* Change the alphabet
The question of usage of Arabic or Latin alphabet is not about politics
or we Iranians being slaves to another culture ["Eenjoori
Beneveeseem?"]. The issue is about two different parts, first
what we Iranians outside Iran should do and second part is what Iran and
other Persian-speaking countries should do.
We Iranians outside the country have the opportunity to improve our
language without the barriers that exist in our country. This means that
by careful planing we are able to make it easier for ourselves and our
children by changing the alphabetic system. Every book can be "translated"
to the new system and it makes it very easy and economical for us.
The only "bad side" of this is that the next generation of
Iranians abroad will be unable to read and write Arabic alphabet, which
will be the case anyway because most of them will never learn it anyway.
By improving the language I mean changing from a consonant alphabet
that "only" puts down the consonants and its right to left letters
and left to right numbers, to a more logical and easier way of doing things.
The only arguments that have stopped us from doing that is:
1. Our ancestors have done and therefore it MUST be right
2. We have a treasury of literature that will be lost this way
3. We will not be able to read the Koran
I personally find the above unacceptable. We still can have the old
alphabet left for artistic and cultural reasons. Changing the alphabet
in Iran is nearly impossible. They would surly say that it would be pro-Western
and anti-Islamic, whatever that means.
I think by changing the alphabet we even make the Persian closer to
its family, the indoeuropean.
Keyhan Hadjari
Stockholm, Sweden
edtkhad@al.etx.ericsson.se
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* Homosexuality is not a threat
I just happened upon your article ["Homosexuals"].
One of the thoughts that came to my mind was your comment on how you were
told as a youngster that being gay was bad. Think about this, good, bad,
right, wrong, have always been and always will be subjective ideas.
As we go from society to society, culture to culture,
we find good, bad, right and wrong to be dependent on the society. So think
again, perhaps like most of us, we were told misinformation as youth, and
now we need to reevalutate our hard fast beliefs.
Homosexuality is not a threat, or an abomination.
We as humans have many different ways of expressing ourselves sexually.
No one way is good, bad, right or wrong. Look again at yourself.
Terry J. DiVincenzo
tjd_sjl@bellsouth.net
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* They are, first and foremost, people
I wonder if Mr Behzadian has ever heard the phrase
"two wrongs don't make a right." Whatever unjust actions were
taken when the U.S. embassy was put under siege, and hostages were taken,
they do not justify the present situation in Afganistan, where our diplomats
are held hostage.
Countries send diplomats to foreign lands under internationally-recognised
agreements. The host countries for these diplomats share in the obligation
to provide security for the perimeter of the emabassy building, whilst
internal security of the embassy is the responsiblity of the diplomatic
visitors.
By making a forceful entry into the Iranian diplomatic area, Afghanistan
has committed an act which in the old days would have been interrpretted
as an act of war.
With all the hype and publications surrounding this event, it may be
easy for people, such as Mr Behzadian to forget that there are, first and
foremost, people - Iranian nationals at that - whose human rights are being
violated. They may even have been tortured, and experienced traumatic events,
the likes of which Mr Behzadian could never imagine.
The families of these poor hostages are suffering along side them, and
should recieve our sympathy, and our compassion. So Mr Behzadian I ask
you to reconsider your obviously narrow-minded, tit-for-tat approach, and
hope that you can put away these imature feelings, and consider the feelings
of the families of those you condem.
Farzad Moshfeghi
farzad.moshfeghi@nomura.co.uk
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* You're right, but...
Dear Ms. Khalili:
You are absolutley right about the date. Only yesterday
(13 Aug) did the calendarical (if there is such a word) discrepency clicked
in my mind. For some reason I had always thought of the date of The
New Yorker article as June 20th (too much lead in my drinking water
maybe).
I did mention in my response that it is possible
for two or more people to come up with the same idea. You have to admit
it though, there were uncanny resemblences between the two pieces which
went beyond the ususal trite ESPN analysis.
Anyway I never meant to make a federal case out of this, and sincerly
apologize if I may have caused you any problem.
