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Cover story
The up-start woman
Short story
By Reza Ordoubadian
May 15, 2000
The Iranian
Aunt Gammar could barely contain herself as she sat on her hands in
the corner to keep from shouting, but she had heard all she could take,
and when the aging Mullah tried again to explain a simple passage from
the Koran -- and failed -- a voice was heard from the very back of the
mosque, where the women sat, "No...! No... ! No... ! That can't be!"
The Mullah stopped cold in mid sentence, and all the heads turned in
unison to see who had dared to interrupt the preacher. It was not that
someone had objected to what was said, but the voice that had said it:
a woman's voice, resonant and loud, repeated again, "You're wrong,
Agha!" >>>
GO TO FEATURE
Tehran Times
Wishing upon a star
What about the children of unemployed journalists?
By Najmeh Fakhraie
May 15, 2000
The Iranian
Tehran Times is a new column which will appear periodically. Najmeh
Fakhraie is a 16-year-old student in Tehran.
As you know a while back, a bunch of newspapers were closed down. Coincidentally
they all belonged to the reformers, as they're called. I really don't care
who the people who lost their jobs were, what they believed in, what "evil"
acts they commited to deserve treatment like this but I feel so sorry for
them and their children. Is there a birthday party they were looking forward
to but now can't go because they can't afford a present? Are they sad?
Are they scared? I bet anything that they are. And all because of what?
>>>
GO TO FEATURE
Outlook
Iran Blends Pragmatism With Islam to Solve Modern Problems
By Howard Schneider
The Washington Post
May 15, 2000
TEHRAN -- The piles of money, tumbling lottery numbers and breathless
announcements that greet Iranian television viewers before the nightly
9 o'clock news might seem untoward for this Muslim society, governed as
it is by the rules of a religion that largely forbids gambling. But in
this country's unique Islamic version of the Big Game, the emphasis is
on charity, not risk; benevolence, not greed. Players buy tickets to help
flood victims. They buy tickets to help orphans and the poor. Sometimes,
they utter a religious phrase--"to be closer to God"--as they
buy their tickets >>>
FULL TEXT
Left hook
Tehran elections
Organization of Revolutionary Workers of Iran's warning on possible
annulment of Tehran election results >>>
FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Anyway
Cheh rabti daareh?
Request from Iran:
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Armenia. We have a request from you. Please, send us Leila Forouhar's email
address, if you can -- or any information about how we can connect with
her.
We thank you in advance.
More Letters
* Islam not to blame
Roxana Oskouie writes: Massoume Price is a little too eager to
blame Islam for all the injustices against Iranian Jews and other minorities
during the past 1,400 years ["Ups
and (mostly) downs"]. The problem is not Islam. The primary problem
is people who represent Islam. The problem is power.
Judaism cannot be blamed for what Israel does to Palestinians. Just
as Christianity was not at fault for what the Nazis did to the Jews. And
Hinduism is not to blame for what Hindus have done to Muslims in India,
or Islam for what Muslims have done to Hindus in Pakistan. And Protestant
Christianity cannot be considered the reason why Catholics have been oppressed
in Northern Ireland. And Christianity cannot be held responsible for atrocities
against Muslims in Kosovo or Bosnia. And Christianity was not the force
behind the near extermination of Native Americans. It was the excuse.
It is interesting that Zoroastrian Iran -- as Ms. Price has noted --
was at times tolerant and at other times intolerant towards non-Zoroastrians.
Iran under Islam has also had a mixed past in its relationship with minorities.
Why? Did the ruling religion change? Or did rulers change their interpretation
of religion for their benefit?
Religions extremists carry out their evil deeds in the name of God.
But I would not blame God.
* Don't distort my words
Maziar Shirazi writes:
In response to K.
Hoseini: I had earlier told another person that I did not mean that
the war was created by the mollas, I simply said it was spurred on in unneccesary
ways, such as the employment of children, which in any event or stage of
war is a crime against your own. The war was started by Saddam Hussein
over issues of control over the Shatt Al Arab, control of Khuzestan, and
various other reasons, but mainly because the U.S. was playing a heavy
role in acting through Hussein...
