Simorgh5555

Cameron

Thank you for your comment. However, I am less than impressed with your explanation as to why your artistic team collaborated with a man who called Hezbollah - a group in the US State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organisations dynamic and "deserves to be elected [in Lebanon]". 

You mention that your only purpose is to spread enthusiasm for the Shahnameh but when you decided to take money from Aslan's Media Group and invited him (or did he invite himself?) to write the forward to the comic book you have inadvertently become political even though you did not intend to be. Were you not aware of Aslan's 'Muslim Americn' opinions - especialy his support for Hezbollah which has hjacked Lebanon, syphons money from the Islamic Republic, attacked Israel' citizens and strongly implicated in the assassination of the former prime minister of Lebanon? The I'm-just-an artist-not-politician-faux naivety does not wash. You would receive the same reaction if you had invited Geroge Galloway or another Looney Left Wing Policitican or Islamic 'scholar'.

What did you think was going to happen when Aslan wrote the forward? In any case, Aslan is described as a scholar of Islam and often describes himself as a 'Muslim American' more times than he calls himself an Iranian. How does his credentials make him suitable to endorse a project such as Shahnameh? You could have asked Dick Davis, Touraj Daryaee or a more relevant expert to write the forward but, again, you chose an Islamic scholar who said "Hezbollah deserves to win elections".  Would you get Noam Chomsky to write a book on astrophysics? 

Since you claim that you are only interested in promoting the Shahnameh then perhaps you can tell us how much of the proceeds of the sale for this comic book will go to developing the Shahnameh and how much of it will go to BoomGen Studios.  

Welcome to the Iranian Tea Party

Wow the Iranian Tea Party!!!  How appropriate.  I see that cultural bankrupcy even applies to my ancestral culture. Let me guess, all of you are old people who are blinded by hatred and ideology/anti-ideology (take your pick) - the Rostam comics is probably the only comic book you ever read (cause if you had read any other comic books you would have been awakened to your moral bankrupcy)  - and you are in the business of destruction, as opposed to construction  (Meaning you have never created anything of your own).  To you I say: Alabama called and they want you back, and you know what they would see in you: The same BS self hatred you have of your own kind. 100 years ago, your ass would have been hung from a tree to dry, like you are lynching others with your poisonous tongue. How blind you are. Or maybe just like the Tea Party express, someone is paying your bus ride. Either-way  you suck and not one cares what you thing. 

PS... this is pointed at the poster and the idiots who agreed with the anonymous fool.  

Passion is everything. Real success is the bi product of passion. 

Who put a burr under your saddle?

The Rostam Comic Book Project's aim is to bring the wonderfull stories of the Shahnameh to a much larger global audience. That's it! Pretty simple. :)

I am not quite sure what all the conspiricy theries and cacklings are all about, but if you support that cause - great. If you do not, that is fine too.

It is interesting when people openly throw out accustions of what they percieve as fact (which at times turn out to be fantasy) and are really nothing more than just opinions. These people are of course fully entitled to their point of view just as the rest of us are entitled to ignore them. It reminds me of proverb I once read:

"A wise man never knows all, only fools know everything"

You may be right dear Simorgh

But among educated people, I have found that only two types support IRI: 1- those who are on the payroll, and 2- those who have gone mad with hatred of U.S./Israel.

I don't see either of these traits in Reza Aslan.  I think I need more proof before accusing him of such grave treachery. Again, just my opinion. 

Pas e Pedareh Jaan

I may be young but I am not wet behind the ears. I am not an extremist either. Like you I do not judge Iranians living in exile who travel back and forth to Iran and neither do I suggest that Iranians stop buying groceries and products from Iran. 

However, Sam Sam III made an excellent point in his last comment (despite being neutral in this debate)  about being weary of Islamists suddenly taking an interest in Iran's pre-Islamic culture. This is the same regime which attempted to bulldoze Persepolis at the start of the revolution and removed all references to Iran's glorious history and Kings in schools, buildings and society general. Had Khlakhali got his way he would have also wanted to destroy Ferdowsi's tomb in Tus. 

Why the sudden interest in Achaemenian history and Ahmadinejad wanting to take photos with the Cyrus Cylinder at the Tehran museum?

