Letters
April
2005
April
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25 | April
8 | April
7-Page 1 | April
7-Page 2 |
I will vote Republican in 2008 if...
Dear President Bush,
Howdy. Hope you and the Mrs. are well. Just saw new pictures of
Jenna and Barbara; dang they look good. I'd come to khastegari
but my mother says American women don't make good wives. She always
says "they sex too much before marry".
Anyhow, on to my suggestion. I know you and some of
your buddies in the Pentagon are chumping at the bits to go into
Iran and democratize my country much in the same way you democratized
Iraq. Well, maybe this time you won't F'up as bad. By the
way, N comes before Q so Iran should have been first anyway but
whats done is done.
As you know, the most important element in overthrowing a dictatorship
and installing a new regime whethere a true democracy or a puppet
government is unity of the people.
Iranians are not known for unity; unity of thought, action or whatever.
UNLESS, football is involved. It seems that the new Iranian
national football team is destined to go to the 2006 World cup
next year (God willing, touch wood 10x). A win by this team even in
the semi finals will unite MOST Iranians to a degree
not seen before in the close to 3000 years of recorded Persian
history.
So, if you boys have plans for invasion or "angoolak" of
the filthy pigs in charge of the current Islamic regime, you may
want to plan for the summer of next year. No matter how many Arab
hezbollah thugs they import to control our people, they won't be
able to confine or control the energy of 70 million united proud
Iranians.
If you promise to help us change the Islamic Republic of Iran to IRAN
with a secular government and a president who wears a suit and
a tie, I will vote Republican in 2008.
Let me know. Call me @ 1-800-IRAN-2006
Pull our heads out of the sand
In response to Reza Bayegan's "Crown jewel":
My Dear Mr. Bayegan,
You should really stop this pattern of self-delusion in romanticizing
the ex-royal family of Iran. They are not by any means a group
of tragic, misunderstood and sacrificial lambs as you would like
to portray them. Many of the agonies we are now suffering under
the current regime are direct results of their mistakes and misdirected
dreams of grandeur. I , for one, am an admirer of Farah Pahlavi
and her strength and dignity under duress and difficult circumstances,
which by the way, are much easier to bear with the wealth that
family has accumulated. Still, I really don't believe that Leila
withered away because of her love of Iran or pain of exile.
She
might have had a good heart and her death was truly tragic, but
she was just another rich, lost, addicted, heavily cosmetic-surgeried, self-involved
jet-setter living in a luxury hotel in London, feeling sorry for
herself, while millions of young women her age were and are suffering
in Iran due to all kinds of medieval religious, social and
political oppression. She could have made better use of her
life and the means at her disposal. I will never forget
a picture of her taken for one of the European celebrity magazines,
heavily made up in a sumptuous room, wearing designer clothes and
holding a copy of Molana's poetry. The irony of it all was monumental.
When are we going to pull our heads out of the sand, Mr. Bayegan,
and face reality? When?
Navid Zahed
Many more heart breaking stories
In response to Darius Kadivar's "Different accounts of tragic era":
Thank you so much for your email and comments. In my opinion, 1979 and the ensuing 26 years have been a very tragic time in Iran's history. I know first hand that many innocent lives were lost during and after the revolution and that there are many more heart breaking stories out there.
While I wrote Even After All This
Time as a tribute to my parents, it is my ardent hope that it can
reach others who have tragically lost a loved one. I have read
great reviews about Roya's book and look forward to meeting
her.
Again, thank you for this wonderful email.
Afschineh Latifi
We cannot afford to be silent
In response to Alidad Vassigh's "Your nostalgia serves no one":
Thank you for taking the time to look at my article ["Crown jewel"]. “The words let the dead bury their dead” are not as you suggested from the Holy Koran, but from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 8 verses 21 and 22. The word "dead" here is a reference to all those who did not respond to the call of Jesus. You make another untenable comment that "no death is tragic. It is inevitable". What you say defies the dictionary's definition of tragedy: "A very sad event, that shocks people because it involves death".
