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Khayyam
Culture
Borrowed ideas
Persian roots of Christian traditions
By Ramona Shashaani
December 23, 1999
The Iranian
A while ago, I was invited to give a talk at a Christmas party about
the Persian tradition of celebrating the winter solstice on December 21st.
In order to speak intelligently to a spiritually and psychologically keen
audience, I set out to research the subject. I was scrambling to find resource
material when my day was saved by our list co-moderator, Peter Bridge,
who provided me with more references than I had hoped to find in my attempt
to unravel the historical, symbolic and mythic bases behind the Persian
people's celebration of this festive occasion.
What I did not expect to find, however, was a fascinating history of
how Christmas may have its origins in the ancient Persian Mithraic tradition
of worshipping Mithra or Mehr, the sun-god or god of love. With the approaching
winter solstice, I thought it might be appropriate share this history with
you >>>
GO TO FEATURE
Outlook
Questions for this man?
Online interview
 Early in January, Kamal Karrazi, the Iranian
Foreign Minister will be visiting the UK in an effort to improve Iran-UK
relations...
IranMania has arranged online interviews with the Iranian Ambassador
to Britain, Gholamreza Ansari, and Britain's Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs, Peter Haines. Got any questions? >>>
GO HERE
Ahsant!
 Mariam Naficy [co-founder of eve.com]
brings enthusiasm for developing new consumer and retail concepts, particularly
businesses at the intersection of the consumer and technology.
Previously, she was Director of Marketing at a Southwestern restaurant
chain, where she helped drive the company's fast growth into a $20 million
business >>>
GO HERE
Thanks to Ramin Tabib
More Letters
* Voter anger
Masoud Neshat writes:
I truly appreciate the fact that The Iranian Times is providing
a forum for the Iranian community around the world in general, and the
United States in particular, to voice their opinion and protect their legitimate
interests and rights.
A vivid example is allowing people to learn about and petition
regarding the discriminatory practices of finger printing and photographing
Iranians upon arrival in the U.S.
Well, let's go back to the origin of this practice. It was enacted in
1995 by the Clinton Administration (and I am non-partisan) when it declared
Iran as a country supporting terrorism... I believe that the Iranian community
living in the U.S. should make it known and absolutely clear that they
will not support any politician or administration adhering to this racist
and discriminatory practice >>>
FULL TEXT
* Stop telling us what we should be
Amin Naraghi writes:
Your letter "Allah
knows best" is the very example of narrow-minded people who live
in the past. I and many young Iranian boys and girls who grew up during
the revolution feel under pressure from people like you because you want
us to be as you think we should be.
Fortunately we have found a very good way to deal with people like you
and the fascist hezbollahis: WE IGNORE YOU. But I cannot guarantee what
would happen if you loose power in Iran. The gap is wide and the hatred
deep.
I left Iran 11 years ago. I used to think Islam meant fascism. But I
met other Muslims in France and I realize that you can read and interpret
the Koran as you want. If your are intolerant you will be like the Taliban.
The main problem is that you always refer to Islam's golden age that
ended centuries ago! Be what you are but stop telling us what we should
be!
* Politics: Urban development conference,
Iran
There is going to be an international investment forum on housing and
urban development projects (ConBuild 2000) in Iran in May 2000. This is
a unique opportuinity for Iranians abroad to participate in the building
of their homeland. You can contact us through the following: tel: (+98)
21 879-2376 fax: (+98) 21 877-8527 email: conbuild@itokgroup.com
>>> DETAILS
AT
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
Through
the olive trees
This is Abbas Kiarostami's most romantic film (English subtitles). It
is the third part of a trilogy set in northern Iran. For other Kiarostami
videos, click here.