Why the sudden references to Cyrus the Great in Ahmadinejad's public statements and claims that he was even referred to in the Koran?

As I am sure you know the Islamic Republic does give a damn about Iran and all of this is a cynical attempt to win over public support in Iran which has become nostalgic and yearns more than Islam.

Therefore, Reza Aslan's attempt to 'patronise' Shahnameh is all part of the bigger picture to make the corrupt and anti-Iranian regime more palatable to Iranians both inside and outside Iran.

All I say is cheshm va gushemun bayad baz bashad!  

Dear Vildmose, Some join a cause to promote it &

some join a cause only to distort it ;). I personally wish em luck since I have absolutly no opinion on this comic project & haven,t formed a judgment on it but what i have seen so far borders neutrality. However I am always guarded in view of hidden agenda of any shaikhist crowd involvment with kiaani issues. My point of concerne is that lately a certrain greenish ommato-leftie intelectual crowd has taken a keen new interest in Iran's pre-Islamic kiaani heritage with an obvious ommatie spin ;)be it their prop on de-aryanizing Iran's concept, de-khosrucizing shahnameh , desenticzing Arab conquest..etc all under the shady guise of Iranology. I smell this rat & the cult behind it from miles away & they know it 2 ;).

As for volunteering , When they could have karimi hakak the hacker(of shahnameh), they wouldn,t need me :))).

Cheers madmoiselle!!!

btw* the Dearyanizing part is simply to make ilymites & khouz the original founders of the "Iranian state" as to make bacheh shaikhs feel at home and not be alienated among the ommat al Fars . We have already seen a basiji Cyrus & " Arabs as liberators" promising Zaratustra ;).

Path of Kiaan Resurrection of True Iran Hoisting Drafshe Kaviaan //iranianidentity.blogspot.com //www.youtube.com/user/samsamsia

dear simorgh

it's obvious that you are a proud iranian and your intentions are good.  it's also obvious that you are much younger than I.  azizam, take it slow.

Few years ago I tossed my IRI passport.  Couldn't stand the despicable thing. But, I had it for a long time and lived a double-life when I travelled to Iran.  I still have many friend and family who keep IRI passports. I don't judge them.  There was even a time, more than 20 years ago, when one of my relatives was adament that anybody who worked for a living in Iran was prolonging IRI's existance.  I thought that was too harsh.

 
If I can give you any advice, it would be to go easier on other Iranians who are obviousely on your side when it matters, and let the little stuff go.  Big picture is: IRI, akhoond, shia, cult of Imam zaman must be eradicated from Iran ASAP.    Everything else is secondary.  we have to be kinder to each other. 

Pas e Pedareh

I am not attacking his Aslan for being a Muslim or being a devout one for that matter. He name is synonymous with NIAC and his reprehensible overtures to the regime and Ahamdinejad. Yes, I admit his comments in the forward were innocent enough but it is the larger agenda which concerns me. I repeat do you want your money to help fund him and his companies so that he can continue publicizing the IR and praising Hezbollah? Aslan and the rest of the Islamists trying to sell the IR to the people are clever enough not to overtly support the regime- they may be even be critical. Their aim is to make the IR acceptable to the mainstream public and prevent its removal. 

Put it this way if the forward was written by Ariel Sharon would you read it? If the forward was written by an extreme Zionst AIPAC lobbyist would you buy the comic? I actually do not have a problem with it but I imagine many Iranians including the usual anti-Israel crowd here would.

When it comes to Aslan and members of the Islamic Republic most of the users call for moderation and reconciliation.  If it comes to sponsorship from Israel they would be calls for boycotts. 

A comic book is not worth the price of Iran. Boycott all companies, organisations and individuals associated with the IR.  

Dear Samsam: Why don't you

Dear Samsam: Why don't you join their team on a volunteer  basis if you have time??

So you are saying Simorgh

That Reza Aslan, a "canniving" "Islamist" and "IRI supporter" has cleverly conspired to support the artists working on Shahnameh, and maybe given them some money too .. for what?  Hello! .. To fool whom? How? You admit his intro doesn't say anything about Islam, and he is not forcing Bahmani &Co. to change Shahnameh to fit an agenda. So, if he is such an anti-Iranian Islamists, why is he doing this?  Seems like he is tryingto help and is doing something positive.

