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Khayyam
Emigrant
The little emigre
Who would I be today, without all those losses?
By Yasmine Rafii
Since, in American geography, Iran was not discovered until... oh, about
1979, nobody had a clue where I was from. It could have been Mars. My penchant
for invention got the better of me, and the stories I told included not
one, but several magic carpets. One for each of my father's wives. For
the sixth graders of LaSalle Public School, magic carpets became a viable
means of locomotion, intended for the truly discerning traveler. Mr. Ayres,
our teacher, poor fellow, was of the horse-and-buggy era himself. Making
sense out of the conundrum that I presented, was very taxing to his system.
He sighed a lot.
That first week, it was imperative that I stand up and make a name for
myself. The class bully, a giant of a girl named Ginger, spent most of
her time picking on us geeks. Her favorite target at the time was the smartest
kid in the class, a Chinese girl named Mai-lin. Mai-lin's problem was not
just being smart, she was also tiny and very skinny. So skinny in fact,
that if you turned her sideways, she disappeared. As my first heroic act
in support of underdogs, I publicly announced my intention to defend Mai-lin's
honor. I challenged Ginger to a fight in the alley after school... GO TO FEATURE
Anyway
Inscription on the inside sleeve of Farhad's 1996 CD (Khaab
dar beedaari):
"Al-molk yabqaa ma'al-kofr va laa yabqaa ma'al-zolm."
-- Prophet Mohammad
(An irreligious state shall survive, but not an oppressive
one [even under the guise of religion].)
History
Revolution: 1979-1999
More Letters
* Still paying a price for isolation
Kewmars Bozorgmehr writes: While the Iranian
government may have viewed the Taleban primarily as a threat to the Shia
population, one must also recognize Tehran's efforts to bring on board
other regional countries to help safeguard the interests of all Afghan
minorities ["National interests come first"]. After standing
alone for nearly 20 years in a volatile region, Iran is still paying a
price as it emerges from isolation. Few sovereign states share frontiers
with so many countries -- seven land borders and twice that if the littoral
states of the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf are included. Most of her
neighbors are grappling with varying degrees of instability, sometimes
inspired by outside forces. But nearly all of them are bound by agreement
to allies who would help thwart an uncompromising aggressor, if not on
the battlefield, then at least in the diplomatic arena...
FULL
TEXT
* I hope one day...
William J. Herman writes: [Regarding "Open Air"] how hard it is for the world's people
to understand one another, and most of all to be tolerant of each others
beleifs and cultures. I only hope one day we will care for each other and
respect one another no matter where we live or who we are.
* "Adam barfi" ("The Snow Man) in Berkeley
San Francisco Cine Club and Iranian Film Society present: "Adam
barfi" ("The Snow Man). Monday Sept 28, fine art cinema, 2145
Shattuck Aave, In Berkeley, California. Show times:5:00, 7:00 and 9:00
pm.
* Religion: Dr.
Mirza Aghassi in the Bay Area
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U.N. seeks meeting on Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (AP) - Amid concern about a possible
Iranian intervention in Afghanistan, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is
arranging a meeting next week of eight countries that are attempting to
bring peace to Afghanistan, a Clinton administration official said Wednesday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright is expected to attend the meeting Monday... FULL TEXT
Iran army heads for Afghan border war games
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said Wednesday nine
army divisions were heading for the tense Afghan border for military exercises
that could begin as early as Saturday. But Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal
Kharrazi said diplomatic and peaceful approaches should be given a chance
before taking military action ... FULL TEXT
Liberal Iranian newspaper closed
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran closed a liberal
Iranian newspaper Wednesday for publishing articles detrimental ``to the
country's national interests and security,'' the official Islamic Republic
News Agency reported... FULL TEXT
U.S. lawmakers oppose overtures to Iran
WASHINGTON (AP) - Congressional opponents
of diplomatic openings to Iran appealed to the Clinton administration Wednesday
to refrain from any goodwill gestures during next week's visit to the United
Nations by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami ... FULL TEXT
Petition for U.S.-Iran dialogue
Iran-U.S.
friendship petition from Iranians For International Cooperation (IIC), Sept
16, 1998: "As undersigned, I would like to express full support for
the use of dialogue as a means to solve the disputes between the US and
Iran... FULL TEXT
Iranian official in London for talks
London, September 16, (BBC) - A senior Iranian
foreign ministry official is in London for a two-day viisit which will include
talks at the Foreign office and the Department of Trade. The official, Ali
Ahani, will meet the minister for Middle Eastern affairs at the Foreign
office, Derek Fatchett, and a junior minister at the Department of Trade
... FULL TEXT
Who's going to coach?
TEHRAN, (Hamshahri) - Commentary on who should coach
the Iranian olympic soccer team ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
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Quote Unquote
Loss
I get weepy, thinking about all the different flavors of loss, life dishes
up for us. Loss of magic, loss of innocence, loss of childhood, loss of
friends, home, family. A bittersweet theme that weaves itself in and out
of our days, like the ribbon in a young girl' s braid.
Yasmine Rafii
"The
little emigre"
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Children of Deh Koh : Young Life in an Iranian Village
By Erika Friedl
1997, Syracuse University Press
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