The Iranian Times

Wednesday May 19, 1999 / Ordibehesht 29, 1378, No. 729


Sehaty Foreign Exchange

Kiarostami's
Taste of Cherry


    Rumi


Arts

Kiarostami's nature
The film director's photo exhibit

Interview by Sadaf Abbassian
May 19, 1999
The Iranian

Abbas Kiarostami's nature photos were exhibited for a week at Tehran's Gallery Golestan. Opening day was packed with fans, artists and women with perfect noses hoping to star in Kiarostami's next film.

I fought my way through the crowd to have a little chat with the filmmaker who was wearing his trademark shades ... GO TO FEATURE


Outlook

The Caspian, inch by inch
Reza Deghati's feature in National Geographic magazine

By Jahanshah Javid
Produced by Mehdi Jami

LONDON, May 18 (BBC Persian Service) - Reza Deghati's photos of the Caspian Sea region are this month's main feature in National Geographic magazine. Deghati spent more than three years on this project -- the largest ever regarding the Caspian Sea -- including six months of actual shooting in the Republics of Azerbaijan, Daghestan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. A few of his photos are from Iran, but these were taken some 20 years ago.

After a slide show at the National Geographic Society in Washington DC last week, I interviewed the 46-year-old photographer who is also working on three more projects for the National Geographic in Russia and China ... LISTEN HERE

Also see: Caspian web site at the National Geographic


    Anyway

Mocking laughter unsettles ayatollahs

The Independent, London
By Geneive Abdo, in Tehran

SAYYED Ibrahim Nabavy insults everyone in Iran, from ayatollahs to religious vigilantes to westernised liberals, and wins awards for his satirical columns.

"My aim is to shatter all the stereotypes the system has perpetuated for 20 years," he says in urgent tones. Then his editor, Mashallah Shamsalvaeizin, orders him back to work. "Please, he can talk for ever," pleads Mr Shamsalvaeizin. "But we are on deadline, and he is hours behind."

Mr Nabavy, who writes for the daily Neshat - meaning "joy" in Farsi - has the courage to puncture holes in the Iranian identity, and get away with it in a country where laughing and applauding in public are frowned upon and sometimes banned. A liberal, he says, does not smell or wear a tie - behaviour epitomising a Western imperialist. Iranians, he writes, are all masochists, imprisoned by their self-concocted conspiracy theories ... FULL TEXT

Thanks to Laleh Khalili


More Letters

* Shameful

T.T. writes: Are you guys Iranian, because if you are, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves ["I must be a Jew"]. You are guilty of the very accussation you are leveling at most Iranians. You are STEREOTYPING. Basically, you are dumb asses who have had a chance to express your views on this desolate, wasteland of virtual intellectuality...

There is no doubt that Jews control most of the media in this country. There is no doubt that they have been responsible in lobbying to isolate Iran, and to paint that beloved nation of ours as a "terrorist" nation. But most Iranians do not wish that Hitler had finished off the Jews ... FULL TEXT

* Stick to news

Noghrey writes: Several recent features in The Iranian have been about hate & hatred of other nationalities and races ["I must be a Jew"]. Why don't you stick to the business of reporting the news?


* TV: "The White Balloon"

Homayoon Beigi writes: "The White Balloon" by Jafar Panahi has been showing on the Independent Film Channel in the U.S. all of this month. The last and final shows will be on May 26th at 7:45AM EST and 1:45PM EST ... DETAILS HERE


Book of the Week

1001 Persian-English Proverbs
By Simin Habibian

    A cultural gap is growing between Iranian adults and youth residing outside of Iran. Young Iranians are strongly influenced by Western culture, while the adults struggle with Western culture and try to maintain their homeland's traditions. A bridge is needed to overcome the gap.

