ROYALTY

Labor of love

What impressed me most was Shahbanou's simplicity and kindness that so characterizes her personality

21-Jun-2008 (5 comments)
Earlier this month I got an email from Shahbanou Farah Pahlavi's webmaster & secretary inviting me to assist to an annual Paris ceremony in remembrance of her late daughter Princess Leila (March 27, 1970 - June 10, 2001) which was followed by a more relaxed reunion in a Hotel lounge and drawing room for all who were kind enough to attend the gathering at the Passy Cemetery nearby the Trocadero. The invitation was really an unexpected one for me even if I knew that she did read them since I saw some of them (in relation to our Royal History) linked to her official website. >>>

SHE + SHE

Mali & Elizabeth

If we can show how contagious love is, we can gain support from communities that traditionally have opposed same sex marriage

19-Jun-2008 (29 comments)
On June 17, 2008, after years of being in a committed relationship, I was finally able to marry my partner at San Francisco's City Hall. We wanted to honor my Persian heritage so after we said our vows we participated in the traditional Persian ritual where friends and family grind sugar cones over our heads to share with us their sweet wishes. The custom that I had seen in other Persian weddings growing up in Iran... My feelings were bittersweet, as I thought of the contrast. Finally in the U.S., I was able to marry the love of my life. On the other hand, in Iran, my country of birth, I know that gays often risk their lives to find their happiness in a same-sex relationship. Too often gays are executed because of who they are and for the love they feel!>>>

STORY

پیام و پيامك

مژگان راز مهمي را فاش كرده بود

19-Jun-2008 (one comment)
هنوز از كنار اتاقك بازرسي، پاسپورت به دست، چندان دور نشده بودم كه نامم محوطه را پر كرد. در بلندگو اسمم را صدا مي كردند. خود را به نشنيدن زدن بيهوده بود. پرهيب شان اندكي كمتر از سرعت صوت پشت سرم هويدا شد، بعد هرم نفس ها بود روي گردن، حس مي كردم كه يقه ي پيراهنم كثيف شده و احتياج به شستن دارد. اين بار صداي بلندگو نبود، و تن لطيف و ظريف زن گوينده. مجازي نبود، واقعي بود و تا حدي خشن. ماموري در چند قدمي، كمي جلوتر از من ايستاد. ديگري آمد روبرويم، اشاره كرد كه از صف خارج شوم. بي كلامي، برگه اي را نشانم داد. پاسپورت را طلب كرد. آن را به بهانه ي چك كردن گرفت، ديگر پس نداد.>>>

IRANIAN.COM

Islamic attack on democracy

IRI’s supporters on Iranian.com misuse the democracy on the site to support the undemocratic Islamic regime in Iran

19-Jun-2008 (312 comments)
The Islamic Republic of Iran has reached the highest level of illegitimacy. The Illegitimacy is now an evident characteristic of the regime and henceforth can hardly be denied by an increasing majority of people in and out of Iran. Therefore, the Islamic regime, especially its so-called reformist factions, needs activists in the West to prop up the claim of regime’s legitimacy. Among the various pro-regime cyber-media in the West, Iranian.com is one of the most read websites. Although, it has a secular character, because of its high popularity and openness to any idea cannot escape from the supporters of the IRI. IRI’s supporters and lobbyists and on this site are three main groups>>>

CORRESPONDENCE

Prison Letters

A look in the correspondence of an Iranian political prisoner

19-Jun-2008
Among the millions of Iranian immigrants living outside of Iran today, there are many who have spent a good portion of their lives behind the bars of the Shah's or Khomeini's prisons. Now in exile, far from the coercive system of their home country, they have the opportunity to write about the time of their incarceration. Through this process they not only shed light on some corners of political life in contemporary Iran but also demonstrate that political prisoners, in spite of torture and fear of execution, are able to create a culture, of their own. In this culture like that of any other social group, we find joy and humor alongside depression and fear, as well as a passion for artistic and literary creativity which runs against the indoctrination policies of the repressive regimes>>>