Don't you think he may be really interested in Shahnameh as an Iranian?  

Reza Aslan studies Islam in an academic sense.  He is a scholar.  Hardest thing for scholars is to satisfy laymen because laymen ALWAYS want scholars to say what they already know to be the truth.  Professor Yarshater was nearly attacked physically by some people who didn't want him to study/talk about Iranian kings and monarchy right after the revolution.  Later he was shunned by some monarchists because he referred to the events of summer of 1953 as a coup d'etat.  Of course, IRI cut all relations with Encyclopaedia because Yarshater doesn't print their nonesense and what they want people to know about Islam. Those people get emotional, come and go, yet the scholar's work continues.

So, please, don't be such an extremist.  Relax. You may be wrong about Aslan despite all the quotes you attribute to him.  Things may not be as straightforward as you see them.  

Aslan

I just want to reinforce my call for Iranians to boycott the Shahnameh comic book until Hyperworks and Reza Aslan's connection with the project remains. 

This is not the same as asking the comic to be banned but at a critical time when home grown artists s such as Jafar Panahi are imprisoned and bloggers such as Omid Reza Mir Sayafi are killed in prison in Iran for exercising their right to freedom of expression which Reza Aslan enjoys with impunity then we are forced to take action against proponents of the Islamic Republic. 

 //iranian.com/main/2009/mar/omidreza-mirsayafi

For Hyperworks to invite Reza Aslan (or for Aslan to invite himself) to write the forward for the comic as if it were a celebrity endorsement the whole Rostam:Tales from the Shahnameh is stained with his name. Their could not have been a worse error of judgement. 

Although Aslan does not talk about Islam in the forward (thank goodness) the comic is giving publicity and further his enhance his media presence and becoming a household name. 

Aslan's name is forever besmirched with the Islamic Republic as his various speaches:

On Hezbollah: 

 "You may think of Hizballah as a terrorist organization, and certainly they have engaged in terrorist acts, but they are also the most dynamic political and social organization in Lebanon"

On Ahamdinejad:

 Is it possible that Iran's blustering president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, long thought to be a leading force behind some of Iran's most hard-line and repressive policies, is actually a reformer whose attempts to liberalize, secularize, and even "Persianize" Iran have been repeatedly stymied by the country's more conservative factions?  

Or on encouraging dialogue between the USA and the murdering regime of the Islamic Republic: 

 if the West keeps talking to Iran, it can empower its citizens to change their society from the ground up, and to influence those who have the capacity to act from the top down.

This is the same brutal regime that clubbed, raped and murdered the Iranian young.  

Please judge for yourself  

By paying for this comic book you will continue to pay money towards Aslan's media groups and I for one do not want to give him any further opportunity to publicize himself and his views which are tacitly favourable to the Islamic Republic and his efforts to re-invent Islam as a modern caring religion.

As much as the art work concept of the comic book were brilliant, Iran is more valuable to me than a comic book. Was Bruce Bahmani aware of the opinions of Aslan - especially towards rosey picture of Hezbollah? 

Please reflect on the statements of Aslan and then make an informed judgement if you money to go towards his dicrection or that of his companies. 

Aslan

I just want to reinforce my call for Iranians to boycott the Shahnameh comic book until Hyperworks and Reza Aslan's connection with the project remains. 

This is not the same as asking the comic to be banned but at a critical time when home grown artists s such as Jafar Panahi are imprisoned and bloggers such as Omid Reza Mir Sayafi are killed in prison in Iran for exercising their right to freedom of expression which Reza Aslan enjoys with impunity then we are forced to take action against proponents of the Islamic Republic. 

 //iranian.com/main/2009/mar/omidreza-mirsayafi

For Hyperworks to invite Reza Aslan (or for Aslan to invite himself) to write the forward for the comic as if it were a celebrity endorsement the whole Rostam:Tales from the Shahnameh is stained with his name. Their could not have been a worse error of judgement. 

Although Aslan does not talk about Islam in the forward (thank goodness) the comic is giving publicity and further his enhance his media presence and becoming a household name. 

