting in Farsi" to Iranian parties and read it to our friend. Have you considered to publish your stories like Firoozeh Dumas' Funny in Farsi? Is this Khatoon Khanoom a sequence like a soap opera with a story or is it like Seinfeld and it will be sweet and funny but about nothing? Keep up the good work and good luck.
No reason to use profanityRegarding Farrohk B's "Going overboard": I just read the article you published by Farrohk B. and I am very much disaponted in your judgement in selecting this article for publication. There is no reason a writer should resort to use profanity in every sentence. There are many who think it is "cool" and hip to talk/write like that. But in this forum it is insulting to your readers and insensitive to the common sense of the community you are trying to appeal to. I hope in the future you are more discriminating in the articles you choose to publish,
What Kurds really want wantDear Heresh [NOTHING without...] and Jalal [Ultimate goal], Thank you for your feedback on my article "Pay attention". Hoepfully we become free, have equal rights, and freely unite with any civil society. Currently our union is like a forced marriage and predetmined. Only a free local referendum woudl tell what Kurds really want want! I respect the will of the people! Thinking that we have equal rights in Iran is an illusion, if not a delusion. Please pay attention to some simple examples: No Kurdish child has the opportuntity to attend public schools and cultivate himself/herself in her/his own langauge, let alone talking about a Kurdish prime minister, president, or velayat faghih in Iran? (Don't take me wrong, velayete faghieh is not an answer for any civil society, this is just an example). Again thank you for sharing your concerns, which indicates your love for the people; it deserves admiration. We all are learning to listen to each other as the first step toward democracy! Our former ally, AmericaLast night on french tv i saw a documentary about evangelists in United States. It was frightening it remind me exacly Mullahs preach in high school in the morning. Their speach against abortion, homosexuality and sexuality was like middle age ideas. But the difference is Khomeini wanted to change the Islamic world but these christians fundementalists want change whole world. Some of them came as a lobbyist in brussels, in european parlement. They critisized the European parliament for being anti-religious. In an interview one of them pretended that every Christian must be ready to die for his faith. "Wow," I said to myself. "I escaped from the Islamic Republic and its obscurantism to hear that?" All night long I was thinking why? Lack of values? Need for spiritualism? Too much materialism ? After that I read an article about how CBS censored "60 minutes" where it shows how Bush administration created fake documents to prove that Saddam Hussein bought Uranium from Niger to built atomic weapons. Where is America going? Is this empire driving us towards darkness? How can we resist ? We who believe in reason and a critical mind, now have to fight a new enemy that used to be our ally. Locust attackRegarding Mahmoud Pakzad's "Mahmoud's old Tehran": Thank you for the old Tehran photos. They were mgnificent. Comparing today to then, its like locusts have attacked. We had peace...Regarding Mahmoud Pakzad's "Mahmoud's old Tehran": These are so great. Pictures showe what we had peace, harmony, and hope and what we have now is NOTHING. God bless Mr Mahmod. October 13 | October 21 | October 22 | |