The Iranian Times

Wednesday, May 31, 2000 / Khordad 11, 1379, No. 991


Sprint Long Distance

Sehaty Foreign Exchange

Flower delivery in Iran

Iranian books

Opinion

Numbers don't lie
Demography holds Iran's destiny

By Farzaneh Roudi
May 31, 2000
The Iranian

The opening of the sixth Iranian parliament on May 27 has demonstrated that popular reforms in Iran initiated by President Mohammad Khatami are irreversible. For the first time since 1979 revolution, supporters of the reform movement in Iran hold a solid majority in the parliament, where the average age of the new members is 15 years younger than that of the outgoing members.

The demographic process is pervasive. Young Iranians were responsible for the reformers' win in the recent parliamentary elections, as they were in the 1997 election of moderate Khatami. One-quarter of the Iranian population is between the ages of 15 and 25. The coming of age of a huge cohort of young Iranians living in cities in the information age is changing the face of the Islamic Republic >>> GO TO FEATURE


Outlook

U.S. Trade Initiative No Bonanza

By Howard Schneider
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, May 31, 2000

Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright may have thought she was doing Iranians a big favor when she recently announced relaxed trade rules governing some of their embargoed products, including caviar, pistachios and Persian rugs, but the news has landed with a thud here in the capital of the Islamic republic >>> FULL TEXT

Fatwa plan to kill Khatami

Geneive Abdo in Tehran
The Guardian (London)
Wednesday May 31, 2000

A plan to dispose of Iran's moderate president by clerically authorised murder has been foiled. The would-be assassin was a member of the presidential bodyguard and of the elite Revolutionary Guard who tried to convince senior clerics to issue an edict allowing him to kill President Mohammad Khatami >>> FULL TEXT

Thanks to Simin

New remote control can be operated by remote

Tokyo (THE ONION) -- Television wathcing became even more convenient this week with Sony's introduction of a new remote-controlled remote control >>> FULL TEXT



More Letters

* I speak Persian

Pargol Saati writes: I have been wondering for years why Iranians and now Americans too refer to our language as "Farsi" using an Iranian word instead of its English translation which is Persian ["Eenjoori beneveeseem?"]. When speaking English, we say Germans speak German (not Deutsch), French speak French (not Francais) and Spanish speak Spanish (not Espagnol). Then we have Persians speaking Farsi.

I cannot understand how the Iranian word Farsi crept into English, when they still call pesteh: pistachio; karvan: caravan; padjamak: pyjama. When speaking English we use the English translation or equivalents, when speaking Persian we shall use the word Farsi. Several novels which I have read lately by Iranian women writers written in English all refer to our language as Farsi, and they are written in English >>> FULL TEXT

* Brought tears

Maha Fahmy writes: Although I am not Iranian, the three excerpts that I have read of your journey back to Iran ["Absence"]; of the love of an Iranian man, and the journey that got you back to them, bought tears to my eyes. I too am of mixed heritage (half Arab, half Spanish), born and raised in New York.

Suprisingly enough, I too avoided the gold wearing, scotch drinking, Middle Eastern Mercedes driving doctor like the plague. I am now engaged to a Canadian Iranian. It was only when I saw what a magical place he made the world seem did I have the courage to return to my own roots. Thank you for expressing what I had to find out the hard way.


Film: Kiarostami's latest film in New York

Asia Society and New York University's The Hagop Kevorkian Center and Tisch School of the Arts Present: A special screening of The Wind Will Carry Us (Abbas Kiarostami/1999/118 min/Farsi with English subtitles) and a conversation with director Abbas Kiarostami. Saturday, June 10, 1 - 4 p.m. Cantor Film Center, 36 East 8th Street, New York City >>> MORE DETAILS


Books & Music from Iran

Check our fourteen new books from Iran including an authoritative history of the Achamenid empire, writings by leading reformists, Forough Farrokhzad's complete works, exquisite books of classical poetry with miniatures, Manichaean psalms and more! >>> GO HERE

New music albums

* Taherzadeh, Manochehr: Aakharin barg * Eyvazi, Mohammad Reza. : Rangin kamaan * Banan.: Shaakh-e gol (2) * Ta'rif, Sadiq: Maah baanoo * Lachini, Fariborz: Paaeez-e talaaee ... >>> GO HERE

THE IRANIAN
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Video

NEW: Champions: Iranian national soccer team

Three hours of interviews, trainings, matches, Biographies, and fans of Iranian National Soccer Team, covering Iran's soccer history from 1979-2000. Premium quality. Produced by: Alireza AmirGhasemi & Behrouz Deravi.