You champion Khomeini so easily because he didn't actually pick up a
gun himself, but spoke through his subordinates and told them to carry
out the deeds. This even brings me back to my point about the war, in which
he created an extremely persuasive sentiment to prolong the war for religious
reasons and not for self defense, and you are blind if you cannot see that...
Don't distort my words. I wasn't in Iran for reasons totally unrelated
to the revolution, and it was only a matter of returning that has held
me back. So don't give me these smug asshole remarks about me deserting
my country. Some of our situations are different from yours. I guess you
left later than those who initially left because of the oven temperature,
huh? A real patriot to stay in your country >>>
FULL TEXT
* Revolutions made by idealists
Roozbeh Shirazi
wirtes: I write to respond to K.
Hoseini--who rightfully has written her thoughts on the matter. I agree
that we are all entitled to our opinion and to agree or disagree with the
opinions of others. However, I do NOT agree with calling passion and idealism
"pie in the sky", nor can I tolerate your twisting of an argument
made by Maziar
Shirazi into what you call verbose, ignorant, and it insinuating a
false sense of nationalism. The fact that you do call someone else's passion
"pie in the sky" speaks rather loudly as to who left or would
leave "when the kitchen got hot."... Maziar wrote that letter
in response to someone who defended closing the mouthpiece of the people
and the people who did it--are you opposed to that? ...
I suggest that instead of satisfying you own ego with the trifling response
you wrote attacking someone who cares about these issues, you might want
to think what it is that you are saying. And rather than tear people down
to your level of defeat and pessimism, you might want to encourage idealism
from young Iranians in this country and especially in Iran. Sorry if this
was too verbose for you--but let me leave it at this: Revolutions are not
started by the cynical and embittered, they are in fact started by people
who have "pie in the sky" passions >>>
FULL TEXT
Conference: Call for papers: Expats
conference in Tehran
With respect to the importance of the cultural, social and scientific
activities of Iranians living abroad, who form part of the Iranian society,
the first seminar to study and identify problems of Iranians living abroad,
entitled "Dialogue of Iranians" is to be held in mid-July. Interested
parties are invited to submit a paper on the topics below >>>
DETAILS HERE
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
Bookstore
Music store
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
Video Store
Translation of today's poem by Zara
Houshmand:
I closed my lips and spoke to you in a hundred silent ways.
I whispered an offer softly in the ear of your playful heart.
You've heard what I'm thinking, you know what I hold in my head.
And now, what I described to you last night, I'll do today.
-- Rumi
Copyright © Abadan Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
May not be duplicated or distributed in any form
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More
news
Khatami suffers mild heart problem in time
of political pressure
TEHRAN,
May 15 (AFP) - Political pressure is growing on Tehran's reformist President
Mohammad Khatami, whose health seems to be suffering as a result. Iran's
president suffered a mild heart problem last week and spent several hours
Thursday in a Tehran clinic, a hospital source told AFP Monday. Sunday,
Khatami went to another Tehran hospital to undergo a series of cardiological
tests, his office said >>> FULL TEXT
Guardians Council to decide Tehran's fate
this week
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - An Iranian supervisory council that has threatened
to annul election results in the capital said Sunday it would announce the
results of its recount this week. The Guardian Council ``decided to announce
its decision Thursday after recounting is completed in order to put an end
to the waiting of the noble people,'' council head Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati
said on Tehran radio >>> FULL TEXT
Suspects admit passing material to Israel
SHIRAZ, Iran (Reuters) - Two suspects in Iran's Jewish espionage
trial admitted Monday to working with Israeli intelligence but denied they
