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Obayd Zakani
Cover story
Let's not talk about sex
Zakani's ribald satire: what's wrong with the act of love?
November 15, 1999
The Iranian
Bibliotheca Persica Press in New York, under the supervision of Ehsan
Yarshater, has published Obayd Zakani: Collected Works. Edited by
the late Mohammad-Ja'far Mahjoub, this must be considered the definitive
collection of Zakani's brilliant works of satire and social criticism ...
QUESTIONS
Let's assume Zakani's writings about sex are tactless and crude. But
how many works of Persian literature can be named where the physical expression
of love is beautifully described? Has Iranian society ever had the tolerance
for it (before and after the revolution, or before and after Islam)? Why
not? ... GO
TO FEATURE
Outlook
 * U.S. Disappointed by Shell-Iran Deal
By Jonathan Wright
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Monday it was ``deeply
disappointed and much concerned'' by an $800 million agreement between
Royal Dutch/Shell and the Iranian National Oil Company to develop two Iranian
oilfields.
But analysts said they doubted the Clinton administration would break
with precedent and impose sanctions on the Anglo-Dutch giant under the
Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA) of 1996, barring a sudden shock to Iranian-American
relations ... FULL
TEXT
Let's talk
A letter to parents from a teacher writing on behalf of her elementary
school students. Quite touching... FULL
TEXT IN PERSIAN
More Letters
* Reverse situation
Ali S. writes:
Mr. Hosseini's essay ["Go
Big Red!"] brings back memories of my first days in U.S. What
a time and what a place ...man alive! Those of us who came to the U.S right
during the revolution must have had at least some similar experiences like
those of Mr. Hosseini's. Even where I was in California, the sentiments
ran as deep and as fast as they did in Nebraska.
As Westernized and as Americanized I have become in the past twenty
some odd years, I will never forget the feelings expressed to me and my
other Iranian friends by many (not all) American students. The students'
parents were much more understanding. Heck, some of them even empathized
with our situation. It was the students we saw every day though who cared
about their parents. Ugly days and some ugly memories.
Although, I have to admit that if the situation was reversed (Iranians
taken hostages in the U.S. by radical students after a revolution) Americans
in Iran would've forgotten the meaning of Iranian hospitality and ta'arof
faster than a NY minute!
* How confused we were
Sudabeh writes: As
I read the story ["Go
Big Red!"] I remebered those days. I also witnessed different
views and situations. I remembered how confused, tender and sensetive we
were toward this historic event.
It also made me feel older, but am I not glad we passed through thoses
horrible times? The days when we were young and should have been proud
and a lot happier?
* Film: "Divorce Iranian Style",
Virginia
FILM EVENT: "Divorce Iranian Style" screening & discussion
SPECIAL GUEST: Ms. Ziba Mir-Hosseini (Co-director)
WHEN: Friday, 19 November 1999, 7:00 PM
WHERE: Holiday Inn, Tysons Corner, VA, Corner of Chain Bridge Rd (Rt. 123)
& International Drive across from Tysons I & II Mall.
ADMISSION: Free, but due to limited seats you need to RSVP by emailing
your name and number of tickets needed to RSVP_Movie@pejvak.com...
DETAILS
HERE
SELL
TICKETS ONLINE AT YOUR SITE
Books of the Week
* Ruzegaran
(1999)
History of Iran up to the Pahlavi dynasty
By Abdol-Hossein Zarrinkoub
* Zanaan
haramsaraa-ye Nasserdin Shah (1998)
Pictorial history
By Khosro Motazed and Abolghasem Tafazoli
* Baagh
(1998)
Short stories
By Parviz Davaie
* Qand
va namak (1998)
Tehrani proverbs
By Jafar Shahri
See more
Iranian books for sale
THE IRANIAN
Bookstore
Video of the Week
Divorce
Iranian Style
A new documentary that goes where Western camera s have never before
gone: into an Iranian divorce court. The film is directed by award- winning
independent filmmaker Kim Longinotto and Ziba Mir-Hosseini, an Iranian
anthropologist and writer, based in London, whose specialty is women's
rights and family law in the Mid-East.
