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Life
Life in Terhan's fast lane
By Sadaf Kiani Abbassian
August 8, 2000
The Iranian
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Film
Free bird
Tahmineh Milani's "Two Women"
By Jasmin Darznik
August 8, 2000
The Iranian
Tahmineh Milani's "Two Women" is the most unsparing, unambiguous
feminist film to emerge from Iran since the Islamic Revolution. Having
reputedly battled the censors for months, the film was a sensation on its
1999 Iranian premiere, earning Milani the award for best screenplay at
Iran's Fajr Film Festival last spring.
While "Two Women" is not without its artistic merits, its
significance rests most assuredly on the political urgency of its themes
and the cultural quagmire in which it was produced. Given its context,
the film's very blatancy arguably represents its greatest achievement >>>
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Outlook
Bahar banned
BBC Persian Service
One of the few remaining reformist papers was banned today by the order
of the conservative judiciary. Bahar, a popular paper, was accused of spreading
false information against the country's officials. Maria Sarsalary asks
Dr Kazem Mohammadi, university lecturer about the importance of the paper
>>>
LISTEN HERE
Vetoing Press Freedom in Iran
Editorial
The New York Times
August 8, 2000
In every recent election, Iranians have overwhelmingly voted for politicians
who promise to loosen theocratic controls and establish the rule of law.
But hopes for seeing that reform agenda enacted into law diminished on
Sunday when Iran's supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, forbade
Parliament to revise a restrictive press law. By thwarting the elected
Parliament, Mr. Khamenei mocks democratic principles and invites more radical
challenges to clerical rule in the future >>>
FULL TEXT
Iran's reformists hold emergency meeting over row in
parliament
August 8, 2000, Teheran (dpa) - Iran's reformists were holding an emergency
meeting Monday over the previous day's row in the Majlis (parliament) about
the press law review, a source close to the reformists said.
``The 2nd Khordad movement (reformists) will hold an emergency meeting
over the incidents Sunday in the Majlis and take appropriate decisions,''
the source said >>>
FULL TEXT
Tehran Student Days Revisited
By Tara Bahrampour
The New York Times
August 7, 2000
More than 50 years after their high school graduation, a group of men
huddled around a television set showing old Technicolor footage of the
streets where they grew up. ''The jubes!'' cried Joseph Elder, as the camera
lingered on an open ditch carrying water through the city.
''Oh, wow, kharbozeh!'' said Raymond Fort, spotting oblong Persian melons
stacked against a brick wall. ''Can't get them better anywhere else.''
''Those are the Alborz Mountains in the background,'' another man said.
''They were 13,000 feet high.'' >>>
FULL TEXT
Tabreek!
Majlis Speaker Ayatollah Karrubi says the lawmakers should forget about
amending the press law; everyone should listen to the dear leader and shut
up... and in the end he expresses congratulations on "Journalists
Day". These guys aren't clerics, they're clowns, seriously >>> GO
HERE
More Letters
* Poosteh kharbozeh
Shahriar Zangeneh writes:
The maximum leader, the exalted Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, daaamat
barakaatoh, finally documented what he has been saying and doing all
along, namely that he knows better than the rest of the nation ["No
brainer"].
Iranian history is chuck full of these kind of leaders who at the pinnacle
of their power lose sight of the uncompromising judgment of history. The
aphrodisiac of power has such an intoxicating effect on them that only
the sound of Gabrielle' bugle brings back some belated semblance of sobriety
and a smidgen of sanity >>>
FULL TEXT
* Logic instead of anger
Cyrus Samii writes:
The attitude implied by the editorial entitled "No
brainer" is dangerous in its ability to undermine the reform process
-- perhaps as dangerous as the actions taken by the conservative clerical
elite. Indeed, the situation demands all the "brain" available
to counter the equally threatening potentials for either a furthering of
the conservative clampdown, or a chaotic upheaval.
