Archive - Jan 2009 - Article

Swimming with a Mollah

He got to the house, crossing the crunching graveled drive in front, and made his way up to the landing, after seeing the large wooden open doors. It looked as if the house was eager to invite a stranger in for a visit, once again. The house was empty. As he walked inside he noticed broken windows and stained chalky walls. Dirt dried after a rain once had flooded the inside, covering chipped tile and a rough marble floor. He made his way through the old house, and came into what was most likely the sitting room. The large square room had a balcony at the far end, and as he came closer to it, he could see more of this morning's mountains and scenery through the broken doors and windows. He stepped onto the balcony and noticed that the garden was surprisingly well kept and quite lovely.>>>

Noble one from Fenderesk

To all who were kind enough to take pleasure in my recent selection as a lawyer of the year in Massachusetts, at first, I thought to write each of the well-wishers individually and thank them for their kind words, encouragement and the reminder about some fruity object not falling far from the tree. I owe much to father and there is not a day that I do not think of him. I do not miss him in a sad way: I miss him as a player in my life’s situational comedies, who is no longer there to deliver the lines that only he would or could. I am working on my son, the wise ass, to take up where father left off. In time, I will report on the progress of that venture>>>

دوازده چمدان شاه

با همه مشکلاتی که با جمهوری اسلامی دارم اما یه حرفشونو باید با طلا نوشت و به همه در و دیوار های شهر ها و آبادی های ایران آویزون کرد. اونم منافق خوندن دار و دسته مسعود و مریم رجویه. چقدر لجم میگیره وقتی می بینم این زنک لچک بسر با اون کت و دامن های مسخره نارنجی و سبز و بنفش که از پارچه های رومبلی و پرده ای دوخته شده بتونه خودشو بعنوان دموکرات و آزاد منش جا بزنه و با قدم زدن روی خون هزاران هزار بچه های بیگناهی که فریب دادند و به جوخه های اعدام کشوندن تازه توسط اتحادیه اروپا هم به رسمیت شناخته بیشن. یه گاف بزرگ برای اتحادیه اروپا و یه بیلاخ بزرگ برای آزادی و دموکراسی به سبک غرب.>>>

روياي خنده

پيرمرد،
اَفسُرده و پِِنهاني،
ميانِ خاكستر و زنجير
بَر لَكههايِ خون
مينِگَرد،
ميگِريَد.
با ذهني خسته
نگاه ميكند ميانِ شِكافها >>>

Sasanian Chemical Warfare?

Regardless of whether there is any political meaning behind the news of the Persian use of chemical warfare and the current controversy regarding “weapons of mass destruction”, it is still interesting to see whether this new piece of research has any scientific value. For this, we turned to a colleague, Mr. Reza Yeganehshakib, who is a PhD student at the department of history, University of California, Irvine. Mr. Yeganehshakib comes to UCI with previous degrees in Chemical Engineering (BS) and Environmental Studies (MS). He has a strong understanding of the scientific processes that might have resulted in what has been reported in the news bit above. The following are his comments>>>

Collaborators of the worst kind

Israel is trying to portray herself as a nation that is defending itself, while the truth is that Israel is a cruel occupying power trying to force a people out of their land. And this is being done with the help of some Arab nations; the very same nations that constantly talk about Arab and Muslim solidarity. These nations are: Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The often asked question, when it comes to the Palestinians, is about the role of Arab countries in the Palestinian struggle for freedom. The people not familiar with the political landscape of the area often see the Middle East as two camps, Arab countries on one side and Israel on the other. The reality is totally different. Israel has seldom been alone>>>

Important dates

The Iranian Women Equality Calendar is an expanded English version of a Persian women calendar collected and organized by the efforts of Noushin Ahmadi Khorasani and published by Nashre Toseeh first in 1998. The publication of the “Women Calender” was banned and she was prosecuted in 2003. In a recent article written by Noushin Ahmadi Khorasani, she states that the calendar “provides a glimpse into the hidden history of Iranian women, a history that has not only remained unfamiliar throughout the world, but one that has yet to receive its due attention in Iran.” >>>

آقای پرزيدنت، خانم فرست ليدی...

در روزهای گذشته، من هم از ديدار شادمانی مردمانی که همه جا با غرور حضور داشتند و از برگزيده ی خود که در مراسم مختلف شرکت می کرد تا تاريخی ديگر را شروع کند، از ديدن همسر او که همه جا شانه به شانه و دست در دست او بود، و از ديدن زنان ديگری که هر کدام نقشی در گذشته و آينده اين سرزمين داشتند شادمان بودم. اما غمی بزرگ هم بهمراه اين شادی دلم را می فشرد؛ همان غمی که هر آمده از جامعه ای ديکتاتور زده در اين لحظات حس می کند. در آن لحظات نمی توانستم غمگين نباشم وقتی می ديدم که مردم سرزمين من و به خصوص زن ها از ساده ترين و طبيعی ترين حقوق خويش بی نصيب هستند>>>