    Simin Habibian compiled "1001 Persian-English Proverbs" with this in mind ... GO TO BOOK

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More news

Khatami seen strengthening Saudi ties

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, May 19 (Reuters) - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami wrapped up his historic, confidence-building visit to former regional rival Saudi Arabia on Wednesday before heading to Qatar on the last leg of his Arab tour. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saudi al-Faisal said in comments carried by the Saudi Press Agency that talks had built confidence between the two countries and would help them ``perform an important role in ending differences in the region.'' ... FULL TEXT

Khatami visits Qatar on final leg of Arab tour

DOHA, May 19 (AFP) - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami flew into Qatar on Wednesday on the third and final leg of a week-long tour of Arab countries, officials said ... FULL TEXT

Iran leader opposes easing ban on satellite TV

TEHRAN, May 19 (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has opposed easing a ban on satellite television which clerical leaders blame for spreading ``corrupt'' Western culture, newspapers reported on Wednesday ... FULL TEXT

Opposition leader's driver not abducted - paper

Tehran, (Neshat) -- The personal driver of Ebrahim Yazdi, leader of the opposition Freedom Movement of Iran, has not been abducted, as reported earlier. He was called to appear in court ... FULL IMAGE TEXT IN PERSIAN

Iran denies Cypriot parliamentary speaker attacked in Tehran

TEHRAN, May 18 (AFP) - Iran on Tuesday denied newspaper reports that Cypriot parliament speaker Sypros Kyprianou had been the target of a bomb attack in Tehran. "Based on (our) investigations, such reports are totally unfounded," the official news agency IRNA quoted an unidentified Iranian foreign ministry official as saying ... FULL TEXT

Firm oil, political optimism boost Iran stocks

TEHRAN, May 19 (Reuters) - A rise in oil prices and optimism about Iran's political and economic situation have fuelled a rise of more than nine percent in Iranian stocks since March, brokers said on Wednesday. The Tehran Stock Exchange's all-share index, which closed its trading week to Wednesday at 1,665.77 points, has made up the 6.2 percent it lost in 1998 and now stands 2.1 percent higher than at the end of 1997 ... FULL TEXT

Aid groups seek more help for refugees in Iran

TEHRAN, May 19 (Reuters) - International humanitarian organisations are to meet in Iran later this month to appeal for more assistance to the two million refugees in the country, a coordinating group said on Wednesday ... FULL TEXT

Iran plans to step up trade in oil derivatives

LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) - Iran is hatching plans to use risk management tools for far more of its crude oil sales after a successful coup during this year's rapid price rally, Iranian sources said on Wednesday ... FULL TEXT

Alcohol and pornographic films seized in Iran

TEHRAN, May 17 (AFP) - Iranian police have seized 2,500 liters (650 gallons) of alcohol produced in a Tehran workshop, as well a considerable number of pornographic CD-Roms and videotapes, Kayhan paper reported Monday ... FULL TEXT

Pour-Hedari in trouble?

Tehran, (Neshat) -- National soccer team head coach Mansour Pour-Heydari has told his superiors that he will not accompany the team to Canada. Apparently he's not happy with the "lack of cooperation" from the soccer federation. Also he is more concerned with about his coaching responsibilities at Fajr Siasi, the soccer team from Shiraz. The national team is due in Canada in a few weeks to play in an international tournament ... FULL IMAGE TEXT IN PERSIAN


$ Rate

Updated May 19

The dollar now offered at 808-824 tomans in the U.S. and 833 tomans in Iran

Source: Sehaty Exchange (U.S.) Tel: 602-595-0777

Business news


The Web

Iran

Darvag

Iranian theater group in San Francisco's Bay Area.

Beyond Iran

art.com

"An inviting and engaging e-commerce destination that makes buying art accessible, personal and fun by offering all the information consumers need to learn about and purchase art."

More web sites


Quote Unquote

Master of satire

My aim is to shatter all the stereotypes the system has perpetuated for 20 years.

Ebrahim Nabavi
"Mocking laughter unsettles ayatollahs"
The Independent
May 16, 1999


Photo of the Day

Khatami performing hajj


Music

Musician of the Week

Fereydoun Moshiri

* Koocheh * Shokoohe roshanaaee * Doost bedaareed * Roo dar rooye siyaahi * Nasimi az diyaare aashti * Aah baaraan

Music artists index