Letters

July 2005
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No end to this havoc, unless

On Shappi Khorsandi's "This is war":

Bravo Shappi. I am sure I am speaking on behalf of all Iranians (or perhaps the world) to say that unless these so called "leaders" realize the hardship and barbaric acts they are inflicting on the ordinary perople around the world (sometimes in the name of "democracy"), there is no end to this havoc.

NL ML

When good people do not confront evil

On Shappi Khorsandi's "This is war":

Your touching, personal reaction to the terrorist attack in London had to end with a typical ly confused and convoluted liberal conclusion putting the blame on Blair and others who are actually trying to do something to confront the madness of modern terrorism. But you are happy with your knee-jerk, can't-we-all-get-along-like-nice-boys-and girls reaction, a sign of modern confused illogic. When good people do not confront evil, evil will confront them for sure.

Stay safe and secure.

Bruce K

These bastards

On Shappi Khorsandi's "This is war":

Your argument is familiar. These bastards would attack us and our way of life even if there were no Iraq war etc... These bastards are looking for world domination as they have for the past 1400 years.They would find another grievance for their atrocities. Please read the history of Iran. We were the first ones attacked 1400 years ago and you see the results today.

Joseph S

Prince of Persia

On actor David Zahedian:

Can you tell us more about Persian-American David Zahedian? I heard he is strongly being considered for the "Prince" role on the future "Prince of Persia" motion picture film and they say he is going to be the first male Persian/Middle Eastern to win Oscars award in Hollywood. Please more pictures and info on David Zahedian so we can support him in his career!

Lisa (sister) David (brother)

Lost no more

On iranian.com's music section:

I just have to say whenever I come to this site and listen to these classic Iranian lyrics I feel found and not lost anymore. I wish these precious musics could stay in our culture and not get lost in history just like some of us.

I hope you guys keep doing what you are doing and that is reminding us of our roots, parents and homes. You guys are beautiful and I wish you the most beautiful things in life.

Alireza

Can we read more, please?

On Homa Rastegar's "First time":

I very much enjoyed reading your diary-like piece. Can we read more, please?. (Let us readers also know about your encounters and crisp observations, AFTER your initial euphoria and heightened sense of alertness had worn off, if not in another article, then perhaps face to face this summer?).

Did the initial sense of welcome last through your entire stay? There are always suitable journalistic and apolitical ways around the possibility of offending one or the other body. We readers have finely-tuned radars to all kinds of subtle, but juicy wording....

Plant love, it will grow

On Matt Bina's "All Iranian Denial Syndrome":

Bina's articale is on the spot. I want to add the following as to why we are where we are. Some where along the way, we Iranians forgot how to express compassion and love to oneanother. Sadly I must say, The harsh life the harsh rules are turning this nation soulless. The only thing will save us is us by small acts of kindness and forgiveness.

Make that Man with the club in his hand understand and go easy on my skull. Stop punishing that little boy. Teach them it is ok to make mistakes. LOVE AND compassion IS THE answer MY FRIENDS. The sum of our life should be more than a mere survival. But instead what we have is extrem ends of the spectrum. Emotions tend to pure with death and birth and very little in between. It also would help to pull the hand of GOD out of our ass. Plant that small love tree, it will grow.

First clean up Gitmo

On White House urging release of Akbar Ganji:

If the WH and/or Mr. Bush are concerned about human rights and freedom of speech, etc. they should first release political prisonors currently at Gitmo [Guantanamo Bay] and othe US prisons around the world. They are held on "charges" of terrorism, but we all know what that code term means!!!

Thank you.

NL ML

Subtle education

On Gay Pride coverage (1) (2) (3) (4) (5):

Hey man,

I gotta give it to you - it's been pretty damn awesome seeing the pictures of various gay pride events that you have posted on Iranian.com lately. I truly enjoy clicking onto your site daily and I feel like you keep a very good balance between the traditional and more current points of view.

Being a gay man, recently out to my family, and just trying to go about life without it becoming an issue; I am glad to see that a widely used and respected website is taking such an active role in subtly educating our 'hamvatans' about GLBT matters.

