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Khayyam
Cover story
Young democrats
Khatami addresses increasingly outspoken students
By Afshin Molavi
With photographs by Siamak Namazi
December 13, 1999
The Iranian
Like a rock star performing before adoring fans, President Mohammad
Khatami took to the stage on Sunday, offering his familiar, much-loved
tunes of democracy, freedom, and liberal reform to a cheering, banner-waving
throng of approximately 15,000 Iranian university students in his first
major domestic speech since the jailing of a key ally by a conservative
court.
"We are seeking to build a system based on the will of the people,"
Khatami said to deafening cheers from the highly-charged students packed
shoulder-to-shoulder into a hot and crowded hall at Tehran's Science and
Technology University. "We are determined to build this model society
by fighting against exploitation and dictatorship in the hope of establishing
a free society and government," he added ... GO
TO FEATURE
Outlook
The Peacock Fades
By Jonathan C. Randal
The Washington Post
Street demonstrations in Iran had built into a crescendo by December
1978, and the question was how long the Shah could hold on. Islamic militants
seeking to drive the King of Kings from his Peacock Throne laid plans for
a final round of confrontation with the Shah's security services. The
protests exploded as planned, and the Shah fell from power and fled Iran
a little more than a month later, on Jan. 17, 1979. An excerpt from The
Post of Dec. 10, 1978:... FULL
TEXT
Can you say "I love you" 17 times?
... Even if you don't mean it?
December 13, 1999, TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian police have arrested a
man who stole money from 17 women he had made his concubines, a newspaper
reported Monday. ... FULL
TEXT
More Letters
* Just very beautiful
Sepideh Golesorkhi writes: Poopak jan, did you say ["Unsympathtic"]
you do not understand the function of Hossein Samiei's essay ["A
moon of our own"]? If I may write on behalf of Mr. Samiei, I don't
think his essay was looking to serve a function. Still he has provoked
two people to think and respond to his piece. I would think that is a very
good result for a functionless essay, no?
Mr. Samiei is just sharing a historical moment of his life with us.
Historical both on a personal and global level. The essay made me think
where I was when Apollo 11 landed on the moon and also when was the first
time I ever fell in love. It does not matter what his background is. You
do not have to be a part of his social class to be able to understand the
feelings he is describing. I wish I could express my feelings with the
same honesty and beauty.
Yes, It might look self absorbed but they are his feelings. The same
way that your response to him is based on your observations and your social
background, right? Does that make you guilty of the same crime? No. I enjoyed
your thoughts on the essay. I respect them and you also made me think about
other things.
I think the best way is to read this essay and try not to analyze it.
It is just a very beautiful innocent piece of writing. There is a poetic
flow to it. Not everything in life is supposed to have a logical function.
Love is not a logical act don't you agree?
* Glen Allen?
Mohammad Ali writes: Regarding
the article "No
plain Jane", a friend of mine has changed his name from GHO-LAAM-ALI
to "Glen Allen". We always laugh at him and even he says it's
funny ... :-)
* Celebrate: Yalda, Seattle
Christmas is great, but we Iranians have our own winter solstice celebration
that's even more ancient. Come celebrate Yalda, the longest night of the
year on Tuesday Dec. 21st at the Northwest Center, 9825 NE 24th Bellevue,
Seattle, Washington. Tel: 425-452-6046. Tickets are $10 at the door, and
include, reception of tea, sweets, fruit, "shab chareh", and
"aajeel". We'll have music, dancing and you can try your fortune
at the poetry of Hafez. Mark your calendar and tell your friends.
SELL
TICKETS ONLINE AT YOUR SITE
Books of the Week
* Saaniyeh-yeh
aakhar (1999)
Y2K issues in Iran
By Dr. Ali Parandeh
* Barandeh-haa
ham baazandeh-and (1999)
A memoir by a former mayor of Tehran, with photos
By Ahmad Nafisi
* Jazireh
sargardaani (2nd edition, 1998)
Novel
By Simin Daneshvar
* Mumia
va assal (1996)
Novel
By Shahriar Mandanipour
* Mehr-e
giaah (1998)
Novel
ByAmir Hassan Cheheltan
See more
Iranian books for sale
THE IRANIAN
Bookstore
Video of the Week
Divorce
Iranian Style
A new documentary that goes where Western camera s have never before
gone: into an Iranian divorce court. The film is directed by award- winning
independent filmmaker Kim Longinotto and Ziba Mir-Hosseini, an Iranian
anthropologist and writer, based in London, whose specialty is women's
rights and family law in the Mid-East.
