Letters
June 2005
June 8
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I'm not scared anymore
On Rosa Faiz's "Illegitimate contender"
Thank you for creating a forum for all of us to enjoy and express our opinoins openly. My family and i where part of the many Iranians who left Iran during the revolution. And from day one it has been very difficult to remember who we really are. Ive lived in Egland, Spain, Portugal,and now i call the U.S. home. Throughout these difficult 26years ive always yearned to uphold the pride of being an Iranian. And I've read and heard the words of these so called oppossition groups talk about how we need change in Iran and how we could do better and so on.
My question is that as much as i feel Iranian and of course am Iranian what right do i have to sit here on my high horse and endorse change in a country i haven't seen in a quarter of a century? What right do any of the oppossition groups have? If there is to be change in Iran it has to come from the ones who have directly suffered at the hands of this regime,and our role should should solely be secondary. Yes its been tough for all of us,but have any of us trully suffered like they have? I can leave my house in the middle of the nite go to a store buy myself ice cream and yell at the top of my lungs against the president of the United states and thats my right, that is freedom! I'd like to see someone try that in Iran and be able to get away with it!
Change has to come from within our borders and not from us, the exile community. Our role should be secondary at best. What we need to do is give moral,financial,and logistical support to those inside of Iran,who are the actuall ones who have suffered the greatest under this regime. Call on us to help and we will, because i am certainly not scared anymore! Let us know what you need and every patriotic Iranian should help in any way possible. Find out from your families back at home who is leading the movements from within and then HELP them. This is the answer to our problems not exiled opposition groups, like the MKO. Freedom is from within and until we unde rstand that,we will always be oppressed people.
Yours sincerely,
Somebody help!
On Ali Sadri's translation of Sohrab Sepehri's peom "Friend":
Okay, finally!
Somebody is paying attention to the fact that Sohrab Sepehri is a poet who deserves world recognition through improved English translation. I have spent hours tracking down dismally bad translations by this poet and trying to reinterpret them to my poor Farsi-bereft self. Pablo Neruda said in his memoirs that the truth of poetry could be proven by its power in translation. This is exactly true of the poet Sepehri's work.
Sohrab Sepehri's imagery is startlingly beautiful and utterly transparent despite unspeakably bad (sometimes ungrammatical) English translations I have found posted on the web.
Somebody help! The American book buying public will respond, just as they have to the works of Rumi and Khayyam.
The world needs to hear this man's voice and haunting sensibility. Thank you for the lovely poem, Mr. Sadri, please continue with more of this kind of work.
Sincerely,
Terrorists. End of discussion.
On Ernest Friar's "Short on facts long on ridicule":
Ernest Friar is wrong about the MKO. First of All, the MKO is not the only opposition group that was mentioned by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The opposition group led by former Prince Reza Pahlavi was also mentioned by the Iranian Government and Iranian President Khatami as interfering with Iran's internal affairs through "propoganda" that is spread via Iranian opposition satellite stations that are seen in Iran and have offices in the West.
When has the number of females shown that a group is progressive? Mr. Friar, Charles Manson's killers were mostly women. If Charle's Manson's female associates are viewed as an opposition group by you I am sad for you.
Maryam Azadanlou, upon marrying Massoud Rajavi changed her last name. In Iran women don't change their last name's upon marriage. How liberating is it for a woman to take her husband's surname? This seems like a male chauvenist action at best. Mr. Friar, please view Iranian identity cards called "Shenas nameh's" and you shall see after marriage the female's name does not change.
The MKO is a "has been" organization. According to foreign reports they only have about 3000 fighters in Iraq. The fighters in Iraq have been disarmed. They can not do anything in Iraq. The Iraqi governent has agreed to send them all via the Red Cross to a bunch of European Countries for their safety. Afterwards the MKO will not exist anymore according to the program that will take place. Over a year ago, Maryam Rajavi was arrested in France. She was brought to trial and she can not leave France. Her MKO organization is useless now. The whereabouts of her hasband Masood Rajavi are unknown. No one is sure if he is dead or alive. It is rumored that with the invasion of Iraq, Kurd and Shia Arab Females captured Masood Rajavi and killed him.
The MKO with its arrival in Iraq helped the regime of Saddam. A regime condemned by 22 Arab countries, the Arab League, the organization of Islamic Countries, the United Nations, NATO, Amnesty International, the Red Cross and many other organizations. Mr. Friar, is this the organization that people in the Iranian opposition want? Pol Pot, Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Ghengis Khan are better alternatives for the Iranian public rather than the MKO.
The only person who would follow the MKO is Marziyeh. Marziyeh is an Iranian pop singer over 90 years old. She is senile. She can no longer sing. More or less she is good for nothing. She has a lot in common with the MKO. The MKO is an organiztion that is a laughing stock to the Iranian people.
