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Rumi
Bureaucracy
Come back tomorrow
Running around in government offices
By Shahin Shahin
Two days into my visit in Iran, a friend of mine from college days in
Europe called and asked whether I would accompany him on some errands.
Sure, why not. Little did I know that it would turn into a mission, an
almost impossible mission.
Inside the taxi, he explained that he wanted to change the deeds of
a house the family owned into his brother's name. We went to see an attorney.
The attorney was a very nice man, who did not laugh at us simple, naive
souls. He began to explain the process and procedures. To me they seemed
so complicated, that my head began to spin. Behind the attorney's head
I saw a vision of a slow fuse, a lighted match lighting the fuse, and him
saying to us, "should we accept the mission ...and the tape would
self-destruct in five seconds". The theme music from Mission Impossible
was ringing in my ears ... GO
TO FEATURE
Outlook
Western suits, ties mark new style for Islamic Republic
TEHRAN, Feb 25 (AFP) - Western-style management qualifications and suits
and ties are taking over from Islamic beards and long prison records under
the shah as the way to appeal to voters as Iran goes to the polls for its
first ever municipal elections Friday.
In the capital one candidate for the city council has even earned the
nickname "Mr. Tie" for his audacity in plastering the streets
with pictures of himself wearing an item of clothing long scorned by the
Islamic authorities as an unacceptable legacy of the pro-western shah.
Just a few years ago the tie would have earned Sadeq Sameieh serious
problems with Iran's ubiquitous Islamic militias.
But now the cleanshaven, besuited image is a viable campaign strategy
as the daily problems of everyday life here make voters more interested
in a candidate's administrative abilities than in demonstrations of revolutionary
commitment ... FULL
TEXT
Thanks to Payman Arabshahi
 About May of 1998, the 16 years old handsome
Pouya Mofrad was diagnosed of having Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Cancer. Initially,
after his diagnosis, Pouya went through extensive Chemo therapy, and for
a while he began feeling better. At one point his victory over this deadly
cancer made him and his mother very happy. However, few months later, the
sign of cancer resurfaced with much more force and more determination to
destroy Pouya. He was no longer able to go to his high school in Walnut
Creek of Northern California. Due to extreme Chemo therapy, he has lost
his strength to continue school....
In order for us to guarantee this simple right of life for Pouya, all
we need to do is to donate 1-2 teaspoon of our Iranian blood to one of
the Bone Marrow blood Centers, so they can run some test on them to see,
if it'll match Pouya's genetic type .... MORE
DETAILS HERE
More Letters
* Ruined my life
Hossein Samiei writes: You sir
have ruined my life. I had lived happily in this country for many years
until I read your viciously perceptive article ["Waht's
that smell?"]. Having blessed with a hypersensitive nose like
you, I had also been vaguely aware of some strange odor, but never associated
it with anything in particular.
Since I read your article I have become paralyzed: I am constantly aware
of "that smell"; I am unable to interact with people; crowded
rooms and elevators are worse than hell; sex has completely lost its meaning;
and I spend most of my time away from people. The knowledge you gave me
has taken away my blissful ignorance. I wish I had never read your article.
* Trash
Afshin David Youssefyeh writes:
Why are you publishing this trash ["Waht's
that smell?"]? What a waster of web space. Most people I know
had no problems mastering the art of wiping themselves with toilet paper.
* Concert: Shahin & Sepehr free
Noruz concert
Washington, D.C. - D.C. recording artists Shahin Shahida and Sepehr
Haddad will perform with the band from their 4th CD World Café in
two free 45-minute concerts on Saturday, March 20, at 1:00pm and 4:00pm,
at the MCI Center's Discovery Channel Flagship Store, located at 601 F
St., N.W. ... MORE
DETAILS
Book of the Week
Zoroaster
Life and Work of the Forerunner in Persia
Not really a collection of sacred texts, yet crucial to an understanding
of one of the world's great religious traditions, is Zoroaster: Life
and Work of the Forerunner in Persia.