However I still stand by my first point, that is
the narcissism in your writing ["On
Football, Philosophy, and Joy"] - it is too airy and can use some
tightening.
Asghar Massombagi
amassombagi@mercury.bc.ca
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* The other way around?
I Just want to say why Mr. Massombaghi did not think
about the possibility that The New Yorker writer stole ideas from
Ms. Khalili? Just wondering!
Yasaman Mottaghipour
yasamanm@flex.com.au
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* Government doesn't care
To a government that does not care about 60 million
people, why should it care about 11 being held hostage? ["Taken
hostage? Good"]
It is only wishfull thinking that anything is
going to change in Iran. The banning of Jame'eh newspaper and others;
the sentence against [Tehran Mayor] Karbaschi should all be good signs
that nothing has really changed in Iran nor is going to.
A Parandeh
ibi@ZETNET.CO.UK
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* Shame on you
Please be very selective in what you publish.
On August 14, 1998 a view point was written by Kamran Behzadian entitled
"Taken hostage? Good."
There should be shame for an Iranian who writes something like that and
worse than that, on The Iranian Times for publishing it.
Stuff like that, if worthy of publication, belong
in USA Today. Please do not forget who your primary audience are.
Mohammad Chizari
chizari@soe.purdue.edu
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* Never learned our lesson
Mr. Behzadian's letter regarding Iranian "diplomats" being
held hostage by the Taliban forces in Afghanistan ["Taken
hostage? Good"] loses sight of the
fact that Iranian governments throughout the ages have had a consistent
record of breaching the principle of inviolability of foreign emissaries
and have never learned a lesson. For their indiscretion, Iran as a whole
has often paid a very dear price.
It is related anectodally that one of the reasons why Ghengiz Khan showed
no mercy on Iran and Iranians was that his delegation to the Court of Mohammad
Khawrazmshah was detained and butchered. During the Qajar dynasty, an Iranian
levee claimed the life of a Russian diplomat in Tehran, for which Fath-Ali
Shah had to send a special delegation to Russia to apologize before the
czar.
Of course, the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and the detention
of a multi-national group of diplomatic and consular staff hostage for
an indelible 444 days purchased for Iran a wholesale condemnation by the
international community and the International Court of Justice, whose jurisdiction
the Iranian government though it could escape by putting on a no-show,
a coward's way out.
The bottom line is that Iran does not heed lessons of history, no more
than any other government or country, for that matter. One would think,
for example, that after the Bosnian massacres, there would not be a repeat
in Kosovo; but, there it is. Perhaps because of their kinship with Persian
and Iranians, the Afghanis, too, when behaving like a "mob,"
have shown little respect for diplomatic niceties.
In the 19th century, the Afghans spared only one "protected"
person from slaughter so that individual could take the news of the massacre
of the contingent back to his authorities.
As for the present Iranian "diplomats" held hostage, here
is the legal point: None of them can claim diplomatic protection unless
said protection or immunity was granted to them by the "government"
against whom they are invoking said protection/immunity. Just because one
is a "diplomat," or that the sending state so claims, does not
mean that the person is entitled to diplomatic immunity. Immunity and diplomatic
protection must be conferred on the person by the receiving government.
As none of the Iranian "diplomats" were accredited to the Taliban
government nor reprersented Iran in the Taliban-held portion of Afghanistan,
then none of them are entitled to any protection under international law.
Nothing in international law precludes the Taliban from treating them
as enemy agents, try and punish them according to the laws of Afghanistan.
Their only salvation, under international law rests with them being labeled
as prisoners of war and therefore perhaps subject to the humanirarian provisions
of the various Geneva and other conventions on the rules of war.
Guive Mirfendereski
Guive@aol.com
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* Aab-e tobeh
For all the contemporary Romeo and Juliet stories, I am most moved by
the honest rendition and accounting which characterize Siamak Namzi's "baptismal"
experience and Laleh Khalili's purgings ["Loving
and Iranian man"].
In their soul-searching endeavor, they wear their hearts ever so bravely
on their sleeves and with minds like steel trap articulate their most inner
feelings autocritically in a strong and vibrant prose.
