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Khayyam
Iran
Sure, it's very possible
Active resistance to strict hejab rules
By Dokhi Fassihian
December 30, 1999
The Iranian
Second and last part of an article on personal experiences with women's
public appearance in Iran.
During my nine months in Iran, I went to airports and traveled on domestic
flights with sandals, painted toenails, makeup, and a revealing hejab and
was questioned only once at Mashad's airport. A female security guard asked
me to button my top button and pull forward my head scarf. I ignored her
instructions and only acted like I was readjusting my roosari. As I headed
toward the curtain, she called me back.
"Wait, I asked you to close your button."
"Thanks for your concern, but I'm hot and more comfortable this
way," I said softly.
"I understand, but it's not possible, is it?"
With a surge of bravery, I smiled sweetly and took her on.
"Sure it is, it is very possible." >>>
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Culture
Not so fast
Similarities in Christian-Persian traditions may not be what
they seem
By Reza Ordoubadian
December 30, 1999
The Iranian
Even though the Gospel of Matthew passingly mentions "the wise
men from the east," none of the other gospels, nor the rest of the
New Testament, mentions the "Magi." It seems that, through the
ages, the idea has caught on because it lends itself to wonderful theatricality.
It is true that the origin of the word "magi, plural-magus, singular=a
magician, a man of skills" is from the Old Persian (Avestan) word
/maguS/ (magush), referring to the Zoroastrian priests, it was borrowed
by the Greeks and then by the Romans (/magos/ and /magus/) long before
the advent of Christianity.
Since borrowing of words (not necessarily the content because each borrowed
word is normalized in the language which has borrowed it) is a natural
process of language making; as such the word must be accepted as a Greek-o-Roman
lexicon, and not Persian >>>
GO TO FEATURE
Outlook
Iran's Young Are Restless Under Islam
Teenagers Lament Strict Social Laws
By Afshin Molavi
The Washington Post
December 28, 1999
TEHRAN-The music of Latin pop sensation Ricky Martin filled the room
and the DJ exhorted the crowd to dance. "C'mon, everybody," he
yelled into the microphone. "It's time to go-go-go," he boomed,
mimicking lyrics from a popular Martin song.
Within minutes, the intricate red and gold Persian carpet on the floor
was packed with young, hip-shaking, twenty-something Iranians. "Way
to go," cheered Keyvan, the disc jockey with long, gelled hair. "I
don't want to see anyone sitting down!" >>>
FULL STORY
Artsy
I am the director of a large, relatively new contemporary art gallery
in the Boston area (www.bershad.com/gb).
I am interested in exhibiting the work of several contemporary Iranian
artists, but know little about how to conceptually market and research
such a show. I am asking for any ideas you might have or thoughts about
the benefits/drawbacks of marketing a show based on the Iranian Identity
of the artists rather than the art itself. Any thoughts or ideas are very
very welcome.
Joanna Miller
Director, Gallery Bershad
Joannam@bershad.com
Tel: (617) 629 9400 (Ext 3)
More Letters
* Celebrate creativity
Ramin Abhari
writes: I really enjoy the diversity of features in iranian.com. Ms
Afsari's bit on dating was fun to read ["The
sixth man"]. Same with Mr. Samiei's moon landing memories ["A
moon of our own"]. So it was a bit disapporinting to read letters
bashing these creative endavors ["Chossi
aamadan", "Unsympathtic"].
Perhaps an unintended function of this web-site is to be an open-laboratory
where creative and literary Iranians can post their work, regardless of
its "appropriateness" -- whether it is a piece which would ultimately
find its "English-media home" in Cosmopolitan or The
New York Times.
Let us celebrate Iranian creativity in all its incarnations at home
and abroad and offer our opposing thoughts as constructive criticism and
fuel for lighting our own creative fires!
* Dastmal-e Hareer
Simin Habibian writes:
Referring to the Nostalgia
photo on December 27, if this is the same Haleh, who did the commercial
for Dastmaal-e Hareer tissues ("Khanooma, Aaaqaayoon, Dastmaal e man
Hareere..."), she lives in California.
She used to be a sidekick in Fereydoun Farrokhzad's TV show in California.
Then she had her own TV show. At the moment Haleh and her husband run a
24-hour satellite TV company called Pars.