You say, "Potentially Leila Pahlavi has had her fair share of grief". How can you, whose opinion of her amounts to "a spoiled child with plenty of money in the bank and houses in California and Paris” etc. be trusted as a fair judge of what is due to her in terms of grief and lamentation? How does this crass, heartless and materialistic assessment tally with the "love" and "morality" you speak of later in your e-mail?
You rightly ask the question: what about those who faced death, poverty and war in Iran and wished they were in exile? Take a look at other articles I have written like ‘Children of a Lesser God’, where I have written on those tragedies you remark on. I have talked about poverty, homeless children and human rights violation of all Iranians. Leila Pahlavi too was an Iranian, and God forbid if I should be bullied into silence about her and other beloved children of Iran for fear of ranting critics and the clamor of hostile voices. We have remained deaf and dumb for too long on what matters to us in our country, and we have paid a dear price. We cannot afford to be silent any longer on the truth of what has befallen our dear homeland >>> Full text
Your nostalgia serves no one
In response to Reza Bayegan's "Crown jewel":
Dear Mr. Bayegan,
The Qur'an gives sound advice somewhere I believe, which is to let the dead bury the dead. People live and die, and only those who believe in nothing say they die "tragically," early or accidentally, and grieve excessively. Believers - Jews, Christians and Muslims - usually accept death and its timing, determined by God. So there is no need to grieve further for Laila Pahlavi (you may say that you do not believe in God, in which case you have no business associating yourself with the institution of monarchy, which is an unsustainable sham without its religious bases).
Her death, you say, is "tragic." No death is tragic, it is inevitable. The tragedy is how we live our lives, and whether or not we are ready for death: there is the tragedy, potentially. Laila Pahlavi has had her fair share of grief! Many Iranians have died in the most unfortunate circumstances in the past 25 years: who but their families grieved for them? Unless you are a blood relative or close confidant of the Pahlavis, your grief is incomprehensible.
1. Laila's death was "by and large" due to the pain of an "unbearable" exile: So many Iranians have lived through exile, and most without much money in the bank, nor homes in Paris, California and elsewhere. How bearable was exile to them? What about those who wished they were in exile, instead of facing war or poverty in Iran?
2. How did the princess renew in "our" hearts a greater love for Iran, etc? This is another confused idea. How did she make us reflect? I was sad when I heard she had died: I was sad for her family, her mother especially, and thought she was probably hoping to return to Iran some day: though she would have been horrified at the changes real estate developers have made to Niavaran, Sa'dabad, Darband etc. But I fail to see how her death signifies anything for the rest of us.
3. It is true that love is important, and no process of improvement can be motivated by hatred or vengefulness. But better than love, which means different things to different people, is a love of reason, and virtue. These are what make people better, and prevent violations. You should be devoted to reason and morality, not to people, and promote a love of reason, not a nostalgic, emotive devotion to a clan.
If this is your way of drumming up support for the monarchy, you are on the wrong track. Your nostalgia serves neither Iran nor the institution of monarchy. Next time you had better explain why a constitutional monarchy would serve Iran better than a demagogic republic. Nostalgia and discrimination are venom to the monarchy you cherish.
I'm offended. Take it off!
In response to Sayed MohammadReza Hashemi's "Another plot":
I have searched for Bahai related articles on the site and I found this very offensive and ignorant. In this letter Bahais are refered to as nothing but a conspiracy theory. this is ignorant and misinformative.
I take great offense to this as a Bahai. Espessially the cartoon dog with the British shirt which in its addition shows the idea that this persons opinions arent simply opinions to be anylised, rather some sort of accepted fact that can be casually joked about.
I feel it should
be removed. its very offensive and ignorant. it perpetuates ignorant
attitudes and actions, even violence against
Bahais
Keyva
Different accounts of tragic era
In response to excerpt from Afschineh Latifi's book "Even After All this Time":
Mrs. Afschineh Latifi's biography is a very touching account of her life and struggle after the drama of her father's sad execution and is most interesting from a personnal and historical perspective.