Aslan's name is forever besmirched with the Islamic Republic as his various speaches:

On Hezbollah: 

 "You may think of Hizballah as a terrorist organization, and certainly they have engaged in terrorist acts, but they are also the most dynamic political and social organization in Lebanon"

On Ahamdinejad:

 Is it possible that Iran's blustering president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, long thought to be a leading force behind some of Iran's most hard-line and repressive policies, is actually a reformer whose attempts to liberalize, secularize, and even "Persianize" Iran have been repeatedly stymied by the country's more conservative factions?  

Or on encouraging dialogue between the USA and the murdering regime of the Islamic Republic: 

 if the West keeps talking to Iran, it can empower its citizens to change their society from the ground up, and to influence those who have the capacity to act from the top down.

This is the same brutal regime that clubbed, raped and murdered the Iranian young.  

Please judge for yourself  

By paying for this comic book you will continue to pay money towards Aslan's media groups and I for one do not want to give him any further opportunity to publicize himself and his views which are tacitly favourable to the Islamic Republic and his efforts to re-invent Islam as a modern caring religion.

As much as the art work concept of the comic book were brilliant, Iran is more valuable to me than a comic book. Was Bruce Bahmani aware of the opinions of Aslan - especially towards rosey picture of Hezbollah? 

Please reflect on the statements of Aslan and then make an informed judgement if you money to go towards his dicrection or that of his companies. 

Pas e Pedareh

That was a fault on my part. In my hesitation and anger I thought the reference was being made to MLK and not Martin Luther the Reformer. Well observed. 

Simorgh doesn't even know who Martin Luther is

He thinks it's the American Martin Luther King !

عادت بد پایین کشیدن هموطنان

خواب دیدم قیامت شده است. هرقومی را داخل چاله‏ای عظیم انداخته و بر سرهر چاله نگهبانانی گرز به دست گمارده بودند الا چاله‏ی ایرانیان. خود را به عبید زاکانی رساندم و پرسیدم: «عبید این چه حکایت است که بر ما ایرانی ها اعتماد کرده نگهبان نگمارده‏اند؟»

گفت:
«می‌دانند که به خود چنان مشغول شویم که ندانیم در چاهیم یا چاله.» خواستم بپرسم: «اگر باشد در میان ما کسی که بداند و عزم بالا رفتن کند...» نپرسیده گفت: گر کسی از ما، فیلش یاد هندوستان کند خود ما بهتر از هر نگهبانی لنگش کشیم و به تهِ چاله باز گردانیم

different strokes for

different strokes for different folks. it's fair for simorgh not to want to vote with his dollars for this project.  or even advocate others not to do it.  it doesn't mean that the quality of work of bahmani and others working on this project is any less because aslan has gotten involved.  but to some, the association matters, and to some it doesn't.  what if the same exact work was sponsored by someone who supports aipac?  again, to some it matters.

and it's not so much that aslan is an islam expert or considers himself muslim.  there's no islamophobia working here.  some believe that he's unabashedly portraying a rosy picture of ahmadinejad and his "reforms."

good luck Bahmani - thanks Darius & Ari 4 counterpoints

We look forward to seeing a huge success out of this project.

Mr Bahmani

Dear Sir, I wish you God speed & good luck in such great deed. Yet Personally, as I pointed out earlier I have no reservations as by who, where, when & how this worthy project is produced so long as the entity remains true and unmolested to its original concept devoid of any agenda set by any one individual, group or political/cultural ideology which might interfere with the original message or leagacy of Shahnameh, Irani & kiaani birth certificate.

btw* Shahnameh was not anti-Islam but pro-kiaan, it was not anti-Arab but pro-Iran. On the same token wanting a shahnameh production to be authetic to the source has nothing to do with Islamophobia. Its not about the characters but what they characterize as Iran & her legacy ;). 

So far I find you a competent impartial manager of contents and like an honest attorney I trust you keep it that way away from extreme socio-political correctness which might derail the original content & concept.

Cheers!!! 

Path of Kiaan Resurrection of True Iran Hoisting Drafshe Kaviaan //iranianidentity.blogspot.com //www.youtube.com/user/samsamsia

Simorgh5555 ... Pesarak Enghadre Cherto Perte Nagoo ...