Designed for a general audience, this biography of Zoroastrianism's
prophet is sure to generate interest in the early religion of Persia from
which Judaism and Christianity drew so much. -- Publisher's Weekly
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Copyright © 1997 Abadan Publishing Co. All Rights
Reserved. May not be duplicated or distributed in any form
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More
news
Reformers finally get go-ahead to stand
on eve of landmark poll
TEHRAN,
Feb 25 (AFP) - Less than 24 hours before polls were due to open for Iran's
first ever municipal elections, a dozen leading reformist candidates in
the capital finally received the green light to stand from moderate President
Mohammed Khatami Thursday. In a last-minute statement carried by the official
news agency IRNA, Khatami overruled a disqualification order issued against
the candidates by the conservative head of the election Supervision Council,
Ali Mohavedi-Savoji ... FULL TEXT
Several injured in attack on reformist
party HQ in Tehran: reports
TEHRAN,
Feb 25 (AFP) - Gunmen opened fire on the Tehran headquarters of Iran's leading
moderate party, wounding up to three people amid a wave of political violence
ahead of Friday's landmark municipal elections. Several bursts of automatic
weapon fire riddled the northern Tehran offices of the Executives of Construction
Party on Wednesday, the Hamshahri newspaper reported Thursday ... FULL TEXT ... also see ... IMAGE
TEXT IN PERSIAN
Moderate party condemns attack
Tehran,
(Hamshahri) - The moderate Servants of Construction party issues a statement
condemning the armed attack on their headquarters in Tehran ... IMAGE TEXT
IN PERSIAN
Iran exiles, Italy MPs denounce Khatami
visit
ROME, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Italian parliamentarians and Iran's exiled
opposition said on Thursday it was a bitter irony that Iranian President
Mohammed Khatami's forthcoming visit to Italy would begin on International
Women's Day. ``It's a bit of a joke that Khatami is arriving on March 8,
International Women's Day,'' communist deputy Maria Celeste Nardini told
a news conference in Italy's lower house of parliament. ``The rights of
all Iranian citizens, but above all women, have been abused.'' ... FULL
TEXT
Germany nears debt deal with Iran
BONN, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Talks on making it easier for Iran to
service billions of marks in debts to Germany in the wake of a world oil
price slump have reached an advanced stage, German officials said on Thursday.
Details of the talks were sketchy, but an official at the Ausfuhrkreditanstalt
(AKA) in Frankfurt, which represents 40 lender banks, said a restructuring
could be announced in March ... FULL TEXT
Lingering Iran oil row hits OPEC prospects
LONDON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Prospects for further oil output cuts
suffered a fresh blow on Thursday when Iran indicated a lingering dispute
with Saudi Arabia over supply restraint was still very much alive. A statement
by an Iranian OPEC source shredded hopes for a resolution of a bad tempered
row that has defied resolution for months, blocking progress by OPEC on
moves to raise sagging prices ... FULL TEXT
Iran to allow private banks, official says
TEHRAN, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Iran has approved the creation of private
banks for the first time since the 1979 Islamic revolution, which led to
the nationalisation of banking, a senior official said in remarks published
on Thursday. Nasser Yusefikia, a senior Central Bank official, told newspapers
that the idea had been approved at the highest levels of the government
... FULL TEXT
New books: Farmanfarma
Tehran,
(Hamshahri) - This week's book reviews in Hamshahri include one about the
life and time of Abdol-Hossein Mirza Farmanfarma ... IMAGE TEXT IN PERSIAN
Esteqlal beats al-Hilal
Tehran,
(Iran daily) - Esteqlal, one man short for much of the game, defeated Saudi
Arabia's al-Hilal 2-1 in the latest round of the Asian cup-winners cup championships
held in Kuwait ... IMAGE TEXT IN PERSIAN
German to remain head coach of Omid
Tehran,
(Iran daily) - The soccer federation has a given a vote of confidence to
the German heach coach of the under 21 national team (Omid) ... IMAGE TEXT
IN PERSIAN
$ Rate
Updated Feb 24
The
dollar now offered at up to 825-835 tomans
Source: Sehaty Exchange (U.S.) Tel: 602-595-0777
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Quote Unquote
Campaigning
Contrary to the norm in other elections, most candidates emphasize their
professional and educational backgrounds instead of relying solely on their
revolutionary experience.
Iran News
English-language newspaper
February 25, 1999
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Elections:
Do they care?
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