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
Shell keeps U.S. informed of Iran deal
LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Dutch/Shell declined to comment on Monday
on the possibility of U.S. legal retaliation over its agreement to develop
two offshore oilfields in Iran, which Washington seeks to isolate economically
... FULL TEXT
Poll candidates to be told why they are
rejected
TEHRAN,
Nov 14 (AFP) - Candidates in February's Iranian general elections will be
told in future why they have been rejected by a powerful conservative vetting
body, a leading official was quoted as saying Sunday ... FULL TEXT
Reformists set up election campaign staff
TEHRAN, Nov 14 (AFP) - Eighteen political, religious and
professional groups supporting the reforms of Iranian President Mohammad
Khatami have set up a joint election campaign staff ahead of the February
polls, press reports said Sunday ... FULL
TEXT IN ENGLISH ... FULL
TEXT IN PERSIAN
Shamsolvaezin defies press court judge
TEHRAN, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Reformist editor Mashallah Shamsolvaezin
defied Iran's press court on Sunday, challenging the fairness of the judge
and vowing not to be intimidated. ``You want to forcibly remove me from
journalism,'' Shamsolvaezin told Judge Saeed Mortazavi on the third tumultuous
day of his trial for forgery and insulting Islam ... FULL TEXT
Press court deals with woman editor in
three hours
TEHRAN, Nov 15 (AFP) - Iran's press court Monday took just three
hours to hear charges against a female newspaper editor accused of 15 different
offences including the publication of anti-Islamic articles ... FULL TEXT
Tabriz court jails five students in wake
of unrest
TEHRAN,
Nov 14 (AFP) - A court in the western Iranian city of Tabriz has sentenced
five students to jail terms of between eight months and eight years in connection
with last July's violent unrest, the reformist daily Khordad reported Sunday
... FULL TEXT
French Prime Minister "immature"
in comments on Jews
TEHRAN,
Nov 15 (AFP) - Tehran on Monday blasted French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin
as "immature" after he warned Iran could be frozen out of the
international community over the case of 13 Jews facing trial on espionage
charges ... FULL TEXT
British parliamentary delegation to visit
Iran
TEHRAN,
Nov 13 (AFP) - Iran will receive its first visit by a British parliamentary
delegation in 12 years Sunday, only two days after the arrival here of a
British trade delegation, the official IRNA news agency said ... FULL TEXT
Conoco's CEO on Shell deal with Iran
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 15, 1999--Conoco Chairman and CEO
Archie W. Dunham issued the following statement in response to news reports
of Royal Dutch/Shell signing an $800 million deal to develop two Iranian
oilfield ... FULL TEXT
Bank chief forecasts three billion dollars
extra after oil price rise
TEHRAN,
Nov 14 (AFP) - Iran's central bank governor said Sunday that oil revenues
will run some three billion dollars above the forecast in the next economic
plan, the official IRNA news agency reported ... FULL TEXT
Iran interested in U.S. planes-Boeing
DUBAI,
Nov 15 (Reuters) - Airlines from Iraq, Iran and Libya, all under U.S. or
U.N. sanctions, would like to be able to buy U.S. planes to get more competitive
prices in renewing their ageing fleets, a Boeing Co official said on Monday
... FULL TEXT
Page turner
Tehran
(Hamshahri) - Hossein Maleki's novel "Madaar'e jonun" is a real
page turner. The story takes place among ethnic Arbs in southern Iran. Characters
include a ghostly giant ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
How sweet
Tehran
(Hamshahri) - On the first day of a book fair in Tehran, the French embassy
has donated 180 books (in French) worth $11,000 Francs to a local library
... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Esteqlal blamed for much of the trouble
Tehran
(Iran daily) - Two Esteqlal players and a team official have been suspended
and fined for their role in stirring up last week's incident in Shiraz where
thousands of fans beh joon-e hamdigeh oftaadan ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Iran Air: World Champs
Tehran
(Hamshahri) - The Iran Air's team (Homa) has won the international airlines
soccer championship in Malaysia ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
BBC
Persian Service
For the latest news,
interviews and features on Iranian current affairs ... LISTEN HERE
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Ghormeh Sabzi: Trim meat and cut into 2 cm (3/4 inch) cubes.
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Beyond Iran
Popular
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Quote Unquote
Sanctions
Reports of the participation by Shell [in an Iranian oil project] once
again illustrate that the U.S. unilateral sanctions policy only serves to
eliminate U.S. companies from global competition and do not achieve the
effect desired by Washington.
-- Archie W. Dunham, Conoco Chairman and CEO
Reuters
November
15, 1999
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editor on trial
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