The Iranian Times

Tuesday, August 8, 2000 / Mordad 18, 1379, No. 1038


ARCHIVE

Sprint Long Distance

Access & Arts

Sehaty Foreign Exchange

Flower delivery in Iran

Iranian books

Life

Life in Terhan's fast lane

By Sadaf Kiani Abbassian
August 8, 2000
The Iranian

>>> GO TO FEATURE

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 >>> GO TO FEATURE


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


Books

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,

Azerbaijan
Ethnicity and the Struggle for Power in Iran by Touraj Atabaki

.

Baazi-ye bozorgaan
The chain murders mystery by Mohammad Qouchani

THE IRANIAN
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    Poetry

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



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More 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

NOTE: BBC link content changes every 24 hours

BBC Persian Service


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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
Untitled