were founding members of the alleged spy ring, their lawyers said. Farhad
Seleh, a shopkeeper trained as a geologist, and Asher Zadmehr, a university
language instructor, separately told the closed session of the Revolutionary
Court they had collected information and handed it over to the Jewish state
>>> FULL TEXT
Lawyers of accused Jews threaten to sue
state TV
SHIRAZ, Iran (AP) - Defense lawyers for 13 Iranian Jews charged
with spying for Israel threatened to sue ``all those concerned'' on Monday
if any more of their clients' confessions were broadcast on television without
permission. The latest hearing in the closed-door trial adjourned Monday
in the southern city of Shiraz with two more admissions of guilt, said Esmail
Naseri, lawyer for three of the defendants and spokesman of the defense
team >>> FULL TEXT
Saudi Arabia welcomes Iranian pullout from
disputed gas field
RIYADH,
May 15 (AFP) - Saudi Arabia welcomed Monday the announcement by Iran that
it had stopped all drilling at the Dorra offshore gas field which Riyadh,
Kuwait and Tehran all claim. "It's a praiseworthy act of good neighbourliness,"
Defence Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdel Aziz told the official Saudi Press
Agency >>> FULL TEXT
Iran wants to export 100 million dollars
in carpets to US
TEHRAN,
May 14 (AFP) - Iran plans to export 100 million dollars worth of carpets
per year to the United States, following Washington's March decision to
lift an embargo on some Iranian imports, the head of the Central Union for
Iranian Carpets said Sunday. "After looking at expert studies we carried
out, the American market can absorb some 100 million dollars of Iranian
carpets each year," Nosratollah Mahmudzadeh told the official Iranian
news agency IRNA >>> FULL TEXT
Prices of Iranian silk carpets drop sharply
TEHRAN,
May 15 (AFP) - Prices for Iranian silk carpets on sale abroad have sunk
by 50 percent due to the declining quality of silk threads being imported
from Asian countries, Iranian state television said Monday >>>
FULL TEXT
Statue honoring Entezami
Tehran,
(Bahar) -- Ezzatollah Entezami has unveiled a bust honoring his illustrious
acting career. He will also appear in two new films >>> FULL TEXT
IN PERSIAN
Critical Darvish
Tehran,
(Bahar) - Ahmad Reza Darvish began his filmmakign career after the 1979
revolution. His latest film "Motevaled-e mehr maah", which got
mixed reviews, is going to be screened soon. In this interview he shares
his views on the Iranian film industry >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Independent literature awards
Tehran,
(Bahar) - Journalists and writers have formed an independent group to judge
the best wroks of literature in the past year >>> FULL TEXT IN
PERSIAN
Daei scores Hertha's only goal
(Iran Sports Press) - With video clip: Iranian star striker Ali
Daei scored Hertha Berlin's only goal on Saturday in its match against 1860
Munich. Munich was 2-0 ahead until the 77th minute when Daei's powerful
header gave struggling Hertha Berlin a consolation goal >>> FULL
TEXT
Zobahan's Karami scores best goal of week
25
(Iran Sports Press) - With video clip: Zobahan's Soheil Karami
scored the 'Best Goal of Week 25 of the Azadegan League games. Karami's
explosive shot from behind the AboMoslem penalty box opened the scoring
for Zobahan >>> FULL TEXT
Azizi's Quakes shaken against Chicago Fire
(Iran Sports Press) - The San Jose Earthquakes were defeated by
Chicago Fire with a score of 4-1. Quakes found themselves down by 3 goals
by the 15th minute of the match. It was 4-0 by halftime due to some woefull
defending by Quakes and an organized Chicago Fire offense >>> FULL
TEXT
BBC
Banned papers waiting
Three weeks after the collective ban of reformist
papers, the legal case against their managing directors has not yet begun.
This is at a time when the Culture Minister, Ayatollah Mohajerani has not
ruled out the possibility of reapperance of some of these papers. Sadegh
Saba reviews the situation >>>
LISTEN HERE
BBC Persian
Service
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Updated May 15
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Quote Unquote
Completely fine?
The president had a mild illness last week and he was admitted
Thursday to the cardiological section of the Nur Clinic in Tehran... [The
president's health is] completely fine.
-- Nur Clinic source in Tehran
AFP
May 15, 2000
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