Home, as one home-spun American saying has it, is where the heart is.
It may be time for Mr. Namzi and Ms. Khalili to cleanse the past with a
sprinkling of aab-e tobeh and find the spiritual home they each
so crave. Nobody asked, just this one person's opinion.
Guive Mirfendereski
Guive@aol.com
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* Taken hostage? Good.
Sadly enough, in a sense I am happy that Iranian
diplomats are being
held hostage by Afghan Taleban forces. Perhaps
this will give the Iranian nation a taste of what it is like to have your
diplomats held hostage by a radical government against all international
laws. There are lessons to be learned here.
I further hope that the Taleban will hold Iranians
in captivity for at least 444 days.
Kamran Behzadian
kbehzad@ix.netcom.com
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* Thanks, Payman
Check out "Revolution:
1979-1999" if you haven't yet!
It includes many interesting photos and many songs from 1357 revolution
era which really brought tears to my eyes.
I appreciate Peyman Arabshahi for all his efforts in helping iranian.com
build up this page.
Kambiz Shoarinejad
kambiz@ampere.ee.ucla.edu
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* Iranian-Americas and the age of peace
Yahya R. Kamalipour, writes in "Window
of opportunity": "Hence, it is imperative that we, the Iranian
community in diaspora, realize the serious implications of our prevailing
stereotypical images in the U.S. and elsewhere as they impact upon our
social and political relations within the U.S. and other nations. We live
in a world of images -- images that can sell as well as enhance and images
that can conjure hate and despair... "
Let's take this from a far simpler approach...
Here in the US, the concept of the "Great American Melting Pot"
has been rusted through with anxieties and perceptions. Being myself of
Jewish heritage, every time Israeli lets a Jewish settler kill another
Arab, and does nothing about it, it affects the life of every Jew on the
planet, and these perceptions are felt deeply here at home in the U.S....
FULL
TEXT
David Brager
Richland, WA
dibrager@owt.com
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* Accusation: Stealing ideas from The New Yorker
Asghar Massombagi writes: Friendly suggestions to Ms. Khalili: Drop
the narcissism from your writing. A mature writer doesn't need to impress
her audience with big words and deliberate sentence structuring. Acknowledge
the source of a good thought or insightful observation, since you're not
the only one who for instacne reads The New Yorker on a regular
basis. Your observation about proximity of football and life in you article
"On
Football, Philosophy, and Joy" came from Adam Gopnik's article
in the July 13th issue of The New Yorker....
FULL
TEXT
Asghar Massombagi
amassombagi@mercury.bc.ca
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* Reply: How could I?
Laleh Khalili writes: I am not a usual reader
of The New Yorker. I don't have time for it, and I used to find
Tina Brown annoying, so I just wouldn't bother reading the magazine. But
obviously you believe that I have lifted some of my article from The
New Yorker.... FULL
TEXT
Laleh Khalili
LalehK@aol.com
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* Historic distortion
In reference to a BBC
report carried by The Iranian Times regarding
the meeting between a former American hostage, Barry Rosen, and his former
Iranian captor, Abbas Abdi, at UNESCO's Paris headquarters, Eric Rouleau
did nothing to "persuade" the two to meet.
This historic event should not be presented to
the public in a distorted fashion. I worked on the event for a year and
both were invited by me on behalf of the American-Iranian Council (AIC).
A colleague in Tehran worked with me on the event from the very beginning
(not affliated with the AIC).
However, the Iranian side did not wish to identify
himself with AIC or me because of implications for U.S.-Iran relations.
That is why the Iranian side asked that MR. Rouleau moderate the panel
and coordinate media relations. Besides, Eric Rouleau works for the Center
for World Dialogue (CWD), the organization that helped organize the event
and generously paid for its costs including the cost incurred by me personally
and by AIC. It is unfortunate that the Iranian side has chosen not to acknowledge
those who spent all this time to organize the event, including the President
of CWD.
President Khatami has promised that his administration
will follow the principle of openness in domestic and international policies.
Adherence to that principle is the key to democracy and national independence.