Cause With So called Anonymous last minute Monarchists Like you who don't even have the curiosity of learning about the very basic universal concepts that have defined the Monarchy ... let alone a Constitutional Monarchy ... through the ages and in many different cultures and civilizations equally interesting and respectable as ours ... 

Then indeed I'd Rather see Iran become a Cuckoo Republic than see the monarchist cause be highjacked by a Swiss Cheese Mentality :

The Third Man - Cuckoo clock speech with subtitles

and hence be given a bad name by such immature behaviors like yours and your like minds similar to all those Mediocre LA TV's I resent for all the damage they have done to our cause. 

I Rest My Case !

Bahnami

Hi Bruce, 

I loved your first three comic books but I very much regret to say that I have lost all respect for you as an author by your collaboration with Aslan Media and Boom Gen Studios. I regret my purchase of your comic book and collaboration with a man who has recently described Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a possible  'moderate' and  praises Hezbollah in Lebanon - a paramilitary terrorist group with links to the IR is an insult to Iran and the opposition movement. By  drawing comparisons between Reza Aslan and Martin Luther King you have made my stomach turn and I doubt very much Mr King would have any thing nice to say about a terrorist regime in Iran  which has hanged 108 people already. 

I loved your creation but I feel completely betrayed by any person or company which has direct relations with the Islamic Republic, its associates or any of its supporters . 

I will now boycott your comic and hope others will do likewise. 

Darisuh Kadivar

First of all please do not dictate to me what or what I cannot do.  

I think you either have split allegiances or suffer from multiple personality disorder. Your opposition to the regime and support of the Shah is well documented but it is extremely hypocritical that you have no objections to having your money lining the coffers of one of the most cunning propagandist of the Islamic Republic. At the time Iranians are being executed in their hundreds each year it is essential that all supporters and the affiliates of the Islamic Republic are exposed and isolated. From some of your writing which I have read you are not willing to advocate military action against the Islamic Republic, neither do you raise arms or encourage others to raise arms against the regime but the very least that you can do is not to contribute any money towards supporters of terrorists or Marxist revolutionaries like Satrapi who called the Shah a bastard.You are not even willing to do that! Talk is cheap Darius there is more at stake than your pointless 'Royal Forums'

I guess that is asking too much of you.

What you have demonstrated, Darius, is that you value your art and fascination with the media over and above your love for Iran. The point you make about freedom of speech is a fine one but not under the present circumstances where your compatriots are being slaughtered and the regime is throwing journalists and executing bloggers. It is a question of priorities and you have none. 

There is no evidence that Aslan will use the money to re-invest in further developing the comic book series or channel it to fund his media organisation promoting his pro-Hezbollah views. I loved the art and the stories of the first three comics but all of the good work has all been in vain. 

Finally, there I can recommend a good CD of Afrikaans poetry by the former South African white fascist Eugene Terre Blanche - nevermind the politics I hear the music is good! You can then move on to Elders of Zion - great conspiracy theories. 

Tell me something Darius do you have a Garry Glitter CD in your collection? Convicted paedophile? Yes. Great music, hey Darius? Never mind the politics or whose written it.

I ask all Iranians to please boycott this comic book.  

Everyone Please Relax

The Comicbook has not been acquired by Aslan Media. We are merely working together with Reza's team to take what we have done to the next level.

I say we, because although I did write the first one, that was out of necessity for proof of concept, and most largely the cost, not because I am a good comic book writer. I happened to be the cheapest one we could afford at the time!

The project has been a collaborative effort since the first book, and we have seasoned, marinated, and kabab'd a stellar team to continue the series and can now adapt the entire Shahnameh if we choose. I am especially proud of Bob Napton, who has more than risen to the very difficult challenge of getting his white-boy head around the Shahnameh and making the words as good as they are. Certainly better than I could ever do.

This latest collaboration with Aslan Media/BoomGen Studios is a result firstly their great interest in and passion for this subject. But most of this is from the deafening feedback we receive daily from the fans, who have been demanding we do something and everything from a PS3/XBox/Wii version, to an animated Saturday cartoon series, to a full length live action period feature by Jerry Bruckheimer!

