Letters
May 15-19, 2000 / Ordibehesht 26-30, 1379
Today
* Politics:
- Don't know what you're talking about,
sir
- If the Shah was in power
Previous
* Left:
- Stalinist tone
* Fiction:
- Intelligent and passionate
- I am not a sheep
* Nabavi:
- Cheech Nabavi
* The Iranian:
- Bad taste
- Enzevaa
* Jews:
- Islam not to blame
* Politics:
- Loyalty to God, King, and Country
- Don't distort my words
- Revolutions made by idealists
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Friday,
May 19, 2000
* Don't know what you're talking about, sir
Letter to U.S. Senator Jesse Helms:
I am an American resident of Iranian origin. I am writing to you in
regard to your comments on the World
Bank loans to Iran. I am not completely in favor of the Iranian government.
But I think that U.S. policy and intervention in my country has been quite
hostile, leading toward a crippled economy. These policies and interventions
include the 1953 CIA backed coup, the support for the Shah's oppresive
regime, support for Iraq during an 8-year war that killed and wounded millions
of youth on both sides, and now sanctions.
Tell me sir, with all these actions, don't you think that Iran's economy
has been severly damaged as a result? And don't you think that basic health
care and sewage, which have suffered directly, is a right of the Iranian
people, not to mention everywhere in the world? Therefore I find your comments
completely insensitive, irresponsible, and ignorant, with all due respect
>>>
FULL TEXT
Yashar Mameghan
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* If the Shah was in power
This is a reply to questions raised by Sahar
Nahrvar's letter. She wrote:
"Yes it was better when the Shah was around."
In what way was it better? There was freedom on a superficial level
only and nothing like what you expect from an even slightly democratic
system.
"But still, one wonders, would the Shah not have closed down
16 opposition publications?"
Would he have closed them? The question should be, would such publications
be allowed in the first place? Would they have received permission to
press and criticise whoever they want? I think the answer is a resounding
NO. The control over all media was suffocating and the prisons were full
of those even slightly daring to criticise >>>
FULL TEXT
Peyman A.
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Thursday
May 18, 2000
* Stalinist tone
Dr Ali Reza Nourizadeh is probably one of the few rare journalists to
have witnessed the dramatic upheavals that shook Iran in 1978-79 from close
range. He is a hardworking man with a mature view of his country's current
political processus.
I am always appalled by the strong Stalinist tone of some of the more
radical so-called Leftist press ["Hezb-e
Kargari Iran commentary"]. They seem to indulge in a plethora
of accusations and personal mud slinging that always lowers the democratic
framework practiced in most civilised socities>>>
FULL TEXT
Cyrus Kadivar
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* Intelligent and passionate
Just a note to let you know how much I appreciate and enjoy the fiction
of Dr. Ordoubadian ["The
up-star woman"]. His narratives are very interesting - intelligently
and passionately presented - and his powers of description are extremely
strong. He is able to evoke a time and place in a way that pulls the reader
into the story.
I look forward to seeing more of his work on your site.
Jane Porter
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Wednesday
May 17, 2000
* I am not a sheep
I found the story intriguing ["The
up-star woman"], not so much for the way it ended, but for the
spirit of questioning. For the realization that as a person, and as a woman,
we do have as intelligent a mind as anyone, and should utilize our powers
to investigate truth.
This story envisioned the sad reality that some people tend to follow
blindly, like a flock of sheep. They elevate a person into thinking himself
superior, and they feed this vanity by accepting themselves as ignorant
souls, which will not attain a higher station..
The story depicts beautifully that it needs daring to stand up, to open
the eyes, and to say:
"I am not a sheep.
I am as intelligent a being as any one creation of God can be.
I am equal,
I question truth and reality with my own wisdom,
Not with yours..."
Neda Kamranpour
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* Bad taste
I find your cover
picture in bad taste and insulting to those who are forced to wear
the chador and those who do it because they like to (like my 75-year-old
grandmother). What do you accomplish by pictures like these?
Mohammad Taslim
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Tuesday
May 16, 2000
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Monday
May 15, 2000
* Islam not to blame
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.
Roxana Oskouie
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* Don't distort my words
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 emplyment 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 suboordinates 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
Maziar Shirazi
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* Revolutions made by idealists
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
Roozbeh Shirazi
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