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Rumi
Minorities
Saving Jews
The Iranian "Schindler List"
By Fereydoun Hoveyda
July 9, 1999
The Iranian
Amid all the distressing news about possible extremist motives behind
the arrest of 13 Jews in Iran, one wonders why some 30,000 Jews have chosen
to remain in Iran despite the often hostile religious fervor of the post-revolutionary
era. The fact is that prejudice and discrimination towards Jews has been
relatively mild and Iranian Jews have strong nationalist feelings. The
following is not an example of just one man's kindness towards Jews, but
an example of the close bond between Iranians in general, even under very
dangerous circumstances. Thanks to Farhad Sepahbody for forwarding this
piece. -- Editor
In June 1940, embassies were transfered from Paris to Vichy which had
become the capital of the new French Government. In each embassy residence
in Paris a caretaker was left behind...
At that unfortunate time many Iranian Jewish families lived in Paris.
My uncle who liked to entertain, established close contacts with the German
authorities and at the outset made it clear to them that Iranian jews were
Iranians since the time of Cyrus the Great and therefore fell under the
protection of Iranian laws like any other Iranian ... GO
TO FEATURE
Poetry
But a sigh
Ahmad Shamlu's "Beh joz aah-e hasrati keh baa man nist"
Translated by Laleh Khalili
July 9, 1999
The Iranian
The following poem was published in Iran daily (July 6, 1999)
following Ahmad Shamlu's recovery from recent ailments. It is dedicated
to his many admirers.
The first that I saw the world
I howled in exultation:
"I am -oh!-
that ultimate miracle
upon the small planet of water and verdure!"... GO
TO FEATURE
Outlook
Iranian engineering students ready for 21st century
IEEE magazine
July 1999
 To outsiders, Iran seems a country sometimes at odds with the
20th century, but during a recent visit, [U.S.] Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers President Ken Laker found its engineering students
ready for the 21st century.
Laker joined Region 8 Director Rolf Remshardt on a four-day visit with
the IEEE Iranian section this February. He visited the universities of
Tehran and Isfahan as well as a communications research center ... FULL TEXT
Thanks to Anoosh Hosseini
They're MEIN!
By Susannah Herbert in Paris
Daily Telegraph, London
July 8, 1999
AN exiled Iranian diplomat has laid claim to a pair of early Adolf Hitler
watercolours discovered in Teheran and called on the Iranian government
to "give back these stolen goods".
Dr Amir Aslan Afshar, former chief of protocol to the late Shah of Iran,
was astonished this week to see that the two views of Vienna he bought
as curiosities from an art dealer have been put on display in Teheran by
a state-run body, the Mostazafan Foundation.
Dr Afshar said yesterday from his summer home in Nice: "They are
definitely mine. I bought them on May 8, 1969, and on Nov 20, 1971, from
a picture dealer called Imhoff in Vienna. I have all the documents to prove
it. They have both been authenticated as the work of Hitler and naturally
I would like them back."
Thanks to Reza
More Letters
* Khaaleh & Khaalu
Hossein B. Zadeh writes:
In reference to the quote of the day on July 7th (Khaalam agar reesh daasht
daaeem meeshod = If my aunt had a beard she would be my uncle), this is
not really how the saying goes. The original is this: "Khaalam agar
khaayeh daasht khaalu meeshod" (If my aunt had balls, she would be
my uncle.). Note the repeated use of "kh" beginning.
Reply from Simin Habibian
the author of "1001
Persian-English Proverbs": Yes, you are right, that is another
way of saying it and maybe the original one.
In the first edition I had some proverbs such as: "Aadam-e beekar
javaldouz beh kha.. khod meezanad" or "Bad bakhty keh baaz aayad
g... vaghte namaz aayad", "G... beh shagheegheh che rabti daareh?"
and some others.
A few people called me and said their children read this book and these
words should not be there. Since I wanted the kids be able to use the book,
I decided not to use some or use the polite version of them in the second
edition. Thanks for noticing.
* We have you...
Azadeh Azmoudeh, Sofiya Azmoudeh
write: Good job. I really enjoyed reading your articles specially one about
the root of the words ["Khiyaar
chambar"]. Some of them are silly, but the rest was marvelous.
I agree: I mean why should we hang on to our past to say we are someone
and have this and that kind of culture?As long as we, ourselves, don't
believe in who we are those words are worth nothing.
We have you -- and more sophisticated than that -- we still have writers
like Hooshang Moshiri whose writings put Faulkner to rest! Thanks for the
work and keep it up. You have our support.
* Reading: Nahai's reading in Los Angeles
Gina B. Nahai, author of the best-selling "Moonlight on the Avenue
of Faith" will be reading at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles
on Tuesday, July 13, 7:30 p.m. (2701 North Sepulveda Blvd. 405 Freeway:
Exit Skirball Center Drive). Tel: (310) 440-4500. This will be her last
reading before the Fall.