I find it very encouraging that Iranian
women of my generation have the courage to write such personal
biographies that transend personal tragedies into something that
intersects with our nations History. I had a classmate in Shiraz
whose father was executed after Khomeiny decreed a general Amnesty
on all political prisoners which needless to say was not respected,
the boys name was Kamran, unfortunately that is all I know of him
and
do not know anything else of his whereabouts given the fact that
he left school shortly after his fathers execution never to come
back again.
From a different political perspective Roya Hakakian has written
an interesting biography of a Jewish Childhood in Revolutionary
Iran "Journey
from the Land of No". Wouldn't
it be interesting to have both authors meet for an interview for
the Iranian.com. Both authors are excellent and It would
be most interesting to compare these two very different accounts
to help better understand that tragic yet recent era
of our history.
Modern Islam has no answers besides terrorism
In response to Ashaq Raza's poem "Is Islam a terrorist religion?":
Hallo Dr. M. Ashaq Raza,
The poem is nicely composed, but only some points, not all....
1.) Islam is no religion for human rights. Where in the scripture you see something about human rights? Maybe Muhammad wanted humant rights (and in fact you see it by the way he legistlated) but that is your interpretation. Is there an interpretation of the Al-Azhar about this point?
2.) The alcohol problem and the gays, this is not a problem of the western society only. i lived in Iran and was raped by your Muslim-brethren as a young boy. The Muslim society has not yet found the way to deal with the internal moral problems they have. And not talking about it is not a solution. And the same with alcohol, i know a lot of Muslim families who drink alcohol or even burn their own whiskey....this is in fact not a matter of Muslim or not...
3.) Which kind of equality you see for women or even children? A word of a woman is not worth as a man, a woman cannot go into public without restrictions. Children have in fact no right in islam. If you are divorced (only the man can divorce) the children are automatically his. What are you talking about?
4.) Modern Islam has found no answer to modernism besides terrorism, looking backward and hope that somebody will find a good solution. I have not heard of any Muslim group having a solution how to live in the modern world besides ignoring the faith or living like we did in the past.
So, greetingss from Germany, and I am happy not living in a Muslim country anymore. They would have stoned me for these words...
Rafti Omrikar, beegheyrat shodi
In response to comments on Iranian and Arab identity:
Salam beh hamegi, salam beh hameh unhai keh hanuz ghalbeshun barayeh Iran mitapeh va eftekhar mikonand keh irani hastan.
Dobareh mibinam keh adamhai peida mishan keh beh rahati, az Iran va irani enteghad mikonand va fekr mikonand keh injuri, mitunan, khod shirini bekonand va havas hayeh khodeshun ro injuri, eghna konand. vaghean khejalat hast. un aghai ro migam keh maha ro moghayeseh mikoneh ba arabha va afrighai ha...
Agha! to chi fekr kardi? hala, dari beh takhteh khordeh, rafti Omrikar (USA) fekr mikoni, ejazeh dari injuri az Iran sohbat koni? baba ku un khuneh irani? kojast un sharafeh irani? beh Khoda geryeh kardam vaghti ino khundam az un agha! hala keshvareh ma dareh azab mikesheh in vasat, in beh shoma ejazeh nemideh keh be in rahati, chizi begi keh deleh baghia ro besuzuni!!!!
Kheili delam sukht.bishtar barayeh khodemun, in hameh sal kharej az Iran hastim va hanuz fekr mikonim keh .donia mesleh un ghadimast va faghat bayad beh fekre khodemun bashim.ey baba... chi budim, chi shodim, va chi khahim shod. to ro Khoda biain Iran dust bashim, chera keh nah?
ma chimun az baghieh kamtareh.in hameh tarikh darim poshte saremun, in hameh chizhayeh khub Khoda dar ekhtiareh Iran gharar dadeh. ageh laaghal nemitunim Iran dust bashim, injuri deleh yek irani digaro nashkunim.hamuni keh baba bozorgam az emam Hosein migoft, laaghal ageh din nadarim, azadeh bashim.
