Archives
April 2005
April 14
* SF art show: of past and present
of past and present
a collaborative exchange
Sunday, May 1, 2005
7 p.m. Intersection for the Arts
446 Valencia Street
San Francisco
CrossConnections will engage Iranian and Iranian-American
artists and writers in an intergenerational, creative dialogue
about issues of cultural identity, preservation, and representation
in a transcultural and transnational context.
"Of past and present" will be the first public presentation
of a series of multidisciplinary experimental collaborations
exploring personal, political, and social concerns
of the Bay Area Iranian-American community. Participating artists and writers:
Seyed Alavi, Naseem Badiey, Ali Dadgar, Ala Ebtekar,
Mahru Elahi, Iranshid Ghadimi, Haleh Hatami , Ghazaleh Hedayat,
Taraneh Hemami, Afshean Hessam, Persis Karim, Parissa Milani,
Amanda Movlai, Mokhtar Paki, Fariba Safai, Farnoosh Seifoddini,
Roham Sheikhani, Nazanin H. Shenasa, Hadi Tabatabai,
Bijan Yashar, Termeh Yeghiazarian, Shadi Yousefian
For more information:
510.594.3757
capl@cca.edu
To top
* Qajar conference in England
Dear Friends of the International Qajar Studies
Association (IQSA): The International Qajar
Studies Association (IQSA) has planned,
what promises to be another exciting conference on the theme of
"War and Peace in the Qajar Era", at the University of Cambridge,
England, on July 15th and 16th. Space to attend the conference
is very limited.
Only 120 seats are available on a first come first
served basis. We would like our members to have first choice to
attend the conference, but to do so you must register right away.
Once all the seats are reserved, IQSA has no means of adding additional
seating. To reserve your spot at the conference right away, please
go to the following link and click on "Registration" and
follow directions
here.
IQSA members will receive a 10% discount for the conference.
If you are interested in this conference and/or interested in the
activities of IQSA and wish to become a member, we have established
for your convenience a web page for credit card payment. It will
only take a few moments. Please go to this
address.
For individuals wishing to join by mail, please go
to this address.
print out the form and send it to us at the address on the form
with your check.
To benefit from the Members discount at the conference you must
join IQSA before you register for the conference. Payment for the
conference is a separate matter from joining IQSA. The registration
page for the conference is at this
address.
Payment for the conference can be made online or by mail, but
in either case the registration form must be sent in by mail to
the address of the Cambridge Security Programme in England. We
recommend that the form be sent in by "Registered mail" to
ensure arrival and to have proof of mailing.
Volume V of our Journal Qajar Studies is also being prepared
now. It will be dedicated to the theme of the conference, War and
Peace in the Qajar Era. There will also be a section dedicated
to the descendants of Massoud Mirza Zell-e Soltan to honor the
memory of Malek Iradj Badi-Massoud, one of the elders of the Massoud
family, who passed away last month.
The Journal promises, once
again, to be both of the highest scholarly and aesthetic quality.
Your membership and attendance at the conference guarantees you
a copy of this issue of the Journal, hot off the press, to be
delivered at the conference into your hands! Members who will not
attend
the conference will receive their issue sent in the mail beginning
August 2005.
Please become a member of IQSA today and register for the conference
now. Lodging arrangements in Cambridge must be made individually.
A suggested list of sites for hotel and B&B reservations is
included on the bottom of the IQSA Conference
page.
If you have already become a member of IQSA, our sincere thanks.
We hope to see you all in Cambridge in July.
Warmest regards,
-- For IQSA, Manoutchehr
Eskandari-Qajar
To top
* Mideastwire.com hiring
freelancers
Mideastwire.com will shortly be offering a free daily email newsletter that contains
translated summaries of key political, cultural and economic
stories/opinions from the media of the 22 Arab countries, Iran
and the Arab media
Diaspora.