Speaking of Bruckheimer, Aslan Media recently consulted on Bruckheimer's film "Prince of Persia", which many Iranians were quite pleased with the way in which the King of Persia and Iran in general, was depicted. In stark contrast to the 300 debacle. Largely this was the result of Aslan Media working on PoP.

Reza himself is a great guy. You may not like Islam, or may have apprehensions about Reza's obvious qualifications as a scholar on it, or his position trying to explain this religion in general. But I don't. And neither do my partners and childhood friends Jamie and Cameron Douraghy.

I think Reza has the potential to be the freaking "Martin Luther of Islam", if he ever put his mind to it (which I highly support), and no one on the planet understands Islam's great need for reformation and adjustment into a modern world, better than Reza, today. No one.

So, relax, stay tuned, keep buying the books, we hope to have good progress on taking the comic to the next level, and further our efforts and mission, which has been (and still is) to bring the positive and worthwhile message of the Shahnameh (a somewhat anti-islamic poem in many people's eyes) to the greater world at large. In spite of the current false image Iranians have.

Thanks for your support and passion-filled fierce defense of the project, but don't worry.

Thanks Darius...

Darius , I beg to differ

""The Shahnameh belongs to everyone and as any work of Art is free to any interpretation..""

Regardless of Mr Aslan or the level of his participation, then with this logic I,m supposed to sit down & tolerate the distorted Shahnameh prints done by IRI in which more than 300 verses dealing with Arab conquest & battle of Qadesiyeh were censored and many verses were fabricated to distort Ferdowsi's message. I wonder how would you react if Mr Basij Timsar Firouzabadi wrote a biography on Reza Pahlavi, would you tolerate it as personal interpretation of events :).

Shahnameh is not just another work of art but a part historic part narrative certificate of identity of Iran & kiaan in which every print must be untainted & authenciated for the benefit of future generations. Shahnameh belongs only to those whose ideology does not supercedes the concept of true Iran & legacy of kiaan. Mr Aslan with all due respect is an ommatie ideologue far be it a modern version thus still ,nevertheless an impartial participant in a project(Shahnameh) which stands in direct contrast to many of his non-kiaani principles. Hence before I pass a judgment on this comic I need to review the content in order to verify the authencity or hidden agenda if any either way.

Cheers!!!

Path of Kiaan Resurrection of True Iran Hoisting Drafshe Kaviaan //iranianidentity.blogspot.com //www.youtube.com/user/samsamsia

Don't mix issues ...

The latest Shahnameh Adventure is a Great Read as the previous ones.

I hope to review it when I have time. 

Aslan merely happens to be involved in Media through a television  / multimedia production company he runs.

Personally I have no problem with seeing him put his money to turn the comic books into an animated series or a motion picture.

I am no fan of Aslan's political views but this (The US) is a Free Country and to my knowledge Bruce Bahmani along with Cameron and Jamie Douraghy's contributions as the creators of the series is well acknowledged as well as Karl Altstaetter's magnificent illustrations.

So Please let's stop the Witch Hunt !

It would be more useful and beneficial to all if you would focus your critics or praise whichever your choice on the comic book's content and artistic quality.

The Shahnameh belongs to everyone and as any work of Art is free to any interpretation ...

Words For Eternity ...

BEYOND WORDS: Group Reading of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh

I just hope that they will remain loyal to their creative vision that has made their comic books popular.

The rest in my humble opinion is irrelevant and concerns the creative team and their sponsors. 

My Humble Opinion,

DK 

Recommended Readings:

Rostam: The DARK AGES by DK

Rostam Strikes Back! By Darius Kadivar

Rostam Super Hero: Popularizing A Persian Myth...  by Darius KADIVAR

EPIC MOVIE: The Timeless Legend of Rostam and Sohrab by Darius KADIVAR 

Fred

Yes, I believe it is the same one. 

NIAC lobby connected?

Is this Aslan character the same one who is associated with the NIAC lobby and its “fundraisings”?

Dear Simorgh, thanks for this "efshagaree"

Dear Simorgh, thanks for the info. This Aslan guy is trying hard to make us upset.