The hostages issue indeed touches one of the most sensitive areas of Iran's
domestic politics and international relations. After all, the hostage-taking
has cost Iran over one trillion dollars, including damages incurred during
the war with Iraq for which the Islamic Republic has blamed the United
States.
Hooshang Amirahmadi
President
American-Iranian Council
hooshang@bellatlantic.net
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* Your emails worked
The Iranian-American
Republican Council wishes to thank and congratulate
the thousands of Iranian-Americans who sent emails and wrote letters to
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright or called the State Department regarding
fingerprinting of Iranians at U.S. Customs.
After this announcement (see Washington
Post article), it is clear that we as Iranian-Americans
have the power and the ability to become agents of change regarding our
own destinies in our adopted country and the well-being of our relatives
coming from Iran.
Let this be a lesson to all of us that it matters
if we all act in unison and that it matters if we become politically involved
in this country.
Goli Ameri
Iranian-American Republican
Council
ameri@pop.mindspring.com
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* Prayer
Request for prayer: Let us pray that the terrorists who caused the explosions
in Kenya and Tanzania had nothing to do with any factions in Iran, and
that Iran's name does not come up in any investigation. Amen.
Kourosh Ahadpour
AhadpouK@nasd.com
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* Gifts to humanity
I truely enjoyed Jasmin's article on being an
Iranian or American ["This
is getting complicated"]. I commend her
for her courage to challenge all opposing forces and feeling Iranian deep
inside & all around. I, however, hope that her father's feelings are
not hurt that his 50% role in Jasmin's being is being ignored or not cherrished
equally.
Her Iranian mother, German father & American
upbringing environment has only made her a stronger human being and richer
in culture than an average person born of the same ethnic parents who have
seen nothing but their own home country & in many cases their hometown.
Those immigrants who never lose touch with their
roots but count their blessings for the richness of their multicultural
heritage & put it to good use are god-given gifts to humanity.
Mohamad Hakimian
mamadali2@email.msn.com
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* Free to object
I find it surprising that you [Maryam
Shargh] are compelled to condemn someone for voicing their opinion.
It is their opinion that the article ["Loving
an Iranian girl"] is distasteful and should be removed. Even if
I don't agree that this action should take place, the person is as much
right for expressing this objection as the magazine was for publishing
the article.
Perhaps you forget that this objection and letter writing is as much
a part of this society as the expression you write of. With freedom of
expression comes responsibility, and we have the right to lawfully voice
our objections in whatever manner we see fit. See this is also freedom
of expression, but it may perhaps be in a manner *you* disagree with and
are also calling for it's elimination just as the one you condemned did.
Millions of Americans part-take of this objection to things they disagree
with daily. This is what gives them the greatest vocal power, and even
though you may not agree with it, it is a healthy integral part of an open
society.
The Baptists are within their rights to boycott Disney for what they
perceive as immoral messages, for an outraged mother to write strong letters
of objections to advertisers of [the Fox TV show] "Married with Children,"
and for anti-defamation minority groups to organize letter writing campaigns
when they perceive they've been victims of racial slurs or stereotypes
in media. It's all part of the process and you cannot have one without
the other. Furthermore, I don't think you should presume why we are "here"
[in the U.S.]; we all have different stories and reasons.
Rudi Sahebi
rsahebi@voyager.com
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* Divoonehs: Then and now
I was captivated by your article "Aberoo,"
by Mr Gilani. His list of encounters intrigued, and questioned my understanding
of the Iranian community. You are so right in identifying our denial of
such mental & physical tragedies... The term "divooneh" (crazy)
is well known among Iranians. It means mentally handicapped, but in fact
is used in every day language as a derogatory term or expression.... FULL
TEXT
Farzad Moshfeghi
farzad.moshfeghi@nomura.co.uk
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* Manouchehr would have been proud
You have created a remarkable network for Iranians. Already I have received
several emails regarding the Oral History Project ["Abdolmadjid
Madjidi: Too much, too fast"]. Wish your father [Manouchehr
Javid] was here to see what his son is accomplishing.
