Comments about
THE IRANIAN
magazine & bulletin
Received Feb-May 1997
SAVAMA guy publishes best magazine
Fight the good fight
Fresh air for fed up Iranians
Inadequacies
Male majority: Astonishing
Havaye Vatan
Showing off THE IRANIAN
Amazing work
ZZ Top: Awesome!
Turkish, Persian, Iranian... What's the difference?
It finally happened
So much in common
Nothing in common
Pleasant experience
Somewhere to turn to
Iran is more than politics
I'm Iranian and...
New identity in America
Cute cats & flying carpets
What price for THE IRANIAN?
Another greedy Abadani
Bulletin: Losing contact with the masses
Lighten up!
It's FARSI! Anybody home?
SAVAMA guy publishes best magazine
Some time ago I sent you a short comment about THE IRANIAN that it was the best Iranian thing published out of Iran, or something like that.
Later on I saw your resume (from Jan. 96) and your picture. How can it be?! This is the guy who wroks for SAVAMA (Iranian secret service). I even considered you for a Web master job in the DC area.
I still think THE IRANIAN is the best publication outside or even inside Iran. I don't know why I am writing you this. Maybe because I just read your article about your job hunting in DC (The urge to describe a kiss). It was funny! For a moment I thought maybe the guy already knew who you were and thought if somebofy can publish THE IRANIAN and at the same time work for SAVAMA, he must be the perfect guy for the CIA.
Farid
farid@prodigy.net
Fight the good fight
Dude, am I glad to have stumbled across your homepage. You crystallized what I and countless other Iranians have known for a long time. My compliments to you !! Before you come to L.A., be sure to E-mail us--you have friends out here. Take care and continue to fight the good fight.
Mohammad Nayeri
MNAYERI@DHVX20.CSUDH.EDU
Fresh air for fed up Iranians
I am more than an hour late for an important appointment. But, I don't care. I just discovered your website an hour ago. Before then, I had not heard of you or your magazine.
Let me see if I can say this without overstating it. Your magazine is a blast of fresh air. I was elated by the creative energy than runs through it. The writing is intelligent without being pretentious or stuffy. And, the spirit invites tolerance, openness, and innovation while at the same time celebrating the richness of the Iranian culture and traditions. I lapped it all up. And I want more!
Keep it up, and sign me up. And speaking as one fed up Iranian, thank you .
Masood Karimipour
Attorney
San Francisco
mknyc@sprintmail.com
Inadequacies
Dear journalists at the Iranian, I am a fourth-year student of Media Studies and English literature here in Toronto and frequently read your magazine. I would like to take some time pointing out some of the major inadequacies of your online publication.
First and foremost I do not think that the Iranian should be bi-monthly, since within a two-month period there are hundreds of things, if not thousands, are likely to happen within the Iranian community both outside as well as inside Iran. I would suggest that the IRANIAN be a monthly or even a bi-weekly online magazine, so that it could be enabled to cover as many issues and topics as possible.
It also helps the IRANIAN to attract more advertisements due to the potential vitality which will be created among its readers. Another issue that needs serious addressing is, of course, lack of what I regard quality content. For example, it is a neat idea that you obtain articles from the Iranian academia community, but it is seriously inadequate.
I am sure you are able to get in touch with many other Iranian professors throughout North America and enrich your content by using their insight on a variety of issues. It is highly likely, for example, that people get sick of reading Mr. Amirahmadi's writings whenever they look at the IRANIAN. I hope you will show great novelties in your future issues and wish you a great deal of luck and success.
Sincerely yours,
Reza Akhlaghi.
yu117097@yorku.ca
Male majority: Astonishing
I'm astonished that the majority of the respondents to your readerhship survey were men (Figuring you out ) What do you think this is all about? Is it that more men are reading THE IRANIAN, or that more men respond to surveys? I guess surveys are incredibly tricky indicators of behavior.
Nonetheless, I am very happy to have found this web site since I now live in New York City and rarely come in contact with Iranian culture as I did in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Torang Sepah
Assistant Editor
Ms. Magazine
ms@echonyc.com
Havaye Vatan
Salamy choo booyeh khosheh ashenaey,
After looking all images in your site (DELAM TAZEH SHOD VA HAVAYEH VATAN KARDAM).
Regards
Abbas Ostad
abbas@supernet.ab.ca
Showing off THE IRANIAN
This is fantastic collection of articles and people. Congratulations. You've outdone yourself. I haven't read any of the articles yet, but just took a look, and it's really great. You've got to get some money in there.