* Academic: Best Dissertation of the
Year
The Foundation for Iranian Studies is pleased to announce that the Committee
on the Selection of Best Dissertation of the Year on a Topic of Iranian
Studies of the Foundation for Iranian Studies has chosen Dr. Negar Mottahedeh's
dissertation "Representing the Unpresentable: Historical Images of
Reform from the Qajars to the Islamic Republic of Iran," submitted
to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Minnesota, as
the recipient of the Foundation's annual Ph.D. dissertation award for the
academic year 1998-1999 >>>
FULL TEXT
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
Copyright © Abadan Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
May not be duplicated or distributed in any form
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More
news
Public hanging at dawn for man who killed
Islamic militiaman
TEHRAN,
Dec 29 (AFP) - The young man who murdered a member of Iran's volunteer Islamic
Basiji militia is to be hanged in public at dawn Sunday, a newspaper reported.
The Iran daily said Wednesday that Morteza Amini-Moghadam would be hanged
at Imam Hossein Square in the southeast of the capital after being found
guilty of the stabbing death of 22-year-old Basiji militiaman Hadi Mohebi
>>> FULL TEXT
Constitutional body rejects law increasing
its own powers
TEHRAN,
Dec 29 (AFP) - An Iranian supervisory council on Wednesday rejected parts
of a law that would have given it increased powers to oversee February's
key parliamentary elections, state radio said. The 12-member Council of
Guardians said two articles in the legislation, approved by the conservative-
dominated parliament on Tuesday, were "against the constitution and
Islam," the radio said >>> FULL TEXT
Interior ministry rejects 400 candidates
for MP elections
TEHRAN,
Dec 29 (AFP) - Iran's interior ministry has rejected some 400 candidates
hoping to stand in February's key parliamentary elections, the press reported
here Wednesday. Pro-reform papers said leading reformist Abdollah Nuri,
who was jailed five years for spreading anti-Islamic propaganda last month,
would still be allowed to run. The report could not be immediately confirmed
>>> FULL TEXT
Elite force says officer killed in attack:
paper
TEHRAN,
Dec 29 (AFP) - Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said a top officer was
killed in an attack by the outlawed armed opposition People's Mujahedeen,
a newspaper reported Wednesday. General Mohammad-Jafar Asadi, deputy commander
for Guards ground forces, told the Aftab-e-Emrouz paper that Ali Saki was
killed when a Mujahedeen fighter tried to throw a grenade during an attack.
He did not elaborate >>> FULL TEXT
Group appeals on web for funds to carry
out Rushdie death sentence
TEHRAN,
Dec 28 (AFP) - A private Iranian group is to launch an appeal on the internet
for money to implement a religious death sentence on British writer Salman
Rushdie, the Kayhan newspaper reported Tuesday. The founder of Iran's Islamic
Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a religious decree, or fatwa,
in 1989 condemning Rushdie to death for his novel "The Satanic Verses,"
which he judged blasphemous against Islam >>> FULL TEXT
OPEC output cuts will probably remain after
March: Iran oil minister
TEHRAN,
Dec 28 (AFP) - OPEC will likely maintain oil production cuts after the group's
regular March meeting, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said,
the official news agency IRNA reported. "I think the member states
will probably develop an understanding to continue the production cut for
some time" after the March meeting, Zanganeh said in a press conference
here Monday >>> FULL TEXT
Iran publishes first human development
report
TEHRAN,
Dec 28 (AFP) - Iran has published its first national human development report,
recommending far-reaching changes in many areas of society. The 150-page
report was produced by the country's Plan and Budget Organization in cooperation
with the United Nations office in Iran >>> FULL TEXT
Box office
Tehran (Asr-e Azadegan) - Latest movie box office sales: Majid
Majidi's "Rang-e Khodaa" ("Color of Paradise") seems
to be leading the pack >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Mr. Ripley
Tehran
(Asr-e Azadegan) - "The Talented Mr. Ripley" has recently been
released in American cinemas (by the way, it's a very good film). But the
book is making news in Iran. It was translated a few years ago but censors
at the Culture Ministry have not given their seal of approval, so says the
translator >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Hadi
Tehran
(Iran Varzeshi) - Hadi Tabatabaie will start as Iran's goalkeeper in the
friendly matches in the U.S. >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
He's back?
Tehran (Iran Varzeshi) - After all the talk that he was about to
quit soccer, Ahmadreza Abedzadeh stood in goal for Persepolis in the match
against Sepahan >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Chess champ
Tehran (Iran Varzeshi) - Atoussa Pour-Kashian won the Asian chess
title for the girls under-12 age group. Meanwhile the next Asian women's
chess championships will be held in Tehran >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
BBC
Persian Service
For the latest news,
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Tehran Museum of Contemporary
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One of the most beautifully-designed sites ANYWHERE on the
net. I just hope they will put more art work online.
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-- William Shakespeare
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