Back to top
* Airlines: Impressed
[Regarding Nader Saad's article "Post-1979
airline industry":]
I am an aviation enthusiast, and I recently traveled to Iran. I was impressed with the civil aviation there. SAHA flies several Boeing 747 freighters which I saw in Tehran and Isfahan.
There is a photo of one in a book about cargo planes which can be found in the usual aviation bookstores. Mahon Airlines uses Russian Tu154M and Il-76 cargo planes.
There is another airline called Bon Air using Tu-154M. Kish Air uses (exclusively, I think) Tu 154M.
Holger Tillmann
Hamburg,Germany
fr6y019@public.uni-hamburg.de
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* Cold sweat
I had not heard this song ["Baharan
khojasteh baad"] in 19 years, it brought
some tears to my eyes and some cold sweat....
Reza M.
Back to top
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* Thoroughly needed it
I thoroughly needed to see this article ["This
is getting complicated"]. I'm am also half-Iranian,
in my30's and find every encounter with a "real" Iranian awkward.
To complicate the situation, I do not speak Farsi, which creates a void,
that leaves me feeling as though I'm not really Iranian at all, but rather
American, or Scotch/Irish in the eyes of Iranians I meet.
While there is a growing population of American-Iranians
and half-Iranians, they are usually younger than myself. Again leaving
me without persons of similar background to share with. I am glad to have
read that there are others out there (does that sound solitary?) like myself,
thinking about what it means to be on the fence between the Iranian and
the American cultures.
Robert A. Abusaidi
abusaidi@leland.stanford.edu
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* Waffle
I spent the best part of 15 minutes reading this
article ["This
is getting complicated"], but really don't
see the point you're making. I heard your shortened life story, and reasons
for why you like "tea not coffee" but can't see why you would
think the rest of us would want to know.
Unkile your article ("Aziz")
which recounted a cultural and memorable occasion, which most other readers
could relate to, you now ramble on about events which could only interest
those who already know you, and are puzzled by your individualism.
Why do we Iraninas think we can explain away the
entire universe ? There are so many flavors of "Irooni," just
as there are so many flavors of Arabs, Indians, English, etc... that there
is no one person who can identify with each flavor of one race, never mind
crossing over different races. So how can you make comments which deem
to be judgemental about those around you who don't share your out look
on life.
According to your article, you (at times) chose
to be Irooni, then Farangi, lapping up the advantages it would bring you
in turn. At the time you when swapped identities, it must have felt right
to do it, just as it feels right to you to be ALL Irooni now. So how can
you, or any one else try to impose your views on others ?
You, Miss Darznik, are lucky to have now matured
into a versatile writer, whose command of the English language is impressive.
However, this article had a hint of "let me show you how many big
words I can use" about it. You already have my admiration as a writer,
and I am sure others share my view. It is a shame to dilute that respect
by writing articles which at best are an exercise in vocabulary, and at
worst lose themselves in waffle.
I do not mean any harm by my comments, but I had
come to expect more of you in the time I have been reading your articles.
Farzad Moshfeghi
farzad.moshfeghi@nomura.co.uk
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* Good morning to you too!
What depressing stories ["Aberoo,"
"Shattering
truth"]! Sobhe doshanbe haal maa ro gerefteed. But it's okay can't
always be amusing.
Kaveh
kevin@imssoft.com
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* Revolutionary songs full of memory
I was in Los Angeles this weekend and finally
got a chance to listen to the revolutionary
songs, (we have a "firewall" at work
and can't access RealAudio files). I LOVED them. Full of memory. As one
of your readers said: for us, it was part of growing up. Amin, my cousin's
youngest brother who lives in Paris, was also there and baa ham keyf kardim.
Zahra Mahloudji
ZMahloudji@DATAFUSION.net
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* The last straw
My comments are in response to an earlier conversation on the topic
of the Mojahedin Khalq and their attacks
on free speech.
