Seizing the moment

The troubled history of the Islamic Republic is largely due to its flawed constitution, which privileges unelected theocrats over democratically elected leaders. The scion of genuine democratic sentiments, Iran's undemocratic constitution, is evidence of the importance of historical accidents in Iranian history. For all their complaining, Iranians are also good at seizing the moment on rare occasions when their stars do line up. It is well known that the political idealism of Ayatollah Khomeini was the reason Iranians continued to fight against Iraq years after it was clear that they could not prevail>>>

The Obliterator

A while ago, the Hilarious Hillary “ate sugar” and threatened to obliterate Iran, the land that has given so much to the world. These contributions along with other images began to haunt my distressed head in seemingly endless spurts. I remembered the day when my friend Ali was driving me around in New York City and I had stopped him in front of the biggest post office in the world to proudly photograph the words of Cyrus the Great that adorns the building: “Neither snow, nor rain, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”>>>

Foreign interests

This essay will attempt to determine as precisely as possible the reasons that motivated British hostility toward Mosaddeq’s government. Was there a genuine fear that Mosaddeq was incapable of acting as a bastion to Communist pressure threatening to envelope Iran? Was British diplomacy simply a consequence of American pressure? At what point and why did the British Government conclude that Mosaddeq was ‘unnegotiable’ i.e. that his overthrow was the only plausible alternative?... Although the intention is to focus on Anglo-Iranian relations, one cannot thereby obviate the pivotal role of the United States which profoundly affected the unfolding of events.>>>

I am a Spartan and Proud, Mostly!

I came to the Netherlands with my wife, Kirsten, in 2000. Even before I came here, I was looking forward to going to football matches and watching a lot of football. Here in Rotterdam where I have settled, there are three professional football teams that play in the Dutch first division (Eredivisie). The most well-known of these is Feyenoord which is one of the three top clubs along with Ajax of Amsterdam and PSV from Eindhoven. Then there is Sparta and Excelsior. Since I have been here, I have on many occasions seen all three Rotterdam teams play in their home stadiums. I have also had season cards and followed closely Sparta for three years and Excelsior for a year>>>

The Summer Squeeze

In a vain attempt to get in shape for summer…(and not just summer, I may add) I have shocked my loved ones and done what I promised I would never do. I have gone on a diet. I always believed that if you eat sensibly and make small sacrifices (swapping butter for olive spread, swapping white rice and bread for brown and white potatoes for sweet potatoes etc…) you would manage to strike a balance between ying and yang and create equilibrium in your diet. Indeed this is still true… But for example how do you deal with break-ups or job stress and the like? Well a lot of us are emotional eaters and I would also fall into this category…>>>

برای آیندگان

نگارنده طی دو سال گذشته دو سفر به ایران جمعا" به مدت سه ماه داشته است . بر همین مبنا لازم دانستم مشاهدات خود را با علاقمندان به اوضاع ایران در خارج از کشور و از طرف دیگر جنبش فعال عدالتخواهی در ایران در میان بگذارم تا شاید بتوان با تبادل نظر و بررسی دیدگاه های مختلف نسبت به شرائط ایران ، در راه مقابله و خنثی کردن نقشه های دشمنان داخلی وخارجی قدمی برداشت . وظیفه عدالتخواهان ایرانی است که در این شرایط بحرانی به دور از هرگونه تعصب وتنگ نظری غیر علمی و با توجه به منافع ملی ومصلحت مردم ایران ورق های تاریخ را برای آیندگان با صفحات زرین حقیقت پر کنند . >>>

نتيجه نهاييِ زندگيِ آن زن

همان روز بود، آخرين روز، كه وقتي آن زن به چشمهاي مردي كه دوستش مي داشت نگاه كرد، تصميم گرفت كه خودش را بفروشد. نه به او ... خريدارش را خودش مي بايست انتخاب كند. مردي براي تمامي سالهاي باقيمانده عمرش ... در نگاهش، ــ در نگاه همان مردي كه دوستش مي داشت ــ ديگر نه عشق بود، نه تمنايي براي لمس وجودش . . . وقتي زن مي گفت "وجود"، منظورش فقط جسمش نبود، بلكه چيزي ماوراء جسم. چيزي نامريي و لمس نشدني . . . در خيرگي نگاهِ مرد، تنش ناگهان يخ كرد. خيلي سعي كرد كه گرمي را به تنش بازگرداند، آن چشمها، آن چشمها كه او را نمي ديد، از پشت چشم هاي بسته اش به او زل مي زد. >>>

Why Republicans Might Attack Iran Before General Elections?

"Do you think that the Bush administration will attack Iran before the general elections in November?" I asked Congressman Henry A. Waxman(D-Calif.) in his office in Washington. He said this is impossible, and explained that Congress will not support the administration due to the current situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also mentioned that since the release of the National Intelligence Estimate, which clarified that the hardliner government in Tehran had halted Iran's nuclear weapon program in 2003, the possibility of going to war with Iran has decreased dramatically.>>>

What Do Google and Saddam Have in Common?

Google has a funny way of doing business -- one that involves muddying politics in the Middle East. In recent months, the organization has taken the unprecedented step to rename internationally recognized bodies of water. Google Earth has begun using the controversial term "Arabian Gulf" to the body of water traditionally and internationally identified as the "Persian Gulf." Now many may think: What's in a name? Why would this even be an issue? >>>

Sick of Goodbyes

I woke up by the morning light. It was still too early, everyone else was sleeping. I panted in silence. Our new cell had long windows with a view of the prison backyard. A view to the sky. I looked at grey clouds and didn’t worry about the rain. The shadows of the night slowly disappeared and I distinguished shapes and objects, brightened by a timid blue sunrise. On the dirty wall by the bed, I recognized handwritten messages of old prisoners>>>

خواهر مرجان

فرانسویان سخت شان است که نام مرا تلفظ کنند. "ه" را به کل حذف می کنند و نامم تبدیل می شود به "مایستی" طوری که گاهی دیگر با شنیدنش خودم را دیگر به جا نمی آورم. با لئا کمی تمرین تلفظ کردیم ولی می دانم یادش خواهد رفت. آدمها با شما آشنا می شوند با روحتان نزدیک می شوند و بعد،... دفعه ی بعد حتا اسمتان را هم یادشان نیست. این سالها خیلی ها مرا "خواهر مرجان" خطاب کرده اند ولی در سالهای اول سکونتم در فرانسه هرگز کسی مرا "خواهر مهتاب" صدا نزد. سالهای جنگ بود و جو ضد ایرانی خیلی قوی و رایج بود. بیخود نیست که مرجان ساتراپی وقتی داستان همان سالها را می نویسد در دوره ای از ایرانی بودن خود خجلت زده است و یک بار به ناچار خود را فرانسوی جا می زند و خود را "ماری ژان" معرفی می کند. >>>