On May 2 - 5, 2013, there was a film festival at the University of Maryland at College Park. The name of the festival was “Iran’s Cinema Invisible”   This festival as indicated in its brochure was “dedicated to the celebration of the Middle Eastern films that international audience may not otherwise see.”    The diversity of the films was vast in l ... Continue reading »

  Neither you nor sorrow will last It is the same with all the people in this village I swear by the anguished bubbling of the river And by the shortness of the already past moment That sorrow will not last forever It is only the memory which will linger   The moments are naked! Do not ever dress your moment with grief You think you are gazing at t ... Continue reading »

    Wind will serenade Man’s homesickness Starry-night ignores His dreams And every snow flake Resembles an unshed tear     Silence is replete with untold words Replete with undone acts with revelation of undisclosed loves And untold amazements Our essence is hidden in this silence Essence of you and me     دلتنگی های آدمی راباد ترانه یی ... Continue reading »

      During undergrad studies, we were taught in comparative literature classes that there is no superior language, only the superiority of those who may speak a language.   Throughout history we may find many examples of the statement above. We will start with our country, Iran. If we just go back a few centuries to the Safavid Dynasty (1502-173 ... Continue reading »

Food is in abundance Water is too.   Shopping is in abundance, Spending is too.   Will power and resistance are in abundance, Natural disasters are too.   Access to knowledge is in abundance, Ignorance is too.   TV shows are in abundance, The audience is too.   Christmas goods are in abundance The spirit of Christmas is with very few!   TV channel ... Continue reading »

  In this article, I am trying to demonstrate the connection of Iranian celebration of Yada to the celebration of Christmas.     About a few thousand years ago, when Iranians and Indians still lived together, they venerated a common god by the name of Mithra.  The night of his birthday was the winter solstice which later on after the advent of Chri ... Continue reading »