You're doing a fantastic job. I am so proud of you. I show this to everyone with pride.
Love,
Behnam Nateghi
nateghi@interport.net
Amazing work
I have been reading THE IRANIAN magazine for the past several months. You have come a long way from the second issue of the magazine when I was first introduced to it.
What a great job you have done. I would like to congratulate you and the rest of the gang who are involved with the magazine. I know how difficult it is to put together such a nice web page.
Some times when I want to write just a simple letter to my family in Iran it would take me forever. How an individual can put together all of these nice articles and create such a magazine that satisfies most of us Iranians around the world (you know we are very picky), is amazing to me.
I have not come across even one Iranian that hasn't praised your work.
Please, keep up the good work and let me know, how can I become a subscriber to your bulletin.
Best regards,
Hassan Zandieh
ODN_ZAND@ohio.gov
ZZ Top: Awesome!
Yet another wonderful issue (No. 9). Brilliant as the English would say... oh sorry I should say beautiful or awesome!!!
I like the design of this issue better than the last one, but not sure about including the links for the previous issues in each section.
Zahra "ZZ Top" Mahloudji
zahram@presidio-systems.com
Turkish, Persian, Iranian... What's the difference?
I was browsing and I got to read the first few paragraphs and I decided to print and later on read and probably tape it to my office door.
It's going to be funny since not many people know me as Persian (Iranian) here because I came to States under my second nationality (Turkish, from mother's side). But I was born and raised in Tehran/Iran and the fact is you can never change where you come from and what you are no matter how hard ANYBODY tries.
Thanks for the interesting reading material.
Masoud Parvizpour (or by my Turkish version : Mesut Pervizpour) Whatever
difference does that make!
mp05@Lehigh.EDU
It finally happened
It is difficult to express my appreication for the work that you and your coleagues are doing. The circulation of a magazine like iranian on the net has been long due and it is good to see that it has finally happened.
Yours Truely,
Farya Shaker
shaker@uda.dgcd.doc.ca
So much in common
This is to just to tell you that I really enjoy your fine issue (issues). I find so many thigs in common. I hope you are never discouraged to continue with this kind of stuff.
With best wishes
Suvarna Gadgil
gadgil@minniemouse.cemax.com
Nothing in common
I think it is really good that some of you have established such a good way for people to communicate.
In the country I live in (Norway), we Iranians escape from each other and generally don`t have a good relationship. I think it's sad, but of course I know why it is like this.
We are so different from each other that it is sometimes strange to meet people from our country with whom we have nothing in common except the fact that we are from the same country!
Sepideh Ahrabi
Sepideh.Ahrabi@bi.no
Pleasant experience
What a pleasant experience going through THE IRANIAN. Great job! Proud of you....
Mehrdad Marty Youssefiani
Mehrdad847@aol.com
Somewhere to turn to
Excellent job with THE IRANIAN. I am really proud that we Iranians have such a mofassal network on the internet that we can turn to. For second generation Iranians like myself (I have lived 21 of my 22 years in the US), this is very important.
Cheers,
Sina Dadfarmay
sdadfarm@midway.uchicago.edu
Iran is more than politics
I recently came back from a visit to Iran and NOW more than ever I am proud to be an Iranian. Being Iranian is more than being affiliated with a political party or agreeing with the representative government. Walking in the streets of Tehran engraved in me the meaning of being an Iranian. The people are beautiful and our culture is rich and beyond comprehension or analysis. One must appreciate our heritage and learn from it.
Our heritage builds our characters and the obstacles we face in life, strenghtens it. Our generation might not have a place to call home--but home is where the heart is, and if the heart is happy, that's where you belong.
Sepideh Khazai
SKHAZAI@imf.org
I'm Iranian and...
... yes, proud of it. I been living in U.S. for 19 years, and yes, even during the hostage period, I always remained an IRANIAN.
It is not how people perceive you, but how you present yourself -- that is important. Being IRANIAN does not mean being a terrorist or a Muslim fundamentalist. As matter a fact a true IRANIAN is anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim.
The people that have been ruling our country are not IRANIANS. They have done nothing but to destroy a culture that goes back 2000 years. Let's not forget that we were the first people in recorded history that believed in freedom of religion, and speech.
I applaud your belief, and your sense of pride in our heritage.
