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Vahshi Bafqi
Cover story
Dear Googoosh
Letters to the most-loved Iranian alive
You may have always doubted Googoosh's talents as an entertainer. You
may think she is a false idol whose influence on pop culture died with
the 1979 revolution. You are in a very small minority.
Googoosh has not perfomed in 20 years. She chose to remain in Iran after
1979 and has kept a low profile. Yet she sells more CDs and tapes than
any other Iranian artist. Hikers sing her songs on Tehran's mountain trails.
Children who were born after she stopped singing, listen to her tapes on
Walkmans at school. And she is practically worshipped in Tajikistan, where
many speak Persian. She is, without a doubt, the most-loved Iranian alive.
The following are letters written to her on the googoosh.com website:
... GO TO FEATURE
Commentary
The blame game
Iranians are masters of finger pointing
By Guive Mirfendereski
According to reports by the Associated Press, on Friday, January 8,
1999, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, placed the blame for the
murder and disappearance of a number of prominent writers and political
activists on foreign intelligence services such as the CIA, Britain's MI5
and MI6 and Israel's Mossad.``You will be shocked to learn about the scope
of the crimes, assassinations, bombings and intimidations committed by
these intelligence services," he said.
However, it is doubtful that any foreign intelligence agency was behind
the recent events. What seems to be at play here is the art of distraction,
finger pointing, blame assigning, and misdirection, to each of which Iranians
may well have a legitimate claim of exclusive ownership. The art of misdirection
has been a national sport in Iranian political culture for some time. It
is always somebody else's fault ... GO TO FEATURE
Month of Day
This month in Iranian history
- Constitutionalist
"Soor Esrafil" newspaper launched
- Referrendum
called for the Shah's White Revolution
- World
champion wrestler Takhti dies under mysterious circumstances
- Rastakhiz
Party in emergency session
- A
commentary attacking Ayatollah Khomeini appears in Ettela'at newspaper
- Western
leaders meet to discuss crisis in Iran
Presented by the Iranian Institute for Contemporary Historical Studies
(in Persian) ... GO TO FEATURE
More Letters
* Revolution's secular nature changed
Hamid Tadjvara writes: [Regarding H. Jalili's
letter: "The
Shah made mistakes...":]
I completely and angrily object to your attempts at glorifying the previous
regime and despising the 78-79 movement. I may agree with you in part,
but would not attempt to forget about the crimes of the past dynasties.
The current reime did steal the revolution from the people and changed
its historical, secular identity. It's hardly any justification for the
ill deeds of the Shah and his N. American supporters.
* Art: Yari Ostovany in group show,
Berkeley
Yari Ostovany in group show at Berkeley Art Center on January 17 - February
21, 1999.
- Artists' Reception: Sunday, January 17, 2 to 4 pm
- Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Sunday, noon to 5 pm
- Address: 1275 Walnut Street, Berkeley, California (in Live Park)
Also
in Washington DC
Book of the Week
To See and See Again
A Life in Iran and America
By Tara Bahrampour
From A beautifully written memoir that delivers much more than the story
of a young woman's life. Bahrampour, a Princeton Ph.D. candidate in sociology,
grew up in two culturesAmerica and Iran very much in conflict. The daughter
of an Iranian father and an American mother, she claimed American habits
as her early norms. However, the young Tara grew attached to Iranian ways,
so when the family returned to the U.S. due to the Islamic Revolution (she
was 11), the author's sense of dislocation only heightened. - Kirkus
Reviews
Also read the New York Newsday review of Bahrampour's book
Recent
featured books
THE IRANIAN
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New! Bestsellers
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More
news
Parvaneh Foruhar
FULL COVERAGE OF NEWS ON INVESTIGATIONS INTO RECENT MURDERS IN
IRAN
Montazeri wants secret police purged
TEHRAN, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Iran's most prominent
dissident cleric called in a statement published on Monday for a thorough
purge of the country's secret police after revelations of death-squads in
the organisation. Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, whose statement appeared
in the moderate daily Khordad, called for a ``deep and complete purge of
the (Intelligence Ministry) personnel.'' ``This purge is an immediate necessity
and should not be delayed. This action will regain the people's confidence,''
said Montazeri, who has often complained about police pressures ... FULL
TEXT
Factions debate minister's fate after murders
TEHRAN, Jan 10 (Reuters) - A factional debate
raged in Iran on Sunday after revelations of death-squads in the secret
police as a newspaper said the conservative intelligence minister was unlikely
to resign despite pressure by moderates. Backers of moderate President Mohammad
Khatami have called for a thorough purge of the Intelligence Ministry after
it revealed last week that some of its agents were linked to a recent spate
of killings of dissidents ... FULL TEXT
Iran's MAPNA considers Caspian pipeline
partners
DUBAI, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Iranian project
management company MAPNA said on Monday that it had won a $347 million deal
to build a Caspian Sea oil pipeline to the country's northern refineries
and was considering consortium partners. MAPNA regional manager Reza Ebadzadeh
told Reuters that his firm had been informed by the National Iranian Oil
Company (NIOC) that it won the contract, beating Italian, British, German,
Russian, South Korean and Saudi competitors ... FULL TEXT
Tehran Film Festival
Tehran (Hamshahri) - Deputy guidance minister in
charge of films detailed some of the plans for this year's international
Fajr Film Festival which will be held in next month ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Ferdosi & Iran's youth
Tehran (Hamshahri) - A commentary on Mohammad Ali
Eslami Nadoushan's research regarding Ferdosi and the impact of the Shahnameh
on Iran's youth ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Soccer: Planning for the future
Tehran (Hamshahri) - Yes, we won the Asian Cup. But
what about the future? Is the Iranian national team ready to face new challenges?
Commentary from Hamshahri ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Human Rights
New mailing list
I have started a new mailing list called "Ascent." The aim
is to address humanitarian issues on the verge of the 21st century. I am
trying to promote it and attract members.
To subscribe, send an email to majordomo@im-ins.com
and type "subscribe ascent" in the body of the message.
Camelia Akbari
$ Rate
Updated Jan 8
The
dollar now offered at up to 713-715 tomans
Source: Sehaty Exchange (U.S.) Tel: 602-595-0777
Business
news
The Web
Iran
Persian Cafe
A fun site with interesting features, inclduing electronic
cards, art works and photos.
Beyond Iran
Life
in the Fast Lane
... with Polly and Esther Fleagleman, two lively gals just
looking for some fun. Think you can keep up?
More
web sites
Quote Unquote
Stay away from LA
DAR EEN CHAND SALE MA TORO KHEILI MISS KARDIM VA HANOZ DAR EEN 20 SAAL
GOOGOOSH DIGARY MOTEVALED NASHODE. HAR JA HASTY KHOSH BASHY VA BE LOS ANGELES
HICH VAGT NAYA. LOVE, NASSER IRANIHA
"Dear
Googoosh"
The Iranian
January 11, 1999
Photo of the Day
Journalists, way back
More
photos
Music
Musician of the Week
Parivash
The Queen of "Koocheh Bazaari" music in the 1950s
and 1960s.
Music
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