Life

First Knights

Cataphracts or cataphracti were a form of very heavy cavalry that served as an elite they also served as an assault force, primarily used for impetuous charges to break through infantry and some forms of light cavalry formations. Some historians refer to them as the first knights because they wore heavy shining amour and were made up of the aristocracy. Iranians used cataphract cavalry for almost 1,200 years from antiquity to medieval era>>>

In Defense of English

As far back as January 9 1978 native English speakers used the word “Farsi” to denote the language spoken in Iran. I make this assertion because I contacted the Library of Congress for references to the word “Farsi” in general interest American newspapers prior to the 1979 Iranian revolution. The top image above is of page E10 of the Chicago Tribune dated January 9 1978. The writer says in the column on Iran, “The official language, Farsi, is spoken by only about 60% of the people.”>>>

Tehran Zoo

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حق حيات

نمي دانم از چه زماني و براي چه موضوعي حكايت هابيل و قابيل بين ما درگرفت و نمي دانم چه كسي تخم فتنه و فساد را بين ما پاشيد كه هر چه كرديم و به طريقي اثبات نمائيم كه برادر هم هستيم و با اتحاد مي توانيم رشد كنيم و با اتفاق مي توانيم بسازيم و آباد نمائيم نشد كه نشد. و تا اين كه تجربه اخراج از ايول به سال 1362 شد باورمان نمي شود ... فقط و فقط يك مطلب را از شما انتظار دارم كه در اين آخرين ايام حيات خويش متوجه شوم كه حق حيات داشتم كه زاده شدم و يا نه؟>>>

There's nothing like it

I wish people would stop comparing Namjoo to Bob Dylan. As much as I love and enjoy Bob's music I do not find this a fair comparison. To start with, Namjoo has a great voice that poor Bob could only sound like in his dreams. Also, Bob followed a musical path that Woody Guthrie had paved before his death in 1931, and then entered Woodstock’s highway to fame. Namjoo has created his own style of music against all odds. He learned different styles of music, before fusing them in to what he presents to us today>>>

Farsi or Persian? Again.

Within the past few years there has been a tendency to replace the adjective "Persian" by "Farsi" when it refers to the Persian language. The practice seems to have originated within the Iranian community in the United States and out of good will. However, the provenance and the initial intention are not important, as the practice has backfired and developed into a widespread usage that is detrimental to the status of Persian language and literature. Quite often we come across absurd combinations of the two alternatives, such as "BBC Persian Section broadcast this item of news in its Farsi programme">>>

فردوسی منتقد نه ناسیونالیست

فردوسی این باور رایج را كه شاه چون فره ایزدی دارد و به اصطلاح سایه یا نماینده‌ی خداست با انتقادگرائی روشنی كه در برابر مفاسد برخی پادشاهان بزرگ مانند كیكاووس و گشتاسب بكار می‌گیرد متزلزل می‌كند و از عمومیت می‌اندازد. انتقادگرائی شاهنامه نه تنها پرده‌ی ابهام را از روی خشونت‌ها و مفاسد برخی پادشاهان كنار می‌زند بلكه نقطه‌ ضعف‌های رستم را نیز برای خواننده برجسته می‌كند>>>

Sheerzan

For the last three decades Iranian women have borne a double burden. Not only do they suffer the oppression afflicted on all citizens of that country by a theocracy, but they also endure the extra humiliation of being women in an Islamic society. They are forced to cover themselves only so that men might not lose control and go astray; they are counted as only half a man when it comes to testifying in court, inheriting less than their borthers in the same family upon passing of the father>>>

Aftabehs vs. Toilet Paper

It is ironic to me that the recent political movement in Iran has been nicknamed the Green Revolution by the media. Yes, the same Iranians that invented everything from breathing air to toilet paper also invented environmentally friendly activities like recycling. In fact I have compiled a scientific list of 10 environmentally friendly activities that Iranians do naturally which proves not only that once again they are the best at everything but they are even the best for the environment>>>

The Supreme State

Iran’s ancient history may be difficult to grasp through modern perception especially with the Western mainstream knowledge of the Roman Empire, scholars are exposing an impressively liberal and powerful administration without boundaries. The establishment of Achaemenid Iran was the alliance of Iranian tribes in 539 BC when Cyrus the Great became King of the known world. Iran did not have one administrative centre: there was no single capital. The Royal cities of Susa, Persepolis, Babylon, Ekbatana and Sardis were all political, economic and military centres of the known world with the exception of Persepolis which was mostly a ceremonial capital for religious events>>>