Zendeh bashid hamatun.va ghalban tashakor mikonam az iranian.com barayeh in site ali keh dareh.khasteh nabashin.
Hossein cult bad, Shah cult good
In response to Pesar Gol's "Foulad man":
With regards to your comments on Mr. Fouladvand, I have had the opportunity of watching his program an numerous occasions. For someone who sees no value in any religion, particularly Islam in its manisfested way in Iran, I very much appreciate Mr. Fouladvand's opposition to Islam and his fight against superstition and backwardness propagated by the mullahs. I commend his knowledge of Iranian history as well, but I question the lessons that he draws from history. It could have been that our ancient kings were just and progressive and great, but the same can not be said about the late Shah mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
I find it ironic that Mr. Fouadvand abhors the cult of personality of Hossein propagated by the mullahs but he sees no problem in propagating the cult of personality of the late Shah, and distorting the history when it comes to the late Shah.
The political climate under the Shah was one the Middle ages and all voices of dissent, including the the liberal democratic ones, were crushed by the Shah and his Savak. Granted that the present mullahs' regime in Iran is much more tyrannical and blood thirsty, yet history is history and it can not be distorted. The Shah was a weak man who could not stand any opposition and was incapable of dealing with challenges and handle the truth. I heard a man who at one time worked for the late Shah say that "you could not tell a lie to Reza Shah Pahlavi, but you could not tell the truth to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
I have no problem with a monarchy system in Iran, should the poeple want such system, but using the late Shah as model of what the next monarch should be like is a recipe for disaster.
Mehdi,
Canada
We have to be thankful
In response to Pesar Gol's "Foulad man":
My dear Pesare Gol,
For 1400 years we closed our eyes to the reality of Islam by choice! Then comes the Theocratic Regime in our country to open our self imposed wide shut eyes. If Foulad Man or any other person such as Salman Rushdi, Ali Dashti, and Sojaedin Shafa are extending a helping hand to us to see the reality of Islam, we have to be thankful to them all.
Once & for all, we have to know what Islam says & is about. If yet some of us wants to practice it, that is their choice. As far as I am concerned, before the Theocratic Regime I thought that I am a Muslim, no more. I try to be a human being rather that an effigy of some alien 1400 years old obscure foreign men or women.
Mind you I do not know who Fouladvand is & I do not look at His TV station.
Thank you for your courage & remarks about real Islam.
H. Hakimi
Oslo - Norway
Helping women escape Iran
Are their organizations that help women escape Iran to find a better Life? How does one contact an organization that can help?
Sanctions don't do a damn thing to bastards at the top
In response to Shahriar Afshar's "Sooner or later":
Entanglement with Iran caused the demise of Jimmy Carter's presidency (American Hostage Crisis) and later gave enough courage and excuse to Democrats to start attacking/opposing Ronald Reagan (Iran Contra) and finally bring an end to 12 years of Republican domination of the American political system. Now it seems to be George Bush's turn; he wants to force the U.N. security council to institute economic sanctions against Iran, much the same way these sanctions ruined Iraq.
Economic sanctions don't do a damn thing to the bastards at the top of Iran's government; A-holes such as Khatami, Khamenei, Rafsanjani etc. They will continue to leach Billions of dollars a years, the money that rightfully belongs to the people of Iran. The sanctions will cause problems and suffering for most of the Iranians who live at poverty levels as is. As aweful was these sanctions will be, the only good thing is that entanglement in/with Iran will cause the demise of the Bush II presidency in the same way it did for others.
How can you judge us from the outside?
In response to Hushang Shahabi-Sirjani's "Rethinking 'Ey Iran'":
Dear Houshang,
You must have been a party pooper for the past 27 Eyd Norooz. We Iranian are nothing worthy of your steps? Our half ass nostalgia, our architecture, our simple sense of pride?!
How can you judge us from the outside, is our imperfections anything new to any of us (Iranians)? If you have reached that perfect place in your ideas stay there, and change your name to Johnathan, and amaze yourself with perfect things. leave challenge of Iranian identity crisis to us.