Book of the Week
 The Stone
A Persia Legend of the Magi
By y Dianne Hofmeyr, Jude Daly (Illustrator)
This exquisitely illustrated story spins anew the famous tale of the
Magi. It is a retelling of the Persian legend, as told to Marco Polo in
the 13th century, whereupon three astronomers, Jasper, Melchior, and Balthasar,
who are also healers and holy men, follow a bright star in the sky to witness
the birth of a king. Upon greeting the child, the three men present gifts
of gold, incense, and myrrh. The child accepts their gifts, but also endows
the three men with his own offeringa stone. It proves to be a solid symbol
of belief that gives off a fervor of fire. Daly's illustrations perfectly
capture the arid landscapes and the starry night sky, and her intriguing
perspectives and inventive use of the page combine ancient, simplified
forms with more elegant lines. The book has broad appeal, giving a fresh
new shape and texture to a familiar story -- Kirkus Reviews ...
GO TO BOOK
Recent
featured books
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Video of the Week
Ragbaar
Bahram Bayzaie's unforgettable love story starring Parviz Fannizadeh,
Parvaneh Ma'sumi and Ali Keshavarz.
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
Intelligence Ministry drops charges against
newspaper
TEHRAN, July 8 (Reuters) - Iran's powerful intelligence ministry
on Thursday withdrew a complaint against a leading moderate newspaper, raising
hopes that the banned daily would be allowed to resume publication. ``The
intelligence ministry withdraws its complaint in line with its firm policy
of non-partisanship...and for the sake of maintaining calm, avoiding tension
and backing the government's policies on political development and legal
press freedom,'' it said in a statement carried by the official news agency
IRNA ... FULL TEXT
Rafiqdust to quit as head of Foundation
for the Oppressed
Tehran,
7th July (IRNA - BBC Worldwide Monitoring) -- The head of the Foundation
for the Oppressed and War-Disabled [Mohsen Rafiqdust] said on Wednesday
[7th July] that he was "ready to leave the post to a younger and more
powerful" person ... FULL TEXT
Leading Iranian dissident dies
July 8, (BBC) - A leading Iranian dissident, Ayatollah
Mehdi Ha'eri- Yazdi, has died in Tehran at the age of seventy-five. He was
an acclaimed Islamic philosopher, theolgian and author and taught in several
foreign academic institutions, including Oxford University. Mr Ha'eri-Yazdi
was a former student of the late Ayatollah Khomeini but was critical of
the country's clergy which came to power following the Islamic revolution
in 1979.
Britain says Iranian government reforming
itself
WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - Britain believes the Iranian government
can reform itself from within and sees signs it is moving in that direction,
a British minister said on Thursday. Foreign Office junior minister Geoff
Hoon also said he had assurances that Iranian Jews detained on suspicion
of spying will receive family visits and legal representation ... FULL TEXT
Israel denies holding Iranians
JERUSALEM (AP) -- The Israel army today denied an Iranian claim
that it has been holding four Iranians since they were kidnapped in Lebanon
in 1982. ``Israel never held and doesn't hold any kidnapped Iranians,''
the army said. ``The Iranian government knows this and is apparently spreading
these lies. This is an attempt by Iran to shirk its responsibility for the
fate of Ron Arad.'' ... FULL TEXT
Iran private ``bank'' says thriving
TEHRAN, July 7 (Reuters) - Iran's first private credit institution
aims to improve banking services and help lift the country's huge property
market from stagnation, its vice-president said. ``We are after a banking
system without bureaucratic red tape,'' Shahram Salmasi of the Credit Institution
for Construction Development told Reuters in an interview late on Tuesday
... FULL TEXT
Iran sees OPEC output cuts until March
2000
DUBAI, July 8 (Reuters) - Iran said on Thursday that OPEC states
would maintain oil production cuts until March 2000. ``All member countries
are for full compliance (with the cuts) until March 2000,'' Iran's OPEC
governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili told Reuters by telephone from Tehran
... FULL TEXT
Book on Iranian cinema
Tehran,
(Neshat) - "Life & Art: The New Iranian Cinema" is a book
published in London by the National Film Theater with reviews of the top
50 Iranian films ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Makhmalbaf's latest "bombs" in
Italy
Tehran,
(Neshat) - Mohsen Makhmalbaf's new film "Sokut" (Silence) was
screened in Italy but it did not sell many tickets. Jafar Panahi hope's
his film "Ayeneh" (The Mirror) will do better ... FULL TEXT IN
PERSIAN
Parvin should be careful
Tehran,
(Neshat) - News reaching from the Persepolis camp is that Ali Parvin is
become a little testy, threatening his players that if they do not do as
he says, they may not be wearing a red jersey after the mega match with
Esteqlal on Sunday. Hmmm... bad karma ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Din-Mohammadi going to...
Tehran,
(Neshat) - ... Germany! Yes. Another soccer star will leave for Deutchland
after Sunday's Persepolis-Esteqlal match. He prodicts his team (Esteqlal)
will win ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
BBC
Persian Service
$ Rate
Updated July 9
Buying: 880-915 tomans per dollar
Selling: 920 tomans per dollar
Source: Sehaty Exchange (U.S.) Tel: 602-595-0777
Mention this code for a better rate:
FA 37 B
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Iranian Yellow
Pages in Stockholm
Impressive... if you have the Persian font to read it.
Beyond Iran
Hunger Site
Make a FREE donation of food for the hungry, paid for by
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Quote Unquote
You go girl!
Half the engineering students that the IEEE officers met in Iran were
women, a far higher percentage than in the west.
-- Feature
on the visit to Iran by the president of the U.S. Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers.
IEEE magazine
July 1999
Photo of the Day
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