Real Me

I was kidnapped from the maternity ward of a hospital after birth. When this appalling incident happened, to avoid a scandal, the hospital authorities took the baby in the next crib whose parents were missing and gave him to my parents. I am someone else. Who I really am, I don’t know. I could have been a normal baby growing up in a normal family and turned into a normal adult but my life didn’t happen this way. Just to add a little more flavor to my life, my parents once admitted that I was conceived because of a defective condom. I learned this horrifying truth when I was a kid. Sometimes I hope the real me never finds out who he really is. Obviously, he has more skeletons to discover than I do>>>

Like a Poem

Seeing you is reading a love poem
I am the lilies that in your hair reside
On the walls of your church
I am the image of Christ crucified
I am a book on your bookshelves
A whippoorwill on your shoulder
I am anklets around your calves >>>

Persian Love

Music video>>>

Rumi in tears

Under the pretext of celebrating Rumi, the 13th century Persian mystic, poet and philosopher, the Hollywood Bowl presented a showcase of Islamic fundamentalism on Sunday, September 27th. The event attracted a huge crowd (15,644 officially attended) made up mainly of Iranians who have emigrated to Southern California since the Islamic Revolution swept Iran in 1979. Initially, they were proud and excited that the Hollywood Bowl was paying attention to their culture. They thought that perhaps the grandeur of the Bowl, together with a grand budget and grand vision has yielded a grand tribute to the beauties of their culture. But, by the end of the night, many of them, if not most, found themselves disappointed after being trapped for almost four hours, and forced to witness the less grand aspects of that same culture>>>

A New Paradigm

In upcoming US elections, two Iranian-Americans are vying for two San Francisco supervisor seats. And it's not for the same seat! The incumbent from District 5 is Ross Mirkarimi, a Green party progressive who is fast becoming a political force in the city, and the country. Ahsha Safai is the Democratic party newbie, running his first campaign in what appears to be a solid bid for supervisor of the District 11 spot. Ahsha is no newcomer to politics however, I have been keeping tabs on this young turk's (metaphorically speaking) career, when he first burst onto the scene as one of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's key campaign field directors, before that a stint in the 2nd term of the Clinton White House, before that, priceless internships in the government of Massachusetts, all while attending MIT. Those of us who know him, feel that it wasn't a matter of if, for Ahsha, but more a matter of, what's taking him so long?>>>

Unity through Film

In a small theater in Rotterdam, there is Iranian music humming in the hall, people are either anxiously waiting in line to pick up their tickets or chatting in groups, while drinking a cup of tea around small round tables. The volunteers walk around the hall upbeat and excited, wearing their white t-shirts with a beautiful print of a phantasy bird on the front. It is the opening evening of the Iranian Film Festival, at last. I’m one of the last people who gets into the movie theatre before the lights are dimmed. Looking around I notice that every single seat is filled. Parwin Mirrahimy takes the microphone and welcomes the audience. Then Farah Karimi holds a speech expressing the one thought that was just running through my mind: This festival is one of the very few occasions that brings us individualistic Iranians together in The Netherlands! >>>

تیر و کما ن

هنگام رفتن است
گفت و انگشت سرد مرطوبش
بر مهره پشتم لغزید
نه، نه ،اشتباه آمده ا ی
من هنوز جوانم و هزاران آرزو
”مقاومت بی اثر است“
می بایست این آتش را بر فراز کوهستانها روشن کنم >>>

Silence coming to an end soon

In anticipation of President Ahmadinejad’s annual trip to the UN General Assembly, the Iranian Mission to UN has asked Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) to invite representatives of the peace movement in the US to meet with him in NYC. Fellowship of Reconciliation is a faith based peace and justice organization, which for several years has been active in the movement against a war on Iran. They have organized many citizen delegation tours to Iran in recent years. President Ahmadinejad has traditionally met with interfaith groups every year in NY and it appeared more natural for them to ask FOR to facilitate the meeting with representatives of the peace movement as oppose to more secular groups. Subsequently, FOR prepared an invitation and sent it to all the peace organizations and individuals that they had identified as being interested in such meeting with the Iranian President>>>

The Newlyweds (7)

Salam Dadash jan, Chetori? I just received your email with all the photographs from Kian’s birthday. You guys all look so happy. Maman especially shone in her new dress. Did my favourite four year old enjoy his gift from Canada? I miss you all so much. I am waiting impatiently for the day when you will write me with the happy words “We are coming for a visit…” Here, on the Northern front, things have been getting a bit frosty and I am not just talking about the weather. Nassim and I had our first fight. Yes, it took almost five months for the blissful, newly-wedded merry-go-round to hit a little snag. It happened last week, when my dearest parents-in-law threw yet another mehmani at their home. You know how those evenings go. This time, though, a couple of things were different right from the start. >>>

چهار نگاه به عشق

هنگامی که به سازمان خانواده و زناشویی از زاویه های سنتی، برخورد می شود هیچ گاه این پرسش به میان نمی آید که آیا دو همسر به یکدیگر عشق می ورزند یا نه؟ برعکس پرسش هایی از این دست طرح می شود: آیا عقد آنها مشروع است؟ آیا مرد صاحب درآمد است؟ آیا زن زایا است؟ تنها در جامعه ی جدید است که به بنیان عاطفی ـ جنسی پیوند دو همسر توجه شده و عشق جنسی به عنوان یک ارزش معنوی ستایش می شود. فردریش انگلس (95-1820) در اثر مهم خود "منشاء خانواده، مالکیت خصوصی و دولت" که به سال 1884 منتشر کرده، در فصل دوم "خانواده"، بخش چهارم "خانواده ی تک همسره" در این باره می نویسد:" تا پیش از سده های میانه، ما نمی توانیم از عشق جنسی فردی سخن بگوییم: آن زیبایی شخصی، انس زیاد، شباهت سلیقه و مانند آن که در افراد دو جنس مختلف میل آمیزش جنسی را بیدار می کند به طوری که مرد و زن نسبت به انتخاب همسری که می خواهند با او وارد این نزدیک ترین رابطه بشوند، خنثی باقی نمانند.">>>

For the Love of Faloodeh

“Did you bring me Faloodeh?” I demand, skipping all the common pleasantries and zealous Iranian courtesies. Enjoyably exasperated, she plays along and hands me a bag of Ajil to shut me up. And while I am stuffing my face, with me in tow, she concentrates on maneuvering through the crowd to reach the baggage claim and fetch her luggage. As long as my mouth is full, she sets a new record every year! The long ride home takes us through America’s fertile plateau and farm land. Once the Ajil is finished, she offers me a bag of dried Tut and Nochod, and then comes out a piece of Lavashak, followed by Tokhmeh, and finally a hardened Gaz. Meanwhile, she keeps talking, bringing me up-to-date with new births and recent deaths: >>>

The Duty of the Iranian Artist

In the past few years, the emergence of "The Free Iranian Artist" and Free Iranian art has become more and more popular as the discourse on Iran, the relation to Islam, freedom, and politics, has shifted out of first into second, possibly third gear. If you are an Iranian artist, in my opinion, your first duty is to yourself, and second, to me (as one of your fans), to be FREE. Free to express your art in any way that you want. To do this, you must obviously, simply, survive. You cannot stifle. You cannot suffocate. You cannot go to jail. You cannot die. That will silence you forever, or worse, taint your art with the polluted scent and everlasting stain of oppression>>>