Letters
March 19-23, 2001 / Esfand 29-Farvardin 3, 1380
Today
* Khatami:
- Khatami should not run
* Persian:
- Not just Persian
* Iran:
- A bottle of Iran
Previous
* Lost:
- Minoo, where are you?
* Women:
- Girls do NOT poop
* Sadaf Kiani:
- Parvaaz kardam
* Saman:
- Real artist
- How about someting new?
* Poetry:
- Most sublimely beautiful
* Monarchy:
- I'm not a monarchist activist, but...
- Khaak to saret konan
- Deal with today
* Romance:
- Don't be a dictator
- Caricature not a treatise
* Iraj Mirza:
- Freedom fighter
* Iran:
- Very poor choice
- Anti-Iranian Americans
* Persian:
- Persian pants please
- Where are the Persians?
* Model:
- Oy vey!
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Friday,
March 23, 2001
* Khatami should not run
Initially after reading Hamid Zangeneh's piece, "Don't
run", I questioned whether or not his opinion was based upon factors
that are truly important. I have been a staunch supporter of the reformists,
of Khatami's presidential term, and of Khatami's reelection. But after
working through Zangeneh's argument, I have fallen into agreement with
him: Khatami should announce "to the public that he will not stand
for reelection and, more importantly, tell them why-- pure and simple."
>>>
FULL TEXT
Cyrus Samii
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* Not just Persian
In response to Bagher
R. Harand: Mr. Kayhan Kalhor & Shujaat Husain Khan have produced
a musical project called Ghazal. Mr. Kalhor appears as a guest for other
projects .While he is an Iranian master of Kamanche, he most probably has
refined his art of improvisations through this interpretation of Persian
music in an Indian context. He is a profound artist and in my humble opinion
his music is spiritual no matter from what land the melodies come from.
No one should be allowed to dictate how an artist expresses ones self.
I think those who complained about the event and the fact that it wasn't
"Persian" enough for them are not true patrons of Mr. Kalhor
and did not do their homework >>>
FULL TEXT
Ali Derakhshan
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* A bottle of Iran
I read your story about the soil fron Iran ["A
glass of Iran"]. It reminded me of when I was coming out of Iran
and I had gathered some soil in a milk bottle and brought it to the U.S.
I was about 15-years old and the whole family was laughing at me. Unfortunately,
I don't know what happened to the milk bottle, but I still have some rocks
that I use to collect with my friend in Shiraz.
Neshat Rezai
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Thursday
March 21, 2001
* Persian pants please
This past Saturday, March 17, and upon the invitation of the Board of
Director of Lincoln Center, and presumably due to my loaning them a series
of fine Persian carpets to decorate the event, my family and I attended
a concert in which Mr. Kayhan Kalhor, the renowned Persian kamancheh player
was an active participant.
The audience of over four thousand, mostly American, were captively
mesmerized by the power of the Eastern music. There were, nonetheless,
comments made by many afterwards that I feel obliged to share with the
community.
For instance, many were somewhat disappointed as they had come to listen
to Persian music; instead, they primarily heard fine Indian music.
Also, Mr. Kalhore had a Pakistani/Indian outfit, which in retrospect
might have been more appropriate had he worn Persian outfit. In other words,
the general feeling was that if there is any Persian influence in the whole
affair, it went unnoticed by and large.
One might hope that our talented artists pay more attention to their
own heritage when appearing in such prominent platforms in the future.
Bagher R. Harand
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* I'm not a monarchist activist, but...
I have written regularly to The Iranian Times , and I have always
insisted on the fact that I am not an activis. Yes, Mohammed Reza Shah
Pahlavi, became a dictator, or was driven into becoming one partially pushed
by his democratic allies in the West. Yes, Iran under the reign of Mohammed
Reza Shah suffered a certain degree of censorship. Yes, Mohammed Reza Shah
was trying to give lessons on democracy to his own allies, and probably
that was the only way he could show a certain degree of independence towards
them. However, I believe that despite his short-comings, and the fact that
he was a dictator, does not justify historians to confuse him with the
blood-thirsty tyrant he never was >>>
FULL TEXT
Darius Kadivar
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* Don't be a dictator
Dear Siamack Baniameri,
I don't know how you assumed that you and people around you are the
only definition of Iranians and there isn't any other version of Iranians.
To make a long story short, I hope nobody feels that he /she is the center
of the world or the golden standard of culture. Because this way of thinking
and criticizing is the first step to dictatorship which is the most important
problem that Iranians are faceing -- much more important than onions, chelokabab,
and beards >>>
FULL TEXT
BP Azar
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* Minoo, where are you?
I am wondering if you are able to help me trace the whereabouts of Minoo
Motamedi (or Mohtamedi). In 1963 she lived at Navab Street, Hagshenas Station,
Hagshenas Street No 68, Tehran.
