Archive

Can They Come Too?

I live in a dangerously thin, long, and deep stretch of space, which is my identity. I live in America, taking daily pains to practice what I know well—being an Iranian. On good days I think I have the best of both worlds. I am free to live, to be, to think, and to talk, because I am in America. I am surrounded by wonderful friends that Americans are, loving and supportive and respectful of me. I am free to love Iran, to follow its news, and to appreciate its music, poetry, and art, among all the other cultural elements I follow. On bad days, though, I feel lost, belonging to this land never, and belonging to the old world no more. When I lose my balance and fall off my thin stretch of identity, I am lost for I am neither Iranian nor American>>>

My Eastern Promise

As the summer draws to a close, I look back and reflect at how zanily hectic the last few months have been. Probably one of the busiest summers I’ve ever had with visitors flying in out from overseas, my own holidays and business trips and far too many commitments, for a girl to have to juggle! So does that mean that my travelling is coming to an end? (Sigh…) Well not exactly. Having just come back from the South of France, I’m being sent back there for a work event, followed by a few days in Paris, also at an event. But real holiday time, it is not, so the traveller in me remains unsatisfied. I have now decided to venture beyond the safer Euro-destinations and fulfil one of my greatest ambitions… to travel around the Far East as much as possible, or certainly as much as my boss will allow me!>>>

Counter-Narration from the Borderlands

Long before, and especially after 9/11 we have been bombarded with perverted and sinister images and ideas of the Middle East: the region, the peoples, the history, and the cultures. How do people who identify as Middle Eastern realize these images and ideas on which popular consciousness has been built, and how do we understand ourselves with or without them? Whether through the Axis of Evils’ comic relief, Suheir Hammad’s poetics, or the Philistines’ beats and rhymes, Middle Eastern communities have addressed the deep understanding of what it has meant to be Middle Eastern according to imperial eyes in creative and commanding ways.>>>

فارسی را پاس بدهیم

فرهنگستان زبان فارسی هم مثل خیلی چیزهای دیگر از جمله موسساتی بود که در زمان رضاشاه شروع به کار کرد و بازهم مثل خیلی چیزهای دیگر در آن دوران کاربرد موثرتری نسبت به حالا داشت >>>

Diaries & Jallad

"Valley of Lepers," K. whispered under his lips the title of his next story before entering the living room; to his own surprise, he found little difficulty in sitting next to his sister and watching television, perhaps because the content of the program, a round table on urban problems, interested him, or perhaps because he was plain curious about the identity of the female caller, who was hammering in the importance of a rail connection from Shiraz to Isphahan over the proposed national east-west highway system to connect Shiraz not only to Ahwaz but also to Baghdad and Karachi. "This will connect with the existing railway system by the proposed extension from Qom through Yezd, to kerman, to Zahedan, as well as with the existing rail facilities to Karachi," the caller said>>>

Campaign for Equality of Sexes

I had the opportunity to briefly participate a very worthwhile event in Orange County, sponsored by the "Campaign for Equality" organization; as I understand it, the goal of this grass root organization which started in Iran by a few very brave women>>>

Video: Slums of South Tehran

Old man residing in South Tehran who has no source of income to support his family. >>>

Islam and Iran. An Open Letter

I do realize that the following post may outrage few good and honest Muslims. Nonetheless, no direct insult on moderate and rational Muslims is intended.>>>

Maz Jobrani Goes to DNCC Man

Hey

 

how cool is this?

 

>>>

Orphan in search for my biological family

Adopted in 1977 from the Shah's orphanage on Pahlavi Road in Tehran. >>>

We Are Alone No Matter What!

Being Alone: Something to think about! >>>