Well done!

All my best,

Ara

Disqualified miss

On porn star Ayler/Diana:

I have been praising Ayler (Diana's other name) through waking and sleeping moments :) She was recently disqualified as a finalist for Miss Norway due to this discovery.

Where's Shiva...?

My name is Soheil, and living in Tehran. I'm desperately looking for my long-lost freind whose name is Shiva... I have not seen Shiva since 1992. The last info I have is that she was in Beaverton/Oregon. Your assistance in finding this good old friend of mine is appreciated. It is very important for me to know what happened to her.

Could you please help me? It would mean a lot to me if I could have contact with her once again. If anybody knows her please either let me know or give her my email address: sopish47@yahoo.it

Hmmm, yummy

On Farideh Goldin's "My Iranian kharoset":

I always remember the day during my late mother's visit when we on the way home bought pasteries from a Jewish family shop in Golders Green.

While we were eating it in the car we kept turning, looking and nodding at each other with ecstasy.

Then my mother who had been with my father to a Jewish wedding of a friend's daughter some years back exclaimed a Persian proverb I hadn't heard before: dar khaaneh-e yahudi ghazaa bokhor, dar khaaneh-e massihi bekhaab = Eat in the house of a Jew and sleep in the house of a Christian (she explained this was because they were known to have comfortable beds).

I hope your parents will send more recipes for you to share on the iranian.com to the delight of orphans like me.

By the way as a child of Abadan I had tasted the locally grown bananas on a few occasions as it was a rare fruit of winter.
I still remember the proud face of my father when he had managed to find them in the market and the joy in his and my mother's faces when they watched my sister and I eat them as slow as possible with delight.

I don't think any bananas I have eaten since then has ever tasted the same. Now was that the organic taste of the Khuzestan's banana or the loving faces of my parents watchin me in pleasure, or both combined?

But did you know that they lift the mood when one feels low? No wonder as they are full of phosphorus. But it's better to eat them when they are very ripe, otherwise their excessive use could produce phlegm (balgham) which in Chinese medicine as well as in Yunani Medicine (traditional Persian Medicine which followed the tradition of the ancient Greek medicine) could cause some disbalance regarding health.

Looking forward to watching your sofreh on the iranian.com OR are your parents planning to write a cook book? (not that I am so much interested in cooking these days unless there is a promise of an ecstasy).

Thank you.

Vida Kashizadeh

Stop the idiototic "laat-baazi"

On Golbarg Bashi's "They know best":

I wanted to thank Golbarg Bashi for writing the piece on Iranian Women's Studies Foundation conference. I wish somebody could find a way to stop this idiototic "laat-baazi". They are the reason the Iranian immigrant communities all over Europe and the US can not help the Iranian dissidents, or even communicate with them.

Reading Bashi's piece reminds me of the Berlin Conference. These extremists were the best friends of the Islamic republic hard-liners in that event. Who else could send Ganji and Ashkevari to jail? Who else could help the Islamic republic silence the newspapers? The actions of the extremists in that event was the turning point in the decadence of the democratic movement in Iran.

If the Islamic Republic has a friend in the Western countries it's "Hezb-e Komonist-e Kargari" and the Monarchists. Who else could so perfectly picture the secular dissident immigrants as a bunch of idiots?

SM

Trivializing Ganji

On Siamack Baniameri's "Give it up, comrade":

I too question Ganji's psychological and emotional state. I believe he is worth more alive than dead. However, you are oversimplifying the issue.

Where do you get that Iran's youth don't care? Maybe you don't know about the growing student movement. Have you forgotten those who were arrested and killed a few years ago? Ecstasy parties? Just because less than one percent of the population does something, doesn't mean that everyone else is doing it too. Iran is more than just Northern Tehran. The majority of the productive population is on opium going to UAE?!?!? Since when can the majority afford it? Clearly you don't know what you are talking about.

It is offensive to me that you are trivializing the actions of Mr. Ganji. Please stick to writing about parties in LA and dating. Unless you have done research, can give stats and references.