The US and the EU have stated that the MKO is a terrorist organization. Mr. Friar, this is a fact. End of discussion.
Jamshid Richard William Tehrani III
But are you a better human being?
On Keyvan Valizadeh's "Turk khodeti":
Mr. Valizadeh,
I enjoyed reading your article on your Azari origin and I applaud your interest in finding your true ethnic roots by researching it yourself instead of listening to people who have their agendas of creating ethnic conflicts for political purposes. But can you tell me now how has this discovery changed you as a human being? In what way has this discovery added to your capabilities as a human being?
Even after this "great discovery" of
your ethnic origin you will still be the same Keyvan Valizadeh,
with the same capacities for love, compassion, understanding, anger,
jealousy, hope, disillusionment, and every other human feeling
that Azaris, Persians, Arabs, and Turks have. You will
still continue going to school, working, loving your family, trying
to advance your career, help the needy, defend the weak, and read
good books, just like all the Turks, Persians, and Arabs do every
day. You will still love beauty, enjoy a stroll in the park, savor
a tasty meal, and worry about the future of your children
in a world rife with blind prejudices and destructive "racial
superiority" contests, just like every Turk, Persian, and
Arab worries every day.
Although I appreciate your enthusiasm for researching your
ethnic origins, but instead of spending so much time (you, me,
and everyone else) arguing and squabbling over whether Babak Khorramdin
was fighting the Arabs or Persians, or that the Persians were already "civilized" when
the "uncilvilized" Arabs came, or whether Pan-Turkish
zealots will one day conquer the world and make everyone a "Turk",
why don't we spend some time studying and being inspired by the
ideas of one of the greatest human minds who ever lived. He was
born in Balkh (Afghanistan), lived in Konya (Turkey),
and wrote in Persian, to an audience who is neither a Turk, nor
a Persian, nor an Arab. Mowlana wrote for humanity:
Ekhtelaaf-e khalq az naam ooftad (Humanity's rifts are but in a "name")
Chon b-e ma'naa raft araam ooftad (When they know the "essence",
peace will prevail)
But alas ! When will we know the "essence" of humanity and do
away with "names" ?
Good day and good luck.
Nahid S.
I am a Turk & Iranian
On Keyvan Valizadeh's "Turk khodeti":
The issues of ranians being Arians, Iranian Turks being Iranians and/or Iranians being Semites etc. etc. etc. have always been a hot topic among Iranian net surfers and it will be...
No question that identity is an important question. It would have been so nice if we could trace back our true identity and knew who we have inherited our genes from. However, the question is why it is so important for us to identify ourselves as Arians/Iranians.
What happens if one day someone invents some DNA tool or a scientific means and he happens to prove that we have more Illamite/Sumerian/Semite blood than nomad Arians who settled later in Iran? Are the Iranians call themselves SEYYEDs less Iranians than we are? How much less proud are we of Azizi's second goal against Australia just because his Central Asian looks? (Man I saw that goal live in the stadium!!)
Are we honestly after a true identity of ourselves or we are trying to link ourselves to a peceived noble race in our making. Or it is all the negative hype about Arabs and the religion almost our ancesstors and many of our fellow Iranians have been following for 14 centuries? How far of distancing ourselves from Arabs and indeed Arabic part of our culture, that is reflected in 60-70% of Arabic origin Persian words in our literature. In fact, many of our scholars such as Abu Ali Sina wrote in Arabic and likes of Sib-Veyh and Raqebe Esfahani contributed much to Arabic literature than any Arab would. Are we going to ignore all that. Are we going to distance ourselves from Arabs at cost of losgin all the credits Iranians contributed to the civilization that West and almost all the rest of the world perceives that as Islamic and Arabic civilization.
Furthermore, are we really insinuating that Persians are better than Arabs and Turks by doing so? I personally have heard the most racist remarks from Iranians against Arabs when we talk among ourselves and against Turks even in their (my) presence. Is this all Iranian/Persian nobility worth crossing that line of racism even inside our own thinkings?
Otherwise, finding our true ethnic mixup is a great question to answer as all human beings including Iranians who are firstly and foremostly human beings. Being proud of what you are is a great feeling and everyone is entitled to that without a doubt. All I can say proudly in answer to the title of your article: of course I am a Turk and without a doubt an Iranian!
Fear of losing territorial integrity
On Keyvan Valizadeh's "Turk khodeti":
Dear Keyvan Valizadeh,
You have my moral support. With all due respect to people of Turkish origin, to my knowledge Azeris are not of Turkish origin but are Iranians as Kurds and Persians are and your point is valid.
