ARCHIVE
|
Iran
Poignant disorder
Iran's infinite risks and possibilities
By Gelareh Asayesh
August 22, 2000
The Iranian
I think of Iran as primitive in a different sense, in the sense of being
closer to God, man and nature. Here in Iran, everything is broken pavement,
weeds growing in an atmosphere of infinite risk and possibility. Faith
and myth are part of the fabric of daily living. Simple people stop in
their tracks to pray when the muazzin's call to prayer drifts from the
mosques. Sophisticated people believe in miracles. ("Have you heard
of the Blind Shaykh?" a beautifully coiffed relative asks a country
acquaintance over tea one afternoon. "I hear he can divine where stolen
jewelry is hidden.")
Such innocence is rare in the country where I make my home. I must bring
my daughter halfway across the world to experience it >>>
GO TO FEATURE
Fiction
City of two hundred roses
"This is where you sleep"
By Farnoosh Moshiri
August 22, 2000
The Iranian
Khan-Baba had let one of his rooms to this high school girl -- a girl
whose face I never saw. She was alone by her own in the city of Raz. The
old couple said she was from the capital, where I was from. She had lost
her virginity there. She had taken a lover, as young as she was. Her parents
banished her, sent her to Raz to die, to become a prostitute, or to survive.
So far she had survived, they said. Good people hoped she would survive
the rest. Mean people hoped she would end up on the dirt road of the gas
city, the alley of the prostitutes. She used the back door of the house.
She went to school until four o'clock and sang the rest of the time >>>
GO TO FEATURE
Outlook
Sahabi released on bail
BBC Persian Service
Ezatollah Sahabi, managing director of the banned magazine Iran-e Farda,
who was earlier arrested by the revolutionary court for his participation
in the Berlin Conference, is released on bail. Daryoush Homai talks to
Mr Sahabi >>>
LISTEN HERE
Iran facing drought disaster: UN
GENEVA, Aug 22 (AFP) - Iran is facing disaster if more is not done quickly
to help some 37 million people hit by the worst drought there for more
than 30 years, UN agencies warned Tuesday.
People urgently need drinking water and many have lost their livestock
or crops as a result of the drought, UN expert Vladimir Sakharov told reporters
here >>>
FULL TEXT
Khatami defends democracy as core ``value''
By Jonathan Lyons
TEHRAN, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami reaffirmed
his commitment to democracy on Tuesday and dismissed charges by conservatives
that reformers were soft on religious and revolutionary values.
Khatami, a mid-ranking Shi'ite Moslem cleric, used the second part of
a taped television interview to assert the defence of democratic rights
as an important ``value'' in its own right>>>
FULL TEXT
Upturn in Iran may aid Khatami
By Guy Dinmore
Financial Times
August 22, 2000
With Iran's economy climbing out of recession on the back of higher
world prices for oil, President Mohammad Khatami could be in the happy
position of overseeing a strong upturn as he prepares to stand for re-election
next year.
Expectations are running high in the country, where more than 12m people
struggle below the official poverty line, that living standards will improve
for the first time in years >>>
FULL TEXT
Iran wants to improve prison conditions
August 22, 2000
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Teheran (dpa) - Iran wants to improve the prison conditions, the official
news agency IRNA reported Tuesday.
``We are still far beyond the social and humane principles and the prisons
need an overhaul since a prisoner is a human who should be corrected,''
Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi-Shahroudi was quoted by IRNA as
saying >>>
FULL TEXT
High times
You don't need any alaf to get high on Moby's "Porcelain"
>>> LISTEN
HERE
From the "Play"
CD
More Letters
* Seeking justice against sexual harassment
Marjan writes: I
am an Iranian medical doctor. I began practicing as an MD in 1985 in Iran.
Then I left and came to the U.S., where my problem began. I am writing
for help from Iranians who can assist me.
What happened to me at the University of Nebraska Medical Center was
an obvious case of gross discrimination against me as a woman and as an
Iranian. The program director took sexual advantage of me.