You don't deserve it

On Siamack Baniameri's "Give it up, comrade":

At least on this I agree with Mr. Baniameri that Ganji should just quit his fight for democracy in Iran because people like Baniameri don’t deserve a great human being like Ganji dying to improve future of his sisters and brothers.

Mr. Baniameri, get a life. What is this with hate myself, hate my culture, all Iranians are crook mentality. Show me a perfect culture. Yes, we have our share of good and bad like any other nationality and culture. Please stop self hatred and self flagellation.

You've crossed the line

On Siamack Baniameri's "Give it up, comrade":

Allo, Siamack Baniameri? Vaghan deegeh I've had enough. Until now I thought you were funny, but you've crossed the line. You've insulted everyone and anyone, which was okay, but the level of cynicism, apathy, and beghay'rat'ee that you've reached today is a new low. So low, even I, a person who is critical about everything and everyone, am disgusted by it.

This man is trying to send a message (not to mention with the sacrifice of his life), no matter how small, to the people of the world or those that care about Iran, and you, with your pessimistic attitude, spit on all he stands for. For shame, Siamack. Is there not an ounce of idealism left in your weary soul?

Your one-time biggest fan,

Aryan

A slap in the face!

On Siamack Baniameri's "Give it up, comrade":

You should have called this insulting article "A Slap in the Face!" Not only is it NOT funny at all, I found it strange coming from a writer to another and about a man who is one of the last brave enough to protest. We may not have it in us to understand or offer support, but indignity? That's plain vicious. Bet you'll hear plenty about this one! Hey, I'm the last to object and you got me talking!

ZZ

Throw paint

Akbar Ganji is a hero. It is often delicate to apply the word hero to individuals but how else can one do otherwise in the case of this man who has put his life in line for Freedom and Democracy in his country. The photos of Ganji should make all of us react in denouncing the IRI's henchman and so called Islamic Democracy.

Whatever Ganji's motivations, his sincerity and stamina are truly admirable. Those who still believe that the Islamic Republic of Iran and its puppet president Ahmaninejad have any moral legitimacy are not only misled but will ultimately fall short and will be held responsible for contributing to the death of so many innocent lives such as that of an intellectual like Akbar Ganji (who is struggling with his own health and life).

I only wish that our artists inside and outside Iran would react in support of this man's life as well as other political prisoners a little like Bob Geldorf did with his Concerts as he did for Nelson Mandela. Googoosh, Dariush, Kiarostami where are you ?

If Ganji dies it is further proof that the IRI henchmen are accountable to International Tribunals.

Iranians should DEMONSTRATE against the Embassies of the IRI as was the case in Toronto. Throw paint in the diplomats faces or whatever to draw attention on the unpopularity of the current regime. The struggle for freedom and Democracy should continue and never stop until the Islamic Republic of Iran and its puppet president Ahmaninejad and his leader Khamenei are overthrown for good and brought to trial.

Dariush KADIVAR

Highly anti-Iranian

The link //www.tv.almjos.com/film1.htm under "Crazy preacher" in your Updates column today is from Almajos TV. I looked at the website and realized they are highly anti-Iranian. The term Almajos is in Koran and Arabs use as an insult to name Iranians. It is more insulting than the term Ajam. Almajos means "the stars worshipper" implying the pre-islamic Iranian religion, Zoroastrianism. Looking at the website made me ralize how stupidly people hate us.

Mohsen

BMW would have made him complete

On Jahanshah Javid's video clips "Sorry is the hardest word":

Just saw the video clips of your recent "parking incident." That was a great documentary on contemporary Iranian culture, the only thing that would've made it better is if the car had been a BMW!

Should have been towed

On Jahanshah Javid's video clips "Sorry is the hardest word":

Fuck him and his puke-y pistachio colored T-shirt and his oily slicked back hair. The asshole had enough intelligence and knowledge of the English language that he left no doubts that he knew he was blocking the drive way to your garage when he parked his vehicle there. I am so sorry that his car didn't get towed away!