Iran is a concept that began long ago and is moving on, it may
be passing through low keys as you mentioned, but
your criticism sounds like asking a beggar why wouldn't you live
in a hotel? Your ideas are UN-timely
and not focused on real issues. I don't blame you, all your life
you heard of Iran as being a third rate version of fanatic shame
or sick dudes with turbins killing people. You never lived it
to fall in love with our Iran. You are an outsider. You are not
in the center of it, that place where the heart beats for Iran
and its future and their youth who are struggling every day for
their
future
and simple rights. Don't come around and bring your snobbery,
young man. We are more frustrated than you.
Think of optimistic, inclusive solutions to move forward toward
empowerment of future of Iranian youth. Our unity in love and
devotion for Iran by Iranian is by any means necessary. Good
luck.
Can't put Iranians down on an Iranian site! How dare you!
In response to Dario Margeli's on "Ding dong! Ding dong!":
First of all I am appalled to see such a discriminatory article in an Iranian website! Who does this guy think he is? You absolutely cannot come into an Iranian website and start offending all Iranian people, our culture, our country, our leaders (former and present), AND our “book”!
I understand that you wanted to go on a peaceful vacation to Iran but just because you had some trouble in the embassy gives you no right to start ranting and raving about us Persians. Your not even Persian, anyone can tell by your name, and by the rude and despicable way you speak of our country ... who gives you the right to put Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan in the same boat then call them all “shitty countries”? Let me tell you something ... you’re the one who can go to hell.
Also why are you jumping to conclusions about homosexuality? Everyone has an opinion, this does not mean that Iran is a bad country because the majority of the people are against homosexuality ... you should get a grip and think hard before you start putting some bullshit on a Persian site ... and remember “Persian Pride, WORLDWIDE”
Why are you so "gharbzadeh"?
In response to Dario Margeli's on "Ding dong! Ding dong!":
I think you are too emotional and reactionary in your statements. The biggest murderers of our time are actually the same leaders of which you named their countries. Most of which sent troops into Iraq to mass murder a country into submission, for imperialistic desires (no, they did not go to bring freedom and democracy to those people, get a reality check)
Why are you so "gharbzadeh" (westoxified)? Everything the West does is not right, and everything Iran does isn't wrong. You said a statement that made no sense. You claimed that just because Canada, Spain and Sweden are doing something, and Iran and Saudi Arabia aren't, therefore Iran and Saudi Arabia are wrong by default because of your pre-judgements.
Which countries have the highest rape, murder and theft rates in the world? Which ones have the lowest? Which countries have the highest divorce rates, adultary rates, and pre-marital sex rates, and which one's have the lowest? Which countries have the lowest teen pregnancies, and which ones have the highest?
Muslim countries would come out positive in all those matters. Yes, Muslim countries have a lot of problems, but Western countries have the same amount if not more.
Stop thinking everything Iran does is wrong, and stop thinking that it's ONLY Iran's leaders that do bad things. All leaders do. From Bush, Blair to King Faud, etc.
Stay in Spain & bend over
In response to Dario Margeli's on "Ding dong! Ding dong!":
I read your article in Iranian.com and all that came to my mind was: there's another arrogant Iranian who thinks that he is above all others because he lives in the West. Who do you think YOU are to insult and belittle a whole nation because of a bad experience you've had in the Iranian embassy!!
Good thing you chose not to go to Iran!! Iran doesn't need arrogant people like you who see it only as a place to eat "laboo" and expect everybody to treat them as A princesS because they live abroad and wouldn't hesitate a second to trash it the second they feel offended by the slightest inconvenience.
Beside, the debate on gay marriage is very heated everywhere, even almost 70% of Canadians are against it. Iranians too have the right to express their opinions about it without being labelled and insulted by people like you.
Stay in your dear Spain, kill the bulls, bend over in front of other men, and sink into your own dirt just because you "CAN" and call yourself civilized if you want, but don't ever dare insulting my country, my people and my culture!!