Iranian have much in common, yet they do not have to be the same. They are neither better nor worse than Non-Iranians. I think what has hurts Iranians most is the fear that territorial integrity of Iran will be lost if Non-Perisans have a chance to gain their rights and florish their language and cultural heritage.
Not all Iranian people prefer to have a distinct identity different form Persians (such as Khorasamni, Beluchis, Gilaki Lors, etc.). Some Irnaian people, however, have fought for their rights for many years and prefer to have their own identity, while remaining Iranian. Some with lack of understanding of the core issues, attempt to minimize the aspirationn of those who have fought for their rights by mentioning that what would happen to Gilakis, Lors, Khorsanis if all Iranians demand equal rights. A Norwegians is Norwegian and Scandinavians. An Austerian is Austerian and German. Many Iranian could be who they are, have their own state or country, and also remain Iranians.
In fact Iran was bigger than its current political map. While expansion with the aim of suppression of others is inhumane, spreading ideas to promote eqal rights even if it might led to have few Iranian Republics is the ideal of those who do not hate anyone but love humanity and value freedom, equality, and justice for all!
Best wishes
Denying same-sex romance
On Kelly Niknejad's "eUnveiled":
Dear Iranian and Ms. Niknejad,
I found your article eUnveiled informative and interesting but as a Gay Iranian-American man I felt very frustrated at the fact that what you label as opening up to sexuality by Iranians both in and outside Iran, I see as self censorship and denial from a culture that has a hard time discussing sexuality as a whole and especially different expressions of sexuality.
When IranianPersonals was first created, I recall being able to create and conduct searches of profiles under male seeking male or female seeking female. I and a good number of other Iranians were even able to create a profiles where we could state man seeking men for dating, romantic relationship etc... That function has now been removed only allowing friendship between same sexes and after a number of emails to the website asking them to make it possible again for gay and lesbian members to seek other gays, bi and lesbian members, I have not even received an email acknowledging receipt of my emails.
I ask you Ms. Niknejad and the wonderful IranianPersonals page that you praise why is it okay that in open societies in the US and in the west for Iranian-Americans to be homophobic and self censoring? Would it be that bad if these website also help gay and lesbian members of the Iranian family to find happiness, or is that too much to ask vindictive closed minded Iranians? I know many open minded Iranian-Americans and Iranians who will not be opposed to living and letting others live as they choose, I wonder why we can not be tolerant even if we do not understand diversity!
Yours truly,
Don't fly with Iran Air
On boycotting the Iran Air:
Dear compatriots in abroad!
Let's launch a campaign against the irresponsibility of the Mullahs towards Iranian people and from now on cease booking any flight on Iran Air when we are flying into or out of Iran.
Please use other foreign airlines to show their solidarity with our compatriots inside of Iran. The gang of Mullahs who have brutalized Iran for more than two decades has never cared about the safety of our nation. The recent tragic air crashes in Iran show that the ruling criminals are only concerned about the safety of their own families and nobody else. The purchase of Russian-made commercial aircraft by Mullahs is another evidence of their corruption and apparent carelessness.
Please use the momentum of the SAHA aircrash at Tehran airport to speed up the fall of Mullahs. This action will deal a devastating blow to the already tarnished reputation of notrious Mullahs of Iran and also will expedite the bankruptcy of this company. Dear compatriots in abroad!
Let's launch a campaign against the irresponsibility of the Mullahs towards Iranian people and from now on cease booking any flight on Iran Air when we are flying into or out of Iran.
Please use other foreign airlines to show their solidarity with our compatriots inside of Iran. The gang of Mullahs who have brutalized Iran for more than two decades has never cared about the safety of our nation. The recent tragic air crashes in Iran show that the ruling criminals are only concerned about the safety of their own families and nobody else. The purchase of Russian-made commercial aircraft by Mullahs is another evidence of their corruption and apparent carelessness.
Please use the momentum of the SAHA aircrash at Tehran airport to speed up the fall of Mullahs. This action will deal a devastating blow to the already frayed reputation of Mullahs and will expedite their bankrupcy. Dear compatriots in abroad!
Let's launch a campaign against the irresponsibility of the Mullahs towards Iranian people and from now on cease booking any flight on Iran Air when we are flying into or out of Iran.
Please use other foreign airlines to show their solidarity with our compatriots inside of Iran. The gang of Mullahs who have brutalized Iran for more than two decades has never cared about the safety of our nation. The recent tragic air crashes in Iran show that the ruling criminals are only concerned about the safety of their own families and nobody else. The purchase of Russian-made commercial aircraft by Mullahs is another evidence of their corruption and apparent carelessness.
Please use the momentum of the SAHA aircrash at Tehran airport to speed up the fall of Mullahs. This action will deal a devastating blow to the already frayed reputation of Mullahs and will expedite their bankrupcy.
