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Letters
July 6-9, 1999 / Tir 15-18, 1378

Today

* Language:
- Khaaleh & Khaalu
- We have you...

Previous

* Shamlu:
- Most important Iranian
*
War:
- Horrors for posterity
*
L.A. wedding:
- The movie?

- Brilliant!
*
Iranian-American:
- My little daughter

* Jews:
- Cheh goli kaashtim?


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Friday,
July 9, 1999

* Khaaleh & Khaalu

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.

Hossein B. Zadeh

Reply from 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.

Simin Habibian

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* We have you...

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.

Azadeh Azmoudeh
Sofiya Azmoudeh

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Thursday
July 8, 1999

* Most important Iranian

Shamlu is one of the most important people in Iran and The Iranian Times never talked about him until few days ago ["Shamlu"]. Shamlu dose not need it, but we need to talk about him for the sake of Iran's young generation.

Shamlu is and has been a great poet, human rights fighter, political activist, writer and a follower of the independent left. I wish him speedy recovery. I think it is time for our children to know about Shamlu and scholars like Karimi-Hakak in the U.S. or Shams Langaroudi in Iran tshould teach our new generation about this great Iranian treasure.

We sang his poetry when we were kids without knowing his name. Remember "Khorshid khanom" and "Barun miyad ... "?

At least five generations of Iranians were influenced by his poetry. We all remember "Jom e haa" by Farhad.. And of course we should mention his great book "Ketab e kucheh". Let's dicover Shamlu again.

Massy Alamdari

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* Horrors for posterity

In reference to "Palm trees survive", for a moving tribute to the defense of Khorramshahr, I recommend reading the poem "Benevees, Benevees, Benevees" (Record, record, record) by Simin Behbahani, in her collection of poems titled "khattee zeh soraat va az aatash".

This should also be in the translation of Mrs. Behbahani's work "Selected Poems" published by Syracuse University Press (Ms F. Milani and Mr. K.Safah, translators).

The scars of war, along with those who suffered its terrors, will fade; but Simin Behbahani's several poems on the war have recorded the horrors for posterity.

Korosh Khalili

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Wednesday
July 7, 1999

* Cheh goli kaashtim?

Yes, I want to know why we are so prejudiced towards Jews, Bahai, gays, Blacks, Arabs...? ["I must be a Jew"] I live in France with cultivated and "intellectual" Iranians. But I have a lot of arguments about their racism. I always say :"haalaa maa baa een enghelaabemun cheh goli kaashtim keh khodemuno az Arabhaa behtar bedunim?"

And specially now with the recent news about the arrest of the Jews who are accused of spying... I was so shocked that I had a nightmare. I dreamt that they were hanged in public and I screamed and shouted "let them go!". Hopefully young Iranians who go to public schools in France will be less prejudiced because of the presence of students from Arab countries.

But at the same time I believe that in Middle Eastern countries, racism was rarely violent. Racism has surfaced only in words not in acts like in European countries. In Iran nobody was beaten by people because of his race or religion. The Persian term "bandeye khodaa" means "we are all equal" and Iranians use that term a lot.

Bahram Naraghi
Paris

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* The movie?

Thank you for an enchanting and marvelous piece. An L.A. Wedding: The Movie?

Guive Mirfendereski

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Tuesday
July 6, 1999

* My little daughter

I live in Iran . When I read your article I cried ["After all, I am Iranian"]. I am not fluent in English but I can feel what you are saying.

In two months I will fly to Canada. I think about my little daughter and her culture all the time. I think about the possibility that she will forget her Farsi and never be able to enjoy a Persian poem and maybe she would not understand who we are.

I hope that we can be Iranian and never forget our history.

Vida Razzaghi

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* Brilliant!

I know this is probably a late letter, but I just finished reading Hamid Taghavi's feature "L.A. wedding". Several words come to mind: BRILLIANT! HILARIOUS!

I laud Mr. Taghavi and hope to read more of his works soon. Thank you also to The Iranian.

Mina Mortezai

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Monday
July 5, 1999

None

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