When I wrote the article "Evolution
not Revolution," I truly believed that the Mojahedin should be
involved in Iranian politics. This is despite the fact that they are based
in Iraq and also put up an embarrassing show during the Iran-USA soccer
match in France. But, today thanks to the continuing shame they are bringing
on Iran's name, I no longer feel that they should be involved in any kind
of dialogue.
The last straw for me was the embarrassing spectacle during the Iran-USA
wrestling match in New York last month. What exactly are you people trying
to achieve? Do you think that by disrupting an athletic event and destroying
the morale of athletes, who have worked hard to get this far, you will
win support for your cause? Exactly what is your cause and what are you
offering to the Iranian people?
I am very much interested to hear from Mojahedin supporters as to what
it is you are trying to achieve and what you are offering the "Khalq."
At this moment, as a member of the Iranian "Khalq," I must say
that I am disgusted by these actions and they are not my Mujaheds.
Abbas Soltani
abbas@globalserve.net
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* Tajrish
We lived two blocks from these bazaars at Tajrish
for 10 years and sure do miss being there. Thanks so much for the memories.
bryan w. ault
bault@etex.net
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* Intolerance for violence
Family stresses due to mental illness are profound ["Aberoo"].
It is quite common for mentally ill people, as well as their family members,
regardless of their national origin, to deal with mental illness with varying
degrees of denial. Family members of the mentally ill often feel immense
shame, isolation, helplessness and hopelessness. Under these difficult
emotional circumstances and with little or no social and financial support,
family members of the mentally ill act as the sole caregivers for their
mentally ill relatives.
Although, persons diagnosed with mental illness often pose a greater
threat to themselves than they do to others, the stigma associated with
mental illness is great. In fact, the majority of persons with mental illness,
even those with chronic conditions, never exhibit violent behavior. Violence
is not, by any means, a logical consequence of mental illness. With proper
psychiatric treatment, medication and social support, those diagnosed with
mental illness can and do become fully functional members of society.
Nevertheless the stigma of mental illness persists. This stigma is even
greater in the Iranian community where the slightest departure from the
norm, particularly in more affluent circles, is perceived as deviant behavior
and treated with intolerance and often extreme cruelty. This type of response
isolates even further those who suffer from mental illness, compounding
and intensifying the stresses felt by their family members.
One can only hope that discussion of the issue will lead to a greater
understanding of mental illness and a strong system of support for Iranian
families suffering from mental illness. Perhaps this discussion will lead
to intolerance of a positive nature: intolerance for violence, a problem,
as Mr. Gilani pointed out, is far too prevalent in the Iranian family.
Thank you Mr. Gilani for starting this dialogue.
Sussan Tahmasebi
sussan3@hotmail.com
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* We're not that perfect
"Aberoo"
sung with truth I only wish I heard more frequently from my fellow Iranians.
Growing up Iranian in America, I learned from
my parents there were many, many topics one never broached with other Iranians,
and even more topics that one never broached with Americans. Spousal and
child abuse, alcoholism and drug abuse, adultery -- judging from our silences,
you would think we as a people were blessedly free of all the vices of
the world!
Our native-born instinct to maintain aberoo
at all costs has been exaggerated in this country, and the costs of pride
and silence are at times horrifying, as Mr. Gilani can attest to. It's
high time we got talking. Thank you, Mr. Gilani.
Jasmin Darznik
jasmind@hooked.net
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* Impossible woman?
Laleh,
Serenity is not a given. Not like brown hair and eyes are a given. You
can't trade it in because you don't own it. [The
women we wanted to be].
Serenity is born of difficulty and all births are painful. If you are
a difficult, impossible woman, this is your gift. Use it well.
And most of all, keep honing your voice. Think of all the high notes
you have yet to reach. We'll be listening.
Y Rafii
yart@seanet.com
(Back to top)
* Awakened fond memories
After I read your wonderful article "Aziz"
by Ms. Darznik, I could not stop myself from day dreaming about my own
two wonderful grand mothers. You awakened fond memories which should never
have been dormant in the first place.
We Iranians may each have different outlooks,
opinions, and priorities, but we all share in one thing: we are most definitely
away from HOME. Those of us old enough to remember "booy-e Iran"
can but barely make out the scent, and those too young to remember can
not but imagine.
