Moving forward

The American voters proved me wrong. They proved my scepticism that they (almost 75% white population) would not vote for a black man. I am actually glad that I was proved wrong and that Americans proved that they have so quickly moved so much, from slavery, and then segregation, to even electing a black president in such a short time; short for human social progress that is. America is great because of its ability to progress, evolve, and become a better and better place. We can say so much about this election and there is indeed a lot to say. People my type do not usually get excited about much, especially individuals, and very often pretty much about anything. Others get excited, and then get disappointed. When you don't get excited, you have less chances of disappointment too. Life seems a bit more boring like this. But it is a much safer place when you take the boring approach>>>

Change -- towards Iran

I want to let you my fellow hamvatans know that the result of this election does not automatically translate into fulfill any of your wishes. There is no comfort zone and there will be a ton of hard work ahead of us. Regardless of the result of the US election, that we celebrated dearly, naively and perhaps prematurely, we should think hard how we can prevent the US policies towards Iran to be hijacked again. I voted for Obama but for the hope of change not seeing the repeated scenes in US politics. I recommend Mr. Obama to visit Iranian modern history especially the part that relates to President Khatami. Believe it or not, the last 30 years of Iranian modern history resembles much of US 200 years of existence. Mr. Khatami came with a broad message of hope and change>>>

Waiting for an Ordinary Day

My first glimpses of Baghdad are burned deep into memory, as if they belong to a vanished place. Palm groves swish in a soft autumn breeze, as the muddy waters of the Tigris River stream through the city. The green riverbank is lined with shabby fish restaurants, and the skyline is dotted with an architectural variety of marble palaces, blue-domed mosques, gigantic statues made of steel, colonial houses with engraved balconies, and multistory, seventies-style office buildings. The roads, wide and well paved, are jammed with cars. In a crowded market, peddlers push wooden carts full of fruit and fresh herbs, and a bookstore is stocked with old translated copies of Russian literature and Shakespeare’s poetry>>>

ترکمنچای دوم

هدف از مذاکرات بین کشورهای همجوار دریای خزر تقلیل سهم ایران در دریای خزر از 50% طبق قرارداد 1940 به 11% می باشد. درصورت موفقیت این مذاکرات تمامیت ارضی ایران دوباره خدشه دار خواهد شد و ضررات ناشی از آن به مراتب سهمگین تر از قراردادهای ننگین گلستان و ترکمانچای خواهد بود. زیرا که در کل 11% سهمی که برای ایران در نظر گرفته شده منابع نفتی وجود ندارد و در نتیجه عقد قرارداد جدید دست ایران از تمام منابع عظیم خزر کوتاه خواهد شد. دو مقاله زیر تفسیری در این مورد به کوشش تیمسار آریان پور و آقای سازگارا می باشد که مکمل یکدیگر می باشند. مقاله آقای سازگارا موقعیت فعلی را ترسیم می کند و مقاله تیمسار آریان پور تاریخچه خزر و موقعیت آن در دوره پهلوی را. آمار ارائه شده تکان دهنده هستند. اگر دست روی دست بگذاریم و از این فاجعه جلوگیری نکنیم عواقب آن دامنگیر چندین نسل آینده خواهد بود. متاسفانه اکثر ایرانیان از این خطر آگاه نیستند.>>>

چکامه ی روشن آشیانه

همگان گفتند:
شاید که مرا
درنگ ِ این سروده
به آشیانه ی اشتیاق ام
مگر نشانه ی روشنی گردد،
و من رفتم
از پی آن چکامه ی شاد و
آن دگر همزاد ِ آینه. >>>

Time will tell

Barack Hussein Obama has "proven the impossible," or so the saying goes among people who just two weeks ago were swearing up and down that "America will never elect a black man President." Within foreign policy circles, the conventional wisdom of all the pundits is that people in the Middle East are so racist, or have such a low perception of the American people, that they will be "shocked and awed" by the selection of a black man to the point of capitulation and cooperation with America. That is wishful thinking for the most part. I don't think the race issue is or has ever been nearly as extraordinary a factor with the developing world as it is with the developed one. For decades now the rest of the world has seen many diverse faces representing America>>>