Many people, when they hear about sexual harassment, automatically think,
"Oh, she's just trying to make money." I swear to everything
I believe in that I don't want any money. All I want is justice >>> FULL
TEXT
* Dreams do come true
Shahin Rezai writes:
Googoosh's concert in Los Angeles started at nine o'clock with the band
entering the stage. They started with "Talaagh" which is one
of my all time favorites. Who can forget her in that white dress with Farah
Fawcett's hair-do in the original video? The band played the tune and the
crowed screamed. Then there was a moment of silence. The lights went out.
Five seconds later there was a beam of light and Googoosh was standing
in the middle of the stage with her head down.
Bigger than life. That's the only way to describe Googoosh. God; is
it real? Please tell me the good old days will return soon. Oh wait it's
too soon for that; let's just enjoy the show. The crowd went absolutely
nuts. They screamed and cried and clapped and cheered and she stayed silent
and still for about a minute. Maybe she was saying a prayer, maybe she
was thanking about God, or maybe this was just part of the show. I don't
know but whatever it was, it was just right >>>
FULL TEXT
Rights: Amnesty of non-documented immigrants
in the US
Online petition: "Campaign for General Amnesty" for non documented
immigrants in the US hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, a free online
petition service >>>
GO HERE
Books
THE IRANIAN
Bookstore
Music store
Translation of today's poem by Zara
Houshmand:
By nature hard as stone, with a heart of steel,
Your stone and steel throw fiery sparks at me.
Moon of Khotan, flaming stone, I'd be an ass
To lay my heart down now in this dry grass.
-- Rumi
Previous
translations
Copyright © Abadan Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
May not be duplicated or distributed in any form
|
More
news
Opposition figure released from detention
TEHRAN,
Aug 22 (AFP) - Opposition figure Ezatollah Sahabi, who was detained in Tehran
after he returned from a controversial conference in Berlin in April, has
been released pending trial, state radio said Tuesday. The Iranian judicial
system decided the conference was "anti-Islamic," after some participants
attacked Iran's Islamic regime for press censorship and political repression
>>> FULL TEXT
Prominent reformist journalist placed in
solitary confinement
TEHRAN,
Aug 22 (AFP) - Reformist journalist Mashallah Shamsolvaezin jailed in April
for "hurting Islam" has been placed in solitary confinement, his
wife said cited by the press here Tuesday. "We were informed by other
detained friends that Shamsolvaezin has been transfered to an individual
prison cell since Sunday, but we do not know why," his wife said cited
by the Hayate-No paper >>> FULL TEXT
Section of the press blasts Khatami from
all sides over TV interview
TEHRAN,
Aug 22 (AFP) - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami came under fire Tuesday
from both the reformist and conservative press a day after a televised interview
led by reporters from the state media. Papers charged Khatami, who in Monday's
interview condemned the wholesale closure of newspapers by the courts, had
contradicted his support for the press by having only three journalists
present to ask questions >>> FULL TEXT
Iran sending Jewish MP on official delegation
for first time
TEHRAN,
Aug 22 (AFP) - Islamic Iran is for the first time sending its Jewish MP
abroad as part of an official delegation going to the United Nations next
week, a Tehran newspaper reported on Tuesday. Maurice Motamed will be part
of the delegation led by parliamentary speaker Mehdi Karubi to attend a
conference of world parliament leaders, the Iran News said >>>
FULL TEXT
Report: Bin Laden group growing
WASHINGTON (AP) - The terror network headed by multimillionaire
Saudi-born fugitive Osama bin Laden is steadily eclipsing Iran and other
Middle East countries in sponsoring terrorist attacks, Congress' research
arm reports. Major factions in Iran are trying to change the country's image,
and Sudan and Libya appear to have reduced sharply their support of international
terrorism, the report said. Also, it said, Syria may be ready to expel such
groups once peace is established with Israel >>> FULL TEXT
Parliament mulling ways to boost foreign
investment
TEHRAN,
Aug 22 (AFP) - Iran's reformist parliament held a closed-door session Tuesday
to discuss ways of lowering the barriers to foreign investment in the Islamic