We need more articles (PLEASE) like "Aziz"
which grab us by the shoulders, and give a gentle tug, reawakening fond
memories. Memories which make us proud to be what we most definitely are
- Irani. I call on those with memories to share to come forward, and put
pen to paper - or fingers to keyboard.
Finally, thank you Ms. Darznik, and please write
some more.
Farzad Moshfeghi
London, England
farzad.moshfeghi@nomura.co.uk
(Back to top)
* We looked good
What a fantastic article ["I
was there"]. I watched the Iran-U.S. soccer match onTV -- as an
Iranian woman married to an American man, we had some tense moments during
the game. I was deliriously happy and he was rather upset.
Erfani's prose touched me - he says his "vocabulary is severely
lacking" when he tries to explain how he felt....but it was not. I
think all of us tried to put into words our pride, joy and wonder but found
it impossible to find just the right words.
For a country and people who are always put down as terrorists, and
god knows what it was a bright and shining moment. We looked good - although
not GREAT - to the world at large!
I was so proud.
Tania Nordstrom
tnordstrom@beta.la.hodes.com
(Back to top)
* The same smell, or something
"I
was there" truly captured the spirit of those 24 hours -- we where
there too and it's warming to know that many fellow country-men/women had
a similar experience and felt the same overwhelming feeling beyond nationalism
or patrotism or football or...
I just wish the Irooni population of this globe could at least attempt
to bond in this way outside a stadium -- the experience for me was like
"rooz'e avval'e enghelaab" -- there was a similar intensity --
the same smell in the air -- or something...
Nargess Shahmanesh
n_shahmanesh@imeche.org.uk
(Back to top)
* Sarcasm
Just a point of correction. The "posters"
in the cafe in Arizona [Photo
of the Day] are actually of Abdol-Baha (son of
Bahaollah who was prophet founder of the Baha'i Faith). [Ed: corrected]
Abdol-Baha refers to a society in which for health
reasons people will eat less meat. I understood your reference to be somewhat
sarcastic. Sarcasm in context where reference is made to people's religious
beliefs may well be misunderstood to offend people.
S. Haake
Melbourne, Australia
shaake@ozemail.com.au
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* Revolutionary songs
Thanks for reviving my childhood memories. Those revolutionary
songs posted on The Iranian Times these days were on the radio
24 hrs a day when I was growing up and, believe it or not, I have some
of my best memories from those songs.
To many, the revolution was a disaster, to others it was the end of
dictatorship. But to those of us who were only in elementary school back
then, it was just part of growing up. And those songs are as close to our
hearts as any song by Googoosh or Dariush.
Pedram Missaghi
info@nima3.com
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* Einsteins & Shakespeares
Jasmin:
Your grandma ["Aziz"]
is obviously a gifted person and a fabulous storyteller. She was a great
contributor in shaping your character.
I have to admit I became a bit depressed by your
story. The sad part was how her talents have been wasted due to circumstances
beyond her control. Imagine if she had the same educational opportunity
as the rest of us did, she could become a Nobel laureate -- one would never
know.
The sad thing about life on our planet is that
every day thousands of Mozarts, Einsteins, and Shakespeares are born, but
because of the lack of a nourishing environment, they are never discovered.
Farhad Homayounpour
fhoma@celanese.com
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* Slow evolution
Dear Abbas Soltani,
I read your article ["Evolution
not Revolution"] and It seems to
me you are not familier with the culture of Shi'ite Muslim clergy. Do people
in Iran want every powerful poltical, business and social leader to come
from the clergy? There might be diffrences of opinion among the clergy,
but they all represent one view.
You may be right about evolution in Iran, but I think this will even
be slower than evolution in the universe, which, by the way, the clergy
don't believe in.
