Archive

It is never too late and.... better late than never!

A large group of Iranian immigrants, spread around the world, on a daily basis, face the great challenge of preserving their mother tongue and native culture in the host society>>>

Open letter to my daughters

It is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential. >>>

Boycotting Israel: Time for Action

Making a difference, peacefully and effectively. >>>

VIEWS FROM FRANCE: Gaza Crisis On French TV

Watch Talk Shows "Ce Soir Ou Jamais" hosted by Frédéric Taddeï & "Mots Croises" Hosted by Yves Calvi>>>

Israel, Gaza and Iran

In talking about the assault on Gaza, neo-conservative pundits and Israeli hardliners have relied on a familiar frame. The fighting in Gaza, they say, is a struggle between Israel and so-called "moderate" Arab states (namely, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia) on the one hand, and Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas on the other. In reality, Israel is fighting Iran in Gaza, the argument reads. These imagined Manichean fault lines defy logic and reality. This conflict is the last thing Tehran would have wished for in the last few weeks of the Bush administration. It increases the risk of a US-Iran confrontation now, and reduces the prospects for US-Iran diplomacy once President elect Obama takes over >>>

The right to insult

Holiday seasons are excuses for gathering and parties and fun. As usual this Christmas night became a perfect pretext to gather with friends, play games, eat, drink and be asked, as in all parties: “got any new jokes?” or “ let me tell you a joke”. However, when the joke telling starts, before you know it, the red zone is trespassed and male’s mother and sisters become subjects to all types of verbal aggression with sexual tone.In the following lines, I would like only to state what went though my mind, hearing men sharing their rhetorical (!) gifts of jokes and friendly insults to each other, over a game of backgammon and even in discussing a point>>>

Would you want your children to watch this

Tv show for kids in Iran >>>

Becoming

Betty was my best friend. We were both obsessed with Orhan Pamuk. I have to confess that this obsession didn’t come to our mind naturally. It was like an inspiration by God or at least from one of his angels. At first it was a simple love. Like loving a pet, or a second cousin. But it changed on the day I noticed the subtle sarcasm on Pamuk’s lips, in a picture taken during the Nobel ceremony. Before going farther to confuse you – my dear reader – I have to tell you about myself and how everything started in the mind of your humble servant, a man with limited knowledge about the world>>>

ضعیف‌ كشی

در روزهای اخیر خبر سنگسار سه نفر كه در هفته اول دی‌ماه در گورستان بهشت رضا در مشهد انجام شده منتشر گردیده است. سنگسار یا سایر مجازات‌های خشن و ناانسانی در جمهوری اسلامی ایران بی‌سابقه نیست. ولی مقامات ایران و از جمله سخنگویان قوه قضاییه بارها اجرای آن را تكذیب كرده‌اند. در واقع، رییس قوه قضاییه دست كم دو بار طی‌بخشنامه‌هایی در چند سال اخیر اجرای آن‌‌ها را منع كرده است. ولی ظاهرا این بخشنامه‌ها و اظهارات مقامات تنها برای ساكت كردن منتقدان و سازمان‌های حقوق بشری در سطح جهانی مصرف داشته است. كمپین قانون بدون سنگسار خبر داده است كه هم اكنون دست كم ده نفر دیگر در زندان‌های مختلف كشور «با خطر قطعی سنگسار» روبرو هستند و مشخصات نسبی این افراد را آورده است. >>>