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New Challenge

The current animosities between the US and Iran governments superficially are claimed to be rooted in the Iranian nuclear program and the support of international terrorism by the rulers in Iran of. Yet, more research of non-dedicated media will reveal that the central disparity between Washington and Tehran is the West’s refusal to take in Iran as a trade partner and its denial of Iran’s yearning to become part of the globalization brotherhood. Certainly there are those elements in Iran who wish to keep the status quo and maintain a deregulated economy, which tremendously serves to enrich them. But, the more practical politicians in Iran realize that globalization is a world reality and they want to be a part of it>>>

از قرطبه تا بمبئی

این هفته مسافر آندلس بودم. رقص صحنه های خونین بمبئی را در شهر زیبای قرطبه بروی شیشه تلویزیون دیدم و بیاد عملیات خرابکارانه چهار سال قبل در ایستگاه قطار آتوچای مادرید افتادم و شبی را که در آتن به بیخوابی و دغدغه به تماشای حوادث اسپانیا و نوشتن بسربرده بودم.1 بعد وقایع یازدهم سپتامبرهفت سال قبل و صبح شومی را بیاد آوردم که مرا مانند منجنیقی از برج عاج نوشتار های تخصصی به دنیای مقاله نگاری پرتاب کرد. اساتید ما همیشه واژه ژورنالیسم را در برابر کار جدی آکادمیک بکار میبردند. ولی جای تردید نبود. وقتی بناممان انسانها را در ساختمانهای تجاری و ایستگاه های راه آهن و هتلها قصابی میکنند و دینمان را به آئین خون و مرگ مسخ میکنند دیگر چه جای نوشتن برای گروه معدودی از هم ریشان دانشگاهی است؟ در این چند ساله نوشتن برای مخاطبین عام را نه تنها راهی برای مقابله با خشونتِ نیست انگارانه تروریسم اسلامی بلکه تسکینی برای اعصاب و روان خود در این جهان ناآرام نیز یافته ام. البته کار با نوشتن تمام نمیشود ولی شاید بعضی کار ها با آن شروع شود. >>>

Keeping balance

Truthfully, wrestling is not one of my favorite sports, it is a little messy for my taste, and the idea of two semi-naked, sweaty men twisting around each other never appealed to me. To make it worse, I should admit that my technical knowledge of this sport does not go further than some generalities. However, I know its cultural value, its place in Iranian culture, and its relevance to Iranian life. But while reviewing Marcello Di Cintio Poets and Pahlevans, I learned a lot more about this sport, its technique as well as its social and cultural value. The author, a young Canadian poet and a semi-professional wrestler, makes two tripsto Iran to record various local techniques of wrestling. In this quest, he stumbles over a poet’s grave next to almost every wrestling pit, in remote villages of Iran, which functions as a shrine>>>

Downhill since

The new Khan of the united Mongol tribes (Genghis) was rapidly expanding eastward into the Chinese territories, but apparently; he was considering Iran more as a potential trade partner towards Europe, rather than an immediate target. Therefore, Genghis was astonished when the riches of a Mongol caravan were confiscated by the border guards of Iran, and all the 200 merchants and guards were executed. He sent another group of emissaries directly to Khwarizm Shah’s court with a plea for retribution, but they too were killed! In response, the angered Mongol chief sent a massive army of 200,000 murderers into Iran.The first wave of Mongol invasion (1220 to 1224) destroyed most of the Khorasan cities (the cradle of Farsi civilization), killing millions and enslaving millions more! All eastern centers of Iranian culture, agriculture and business were irrevocably destroyed or devastated>>>

A Word of Warning!