THE IRANIAN
Video Store
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news
Supreme court upholds death sentence for
militiaman's killer
TEHRAN,
Dec 23 (AFP) - Iran's supreme court has upheld the death sentence imposed
on a young man found guilty of the stabbing death of a volunteer Islamic
Basiji militiaman, newspapers reported Thursday. The pro-government Iran
daily said the court upheld the sentence on Morteza Amini-Moghadem, who
was convicted of ambushing 22-year-old Hadi Mohebi and knifing him to death
in his father's shop >>> FULL TEXT
Foreign Minister to visit Britain, Egypt,
Ireland and Turkey: paper
TEHRAN,
Dec 23 (AFP) - Iran's foreign minister will make a major tour abroad next
month to Britain, Egypt, Ireland and Turkey, the daily Iran News reported
on Thursday. Kamal Kharazi will kick off the tour January 17 with a stop
in Turkey, said the paper, which is considered close to the foreign ministry
>>> FULL TEXT
Nouri seeks quashing of dissent conviction
TEHRAN, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Leading Iranian reformer Abdollah Nouri
has demanded the quashing of a five-year jail sentence passed on him by
a clerical court on dissent charges, newspapers reported on Thursday. Nouri,
a popular Shi'ite Moslem cleric close to President Mohammad Khatami, made
the request in a letter to Prosecutor General Ayatollah Morteza Moqtadaei
>>> FULL TEXT
Conservative slams TV broadcast of Rafsanjani
comments
TEHRAN,
Dec 23 (AFP) - A conservative candidate for Iran's legislative elections
said Thursday the television broadcast of a news conference by former prime
minister Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, also a candidate, was illegal >>>
FULL TEXT
Iran frees jailed German businessman on
bail
TEHRAN, Dec 23 (Reuters) - A German businessman once held on death
row in Iran for illicit sex with a Moslem woman left prison in Tehran on
Thursday after being released on bail pending a new trial, security officials
said >>> FULL TEXT
Iranian opposition criticises Russian intervention
in Chechnya
TEHRAN,
Dec 23 (AFP) - The tolerated opposition Iran Freedom Movement (IFM) on Thursday
denounced the Russian army's intervention in Chechnya and asked the United
Nations to halt the shedding of Muslim Chechen blood >>> FULL TEXT
Russia to speed up construction of Iranian
nuclear station
MOSCOW,
Dec 23 (AFP) - Russia will next year speed up construction work on the controversial
Iranian power station at Bushehr, Russian Atomic Energy Minister Yevgeny
Adamov told AFP Thursday. "Next year the volume of work is going to
increase threefold," Adamov said after talks with Iranian representatives
>>> FULL TEXT
Peugeot and Iran Khodro sign big car production
agreement
PARIS, Dec 23 (AFP) - French car manufacturer Peugeot and
the Iranian company Iran Khodro have signed an agreement for the production
in Iran of up to 120,000 Peugeot 206 cars per year, the two companies said
here on Thursday. The agreement had been signed in Paris late on Wednesday,
they said.
Top ten
Tehran (Hamshahri) - This season's top boxoffice hit was "Siavash"
directed by Saman Moqaddam. It earned 200 million tomans (about $260,000).
The second and third highest ticket sales were for "Dohtari baa kafsh-haaye
kataani" and "Sheydaa". Here's are top ten >>> FULL
TEXT IN PERSIAN
Analysis
Tehran (Hamshahri) - A detailed look at the performance of Iranian
films in the past three months >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Kurdish
Tehran (Hamshahri) - Some 20,000 documents pertaining to Kurdish
history have been organized by the Cultural Heritage Foundation. This is
just phase one >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Talebi
Tehran (Hamshahri) - Jalal Talebi who coached Iran in the 2-1 victory
over the U.S. in World Cup 98, has high hopes for the second match up on
January 16 >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Can't do it
Tehran (Iran Varzeshi) - Amir Khadem, one of Iran's best free style
wrestlers, says he cannot compete in two international wrestling events
one after the other -- another sign that the Takhti games may be postponed
>>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
BBC
Persian Service
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Quote Unquote
Loyal opposition
If one is loyal to the Islamic system but is critical of some of its
actions, how should he express his views without being accused of committing
a crime?
-- Abdollah Nouri
Reuters
December
23, 1999
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