Sincerely
The last of the IRANIANS
Pirouz Naraghi Nejad
(I'm using a friend's email)
dcmeucci@worldnet.att.net
New identity in America
I find it very interesting reading about people's reflection on their life. As a Persian (not Iranian) I believe we should not only be happy that we have God's blessing on us but be proud -- not for being Iranian but -- for being human beings.
As many of us migrated to North America, Americans have accepted us for who we are, not where we come from. Being Iranian does not make us any better than others. We have to learn to adapt to our new home without being homesick.
If anyone is homesick, he/she is welcome to go back and live in Iran. We haven't lost our identity but have gained a new one.
(Name and email withheld)
Cute cats & flying carpets
When one introduces oneself as an "Iranian," what immediate impact does it have on the person being told? What about if one says "Persian"?
My point is that people (Americans) think of "cute little kitty cats" and flying carpets and generally good things when you say "Persian." However, if one says "Iranian," it immediately conjures up many disturbing images in their head and is less-likable. Am I the only one who feels this way?
Seyyed Sina
HRCman1@aol.com
What price for THE IRANIAN?
I'm a firm believer that compensation must be made to all those who work for a product that people use. It's a serious matter. You and your friends work hard to bring out a fine magazine and you do so at great expense, if not monetary, then emotionally and mentally I'm sure.
What tag can be put on the sweat and physical hardships that go into the makeup of THE IRANIAN? What monetary compensation, what price? Candidly speaking, I feel guilty for having used your netzine for free for so long, without ever being asked to pay up.
I think my conscience is at the end of its rope and will take this nonsense no more. The only way I can silence it is by joining up, and by saying to you and yours, please accept this token of appreciation and thank you for your patience while I grew used to TEH IRANIAN.
Go in peace, Be well and do good work. Love to all who make THE IRANIAN possible.
Massud Alemi
malemi@sysnet.net
Another greedy Abadani
I don't think you have made the right choice by asking people to give you money, when you started THE IRANIAN Bulletin and magazine you wanted to do something for your community, and your love was in it, but now that you have got some people's attention, you like any other Iranian out here got greedy and thought of taking advantage of this situation.
Let me tell you Hamshahri, you are just like all other Abadanis, soon as get some attention you loose it. Please don't send me any message or email, because I feel sorry for your effort of doing this, you know you are not going to make a living out of this and you know you already distroyed the circle of friends that you made by establishing THE IRANIAN
I am a person who spent 25 years of my life serving the Iranian public, your decision was a Big WRONG one.
Hossein Bahadori
colak@ix.netcom.com
Bulletin: Losing contact with the masses
[In response to an announcement that THE IRANIAN Bulletin would be available to paid subscribers only]
I'm glad to see this is happening becuase it would mean Iranians will finally have an official, up-to-date and timely news media. I'll be more than glad to help and will sign up as soon as possible.
However, one comment I do have is that by making this a fee service, THE IRANIAN Bulletin will become less of a mass media. One of the beauties of the bulletin was that it kept everyone informed, whether they wanted it or not.
By posing a fee, this information becomes available to only a select group of people, which contradicts its mass media intentions. I'm sure there are many advantages to having the fee also, but just wanted to make this point.
I think you've always done an excellent job and your passion has always come through in your work. Keep up the good job. There are many of us out there that depend on your service.
Babak Nabili
BNabili@bangate.compaq.com
Lighten up!
Ever since you've gone "professional," tTHE IRANIAN Bulletin has lost its personal touch! It's now a collection of references to links and nothing more. What happened to people's comments, friends looking for friends, reunion lists, announcements, etc....?
Come on, lighten up!
Firouzeh
urban@metronet.com
It's FARSI! Anybody home?
[In response to a message in THE IRANIAN Bulletin email service about "Persian fonts"]
Persian fonts!? Is it cheep, third-wordly, Middle Eastern, backward, uneducated, dark skinish, filthy, ethnically smelly, ... to say Farsi fonts? Why do some of us have a problem with the word "Farsi"? Pretty soon, I'm afraid, we would be pronouncing I-ran instead of Iran.
What would this haphazard westernization of Farsi language serve? That we are bunch of cool Americans (o ye), but just happened to be born in a pit called Iran which is located in greater Persia? And my dad's real name is Dick not GhAsem? And I'm really blond by blood-line and it just happened that I have dark hair and skin (by mutation?). For those of us who don't want to acknowledge, the country is Iran not Persia & the Iranian language is Farsi not Persian. Anybody home?
Dariush Asfari
DARIUSH.ASFARI@ci.sj.ca.us