We are looking to hire freelancers who are already
reading Farsi pro/anti/neutral-government online publications,
especially
dailies, and who want to earn some extra money each month by
translating a few key bits of a story of interest and adding
some synthesis
of that key story. -- Nicholas Noe
To top
* Iranian names in space
Dear Sir, Madam
My name is Musa Tokmak. I am a PhD. Student in Ankara, Turkey.
I am really interested in Persian culture and Iran. So far I havent
visited your country but in the future i hope
to visit your country.
Anyway, I would like to introduce a work of mine. Since 2001
I am offering some Turkish names to International Astronomical
Union. Those
names will be stored and then they will be used in space geograpy
nomenclature. Or shortly, I offer some name to IAU - they collect
names
from everperson or organizations - and then they will use my
offered names to any craters or valleys or mountain names for example
in Mars or Venus or Astreoids.But of course there is no any guarante
to be used.They gave me some permission to collect the names.
Since in Turkey There arent any organizations and universities
that
do
my job.
As I said before, I love your country. For that reason I would
like to collect some Persian and Iranian names with the helps of
you.After collecting those names i will send them to International
Astronomical Union.Their permission is only for 50 names.Here are
some questions than can be thought:
1)- What about the names that can be offered :
Names can be any Iranian scientists, poets, artists, writers,
etc names but the main rule is that those persons must be a dead
person and well known ones.No names having political, military
or religious significance may be used, except for names of political
figures prior to the 19th century.Rivers, lakes, gaysers, coal
field and cave names can also be offered.
2)- Iranian or Persian names
that given to some planetary nomenclature so far: Those names
were given either any craters or valleys names:
Planet Mercury
-- Nizami: Elyas Yusof Ganjavi; Persian epic poet (c. 1141-1209).
-- Rudaki: Persian poet (c. 859-940/941).
-- Rumi: Jalal Ad-Din, also Mawlana; Persian poet
and Sufi mystic (1207-1273).
-- Sadi: Persian poet (c. 1213-1291/1292).
-- Ustad Isa: Turkish/Persian architect (17th century).
Planet Venus
-- Aramaiti: Persian fertility goddess.
-- Metra: Persian fertility/moon goddess
-- Zamin: Persian earth goddess.
-- Andami: Iranian doctor.
-- Vashti: Persian first name.
-- Zeinab :Persian first name.
-- Zerine: Persian first name.
-- Mehseti Patera: Ganjevi; Azeri/Persian poetess (c. 1050-c. 1100).
-- Tahmina: Iranian (Farsi) epic heroine, wife of knight Rustam.
-- Humai: Iranian happiness bird.
-- Nahid: Persian name for planet Venus
Moon
-- Abul Wafa :Persian mathematician, astronomer (940-998).
-- Al-Biruni :Persian astronomer, mathematician, geographer (973-1048).
-- Alfraganus, Al-Fargani, Abu'l-'Abbas Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn
Kathir; Persian astronomer (unkn-c. 840).
-- Almanon: Abdalla Al Mamun; Persian astronomer (786-833)
-- Avicenna: Abu Ali Ibn Sina; Persian doctor (980-1037).
-- Azophi: Al-Sufi, Abderrahman; Persian astronomer (903-986).
-- Nasireddin: Nasir-Al-Din (Mohammed Ibn Hassan); Persian astronomer
(1201-1274).
-- Omar Khayyam: Al-Khayyami; Persian mathematician, astronomer,
poet (c. 1050-1123).
-- Soraya: Persian female name.
-- Firdausi: Hasan; Persian author (c. 940-1020).
-- Ardeshir: Persian (Iranian) king's name
Jovian System
-- Cisti: Iranian healing god.
-- Elam Sulci: Ancient Babylonian seat of sun worship, in present-day
Iran
-- Zal Montes: Iranian sun god.
-- Zal Patera: Iranian sun god.
-- Atar Patera: Iranian
personification of fire.
-- Asha Patera: Persian spirit of fire.
-- Kava Patera: Persian blacksmith.