رویای خیس

بار اولی که رویای خیس داشتم، از ترس گیج شده بودم. شنیده بودم مردها رویای خیس دارند، جوانها بیشتر و پیرتر ها کمتر، اما هرگز نشنیده بودم زنها هم همینطور. البته اطلاعات من راجع به این موضوع یا هر موضوع مربوط به مسایل جنسی چیزی حول و حوش لطیفه و مزاح بود، چرا که من اصلا چیز زیادی راجع به این جور چیزها نشنیده بودم و نمی دانستم. فردای روزی که اینطور گنگ و وحشت زده از رویای خیسم برخاسته بودم، تمام روز در حال بدی بودم. مثل این بود که تمام روز تحریک بودم و نمی دانستم چه باید بکنم. لای پاهایم و در مرکز وجودم یک زلزله، یک آتش سوزی مهیب، یک خواهش غیر ممکن، تمام روز میسوزاندم و تکانم میداد و قدرت تفکر و زندگی روزمره را از من سلب کرده بود. >>>

چهل و چند

حالا که چهل و چند ساله شدم
نه سبیل دارم
نه صندلیهای خالی به من رشک می ورزند
بند سیاه کفشم
چون گره مار سمی
روی سطحی واکس خورده
اعتماد به نفس پا روی میزانداختنم شده >>>

Barrack Ghalibaf

The period leading to the Iranian presidential elections is always exciting, and this time it will be no different. According to a recent article in the Tehran based Baztab online, members of a parallel intelligence agency inside Iran have been arrested after being caught spying on Tehran Mayor and presidential candidate Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The arrested group was collecting information about Ghalibaf's meetings and electioneering gatherings. Ghalibaf is seen as more moderating force in terms of economic and foreign policy. He has openly spoken out against excessive spending and populist policies of the current government, while calling for a more moderate foreign policy and investment from abroad>>>

Palestinians vs Israel

Israel has created 2 ghettos. One in the West Bank that it and the US likes, run by a former terrorist, heading a terrorist group that has merely said that it now renounces terrorism, and has merely said that it accepts Israel. The another ghetto, in Gaza, that Israel and the US really really doesn't like, run by Hamas, an active terrorist organization that refuses to merely say "it". Now if you suddenly see that none of this makes any sense, and that this is all one big humanitarian disaster, that too is your own doing. I will admit that I most definitely see it as a humanitarian disaster. I will further admit that in the 21st century, it is an utterly unacceptable situation for any country bordering on the Mediterranean sea to conduct itself in this barbaric fashion. Especially Jews>>>

تکرار همان مذاکرات؟

می توان پرسيد که آيا در پی بقدرت رسيدن آقای اوباما در آمريکا ديگرباره در ايران شاهد تکرار دوم خرداد، آمدن خاتمی، و بقدرت رسيدن اصلاح طلبان وفادار به ولايت فقيه خواهيم بود که از آمريکا برای بقای حکومت اسلامی تضمين می گيرند و در مقابل برای رعايت حقوق بشر در ايران تضمين می دهند؟ و، در آن صورت، اگر گروه خاتمی چی ها می توانست حقوق و آزادی های مورد نظر آقای اوباما را اعطا کند چرا قبلاً چنين نکرد و تنها به «توهم آفرينی» مهلک در مورد آن پرداخت؟ و چگونه بود که ـ حتی هنگامی که دولت آقای کلينتون بر سر کار بود و هنوز شيوه های کاوبوئی بوش مطرح نشده بود و آمريکا دست دوستی بسوی خاتمی دراز کرد ـ او مذبوحانه در دستشوئی های سازمان ملل پنهان شد و نتوانست «زمينه را بر ايجاد روابط حسنه در بين دو کشور» فراهم سازد و اکنون کدام نشانه از نوتوانی خاتمی مشاهده می شود و آيا ـ اگر خاتمی به رياست رسيد و در مذاکره با آمريکا روبروی نمايندگان دولت اوباما نشست، اين دولت را همان تضمين های ميان تهی راضی خواهد کرد؟>>>

The Doctor and the Sea

Zia Emami-Ahari is an Iranian-born retired orthopaedic surgeon. After retirement at the age of 63, he set out to realize a boyhood dream and test the resilience of mind and body of a person at his age. He undertook a mainly single-handed sailing journey on board Athesa a 31-foot sailing boat. The journey took him from Västerås in Sweden to the San Francisco Bay in the US. Following the termination of the journey, he continues sailing. He has in the meantime written a book about his adventures. In this book he describes his experiences while crossing the oceans alone, facing quite precarious situations and enduring harrowing feats>>>

Sword at the Ablution Pool

There is a sword in this house
Which Father says is a souvenir
From the time of his service.
I saw it at the sanctuary of the ablution pool
And thought that it was a harmless emblem
On the mosaic tiles of the wall.
One evening when breaking the fast
We went downstairs to the ablution pool.>>>