QUOTES

بیسوادی

نقد اندیشه های امام و همخوانی "آیت الله" احمدی نژاد

18-Jun-2008 (16 comments)
روزهای اخیر شاهد ِ نقد اندیشه های امام راحل بودیم و گروهی ناجوانمردانه رییس جمهورِ مهجورِ کشورمان را به تخطی از اندیشه های امام متهم می نمودند! در این چند سطر سعی دارم با استفاده از نوشته ها و سخنرانی های آن از یاد رفته، به نتیجه ای ساده دست یابم: مهمتر از همه، سخن این است که آیت الله خمینی، دارای "اندیشه" بود! این خود جای بحـث دارد، استفاده از واژه مقدس اندیشه در جایی که تضاد، ناهمخوانی و ضعف اطلاعات عمومی و اولیه مشخص است، درست نمی باشد (گوشه ای از سخنرانی های آقای خمینی گواهِ این مطلب است): >>>

MEN & WOMEN

Groundless suspicion

"The Fish Fall In Love": Ali Rafii's visually delightful post-modern work

18-Jun-2008 (7 comments)
The main theme of The Fish Fall In Love ("Mahiha ashegh mishavand" directed by Ali Rafii) is so familiar to the Iranian viewer that few of us may complain about its plot making no sense. Or if the viewer is not Iranian, he/she may adopt a post-modern disregard for plot logic and concentrate on the clearest message of the film: suspicion destroys our best hopes. Newly freed political prisoner, Aziz, (Reza Kianian) sneaks back to his Caspian hometown to find his fiancée, Atieh, has been married off. Philosophical about life, he sneaks back out to roam the planet doing we know not what. These events happen years before the movie begins >>>

PERSEPOLIS

Good vs. Evil, again

Satrapi's film is not much different from Bush's and Sarkozy's official line on Iran

18-Jun-2008 (43 comments)
Marjane Satrapi's film, Persepolis must have made George Bush and his new ally, Nicolas Sarokzy, quite happy. After all, despite Satrapi's rhetoric against the two leaders, her film's core argument is one that Bush and Sarkozy have long been busy constructing: the evil state versus the wonderful people. Aesthetically, Persepolis is a refreshing and beautiful black-and-white animation, but it is also built on a black-and-white viewpoint of Iran. Satrapi's world is divided into two very separate groups: you are either with Marjane, in which case you'd are a nice, warm human being with properly drawn features; or you are against Marjane, and therefore either a black spectre with no human face features or an angry robot who represents the Iranian state>>>

DIASPORA

Tired of being ignored?

I have resorted to every conceivable tactic to acknowledge my presence

18-Jun-2008 (10 comments)
I was returning home the other day in a commuter train, suddenly one of the passengers in our car sneezed and many reacted kindly by saying “God bless you”. A few minutes later, I sneezed; not once, three times, no one said anything. After a while, I sneezed again intentionally to assert my hypothesis that people do in fact ignore me. No reaction yet again. Even the thoughtful custom of saying “God bless you” after someone sneezes does not apply to the minorities. This is how overtly we are being ignored by others in this society! I am so used to it after so many years of trying to cope with it. Don’t jump into premature conclusion. No, I am not a timid turned-off bore with geeky attitudes. >>>

STORY

مقصد شما کجاست؟

همین خانم بود، با همین اصرار که امروز نگاهش را از من می دزدد، با همین اصرار هم آن روز در چشم هایم زل زده بود

18-Jun-2008
هنوز چند جمله ای نخوانده بودم که سنگینی نگاهی را روی صورتم حس کردم. می دانید که چه می گویم؟ لابد برای شما هم اتفاق افتاده. کسی از پشت سر، یا از پهلو، یا اصلن از روبرو نگاهتان می کند، و شما متوجه نیستید. اما سنگیی آن نگاه را روی صورتتان، کله تان، روی ذهنتان حس می کنید. سرم را بالا کردم، همین خانم بود. با همین آرایش مو. خوب، مد است البته؛ موها را شانه نکرده رها می کنند دور و برشان. از زیر چشم دیده بودم که آمد و نشست. باور کنید همین شلوار جین مشکی هم پایش بود. نگاهم با نگاه آبی عشوه گرش تلاقی کرد. شرم اجازه نداد بیش از چند لحظه نگاهش کنم. برگشتم روی کتاب. خب، خستگی و سرمای بیرون، بعد هم گرمای داخل کوپه و حرکت ننو وار قطار، می دانید که؟ پلک هایم سنگین شدند. سرم را تکیه دادم به پشتی صندلی. ولی آن نگاه آبی سمج آنجا بود. تیز و تحریک کننده!>>>

BLOCKADE

Declaring war with Iran?