When nations are under pressure
Dogma rules the day and it goes unquestioned
Established views become final
Protected from any challenge
In these circumstances
Those who do not go along
And offend the conventional views
Take a serious risk >>>

معمای رضا پهلوی

آقای رضا پهلوی در مسيری خاصی که فکر می کنم به نفع همۀ ماست حرکت می کند و ما نيز متقابلاً وظيفۀ داريم که اگر ذره ای به آيندۀ وطن خود علاقه مندم، بجای بی اعتنائی عملی به سخنان ايشان، به آنها گوش فرا داريم، چند و چون آنها را بسنجيم، از آنها انتقاد کنيم و نظرات متقابل خود را در برابر ديد همگان در ميان نهيم، تا شايد چاله چوله ها پر شود، اپوزيسيون جمهوری اسلامی بتواند، در زير سقف توافقاتی حداقلی و مشروط، تا انحلال حکومت اسلامی و برگزاری رفراندوم، گرد هم آيد و «تشکيلات رهبری» را به همت آقای رضا پهلوی ايجاد کرده و از «سرمايۀ سياسی» ـ يا بزعم من، ملی ـ ايشان استفاده کند. اما، اين تصوير، با همۀ هيجان انگيزی، چند نقطۀ ضعف ابطال گر دارد و، از نظر من، اين نقاط ضعف هم به خود ايشان و هم به طرفداران شان مربوط شده و فضائی را بوجود می آورد که در آن «غير سلطنت طلب ها» آچمز و خلع سلاح شده و رغبت شان به اشتراک در اين طرح از بين می برد. >>>

My Dear Son

From the onset of my journey to this country, I had to work hard because I knew that was the only way for me to support myself and to continue my education. I had to do odd jobs ranging from janitorial, car hopping, dishwashing, truck driving, and pizza delivering to support myself and my education. I did them all. Did I like them? No. I hated them, but I didn’t have much choices. I did not let the feeling of despair to overwhelm me. I considered those odd jobs as the temporary sources of income I needed to support my long-term goal which was to have a good education. Surviving might be easy; succeeding is not. I managed to climb my way up inch by inch through perseverance and hard work. This is not to claim that I am a very successful person. Given the circumstances, I think I have done well>>>

‏برگشتن روزگار سهل است

روز پنجشنبه ۱۸ ارديبهشت ۱۳۵۹ روزنامه کيهان نوشت: "ساعت يک و نيم بامداد امروز فرخ‌رو پارساي تيرباران ‏شد". مرده‌شوي‌ها از شستن جسد وي خودداري کردند زيرا وي به نام "مفسد في‌الارض" اعدام شده بود. زنان خانواده ‏بودند که پيکر وي را شستند و ديدند که سه تير به زير سينه‌اش اصابت کرده و از پشت بدنش خارج شده است. اين ‏سرنوشت زني بود که در خانه مادري چون فخرآفاق پاراسي ناشر مجله "جهان زنان" و پدري چون فرخ‌دين پارساي از ‏روزنامه‌نگاران بنام زمانه خود پرورش يافته بود. پدر و مادري که تلخي توقيف و تبعيد را در کشاکش تناقضات دوراني ‏که ايران راهي نوين را در پيش گرفته بود، چشيده بودند. مادر از پيشتازان مبارزه براي حقوق زنان و از ياران صديقه ‏دولت‌آبادي بود و پدر در شمار کساني که زبان خود را نگاه نمي‌توانستند داشت.‏>>>

Reading Kafka at Harvard (5)

“Mr. Afrasiabi. The DA has just given me this piece of paper telling me that after due investigation there is no evidence connecting you to any of these charges. Go home, you are free, and thank God that you live in a free society where there is due process of law.” These were the exact words of the judge presiding at my initial pre-trial hearing more than four months after my arrest. ”Thank you, your honor. It’s Dr. Afrasiabi. While I am happy that these charges against me have been dropped, I am very unhappy that they were attached to me in the first place. The damage has been done. I have lost my job, my income, my reputation has been severely damaged, and I have incurred tremendous costs, not to mention the emotional pain on me and my family...>>>

Give and take

Change often occurs at a faster pace than people can comprehend. That is certainly the case with the quickly shifting political realities in Washington on Iran. In less than 50 days, America will be led by a president who made dialogue with Tehran a campaign promise--and yet he won. Perhaps even more surprising, one of the most powerful lobbies in Washington failed--in the middle of an election year--to convince the US Congress to pass a resolution calling for a naval blockade of Iran, even though the resolution had more than 250 co-sponsors. The debate in Washington is no longer whether to negotiate with Iran, but how, when and in what sequence such negotiations should take place. This, however, does not mean that talks will occur or that they will succeed>>>

Let’s Have a Referendum. Not!