Iranian people vs. goverment
In response to Behshad Hastibakhsh's on "Envision a new beginning":
Dear Behshad,
In your comments you have demonstrated a very optimistic and naturalistically positive views of the future path that iran needs to embark upon, to regain the greatness and the respect it once claimed, as one of the world's most respected civilizations. i am sure that your efforts in painting a wonderful picture of the accomplishments and achievements of iranians throughout the century, will not go unappreciated.
Regrettably, however you have undermined the level of understanding that the iranian people, as a nation, have exhibited to the world within the past century. I think one of the biggest misconceptions that you have made, is to omit the process of making the distinction between what the people have achieved versus that of the government.
It was our people as a matter of fact that through various channels and venues proved to the world of their good and positive intentions, and that they were peace-loving. I am surprised to see that you press for even more tolerance and compromise and all those other values. In a way you are making a rather unfair assessment on the people and discreditting their efforts.
Iranians are well aware of the concepts of respecting diversity and comprehending the suffering by other nations. As a testament to this, you could go back and review the comments that were made by the leaders of the world on iranians' ambitions. IT would be very simplistic and to an extent unrealistic, to just extent a peaceful hand to our former enemies and at times endanger our nations security, so much so i don't even fathom that you'd consider that in your own personal life.
The idea of a cultural shift is far-fetched and will take years or even decades to materialize, in a country with an ever increasing need for most basic and fundamental economic needs. There are items on the list that should take far more attention and be viewed as top priorities than embarking on such massive transformation on a wide scale. Topics such as estabalizing the economy and improving the job markets, to name just a few.
Molla bashing
Hi, happy new year. As an Iranian-American who has been in this country for two decades, and as a person who deos not like the mollas, I think it has become popular to say or write something against the mollas. No matter what the subject is or how much it is valuable it will immediataly comes to public and will be called among the best sellers. It is really a shame!
Taken completely
In response to April Fools poll on "Liberty Gulf":
What a brilliant article! I was taken in completely, until I got near the end when I realised the date.. Before that, I was wondering to myself if the new name would last as long as the new name for french fries ... only in America...
Well done, and thanks.
Moneky for a mayor
In response to Tehran Mayor Ahmadinejad:
I have not seen an uglier Neanderthal in my life. What a shameful
display! I have seen better looking American homeless than the
mayor of Tehran. Not because he is not wealthy, but because he
is such a degenerate and lacks the class that he goes to work like
that. In what part of Islam is it encouraged for an official of
a country to look like monkey? Is it encouraged to look poor, desperate,
and miserable? I guess, he is a reflection of what Iran has become.
Touraj Touran
He's still crazy
In response to April Fools poll "Liberty Gulf" and whether President Bush is crazy:
April Fool. However, Bush is crazy.
Ey (no Arabic) Iran
In response to Hushang Shahabi-Sirjani's "Rethinking 'Ey Iran'":
I don't want to enter the debate, arguing the artistic or literary merits of the lyrics and music of 'Ey Iran' anthem, however, the poem is worthy of consideration as a simple linguistic exercise that demonstrates it is possible to pen twelve or so lines of hummable patriotic Persian verse without using a single word of Arabic.
I also object to the facetious references to Hossein Golgolab, Professor of Botanical Biology and the first Professor Emeritus of the University of Tehran, in the above article. It is improbable that merely witnessing the maltreatment of an Iranian grocer by a soldier of the allied armies prompted Dr Golgolab to burst into song and write the words to 'Ey Iran'. It is more likely that he was giving vent to the frustrations felt by many Iranians in 1944 who objected to the occupation of their country. I wouldn't call it politics of resentment.
Hossein Golgolab's enviable knowledge of the Persian language and literature, acknowledged in his permanent membership of Farhangestan, the Academy of Persian Language, was vastly instrumental in creating a technical lexicon and coining many scientific terminologies in Persian that are now in common and popular use.
With regards,
N Farzad
I think not!!!