Further interconnectedness and transparency are steps toward a situation
of relative integrated peace. Only in such a situation will pragmatic reform
be allowed to flourish in Iran, and such pragmatism inevitably seeks to
undermine the inefficient, ad hoc nature of the conservative clerical elite,
with no excuses for them to cling. This is what is meant by the triumph
of logic and reason, as advocated by Khatami >>>
FULL TEXT
* Follow China
Reza writes: I
was surprised that Mr.
Kadivar thinks the system has made progress by not killing opponents.
He must have forgotten the recent attempt on Hajjarian's life, and the
previous serial murders.
But I agree with him that any change will be slow in coming. The so-called
reformers will do themselves a favor not to get carried away into extremist
reactions; which will give the rulers the excuse to do what they did in
1983. They should focus on economic reform, i.e. follow Communist China's
model for change.
* Googoosh not for me
Arya Abedin writes:
I am not, particularly, a big Googoosh fan. I am the only Iranian I know
of who is not. Every member of my family and Iranian friends are asking
me if I want tickets to the Googoosh Concert, but I decline.
I fail to see the "artistry" behind Googoosh. Behind all the
glamour of Googoosh, there lies nothing more than a Pop icon, incomparable
to the contemporary Iranian musicians and artists.
The second part that compromises the "mirage" that we know
as Googoosh is the obsession of the expatriate society with all that is
pre-revolutionary. This is not just musical nostalgia, this is the personification
of an era. Googoosh is the symbol of all that was the later Pahlavi Era
in Iran.
For those who want to see a Pop music icon, should quickly acquire tickets
to the next Googoosh concert. However, for those who want to see true Iranian
music as the art form that it is, this concert is not for you (and I).
Rights: Support freedom of the press
An unprecedented attack has started against the press in Iran. Some
22 newspapers, weeklies, and other publications have been ordered shut
by the judiciary. We condemn the closing of the newspapers and the jailing
of their editors and writers. We support freedom of expression for all.
We condemn suppression of the people's rights and voices in all shapes
and forms. We ask that you join us by placing the "Free Iran Press"
ribbon on your site. You are welcome to link the ribbon to this page, or
copy it to your site. >>>
DETAILS HERE
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Translation of today's poem by Zara
Houshmand:
When I die, bring my corpse to her,
And leave me there, or what of me remains.
If my love will kiss my rotting lips
And I should come to life, don't think it strange.
-- Rumi
Previous
translations
Copyright © Abadan Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
May not be duplicated or distributed in any form
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news
Reformist MP quits post over conservative
onslaught on press
TEHRAN,
Aug 8 (AFP) - The head of Iran's parliamentary commission for culture, Ahmad
Pour-Nejati, resigned his post Tuesday to protest against recent conservative-led
attacks against pro-reformers and press. "I have resigned from my post
as president of the commission in order to defend parliament," the
deputy said at the beginning of the parliamentary session >>> FULL
TEXT
Hard-liners demonstrate
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Hard-liners protesting outside parliament called
on Tuesday for the death and expulsion of reformists who dared challenge
an order from Iran's supreme leader that squelched debate on easing the
country's restrictive press law. In a second day of protests outside the
legislature, demonstrators called for the execution of lawmaker Mohammad
Rashidian, who sought to debate the proposed changes two days ago. ``Traitor
Rashidian must be executed!'' the protesters shouted >>> FULL TEXT
Iran parliament speaker calls for end to
conservative rallies
TEHRAN,
Aug 8 (AFP) - Iranian parliament speaker Mehdi Karubi on Tuesday called
for an end to two days of conservative rallies outside the legislature to
show their support for the banning of a motion to liberalise the press.
"There is no need for you to continue your movement and we ask you
to put an end to this gathering," Karubi said before the beginning
of Tuesday's session. "Ours is also a revolutionary parliament >>>
FULL TEXT
More than 700 Iraqi POWs in Iran to return
home in two waves
BAGHDAD,
Aug 8 (AFP) - More than 700 Iraqis held prisoner in Iran since the 1980-1988
war between the two neighbours are to return home in two batches on August
9 and 10, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Tuesday.