M. Shariat
mshariat@lucent.com
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* Persian Gulf: history's favorite
The present-day name of the gulf comes from the
Greek and classsical writers who, after calling it the Sea of Erythras
for many decades, came to call this body of water Sinus Persicus, meaning
the Gulf of Persis. Persis at the time refrred to the part of the Iranian
plateau which wasc Pars, today's Fars province. There was also at the time
the province of Carmania, whose remains today represent the much smaller
Kerman Province, without frontage on the gulf. The term Persian Gulf is
the Anglo-Saxon as well as other later European translations of Sinus Persicus
or Mare Persicum (Persian Sea)... FULL
TEXT
Guive Mirfendereski
Guive@aol.com
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* We're so perfect
In reading "No
sand between my toes" and other similar
letters, it always strikes me as odd how the writers try to present a perfectly
balanced picture of themseleves: progressive but traditional, enjoying
the "shallow" things in life yet wanting to pass on the traditional
Iranian values onto their offsprings, claiming to want a meaningful relationship
but expecting the physical part as well, accustomed to all the amenities
that their high social status affords them yet understanding of the plight
of the less fortunate and many more contradictions that I have time to
mention.
Maybe our Iranian society has lots more "perfect"
men and women than I have experienced, maybe I am one of the last remaining
breed of the fallible imperfect beings. If so, then there is still hope
for the human race. No criticism intended, just one big question mark.
Cmorgh
cmorgh@uscom.com
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* Smell of Iran?
I loved "Aziz."
After I read it the first time, I went back to the music section, put on
"Jaan
Maryam" by Nouri and while it was playing
in the background, I read the story again.
I must confess that I tried to put in Persian
the sentences that Ms. Darznik had translated in describing her conversations
with her grandmother. To me, when you say "Shomaa hanooz booy-e iran
ra daarin," it conveys a message of love. But when you write "You
still smell of Iran," I know what you mean, but don't you think that
the love doesn't quite carry through? I wished that the story had Persian
in it when the beauty of that language expressed precisely the feelings.
To be honest, when my mom turns to my little boy
and tells him "qorboon-e sheklet beram," I can't imagine how
I could possibly translate it to my American wife.
Reza Shadmehr
reza@bme.jhu.edu
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* Birds & the bees
"Az shabnam-e eshgh, khaak-e aadam gel-shod"
It' s funny, for the last few weeks every time
I sit down to read through The Iranian Times, I wonder whether there
will be yet another letter commenting on the khAleh Laleh/dAyi Hamid tango
["Loving
an Iranian Man", "Loving
an Iranian girl"].
Either this is a terrifically loaded subject for
us, or dAyi Jahanshah is playing favorites and leaving out many other interesting
letters on more mundane subjects, such as the Karbashchi trial or the reported
execution of a Bahai. Not that I object to reading all the commentaries.
Quite the contrary. It has been edifying, amusing, wistful and maybe even
a touch absurd, in the "Ionesco" sense of the word.
My perverse curiosity led me back through the
Letters archive,
to select and print everything relevant to this subject. It came to fifteen
pages. If I were a scientist, I would do the same with every other significant
category of discussion and present conclusive evidence that the birds and
the bees are still "top of the charts" as far as we humans are
concerned.
But I am not a scientist. I am a humanist and
as such, the sheer force of emotional output is all the evidence I need
to make such a judgement. I hesitate to overburden our virtual readership
with yet another point of view, but this "do shaahi" are burning
a hole in my pocket and if I don't spend it now, old age and forgetfullness
are likely to spend them for me.
Forgive my simplicity, but after respectfully
rereading all fifteen pages of wit and wisdom, I came to these conclusions:
Men love to love women and women love to love men. When men aren't loving
the women they love, they are loving the women they'd love to love. On
the other hand, when women aren't loving the men they love, they love to
feel sorry for themselves. When men and women don't feel loved, they both
resort to major trashing of the opposite sex. When men and women are not
loving, period, they attempt torturous gymnastics to make it look like
they're not really interested in loving because everyone of the other sex
is a cross between a pickle and a cellphone, or was that fickle and hell-prone?
We are a proud and beautiful people with a rich
and ancient culture and I can't help but love us.
Y. Rafii
yart@seanet.com
//www.cn.org/yart
(Sorry, I just had to give myself a plug.)
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