In response to April Fools feature "Liberty Gulf":
Khaleejeh FARS!!!! The ayatollas took my country from me,the media has taken my dignity, and the rest of the world just stood by silently and idle. Isn't it enough that my whole culture has been reduced to a bunch of barbarians? Isn't it enough that we've been transformed into Arabs? Haven't my people lost enough, already? Two thousand years its been the Persian gulf and two thousand years more it will remain as the Persian gulf.
You can beat me, spit on me, break every bone in my body, but please leave whatever little national pride i have left, alone! We as a people have suffered enough, families have been torn apart and kept apart for a quarter of a century, and all we have left to identify with our culture and our heritage are words, memories, and NAMES!
I was only 5 when i left Iran,but still to this day i stand proud with my head held up high and honor an Iran that used to be. Khaleejeh FARS is a word that reminds me of my rich heritage, of 2,000 years of Imperial RULE! Of names such as Kourosh, Daryoush, and Perspolis. It is all i have left, so call it what you want,cuz in my heart and in the heart of all proud and dignified Iranians all over the world we will ONLY remember it as the PERSIAN GULF!'
Respectfully Yours,
Borzoo Y
(PROUD IRANIAN)
Yeh
In response to April Fools poll "Liberty Gulf" and whether President Bush is crazy:
Dear J.J.
You are crazier than G. W. Bush!? Why do you have to play fool with people’s sentiments?
Nothing is sacred for you! Yeh?
How about nohe?
In response to Hushang Shahabi-Sirjani's "Rethinking 'Ey Iran'":
aghaye mohtaram avvalan manzorre shoma ra az neveshtane in cherto pert ne fahmidam. dar bareyeh melody az in keh high neest ' ghir az aghle kool hayee mesle shma ma ha keh ta hala farghy ne dydym . dar bareh shereh ham eteraz shoma barayeh kalemateh dorr /ya /khoram ham aslan shoma bah bakhsheed.doost aziz shoma be farmaeed ba ray in mellate hezar ferghe keh aksaran dar yek surod motahed hastand /un ra vel konand va har kas surodeh khodash ra pakhsh konand va ash ghalam kar beh pazand .
give us clue /it has to have no lefties /no righties /no oldies and no royalties. what do you suggest. how about nohe . criticizing what we have is easy. give us constructive suggestions. to barayeh vasl kardan amady. neh barayeh fasl kardan.
Sour, unripened, PLUMS
In response to Peyvand Khorsandi's "Peanuts & pistachios":
On the quote Payvand Khorsandi has from this book,
I noticed something amazing! "We had left behind us pistachio
nuts and sour green tomatoes which had chiselled an indelible sense
of the Persian into our
psyche,
like the ancient inscriptions at Takht-e-Jamshid."
"Soure green TOMATOES"?!!! "Gojeh Sabz" is
not a "sour
green tomato"! "Gojeh" is plum! Sour, unripened,
PLUMS, for pitty's sake!
This would be the book to read, indeed!
Khodadad Rezakhani
Where's the new perspective on life?
In response to Peyvand Khorsandi's "Peanuts & pistachios":
This genre of Iranian-American women writing
their personal memoirs is really becoming a bit too much. Everyone
is jumping
on the bandwagon after Azar Nafisi's book. If you really think
about it almost everyone has a story to tell from their lives before
and after the revolution, but so what? A good book, or a memoir,
must have an enduring theme, a new perspective on life, arouse
feelings, instruct, entertain, and have a universal appeal. Some
of these memoirs are, in fact, quite "elitist" in their
view of events. So, thank you again, we needed this piece right
now.
Nahid S
Out of communism, into capitalism
In response to Bobby Burner's "The Inshallahs":
I myself am not Iranian, nor American Iranian. I am Polish and live in Poland but sometimes read Iranian.com.
