Letters
April 24-28, 2000 / Ordibehesht 2-6, 1379
Today
* Satire:
- Insulting
- Cracked me up
Previous
* Iran-U.S.:
- Shah's return in 1953
* Celebrity:
- Brilliant not Buddha
- Mehrjui: The director & and the man
- Azizi still respected
* Pressure cooker:
- Stollen money
* Politics:
- Too much politics
- Age of Reason vs. Dark Ages
- Bloodshed
* Women:
- The real deal
email us
Friday,
April 28, 2000
* Insulting
I have lived in the U.S. since 1978. I consider myself an educated and
open-minded individual respecting all other religions and personal beliefs.
As a Moslem, I consider this piece of writing offensive and I respectfuly
ask that you don't promote such writings in your paper ["Abolfazl insurance"].
Matt Fotouhi
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* Cracked me up
Do me a favor: please tell Alireza Sadeghi that his poem titled Rostam and Afrasyab
cracked me up. GREAT JOB.
Gelareh Abedi
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Thursday
April 27, 2000
* Shah's return in 1953
Your April 16 front-page article ''How a Plot Convulsed Iran in '53
(and in '79)'' makes unjust remarks about my late husband, Shah Mohammed
Reza Pahlevi. It also gives a partial account of the events of 1953.
My husband at first supported Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh in the
fight for the nationalization of Iran 's oil industry. Only when the shah
was convinced that political and economic deterioration was threatening
Iran 's independence and stability did he feel constitutionally obligated
to dismiss Dr. Mossadegh.
The shah returned to Iran because of the will of the majority of Iranians
>>>
FULL TEXT
Farah Pahlavi
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* Brilliant not Buddha
I read Mr.
Kaviani's letter regarding his disappointment with Mr. Mehrjui's manner.
With all due respect I frankly though it to be rather naive! Do you expect
Mr. Mehrjui to be Buddha just because he's a brilliant artist? An artist
is a mirror - hopefully reflecting his disgruntled or contented views of
life; many artists' mission is to create the work in order to transcend
the issues, objectify them or possibly even view them from another angle.
In any case it's a mystical process.
Come now, let's not get sentimental or maudlin over artists, Mr. Kaviani.
They're just as irritable or easy-going as everyone else, possibly even
more. When you put anyone, especially an artist on a pedestal you make
them responsible for YOUR expectations and that's simply not the function
of art. You don't have to love the man to love the work -- that's purism
and there's absolutely no room for that in art.
Banafsheh Zand
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Wednesday
April 26, 2000
* Mehrjui: The director & and the man
On Saturday April 22, Dariush Mehrjoui was at New York's Lincoln Center
to have a talk. I thought, "What else could a middle-age Iranian guy
living in the U.S. ask for on a Saturday afternoon?" I love Iran's
blooming movie industry and Mehrjoui in particualr. But wait a minute.
Don't get too excited! Always expect the unexpected!...
However, it seems like Mehrjoui the person is not as impressive as Mehrjoui
the director ... Why doesn't Mr. Mehrjoui have that respect toward Iranian
movie directors in general as well? Why exclude Kiarostami and attack other
directors and even Fardin who died less than two weeks ago? >>>
FULL TEXT
Faramarz Kaviani
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* Azizi still respected
I remember the times when Iran would get worldwide attention in sports:
Takhti in wrestling, soccer players Ali Parvin, Hassan Roshan, Andranik
Skandarian (who played for New York Cosmos in Major League Soccer), and
many more great athletes.
Today here in San Francisco's Bay Area we have Khodadad Azizi who plays
for the San Jose Earthquakes. Two weeks ago he received
a red card and a three-week suspension. But yellow or red cards are
part of the game. I don't know how to express myself but after all these
years of playing soccer I can understand how a player could react in heated
situations. It is just part of the game! >>>
FULL TEXT
Armin Khalili
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Tuesday
April 25, 2000
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* The real deal
Professor Hamid, I hail you! You're an insightful satirist ["Loving an
Iranian girl"]. I'm an American guy who fell in with an Iranian
Bahai girl. Loved her to high heaven. It was a sincere and loving set up,
probably because she was twelve years older than me.
Have to say, though, that no girl I've ever known since (this was fifteen
years ago) has floored and moved me like her. Her name was Ranaa...
Basically I have to say that Ranaa was the real deal. She could have
lofty sentiments, but she was not the usual how-much-are-you-worth-Jack
kind of woman. She was a goddamn one woman slaughter house with a killer
wit and a talent with a paint brush. In other words, she was no demure
dummy bubble puppy like these chicks your're talking about >>>
FULL TEXT
John D. Stich
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Monday
April 24, 2000
* Age of Reason vs. Dark Ages
I enjoyed reading Charles Kurzman's article in relation to the American
support for democracy in Iran in the 20th century and the 21st century
["Lost
opportunities"]. I should, however, like to state the following
observations.
1. It would be misguided to compare Iran's Constitutional Movement (1904-1909),
which was progressive and modernist in nature, to President Hojatoleslam
Khatami's attempt to prolong the life of the Velayat-e-Faghih through revisionism.
Whilst the former ended centuries of autocracy, the latter is an attempt
to prolong two decades of theocracy >>>
FULL TEXT
Nazenin Ansari
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* Bloodshed
Nice summary ["For
God's sake"]. Yes a climax is approaching. It's difficult to know
which side will come out on top. A coup d'etat may produce temporary relief,
but risks precipitating a catastrophic end to the regime. On the other
hand, this present confrontation is untenable. I fear some bloodshed is
on the cards, as the protagonists have become highly polarized.
Behzad Djazaeri
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Pressure cooker
* Stollen money
By Banafsheh Zand
We all know that each and everyone of these akhoonds have lined their
pockets with millions and millions that belong to the devastated people
of Iran. None of that wealth belongs to these reprobates and none of them
should be permitted to abscond with their booty. As time of their demise
nears, the more shamelessly they scramble to feather their nests. This
reminds me of the Germans' appropriation of Jewish property and then fleeing
to South America after WWII.
I propose we begin searching high and low for the banks and investment
firms that are handling these funds. As Iran's assets were frozen after
the revolution, so should these. In view of the misery wrought by this
consortium of self-proclaimed divine messengers, we should actively and
with solidarity, be pursuing avenues to block their present and future
exploits >>>
FULL TEXT
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