-- Mithra Patera: Persian god of light.
Uranian System
-- Peri: Persian evil spirit who disguised malevolence
by charm; disturbed natural elements and heavenly bodies.
3)- Who collects new names that will be offrered to International
Astronomical Union (IAU):
Mr. Musa Tokmak, 32, is a PhD. student in Turkey collects those
names since IAU gives a permission to him.
And he loves Iranian culture. For that reason he would like to
this nice job.
4)- How can send your names:
musatokmak1@hotmail.com
If you are interested in this topic and my "Iranian and
Persian names in SPACE" Campain and , I would like you to
write in your newspaper or have questions, please contact with
me.
I hope that you will help me. A. Einstein says "Imagination
is more important than Knowledge"
Yours Sincerely,
-- Musa TOKMAK
To top
April 14
Math and science education: Disturbing signs
Contrary to the common belief that
the K-12 education in Iran does a better job of teaching math
and science than that of many of the developed countries (the United
States
being
a frequently used basis of comparison among Iranian-Americans),
the TIMSS2003
study demonstrates a rather disappointing
and troubling state of affairs. Briefly, Iranian 4th and 8th
graders' understanding of math and science on average ranked very
poorly among participating countries in 2003.
To see the results of this
study, click on the Mathematics
Report and/or Science Report on the following website, and then
browse through Chapter 1 of both reports to view
the ranking tables (Chapter 2 contains more detailed ranking info). You
might also want to read through the methodology and other
sections to evaluate for yourself the level of accuracy
and/or bias in this
study.
The fact that a few talented Iranian students perform
well in international science and math competitions (often after
special, intensive training), or that talented, privileged, and
well educated Iranians are over-represented outside the country should
not hide the problems average Iranian students face with regards
to math and science education inside the country.
In my opinion,
Iranian education authorities should be applauded for taking part
in this study. I only hope that they acknowledge the results
of this study and work harder to improve the quality
of math and science education in Iran.
-- Ali Jalali
To top
April 12 Missing the Islamic Republic
In drawing attention to the missing "Palestinians" in
Hoder's bla on the relationship between Israel and Iran, one
must keep in mind the context in which such proclamations find
themselves.
Unlike the eternal chapuls whose existential demands
it is perhaps that leads them again and again on the anti-Imperialistic
thirdworldist side of the political spectrum, despite the fact
that it is because of the very imperialistic and first-world situations
in which they find themselves, that provide the very condition
for such joftaks, in Hoder's recent blas one cannot but notice
a pattern of attempts to distance himself from those he dismisses
as "hezbollahis."
This may have to do with the Zeitgeist
on the streets of the internetted Shomalshahr and the wanna-be-but...
susuls and reformed hezis who make up the bulk of the bla-ers'
readership, but in any case as Peyvand Khane Khorsandi
implicitly points out with his pro-Pal proclamation out of the chapuls without
borders greenwich time Kritik standard: this tendency in the neo
reformollahis, while it on some level has been quite reasonable
not only yesterday, but as Hodi quite unwittingly but Drakhshanly
points out, has always already been reasonable from the perspective
of the Iranian plateau for at least some two millenia and a half, is
but a straddle down a very slippery aporia... What then makes the
connection unmerry, and Peyvand un-Khorsand, is the realization
of what may lay at the otherside of these trial blas... the unmistakableness
of what perhaps someone working for slick Willy would come up with... "It's
about the IR, stupid!" And so, it is no wonder that Khorsandi's
reading of Derakhshan, misses the words, Islamic Republic.
-- Amir
To top
April 11
Palestinians are key
Israel, writes blogger Hossein Derakhshan, is “the
key” to Iran’s future [read
here]. The Islamic Republic,
he says, should forge a strategic alliance with the “Zionist
entity”,
just as the UK has done with the US. He goes so far as to suggest
that more Iranians should “wherever they are go out of their
way to become friends with or even marry a Jewish person.” His
idea is based on an over-reading of the significance of the disputed
handshake between Khatami and Israeli president Moshe Katzen at
the Pope’s funeral.
