IDEAS

Running out of time

Torture and theories of punishment

27-Feb-2008 (3 comments)
When talking about torture and whether the practice could be morally justified the most common scenario that is offered is the example of the “ticking time bomb.” As the example goes, a number of bombs have been planted in a few populous areas. The authorities have the bomber in custody. They are certain about the facts that the bombs have been planted, the person in custody knows where the locations are, they have limited time before the bombs go off, and there is no possible way to find the locations of the bombs other than torturing him. The question now is whether in such circumstances, where the lives of thousands or (in the case of nuclear bombs) millions of people are in immanent danger torture could be a morally justified method for stopping this catastrophe?>>>

WOMEN

V for Voice

Community announcement: "The Vagina Monologues"

27-Feb-2008 (39 comments)
My unselfish and greater wish is to represent the voice of our repressed Iranian people, of the women of Iran who endure human rights abuses that should not even be occuring in this day and age... I would love to use our current production of "The Vagina Monologues" as a springboard for both a show in solidarity with women's and children's rights from you, my community, and as a compassionate vehicle of greater involvement of our Iranian community within the American community at large. This is a fabulous video where Jane Fonda and Eve Ensler, the playwright and women's rights activist extraordinaire, passionately and so eloquently explain our cause >>>

PAHLAVI

Cowboys & Indians

Cowboys & Indians

Photo essay: 1960's magazine clippings

by Darius Kadivar
27-Feb-2008 (28 comments)

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Faramarz_Fateh
27-Feb-2008 (8 comments)
Patriots, Giants and '79 Islamic Revolution>>>
Disenchanted
26-Feb-2008 (7 comments)
You are watching someone throwing a fair coin 4 times and all 4 times coin happens to be head what would be your bet for the fifth time? >>>

PEOPLE

Generation after generation

Generation after generation

Photo essay: Iranians, young & old

by damonlynch
26-Feb-2008 (20 comments)

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SCE Campaign
26-Feb-2008 (27 comments)
This morning another Iranian youth : Javad Shojaei was executed in a prison yard in the central city of Isfahan, Iran. >>>

LIFE

The day love was born

The day love was born

Photo essay: Dedicated to my daughter Shailie

by Taz Ziba
26-Feb-2008 (3 comments)

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alimostofi
26-Feb-2008 (2 comments)
Rather Naiive >>>

LETTER

For Abadan

Mr. Mayor, what have you done to rebuild my hometown?

26-Feb-2008 (32 comments)
Dear Mr. Mayor of Abadan, read this and do as I tell you. There is no trace of re-construction in Abadan. I went to visit some of my relatives there for a few days, a city with 40-year-old memories for me. The city whose girls were portrayed so beautifully in Aghassi’s songs, and whose boys spent their evenings standing by the palm trees in those girls’ neighborhoods. And now it is a city without a plan, without beauty, without vivacious boys, and full of walls where bullet wounds have not healed yet. But I have decided to return this city’s beauty to it. This city will have to become my country’s most beautiful, warmest, and most exciting city again>>>

IDENTITY

Hedayat's last message

The irony of culture is however that it never can be pure

26-Feb-2008 (13 comments)
While many nations nowadays are desperately searching for their own cultural roots, they tend to consider their cultural icons as ‘pure’ and undivided original. Apart from the fact that seeking cultural purification somewhat has its similarities with the original idea’s of Nazi philosophy and fascist nationalism, it also is quite useless. Whether it is a consequence of the social and economical pressures caused by migration, or a search for meaning and identity, certain nations - and especially weak states that need a new ‘social glue’ to have the support of the people - start this search of original identity >>>
Red Wine
26-Feb-2008 (5 comments)
عرق كباب و كتك. >>>

KHAMENEI

گل بی عیب!

تلاش های سانسور گرانه ی ولی فقیه ی" هنر پرور"

26-Feb-2008 (15 comments)
ولی فقیه بحرالعلوم نیز هست , البته در اسلام (به ویژه درتشیع) چیزی که کم نداشته و نداریم بحر العلوم است , اینان در همه ی عرصه های علوم طبیعی (و ماوراء طبیعی و خفیه) و علوم اجتماعی , از فقه و سیاست و اقتصاد و حکمت و نجوم و ریاضیات و طب گرفته تا فرهنگ و انواع و اقسام هنرهای اسلامی و غیر اسلامی متخصص و صاحب نظر , و معلم و راهنما بوده و هستند. حال اگر نظرات , افاضات و فتاوی این بحر العلوم ها با علوم زمانه ی خود , و این زمانی , همخوانی نداشته و ندارد این مشگل علوم است نه عیب و ایراد اسلام و بحر العلوم های اش, چرا که مسلیمن می پندارند اسلام و بحرالعلوم های اش " گل بی عیب" اند و" به ذات خود ندارند عیبی", و اگر عیب و ایرادی هم گرفته می شود یا از نادانی نامسلمان هاست و یا از نامسلمانی ی مسلمان ها! >>>

BOOK

Shock & awe(ful)

Chilling study of modern torture

26-Feb-2008 (4 comments)
This book does more than describe complex patterns of torture techniques and offer explanations for their distribution. Torture and Democracy is also designed as an accessible and reliable sourcebook for citizens. No one these days is particularly surprised that torture has its supporters even in democracies. Since September 11, 2001, American officials have acknowledged using well-known coercive techniques on prisoners, and some influential Americans have justified torture in certain cases. And since Abu Ghraib, the world has become familiar with iconic images of American torture. Most people, though, don't know about the painful but clean tortures that now characterize so much policing around the world >>>
Darius Kadivar
26-Feb-2008 (3 comments)
The Year 2007 will certainly be remembered in Iranian Film History >>>