U.S. Congressional resolution requires naval blockade of Iran

17-Jun-2008 (51 comments)
A U.S. House of Representatives resolution effectively requiring a naval blockade on Iran seems fast tracked for passage, gaining co-sponsors at a remarkable speed, but experts say the measures called for in the resolutions amount to an act of war. H.CON.RES 362 calls on the president to stop all shipments of refined petroleum products from reaching Iran. It also “demands” that the President impose “stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains and cargo entering or departing Iran.” Analysts say that this would require a US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Since its introduction three weeks ago, the resolution has attracted 134 cosponsors. Forty-three members added their names to the bill in the past two days. >>>

LIFE

شاپرک

شاپرکهای جوانم هیچ تصوری از پرواز و رهایی و آزادی ندارند و به پروانه های سنجاق شده در قاب تبدیل شده اند

17-Jun-2008 (10 comments)
دوست جوانی از ایران برگشته است؛ او بی خبر دیشب آمده بود به محل کارم تا غافلگیرم کند. از دیدنش خوشحال و غافلگیر شدم و خلاصه اول از همه از "ایران" پرسیدم. از گرانی برنج حرفی نزد ولی با خوشحالی گفت: "خبر دارین که دیه زن و مرد برابر شد؟" لبم را گاز گرفتم که جوش نیاورم چون این دختر جوان از تولیدات پس از جمهوری اسلامی است. بیست و چند ساله است و جز جمهوری اسلامی چیزی به چشم ندیده، کودکی اش در سالهای سیاه جنگ بوده و در سالهای پس از جنگ، احتمالاً تازه نفس راحت و بی دغدغه ای کشیده اند و حالا هم با نگاهی مطابق با آن موازین دارد به مسایل می نگردد. "یواش یواش داره درست می شه" خیال جوش آوردن در برابر سنجاقک شکننده را نداشتم چون او مرا به سالهای پر شور خودم می اندازد و توی چشمانش چیزی است شبیه خواهرم مرجان. اینجا اسمش را می گذارم: "شاپرک"! >>>

EQUALITY

No dignity, no justice

New crackdown on women's activists

17-Jun-2008 (3 comments)
While the global community marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a year long celebration of “Dignity and Justice for All “ there is neither dignity nor rights or justice for women in Iran. On June 12th for the occasion of the third anniversary of National Day of Solidarity of Iranian Women, nine women's rights activists were arrested outside of the Rahe Abrisham (Silk Road) Gallery just prior to a small, peaceful assembly planned to commemorate the day. Aida Saadat, Nahid Mirhaj, Nafiseh Azad, Nasrin Sotoodeh, Jelve Javaheri, Jila Baniyagoub, Sarah Loghmani, Farideh Ghaeb, were arrested by Tehran security police along with photographer and reporter Aliyeh Mohtalebzadeh.>>>

DIET

Challenging Bridget Jones

I have now begun my 6th week of dieting and haven’t cheated even once, yet...

17-Jun-2008 (6 comments)
My bid to pour myself into a suitably va-va-voom “Knock-em-dead” party dress for an event this summer, continues unphazed. “I’ll show him” I think… “Him” is the dreaded Ex… Breaker of hearts, king of all tale-tellers and my sole reason (initially) for embarking on a diet… In the unrealistic hope of showing him what he is missing. Fully aware that my motivation is pathetic, predictable and the embodiment of Bridget Jones herself, I carry on regardless in a flurry of blind idiocy… Although I still hold one small pearl of wisdom that I find comforting and that is that no matter what impression I leave with The Ex, when all is said and done, it is myself I am doing this for now and no one else>>>

LIFE

Tomato Recall

“I was wondering what happens to the money that is collected for tomatoes that we don’t get to eat?”

17-Jun-2008 (20 comments)
The other day I went to one of those places that make burgers in a hurry, to order a cheeseburger meal. I don’t want to mention their name because I don’t want to be liable for defamation, but this place in one of those In and Out places that are really fast. I noticed they had a signed posted at the cash register that they are not using any tomatoes in their burgers as a precaution because of the FDA tomato recall (even though their tomatoes were not from any of the suspected areas in question). After I made my order I noticed the price of my meal without tomatoes was exactly the same as ever before. I asked the cashier if I was entitled to a reduced price since I was not getting any tomatoes>>>