republic, sources told AFP. Economy Minister Hossein Namazi, Intelligence
Minister Ali Yunessi and central bank chief Mohsen Nourbakhsh were among
the participants but there were no further details available on the session,
they said >>> FULL TEXT
Doom and gloom among carpet makers as Tehran
fair opens
TEHRAN,
Aug 22 (AFP) - Carpets from across Iran went on show at Tehran's ninth carpet
fair Tuesday, but exporters were gloomy about the future of the country's
most famous craft in the face of bureaucratic obstacles and competition
from inferior foreign products. A total of 130,000 precious carpets from
all 28 provinces will be on show for six days at the fair organised by the
trade ministry. Persian carpets, regarded as the best in the world, are
the country's second most important export after oil, with some eight million
of the country's 62 million people involved in the industry >>>
FULL TEXT
Kharrazi suggest long-term oil contract
with S. Africa
PRETORIA,
Aug 22 (AFP) - Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi said Tuesday he hoped
along-term oil contract could be concluded between his country and South
Africa. "I'm here to upgrade the level of trade between South Africa
and Iran," he told journalists in Pretoria at the start of the fifth
meeting of the South-African-Iran joint economic commission >>>
FULL TEXT
Row over Shajarian's comments
Tehran (Hamshahri) -- Persian classical singer Mohammad
Reza Shajarian's recent comments published in a book ("Raaz-e maanaa")
offended some musicians. Here are two replies: >>>
Part (1) >>> Part
(2)
Women & music
Tehran (Iran daily) -- A special feature instroducing influential
Iranian women in the field of music. Here's the first: Fatemeh Homa Sadat
Afsari >>> FULL PERSIAN TEXT
Musical instruments: Export
Tehran
(Iran daily) -- The decision to lift the ban on the export of musical instrument
has come a bit late. But better late than never >>> FULL PERSIAN
TEXT
Persepolis departs for Doha
TEHRAN, August 21 (Iran Sports Press) -- With video: Persepolis
team will travel to Doha, Qatar for a match against Al-Wakreh on Thursday
at 9:00pm Persian Gulf standard time (10:30pm Tehran local time). Persepolis
will meet Al-Wakreh as part of the Asian Club Championships >>>
FULL TEXT
Hejazi: Iranian football too "individualistic"
TEHRAN, August 21 (Iran Sports Press) -- Naser Hejazi, former Esteghlal
coach and 1970s Iranian National Team goal keeper, said Iranian football
is plagued by individualistic football and lack of team work. "Our
football has become only individual play, with little teamwork", he
said on 'Football 90' show >>> FULL TEXT
Volleyball: Japan sefeats Iran
TEHRAN, August 22 (Iran Sports Press) -- The Japanese National
Youth Volleyball Team defeated Iran 3-2 on Tuesday in the 10th Asian Youth
Volleyball Championships. Despite this loss, Iran and Japan both qualify
to the semi finals of the Championship >>> FULL TEXT
BBC
Khatami Explaines Government Performance,
Problems
President Mohammad Khatami, in an interview
broadcast on Iranian TV and radio has touched upon different political and
economic issues facing the country. Lara Petrossian reports >>>
LISTEN HERE
BBC Persian
Service
Exchange rate
Updated August 16
Buying: 813 to 816 tomans per dollar
Selling: 822 to 828 tomans per dollar
CALL TOLL FREE: 877-SEHHATY (877-734-4289)
or 800-995-0264
Mention this code for a better rate:
FA 37 B
Business
news
The Web
Iran
Pars
Kado
"The fastest and most secure Iranian
gift delivery service dedicated to Iranians all around the world."
Beyond Iran
Grease
Car
In the proud tradition of the Veggie Van comes
the Grease Car, a converted VW Westfalia van that runs entirely on used
cooking grease. Your intrepid hosts Justin Carven and Skip Wrightson are
currently on a grease-fueled road trip across the United States. Check out
photos from the road.
More
web sites
Quote Unquote
Values
Values are important, but which values? I believe in political
identity, freedom to take part in the political process and to have the
right to decide one's destiny. These are values, not superficial impressions
of religion and trying to impose them on others as values... Defending the
rights of the people is the most important value. It is not possible to
have a society whose people do not have the right to rule over themselves.
-- President
Reuters
August 22, 2000
Photo of the Day
Woman
editor found guilty
Music
Nikbakht
& Martone
Music
artists index
Art
Jafar Potgar
Ghahveh khaneh-ye
Amirabad |
