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Hafez
Revolution
Twenty years after
In Azadi Square on the 20th anniversary of the revolution
By Laleh Khalili
Twenty years ago, I remember we all defied Shah's nightly curfews to
climb on top of the roofs and sing revolutionary songs and give revolutionary
slogans. Twenty years have now passed, the new generation is constantly
scolded for its short memory and for its infidelity to the grand values
of the revolution -above them all martyrdom- and reflections on the political
character of the revolution and the post-revolution society have echoed
more loudly outside the borders of Iran than within.
So, today, I wanted to see whether the celebrations in Tehran matched
the foreign expectations. I dragged my cousin -who at 18 years old has
never attended any demonstrations- along with me towards the Azadi (Freedom)
Square, the imposing background of all patriotic and revolutionary demonstrations
... GO
TO FEATURE
Outlook
 Khatami insists revolution
remains strong despite economic woes
TEHRAN, Feb 11 (AFP) - The Islamic revolution remains strong despite
Iran's economic woes, moderate President Mohammad Khatami insisted Thursday
in his keynote speech marking the 20th anniversary of the overthrow of
the shah.
"Despite all the difficulties, the economic sanctions and the war
of attrition launched against our country, the Islamic revolution -- one
of the century's great events -- is entering its period of stabilization,"
he told hundreds of thousands of Iranians gathered in one of the capital's
main squares ... FULL
TEXT
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More Letters
* Church and state don't mix
Qtipp411@aol.com writes: What
you said [about an Islamic republic and democracy] is perhaps one of the
most ignorant and contradictary things I have heard in my lifetime. Democracy
is based on the concept of equality and freedom, freedom of religon, speech,
press etc. None of these freedoms exist in Iran's government. Forcing
everyone to go by the laws of Islam is religious dictatorship. As an atheist,
I have nothing against Islam or any other religon, or anyone practicing
it, as long as they don't impose it on others ... FULL
TEXT
* Film: Iranian film
festival in Houston
The series offers three powerful feature films from the quality cinema
made by veteran directors Mehrjui and Panahi and by newcomer Parviz Shahbazi.
It also features a remarkable full-length documentary co-directed by an
Iranian anthropologist and a well-known British filmmaker. Together, these
films offer affectionate and devastating glimpses of contemporary life
in Iran... MORE
DETAILS
Book of the Week
Women Without Men
A novella
By Shahrnush Parsipur
(Kamran Talattof Jocelyn Sharlet, translators)
The significance of Parsipur's work transcends the realm of literary
activities. Her works were among the first feminist-conscious enunciations
that appeal in the postrevolutionary period in response to limitations
imposed on women by the state ideology... The following stories [reflect]
the role that the rise of feminist-consciousness may play in the course
of cultural change in Iran." -- Introductuon
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news
Party's over, Tehran faces testing times
ahead
TEHRAN,
Feb 11 (AFP) - The climax of 10 days of lavish 20th birthday celebrations
Thursday highlighted the durability of Iran's Islamic regime, but daunting
challenges remain to be tackled if this durability is to give way to real
stability. The mass rallies attended by hundreds of thousands of Iranians
in cities across the country displayed the regime's continuing ability
to mobilize large numbers of the population 20 years after the revolution.
But the Iranian press grows daily bolder and more open in expressing concern
about the declining living standards and mounting disenchantment of ordinary
people ... FULL TEXT
Ayatollah Azari Qomi dies
Feb 11, (BBC) - Reports from Tehran say that a prominent
member of the Iranian clergy, Ayatollah Ahmad Azari Qomi, has died of a
stroke, at the age of seventy four. Ayatollah Azari Qomi was a leading theologian
who served as a revolutionary prosecutor after the overthrow of the monarchy
in 1979. He supported the conservative faction and backed the formalisation
of theocratic rule. But, correspondents say Ayatollah Azari Qomi recently
came under attack from the conservatives after he criticised -- in an open
letter -- the leadership of Ayatollah Ali Khamanei.
Arafat congratulates Iran on anniversary
of revolution
GAZA
CITY, Feb 11 (AFP) - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Thursday sent messages
congratulating Iranians on the 20th anniversary of the Islamic revolution
which toppled the Shah, the Palestinian news agency reported. Arafat sent
one message to President Mohammed Khatami and a second to former president
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Wafa reported ... FULL TEXT
U.S.-Iran exchanges sensitive to political
climate
WASHINGTON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Little by little, especially after
Iranians elected Mohammed Khatami as president in 1997, sportsmen, academics
and tourists are trying to bridge the gap that still exists between political
leaders in Tehran and Washington. And Iranians, in smaller numbers and with
greater hesitation, are coming the other way despite a risk that on their
return they may run into trouble with the Iranian authorities ... FULL TEXT
Israel says Iran exaggerating missile capability
JERUSALEM, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Arens
said on Thursday Iran was experiencing problems with its missile programme
and had made exaggerated statements about its capability. But Arens said
with more help from Russia and other countries, Iran's long range surface-to-surface
missiles would become operational ... FULL TEXT
* Iran, Oman promote links in water, electricity
ABU
DHABI (Feb. 11) XINHUA - The Sultanate of Oman and the Islamic Republic
of Iran are taking steps to promote links in water and electricity, a Gulf
News report said on Thursday. Sheikh Al Qatabi, Omani Minister of Electricity
and Water, revealed this on Wednesday on his return from a three-day visit
to Iran during which a memorandum of understanding was signed, the report
said ... FULL TEXT
Khatami underlines commitment to women's
sports
TEHRAN,
Feb 10 (AFP) - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami inaugurated a vast new
sports complex for women and children on Wednesday, as part of his reformist
government's commitment to get women out of the home. "Iranian society
is more than ever in need of vitality," said Khatami, whose election
victory in 1997 was mainly due to the votes of women and youngsters ...
FULL TEXT
Persepolis and Esteqlal in next round
Tehran
(Hamshahri) - Persepolis and Esteqlal win their games in the latest round
of the Hazfi (?) Cup ... IMAGE TEXT IN PERSIAN
$ Rate
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Quote Unquote
Silence
Last night, when at 7 o'clock, people were invited to their roofs to
chant "Allah-o-Akbar," I opened the windows to a silent darkness.
Laleh Khalili
"Twenty
years after"
The Iranian
February 11, 1999
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