THE IRANIAN
Video Store
Copyright © Abadan Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
May not be duplicated or distributed in any form
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More
news
More than 300 candidates sign up for general
elections
TEHRAN,
Dec 12 (AFP) - A total of 324 people, including seven women, handed in their
candidacies on the first registration day Saturday for Iran's key parliamentary
elections in February, the interior ministry announced Sunday. Prospective
candidates have until December 17 to hand in their applications to stand
to the interior ministry in Tehran or to one of 207 provincial and local
government offices across Iran ... FULL TEXT
Staff of banned Khordad newspaper bring
out new title
TEHRAN,
Dec 11 (AFP) - The staff of Iran's reformist daily Khordad brought out a
new title, Fath (Conquest) Saturday, only two weeks after their previous
paper was banned and its chief, Abdollah Nuri, was jailed for five years
... FULL TEXT
Students rally in support of Abdollah Nouri
TEHRAN,
Dec 13 (AFP) - Thousands of Iranian students of both sexes rallied outside
Tehran University mosque Monday in support of jailed reformist Abdollah
Nuri ... FULL TEXT
Iran Jewish MP lambasts "lack of information"
over Jewish spy case
TEHRAN, Dec 11 (AFP) - The parliamentary representative of Iran's
Jewish community has deplored the lack of information over the case of 13
Jews arrested in Iran for alleged spying for Israel, a press report said
Saturday ... FULL TEXT
Karbaschi meets Rafsanjani and returns
to prison
TEHRAN,
Dec 13 (AFP) - The former reformist mayor of Tehran, Gholamhossein Karbaschi,
imprisoned for corruption, returned to Evin prison Sunday after taking an
authorised week of leave, the daily Asr-e-Azadeqan said Monday ... FULL
TEXT
Rafsanjani sets out consensus platform
ahead of February polls
TEHRAN,
Dec 10 (AFP) - Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who is
to stand as an independent in key parliamentary elections in February, on
Friday set out a consensus platform ahead of the polls ... FULL TEXT
Conservative hails Rafsanjani's decision
to stand in elections
TEHRAN,
Dec 11 (AFP) - Habibollah Assgarolladi, a leading Iranian conservative,
welcomed Saturday the decision of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsandjani
to stand in next February's parliamentary elections ... FULL TEXT
Head of electrical manufacturer arrested
on fraud charges
TEHRAN,
Dec 13 (AFP) - The former chairman of Iranian domestic electrical appliance
company Arj and several of his colleagues were arrested and remanded in
custody Sunday for alleged fraud, the courts said Monday ... FULL TEXT
Czech firm contracted to install ventilation
in nuclear reactor
PRAGUE,
Dec 13 (AFP) - A Czech firm is on the verge of signing a contract to install
a ventilation system for a controversial new Iranian nuclear power station,
the Czech magazine Respekt reported Monday ... FULL TEXT
Khatami privatisation plans run into trouble
TEHRAN,
Nov 29 (AFP) - Iranian President Khatami's ambitious privatisation plans
have fallen foul of a conservative constitutional watchdog, press reports
said as the reformist president prepared to present his next budget ...
FULL TEXT
Kiarostami praised
Tehran (Iran daily) - French press praise Kiarostami's new film
"The wind will take us there. Also, Culture Minister Ataollah Mohajerani
has congratulated Kiarostami for being chosen by the international film
festival directors as the director of the decade ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
5,000-year-old giant
Tehran
(Iran daily) - Remains of a tall male (nearly 2 meters) has been found during
archaeological digs in a 5000-year-old town in Sistan-Baluchetsn ... FULL
TEXT IN PERSIAN
33 players
Tehran (Hamshahri) - Thirty-three players (including eight who
play in foreign clubs) have been called to join the national soccer team
training camp ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Then & now
Tehran (Hamshahri) - Looking back at the Iran-U.S. match in France
and what should be expected when these two teams meet again in Los Angeles
on January 16 ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
BBC
Persian Service
For the latest news,
interviews and features on Iranian current affairs ... LISTEN HERE
Exchange rate
Updated December 9
Buying: 860-870 tomans per dollar
Selling: 876 tomans per dollar
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news
The Web
Iran
Iran Y2K
Seems like Iran has prepapred well to resolve Y2K issues.
This official site is informative and well-organized. Need Internet Explorer
browser or else you will see blank pages.
Beyond Iran
Middle East Report
"Twenty years after Iran's Islamic Revolution, fault
lines have emerged in Iranian society and politics."
More
web sites
Quote Unquote
No turning back
There is no turning back now. We will fight for democratic reform to
our last breath. We are young. Time and numbers are on our side. I am sure
that my children will live in a democratic Iran.
-- Student comment during President Khatami's speech at Tehran University
"Young
democrats"
The Iranian
December 13, 1999
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