This moment in history

Congratulations to all for witnessing one of the most historic moments of our lives. Obama's victory was not just an American victory, it was a victory for all nations. It gives hope and inspiration to all human beings around the globe and it brings back our belief in the future, that good, common sense, and the notion that we are "our brother's keeper," as Obama so brilliantly kept saying during his campaign, prevails over self-serving greed that has consumed the human race in the last decade. In my opinion there have been many heroes during this race, those who have brought us inspiring moments, demonstrating grace, human decency, and above all, unity for the good of all in the midst of all the chaos and the dirty political race to the top. I can never forget Hillary Clinton's concession speech and her grace and complete selflessness in her support for the under dog who came from the back and beat her in the race of her life. And then that of Bill's>>>

Two Visions

No matter when and where
We are born or raised
Two visions hold our attention
These are fear and love
Those who promote fear
Urge us to put bigger locks on our doors
They want more cops on the streets
And more defense spending
They want to build better walls and borders
They are suspicious of others >>>

چندهمسری در ادبیات ایران

چندهمسری در ادبیات ایران، را به طور مثال در"خسرو و شیرین" نظامی داریم، توجه داشته باشید که چون در ایران آقایان همیشه مقدم اند، اسم خسرو خان قبل از نام شیرین خانم می آید، در داستان "خسرو و شیرین" زنهای دیگر همه در مه و غبار به سر می برند و فقط از مریم می شنویم و دسیسه هایش برای ملکه و یا سوگلی شاه باقی ماندن و سر به نیست کردن هووها. از آن طرف شیرین پس از آن که به همسری خسروپرویز در آمد، در قصری وسط بیابان (انها که قصرشیرین را دیده اند می فهمند چی می گویم) زن دوره ی شکار خسروخان شد. یعنی خسرو پرویز گه گاه برای شکار و یا به بهانه شکار به آن منطقه می آمد و جلوس می فرمود. شیرین در آن غربت و برهوت برای رفع تنهایی با جوان هنرمندی گرم گرفته بود تا این که فضول ها و فتنه ها به شاهنشاه خبر دادند که چه نشسته ای زنت با فرهاد گرم گرفته و شاهنشاه هم با حقه ای فرهاد را از سر راه خود برداشت. یعنی چند همسری وجود داشت ولی فقط برای آقایان و هر آقای ایرانی هم سلطان خانه ی خویش است دیگر! >>>

Hungry Traveler

Sa'di called death a wolf
Who snatches sheep at every moment
From the herd of the village.
But I saw you, on that white bed
Lying like a feather-plucked bird
With closed wings and browned skin,
And death like a hungry traveler
Sitting before a white tablecloth
With silver knife and fork in hand
And a red glass on the side >>>

Night of hope

Not much has happened to me as an Iranian, a foreigner in this country for the past thirty years. A few fights and angry exchanges here and there, but I have been left alone for the most part. I came to a very “blond, blue-eyes” region in America with black hair and dark skin, but managed to make way more friends than enemies right off the bat and was treated well. I kept thinking about that while I watched tears rolling down Jesse Jackson’s face tonight. He was born and raised here in this country. I kept thinking of what he may have gone through, what he heard, endured, how he managed to keep it together and how hopeful he was when JFK came onto the scene. I kept thinking how proud he must have been to walk with Martin Luther King and how he dedicated his life to equality>>>

Unprecedented challenges

The next U.S. president will be a wartime president. Developments in the Middle East almost ensure that either John McCain or Barack Obama will have to manage one or more wars involving the United States or its allies in the region. The challenges posed by the Middle East are legion: "fragile and reversible" security in Iraq; military fallout from a possible Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear program; the destabilizing consequences of a nuclear breakout by the Islamic Republic; a new round of violence between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA) -- this time in the West Bank; an Israeli military intervention in Gaza to halt renewed rocket attacks, preempt a Hamas military buildup, or crush the nascent Hamas government there; and the possibility of a second Hizballah-Israeli war>>>

Republican defeat is imminent

The '08 Presidential race has highlighted the crisis within the Republican party. From the surprisingly successful Ron Paul campaign to the stillborn McCain campaign, it's clear that the Republican party has reached a turning point. While populist demagoguery has been rampant in both parties since before I was born, it wasn't long before that when the Democrats had a foothold on working class ideals and the Republican party was dominated by such characters as Barry Goldwater. Ronald Reagan changed all that, starting a trend that reached its zenith in 2000 with the abortion that is the Bush presidency. While this, like any trend, was destined to reach an end, the religious right in this country and the Republican party were SO indulgent that they spent this cultural capital far too quickly for their own good>>>