Archive - Aug 16, 2008 - Article

Uncovering a cover up

Iranian film director Khosrow Sinai has been awarded the prestigious “Knights Cross of the Order of Merit of the Polish Republic”. At a ceremony earlier this year in the Polish capital, the country’s president Lech Kaczynski bestowed the honour on the Iranian filmmaker in recognition of his services to the Polish Nation, and in particular for his documentary “The Lost Requiem”, made in 1982. Also honoured were five Iranian citizens of Polish descent, survivors of the “Polish Exodus” living in Iran>>>

From Bad to Worse and Beyond…

Discriminatory family law in Iran is on the brink of taking a few steps back! The “Family Protection Bill” passed swiftly and quietly during the first round of discussions of the legal and judicial commission of the Iranian parliament in July 2008, almost one year after it was drafted. Opposition to this bill has solidified one of the largest coalitions formed to protest a bill in recent years. An inclusive and strikingly diverse group of women activists, feminists, human rights defenders, as well as secular and religious groups (including some conservative women’s groups) are opposing this bill and demanding that the government take action to prevent it from passing through parliament for a final vote>>>

گمانه زنی دربارهء شکل رژيم آينده

هيچ کدام از اردوگاه های سه گانهء اپوزيسيون سياسی ما ـ برای رسيدن به مواضع خاصشان در مورد «شکل رژيم» ـ ساختار ديد خود را بر بنياد ارائهء احتجاجات منطقی و علمی نگذاشته و به نتايج به روز نشدهء تجربه های عملی گذشته اجازه داده اند که کاملاً در روند شکل گيری مواضع سياسی آنها نفوذ و دخالت قاطع داشته باشند؛ تا آن حد که ـ مثلاً ـ يک جمهوری خواه کافی می بيند تا کسی را که چند و چون موضع گيری جمهوری خواهان را مورد پرسش قرار می دهد تنها با زدن برچسب «سلطنت طلب» مشخص و افشا و رسوا کند. و پادشاهی خواهان هم در بکار بردن اين تاکتيک ظاهراً سياسی و در باطن تخريبی و فرصت کش، دست کمی از حريفان خود ندارند و هرکس که گوشه ای از نظام شاهی را مورد پرسش قرار دهد بلافاصله توده ای و نوکر روس و نمک خورده و دست پروردهء انگليس می شود. >>>

Diaries & Jallad

It was past three when K. woke up from his long nap in fright. A harsh wind was blowing a branch against the window. He felt thirsty, went to the kitchenette and poured himself a glass of milk and, after finishing it, proceeded to wash the small pile of dishes and glasses in the sink, whispered in his head, "a perfect execution, yek koshtan-e kamel?! He was thinking of a poem, shaar, he had been working on in his dream, not a word of which he could remember, and also thinking of the skeptical reaction of his affable friend Ibrahim should he ever dare to boast of a perfect poem, yek shaar-e kamel>>>