I would ask further questions: why so many people all over the world continue living under controlling and oppresive systems and even agree to further developing and improving of those systems. It's not only about Middle East people, Iraqis, Saudi Arabians. It's about us here, in Eastern Europe, although we freed ourselves from communist tyrany, we agreed to get into capitalists' prison. And it's about many others all over the world. Why so many people in US, proud Americans continue living under the American system, why do they work to pay huge taxes for military, for technologies that don't serve humanity?
My concern to be more concrete is why the Iraqis continued living under the Saddam Hussein's tyranny for such a long time; and why the Saudi Arabians continue accepting the Saudi family as their bosses, and how come the Iranians haven't got rid of the mullahs for a long time ago.
I read a "Welcome to The Machine" by Derrick Jensen recently, and highly reccomend it as well as others of his books. Try it! Keep on questioning! Let's all of us keep questioning!
We demand stronger action
In response to Samira Mohyeddin "Canada & Kazemi":
I have prepared a short letter for the Canadian Prime Minister regarding Zahra Kazemi. Please consider posting this on your website so others can email or fax it
Honorable Paul Martin
Prime Minister of Canada
Fax: 613-941-6900
Email: pm@pm.gc.ca
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,
Throughout the years, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have immigrated to Canada. They left their beloved land in order to escape from a tyrant regime that has ruled over their country with an iron fist.
Last week, a courageous Iranian physician added yet more ammunition to the overwhelming amount of evidence that the Iranian Government tortured and murdered Iranian/Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi. We demand that the Canadian government take stronger action in condemning this barbaric act so that the lives of Zahra Kazemi and thousands like her‚s are not lost in vain.
Stand for oppressed
In response to Samira Mohyeddin "Canada & Kazemi":
Iranians have shown their respect for Canadians-Kazami-pathetic. This is not a religious people - hatred reigns. Here, we stand for the rights of the oppressed not killers!!!!
M. Grant
Proud Canadian
Direct and truthful
In response to Pulitzer finalist Borzou Daragahi:
I have read many of Mr. Daragahi's articles on Iran. He has reported directly from Tehran. His writings are direct and truthful. He is a great asset to Tehran and Washington. I am happy to hear that he is a 2005 Pulitzer finalist. I wish him the best of luck. And probably in a couple of years he will also win the Nobel Peace prize in literature.
Jamshid Richard William Tehrani III
Har koja ke bashin
In response to 13 Bedar photo essays:
The more I look at all the 13-bedar pictures from all over the
globe that you guys post on your website, the louder that Andy & Korous
song gets in my head... "maale har koja ke bashin... ma hame
Iranee hasteem"... la la la ...
Ver cool!!!
Persian Gulf prank
In response to April Fools feature "Liberty Gulf":
I have heard of your prank on April 1st. Since when April fools day has become an Iranian tradition? As we say in Persian, are you guys "kaaseh daagh tar as aash" now?
Considering the amount of effort, money, and sweat that went into fighting the recent name change and preserving the name of Persian gulf, to say the least, it was an irresponsible, unpatriotic, and tasteless act.
Plus, the unintended ramification of your prank and suggesting a name change under minds all those efforts by devoted and patriot Iranian throughout the world.
I also heard of your insults and name calling of Aghdashloo. If I were Aghdashloo, I'd sue you for all the money you have.
Hit the target
In response to April Fools feature "Liberty Gulf":
Few learned men took the Liberty Gulf joke as real news, and faxed many freinds, including me, to protest. This proves that the piece was written properly and joke hit the target. You will be surprised to know the names.
Azam Shazam
In response to Azam Nemati photo:
Azam Nemati has a cool super hero costume like Shazam, but
what are Azam's super powers? ;)
:))) nagi man goftam ha... mikosheh mano tikeh bozorgam goosham
misheh!!!!
Just a bit smellier
In response to Quiz "Jesus was a ...":
Answer to Quiz: Jesus Christ Was a
Muslim.
(Islam and Christianity are the same crap....one is just a bit
smellier) <--- please don't publish this, I'm not looking
for trouble :)
Hippie
In response to Quiz "Jesus was a ...":
JESUS CHRIST WAS A HIPPIE.
April
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