Not all shah or mollas' fault
Comments on unspecified article:
Well my friend, I wish it was that simple and we could believe that you were all some how mesmerized and deceived by Mr. Khomeini's evil plot. But it is not that simple. The fact of matter is that everybody who sided with Khomeini is responsible for not paying attention whom they are siding with and accepting to deal with the devil.
The fact of the matter goes even further than these. In fact you were not some innocent kids who where deceived by mollas in fact you knew of their power over the overvaluing illiterate narrow minded ordinary people who would be so stupid to see Khomeini's picture in the moon. let alone the greedy stupid group who wanted $60 par day for their oil money.
I was there in 1979 revolution and I was hearing what they were telling and what they wanted. In fact you all were trying to use each other to come to power and Khomeini outsmarted all of you and turned the table on you. If you and all so called visionaries of the revolution were half the men they claimed to be they would have realized that not all the problems of shah's era were his faults as not all our today's problems are molla's fault
In answer to you question of why after 25 years we are hear I can say that it is because the people off Iran still have not changed their way. In today's Iran 99.9 percent of people think of noting and no body but themselves and their own interests. From the reckless driver in the street who shows no regards for other peoples life or property to the factory owner who steels from the material to cut cost and do not take care for his workers to accumulate profit. No wonder our government is behaves just like us.
The fact that all of our people today are more found of foreigners like Arabs or Europeans and tend to know them more try to be more like them than trying to be themselves and cherish their own culture and history.
But unfortunately no political group wants to talk about these issues as it would mean political suicide for them. You know why because another thing our people can not stand is criticism. Just like their government
These are issues that takes time and willing on peoples part to be dealt with and until these issues are addressed even after 25 century we will still be in the same place that we are today if not worse and no revolution or leader can save us.
Misusing the term "Fascist"
On Masoud Kazemzadeh's "Two sides of the same coin":
Masoud Kazemzadeh makes some excellent arguments about various historical aspects of Iran/Persia. But I must make some points of clarification over his analogies and conclusions. First, history is just that, it is over but we suffer its legacies.
All history must be read in context of the times in which it occurs, what was the global status of any possible set of values and social actions. If we compare Qajar or Safavi rulers to their contemporaries, they are not so bad as if were to compare them to contemporary values. Although, when you look at contemporary regimes like China's, or American support for death squads in Latin America and its unholy war against Muslims who happen to have both oil and strategic locations, the millions of civilians they murdered in Vietnam, or the several million Cambodians killed by their own regime, the past is not so bad.
As to fascist, we can all misuse language with common vernaculars, but a scholar should not be so facile. Fascism is a particular political-economic ideology and system that was part of Italian and German state policy during the 1930's & 40's, as well as regimes in Spain, Portugal, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and had legal political parties in England, France, and most other European and Latin American countries. In the USA prior to WII, the German Fascist Association had over one million members.
That said, it is wrong to misuse the term "Fascist" as a negative label for oppressive or dictatorial regimes, and thus a word with emotional not intellectual meaning.
While balanced historical commentary is never popular, we all hold prejudices and fears, it is just that, balanced. It is common to demonise the enemy, which is what both the US government and al-Qaida have done to each other respectively to negatively stereotype Arab Muslims, and Americans. But taken retrospectively, it is ignorant to hold on to such wartime stereotypical negativity about regimes or states that were once enemies. German extermination of Jews as state policy was horrific, but no more so than 200 years of American systemic genocide of their indigenous peoples.
In short, try to understand and discusss everything historical less in emotional terms of the present and more in the contexts in which they occurred. Thus, most state regimes and their actions will fall into a relatively negative calculus, but not totally evil, neither by intent nor fate.
They should be very happy to be Iranians
On Nima Kasraie's "Al-Fiction":
I am a true Ahvazi and could not agree with you more.
I have lived in US since 1978.
I have/had several Iraqi now Iranian friends who were driven out of Iraq to Iran in 60's and 70's by Iraqi government. They should be very happy to be Iranians.
Please let me know if I could be of any assistance to your cause.
I appreciate your comments and very informative links.
Sincerely,
On their dead bodies
On the destruction of Bahai cemetery Golestan-e Javid to build Khavaran Cultural Center in south Tehran (See "Visiting Massih"):
This is the "cultural" center built by the Islamic Republic" by desecrating that most beautiful garden, GOLESTAN -E-JAVID that was the burial ground for generations of Bahais.
I always think about Abadan
On Jahanshah Javid's "Good old days":
Dear Mr. Javid,
I enjoyed your story of Abadan a lot. I have a similar condition as you but I am living in Tehran now. My father was a member of the Oil Company and we where in South Bovardeh, although I was 10-years old when we left Abadan in 1357. But I spent the best part of my life there. I have great memories and I always think about that.
Sincerely yours,
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