A source with the ICRC, which supervises the repatriation of POWs, said
a total of 721 prisoners would cross the Munziriya border post in eastern
Iraq at night to avoid the scorching summer heat >>> FULL TEXT
Boeing seeks to lift US sanctions
London,
Aug. 8, IRNA -- Boeing, the world's biggest aircraft maker, is lobbying
Washington to lift US sanctions against Iran at a time Iran Air is reportedly
seeking to buy a substantial number of planes to update its ageing fleet.
International sales vice-president at Boeing, Douglas Groseclose, said that
he met Iran Air managing director Ahmad Reza Kazemi at Farnborough International
Airshow, south of London, last week, but he is forbidden by sanctions from
entering negotiations >>> FULL TEXT
Iran Plans $250 Million Local Bond Issue
This Year - Central Bank
August
8, 2000, TEHRAN -(Dow Jones)- The Central Bank of Iran is planning to issue
$250 million of bonds to domestic investors by the end of the current fiscal
year, in March 2001, a CBI official said Monday. In an interview with Iran's
Central News Bureau, Ali-Asghar Sadeghi, head of bonds at the CBI, said
about $825 million in participation bonds have been issued in the past three
years, of which 98% have been bought by investors >>> FULL TEXT
BP says still talking to Iran on investment
LONDON,
Aug 8 (Reuters) - BP Amoco (quote from Yahoo! UK & Ireland: BP.L) said
on Tuesday it was still in discussions with Iranian authorities over hydrocarbon
investment opportunites but had not yet made any firm decisions. BP Chief
executive John Browne said the company continued to talk about both upstream
and downstream opportunities >>> FULL TEXT
Iran to launch first domestically made
aircraft next year
TEHRAN,
Aug 7 (AFP) - Iran will launch its first domestically-made aircraft, a joint
venture with Ukraine, early next year, the official IRNA news agency reported
Monday. It said the Iran 1400 would join the national fleet and that the
first model would be in the skies in early 2001, during the annual "Ten
Days of Dawn" that mark the victory of the Islamic revolution >>>
FULL TEXT
Shirazi women listen to Pari Zangeneh
Tehran
(Hamshahri) -- Pari Zangeneh performs in Shiraz. Everyone -- the musicians,
the audience, the ushers,... -- were women >>> FULL PERSIAN TEXT
Historic gate restored
Tehran
(Hamshahri) -- "Baagh Melli" gate -- buried in layers of asphault
in the past 50 years -- has been restored to its original glory >>>
FULL PERSIAN TEXT
Books: Stats
Tehran
(Bahar) -- More than 1,700 book titles were published last month, 54% of
them first editions >>> FULL PERSIAN TEXT
Persepolis: Roumors
Tehran
(Iran Varzeshi) -- Four stories concerning the new the Persepolis management.
Two of them cannot be published! Abedini to be replaced? >>> FULL
PERSIAN TEXT
Charlton may not be able to sign Baqeri
Tehran
(Iran Varzeshi) -- England's Charlton FC is interested in signing Karim
Baqeri. But it may not be able to because Baqeri has not played in 75% of
Iranian national team matches this year >>> FULL PERSIAN TEXT
Swimmers break records, but...
TAIWAN, August 7 (Iran Sports Press) -- Iran took ninth place at
the 14th Asia-Pacific Swimming and Diving Championships. Iran clinched ninth
place with two gold, one silver and six bronze medals. During the Championship,
Iranian swimmers broke 11 Iranian swimming records >>> FULL TEXT
BBC
Karrubi: Reformist or not?
Following Ayatollah Khamenei's call on Majlis
to scrap plans for amending the Press Law, some reformists including Mohammad
Reza Khatami, believe that the plan can be re-tabled in the parliament after
some changes. Maria Sarsalari discusses the issue with Mohammad-Hassan Alipour,
Editor of the banned weekly Aban >>>
LISTEN HERE
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Quote Unquote
History
The old adage, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts
absolutely, has been identified by the ultimate forensic scientist of them
all, history, as the supplier of the proverbial poosteh kharboozeh.
-- Shahriar Zangeneh
Letters
to The Iranian
August 8, 2000
Photo of the Day
Bahar
banned
(Four photos)
Music
Anis
Music
artists index
Art
Mansoureh Hosseini
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