Our motherland has said no to the Pahlavi dynasty, has rejected the dark ages of mullahs, has dismissed the advances of Mojahedin-e Khalq to tryout another flavor of Islam, and still awaits the revelation of a new, coherent proposal from the radical left. As a child of the revolution, I have earned the right to say on behalf of my motherland, “What part of no don’t you understand, gentlemen?” And as an Iranian woman who is anything but a “silenced, mute, and answerless mother,” I submit to you the fruit of my labor: Generations of patriots and freedom fighters raised by Persian mothers since the dawn of our civilization. Unite them to change our future! A referendum in the current environment of Iran is a joke at its best and a fraud at its worst. Upon whom will we bestow our trust to conduct and monitor such a referendum? >>>

Pebble Beach – Half a Sandwich

I call his room from the hotel lobby. It wakes him up. A brief silence. He asks me whether I want to go up. Hesitation. I respond that I will wait for him in the lobby. I am not in the least bit offended; surprised a little; flattered somewhat, but interested, I am not. I grab a cup of coffee and the local paper, and settle into one of the plush chairs in the foyer. I pore over the Carmel news with gusto. A local resident has come across a $20 counterfeit bill at Dolores and Ocean which he dutifully turns in to the local authorities. A squirrel has munched his way through the front seat of a car parked at Mission and 7th. A resident on San Antonio finds the tires of her car missing. The culprit turns out to be an ex-boyfriend who has disabled her mode of transportation in exchange for the money she owes him>>>

ستیز با سانسور

گفته می شود واژه سانسور (ممیزی) یاحذف کلام و سخن, از زمان ناصرالدین شاه و توسط اعتماد السلطنه به زبان فارسی راه یافت و مورد استفاده قرار گرفت. پیش از آن که این واژه در میان واژگان فارسی جا باز کند, حذف کلام تحت عنوان ممیزی به بهانه ی حفظ حرمت " اخلاق و شریعت " در قانون اساسی حکومت مشروطه جا داده شد : "تمامه مطبوعات , غیر از کتب ضلال و مواد مضره به دین مبین , آزاد و ممیزی در آن ها ممنوع است و هر گاه چیزی مخالف قانون مطبوعات در آن ها مشاهده شود نشر دهنده یا نویسنده بر طبق قانون مطبوعات مجازات می شود. اگر نویسنده معروف و مقیم ایران باشد ناشر و طابع و موزع از تعرض مصون هستند." و کتب ضلال هم شامل " آثاری که با دین مباینت دارند" و مواد مضره به دین مبین هم "آثاری که در انتقاد از دین و مراسم و سنن دینی باشد" تعریف شدن>>>

دونده ها

این مرد هر صبح زودتر از من
شروع می کند روزدوی اش را
زودتر من که کورمال کورمال
راهم را به سمت "ماشین دو"
پیدا می کنم و دکمه ی شروع را می زنم.
توی گرگ و میش بیرون
او خم می شود با ضرباهنگی منظم
به سمت سطل آشغال >>>

A Time for Diplomatic Renewal

President Obama’s principal focus will need to be on Iran, because the clock is ticking on its nuclear program. He should offer direct official engagement with the Iranian government, without preconditions, along with other incentives to attempt to prevent Iran from developing a capacity to produce substantial amounts of nuclear weapons-grade fuel in a short amount of time. Simultaneously, he will need to concert an international effort to impose harsher sanctions on Iran if it rejects an outcome the United States and others can accept. The objective is simple to describe but will be difficult to achieve: to generate a suspension of Iran’s enrichment program before it builds the capacity to enrich enough uranium to provide it with this “breakout” capability>>>