Minoo had planned to enter university and study to be an engineer but
I do not know what eventually became of her. If you can help with information
about her present whereabouts, I can be contacted at the address shown
below.
PO Box 117
Bindoon Western
Australia 6502
Peter Jeans
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Wednesday
March 21, 2001
* Khaak to saret konan
This is in response to the BS that was published a while ago called
"Citizen
Pahlavi". Firstly, I would like to bring to the attention of all
the readers of Iranian.com and the person who wrote "Citizen
Pahlavi" that the only time that Iran and the people of Iran lived
a life just as luxurious as any other European family was when the SHAH
was in power. Reza Pahlavi doesn't have to apologize for his father's mistakes,
because his father never mad any mistakes. The only thing he did wrong
was not kill all those mollas that deserve to burn in hell, and their followers,
people such as you >>>
FULL TEXT
Sepehr
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* Deal with today
From those who bringup the issue of monarchy vs. presidency in Iran
["Shah
or president?"], I would like to ask what is the real problem
here? And what is your point? Good or bad, the Shah and his regime are
gone. What happened in 1979 and why it happened, though important to understand,
it has already happened. We now have the "Islamic Republic" to
deal with >>>
FULL TEXT
Hamid K
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* Parvaaz kardam
Khanoom-e Kiani, man yeki az shaagerdaa-ye ghadimitoon hastam keh alaan
too aalmaan dars mikhoonam. raastesh emrouz roouzeh eideh va raftam az
yeki az site-haaye iraani baraa-ye doostam kaart befrestam keh neveshteh-ye
qashang-e shomaaro didam ["Rooz-haaye
aakhar-e saal"]!
nemidoonam cheraa vali parvaaz kardam beh oonja. oonqadr saadeh va samimi
bood keh vaaghe'an bargashtam beh haal-o havaa-ye oonjaa! heif keh injaa
eid nadaareh! hamash kaar va dars!
raasti saal-e notoon kheili mobaarak! man esmam Raha Rezai-ye. fekr
nemikonam yaadetoon baasheh. too maderseh-ye Omidvar shomaa dabir-e hona-r
maa boodin! beh har haal, mamnoon! eidi-ye qashangi bood. baa aarezoo-ye
salaamati va shaadi .
Raha Rezai
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* Girls do NOT poop
I asked my girlfriend if she poops ["Girls
poop"], and she confirmed it: Girls do NOT poop. I will watch
her to comfirm, but she rarely lies. So my question to you is, why are
you publishing lies? :-(
Floppy McGee
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Tuesday
March 20, 2001
NONE
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Monday
March 19, 2001
* Caricature not a treatise
I read the article by Mr. Baniameri about his despair on Valentine's
Day ["The
hell with romance"] and found it a highly amusing and funny take
on some of Iranian men's negative stereotypes.
I was surprised to see the letters by some Iranian women bashing him
as a sexist or calling him gay! Where has your sense of humor gone?! Sarcasm,
a very great tool in comedic writing, is oozing out of this articles ears.
It makes discussion of these difficult issues easier.
It's a caricature not a treatise on what men or women should do. Laugh
at it, as I think many of the men and women reading it did, and let it
raise a few questions in your mind as I think was the intent of the writer.
Mahmood Kanani
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* Real artist
I emailed you a few months ago and I was amazed by Saman's
art work. He is extremely talented. I was so excited that finally I
know someone in the U.S. who is a real artist and a real human being. I
used the word "know" because I think I know him through his artwork.
Not only is he an artist, but also he has felt something that not many
people have felt and that is the way women live in Iran >>>
FULL TEXT
Azin
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* How about someting new?
I think the cartoons
by Sman could improve if he uses more color and variations in the theme.
so far all of his cartoons have the same exact looking molla and the same
punchline.
His cartoons say the same thing all the time: "mollas and women
in chadoor are silly and Iran is hell". Okay, enough of that. We all
knoww hat life is like in Iran. How about someting new?
I don't see any other opinions noted in his cartons and the characters
too remain the same for the most part. This is just a comment / suggestion.
I do admire all artists.
Babak Behnia
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* Most sublimely beautiful
I wanted to tell you that Zara Houshmand's poem "Earth
and water" is probably the most sublimely beautiful writing I
have ever read on Iranian.com.
I often visit this website to read poems because it helps me make sense
of my own minute dilemmas as an Iranian-American "living in exile".
I can't explain it but I often feel as if I am listening to a large group
of children yelling and fighting when I read many of the poems on the website.
But your poem moved me deeply and was the first one that I read and
reread several times. Thank you for sharing your art with us. I hope you
continue to create such wonderful work.
SY
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