And I am equally awed at how easy going the law enforcement officers are where you live. Hell, in New York once the tow truck is at the scene it's all over but the crying!

I also commend you for not giving in to your Iranian urges of going out there and beating the crap out of the asshole when he finally showed up!

Farrokh

Valuable lesson

On Jahanshah Javid's video clips "Sorry is the hardest word":

You did good, and like the other two gents writing in your support, I am proud of you. People that do not respect rules of law promote anarchy and tyranny. No matter how insignificant this may seem to the gentlemen with the car, he should have known better. He did learn a valuable lesson in respecting other people's rights, something that we as a culture are not very good at.

Afshin

Refreshingly un-selfcensored

On Azam Nemati's "Khorramshahri Cinderella":

Azam Jon:

I enjoyed reading your essay and am glad you got to see some old acquaintances at that wedding. I like your style and straight forwardness. It is refreshing to read un-selfcensored writings by an Iranian as we all seem to have our censors hard-wired in our brains. We must always be careful not to offend this guy or that gal or the elders or the regime or the religious or the .... you know what I mean?

Reza

Unkind & ungrateful

On letters by Mohamad Navab:

First of all calling Manesh's piece ["And the winner is... the Shah!"] satire, is itself a joke. But I am not interested in giving Manesh lessons in literary styles. Educating Manesh is so hopelessly too late. He is still living in a cloud-cuckoo-land where Iran is known as Persia! This alone should give you an idea what Manesh is like.

But what caught my attention were the views of NIAC's newly elected board member, Dr Mohamad Navab, as expressed in his confusingly titled letters, "We could have done worse" and "We can do better" (both letters dated 9th July.) The former carries a passage that is quoted here:

"But I cannot close my eyes to the fact that it was him and his uneducated, unknowledgeable supporters that kept us behind to end up being what we are today."

No, Dr Navab is not referring to Khomeini, Khamenei, Rafsanjani or even Khatami. The object of his anger is no other than the Shah himself. For reasons only known to himself, Dr Navab does not wish to remind the readers that his entire PhD was funded by the same uneducated and unknowledgeable people who used to run the Pahlavi Student Foundation. I wonder if the thought of honouring his debt ever crossed his mind?

But the good Doctor is not so unkind or ungrateful when it comes to evaluating the 25-year records of the Islamic republic. He continues his letter by saying:

"Still I believe that we could have done worse over the past 25 years such as having had civil war, provinces breaking apart from Iran and so on."

Obviously the sweet Doctor doesn't recall the bloody and savage suppression of the Kurdish insurgents by the likes Chamran and Khalkhali in the early years of the Islamic rule. And why should he? After all Dr Navab continued to work under the mullah's administration in those very days and against the anti-Islamic purges of that period, our good Doctor even received a promotion.

And as if to give himself a pat on the back for having survived those tricky years and eventually made the move to the US of A, he ends by adding:

"Instead we the people of Iran are being respected by the world in all areas for our hard work despite the difficulties generated by the so called Islamists."

So the real winner of the Islamic revolution is Mohamad Navab. Here, I must congratulate NIAC for rewarding a long time co-worker and like-minded friend of the Council, Dr Navab, by electing him to the board membership, hence joining the rest of this colony micro-organisms, scinetifically known as, Nexus of Islamia Apologia Collaboratorium (NIAC).

Parkhash

Why Ganji? Why now?

On Shokooh Mirzadegi and Esmail Nooriala's petition in support of Akbar Ganji:

Hey dear compatriots of the opposition, come on, everybody, another martyr is being created for us. A new subject to maneuver on and a new headline for our banal political statements is being prepared. Yes guys, Akbar Ganji is dying, making a nice pretext for the rest of us to shed crocodile tears and make a name for ourselves. After all we are a dead-worshiping (Morde Parast) nation, aren't we? What makes it so funny is the petition proposed by Dr. Esmail Nouri Ala and Ms. Shokooh Mirzadegi (who often label anybody who still breathes inside the country as agent of the Islamic Republic) in support of Ganji. I could not hide my consternation when I heard Mr. Nouriala having a lecture on Ganji's resistence the other day and later on a poem in his honor addressing him as "my unseen friend..."!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey dear compatriots of the opposition, wow, am I still living on our old planet and if so has there been some black magic happening overnight that turned all of our so-called opposition into lovable and peace-loving moderates who commiserate so profoundly over some jailed activist on the verge of death? Just take a look at political trash broadcasted to Iran these days. You can see Ganji's face almost everywhere. Just try it and change channels randomly to see almost all of those Los Angeles activist have suddenly become Ganji's best friends and sympathizers. Where have they been these past five years when Ganji was sent to jail and faced so much hardship? Why aren't they supporting other activists who are dying in the rotten prisons of the Islamic Republic? Do i have to make some example to make myself understood? Ok how about these? Why do you limit your worries to his death and for one moment you do not mention one single line out of his Repulican Charter (MANIFEST JOMHOURI KHAHI) ?

Hey dear compatriots of the opposition, weren't you the same people who denounced Dariush and Parvaneh Forouhars as the the agents of the Ministry of Intelligence who were acting as pressure valve for the Islamic regime? Don't you remember how you booed Parvaneh Forouhar in her last visit to USA and threw rotten eggs at her? And the night they were butchered and lynched they suddenly became the most respected personalities on the face of the earth. Memorial services and demonstrations were held everywhere in their honor and their death brought about a suitable food for the propaganda machine of the lame opposition abroad.

Hey dear compatriots of the opposition, do you remember Manouchehr Mohammadi and the way you treated him on his trip to Washington DC 6 years ago? Do you Remember all those spitting thrown at him and all those slanders of being a spy to infiltrate into the opposition? How about Amirentezam and the way you used to accuse him the same way? Where were you just a decade ago when about a hundred intellectuals were murdered in fake accidents and after unprecedented heart problems? Why do you suddenly feel so bad about Ganji and not others? Why now and why only Ganji? Why isn't the fate of about 50 students who were abducted in the past few years and forced to take part in televised confessions not important for you? Doesn't Tabarzadi have 6 mouths to feed? Why do you ignore the ordeal of hundreds of unnamed people who are kidnapped, tortured on a regular basis everyday in this country? Just look at the way you are treating Shirin Ebadi who has endangered her precious life for defending human values. Just a few days ago I finished a shameful book by a former clown in the Iranian pre-revolutionary cinema ( SHIRIN EBADI VA JAYEZEYE SOLHASH by Parviz Sayad) condemning her for not being serious enough and not getting killed soon enough to make our crippled opposition satisfied.

Hey dear compatriots of the opposition, have you ever noticed why all your national heroes are dead? Just to name a few, Mossadegh, Shah, Takhti, Shamlou, Fardin, ..... I will tell you why. Because in your culture a good hero is a dead one. If they do not exist anymore there is no possibility of them returning and saying things against you. If Tabarzadi and many many others are not subject of any petition it is because they are still alive and they may one day come out of their horrible cells and oppose you. If Mr. Nouriala has found Ganji eligible for his quasi-intellectual poem, it was only after he made sure that Ganji has gone into coma and there would be little possibility of his survival.

Hey dear compatriots of the opposition, shame on you, shame on you all. Actually Ganji has been a hero long before Mr. Nouriala and his lovley wife took pity on him and wrote those absurd lines in his support. Ganji became our national treasure the moment he started to write about innocents being murdured in this 1,648,195 km square hell we call our country. His blood is not something for anybody to thrive on and make reputations for yourself.

Hey dear compatriots of the opposition, a man is dying and many others are taking their last breaths here in the dungeons of the Islamic Republic. Many others are wasting the very best years of their lives either in the solitude of prison cells or the seclusion of their homes. And you sit there in the safe haven of your homes in Colorado, California, New York, London and Paris and once a while make some god-damned petition in support of some murdered or comatose activist. Mind you, you know better than all of us you do not worth the ink and paper your such and such petitions are written with.

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