THE IRANIAN
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    Poetry

Translation of today's poem by Zara Houshmand:

There's joy in my heart--I have joined my lover tonight;
Finally free from the pain of our parting, tonight.
As I dance with my lover I pray, oh Lord, in my heart:
May the keys to morning be lost forever tonight.
-- Rumi



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More news

Reformers are in majority, but not completely in control

TEHRAN, May 31 (AFP) - Reformers were the grand victors in Iran's parliamentary elections, but despite the overwhelming support they enjoy among voters, they have had to ally themselves in parliament with former radicals who are backed by the Islamic clergy >>> FULL TEXT

Four reformers proclaimed winners

TEHRAN, May 31 (AFP) - Iran's conservative-dominated election watchdog body, the Council of Guardians, confirmed Wednesday the victories of four more reformers in the May 5 round of parliamentary voting, Iranian television said >>> FULL TEXT

Journalists launch campaign

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - An Iranian guild of journalists has launched a campaign to reopen 19 publications shut down by hard-liners cracking down on reformist press, a guild official said Wednesday >>> FULL TEXT

Two Muslims arrested in spy case

May 31, SHIRAZ, Iran (AP) - A judicial official said that two Muslim suspects detained Wednesday in the espionage trial of 13 Iranian Jews had been lured by women and alcohol into an Israeli spy ring >>> FULL TEXT

Eight Iranian refugees die on Bosnia-Croatia border

May 31, (International Federation of Iranian Refugees) -- Eight Iranian refugess have either died or gone missing after their boat capsized on a river in Bosnia. They were hoping to reach Italy >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN

Iranian sentenced to death in Dubai

DUBAI, May 31 (AFP) - An Iranian convicted of stabbing to death a woman he wanted to marry after suspecting she had been a prostitute has been sentenced to death in the Gulf emirate of Dubai, a newspaper reported Wednesday >>> FULL TEXT

Crude oil prices sink

May 31, (AP) -- Crude oil prices plunged more than 4 percent Wednesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange on the widespread belief that another production increase by OPEC countries is imminent >>> FULL TEXT

Iran detains tanker carrying Iraqi crude: agency

TEHRAN, May 31 (AFP) - Iranian Revolutionary Guards last week detained a small tanker transporting smuggled Iraqi oil, the official IRNA news agency announced Wednesday >>> FULL TEXT

Political books popular

Tehran (Bahar) -- The market for books on domestic political issues is hot these days. Abdollah Nouri's defense and Akbar Ganji's expose on Ayatollah Rafsanjani ("Aalijenaab-e sorkhpoosh) are selling particularly well >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN

Stretching the boundaries of women's literature

Tehran (Bahar) -- Mahsa Moheb-Ali's collection of short stories -- "Sedaa" -- has a new, stranege and modern feel >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN

Preservation: Qazvin municipality

Tehran (Hamshahri) -- Qazvin's Qajar-era municipality building has been listed for preservation >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN

Soccer: German head coach?

Tehran (Hamshahri) -- Iran is certain to hire a German to lead the national soccer team and his name is probably Borg Berger (sp?) >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN

Soccer: Iran 1 - Palestine 1

Tehran (Hamshahri) -- There are rumors that Persepolis may be divided into two separate teams. Or that the Bahman club may be purchased and renamed either Persepolis or Piroozi. Reaction >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN

Soccer: Hashemi-Nasab heading for Germnany

Tehran (Hamshahri) -- Mehdi Hashemi-Nasb has finally signed a new contract with Persepolis but the financial side is not clear. Meanwhile he's leaving for Germany to see if there's any interest in him >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN


BBC

Daryoush Homayoun

Interview with a former senior cabinetmember of the Shah's government on democracy and elections in Iran (after news, 6 minutes 35 seconds) >>> LISTEN HERE

BBC Persian Service


Exchange rate

Updated May 29

Buying: 830 to 836 tomans per dollar

Selling: 841 to 846 tomans per dollar

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Business news


The Web

Iran

Pan Iranist Movement

"Pan Iranists ... believe the re-establishment of democracy in Iran is near. In this struggle for freedom, the nation of Iran will triumph."

Beyond Iran

The Early Video Project

While film has been around for over a hundred years, video made its first appearance in the mid-sixties. As a new generation of digital filmmakers opts for camcorders over Bolexes, The Early Video Project takes a look back at the pioneers of video art.

More web sites


Quote Unquote

Demography

Demography ... is destiny in Iran. The young age structure, high level of urbanization, and increasing contact with Iranians abroad conspire against radicalism in the name of revolution.

-- Farzaneh Roudi
"Numbers don't lie"
The Iranian
May 31, 2000


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