Derakhshan writes daily so it is easy
to get sloppy, but his failure to mention Palestinians even once
in his entry cannot go unnoticed. Perhaps it is the key not to
Iran’s future but his that Israel holds. -- Peyvand Khorsandi
To top
* Immortal journey
It was early morning when the warm
sun peeked through the curtains. Parizad
lay half asleep and was hesitant to rise from her sweet slumber.
What she experienced in her dreams was far more enlightening than
her external world. She tossed left to right and with every turn
his image was present. It was forever embedded in her soul.
Ever
since Anaoshak's departure from this world, Parizad
maintained a secret rapture. She was held ransom to his fate and
knew that this on going vigil soon had to end. Each night when
Parizad shut her eyes, she and her beloved reunited in a state
of boundless unconsciousness. Hand in hand they would glide over
the
starry veil of the sky. They soared over the snow peaked mountains
and drank from the pristine waters that shimmered like gems under
the moonlight. All the night the lovers ascended in a celestial
bliss only to be brought to the end of another day.
How could Parizad
continue in this nightly existence that one day would cease? She
wanted to dwell forever; day and night, winter and fall, in his
divine world.
Another day ended. She laid her head upon her lavender scented
pillow and prayed that he would appear in her dreams as he always
did. She shut her weary eyes and entered into a deep, euphoric
slumber. There was nothing present but void. Her beloved did not
enter her dreams that night, nor many a night after that.
She was intensely dismal over his absence from her material world,
now completely somber over Anaoshak's nonappearance from her
dream world.
One morning Parizad was awoken by a small dove tapping at
her window. She drew the blinds and noticed on her window sill
a note which read: the heart has its reasons that reason knows nothing
of...
-- Patricia I Byron
To top
April 8
Death of poet Navab Safa
It is with deep sadness that I like
to inform the lovers of persian music and poetry of the passing
of my father Ismail Navab Safa.
A poet of particular sensitivity and a pioneer of modern persian
lyrics, Navab Safa was born in Kermanshah in 1924. His father was
a member of a prominent Isfahani family that was related to Neshat
Isfahani, a well known 19th century poet.
He was only twenty-years old when he wrote his first
song for then famous Iranian singer Roohbaksh. Many of his works
are among the
most memorable songs written for his generation and beyond.
In
his long career Navab Safa worked closely with great masters
of traditional persian music among them Abolhassan Saba, Rouhallah
Khaleghi, Hossain Yahaghi, Mehdi Khaledi, Parviz Yahaghi, Morteza
Mahjoubi and Majid Vafadar. His prolific body of work includes
such great songs as Amad No Bahar, Koja Miravi, Ashofteh, Javani,
Niloufar, Raftio Baz Amadi and Raftamo
Bareh Safar Bastam. Ismail Navab Safa was among the first few individuals
who helped with the establishment of modern radio in Iran. He was
a member
of radio Iran's the editorial board. In that capacity his contributions
include the creative concepts behind many well known radio
programs including Karvani Az sher va moosighi, Dar Goosheho
Kenar Shahr and Ghesseh Shame.
Navab Safa held many governmental positions including
director general of radio stations in Zahedan, Gilan, Azarbaijan
and
Isfahan and was director of public relations for the city
of Tehran.
He was elected member of parliament from Isfahan in the last
majlis
under the Mohamnmad Reza Shah, a position he resigned from
just before the 1979 revolution.
Navab Safa has published as well as authored many
books including the biography and memoirs of Farhad Mirza a Qajar
prince,
Takderakht ( named after a song he wrote for Pouran)
which is a collection
of his ghazals and lyrics and Ghesseh Shame, a personal
history.
His funeral will be held in Tehran on April 12th.
See
funeral
photos
Farzan Navab
To top
Previous shorts
Archives
*
*
|
